As promised last week, we are delighted to bring you a report on life in Thailand, from Anne, (just to prove that not all our news is about Sage and Exchequer!).

“What good is sitting alone in your room? Come hear the music play!”

Oh everyone, last night I saw the most amazing cabaret show. One night last week, I was hungry after work so I called into the local 7/11 for a bite to eat at 1.30am. Crying into a damp lilac hanky as if he longed for it to be douched in ether rather than Eau de Hadrien, was the most beautiful ladyboy, looking as if oblivion would have been infinitely preferable to the rigours of real life. So I sat down and we chatted about his broken heart and how he performed in a cabaret show but really wanted to own his own hairdressing salon.

The show is all ladyboys and is on for one hour. It was one of the loveliest  hours I’ve ever had. When it was over and everyone was leaving, my new friend wouldn’t let me go. It was one of the ladyboy’s  birthdays, there were about twenty of us and if you were asked who was a guy you’d probably have picked me.

Well I was on stage, wigs galore but I stopped at the dresses…learning dance routines. I had a truly wonderful night. (You can click on any of the photos below to enlarge…).

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Thailand is known as the land of smiles. Thai people don’t necessarily smile about something the way we Irish do. They smile to say hello or thank you, to make a request, apologise, to smooth over bad feelings or even to show embarrassment. All I know is that I smile all the time here…

I am sending you all a smile from Thailand, Anne.