Fair game for a thai lady.

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Vietianne,31-03-2008. Only hours before my departure by overnight bus back to Thailand/Pattaya. Having a few last beers at the Stone Table where I met that english drunk a couple of days ago. He was here already this morning drunk as a skunk. He's gone now, probably back to his hotel for a quick nap before returning for yet more big Beer Lao bottles.
His habitual place at this table has been taken over by a Thai lady from across the border and probably close to my own age, bad make-up, all her belongings in a fake leather bag. Jesus and Lord Buddha in one, I've met so many of these poor wretches already in this part of the world. Twenty years ago she was probably full with hope. Hoping to meet a farang with a good job, a steady income, hoping to fall in love with him - and he with her, off course.
Never happened and now she survives by her finger nails having gone the way of King Alcohol and quite a few illusions poorer.
With a big Beer Lao bottle in front of her she tries hard to make contact with me while I'm busy making a sketch of her in this sketchbook.
By the time I'm finished and ready to exchange some words with her she departs, the English drunks arrives only minutes later. Too bad for her, if she had waited, he would have been fair game for her.

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