A Thailand Story 2006 Part 3

Three weeks. I can not believe it. What was I thinking? She is a bargirl. Do I really have that much feeling for her? I mean she is going to live with me for three weeks. Then what? I am thinking all this as I walk to work in the morning. One way is like
20 minutes and I do most of my thinking on the way to work.

I started working in Thailand the first week of July 2004. Well since then I have managed to put a little drama in my life and at the age of 47 years old. Drama is not a good thing at my age. Here it is already past the first week of September 2004 and
I already have agreed to let a bargirl live with me. Even though we both agreed to a three week stay only. I can not keep from wondering what it is I am getting myself into. I have only been in this country a few months and already I have a live
in bargirl. Yes for sure call me crazy. All right.

But let's look at this relationship. Joy is a bargirl at the very young age of 24. And how old am I? Right, 47 years old. Everyone knows that these kind of old guy, young Thai girl love stories never last. I mean what are the odds on this one. Again
I am thinking to myself. But let's look at the other side. First of all I said three weeks then you go. She said all right… She also said I pay no money to her and she wants a chance to take care of me and prove she loves me. She wants
to give up the bargirl scene. I mean she is just asking for a chance to prove herself to me. So relax, will you. What's so bad about having a young good looking Thai woman hang out with you for three weeks? I mean come on Bill, let her do
the take care of you thing. Relax and go with this. Heck the first week of October and this contract could end anyway and I fly back to the United States with what? I fly back with nothing but a big smile on my face and some wonderful memories.
Ahh, Thailand what a great country.

All right then she stays with me for three weeks. Why not? Enough thinking about this. Time to work. Here at work in Thailand it is very different from the United States. I find it hard but at the same time easy. The people of Thailand have a very good
temperament. Take there life, be it good or bad… They always seem to deal with it. Without mood swings from day to day. Everyone smiles and laughs and it really does feel like a good morning with them. And yes, I know about the many Thailand
smiles and that it does not always mean they are happy. But it is nice to come in to work and not have someone who is having a bad day or is just in a bad mood. Don't bother me now. Stay away from me mode. We seem to work harder in the United
States I will agree with that. But we seem to enjoy life a lot less even though most of us make very good money and have most everything we want. We just do not smile like the Thai people who have a lot less.

I have helped my Thai friends and co-workers the best I can on the job. I am really not sure at this time if they can handle production for us. At least not good enough for our customers in the United States. But I think we have improved the product enough
for the Asian market. We have sent back tests for customers in the States to look at and inspect. But I am not sure if we are going to get anything approved. My friend Nok and I have set up a small office for us to work from. Roy felt it would
offend the Thai management if he gives us a bigger space to work from. But really it is not a problem with me. I find Roy very funny the way he treats the Thai management. I know Roy is the Director of the company and he needs to have his meetings
and keep his management staff on his side but he also seems to dismiss the Thai working staff. And spends little or no time walking around checking on production or even greeting or getting to know them in a personal way. He did not even know
who Nok was or why I wanted him to help me. Nok not only knows this business, we are doing together well. He also has 6 years of experience under his belt along with a pretty good understanding of English. When we walk around together Nok and
me the workers stand up as we walk by. I say to Nok they really do not have to stand every time we come around Nok. Nok says Bill, they show respect to you. They know you are helping them to do better. We have already learned so much from you.
But in my mind Nok is also given respect. I see it in their faces when they look at him. Roy on the other hand has no one stand at all when he walks around. They seem to not even look his way. I ask Nok about this. Nok says Bill. Roy weak man.
We not show him respect. He never comes down here. He sits in office all day. Give bonus to others and not to us. He has a lot since he come here. He no share with us. We miss first Director but he retires. He was good man. We sorry he go. I have
to agree with what Nok says. I have not seen Roy much since my first day here.

After lunch Nok and I have a little time to talk. I ask him what is the sign of a good Thai lady. I mean what is it that makes a good Thai lady. Nok says Bill, Thai lady cook for you, clean house. She should give you back massage and take care your body.
Good Thai lady always home and she never talk back to you. Believe me you meet good Thai lady then she take care you forever. I ask Nok. Should a man find Thai lady his age or close to his age? No Bill, older man need young Thai lady take care
him. Look me I am 33 year old and have Thai girlfriend 20 year old. Thai lady over 30 is too old to waste time with. Most young Thai lady like older man… Because he can take care them and family…. Wait! What! Family! What do you mean take
care family? Sometime Bill have to give family dowry for marry. But good family not want much only you take care daughter. But be careful… Sometimes family not good and ask for too much. All right, now I start thinking. I am ready to take care
of a family?

Let me think, what did Joy tell me. Now my old memory is doing a flashback. Did not Joy say she had a small child? A son. Right, a son maybe three years old or something like that. Ok! Bill, slow down, it's just three weeks. We are not talking marriage.
And taking care of a family kind of thing. Take it a day at a time have fun with this…. Work ends and now it's time for my walk home. Now let me see a good Thai lady. Dinner should be ready. House should be cleaner. Not that I left it in
bad shape. A good meal. A little television. Some hot sex. Why worry? When I think of the reasons I worry about this kind of thing it is because it has been 14 years since I lived with a woman. Fourteen years since my divorce. My lucky divorce
with no alimony. Just a 50/50 split and our goodbyes. Good riddance and all that. I told myself I would never marry again. But time has made me think of hoping to find someone good. Someone to live with and share what's left of my life.

I think about what Thailand does to us older men. We can come to this country and start believing the clock has turned back for us. We hear "Hey handsome man" and really think we have something in the tank left. We look in the mirror and say
hey your damned right I am a handsome man. Look at me since I have been here two months I have lost 15 pounds, 175 lbs to 160 lbs. I am going to the gym, eating nothing but good Thai food, having sex with some young beautiful Thai lady and feeling
like 27 years of age. Sometimes acting that same age. This country is great for a man looking for a second chance. But at the same time deadly for an older man who if he is

not careful can lose everything he has worked so hard to build for his retirement by investing in the wrong lady or business.

Believe me when I say I am a lucky older man only being 5 feet 7 inches tall 160 lbs with all my hair and very little grey. A little tight around the old stomach. I could pass for younger. Listen to me already talking like a man who has stopped the clock.
Walking up the stairs to my apartment. Wow. Something smells good. Someone's cooking. Getting closer to my apartment door. Wait… That smell is it? Man that smell is coming from my door. I stand there for a moment. All right a good Thai
lady. Going in I unlock the door. But it stops. Door chain. I close the door. It opens for me. I say Hi. Hello… Uh who are you?

Stickman's thoughts:

"Who are you?" It is NEVER good when you hear those words!