Today I have an appointment with my drug-dealer. A very nice lady who roasts the best coffee bean combination I have found and conveniently also owns a polo park close to Pattaya.
On the way I am buzzed by squadrons of motorcyclists sporting banners extolling the benefits of candidate number one in the upcoming elections for major. She looks very cute in a helmet that is for sure, and I decide that I would give her my vote if I had the chance.
Collect the drugs, a kilo of the best beans and they smell so good. On the way home I drive past my favourite lake which is littered with temples, there is a storm brewing.
Down to my windsurfing club to discover I have missed the wind. Pissed off, I wander around watching some guys catch what is left.
Tomorrow is an important day in the calendar, and I am not talking about the release of a service pack for Windoze XP (yawn). Tomorrow sees the release of Grand Theft Auto IV, probably the greatest game ever created. Not surprisingly, the New York Times can summarise it better than I can: “a violent, intelligent, profane, endearing, obnoxious, sly, richly textured and thoroughly compelling work of cultural satire disguised as fun. It calls to mind a rollicking R-rated version of Mad magazine…and sets a new standard for what is possible in interactive arts.” A long way from Pong and Card Patience then.
I have played the previous incarnations of GTA, to the detriment of relationships and health, and I look forward to losing months of my life to this latest offering. I have pre-ordered from Hong Kong, booked delivery by courier, and I am praying that the God of Gaming will ensure my copy is on a plane tomorrow.
My frustrated anticipation is not helped by an e-mail from my son informing me that his company has just taken delivery of six special edition copies and he has just popped out to buy a replacement Xbox 360 to ensure that his planned evening of entertainment is not spoiled. He works for Natural Motion, which sounds like a laxative company but which is responsible for the very clever Euphoria.
http://www.naturalmotion.com/euphoria.htm
My very clever son has been working with the developers of GTA over the last year to implement Euphoria in the game and is now enjoying the publicity and the launch parties. If he had been a world-class brain surgeon I would have been less proud of him than I am now. And grateful too, he has promised me some stickers.