Friday Photo

Can you see her friend behind? Or should that be her friend’s behind?

So this is the silly picture that had me scuttling off out of embarrassment … the pink, pneumatic lady woman. It was her friend that had me come over all self concious: pink woman was standing over by her friend at the bar when I saw them, and she looked as though she had plans for her. I just couldn’t bring myself to take a picture. I felt like a peeper.

Another day; another Starbucks

Last week I had nearly reached home in a taxi when I spotted a stonking subject - or possibly object - for the next Friday Photo. Although I often grab snapshots fom a moving cab, I didn't manage it this time and anyway this object was only a ten minute walk from our apartment.

So on Monday after a disappointing writing session in Starbucks, I decided not to take a taxi home. Instead, I decided I'd achieve something for the day by taking the shot for Friday's Friday Photo.

Now, you all know I'll steal about anywhere to take a picture... Undercover in the mall? That'll be me, wearing my 'I am a stupid foreigner' expression to match my trench coat with the collar turned up. Ten days ago I even braved inside the department store... With my mobile phone. I pretended to be making and receiving phone calls and text messages, when what I was actually doing was trying to capture pictures of the men's clothing concession, Toss Men - yes really. (I haven't posted because I am no secret shopper and my telephone camera is crap.)

So there I was, on my way home, to capture a picture for your pleasure when... But talking of pleasure, what I should tell you is that I live very close to one of Bangkok's red light areas and this bar was, well, in that region. I couldn't remember exactly where the bar was so I had to walk along the road to find it... And then there it was: the object which I had thought was funny but she was 'standing' next to another horrible object, which so embarrassed me I couldn't take the picture; instead I marched straight past.

On to today - I'm sitting in yet another Starbucks (today's is U Chu Liang's branch opposite Lumphini Park), where I'm meant to be writing... And instead I'm talking to you all and wondering if I'm brave enough to go back to the bar and actually take the picture this time.

What do you think?

Sent via BlackBerry® from AIS

That time of year

It’s a bit more than two weeks until the end of our term which means that here at The Towers we’re in full flurry of the end of year exams. (We’re back to school for the start of autumn term on Aug 19, so don’t feel too jealous!)

At first, our encouragement to ‘get started on some revision’ was met with mystified expressions and shrugs of the shoulders; mutterings were made to the tune of ‘no-one’s told me to start yet.’ We were forced to raise the notion of initiative.

Now, revision has been negotiated on, timetables drawn up and although it’s taken several weeks to establish, there is at last some semblance of discipline to the evenings.

Both children – on separate occasions - have appeared in front of me wearing wild, panicked expressions, and stuttering that an exam ‘no-one had told them about’ had appeared in their immediate future. Sometimes, they weren’t even quite certain which paper they didn’t know about. Even that hasn’t been a bad thing. I think learning how to cope with a dreaded question or hideous paper or, exam out of nowhere when you’re panicked, is an important lesson.

It’s not only about what they’re learning; I’ve learned over the years to have extra protractors, set squares, a spare compass, erasers, rulers… hidden away in a drawer for emergencies and we always get them.

♪♪ I can see clearly now ♪♪

I’m not a planner. I can’t. My intention to get a bit more cerebral about managing the plot has evaporated because I can’t map out what, where and how. I still have no idea how to manage what’s coming; I’m just doing it a scene at a time. Nothing makes any sense to me until I'm writing ... and then things become clearer and I realise what's going on.

But I have been writing. It just turns out that, at the moment, I write better when I’m out. I think this is because I’m back in Husband’s office at home, our wifi internet having gone wrong again, been fixed and now not working as well as it did.

I’ve been increasing the profits of Bangkok’s various branches of Starbucks. On Saturday I wrote a massive (for me) 1300 words and on Sunday I wrote another huge 1030 words. (500 words are normal ish and 700 is a lot for me.)

But although I know roughly what is coming in each scene I sit down to write, I don’t know the how and the exactly what until I start writing.

So today, I’m celebrating not being a strategist but being 'a flier by the seat of my pants-er.'

And now, I’m off to find a branch of Starbucks, and there’s a big choice.

Shhhh

•
I'm writing...
•

Why? WHY?

There a great mystery at the Towers – that’s where I live. And no, it’s not who’s finished the milk: that was bloomin’ Son. Any chance of a second cup of tea just disappeared into a gargantuan bowl of Cheerios with the deep but no less whiney tones of ‘There was hardly any left! Anyway, you’ve had a cup of tea.’ Yes, I had just had a cup of tea and there was over half a pint remaining. And, it’s 6 *lots of filthy language inside my head* AM in the morning. I NEED several cups of tea.

So no, there’s no mystery there: just a horrible, physical dependency worthy of the Priory and a ‘thinks only of himself’ teenage person.

The mystery then… What’s the whodunit?

Where have all the scissors gone?

I’ve always been crafty – that’s not to say that I would have finished the milk and lied about it… not as in deceitful or guileful – but that I made things. Remember I was a sculptor in a former life? Now, decent tools (as well as a second cup of tea) are essential to the sanity of someone who ‘makes.’ I do have to confess to a certain obsessiveness when it comes to scissors. I blame my Mum for that. Scissors are a little bit like lip salve - I have to have them everywhere. You have no idea when you might need ­them. It’s most important that there’s a decent pair, a pair that actually cuts rather than abuses, to hand.

Ikea used to sell a pack of three scissors: one large two smaller. I think I kept the Wembley store afloat by the number of these three packs I bought. They were dirt cheap and they cut and continued to cut until a child or stupid person (sometimes I was that person) got them gunked up with nasty stuff and after that they’d creak open and not cut cleanly. They’ve always gone walkabout but without the ability to buy another packet or three, they just seem to disappear into thin air.

It’s true that I do have two large pairs on my desk (I am toying with attaching a chain to them so that they can’t wander) but I have just unearthed this small yellow handled pair in Daughter’s room. Hmmm.

Pinch and a punch...

After about four weeks of not writing my novel – you can find out why here and here - it’s time to get back to it. I know I’m ready to start writing again because I’ve been really bad tempered! (I think I owe it to my family to get back on it.)

On Friday I talked to someone about my book and got excited again and on my way home I talked to two friends in the taxi about moving forward. I heard myself diagnosing the solution at the same moment as I told them about the problem: it’s time to engage brain and stop relying (so much) on my subconscious and instinct. So far, I’ve been making it up as I go along and now that it’s got complicated, it’s time to plan…

Yesterday it was just Son and I for Sunday lunch at the pub. Afterwards we decided to go off to MBK where I would write or plan (in Starbucks) and he would go and look for the DVD of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas for me and then potter around doing his own thing (Guitar Hero in the arcade!)

Result: I wrote, scribbled and planned.

On our way home we popped into Villa for some shopping, where we spotted packets of rarely seen in Thailand, Walkers Salt and Vinegar crisps. Even as I write, I am salivating.

They should have been on yesterday's list of things I love!