FLIGHTLESS IN FRICKING ASIA...

Sorry for the radio silence. Just back from a work/supposed-to-have-been-short-holiday thing in Bangkok. Bushwhacked. Explains why you have not yet seen the promised photos from Ireland/England which now seems forever and a half ago. Sorry. In other news, Bangkok did not quite go as, well, planned. Got there, worked my butt off, and got the stories done. Never saw the outside of the UN building or the hotel room, but ate nothing but Thai food and managed to get a decent number of stories off before Sunday morning when the man was meant to get in so we could have a nice two-plus days together. Meant. To. Get. In. In what felt like a horrible mish mash of Tom Hanks films, here's what actually happened. He got off work at 2am Saturday, and since he had to leave for the airport about 3 or so hours later, decided he would simply stay up.... So there was poor ole Pete, sleep deprived after a harrowing week. Anyway. So the boy gets to the airport, checks in, goes through the usual waiting-for-a-flight motions. Gets to the gate. Gets on the plane. The plane - Thai Airways, no less - leaves the terminal, taxis to the runaway, starts down it with an (apparently) awful, air-leaking kinda sound before it ends up turning around, with the pilot announcing that the plane ain't going nowhere thanks to "hydraulic failure".... @*(&*(&(^$)(*#%(*((*)(#$ So the boy and other passengers that have connections from Doha to Munich to catch get spat back out, when they are told (I am not kidding) that Biz class will get put on SQ, and the rest have to "fend for yourselves, or wait for our next available flight". which turns out to the half a blinking day later. According to Pete, it was nothing short of mayhem, with the airline not even offering a dang meal coupon to them. Either way, he waited around, and got updates that ranged from "it will take an hour and a half to fix the plane", to "we are bringing in a plane and it will take four hours". He tries to see if there are other flights, but no, nothing. Flights are full. Argh. The boy was, of course, as grumpy as someone who is stuck at an airport because their plane has "hydraulic blinking failure", and I decide to try and see if he can just go home and crash, and I'll come back instead, since I am sick anyway - but no, no dang flights are available for that day from Bangkok. He's stuck in the terminal and can't get to BKK. I'm stuck in a hotel can't get to Singers. The plane, as it were, can't get nowhere. At least not while its dripping all kinds of shite onto the tarmac. Double argh. So what was meant to have been a three day break for us, turned out to be a one-long-nap and one-busy day. Sigh. Ah well. The trip had its (few, but pleasant) moments. Deciding on the Hyatt Club proved to be a great idea - great location, brilliant service. Pete finally managed to get in close to 5pm (which put an end to the Chatuchak idea). We had a short nap and then hit the lounge for sunset cocktails before hitting Suan Lom Night Market to shop a bit. Ended up getting Thai street food in an Italian restaurant after (don't ask) and then both conceded defeat and went back to the hotel to chill and see who'd crash first. Had a nice lie in the next day and chilled at the hotel before hitting some of the swanky shops in the vicinity. Then we had a lovely Thai-Chinese meal in this really cute streetside restaurant that was amazing, thanks to Satwant (thanks babe!) and did a wee bit of shopping in Silom, before parking off for a few drinks at a bar with a live (lip synching) band. It was, coincidentally, right across from a strip bar called, aptly, Supergirls. Decided against going in for the show, but did get shown the extensive "menu". Will resist going into details on what is, decidedly, meant to be a NC16 blog, but they involved ping pong balls, flame throwng and the creative opening of beer bottles. You know the sort. Eventually ended up finally at a pool hall when I got my ass royally whipped on the table by lasses in five inch heels and two inch skirts. After three games I think my ego was sufficiently bruised to concede defeat and head back. It wasn't quite the usual Bangkok getaway. No endless shopping. No cheap massages. Still, it was nice. I think even if all you do is chill, sleep and wake, there is definitely something therapeutic about doing it somewhere other than home, when the cell phone isn't ringing/beeping off the hook and you're not going to bump into any one you know. Looking forward to our next PROPER break though. Art Ps: Yes, the rest 0f the vacation photos from Ireland will come now. So let's kick it off with Birmingham. Enjoy. Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com