Gay Boy Thailand

We have a local version of the Mac-Windows war in our home. I have used Macintosh for 20 years. Chalerm was used to Windows from school and from Internet cafes. The Mac left him unimpressed and he badly wanted a Windows computer instead.

When Chalerm had a summer job earlier this year I agreed that he could use the money he had earned to buy a 2nd hand PC. I had resisted appeals about trading the Mac for a PC, but if he wanted a cheap old PC to keep in another room I thought “up to him”.

So now we have two computers. He was not supposed to have an Internet connection for the PC (”only for game and homework”) but suddenly a cable appeared under the door. He had began using the built-in modem, which I considered a waste of money since we already were paying for broadband for the Mac. But I didn’t put my foot down since this arrangement stopped the daily fight over who got to use the Mac. I wanted to use it for time-consuming writing, photo editing or web surfing. He wanted to use it for chat channels, which seemed to take forever. I gave in (again).

Two Internet connections resulted in two ugly cables running from the living room where the phone line was, to respectively my Mac corner and the PC in the guest bedroom.

Chalerm got a bit ahead of himself yesterday. In an effort to clean up the cables on the floor he had invited the handyman of the building, a combined security guard, carpenter, plumber, air cond repairman and washing machine installer. He is also an electrician. I didn’t know why the handyman suddenly came, and asked Chalerm. The plot was revealed - to install phone outlets where the computers were.

I put an end to that. I told him that he must kindly consult me before any such schemes. What Chalerm didn’t know since he had not asked, was that I have thought for a while to switch to wireless broadband for the apartment. Then there will be no need for any ugly cables on the floor or running on the walls, only a box near the original phone outlet.

Chalerm had never heard of wireless. I have asked a friend who lives upstairs if we can come and have a look at his wireless setup. Chalerm wanted to go yesterday, but the neighbour was asleep when Chalerm came home at 9.15. Today Chalerm was out eating and called me 10.15 pm. Could we go to the neighbours now? I told them our farang neighbours are working people and get up early. After 10pm we should not disturb them. For Thais, who like to call and visit at any hour that suits them, this is of course a novel concept.

The moral of the story is: if the handyman comes, ask what is up.