Firstly, let me apologise in advance for the bulk of the talk over the next six weeks being about the impending wedding. But after all it is a major turning point in ones life, and I’m sure there’ll be a story or two for this blog between now and December 12.

Right now though I have a major pain in the ass. I’ve just been to the local hospital for a painkiller injection in my butt due to the damage I did to my ribcage while swimming last night. In my fairly half-arsed attempt at losing my little beer belly before the big day, I decided to hit the pool for a few lazy laps.

About 2am I woke up with a swollen rib cage and excruciating pain. Thats two times out of two now that I’ve done myself serious injury while swimming. Fuck this exercise rubbish, its back to the beer and kebabs for me.

So all the plans have been laid for the big day, venues set, monks paid off, gowns and suits chosen, all I need to do now is coach MyTGF to refer to me as the “groom” and not the “gloom” – something very omenous about being referred to as the gloom all the time if you ask me.

During this time I’ve even become an amateur expert in diamonds and gold, as every spare moment of late has been spent being dragged around shopping for a ring for the bride, and a stack of gold for the future mother in-law (see Dowry payments in previous entry).

Oh well, as my Dad is fond of saying – “Get used to it son. These are the three rings of marriage: Engagement Ring, Wedding Ring, and Suffering”.

And in completely unrelated news, have you ever wondered what you’d see if you stuck your head out of an average Bangkok apartment block? No me either, but this fantastic panorama give you a taste of downtown Bangkok, as created by John Berns.