| Delivery by pick-up truck: July 4
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| | resumes but this time it is very brief,
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| 7.30am and I am waiting outside my
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| | no more than five minutes. The monks
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| building with my car and driver. No Neung
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| | collect their goodies, climb into the
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| and no Khun Ying, her sister. Oh well,
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| | pickup truck and off they go. Formalities
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| it's Thailand so I guess I just have to
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| | are over with. Neung's mother is now at
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| wait. I get an sms and it seems the taxi
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| | peace.Lunch begins for all the guests. We
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| they called could not find their place so
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| | split into two groups. I sit with Neung,
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| they are going to be very late. Mai pen
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| | Khun Ying and seven other ladies. Most
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| rai.8.15am Neung and Ying arrive carrying
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| | are in their 50s and 60s and I am an
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| 6 large bags of cat food. Hmmm, this is
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| | object of fascination. They see me
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| looking interesting. Not quite sure how
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| | struggling with the sitting postures and
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| this one gets explained. We set out for
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| | so, to a lot of laughing, a stool appears
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| Rangsit. Neung explains about the cat
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| | and I am told to sit. My cheeks are red
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| food. Her mother had four cats. The
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| | but the pain is gone so it's a good
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| neighbor has been feeding them but ran
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| | tradeoff. Then the real challenge begins.
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| out of food 4 days ago, so the cats have
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| | Am I going to eat the food? Luckily I
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| not eaten. Ok, that explains the cat food
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| | like Thai food at least as much as kon
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| well enough!9.15am we arrive at the house
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| | Thai so the food is no problem for me.
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| in Rangsit and go see the neighbors. Cats
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| | They even begin to realise that I speak
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| arrive, fast! We give them some food and
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| | quite decent Thai.Everything is going
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| then they are joined by the neighbor's
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| | well until we come to the durian mixed
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| dog, who seems to eat cat food as
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| | with sticky rice and coconut milk. Durian
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| willingly as she eats dog food. Well,
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| | is actually ok to eat but this one is not
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| it's Thailand!We are going to do tambuun
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| | ripe enough. Sticky rice is not something
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| at the house. Neung explains that
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| | I enjoy. The mixture all together? Well I
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| sometimes people do it at the temple but
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| | manage not to throw up but only just and,
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| it is considered "luckier" to do it at
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| | of course, the whole group finds this
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| the person's house. Something to do with
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| | very entertaining, myself just about
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| releasing the spirit. I don't pretend to
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| | included. These are all good people. They
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| understand but no problem. I ask when the
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| | are having fun. They are being very
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| monks will arrive. Around 11am I am told
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| | welcoming to me. It has been a good day
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| which, obviously, means 11.30am. everyone
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| | so far.The food is cleared away and we
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| is always late here. All the monk's gifts
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| | all start to clear up. Neung pays for the
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| have been prepared. Money in envelopes,
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| | food which means, necessarily that I pay
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| flowers and the usual bucket of goodies -
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| | for the food. There's a lot of
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| washing powder, toothpaste and so
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| | celebrating and five minutes later what
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| on.10.30am and the monks arrive. What's
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| | seems like a million bottles of beer
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| going on here? No one in Thailand is ever
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| | arrive. Seems I gave a good tip too! So
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| early. We'll get back to this shortly,
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| | now everyone really loves us.It's time to
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| but it turns out to be about food. The
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| | go, time to perform many wais, to say
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| monks arrived, all nine of them, in the
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| | goodbye and to drive home. Neung is
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| back of a pickup truck. Dressed in their
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| | leaving for Amsterdam tonight to spend 10
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| orange robes it is a somewhat surreal
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| | days with her gay Thai friend and his
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| scene. The strangest pickup delivery I
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| | Dutch boyfriend. She tries to insist that
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| have ever seen! We now have nine monks
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| | she won't be spending the entire 10 days
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| seated on the floor of the house, with
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| | finding a new boyfriend but doesn't sound
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| about 25 guests seated all over the
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| | too credible. Mai pen rai, this is not my
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| place. The rituals begin with an offering
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| | problem anymore. If she is happy then I
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| of water to the monks. The candles are
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| | am happy too. She may be my ex but she is
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| lit, the string is unwound, we all settle
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| | still my friend and she has had a tough
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| down and the chanting begins.I can't be
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| | few months.The first Thai funeral I
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| sure but it seemed to me that the
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| | attended was for Neung's mother and it is
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| chanting was much the same as at the
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| | for her also that I have made my first
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| funeral ceremonies. It's quite
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| | tambuun. It has been another fascinating
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| interesting to watch and listen. It is
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| | experience. The Thai people manage death
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| melodic without being musical and mildly
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| | with a lot of grace, humor, tact and
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| hypnotic. Hypnosis would have been useful
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| | respect. That's an odd mix of words
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| because I was in agony from sitting with
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| | perhaps but it's an appropriate mix. I
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| crossed legs. My knees are shot from too
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| | like the way they do this and I like to
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| much running at the gym and I find these
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| | think that Neung's mother would have been
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| very basic sitting postures almost
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| | pleased with what she saw today. I don't
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| impossible to manage. So, for me, the
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| | pretend to understand Buddhism or Thai
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| chanting is an exercise in pain and the
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| | culture, but what I do see I like very
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| constant thought running through my mind
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| | much.As for Neung it has been a difficult
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| of "how much longer"?A couple of dogs
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| | time. Her mother was her only family. Her
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| wander in and out as we sit and a little
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| | father did not turn up today and has
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| 2 year old girls comes to join us,
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| | apparently been asking her for money. Her
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| holding her hands up in the praying
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| | stepfather, aged 75, has been trying to
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| position. It's a very cute scene. She
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| | transfer his affections for her mother to
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| gets bored quickly, as 2 year olds do,
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| | Neung herself.She has been unhappy and
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| and decides to examine and take apart the
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| | she has cried alone a lot. I have not
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| padlock to the garden gate. Then she
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| | been able to spend much time with her.
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| decides to try everyone else's shoes,
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| | Today she seems happier than I have seen
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| flip flops, high heels, they are all of
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| | her in a long time. In part it's because
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| equal interest. I find my eyes wandering
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| | she is going to Amsterdam but I think it
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| much more to her than the business at
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| | is more than that. She has finally
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| hand.The chanting ceases and now I learn
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| | learned to say goodbye to her
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| why the monks arrived early. We are their
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| | mother.Thailand is sometimes truly a
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| lunch. I am told that the monks eat twice
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| | crazy place. Crazy but wonderful and so
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| a day, breakfast and lunch and that they
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| | very much alive, even in death. I am
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| may not eat after midday. They turned up
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| | privileged to be here.The end. Original
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| early to be sure that they could get
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| | article available at from England, Adam
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| lunch. Well that makes perfect sense to
| |
| | Bryan-Brown has lived in Bangkok for one
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| me. After all, this country more than
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| | year having spent many years working in
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| most, marches on its stomach. Lunch is a
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| | businesses in the United Sates and
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| feast. A mass of different foods. They
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| | Switzerland. After graduating from Oxford
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| eat, we wait. Everyone seems happy and
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| | University, Adam spent 20 years working
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| there is a lot of laughing from
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| | in public relations.At the beginning of
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| everyone.I am, of course, the only farang
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| | 2005 Adam set up his first independent
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| and the object of some attention. Many
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| | company, 2nd AB Associates, a virtual
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| are asking Neung if I am her boyfriend.
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| | public relations agency. artThailand was
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| She says no, just a friend and that I am
| |
| | created in January 2006 and is his second
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| gay. Hmmm, ok. Now where did that come
| |
| | independent venture. The company is
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| from? Neung explains. If I say u are my
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| | committed to promoting Thai contemporary
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| friend (puan) they will wonder why u are
| |
| | art across the world.He is also a
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| here so I called u my gay friend. Hmm,
| |
| | published writer and is currently working
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| ok. Why not say I am ur ex boyfriend. No
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| | on a book about his life in Thailand. His
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| way she says. If I say that I lose face.
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| | main interests are contemporary art and
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| So the price of not losing face is that I
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| | writing.
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| am now gay. Life could be worse!Chanting
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| |
|
