When I first toured the Orient, friends and family asked, “Are you scared of someone robbing you?”
“I live in the East Village.” The neighborhood welcome wagon in 1977 had been Hakkim and his junkie friends cleaning out our apartment. “I’ll be careful.”
Truthfully the greater danger was my losing something.
Nothing of value can stay in my hands and last week I lost my US ATM card. Its disappearnce came after a money transfer entered the account. Without its ATM card my only option was to re-wire the funds into my other US account. Time lapse 7-10 days.
My wife sounded angry on the phone upon hearing the news.
We were looking at a skinny week and women don’t like being broke.
5000 baht of the 10K in my Thai bank had to pay off a bill.
I rationed the money.
Everyone asked me where I was.
“Mii mee si-taeng.”
I checked my other US bank account this morning.
6 baht.
That’s the total sum of my fortune. If everyone could send me 5 baht I’d be in good shape, however the internet powers have fixed it so you can’t beg online.
I think it had something to do with Craig’s List.
6 baht on a Saturday night.
Looks like I’m staying home.
Listening to the Rolling Stones’ SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL and drinking an old bottle of wine.
At least it wasn’t vinegar.
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