It’s Roland’s last night in Bangkok. We spoke mid afternoon and said we’d go out for a steak dinner to celebrate the end of an era. We’ve known each other for a good few years, but we’ve been travelling together almost 24/7 for the last three months.
I called him at six, he was meeting another friend of ours and said he’d head home after that and then give me a call. By nine I’m starving, I call him to see what’s happening. He tells me he’s going to have a quiet dinner with a girl he’s been seeing for the last few days. He said he’d call me after dinner and we’d meet then.
I call him at ten and arrange the bar to meet in. He calls me at eleven while I’m sitting in the bar sending him a text suggesting we meet at the only Scottish bar in Bangkok to prepare him for the culture shock when he gets home. He tells me he thinks he’s going to have a quiet one with his girl and get an early night.
I hang up. Today is the end of an era.
Note: I have edited this post since I first posted it. For those of you who read the original post, I may have overreacted slightly.
It’s very exciting, a magical Thai woman has been into my apartment, cleaned it, made the bed, even folded the clothes I had lying around, tidied my tables, cleaned practically everything, and it cost me a mere 100 baht. It was worth holding out on the negotiation with the woman downstairs, a much better deal has been struck!
Roland, aka Roland Garrots, Rolandos Corbinus, Rolandian the warrior, or Gun Boy, is leaving me. Yes, my trusty Bangkok buddy, travel partner, creator of much entertainment / danger is heading home. He flies from this fair city on Tuesday, just two days away.
I’ll be in Bangkok all on my own, sniff. Well, not exactly, I’ve met loads of people, but it won’t quite be the same without the old chap from home. Still, I’m sure lots of excitement and endless entertainment awaits him in Edinburgh, putting Bangkok to shame, NOT! My money says he’ll be back in a month! 
If you regularly find yourself looking for open source software (as I do) then you might find this list on Wikipedia (new window) - the free online encylopedia - useful. They maintain a fairly extensive list of open sources packages (new window).
Although, I believe the largest list by a long margin is on SourceForge (new window), although my understanding is that they only list projects which choose to sign up. As an example, OpenOffice.org (new window), a giant open source application, is not listed on SourceForge, to the best of my knowledge.
If you’re wondering what the hell is Open Source software, see this article on Wikipedia… (new window)
I’ve got to do some work this weekend, I know, poor me I hear you cry. But it may not be in vain, I’m working on an initial response to a project in Hong Kong, which, if it comes off, and it’s obviously still a big IF, would mean at least one business trip to Hong Kong, which wouldn’t be all bad! 
Black from EA Games (new window). Oh my word. Yes, it is quite possibly the greatest game I have ever played. It has the playability of Sniper Elite, the graphics are immense, and the narrative is superb, all I can say is BRING IT ON!
The story is set over 3 days and every level of the game starts with a few minutes of video where the character you’re playing in the game recounts his “activities” over the last few days in an interrogation room.
There is no need for stealth here. You don’t sneak round corners, you blow the corners out of the way. If there’s something or someone in your way, blow it the f*** up or shoot the s*** out of it. Facing multiple hostiles, shoot the nearest vehicle or gas tank and watch the explosion blow them away in mind blowing detail.
Oh yes, the game to play for has arrived. If there’s one reason to buy a playstation this year, it could quite possibly be Black.
It’s St Paddy’s day and there’s not a pint of Guiness in sight. St Patrick’s day and I’m having a quiet night in because I’ve got a load of work to do over the weekend and I’m feeling skint. Oh what has the world come to?
What are you doing to celebrate this St Paddy’s day? Comments on a postcard…
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