Ebbing Away

*

He could feel himself ebbing away, whatever resolve, whatever person he may have been, about to be consumed by the chaos of the city outside. It was so close. He could see the alcohol in every one's glass. He could smell the maluka honey vodka Ian was drinking; and the double shot of bourbon and coke he consumed with glee and he watched with envy. Nothing was right. He was tired of being in withdrawals, as he had been for the past month coming off the bupe, and he was sick of having temptation thrust in front of him at every turn. There were days passing by and yet all he could think of was his traditional post: oblivion seeker.

The gate swung open and he looked across the neat Thai garden. The gate swung open and he could see the devil's heads on posts: all neatly marked out, all leering at him, come to me darling, me, me, come to me, they chanted in a sickening chaos. He shut the gate and entered the house, walking past them, hoping they would disappear, hoping they were not real. Asian demons, they were different to the ones at home. Perhaps its time to stop, a kindly voice said. Time to stop. Time to stop. He tried to laugh. Everything was falling away. His resolve, his self, whatever he had been.

There was grave chaos waiting at the gates. He didn't know if he could claw his way back. I need help, he thought clearly, perhaps one of the last clear thoughts he would ever have. And yet another day dawned and he was still sane. The bars were everywhere but it didn't mean he had to be inside them. He might be old but it didn't have to mean he was dead. In all the times he had thought of escape, this had not been it. They sat in the Zanzibar near the old Miami Hotel he had once stayed in during the 1970s, when everything was in front and the Byronesque adventure was just fermenting.

How it fermented; into sad days and wasted lives, wasted opportunities, into another future and another past. He was very pleased; had been very pleased; to be away from it all. But now he was not so sure. He listened to other people's stories, struggles, sometimes with amusement, disingenuous charm. Firecrackers went off as the Chinese New Year approached. Ian finally found himself a Thai girl, small, petite, gorgeous looking, a clever tattoo adorning the top of her breast.

Are they real tattoos, he asked in the bar. She covered herself when Ian relayed the question to her, whispering in her ear. They are beautiful, he told her. She's shy, he said to him. She won't be so shy when it comes to asking for money, Paul said. Next he will be in love. Next he will be sending her money from Australia. I know one Thai girl has four blokes sending her money. She say, if you no send me money I must go to work. If you no want that, you send me money. She still works in the Go Go Bar every night of the week. She is a friend of mine. He laughed.

I offered her 20,000 Baht, $700, to sleep with me. She wouldn't. She's a good girl.

Good girls, of course, know how to work the system; and he watched as some very plain men sat in the cafes and bars with good looking Thai girls hanging off their arms. He watched, if not with disenchantment at least with a sense of distance. It's what you need, Ian said. Perhaps he was right. At least there was a certain faith in happy endings; unlike his own faith, of which there was none.

THE BIGGER STORY:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/14/2818982.htm?section=justin

Mr Rudd says the issue of climate change will be front and centre at the next election. (AAP: Alan Porritt, file photo)

Related Story: Coalition overtakes Labor in Newspoll Related Story: MP says climate change debate not delivering Related Story: Turnbull crosses floor on ETS vote Related Story: Cyber attack hits Parliament websites again Related Story: Garrett 'must go' over insulation program Related Story: Abbott to revive Howard-era work laws Related Story: Imported insulation batts 'reeked of formaldehyde' Related Link: Tag page: Federal Government Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has acknowledged the Federal Government has not delivered everything it promised at the last election.

The Opposition has been attacking the Prime Minister for failing to meet his 2007 election promises in areas like health and superannuation.

But Mr Rudd has told Channel Ten that when the election is held this year, the Government will stand by its achievements.

"In dealing with the challenges of this global recession obviously some changes had to be made because of the impact on government finances," he said.

"I accept that and take full responsibility for it. At the same time the Government, through its actions in the economy, kept this economy out of recession."

Mr Rudd says the issue of climate change will be front and centre at the next election.

He has indicated the Government is still considering calling a double dissolution election if it cannot get its emissions trading scheme (ETS) through Parliament.

The latest opinion polls show public support for the Government's ETS plan has fallen since the 2007 election.

But Mr Rudd says people still want the Government to act on climate change.

"Whenever the next election is held and whatever form that election takes, both emissions trading and action on climate change will be front and centre in that election," he said.

http://www.easybourse.com/bourse/actualite/thai-bourse-warns-of-volatility-when-thaksin-asset-GB0007188757-797525

BANGKOK -(Dow Jones)- The Stock Exchange of Thailand warned Thursday that trading volatility could intensify later this month when the Supreme Court delivers its verdict on the fate of THB76 billion ($2.3 billion) in assets belonging to ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Thaksin's assets have been frozen since he fled Thailand in 2008 just before a court convicted and sentenced him to two years in jail for abuse of power. The Supreme Court is scheduled to rule on Feb. 26 on whether the assets should be seized by the state or handed back to the former premier.
The money is the proceeds from the 2006 sale of Thaksin family shares in telecommunications company Shin Corp. to Singapore state investment company Temasek Holdings Pte. Ltd.
Stock exchange President Patareeya Benjapolchai told reporters that the volatility, however, is unlikely to be enough to trigger a circuit breaker - when the market surges or falls by 10%.
Under Thai bourse rules, in the case of a circuit breaker, trading will be halted for 30 minutes. If the index rises or falls by another 10%, trading is suspended for one hour.
The circuit breaker has been applied only three times in the market's history--in December 2006 when the Bank of Thailand imposed capital controls, and twice in October 2008, when worries over the global economic recession triggered panic selling.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/32678/surakiart-to-govt-just-get-over-thaksin

The government needs to get over its obsession with Thaksin Shinawatra or it will lose what remains of its withered credibility overseas, says former foreign minister Surakiart Sathirathai.

Thailand's post-coup standing in the international arena was deteriorating and it had lost the confidence of its neighbours, Mr Surakiart told a Chulalongkorn University forum yesterday.

Thailand had also lost its unique role as a regional coordinator and venue provider for sensitive issues, said the foreign minister who served under Thaksin.

"We've dropped off the radar as a positive influence on the international community, and joined the negative radar for our ongoing domestic political rifts that destroyed several international meetings hosted here last year," he said.

Thailand could reverse the harm it had done to itself if domestic politics, especially its obsession with self-exiled former prime minister Thaksin, were detached from foreign affairs.

"Thailand needs to make friends with its neighbours again," he said.

"Informal meetings, phone calls, short visits or quick lunches must be reintroduced at both ministerial and leader levels with key countries such as Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma and China."