For you, Andy.

Just a quickie and one to cheer up the moaning gits that left all those comments on my first post ;-)

I've gone and got a bloody cold (I hope it's a cold and not Malaria or something.) That's why this one's for you Andy. Although I'm pleased to say it's not flu nor from a lady boy. But I do feel like crap which sucks. But on the plus side it's a double whammy of firsts: my first tropical cold and my first cold as a 28 year old. I fear it's going to hamper my enjoyment of beach and pool when I get to Phuket later though. And I feel sorry for the poor soul who has to sit next to me on the plane because I'm highly contagious and there's a probability of approximately zero that they'll escape uninfected...

"I didn't know we had a king. I thought we were an autonomous collective."

Aloha!
Yes. I'm still alive.

Just a bizarre combination of not seeming to do much but still being overwhelmed with stuff to write about. I suppose, more precisely, doing quite a lot of stuff but not going far to do it. A very quick list:

• Bike taxi's from Stan's to the local train station are 5 baht cheaper than I thought/was led to believe: I think "One Arm" (as William call's him. AKA Kriang's gardener. AKA what ever his real name is.) has been making a small commission. I got a bike taxi to the train station and it was 15 baht, not 20. Most Thai's definitely aren't ashamed of trying to make a few extra baht from their farang visitors.
• Bangkok traffic/trains is/are starting to piss me off.
• Congratulations Bobby and Lorraine and Andy and Tracy. This should have been at the top but I'm distressingly unconscientious... And a lazy blog editor. Bobby and Lorraine won't have read this but it's confirmation of my expressed sentiment and if anyone reading knows them, please tell them for me in lieu of me telling them myself.
• I did my first bit of hitchhiking in Thailand after meeting some friends in town and not being able to afford a taxi all of the way back to Stan's house afterwards.
• On the eve of my birthday I saw my first (confirmed) dead person, but I think I've seen one before anyway.
• The camera seems to be broken - no more pictures - (except the one below which was taken by Kat in a particularly cunning photography maneuver. Maybe some more, if you're lucky.) Sorry Joe. I'll make amends somehow (cash do?) and hope your eye's better.
• Got blessed by a monk in China Town and imbued with good luck via a red stamp on my head/hair. Also got some "lucky candy." All earlier today, as part of seeing friends and the celebration of the Chinese new year - the year of the pig.
  
• I'm going to Koh Phuket tomorrow for a few days. Planning on chilling in the pool and on the beach. I'll let you know if I achieve those ambitious goals when I get back.
  
• Thanks to everyone that sent me stuff (especially $ - much needed) for my birthday.
• (I'm 28 now.)

Righto, that's it. No pictures of booze vessels, they're all empty.