Judgmental JJ

Today I’m typing from Pattaya. We’re staying in a very nice hotel for two days at one end of the resort so that husband and son could scuba dive. (Daughter dropped us like a hot brick and went camping with friends). Son didn’t dive because he was too snotty, but husband did, and I snorkeled for about 15 minutes to establish that I couldn’t see diddly squat.

Pattaya is Bangkok’s closest beach resort. To call it tacky is being kind. The place has a reputation for being where the seedy western men bring their Thai girlfriends. There is no doubt that I’ve seen evidence of that here, but I’ve also seen other nicer parts to the town. One image that won’t leave my head is an advertisement in the window of a pharmacy advertising their goods and services, among which were ‘viagra’ and ‘HIV testing’.

Husband said I hadn’t seen enough of Pattaya to judge (I had seen it through the minibus window at 8am & 5pm on the way to and from scuba diving) because we were staying in ‘the nice end.’ I live in Bangkok, (I actually live in a soi with a red light district off it) so I know what the Thai night life is like, and so I reckon I can judge without actually scrutinizing Walking Street on foot. If I were passing judgment from my armchair in the UK while never having been to Thailand, that would be different.

Knowing I am apt to pass verdicts on things I wondered whether I do this with the right qualifications or from my armchair of ignorance. I never stick to that judgment if I am proven mistaken – I will always admit to being wrong. In fact, it doesn’t take much to persuade me so since I am cursed by the ability to see both sides of any argument (mostly) which isn’t the strength it might appear, but can be deeply irritating and appear weak.