Dear Hilary
In response to the many letters that you receive from the elite of UK and Europe etc, this letter is on behalf of the over sixties, pot belied, beer swilling, bar girl ogling ,past-it guys.
Number one
We are not all as described above, there are a lot of us expats who go to the local bar to meet up with our friends and discuss various topics. When we are there we are greeted by the bar girls, and as long time regulars of our particular watering hole, are treated with respect.
We don’t get the “come in sexy man” comments, and are generally greeted by name and seated in our usual spot, our drinks are brought to us without delay with the usual smile.
They then sit, if not too busy, at a close distance so as to be on hand for our requests, or sit with us as they want or asked. In some cases it is us guys who point out to the girls there are a couple of likely candidates passing, then the cry of “sexy man sit down please” rings out.
Number two
Where else will you get the bar girl to run out of the bar in a tropical rainstorm to get your favorite snack from the passing vender without any complaint or expecting something in return.
Number three
On occasion, when drinking a little too much of the mind clouding liquid, where else will you get the bar girl, or any waitress for that matter, to get you the regular taxi bike guy to take you home and make sure you are not ripped off on the way.
On return the next day we apologize for being a little ‘mow’, and the response is it’s OK as long as you are in here, we will look after you, so we know you will come back. We always leave our loose change on the plate, albeit not much at times, and something in the hand for the particular girl who has tended to you that day.
Number four
We watch from our particular vantage point at the bar, at the people who write in to you after their particular trip to Thailand, they walk into the bar and look at us as if we are too old and shouldn’t be there, we then watch the real experts (girls) go to work, and after several beers later, the guy’s chest swells up and they give us the old knowing wink, as if to say that’s how it’s done pop. A few more beers later and the old bar fine is handed over, and the expert leaves with another captive, on the way out, giving us old smiling guys, the old knowing smile and wink.
Everyone is happy, the captive thinks it’s the best thing since sliced bread, the girl has more money for bread, we are content to let them think what they like of us, but must realize that before they write in condemning us so called perverts, that we are the ones that are laughing at them not the other way round, as they will come to know as they mature.
Number five
Yes, we still have our R&R the last Friday in each month or which particular time, with our favorite female companion, but we are not going to fall in love again, we have all been there, we just treat the girl with respect for herself and her job and we get the same respect back.
I could go on and on. I myself feel that we all need to be flattered sometime, but as long as we keep it in perspective and don’t think that it’s actually true and they think of us as nice guys, we will continue to like and enjoy our times at the local watering hole. By the way just for the record, most of us are in better condition than our younger UK and European, counterparts who complain about us. On behalf of my fellow residents here, who in the main part would not respond to the letters and comments made against us, we are not all cast in the same mold as these ladies and gents/people think.
Thanks for letting me have my small say, Happy New Year (no need for spelling corrections as this is my one and only letter).
Not so desperate Dave
Dear NSD Dave,
Thank you for that wonderful snippet of the thoughts of the ‘elder spectators at life’ group, but as you can see, I did have to shorten it a little – the editor gets twitchy if we run to two pages! I did have to correct the spelling as well – I get a little twitchy with a letter full of incredible spellings, such as yours. However, you certainly do know how to put the tourist who thinks he knows everything in his place, and I loved the “expert leaves with another captive.” I am glad to see that our local plus 60’s still have fun, especially the last Friday of the month – is that pension day, my Petal? I will make it my business to drop by one Friday.
