Centre of attention

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Today I meet Ali, who I met on the foot massage course, and we spend the day at the massage school practicing. At lunchtime Ali helps me to buy some Thai lottery tickets that I’m going to leave as thank you gifts for some of the hotel staff. We create a lot of interest on the street by buying so many (30, at 90Baht each) and we soon have a little audience around us as the Thai people are very into the lottery. The old woman selling the lottery tickets then follows us around as we go and buy fruit from a street vendor. Every time I turn around she’s behind me smiling and chattering away in Thai, following us down the street, and I keep hearing Sahm Sip (Thai for 30) being mentioned like Chinese whispers as we’re walking along! In case I don’t manage to see Teng later I’ve also quizzed Ali about what gift I could buy. He suggested a hat, which is a brilliant idea as he often wears a baseball cap, so I go from the massage school to the shopping mall. When I get back to the hotel I pass Darth Vader getting into the lift, then treat myself to a bottle of wine to enjoy while I‘m packing, expecting it to be a screw top like the previous one. But it’s a cork so I’m going to have to drink the full bottle. Leaving some is not an option, wine is expensive here! Due to this I don’t actually get much packing done. I end up watching a film, drinking wine and then falling into bed at 11pm!

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