Retirement

I am looking out the window at an exquisite colour. It is not quite sunrise but we are getting awfully close. I can't break the stupid habit of waking up at 5:30 but at least I can now go back to bed after I play around on the computer for an hour or so...until I have to wake up at 10 for my golf lesson that is!

Let me tell you what I have been doing for the past few days...going backwards in time. Last night, I had prearranged a Muay Thai boxing match for my staff where we got in for free. The regular price for sitting ringside was about 2,000 baht a person, but our seats were complimentary. Let me try to give the picture of the excitement as we reached the 5th and final round of each bout and the frenzied crowd, spurred on by the Thai drums screamed for their favourite boxer i.e. the one that they were betting on. Of course, gambling is illegal in Thailand, sort of.

After the match, I took a leisurely walk home from Thong Lor and Petchuburi. I talked to people along the way, meandered in to stores, saw things I normally had no time for. Did I mention I took my Thai teacher to the match? We met at the university downtown and took the canal to the stadium. Everyone on campus was dressed in a uniform, probably the only place in the world where university students have to wear a uniform, which reflects strongly on Thai culture. Conformity is the way of this world, which is I guess the reason I am writing this blog at 6 in the morning instead of going to work! I had a drink with Yui's friends and they were duly impressed with my Thai, even though Yui was really annoyed because she says I just am stubborn and refuse to learn the patterns or syntax of speech. Little does she know how hard I am trying.She thinks I am messing up on purpose.

At lunch, my golf instructor took me out to lunch with his girl friend. I never would have found this little Vietnamese restaurant unless I went with them. It turns out that she is a dermatologist ( and gorgeous, as an aside). She wanted me to teach her English, but guess what, her English is perfect: she just lacks the confidence to speak. I gave her homework to write what she did after lunch and I will read it when I take my lesson today. I'm confident it will be perfect. Unfortunately, many brilliant people are not risk takers, which I think is about what learning a language is all about. I speak to anyone anywhere and even though they give me this blank stare, I persist. I assume I will never learn the language, but if I didn't speak that would be guaranteed.

By the way, never did have that golf lesson yesterday. We were too busy setting up a golf business. Um is going to set it up on this end and I will try to get clients in Toronto. Any ideas on how I can do this?

OK, let me continue to regress, as I think about what I did for the last few days. I have applied for about a dozen jobs, had three interviews and constantly get phoned for more, had one massage, had a doctor's appointment for a heat rash, and went dancing at a nightclub. Not bad for being retired for two days, eh? Have to go to the bank then back to bed. I am rather curious to see if they are going to pay me for this month.