It was a year passed, when I visit Town last time. And seven years passed from moment, when I leave Town and come to Capital. I seek professional growth. I seek money cos live with $200 per month was not good. Friend invite me, and I come to Capital. I was make a good career...

Saturday morning 5 a.m. I drive a car to one of the Capital airports... Early morning and Saturday, do not need to drive via outer ring road, no traffic jams, just straight to the center of the city and then south.

I park my car in the airport parking and proceed to check-in counter. I see a young family with child in the row. Kid was sleepy and not smile. Early wake up

Flight was on time and pilot was little hurry. Quick taxi and takeoff. I was afraid a little. But sleep quickly. I can't slept all night..

Town never changed. About 9 a.m. Wet weather, humidity was high... as always. Clouds overcast the sky. Cold, about zero... Not Bangkok

I call my internet friend, he was wait me in the airport lounge. I never see him before, but easily recognize him cos he have the same melody as ringtone as me on my mobile and I hear his mobile in the lounge. Beautiful Thai song, so sweet and clear woman voice... if you not understand what she sing :0

We drive to the center of the Town to hotel and speak about many things. I look around. Old districts, houses, people in raincoats...

My friend give me a heavy bag with books. One book for me and another three books for friends, who live in the Capital. A 1000-page Russian-Thai vocabulary, published in 1964 and only 2000 pcs.  Community was collect money and friend print books for us, cos this is simply impossible to find a copy in the book shops.

We drop heavy bag in the hotel room and sit in the cafeteria nearby. Perfect cakes, tea and coffee. Speak about many things. Friend will go to Chiang Mai soon, for one year or more, to study Thai language. He is 30 years old, I hope he will have a good time in Thailand, and maybe find his happy destiny in Thailand?

I was very tired and return to hotel to quick nap. Hotel was good, small and right in the center of the Town, just a minute away from main street, Nevsky Prospect. I slept about 4 hours, and come outside to see my old house.

Take a MRT and in 30 minutes I was reach terminal station. No, this shopping mall was not be here 7 years ago.... And this new house.  Town looks not so poor nowadays...

I walk to my old house on foot and feel like inside time capsule. Like pictures around... This is a kindergarden, and this is a my old school... This is hospital, I remember when I was kid I come here with mother and wait in front of closed door. We forget to change time on our watches this day, from summer to winter, one hour back, and come early.

House looks old and not so good. I look at our former windows and see they new now. Expensive, but  maybe not so cold inside now? I try to remember buyers, who buy our apartments... nothing interesting.

Return to MRT, to Town center, and choose another station on the main street. Here is old art gallery right on the street.

Artists and painters sells pictures here. And I expect to see one man here. He was work in internet provider company in the past, and sell pictures in the art gallery. Computers and arts, so strange?

- "long time, how are you?"

- "I'm well, and you?"

....

- "Oh, we have a new cats in our collection, I remember you like cat's from this painter!"

I will not resist. I was buy a couple of pictures, named "Cat's family" and "Cat and computer - loaded". Not expensive.

At least five years passed when I was buy first picture. He still remember this...

I will try to make a photos of these pictures in next weekend.

Then I was walk along main street, look around. Small channel from main river... another old house. Bus. I come inside, and give a payment for ticket to woman, who collect payments in the bus. I don't know how much ticket costs... 

- "Maybe will be better if I give you small coins?"

- "No, son, thank you, I have enough for change, This is not problem now, not morning time"

Son... Only in the Town old lady's call me son. I can't hear this anywhere else.

Evening, and now time to sleep well. Sky still overcast but not dark. I come to hotel and sleep quickly. Next day I will have a most important meeting with one man, who was be a my boss a long time ago, but we still in contact and I always visit him when I visit Town.

We meet next day in the city, cos his wife was sick and arrange meeting in the house was not good idea. We look around the city, look at our old office, then come to perfect caucasian restaurant to dinner and speak. He have a birthday just a day ago, and I give him a small present. I listen his stories, but he doesn't speak much, just listen me about my family, Capital and my journeys to Thailand.

Time was flow quickly, and weekend will come to the end. I need return to home.

This time I take a long MRT trip to station close to bus terminal. Buses to Airport departed from terminal. When I take escalator from station to outside I see a advertising stand with ginger cat on it. No slogans, just picture of cat. I have a similar cat when I was a child.

Airport was noisy and bad-organized. I have a difficulty to find a right check-in counter and departure gate. 

I was sit in the lounge and wait for boarding. Familiar faces... try to hear what people say. No, this is Chinese tourists. I remember, I see in Bangkok many Chinese-like people and know Thailand have a big community of chinese people. who come to the country after world War II.

Plane was ready to takeoff and I look through the window. Ginger cat from MRT poster sit between trees and sky. This was Town.

- "Come to me from time to time. You know, I will always wait you"

Moscow - St. Petersburg- Moscow 12-13 april 2008

Nice Journal

Brings me back memories when I went back to Hong Kong after 20yrs in the United States and saw the apartment, school and area where my family and I lived. Still remember some of those thoughts back then.

King

Thank you. I never been in HK, but I hope to visit city in near future. Funny to say, but I love it after I was play Shenmue video game. Victoria Harbor, Wan Chai... I think I addicted to Asia cos I have a blood part from my ancestor, who was be a Mongol Khan and I know this for sure, cos my mother maid family name was raised from Khan name.