There Did Not Seem To Be Anything That We Found Interesting, Amusing Or Just Plain Weird In The News,

so straight on with the post, the morning did not go well,

every year I have to go to the bank, get my passbook made up to date and have the bank issue a letter to say it is so on the same day, it takes about 5 minuets, then to immigration to apply for my retirement visa in the morning, pick it up after lunch then apply for my re-entry visa, all done and dusted, home by 2.30 in the afternoon at the latest, but not today, arriving at the bank at just past 08.30 the security guard informed me that the bank now opens at 10.00 in the morning, not 08.30 as usual,

so home for a coffee, back to the bank at 10.00, now soaking wet as it poured down on my way to the bank, on arriving I was told that a change in policy was in place, from now on the bank will open from 10.00, still time to get to immigration to put my papers in before lunch, but it was not to be, the letter that confirmed my balance can now only be issued in Bangkok! a change of policy you see, the long and the short of it was that myself and another resident waiting for the same letter was told that if we wait we can revive the letter here in Pattaya this time, well we waited, but after over one hour the letter still had not arrived, but at last I had it in my hand, I picked up Diana as we wanted to have breakfast on the beach, but alas due to the banks change of policy we arrived at immigration too late, so we had to come back after lunch,

 so along to the Surf Kitchen,

 all of the recent rain had made the orchids put on a good show,

 and nice they looked too,

 I called a friend of ours, as you might have guessed the moment I did that the food arrived, we both had an ice coffee, with a prawn cocktail for myself,

and spaghetti bolognese for Diana, next stop after lunch immigration, but as I put in my paperwork in the afternoon rather than the morning immigration have kept my passport for the whole weekend, so back on Monday to then retrieve my passport and put it back in again to apply for my re-entry visa, all of which should have been completed today, worse next year if I stay at the same bank I will have to travel to Bangkok to have my passbook made up and letter issued then travel back to Pattaya immigration on the same day, if the passbook being made up and the letter is not on the same day as you apply for the visa it will not be accepted, whether it is one day or one month out of date it is still out of date, well done UOB for putting your customers last!

 I mentioned before the new building next to immigration in Jomtien Beach Road 5 is now complete,

 the view looking to wards Jomtien Beach Road.

 we stopped off for some fruit on the way back,

 also some limes for this evening,

 some vegetables too,

 there is always a good selection here, the market is almost opposite the other end of Soi 5 where it crosses Jomtien Beach Road 2,

 some pineapple for later,

 the market is quiet large,

 and is opposite a beer bar complex,

 which has got bigger and bigger as time has passed,

 now going the whole length of what was once just waste ground,

 after we were back we had a coffee and watched a little satellite television, then we were off for the Friday night market,

 some of the stalls were still setting up,

 but this one selling drinks was already up and running,

 blue skies with light cloud tonight,

 one of the mobile cold drinks outlets,

 opposite the bar this evening a secondhand clothes stall,

 one of the mobile sellers takes a break,

 looked at by one still on the move,

 not so many people here this evening,

 the sweet stall still not busy,

 they look so nice, but I must remember my diet!

 plenty of slippers and flip-flops to chose from,

 footwear's answer to angry birds!

 I took a quick walk along the pet aisle, but nothing new there,

 the sun disappears behind the condo,

 the bar was empty when I arrived,

 but I was soon joined by Brian, his wife Sa and her cousin,

 the sun goes down,

 then just as we were leaving Craig on the right with his friend Phil arrived, so a quick catch up with gossip then Diana and myself were off home,

after our evening meal we watched some more of Upstairs, Downstairs, tonight A Perfect Specimen of Womanhood, Blanche is discomforted when married authoress Portia Alresford publishes a spicy best seller 'The Golden Blaze', a thinly disguised account of their lesbian affair, but this is almost forgotten as the shadow of war draws nearer, followed by the episode All the Things You Are, Lady Agnes decides after a visit to Caspar Landry's factory to become a model, but Hallam brawls with Landry, Lady Agnes and the kids move out leaving her sister and Hallam in the house together, after that we were off to bed.