Thursday, August 25, 2005

Them Crazy Kids

Two friends of mine got married this past Saturday. To say it was a surprise is an understatement. "What's Gary up to?" "Oh, as of about 8 hours ago, he's married." "Yeah right. To who?" "Gob." "You're joking."

Gary is one of my favorite Pattaya characters... From London, and good looking in a way that makes you think, "If he just had a smudge of axle grease on his forehead, and a cut on his left cheek, he'd look perfect." Also, a member of the hard-drinking trio along with Jan and Geoff, sitting down after a hard day's work to put away half a pint... of whiskey. Great personality... warm and friendly, like a favorite bartender.

Gob (pron "Goab") is my most favorite of Pattaya characters... Looking at her face, and you know instantly that the girl is a riot. One blast of that smile, that klaxon-like laugh. She has an ability to say things that farangs actually find hysterically, cleverly funny... like questioning Jan's highland accent. "What you say? Buth? What is buth? You want say 'both', yes? Why you talk funny?" A group of 10 of us went to Pattaya's largest club one night, and we were sitting there in a crowd of about 2500 people listing to one of Thailand's top singers. In between songs, the singer hears Gob's laugh. Looking out from stage over the crowd: "Gob? Is that you?"

Anyway, Gob was with Dietmer, the quietest, dullest German guy you could ever hope to meet. When Dietmer was in Germany, and Gob and Gary were drunk, Gob and Gary would inevitably wind up together. Drunk people do that. It's they way things work in Pattaya.

However... to just up-and-marry one day? "I think that Gob is going to call Dietmer tomorrow," my friend Rick told me.

Well... they make one hell of a couple.

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