I have added a new blog about my life as a teacher in Thailand. You can find a link on the right hand side of the page. I will continue to print some chapters from New Dawn. I would love to hear any comments about this story. I plan to return to more addiction related topics in a few weeks.
I have just completed a second book about my struggle with alcohol. This story follows my life after leaving Wat Thamkrabok. It may take a while for this book to reach print, but hopefully it will eventually be released somewhere.
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
Sunday, 26 October 2008
Review of Last Escape by Critical Mick
Not only was Mick Halpin kind enough to publish an interview with me on his website, but he has also provided a review of my book which you can read here;
http://www.criticalmick.com/criticalmick_last_escape.htm
http://www.criticalmick.com/criticalmick_last_escape.htm
Saturday, 18 October 2008
Interview with Critical Mick
Critical Mick (Mick Halpin) is a well known critic who is based in Ireland. He has appeared on 'The Writing Show' on quite a few occasions and he recently interviewed me about my book 'Last Escape'. You can check out the interview at the following link;
http://www.criticalmick.com/criticalmick_garrigan_interview.htm
http://www.criticalmick.com/criticalmick_garrigan_interview.htm
Monday, 14 July 2008
Letting go
This is something that I have been thinking a lot about recently. I have discovered that the more I trust life the easier it becomes. If I just let go and trust that my path will take me where it is that I need to go then it is like a whole weight has been taking off my shoulders.
I first heard about this idea from two sources; Buddhism and Alcoholics Anonymous. In AA they talk about acceptance of life and that things are exactly the way they should be at this moment. This idea is frequently repeated in Buddhism. We need to accept the world as it is if we want any peace.
This doesn't mean that we let go of everything but more that we deal with life in a less rigid manner. All we must deal with is what is in front of us. Of course terrible things happen around the world but we must be realistic about how we can affect these. The world has been the way it is long before we were born and will likely continue to be this way long after we leave. Sometimes the best we can do is just not add to the problem. I truly believe if everyone just tried to fix themselves there would be no need for social activism. When we fix ourselves we are automatically of more use to other people.
I think that this is the real message to be found in Buddhism and other spiritual paths. We need to accept life and let go of the idea that we need to change it. When we stop fighting life we will find that we are at peace with it. Life can take care of us if we let it.
I first heard about this idea from two sources; Buddhism and Alcoholics Anonymous. In AA they talk about acceptance of life and that things are exactly the way they should be at this moment. This idea is frequently repeated in Buddhism. We need to accept the world as it is if we want any peace.
This doesn't mean that we let go of everything but more that we deal with life in a less rigid manner. All we must deal with is what is in front of us. Of course terrible things happen around the world but we must be realistic about how we can affect these. The world has been the way it is long before we were born and will likely continue to be this way long after we leave. Sometimes the best we can do is just not add to the problem. I truly believe if everyone just tried to fix themselves there would be no need for social activism. When we fix ourselves we are automatically of more use to other people.
I think that this is the real message to be found in Buddhism and other spiritual paths. We need to accept life and let go of the idea that we need to change it. When we stop fighting life we will find that we are at peace with it. Life can take care of us if we let it.
Sunday, 29 June 2008
Building a house
We decided that the time was now right to think about building our own house. I was delighted to hear that Oa's family were willing to give us some land in the village on which to build one. We had looked at land before which we might buy, but for one reason or another I decided against - the usual reason being that I just couldn't afford it. I was also put off by the fact that it was not possible for a foreigner like myself to own land. It would need to be in Oa's name The land was unbelievably cheap, compared to prices back in Europe, but I didn't know how much longer we would be staying in the village. I needed to get work eventually and this would entail moving to a city. I didn't have the money to be buying land and building a house that we wouldn't be living in - even if it was really cheap. A house was another commitment that I was reluctant to make.
With the land donated by Oa's family there was nothing really stopping us from building our own house. It would be a great investment. I could easily see that. Even if we didn't live in it full time it would be nice to have our own place to go to on spare weekends. Renting in the village wasn't the same as owning a house. We knew that the owner could decide that he wanted to give the house to one of his family at any time. There was also the problem that the house didn't seem a particularly safe face in which to raise a child. The electrics were far too dangerous for a toddler exploring the house. I had received an electric shock on a few occasions. At least if we built our own home we could ensure that it was safe.
We arranged to have the land cleared. Oa's family's old house was still on the land so we needed to have it taken down. I am not very good at manual labour. I'm too lazy - although I tell myself that I'm more of a thinker. I also found working in the Thai heat to be too draining. I used the excuse of my degree coursework for my inability to help out much on the land. I was happy to pay somebody else to do it though. I did help out on a couple of occasions, but Oa made fun of the fact that I would give up after an hour.
One of the problems with the land was that it was very prone to flooding. We would need to do something about this before we started to build anything. Oa informed me that we would need to raise the land and build a wall to protect us from the waters during the rainy season. We had a river running about 20 meters from the back of the house. When the rains came this river would sometimes reach the road at the front of the land. Oa would sometimes comment on her failure to understand why her father had bought such land.
Oa told me the story of how her family came by their land, and I found it really interesting how simple things could be in Thailand. A few decades ago the people of Thailand could get land by clearing the jungle and just claiming it. I would have thought that this would mean the jungle would be cleared in no time and all the land claimed. This is not what happened. The Thai people are frightened by ghosts and for a lot of them this fear has a great impact on their lives. In the past they would fear cutting down the jungle because they believed the ghosts who lived there would be upset. They wouldn't dare risk offending the ghosts.
Before cutting down a tree in Thailand it is customary to ask permission of the guardian who lives in the tree. In order to do this they leave an axe lying against the tree over night. If the axe is still upright in the morning, permission has been granted. This complete belief in ghosts is what stopped people from knocking down trees and claiming all the land in the jungle. I sometimes think that the land Oa's father claimed was without the permission of the tree guardian as it spends three months of the year under water.
Another area of Thai life where ghosts are taken into consideration is the home. Every house is believed to contain not only the living family members but also dead relatives and other hanger-ons;that is unless you provide for them their own accommodations. This is why most houses will have a spirit-house where they can stay. These houses are very small (more like hen houses) but extensions needed to be added if you put an extension on the main house; you don't want dead relatives feeling left out as this can lead to all sorts of problems. Families also make daily offerings of food and drinks and leave them on the spirit house.
Oa's dad is actually a maw pii, or spirit doctor, and makes a bit of money from it. His services are often required when villagers want to make offerings to the departed and need him to communicate with the ghosts. They villagers often reward him with bottles of rice whiskey for his services.
Oa's dad is actually quite a fan of the whiskey. I remember a couple of years back we went to some party in another village. He was completely wasted and fell off his motorbike on the way home. I took him to the local clinic where he informed them that a ghost pushed him off the bike. I was amazed to find that they believed him.
The wearing of amulets in Thailand is big business with some fetching as much as a million euros These amulets are believed to protect from ghosts, bring good luck and even stop bullets.
Although the Buddha is believed to have acknowledged the existence of ghosts who lived in different realms, the Thai obsession with ghosts is not really connected to Buddhism, but more to do with their older religion animism. Historically the monks used the Thai fear of ghosts to help teach them Dhamma (Buddhist beliefs), they would demonstrate the strength of the Buddha's teachings by sleeping alone in burial sites or in the jungle. They would also provide the locals with blessings and amulets to protect them.
After living in Thailand a while I have learned to respect their belief in ghosts but wouldn't go as far to say I completely believe in them myself. I remember years ago reading a book called 'Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance'. I can't recall much of the book but one thing I do remember is the authors claim that ghosts exist if people believe in them.
With the land donated by Oa's family there was nothing really stopping us from building our own house. It would be a great investment. I could easily see that. Even if we didn't live in it full time it would be nice to have our own place to go to on spare weekends. Renting in the village wasn't the same as owning a house. We knew that the owner could decide that he wanted to give the house to one of his family at any time. There was also the problem that the house didn't seem a particularly safe face in which to raise a child. The electrics were far too dangerous for a toddler exploring the house. I had received an electric shock on a few occasions. At least if we built our own home we could ensure that it was safe.
We arranged to have the land cleared. Oa's family's old house was still on the land so we needed to have it taken down. I am not very good at manual labour. I'm too lazy - although I tell myself that I'm more of a thinker. I also found working in the Thai heat to be too draining. I used the excuse of my degree coursework for my inability to help out much on the land. I was happy to pay somebody else to do it though. I did help out on a couple of occasions, but Oa made fun of the fact that I would give up after an hour.
One of the problems with the land was that it was very prone to flooding. We would need to do something about this before we started to build anything. Oa informed me that we would need to raise the land and build a wall to protect us from the waters during the rainy season. We had a river running about 20 meters from the back of the house. When the rains came this river would sometimes reach the road at the front of the land. Oa would sometimes comment on her failure to understand why her father had bought such land.
Oa told me the story of how her family came by their land, and I found it really interesting how simple things could be in Thailand. A few decades ago the people of Thailand could get land by clearing the jungle and just claiming it. I would have thought that this would mean the jungle would be cleared in no time and all the land claimed. This is not what happened. The Thai people are frightened by ghosts and for a lot of them this fear has a great impact on their lives. In the past they would fear cutting down the jungle because they believed the ghosts who lived there would be upset. They wouldn't dare risk offending the ghosts.
Before cutting down a tree in Thailand it is customary to ask permission of the guardian who lives in the tree. In order to do this they leave an axe lying against the tree over night. If the axe is still upright in the morning, permission has been granted. This complete belief in ghosts is what stopped people from knocking down trees and claiming all the land in the jungle. I sometimes think that the land Oa's father claimed was without the permission of the tree guardian as it spends three months of the year under water.
Another area of Thai life where ghosts are taken into consideration is the home. Every house is believed to contain not only the living family members but also dead relatives and other hanger-ons;that is unless you provide for them their own accommodations. This is why most houses will have a spirit-house where they can stay. These houses are very small (more like hen houses) but extensions needed to be added if you put an extension on the main house; you don't want dead relatives feeling left out as this can lead to all sorts of problems. Families also make daily offerings of food and drinks and leave them on the spirit house.
Oa's dad is actually a maw pii, or spirit doctor, and makes a bit of money from it. His services are often required when villagers want to make offerings to the departed and need him to communicate with the ghosts. They villagers often reward him with bottles of rice whiskey for his services.
Oa's dad is actually quite a fan of the whiskey. I remember a couple of years back we went to some party in another village. He was completely wasted and fell off his motorbike on the way home. I took him to the local clinic where he informed them that a ghost pushed him off the bike. I was amazed to find that they believed him.
The wearing of amulets in Thailand is big business with some fetching as much as a million euros These amulets are believed to protect from ghosts, bring good luck and even stop bullets.
Although the Buddha is believed to have acknowledged the existence of ghosts who lived in different realms, the Thai obsession with ghosts is not really connected to Buddhism, but more to do with their older religion animism. Historically the monks used the Thai fear of ghosts to help teach them Dhamma (Buddhist beliefs), they would demonstrate the strength of the Buddha's teachings by sleeping alone in burial sites or in the jungle. They would also provide the locals with blessings and amulets to protect them.
After living in Thailand a while I have learned to respect their belief in ghosts but wouldn't go as far to say I completely believe in them myself. I remember years ago reading a book called 'Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance'. I can't recall much of the book but one thing I do remember is the authors claim that ghosts exist if people believe in them.
Saturday, 17 May 2008
Visit to Chiang Mai
My visa wasn’t due to finish for almost a month, but I decided to pay a visit to immigration anyway and get a month extension out of the way. This would mean that I would have nearly two months before needing to make the trip again. I was looking for an excuse to go to Chiang Mai anyway, and this seemed like the ideal reason. I really enjoyed my trips to this capital of the North of Thailand, and It was in that the city where I had first met Oa and had previously attended a meditation retreat at Wat Rampoeng. It was my type of place with plenty of bookstores. I tended to visit there every couple of months.
Oa decided that she didn’t want to go with me so this meant that I could make the 350KM journey by motorbike. I would enjoy being back out on the road again. These long journeys felt like a great way of catching up with myself. There was less distractions on the road, than my life in general, so it gave me plenty of time to think.
I had made the trip to Chiang Mai, by motorbike, on a number of times so felt fairly familiar with the journey . It was relatively straight forward. I started off from Chat Trakan and made my way by the back roads to Uttaridit where I would join the main road. I always needed to be cautious on these back roads because there would frequently be dogs, chickens and snakes wandering into the middle of the road. There was carrion everywhere on the roads from collisions with cars, but I knew that if my bike was to hit them it would also be me lying on the road. It was something that I tried not to think about too much as it really scared me. Another danger on these back roads was frequent potholes which could sometimes come upon me unexpectedly. Despite all the dangers I still loved riding the bike.
After Uttaridit the road climbs up into the hills near Den Chai. The journey slows down here as the roads become very steep as they curvedaround the hills. As usual I found myself stuck behind a convoy of trucks which crawled in front of me. It could be difficult to get past these huge beasts as the winding road would make it almost impossible to see in front of me. Still the slow progress allowed me to appreciate the scenery around me which was stunning. The fact that we were so high meant that we could see for miles into beautiful valleys below.
After Den Chai I changed road and made my way to Lampang. This was where Flower and her aunty Nit, from Wat Thamkrabok, lived. I could picture her chubby happy face. I wondered how she was doing now. Had she left the world of yaa baa and opium addiction behind her? She seemed positive back in the temple about her future. She had a child to look after. I hoped that she hadn’t fallen back in with her previous drug buddies. Staying clean and sober could be especially difficult when you were surrounded by familiar temptation. Her aunty had said that she wouldn’t be returning to Lampang after the temple because she had friends in Pattaya she wanted to stay with. As I passed through the city I kept my eye out for Flower; realising that the chances of bumping into her were slim to none. As I left Lampang behind me I mentally sent her my good wishes.
As someone who has just escaped from an addiction I know that the statistics are stacked against me. Relapse is common and many would argue that you are never truly free from their addictive past. It will always be in the background waiting for a chance to strike. It’s depressing to think about it really. All the progress and good things in my life could be whipped away again, and I could be back to the wreck of a man that I was before entering the temple. I don’t even like to consider that option. I put my faith in the fact that my addiction is cured. I might still get the occasional drinking thought. This is natural, especially as there is constant reminders everywhere. The main thing is that I won’t let myself forget the misery of a return to alcohol.
I think that this is one way that giving up alcohol is harder than other addictions. It is so much part of society, especially in the west. You don’t need to spend much time watching television there before you will see scenes of people partying or enjoying a well earned drink. This is less true in Thai media, but it still occurs. I have never seen the same positive images used with other drugs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about this, and I’m not about to launch into a tirade about the evil drinks industry, and how they have brainwashed everyone. That is not really my concern and well beyond my ability to change. I don’t want to change the world so much as improve my ability to live in it and maybe help others along the way if I can. My point though is that there is a lot of positive reinforcement in the use of alcohol out there. The same could probably have been said about cigarettes years ago. Now alcohol is still promoted as something used to celebrate with, to relax after a hard days work, to drown sorrows and to act as a social lubricant.
When I tell people that I don’t smoke there is rarely an eyebrow raised and you don’t really get people asking for a reason why you don’t do it. Not smoking isn’t seen as odd behaviour, at least not these days. When you tell people you don’t drink you do get a different response though. Many people do want to know why and some can be very persistent in their questioning. I know that when I was younger I always thought that anybody who didn’t drink was either somebody who ‘found God’ or somebody who couldn’t because they were on the wagon.
When asked ‘why don’t you drink ?’ it put me in a position of either trying to brush off the question or telling them my life story. Do I need to tell everyone that I’m a reformed drunk who now needs to avoid the stuff like the plague, or do I just say I don’t like to drink. I suppose both answers are fine and in many situations I would opt for answer two. There are some persistent questioners though for who this answer isn’t enough. They want more information. Many of these people probably have drink problems themselves, as their persistence in questioning along this line proves an obsession of sorts. If I think that it will help them I might tell them a bit about my history. Other times I might just say that I like to meditate and drinking interferes with my ability to this. They might see me as a bit of an odd-ball for this answer but it often stops the questioning and it is true in a way.
There is constant reminders of alcohol in the world around me, but surprisingly I do get days go by without even a thought of alcohol. These reminders will always be there, but I feel sure that as times moves on they will mean even less. I have been lucky enough to meet people with many years of sobriety so I do know that it is a possible achievement.
Oa decided that she didn’t want to go with me so this meant that I could make the 350KM journey by motorbike. I would enjoy being back out on the road again. These long journeys felt like a great way of catching up with myself. There was less distractions on the road, than my life in general, so it gave me plenty of time to think.
I had made the trip to Chiang Mai, by motorbike, on a number of times so felt fairly familiar with the journey . It was relatively straight forward. I started off from Chat Trakan and made my way by the back roads to Uttaridit where I would join the main road. I always needed to be cautious on these back roads because there would frequently be dogs, chickens and snakes wandering into the middle of the road. There was carrion everywhere on the roads from collisions with cars, but I knew that if my bike was to hit them it would also be me lying on the road. It was something that I tried not to think about too much as it really scared me. Another danger on these back roads was frequent potholes which could sometimes come upon me unexpectedly. Despite all the dangers I still loved riding the bike.
After Uttaridit the road climbs up into the hills near Den Chai. The journey slows down here as the roads become very steep as they curvedaround the hills. As usual I found myself stuck behind a convoy of trucks which crawled in front of me. It could be difficult to get past these huge beasts as the winding road would make it almost impossible to see in front of me. Still the slow progress allowed me to appreciate the scenery around me which was stunning. The fact that we were so high meant that we could see for miles into beautiful valleys below.
After Den Chai I changed road and made my way to Lampang. This was where Flower and her aunty Nit, from Wat Thamkrabok, lived. I could picture her chubby happy face. I wondered how she was doing now. Had she left the world of yaa baa and opium addiction behind her? She seemed positive back in the temple about her future. She had a child to look after. I hoped that she hadn’t fallen back in with her previous drug buddies. Staying clean and sober could be especially difficult when you were surrounded by familiar temptation. Her aunty had said that she wouldn’t be returning to Lampang after the temple because she had friends in Pattaya she wanted to stay with. As I passed through the city I kept my eye out for Flower; realising that the chances of bumping into her were slim to none. As I left Lampang behind me I mentally sent her my good wishes.
As someone who has just escaped from an addiction I know that the statistics are stacked against me. Relapse is common and many would argue that you are never truly free from their addictive past. It will always be in the background waiting for a chance to strike. It’s depressing to think about it really. All the progress and good things in my life could be whipped away again, and I could be back to the wreck of a man that I was before entering the temple. I don’t even like to consider that option. I put my faith in the fact that my addiction is cured. I might still get the occasional drinking thought. This is natural, especially as there is constant reminders everywhere. The main thing is that I won’t let myself forget the misery of a return to alcohol.
I think that this is one way that giving up alcohol is harder than other addictions. It is so much part of society, especially in the west. You don’t need to spend much time watching television there before you will see scenes of people partying or enjoying a well earned drink. This is less true in Thai media, but it still occurs. I have never seen the same positive images used with other drugs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about this, and I’m not about to launch into a tirade about the evil drinks industry, and how they have brainwashed everyone. That is not really my concern and well beyond my ability to change. I don’t want to change the world so much as improve my ability to live in it and maybe help others along the way if I can. My point though is that there is a lot of positive reinforcement in the use of alcohol out there. The same could probably have been said about cigarettes years ago. Now alcohol is still promoted as something used to celebrate with, to relax after a hard days work, to drown sorrows and to act as a social lubricant.
When I tell people that I don’t smoke there is rarely an eyebrow raised and you don’t really get people asking for a reason why you don’t do it. Not smoking isn’t seen as odd behaviour, at least not these days. When you tell people you don’t drink you do get a different response though. Many people do want to know why and some can be very persistent in their questioning. I know that when I was younger I always thought that anybody who didn’t drink was either somebody who ‘found God’ or somebody who couldn’t because they were on the wagon.
When asked ‘why don’t you drink ?’ it put me in a position of either trying to brush off the question or telling them my life story. Do I need to tell everyone that I’m a reformed drunk who now needs to avoid the stuff like the plague, or do I just say I don’t like to drink. I suppose both answers are fine and in many situations I would opt for answer two. There are some persistent questioners though for who this answer isn’t enough. They want more information. Many of these people probably have drink problems themselves, as their persistence in questioning along this line proves an obsession of sorts. If I think that it will help them I might tell them a bit about my history. Other times I might just say that I like to meditate and drinking interferes with my ability to this. They might see me as a bit of an odd-ball for this answer but it often stops the questioning and it is true in a way.
There is constant reminders of alcohol in the world around me, but surprisingly I do get days go by without even a thought of alcohol. These reminders will always be there, but I feel sure that as times moves on they will mean even less. I have been lucky enough to meet people with many years of sobriety so I do know that it is a possible achievement.
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
Blood test results
Writing a blog can be a lonely business. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks
On our first night in Pattaya we passed a clinic that offered blood tests. The last time my liver was checked, four years previously, the test showed that my liver was being damaged by my excessive alcohol intake. I had elevated LFTs. I had no idea where things stood now.
There had been a bit of mild abdominal pain recently but nowhere near as bad as when I drank. I knew that a lot of this pain could be due to other factors, but I still really worried about my liver. Here was a chance to face my fears. I made a pledge to myself that whatever the outcome I would not drink again. I now enjoyed my life and even if it turned out that my life expectancy had been reduced, due to my previous addiction, I wanted to spend whatever time was left sober. I went into the clinic to take the test.
While I was having my liver function tested I decided to also have the full range of blood tests including my cholesterol, which hadn’t been checked in years. The process only took a few minutes to complete and was less than a thousand bath. The told me that the results would be back in two days. I thought this a great service. I left the clinic pleased that I had taking some action to check on my health but also nervous about the possible results. I decided to try and not dwell on it too much.
Oa started complaining that she was hungry and so obtaining food became the next priority. The Thai restaurant we selected wasn’t very fancy, but the crowds of Thais eating there suggested that the food must be tasty. I missed Thai food while back in Ireland; where I found the food to be very bland. It’s strange, I would miss western food when I went a while without it but would be disappointed with its blandness when I would eat it again. The only exception to this would be bacon which always tastes delicious.
We ordered four dishes; som tam, deep fried beef, spicy pork salad and fish in lemon sauce. I hadn’t eating spicy food in Ireland so my tongue was out of practice. Luckily the meal came with raw vegetables which I was able to stick in my mouth to remove some of the heat. Oa is quite tiny, but she loves her food. She also swears by the Thai saying;’ mai pet, mai aroy’ which means if it is not spicy hot it’s not tasty. We were unable to finish all the meal, as there was so much food, but I felt pleasantly full.
We walked back to the hotel room. The bars were jammed packed by this time with evidence of drunkeness everywhere. To my sober mind this scene no longer looked exciting but seemed threatening. Many of the people seemed out of control, and I spotted a few who looked miserable despite the festive atmosphere. I didn’t envy them their partying any longer and felt relieved to be going back to my room sober to enjoy the rest of the evening. Along the way we bought some fruit to eat back in the hotel in case our hunger returned. Thailand has a fantastic selection of fruit which varies throughout the year. When back in Ireland the fruit seem a bit limited in comparison. I wasn’t back in the hotel room long before falling asleep.
I woke up around midnight. Jet lag was having its affect. The partying could still be heard outside, and I knew that it would continue until almost sunrise. Unlike the first time I came to Thailand there now existed a closing time for bars at about two o’clock. This ban didn’t seemed to be enforced much of the time. It was still possible to get drunk at anytime in Thailand, especially in Pattaya.
We decided to move to a nicer hotel the next morning. I wanted somewhere with a swimming pool. We rented a motorbike and took a ride out to South Pattaya. We looked at a few places but in the end settled for a resort where we had stayed twice before called East-sea resort. We had enjoyed staying there previously; although for me a lot of the attraction had been alcohol related. It had the choice of at least three different swimming pools and wi-fi was available for my laptop. Our present hotel also advertises itself as having wi-fi, but they forgot to mention, on their website, that they charged for this service, and it was far from cheap.
We got a taxi and brought our stuff to the new hotel room. I wasted no time before having a dip in the pool . I swam around for a short while, but as usual became bored after a few minutes. Oa joined me and we played around in the water for a while. I had enough and decided to go read my book. Oa was irritated with me because she wanted to stay in longer and didn’t want to stay alone; after all it had been my idea to get a more expensive hotel, because I wanted a pool. I laughed off her annoyance.
The rooms in East-Sea were of the bungalow variety and each had a little balcony where we could sit. I brought out a book and my new laptop and checked out the wi-fi. It worked all right but seemed a bit slow. I had been eager to use the internet since my arrival back in Thailand, but now that I was back online I couldn’t think of any sites I wanted to visit. I opened my book instead. Oa had enough of the sun and as usual became terrified that it might make her skin darker so returned to the room for a nap, We spent the rest of the day just lazing about with the occasional dip in the pool. In the evening we dined locally.
The next afternoon we decided to do something different. I had noticed people and jet skies earlier in the day. This was something I had never tried before and my sober mind felt more adventurous than my drunken one had been. We rented a jet ski from the beach in Central Pattaya.
I started off slowly as I had heard that these machines could be dangerous. It didn’t take me long to get my confidence though, and I was soon speeding along and trying to scare Oa. The weather was boiling hot so the water seemed very inviting. Oa roared out screams of laughter and terror. We took turns riding the jet ski for an hour. When Oa was in charge the ride became much slower and less bumpy. We finished the ride with our spirits high, and I was once again thankful for being sober and able to enjoy life. I had seen these jet skies for rent many times over the years, but never considered using them. I was only ever concerned with the bars.
Later that evening we returned to the clinic to get the results of my blood test. Despite my best efforts it had been playing on my mind, and I felt very nervous as we approached the receptionist. What if my liver was damaged beyond repair? She handed me my results in a white envelope. My hands shook as I opened it.
My Liver Function Test was normal - what a relief. This didn’t prove that my liver hadn’t been damaged, but it was certainly a good sign. I once again silently gave thanks to Wat Thamkrabok for getting me sober, and for providing the medicine, which I believed, had helped heal my liver. As a bonus bit of good news, all my other blood results were normal too.
We stayed in Pattaya for a further two days. This felt about enough time for enjoying the local attractions. We had visited a couple of temples, browsed through many markets and eating in a few nice restaurants. We took the night bus back to Phitsanulok where we were lucky enough to arrive in time to meet another a bus to take us to Chat Trakan. I was really looking forward to seeing our dog Cola again after our two month separation.
On our first night in Pattaya we passed a clinic that offered blood tests. The last time my liver was checked, four years previously, the test showed that my liver was being damaged by my excessive alcohol intake. I had elevated LFTs. I had no idea where things stood now.
There had been a bit of mild abdominal pain recently but nowhere near as bad as when I drank. I knew that a lot of this pain could be due to other factors, but I still really worried about my liver. Here was a chance to face my fears. I made a pledge to myself that whatever the outcome I would not drink again. I now enjoyed my life and even if it turned out that my life expectancy had been reduced, due to my previous addiction, I wanted to spend whatever time was left sober. I went into the clinic to take the test.
While I was having my liver function tested I decided to also have the full range of blood tests including my cholesterol, which hadn’t been checked in years. The process only took a few minutes to complete and was less than a thousand bath. The told me that the results would be back in two days. I thought this a great service. I left the clinic pleased that I had taking some action to check on my health but also nervous about the possible results. I decided to try and not dwell on it too much.
Oa started complaining that she was hungry and so obtaining food became the next priority. The Thai restaurant we selected wasn’t very fancy, but the crowds of Thais eating there suggested that the food must be tasty. I missed Thai food while back in Ireland; where I found the food to be very bland. It’s strange, I would miss western food when I went a while without it but would be disappointed with its blandness when I would eat it again. The only exception to this would be bacon which always tastes delicious.
We ordered four dishes; som tam, deep fried beef, spicy pork salad and fish in lemon sauce. I hadn’t eating spicy food in Ireland so my tongue was out of practice. Luckily the meal came with raw vegetables which I was able to stick in my mouth to remove some of the heat. Oa is quite tiny, but she loves her food. She also swears by the Thai saying;’ mai pet, mai aroy’ which means if it is not spicy hot it’s not tasty. We were unable to finish all the meal, as there was so much food, but I felt pleasantly full.
We walked back to the hotel room. The bars were jammed packed by this time with evidence of drunkeness everywhere. To my sober mind this scene no longer looked exciting but seemed threatening. Many of the people seemed out of control, and I spotted a few who looked miserable despite the festive atmosphere. I didn’t envy them their partying any longer and felt relieved to be going back to my room sober to enjoy the rest of the evening. Along the way we bought some fruit to eat back in the hotel in case our hunger returned. Thailand has a fantastic selection of fruit which varies throughout the year. When back in Ireland the fruit seem a bit limited in comparison. I wasn’t back in the hotel room long before falling asleep.
I woke up around midnight. Jet lag was having its affect. The partying could still be heard outside, and I knew that it would continue until almost sunrise. Unlike the first time I came to Thailand there now existed a closing time for bars at about two o’clock. This ban didn’t seemed to be enforced much of the time. It was still possible to get drunk at anytime in Thailand, especially in Pattaya.
We decided to move to a nicer hotel the next morning. I wanted somewhere with a swimming pool. We rented a motorbike and took a ride out to South Pattaya. We looked at a few places but in the end settled for a resort where we had stayed twice before called East-sea resort. We had enjoyed staying there previously; although for me a lot of the attraction had been alcohol related. It had the choice of at least three different swimming pools and wi-fi was available for my laptop. Our present hotel also advertises itself as having wi-fi, but they forgot to mention, on their website, that they charged for this service, and it was far from cheap.
We got a taxi and brought our stuff to the new hotel room. I wasted no time before having a dip in the pool . I swam around for a short while, but as usual became bored after a few minutes. Oa joined me and we played around in the water for a while. I had enough and decided to go read my book. Oa was irritated with me because she wanted to stay in longer and didn’t want to stay alone; after all it had been my idea to get a more expensive hotel, because I wanted a pool. I laughed off her annoyance.
The rooms in East-Sea were of the bungalow variety and each had a little balcony where we could sit. I brought out a book and my new laptop and checked out the wi-fi. It worked all right but seemed a bit slow. I had been eager to use the internet since my arrival back in Thailand, but now that I was back online I couldn’t think of any sites I wanted to visit. I opened my book instead. Oa had enough of the sun and as usual became terrified that it might make her skin darker so returned to the room for a nap, We spent the rest of the day just lazing about with the occasional dip in the pool. In the evening we dined locally.
The next afternoon we decided to do something different. I had noticed people and jet skies earlier in the day. This was something I had never tried before and my sober mind felt more adventurous than my drunken one had been. We rented a jet ski from the beach in Central Pattaya.
I started off slowly as I had heard that these machines could be dangerous. It didn’t take me long to get my confidence though, and I was soon speeding along and trying to scare Oa. The weather was boiling hot so the water seemed very inviting. Oa roared out screams of laughter and terror. We took turns riding the jet ski for an hour. When Oa was in charge the ride became much slower and less bumpy. We finished the ride with our spirits high, and I was once again thankful for being sober and able to enjoy life. I had seen these jet skies for rent many times over the years, but never considered using them. I was only ever concerned with the bars.
Later that evening we returned to the clinic to get the results of my blood test. Despite my best efforts it had been playing on my mind, and I felt very nervous as we approached the receptionist. What if my liver was damaged beyond repair? She handed me my results in a white envelope. My hands shook as I opened it.
My Liver Function Test was normal - what a relief. This didn’t prove that my liver hadn’t been damaged, but it was certainly a good sign. I once again silently gave thanks to Wat Thamkrabok for getting me sober, and for providing the medicine, which I believed, had helped heal my liver. As a bonus bit of good news, all my other blood results were normal too.
We stayed in Pattaya for a further two days. This felt about enough time for enjoying the local attractions. We had visited a couple of temples, browsed through many markets and eating in a few nice restaurants. We took the night bus back to Phitsanulok where we were lucky enough to arrive in time to meet another a bus to take us to Chat Trakan. I was really looking forward to seeing our dog Cola again after our two month separation.
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