Chapter 29

Hemingway was right?:

In some ways Hemingway is my favourite author. His description and analysis of the male/female interaction, his understanding of why and how we mere individuals involve ourselves in relationships which seem to transcend mere mortality is awesome. I cannot even think of the ending of “A Farewell to Arms”, yet alone re-read it, without being reduced to tears.

However, his macho posturings leave be completely cold. Descriptions of men arm wrestling for eighteen hours and his love of bull fighting just don’t correspond with my view of life. It is however his lust for life, although alas he did end up committing suicide, dramatically with his father’s service revolver, which led him to excesses of feeling which he sometimes allowed himself to commit to paper.

In “For whom the bell tolls” , my second favourite Hemingway novel, he witters on about “and did the earth move for you”. This being apparently a sign that one truly loves the subject of one’s sexual attentions.
No the earth does not move when one is having sex. Your bodies move, oh yes, and when things go well, which I suspect is more due to sexual compatibility than feelings of deep love then, oh yes, they move a lot, and not totally within one’s control. But the earth stays exactly where it is.
If one considers that all movement is relative then I suppose one could just about make a case for the earth’s movement here but really I think this is just a bit of nonsensical over the top hyperbole.

Meanwhile back here in Bangtao the road outside my hotel is being relaid. Apparently it is to be raised about thirty centimetres to prevent flooding from the local klong. The dust levels here at the hotel are apparently not due to the Icelandic volcano but to the various scrapings and levellings which have been taking place during the last few days while I have been lazing on a beach and snorkelling gently at Laem Sing.

Today I was feeling even more lazy than usual so I invited my present girlfriend back to my room for a siesta. Well, of course, once the air conditioning got going and the place cooled down a bit then we woke up. Incidentally I have a theory that air conditioning is probably responsible for there being a much higher birth rate here in Thailand than there used to be. After all, who wants to make love in an oppressively hot and sticky climate.

So, as I said, we woke up. We were pleasantly cool and in the mood. We responded to the situation. I don’t believe details are required here but what was amazing was at the “moment of truth” (not quite what Hemingway meant by the phrase but what the heck) the earth shook!
I was amazed. The bed, the floor, the very walls of the room shook.

Perhaps Hemingway was right.

Well perhaps so and maybe I’m just a cynic but I suspect that the seven ton Caterpillar Road Grader which happened to be passing at that moment just might have had something to do with it.