Suvarnabhumi Blues

I am in the concourse of the concrete jungle known affectionately as Swampy and thanks to Cathay Pacific I have been able to piggy back onto their wifi connection. Due to board the 1310 Eva Air service to London at 1240, the time now is 1130 approximately. An early start today in Ratchaburi and we treated ourselves to the luxury of a taxi to the airport. I like being driven and Khun Thawatchai is one of the best. I recommend him to you if you are coming.

So I said farewell temporarily to my dear wife. When I organised my ticketing Luna was planning to go home to the Philippines and I was going to join her there. She subsequently decided she would stay at home in Ratchaburi when the docs told her to rest due to low lying placenta. So I am not exactly wild about leaving Luna behind and nor am I exactly delirious at the prospect of going back to the UK, much as it will be nice to see my sisters and friends.

Feel a bit sad really.

Now I decided against buying tobacco products in duty free as gifts. The anti-smoking campaign here is hard hitting. In the first instance shops and other retail outlets are prohibited from displaying cigarettes; they must be covered up. Some shops have a notice to say cigarettes are for sale. I like this as a serious addict and one time 60 a day smoker.....gulp, yup, three packs a day. I used to quite literally chew them at times and I loved a strong smoke......Camel Plain or in my youth I was known to smoke filterless Gauloises. I haven't smoked for over three years now. So having cigarettes out of sight is a real help for those of us who have these strange sudden notions that tell us that contrary to all wisdom that smoking is ok and there would be nothing better than to buy this sweet blue and white pack.

I guess the duty free zone here at the airport must be exempt from the ban on public display. However, in the second instance, the packets contain vivid images of the effects of smoking......ulcerated mouths, rotten teeth, throats with holes and other images. I don't know whether the packets in shops carry the same graphic images. Anyhow this worked on me because I decided against buying cigarettes as a reaction to the images.

Smoking is a frightening business. Of all addictions it clearly has the least going for it and yet for me personally I could easily start at it again. With drinking, drugs, gambling and everything else there appears to be some sort of benefit however ephemeral and in the case of gambling the possibility of winning a lot of money however elusive that may prove. Cigarette smoke just makes you stink. I mean you wouldn't lick an ash tray with a view to making yourself attractive to the opposite sex or to impress at an interview! Yet my experience of smoking is it has exactly the same effect. Thank God I am free of it today and long may it continue this way. Sadly, however, in the recesses of my slippery head there is a notion that suggests smoking will relax me and make me look sophisticated and sexy!

Soon time to board so better get going. Thank you Cathay Pacific for letting me use your wifi!