World Cup ( Bangkok II )

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The latest and newest up-scale shopping mall in Bangkok has opened up and it's called Paragon.Apart from the regular Fendi, Gucci etc. stores they have a huge 'Paragon Department Store' and lots of artsy antique and furniture stores as well as high tech stores. Look at the picture on the left. For some reason it surprised me to see these little dolls here with their racial features being so extremely accentuated even though it's done in cutie colours. In Holland or elsewhere for that matter there would be an uproar. P(olitical) C(orrectness) apparently hasn't ventured this far yet.

Had lunch with Steve on Sunday afternoon in his swanky appartment with floor to ceiling windows, roof terrace and a 180 degree view over the finest parts of Bangkok. Since most of the land around his appartment block is owned by the royal family it will not be built on for decades at least so the view over Lumpini Park and the Race course will remain unchanged as it is.

It's amazing how many people one knows in a city like Bangkok and run into. Even though Cliff, Marleen & Arkom, Dirk, Jan and Louis weren't in town because of the long national holiday we did run into Phillipe on Sunday late afternoon after a relaxing massage at Silom massage parlour. We hadn't seen him for quite a while. He lost 15 kg and during that time and has become a regular Muscle Mary by going to the gym four days a week. Didn't even want to have a piece of cake in the coffee place.
I'm pondering whether or not I should maybe be trying to get my gorgeous bod back in to shape or just let it go its natural way of steady decline.

Even though I'm not a big fan of football (soccer for those on the other side of the pond) Paul and I decided to see the last half of the Holland v. Serbia match on Sunday evening in the Balcony, this infamous gay place in Soi 4. Well it was absolutely boring.
Holland being in the lead with 1 - 0 the strategy was probably to be on the defensive and by god it showed............

Time went by really quick and before I knew it I was back on the plane to Fukuoka. Not long to go now and then I'm outa here..........

p.s.
Japan doesn't have daylight saving time. In effect that means that it gets light just before five in the morning and the sun will set at around 7.30 pm. It's sad cause there is just nothing nicer than sitting on Deshima Warf with a beer in the evening while it's still light.