Friday 27 June 2008

Playing truant

The internet connection to my home computer is down until at least Monday.

The light started flickering on my modem yesterday, which is always a bad sign. My partner Maiyuu called the internet provider. He said something about the local 'board' being down, borrowing an English word.

Sometimes when Thai borrows from English to get across a technical meaning it makes less sense than the original English, because it is not used correctly. Board...what board? Internet shops in the market are serving customers, but we can't get it at home.

I shall have to wean myself off the thing until next week. To fill in all that idle time I shall think about deep things like the meaning of life, my relationship, Thailand.

No, I won't. I'm addicted, like anyone else. I shall count the hours until I am in front of a computer at the office again - or instead visit the neighbourhood internet cafe, which is always an experience.

This morning I visited my regular place, a family-owned shop in the market.

Someone had half-opened the steel slide door, and a motorbike sat inside the entrance. I took that as a sign that the shop was closed for the day.

Next, I tried an 24-hour internet cafe on the other side of the market. This place has about 60 terminals and opened a few months ago, but I had never been inside.

A bank of 10 or so motorcycles sits on the sidewalk outside.

Customers buy a coupon first, for one hour or more of internet time. I bought a coupon for three hours, as I suspect I might have to visit again.

About 20 school-age children are sitting in here as I type. Mercifully, they are not bashing their keyboard, which is what I usually get if I visit the other place.

The owner of the smaller family-run place is so desperate for money that she will let children destroy her hardware. They thump the keys when they get excited playing computer games.

During the school term, internet shops are not supposed to let school-aged children play during the day. This one does, though as I say, they are well-behaved. Still, if any teachers from the many neighbourhood schools around here are wondering where their young charges have gone, then this internet shop might be a good place to start.

Other, much smaller internet shops are scattered about the market, in tiny nooks and crannies between shophouses. and down narrow lanes. If this large, exposed and well-lit shop has 20 kids in it today, then I am sure those better-hidden ones are packed with youngsters playing truant.

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