23 February
I woke up this morning feeling exhausted. I had breakfast and then went downstairs to fill my water container. I met Mario the Italian coming the other way.

“How are you?” he asked.

“Not too good,” I replied. “Got a slight sore throat and feel really tired.”

His face brightened. “Yes!” he said eagerly. “It is this place. Always I wake up with something wrong…. Always a little something make me feel not good. If I ever wake up feeling good then it’s halleluiah! You know, I have to save some money because I know one day, something bad is going to happen…”


24 February
Today was a good day. I got up at half six in the morning and then went straight to the British Club with Mina.

It was deserted when we arrived. The only other members present were a couple playing tennis. The water in the swimming pool was like a mirror. We lay on the sunbeds and watched the sun rise while listening to the sound of birdsong.

“It’s like having our own private villa,” said Mina and she was right.

We swam ten lengths, showered and then had a big leisurely breakfast complete with lots of good coffee, baked beans and newspapers. Then we strolled up Silom Road went shopping at Sala Dang. After an hour or so, we took the Skytrain to Au Bon Pair at Siam, drank more coffee and ate giant cookies.

After half an hour or so, my brother Michael turned up and we went shopping at MBK. I tried on a pair of jeans at a shop on the ground floor and Mina asked the shop assistant – a rather cute, button nosed girl from Korat – if she had a boyfriend.

“Yes,” said the girl from Korat. “He’s Spanish and he likes my skin dark. Actually, he wants my skin to be darker than this.”

“Are you a virgin?” asked Mina.

The girl from Korat looked surprised at the question.

“No," she said. "I’m Thai! I’m from Isen, see?”