Going to the Hong Nam...again!

The last time Sylvia had to rush to the bathroom (in Hanoi on December 25), we ended up sitting in the first row of a wonderful Christmas performance in the Hanoi cathedral. Little old Christian ladies were being turned away at the church door but since Sylvia was already in the church (in the bathroom) Josh and I were invited in also. You can read all about it in an earlier blog, I suspect December 26.

This time, we were walking along the beach at Jomtien, the closest beach to Bangkok that foreigners frequent when Sylvia had to desperately go to the bathroom (again) just as we were passing a real estate office. Since she went in I dutifully followed her and ended up buying a house (maybe).

As Sylvia was in the bathroom, I asked the sales agent what would be the best value for baht for purchasing a property in this golfers’ paradise and she told me her company was co-sponsoring a housing developing close to three golf courses in North Pattaya. She said it was the best value for money and better than a condo etc.

Let me tell you a little bit about Pattaya Last year there was a 119% increase in tourism over the same period in 2006. It has whatever one is looking for be it sex, seedy bars on Walking Street, elegant restaurants and secluded beaches, million dollar homes and great golf courses. The reason Pattaya is the number one tourist attraction in Thailand is because it has everything and the value of properties, at the moment, is going nowhere but up. If I end up buying this house, with my record, I could turn around the whole market, I am sure.

Now, let me tell you about the house they showed us. It was about 1700 square feet, about the same size as our first Thornhill home. There seemed to be a huge living room –dining room kitchen and three great bedrooms each with their own bathroom and view of pool… oh, did I mention it had a 4 meter by 6 meter pool for each house in this subdivision? It was furnished and ready to go for something like 4 million baht or $120,000. It is actually quite appealing and who knows whether I will end up buying something, all because Sylvia had to use the washroom!

When I was in the real estate office, this fast talking Aussie manager offered me a job selling real estate. I always thought it would be fun to be a principal and now I am one I see I was right. It is fun. I also always wanted to go into real estate and now I have my chance. Let’s see…Canada and the snow or Pattaya and working in real estate? Let’s see if I am as good as I think I am.

I got the ultimate compliment this morning as I was waiting for Sylvia on the beach and talking with a massage lady using my stock three or four phrases of Thai like excuse me, what is your name, how’s it going, great to see you etc when the lady told me my Thai girlfriend must be doing a good job teaching me. She seemed to be in shock when Sylvia met up with us since the last time I looked she does not remotely look Thai!

Another oddity that happened this week-end is that we were involved in our first car accident. Considering how people drive around here, I can’t believe this is the first or last. I am just wondering why it took so long for it to happen. When we get too close to cars on the road, I usually just close my eyes and pretend it is a amusement ride and hope that when I open my eyes I am still alive.

As for this particular accident, a car turned in front of our taxi or songtaw and what I found interesting is that I see how men and women are wired differently. All the women in the songtaw screamed like in a Disney ride and the men seemed to just be observers. In fact, the guy sitting beside me just nonchalantly got off the bus and flagged down another cab as if this was an hourly occurrence.

Now we are just relaxing by the pool in a great hotel called the Avalon. Sylvia is complaining about being too hot and is constantly going in the pool( for those of you sitting in Toronto with snow up to your eyebrows.) Josh, what a great year to get our driveway shoveled by a truck. It makes up for the last few years where we just threw out our money.

Hope you are enjoying the winter as much as we are here.