I decided not to mope about on Saturday night. After spending most of the day lounging about and doing my lesson plans for the following week, I thought I would go out to the Buzz Stop for a cider and maybe a snack.

I left the mansion at around 8pm or so. Started walking down Raduthit 1 to get a motorbike. There didn’t seem to be any about. Had been walking for a couple of minutes when a man with an ice cream cart flagged me down. He spoke no English but he was offered me a ride. I told him I was going to get a motorbike and made the ‘handlebar’ gesture. He nodded and said something in Thai and indicated again that I should get on the back of his motorbike. Which was attached to a sidecar with an ice cream cooler and awning. I rode side-saddle for the first time. It was really comfortable, but I don’t think I would have had the courage to do it without the cart to hold on to. I told him where I had planned to go and he nodded. I expected him to take me to the next taxi stand, but instead he took me the entire way. When I hopped off at the Buzz Stop, I took out my wallet to pay him and he waved me off. “No, no!” Another Thai first for me. Instead, I wei-ed him and thanked him and he went on his way. George had a laugh at me arriving via ice cream cart.

I started on my first Kepler’s. Thought about having some food, but I wasn’t particularly hungry. Dit had made some pasta salad that she brought out for me to try. I thanked her and let her know later that it was really good. Just the right amount of snack. Had a good conversation with George and an elderly Londoner named Paul. He has been here for about five years on a retirement visa. After a while, a Scottsman named Mark stopped in. He had been in-country for a few days. Working for Chevron on Koh Yo. I had a second Kepler’s and chatted with Mark, Paul and George. Where Thai women outnumber men 3-1 here, farang women are almost non-existent. Other than the few teachers I have come in contact with through introduction (and not chance meeting), I have seen only a handful of foreign women. Anyhow, George talked about having beef for Sunday roast the next day and I thought that sounded delightful. Patricia should be back and I thought, if she wasn’t too wiped out, perhaps she might fancy some beef and roasted potatoes and steamed veg and Yorkshire pudding. I know I certainly did. Finished off the night with a pineapple Bacardi Breezer and made plans to meet Mark at the Buzz Stop the following day for Sunday roast. There were a couple of motorbike taxis that had been waiting across the street for a while and I figured I would just grab one of them. However, Bee told me she would call someone. George said they didn’t know those guys, they weren’t from this street. And it was late. Almost midnight. Good lookin’ out. I waited about two minutes before my motorbike arrived. Waved farewell and headed home for the evening. This was the latest I had been up in months.

I think that my body has equalized to the altitude. I must have gotten buzzed off my three drinks the night before, because I was feeling a little out of sorts the next day. Made sure to hydrate, ate some cereal and laid about for most of the day. Patricia got home around 5pm or so. She called and let me know she was back and that she was completely done in from traveling. She also had her wallet and bag of duty-free gifts stolen at the airport in Australia while napping before her flight (the guy next to her had his wallet AND passport taken). She found it funny that she had spent so much time in Thailand without a single mishap of that sort only to have her stuff nicked while in Australia on her way back. I told her about roast, but she said she would pass this week.

I showered around 5pm, picked up my laundry, and headed to dinner around 6:15. Roast was lovely. Thank you to my friend, Chris, for introducing me to ‘Sunday roast’ when I was in England last year. This roast didn’t beat your lamb, don’t worry. A great portion of beef, pile of perfectly steamed veg, some lovely roasted potatoes and a couple of Yorkshires. All with a side of wonderful brown gravy. It was heavenly. All prepared by a little Thai woman. Go Dit! I washed everything down with a bottle of water, but George bought me a Bailey’s on ice. Said it was the best finish for Sunday roast. It was, in fact, a very nice end to the meal.