When we finally got moving today, we made it one block to the Pacific/Robinson shopping mall. Up to the food court on the 4th floor where we stuffed our bellies for less than 100 baht.

Walking through the mall, I was again reminded of how poor T’s idea of money can be. I was admiring a Citizen watch that costs 21,000 baht and she said I should buy it. I said there’s no way I can afford it when I’m about to spend so much on dental bills. As we looked at some Tag Heuer watches and she was trying to talk me into getting one of those, I discovered that the Tag she wears is not a knock-off – she told me it cost 58,000 baht when she bought it a few years ago. She doesn’t seem to get the concept of “saving” – then again I’m no shining example either.

Anyway, a nap after lunch, a bit of afternoon delight, and then off to the night market. So many people know her there, we run into friends of hers everywhere. We grab some fishcake with cucumbers and sweet chili sauce to munch as we walk around. T stops at the fried insect stand, I tell her I don’t mind the fried earthworms, but we decide to save our appetite for dinner.

Then foot massage. This time I select the place and we’re both happy with the outcome. A one hour foot massage (180 baht each) also includes leg, arm and shoulder massage. Some quasi-famous local singer is in there the same time as us and the girls are pissed off because he leaves without tipping.

We head off in search of a Japanese restaurant she knows but it’s closed for the holiday season. It seems that the #1 type of restaurant in this town is Japanese, #2 for some reason is Isaan food. As we wander around and I get hungrier and hungrier, finally I insist on this busy outdoor place. I reason if it’s busy, it must be good. Well, actually, it’s busy because it’s cheap. It’s an all you can eat what-they-think-is-Korean barbecue, buffet style, similar to the faux-Korean barbecue joints in HK. Pork, chicken, prawns, squid, fish, veggies and so on, with bowls of fish sauce and Sri Racha sauce for dipping. We get a hotpot at the table, fired with charcoal, not gas, the type that’s dry on top for barbecuing but with a thing around it to fill with veggies and minced meat to make soup. Off on the side there’s a huge barbecue grill where you can take your larger items for cooking. All you can eat and dinner for 2 costs 320 baht, with beer. That’s all you can eat for US$4 per person!!!!!

Then off to one of her favorite corner bars, one we also visited on my previous trip. The manager there is gay – very gay. I’m not sure what they’re discussing when suddenly he grabs my dick and says she told him I was big. I tell him if he pays me a thousand baht he can have short time with me. He licks his lips for a minute but does not take me up on the offer.

T tells me that she heard from her ex-husband, that he saw us together on her motorcycle the last time I was here. “Maybe I need to change my hair color,” he asked her. I tell her maybe he still loves her, even though it’s been at least 8 years since they broke up. She says no, he has many girlfriends now. I say, “doesn’t matter, maybe you’re still the special one for him?”

A few drinks and I’m getting pissed off because the only music we can hear is coming from the 2 piece band at Zenith across the street – all Western slow pop songs, badly performed. As the Thai whisky is kicking in, every time they end a song I’m yelling requests from across the street. “Stairway!” “Freebird you morose fuckers!” They go from Air Supply to Robbie Williams to the Four Seasons and when they get to “I can’t live if living is without you,” I’m ready to kill someone.

We walk back through town. Passing some Japanese karaoke hostess bar, T knows the mama-san so she stops to chat while I ogle the girls sitting outside. Passing another Thai night market that’s closing down, one stand is playing a VCD of some Thai rock band, some honest to goodness decent guitar rock. We jump up and down and dance in the street and then buy that VCD. The Silly Boys or something like that. Back through the square where the town’s annual New Years festival is winding down for the night, two guys on stage with acoustic guitars doing Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight.”

Yeah, I know, today was Saturday, but when I’m here, every day feels like a Saturday.