AOB - May and June 2005

Beijing; a very bizarre moment at the airport yesterday - as we queue at security the music over the loud speakers is playing the theme from the Benny Hill show !! Visions of this ghostly figure running through the terminal building chased by vast numbers of scantily dressed Chinese nurses!

25 June 2005

With mainly Reuters friends at Lam Lukka today. 6,617 yards off the yellows on a very wet course so it was playing long,

Went out in 35! I was stunned - one bogey, two birdies and six pars. Then a par on 10 before the wheels came off! And a 46 on the back nine with three double bogies for a gross 81. So nearly good !

24 June 2005

An early morning outing to Subraphreuk for 18 holes with Doug Hood (he of The Doug Hood Golf School)

Two down with six to play I won 2 and 1; but Doug does have to give me 9 shots and it was a course I know better than him !

The lovely Kan was caddying for me again; almost sounds like I play seriously when I have my own favorite caddy.

So much nicer than a morning in the office: good therapy

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The golf was much needed after the office longest day party last night. You know it is time to leave when our Aussie colleagues start to sing Bee Gees songs on karaoke !! It's a tragedy indeed. A jolly time was had by all but office absenteeism is high today !

23 June 2005

Potash Towers is under renovation. Our new (high security-cough, cough) lobby is getting a makeover and will soon look like the ground floor perfume sales area at emporium rather than a grade A office building.

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This may be the first day in some months that the CTX scanner cost corruption scandal has disappeared off the front pages of the local newspapers to be replaced with lurid tales and the occasional picture of hazing rituals for new university students.

The hazing rituals include simulated group oral sex and the lesser known sport of "penis tug-of-war." Sounds like a future Olympic event.

One thing I did not know before these stories emerged is that oral sex in Thailand is apparently known as "yum yum."

20 June 2005

What a fun weekend of sport - the boozed up Aussies suffering from too many late nights and excessive arrogance lose to both Bangladesh and England at cricket...it worries me that they will come good for the test series.

Paul Collingwood's catch is described in the Guardian as : "the like of which had not been seen before on this ground, nor many others for that matter." Brilliant.

A Kiwi wins the US Open golf - while Mr. Goosen shocks everyone with a last day collapse.

The F1 grand prix in the US is an embarrassment when only six cars can start. I would want my money back.

My golf was a shocker - hooked almost everything and could not putt. It was the Wanderer's own Masters tournament at Subraphreuk.

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Meanwhile Peoples Daily happily reports that the Chairman of the Hong Kong Electoral Affairs Commission Woo Kwok-hing in announcing the anointment of Donald Tsang as Hong Kong's new short term Chief Executive confirmed that "the election was conducted in an open, fair and honest manner. The election is legal and effective," Woo said. Errr - what election?

13 June 2005

Not too much to report from the weekend's golf. The FCC match play final was postponed due to my opponent taking ill. That was a shame as Subraphruek was in great condition.

Highlight on the day for me was a 210 yard downwind 4 iron second to the par 5 8th hole which was all over the pin - and finished ten feet behind the pin. Of course I missed the eagle put.

Not too much else to report from the weekend.

10 June 2005

Fiercely competitive game of soi 33 pool last night at the Blue Heaven sports bar and at Monet. Fuelled by dinner at Sonie's on soi 39; good Japanese and western style food and reasonably priced. I have no idea how any of the Soi 33 bars make money; maybe they are busy in the early evening after work and during happy hour(s). By 11.00pm on a Thursday night the bars had almost no customers.

7 June 2005

I did spend Saturday night in Singapore - staying at The Fullerton Hotel; very comfortable; other then the height of the bed which means you have to be a mountain goat just to get into bed.

Singapore remains as civilized, green and orderly as ever. Flight there and back on Air Asia (Saturday) and back on JetStarAsia (Sunday) were about 60% full, on time and not expensive.

The Great Singapore Sale is on throughout June.

The Fullerton even had an adult movie option on the inhouse movies - Singapore must be growing up. Now I presume these are not adult movies on the same lines as you would see in Europe or the USA....which may mean there is an action here for misrepresentation. A sex-less adult movie is almost unthinkable...sounds far too much like real life! Anyway as you can tell I did not watch the movies. I was too tired; slept early and long.

5 June 2005

The golf report for the weekend is interesting - a match with Doug Hood at Bangpakrong Riverside on Friday - which I won by 1 hole. Now admittedly he was giving me 10 shots but I went out in 40 (back in 44) so played decently on a quite windy day on a new course for me.

And then a really weird day at Bangsai on Saturday. First, and most important, playing golf with a major league hangover is not a good idea. Nor is taking seven on the fourth after a great drive and taking a 9 on the par 5 14th. So how did I end up shooting 84, net 71 ! Ten pars and a birdie helped. 7 over par for 2 holes and 5 over par for the other 16 !

2 June 2005

A couple more thoughts on Live8 : Encouraging one million people to march to Gleneagles in he middle of the G8 summit in July has to be a security and safety nightmare : And where are the African musicians in this predominantly white line up. It is all a bit patronising.

31 May 2005

Here is what a golfers birthday cake looks like: Amazing Thailand !

28 May 2005

Birthday dinner was with three friends at Limoncello; followed by some jazz in Mojo, great music, pity the place is so very quiet.

And then some pool at Big Shots, the best of the pool bars on soi 33. A bit too smokey and my contact lenses were tired, was developing a headache; a gin and tonic too many and loud music; headed home; this morning my right eye is really red.

Big Shots was celebrating its 5th birthday; how come I share the same birthday as a Soi 33 bar!

27 May 2005

Its my birthday - and I feel a bit strange about it - but people are being really nice at work - thank you all !!

The lunchtime cake was a remarkable creation - golf course birthday cake with caddies and golf buggies ! Truly amazing!

24 May 2005

After a long weekend, some rain and some strong breezes it is a nice day in BKK - hot, hot, hot; but the air is clear and you can see forever...almost !

23 May 2005

Made my debut for the Wanderers in the PWC golf league on Saturday. Unusually for me I started well; was 4 up at the turn and won 6and5. That, despite a 5am wake up call.

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Then went from Subraphruek golf course down to Pattaya for Saturday and Sunday nite. Played at Siam Country Club on Sunday. Two birdies but some rubbish as well.

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Strange place - Pattaya. There is something hugely entertaining about it when it is busy. People there of every shape and size from just about everywhere on the planet; and maybe from other planets as well.

Stayed in the new rooms at the Sabai Lodge on soi 1. It was remarkably quiet there given this was a holiday weekend.

Watched the FA Cup final with a Thai commentary in my hotel room over a room service dinner.

Did go out for a couple of drinks. I must look very scary as no one approaches me to talk with me.

I dont want to be another farang who ends up hanging around in Pattaya ! Though the golf is good and the ocean and bay looked stunning. In the end it is a rather lonely and depressing place. Maybe it is simply not a good place to be in on your own!

The good news is that I left at 9.30am this morning and got back to BKK in 90 minutes. Traffic will be much heavier later.

16 May 2005

I was talking about sport with my son; just turned eight years old he is already wise beyond his years. He reminded me that "the best prize you can have is a friend".....

14 May 2005

Terrific match play golf game today - this was the semi finals of the FCCT Star Alliance Match Play. I was four down after four holes; Charles was one under after seven with two birdies already !

I won 10 and then 11 with a birdie. We were all square after 17. I put my second into water on 18; Charles put his third into the water, And I salvaged a bogey that was good enough to win by one hole.

It was a terrific match. At times the golf was rather average but the match had everything!

14 May 2005

Sorry I have been quiet - I have been busy !! I don't feel sorry for the die hard Manchester United fans who are all so upset at an American owning their club. Football is corporate; it is big business. It is global; it is a brand. I suspect that Man U will learn a great deal form the US marketing experts of the NFL. And as I mention in my "today" article there are always the cheerleaders to look forward to. Follow the link to see Tomoko from Glazer's Tampa Bay Buccaneers!

5 May 2005

Even now, after over two years on my own I still find living alone can be really disconcerting. Last night my colleagues and I went to the Aussie Chamber of Commerce Sundowners event. A few glasses of wine later and we had dinner at Crepes and Co.

And I only had water with dinner - really.

I got home; checked email. Took off my suit; lay on the bed; next thing I know it is 4.30am. The lights are on; the computer is on; I am in my shirt, underwear and socks; my teeth need a clean and I am not sure where I am or why !?

I wonder how much of a risk it is living alone that you stop taking care of yourself properly.

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Its election day in the UK. The Guardian leader today says make your vote count. I say don't vote at all. I never thought I would say that. But what if no one voted. That would be the perfect message - it would tell Blair that he screwed up; tell Howard that he could never be a political leader and tell Charles Kennedy that he would be a nice chap to have tea with but should never be in charge of anything bigger than his new child's birthday party !

2 May 2005

Chelsea won the Premiership for the first time in my lifetime. And they did it in some style; Congratulations.

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Back from two days golf at Nichigo in Kanchanaburi; there is nothing like a trip inland to the hottest place in Thailand over the hottest weekend of the year. Sunday's round tool six hours; I was broiled.

My golf was average; a mix of the old and the new.

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I did see "The Interpreter" last night. It is a flawed film that is not as engrossing or as important as it tries to be.

They did get to film inside the UN; that gives the movie authenticity.

The film has endless corrupt and murderous black Matobans (the fictional African state at the heart of the film - not so fictional - Matobo is Zimbabwe's national park); yet there is not a single conventionally decent black person. We are left with a white actress representing the heart of black Africa. It does not work. And it is racial stereotyping at Hollywood's worst.