Down the stretch part two. With a stop at the Fox and Fiddle along the way.

Hockey is winding into the playoffs, which means winter is leaving the homestead. Last visitors through reported only a little snow in the backyard and nothing out front. I would be seeing crocus popping up around my front stair if I were home. And of course the beginning of daffodil and tulip plants in various flower gardens around the yard. Not that here. Hard to tell what season it is in Thailand. The bougainvillea bloom when they want to and everything else seems to as well. What was supposed to happen here is the weather was to get hot. Normal temps run around 28 to 32. March and April were to be 34 to 38 and a heavy hit of humidity to bring that up to around 40 to 44. HOT. Well we had the beginnings of that in early March. It was steamy. Golf equipment now includes an umbrella. And I believe I am the hardiest of sun worshippers, so you know if I am hiding then it is brutal.
All of this was unfolding according to the websites. Until yesterday. Now this may have been because Cheryl, Mike and Ernie were heading to Chaing Mai. It is further north and reported to be a little cooler there. Yesterday we awoke to cloud cover and a nasty wind blowing out of the NW. Temperature when we woke was 18. Unbelievable. I went to the course the temp in the car on the drive up at 10 in the morning was 19. Freaking cold. Thais were shrieking and cuddling themselves at the golf course. I wore a wind shell for the whole round. Temp could not have gotten above 20. Same same last night. Cold. Diane and I slept without air conditioning and windows open on Wednesday night. Last night no air conditioning again, but we had to close most windows as it was too cold. As I write this it is 10 in the morning and still only 19 degrees!! Global warming in reverse.

I have been playing regular at the golf course now for two months. Getting in three games a week. Monday and Thursday I have a regular game with 7 or more other members. A good time, a little money on the line and we have a few snacks and a pint afterwards. All are Americans except for the ring leader who is Thai. Doctor At, more on him later. The game I play on Wednesday is my typical game. As a single, join anyone just to get the game in. Last week I played with two groups. There were 5 in my group (I know the starters now and they look after me, when they see I am waiting for a game they will stick me with the first group of farang that go out).
The group had three yanks and a Canadian in it. Harold was a nice guy. Working as a consulting engineer in the mining field. He is presently flying in and out of PNG (Papua New Guinea) every third week for four. One of the fivesome was a part owner in a bar called the X Box, Sport Bar. (Meaning they have a number of TVs and people  sit and watch soccer until there eyes begin to bleed). Harold told me that the next Sunday was Chili day and that I should make my way over around 1ish to have a bowl of Bob's world famous chili. How can you refuse? Now I knew it wouldn't match the other world famous chili I know, that being Snowman's World Famous Rattlesnake Chili but nonetheless worth the try. And hey, I can't turn down the opportunity to possible meet a few more lads to play golf with or just hand out.
So off I went. I found out that the lads are sort of members at BGC. Years ago a member had formed a group that is called the Hogs Breath Golf. They have a website and everything. And this group has garnered a discount to play at BGC. Not as good as being a member but still a decent discount from regular rates. Good to know. I asked Harold how you would become a member of HogsBreath (fear in my eyes when I asked) and he said, "Well you already are. Soon as you have a beer with anyone one of us you are in". That's the kinda club I always end up being a member of. Low or minimal standards and no initiation fee!!
So I arrived at X Box at 1:15 to find Harold and others sitting on a make shift patio in front of the pub. The pub is very small by our standards. About the size of our family room, five TVs in the place and only about twenty chairs around five tables. First thing Harold did was buy me my entry beer into the Honourable Golf Society of Hogs Breath Masters (The Honourable Golf Society of Hogs Breath Masters). Website is a little out of date but was a going concern at one time.
Well the day proceeded quickly. Harold swallowed his beer and ordered two more before I was half done mine. He was onto his third (since I had arrived) when I finished my first, so he naturally ordered me one. Same process for his fourth, me half done my 2nd. When I finished that one I tried to get the attention of the waitress to order another and finally pay for one beer for Harold. No chance, Harold beat me to it again. So I am sipping my third beer when Bob arrive with a huge pot of chili. Harold isn't even looking at me anymore when he orders his beers, he's figured me out as a little bit of a junior in the Society already.
Now these guys are all retired in some form or fashion. So some arrive with help, others are resting before they climb the four stairs into the bar. And it is an old boys club to say the least. Everyone knows everyone. People are moving about the bar from table to table. They've done this before I think!
Then it dawns on me. This is the Fox and Fiddle!
Back when Deeds and I first bought our house I would trundle off on Saturday or Sunday afternoons to meet Snowman and some other regulars at the Fox and Fiddle at Square One. (I stopped going when I started to have trouble with drinking any amount of beer or alcohol and as many of you know, I eventually quit drinking altogether.)
So there were some memories resurrected as I sat and ate my bowl of chili (Never as good as yours Snowman) finished off my beer and bid adieu to this new group of friends. I have looked for them on the course since then to no avail. I haven't been back to the X Box as pubbing isn't really on the "To Do List" here. Free time, like evenings or weekends I have are spent with Deeds. She works all day and the reason we are here is to share this place. We have our own little spaces and places but everything else we want to do together.
So another group of visitors are here. They have suit fittings this evening when they return from Chaing Mai, then we shall take them to Suda for many beers and Thai food. Hope it warms up. Or it may be cool to wear the jeans out for once.
Did I tell you what Jimmy told me about wearing long pants in Bangkok? First let me set this up. I had this friend for the first four months here who has returned to the States. He would tell me all these things about Thailand. So I would go home and in the course of conversation out would pop, "Well Jimmy told me" blah blah blah. I took this to the nth degree. To the point it would make Diane laugh. Really laugh. And all of the stuff was Thailand related. One of the things was a very serious conversation he had with me. He said, "Listen Jerry, I think you are a swell guy, but if you want to get any respect or anything accomplished here in Thailand you have to wear long pants. Thai people don't respect you if you are looking like a tourist all the time and they will never give you a deal or even an good price if you are always looking shabby and wearing shorts and sandals. Long pants and leather shoes. Then they will pay attention to you."
You can guess what my reply was. Well I think this one killed Diane. Cause I came out at some point in a conversation and said, "Well the reason we are having trouble with the chair supplier is because we weren't wearing leather shoes when we bought the stuff!!" Crazy stuff! Right!. Wrong.
Sitting at the golf course with a bunch of guys last night, boom. They tell me the same thing. All nodding their heads yes. No long pants, no respect from the Thai people. Want a good deal on wine by the case? Wear leather shoes when you go into the store! How weird is that.
So maybe if it is cold out today, I will wear jeans and leather shoes and see if I can cut a deal for some California wine!! Hehehehe.
Sawadee Krup