Sitting on the Corner

Today's song is The House of the Rising Sun. I saw it performed live in concert in Ottawa of all places. I must admit I sympathize with the lyrics.

I am creating a new software project these days and I decided to use a noSQL database combined with local storage so it can be used without an internet connection as well as online. It is always interesting learning new things (or meeting new bar girls) but I am over the learning curve now ... into what I call the monkey work. If I was in a medium size software development company I would now hand it off to a junior programmer but alas, I am all alone except for grasshopper (Brent) the tester and our interface to the customers at large.

I have developed a coping mechanism over the years. If it is remotely interesting monkey work I buy a bottle of red wine and sit down and get it done as quickly as possible, because without doubt ... the user interface will change often before the software is out the door.

If the specs are pretty loose and I am really developing a prototype and the money work is really boring, I resort to drinking cheap scotch whisky. However .. my cupboard was bare so I convinced Thavorn to walk to the 7/11 on the corner. Thavorn agreed as she needed to stock up on vegetables and there is a mini market with at least 30 types of vegetables on display. Thais are pretty well omnivores and eat just about anything that grows or moves. So off she went in search of vegetables and Jaidan and I went to 7/11 in search of cheap scotch.

I spied a bottle of Johnny Walker's Red Label and it was only 900 baht or $30 so I asked for it but was tricked once again by the fact that you can't buy booze between 2 pm and 5 pm and it was 4:35 pm so Jaidan and I retired to the corner to sit and watch the world pass us by for 25 mins.

Motorbikes out number cars by 3:1 and if you don't count taxis, probably 4:1 so there is lots to see from pretty ladies on motor bikes, to Katoey's on motor bikes to families of 5 on a 125 cc motor bike. Of course there is always the people haulers, the half ton pickup trucks with 20 people standing in the truck bed. The police pretty well ignore most traffic violations.

I noticed that the Soi 22 Sauna (tin shack multiple residences) has been torn down and another condo is going up. That means the migrant workers (probably about 1,000) have been moved to another Sauna (named because there is no aircon) somewhere close by, but it will be quieter on Soi 22 now. Migrants are hired because they only get paid $20 a day vs the minimum wage of $30 a day for Thais.

Time for reflection is good and we should all reserve more time for it. Now that I am into my second glass of scotch I am reflecting an amiable glow and feeling more inclined to monkey work! After about 7 glasses, the wanderlust sets in and it is a good thng Thavorn and Jaidan are around to reign me in.

BTW, I program on a Lenova ThinkPad Ultrabook with a waterproof (and Scotch proof) keyboard. Highly recommended when you have monkey work to do.

TTYL