China fever

Three young men turned up at Mum's shop last night. Without ado, they just plonked themselves down, as if they were regulars, though I do not recall seeing them before. I am pleased they had no inhibitions about sitting next to a farang. We had a great night.

Before they arrived, I was sitting opposite a regular, Kong, who is forever battling rumours he is gay. I doubt that he is gay (he likes football and smokes - what other evidence does a boy need?).

However, as a single man he gets lonely like anyone else. He took particular interest in one of the trio who joined our table - a young architect with striking Chinese looks.

The trio work in an architecture firm nearby which employs about 20. The other guys at the table looked after the interior design, and the plumbing and electrics.

They were good friends, and full of admiration for Mr China, who alone among them is a fully qualified architect, and can sign off any house or building plan.

Mr China must get used to the flattery, because he just sat there gracefully and accepted it. He was the quiet and shy one of the trio.

His hair was parted in the middle, and flopped over his eyes. He also grew it long down the sides, curved around his neck, like an actor or model. His eyes were smaller than the average Thai's, and his smile much wider.

The young man to my right also looked feminine, with a small chest. Married with two children, he was the lively one of the group, joking and laughing.

The last member of the trio, who like Mr China was sitting opposite, had traditional Bangkok boy looks. His face was open and ruggedly handsome.

'Who is most handsome?' Mr Chest asked.

'You are all handsome,' I said.

'But in different ways, right?' asked Mr Chest. He had held this conversation before.

Mr Chest said he came from the North, which was a surprise, as he had lightly tanned, southern-style looks.

Mr China, even more surprisingly, comes from the South, though he has Chinese ancestry. He was the only single man at the table. Mr Bangkok and Mr Chest both had women in their lives - who called on the telephone every half hour to check up on them.

I did not get a chance to talk to Mr China one-on-one, as Kong monopolised him. I suspect he was taken by his striking appearance.

Mr China was receptive to the attention which Kong showed him. Perhaps that is a survival trick, I thought. Rather than spurning everyone's tedious advances, he takes an interest in them - then, once he has left the table, he can forget the meeting happened.

To a stranger, he could look feminine, even gay. I was pleased to see he took no interest in the football game playing on the television behind us - unlike 'real man' Kong, and the other two guys.

Mr Chest asked for my phone number, as he wants to drink again. I gave it happily, as I enjoyed meeting them.

After they left, Mum and Kong joked that Mr Chest had stolen my heart. True, I did admire his looks, and outgoing personality - but next time, I wouldn't mind taking Kong's place, and sitting next to Mr China instead.

The quiet ones are always mysterious. I want to part that hair and get a better look.

'Why are Thais so crazy over Chinese?' I complained to Mum.

I'm not jealous, of course. I just want to some of that Chinese magic to rub off on me.