Day 48 - Pattaya
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Saturday 25th September
It's Grand Final Day! I jumped out of bed, showered, had breakfast and purchased some snacks before taking up prime position on my bed to watch the Grand Final coverage. I had purposefully selected a hotel rather than a hostel in Pattaya to ensure I had a cable TV with the Australian channel!
Given the three hour time difference with Australia, the pre-match entertainment kicked off at 10:30am Thai time, before the match eventually starting at 11:30am. As we all know now, it was an excellent match. Of course I am anti-Collingwood and love Nick Riewoldt, so I was barracking hard for St Kilda. I'm sure the hotel staff were wondering what on earth was happening in my room given all the yelling and cheering - I made sure the 'Do Not Disturb' sign was hung on my door! You would have thought it was Adelaide playing - I was jumping up and down about 1 metre from the TV, especially during the last minute, willing St Kilda on. What a strange atmosphere it was at the end of the match given the draw - made even weirded with the locker room issue forcing the players to change rooms!
The Australian channel switched to the news shortly after the final siren, so I headed out of the hotel (probably much to the thanks of my hotel neighbours!) to pick up my laundry. I continued down the street to the Central Grand shopping centre to escape the heat. I was considering getting my hair done but decided to check my e-mail first - I'd sent Alan a message about meeting up today, since he was in Pattaya as well. The world really is a small place - first, that we were both in Pattaya at the same time, and second, it turned out that he was staying in the sister hotel of my hotel, right across the street!
It's Grand Final Day! I jumped out of bed, showered, had breakfast and purchased some snacks before taking up prime position on my bed to watch the Grand Final coverage. I had purposefully selected a hotel rather than a hostel in Pattaya to ensure I had a cable TV with the Australian channel!
Given the three hour time difference with Australia, the pre-match entertainment kicked off at 10:30am Thai time, before the match eventually starting at 11:30am. As we all know now, it was an excellent match. Of course I am anti-Collingwood and love Nick Riewoldt, so I was barracking hard for St Kilda. I'm sure the hotel staff were wondering what on earth was happening in my room given all the yelling and cheering - I made sure the 'Do Not Disturb' sign was hung on my door! You would have thought it was Adelaide playing - I was jumping up and down about 1 metre from the TV, especially during the last minute, willing St Kilda on. What a strange atmosphere it was at the end of the match given the draw - made even weirded with the locker room issue forcing the players to change rooms!
The Australian channel switched to the news shortly after the final siren, so I headed out of the hotel (probably much to the thanks of my hotel neighbours!) to pick up my laundry. I continued down the street to the Central Grand shopping centre to escape the heat. I was considering getting my hair done but decided to check my e-mail first - I'd sent Alan a message about meeting up today, since he was in Pattaya as well. The world really is a small place - first, that we were both in Pattaya at the same time, and second, it turned out that he was staying in the sister hotel of my hotel, right across the street!
We met up at 7:30 and he took me to a Mexican place he was a regular at - it was something like his 13th visit to Pattaya, so he knew all of the restaurants and almost everyone in them! We then ventured out for a night on the town, having a few drinks and experiencing the night life of 'Walking Street', the neon-light area of Pattaya, before I eventually retired at midnight. It was another early start tomorrow for my trip to Cambodia!
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