Pattaya Off - my artistic release?

I have stumbled across another project, one which takes my mind completely away from the frustrations of formatting and reviewing 'the alpha to omega' and from the fears of re-kindling 'The Year of the Monkey'.

I had a call from a Belgian photographer who has produced a book of images of Pattaya. For the uninitiated, Pattaya is a small city a couple of hours south of Bangkok with a very well deserved seedy reputation. It more or less began life as an R&R station for US troops during the Vietnam War and the Go Go Bar / prostitution industry goes from strength to strength.

Juliette has captured the city sleeping, recovering from its excesses, in a diverting coffee-table book with accompanying poetic commentary. It is this last, which is in her native French, which led to my involvement. She is looking to re-publish, in English, following renewed interest in her work. So, not straight-forward translation (my French isn't up to it, not would my creative soul allow me to do such work!), but the capturing of the essence in English and re-working the themes and the nuances.

Here is a taste of things to come. Again, a work in progress, so the end result might change...

Pleasure in the heat

Of the tropics, of a woman

Seeking what you thought you desired

A lifetime ago

Now that you can

Eternal promise of sunshine

Escape from winter’s discontent

And fickle seasons

An endless spring

Delirious in the re-discovered youth

You never knew

An escape from the past

From submission

And resignation

Free at last

So much life wasted.

Too late to start again?