Locals

So. The locals.

Rocker and I have fallen into a little routine whereby, if we break it in any way, somebody gets offended. If we don't eat dinner in our resort they wonder if they have done something wrong and keep trying to make amends for something they haven't done.

And if we fail to make our way to Jay Jay's to visit Rong, he would also be hurt as he waits all evening for us so he can talk. We have worked out that the best solution is to lunch at Jay Jay's, dine at Smile Beach Resort in the evenings and then make our way back up to Jay Jay's to have dessert and coffee.

I have really taken to enjoying these evenings, Rong is a diamond but also so hurt that I think he needs friends right now to haul him through the break down. He directs most of his heartbreak onto me, I guess because I am a girl and a little better at listening. Rocker doesn't know what to say but "Never try and understand women, that road leads to ruin".

Quite.

Most evenings the others join us too and this is when we get the best island gossip.

Mr An, my tattoo man has a smoke and then flakes out on the seat beside me, sometimes speaking, sometimes not. I like Mr An. Every so often he gets me to write down a word in English on a little scrap of paper which he then learns to incorporate into the next conversation. Yesterday our words were 'scratch' and 'kneeding' (don't worry we were discussing cookery).

Then there's James Bond. AKA Mr Pan. He's a terrible sod with the ladies and is literally obsessed with them. Every time a new one walks by, his eyes narrow and he adopts the cat-ready-to-pounce-on-a-mouse position, purring "Oooo, very beautiful...".

I guess he's cute ish in his own way but not my type and besides I don't think he wants me for a member of his concubine, so I'm safe and therefore we just sit there giggling at eachother. He's from Laos and the other night brought over one of those bottles of Snake Whiskey for Rocker to try.

Mr Lek is the big boss who owns most of the Reggae Village. His Daughter is the boss at Jay Jay's and I don't know her name but she is married to an English guy and they have a small son, Jay Jay. She's funny and friendly and today Rocker is teaching her how to bake cakes for the restaurant.

I can't think of anybody else right now, Rong of course is our best friend, he's honestly the sweetest boy I have ever met. He says "Christa, don't forget me". I say: "How could I possibly forget you?".

Going to be very hard and very sad to leave...