The soft start we now hope end of the month ;-)

Right: Our businesscard as we finally approved it and are now starting to use. With a handsome little map so we can be found more easily ;-)

Nextdoor

The addition of nextdoor of The Backstage, which has to become a great advantage to make our place work, has trown things same time also a little back in our planning. Not surprising though ;-)
To choose style, do we want to change things in the building or keep everything as much as it is, do we go for new furniture or more for the 'old', more cozy/homy look (at least try to).

We decided to only change the terreraceroof of nextdoor, make it same as the rest of The Backstage and 'unify' outdoors as much as we can without standing out too much in the soi we are in ;-)
Indoors we'll decided only to paint the walls in a light orange color, which should look nice with the (old)wood furniture we plan to use over time inside. We cleared lots of stuff from upstairs.

Today we bought an old receptiondesk we plan to use as bar, a glas cabinet, some mirrors, two small round tables, two very high but also small part glass kabinets, etc. We also bought, as a try-out, two different purple color cloth to use as (fake)curtains to hang on the walls...and more of that kind of stuff.... in the hope that this maybe somewhat weird combination might just bring that atmosphere that would make people feel at home.


Left: The old receptiondesk we plan to use as (part of) our bar. Gong is sitting behind it, checking out its contents ;-)


We can only hope we can achieve that on that location.
But we can only really achieve it if we ofcourse get the customers to come to us to enjoy it. ;-)

Also some delay because of religious and natural causes

Monday & tuesday were very special Bhudda days and lots of people got free from their work. Result: also our contractor had to delay start from monday, as agreed, to wensday....LOL, it seems a strange disease that most THais seem to forget when a national holliday comes up... most of them only start to think about it the evening before of the morning itself, when they discover they have to go to Temple.

We also had a period of pretty big rainfall here, and these last days it was so bad that really nothing could be done. Gong and I had to stop driving on our way to Phuket Twon to do most of the planned buying of the stuff mentioned earlier and we simply could not go on! Simply too heavy rain, too strong winds. We had to get to a dry place and had to wait several hours there before we could turn around and drive back over the mountain into Patong.....ofocurse these rains also efected the work on the outside as wel ;-)

Right: The clouds decent on Patong ... normally the hills behind Kik & my house are lush green and much higher.. now they are covered in clouds and the first drops were falling when I made this picture ;-)


We as farang are slowly used to these causes for all kinds of delays.
Also reason why the 'side-show' as they call the name of The Backstage which will go up on the outsite so it can be seen at nights from the mainstreet, has been somewhat delayed.

Ergo, the whole real start of The Backstage shifts somewhat because of all the above.

Sadly, but some things can't be helped ... but we are counting on the fact that we wil be able to create a relative comfi home away from home for all our friends, guests, and ofcourse ourselfs ;-)

Try-outs start definitly wensday/thursday (21st/22d of July 2010) for several weeks/months. Adding next door to Backstage as well!

Left: Next door to Backstage, looks a tiny little bit like J&B Bar... today we decided to add this place to The Backstage!

Today, the 17th of July, we decided to add nextdoor to The Backstage... we want to use this place as a big, wind and rainfree terrace for The Backstage, as well as a place were our customers can get something to eat at certain times of the day.
Same time we hope it will our visitors a nice view on our neighbours Go-go & karaoke bar Superboys and ofcourse whatever else happens in the street/soi!
We will combine it with Backstage and service will take place from one venue to both ;-)
Though The Backstage is now looking very decent indeed, this "next door", which I like to call "The Table" as a workingname for the time being,

How this new addition will function will partly also be decided by our visitors/customers... we like it to become also a part of your home away from home.
All idears are ofcourse more then welcome, and we will keep you all posted on the developments around it !

Help us to create your favorite "home away from home", help us create a true purple meeting point!


Right: Believe it or not, but this is how one of the staff rooms upstairs looks like at present, and its one of the more decent 'rooms'... something we wil have to change!! brrr

Surprised I was when I saw to rooms upstairs, knowing that the staff of Big Boom Boys go go & karaoke bar, which was operating opposite Superboys, stayed and looked like. Ofocurse the place has been empty now, well, what you call empty, for a few months now ... but still...
The pic show one of the more decent looking rooms, cubicles upstairs.... somethng we wil have to do much better because otherwise I would not be prepared to go upstairs anytime soon again, haha
Nope, definitly something which needs heavy improvement ;-)

Try-outs starting 21/22 of July!!

The Backstage will start operating this wensday or latest thursday, the 21st or 22d of July. We wil keep it relative quite, no big attention seeking yet.. we will want to get a good hang of the place first!
BUT we will start bringing the coffee facilities over to The Backstage, and all other stuff we will need to open up somewhat succesfully.
And all who intend to pay us a visit, please let us know your constructive idears, if you have them ofocurse.
BUT also realise, that we are in a try-out period and as such everything can change again if so required and reasonable.
After all we like to be flexible.... as long as everything stays within reason.

O by the way, we do appologize if some of the english writing is incorrect...after all we are no originally english speaking/writing people here ;-)

Now you all take very good care and hope to see you!!

In one or two weeks time we finally wil be able to start seriously!

Left: Kik as "Man One woman" with Rob, from the biggest to the smallest stage of Patong... just an example of what may happen at The Backstage in the futur

The final hurdle seems to have been taken, getting the basic staff to open up The Backstage.
It will be a mix of old and new and from there we expect to slowly grow the number of staff in a way thats pleasant for our futur customers as well as The Backstage.

Opening hours will in principal be from 4 pm till 2 am, though in the beginning we might decide to change this to every other day, till we have enough qualified staff to be open every day from 4pm tillll 2 am.
So, in theory this means that say on 1,3, 5, etc of the month The Backstage will open around 7/8 pm and on every even day, 2, 4, 6 etc it will open at 4 pm!

Also we seriously consider to rent the next door venue and create with that a big 'outdoor' terace protected agains rain and sun for The Backstage. ALso we consider to have a smalll simple kitchen there where food can be surfed. Not a lot to choose from though... we intend to surfe only one kind of meal a day.
By doing this we can keep our prices low and quality up/high (I/we hope ofcourse).

Kik and I are considering moving as close as we can to The Backstage, so we can be quickly present if we happen not to be around ;-)

We recommend everybody to try as much as possible to become "follower" of The Backstage by simply folow the instructions of the weblog for this. You willl receive automatic email with every new entry and as such you will be kept in tough of 'everything' that happens in and around The Backstage!

The times are not at all good for the tourism industry. Lot of tourist decide to spend their hollidays this year closer to home then before. We do understand this!

Same time we realise we also have to prepare for a difficult start as a result of that...... And we do not make it easier by opening The Backstage outside Paradise ... but at least it will be handsomely situated between the beachroad and paradise complex and easy to find, we hope (next to Superboys, Patong oldest go-go boys & karaoke bar) slowly to recreate a little bit of the oldest gay street of Patong Phuket, where it all started ;-)!

We will also try to focus on long time stayers and/or expats who live in and around Patong/Phuket.

All in all we hope to create a pleasant situation in which all will feel home away from home.
A place to relax and have possibilies of good conversation and or other distractions, if so desired.

Right now we have been busy with 'little' details like business cards, hehe, and with the new menu of coffees, tea, and drinks.
We use the old J&B pricelist as a starting point and willl do our best not to become more expensive and if possible even cheaper.


Above: The last draft of the new business card of The Backstage, but it gives you an example how its looking now, because we slowly start to use the new cards now ;-)


Also after beach hours we hope to make our shower available for those in need of one when returning from the beach and wanting to enjoy after beach drinks and maybe some food..... but we will let you know more about that!

Please, when you have the chance to visit us, not only do, BUT also feel free to give us your comments so in futur we can try/do our best to use your comments to our advantage and that of our other visitors.

We will try to become a truly purple meeting point, purple being the collour of the gays, transgenders and lesbians here in Thailand and as such we hope with our way of work not only to attrackt and make that home away from home for the foreigners/farang but also for the Thais, of whom most live far away from home as well when in Patong/Phuket.

The futur will only be able to tell if we succeed or not, but we believe in our simple concept of creating a fun creative place for everyone AND we start small... and take it from there!

Last remark: Gayromeo

Those who also kept in contact via gayromeo, sadly due to a misunderstanding about which any communication seems to be absolute impossible with gayromeo, we, Rob and Backstage Thailand Club, have been permanently deleted from gayromeo. A customer friendly attitude seems to be a difficult thing to do for gayromeo and because of that we willl stop recommending using gayromeo as a main way of keeping in contact with eachother... simple because to our surprise it fails gayromoe not only to clearly communicate when the need arrises, but also have now shown repeatedly lack of any customer friendly attitude and, even worse, behaves like a monopolist.
A disagreement alone is by far no reason for us to say all this, its the way in which communication about issues is taking place, attitude and such when a problem is brought forward by a cusotmer or if one tries to get a clarification on a statement by gayromeo directed at a customer.

So, feel free, if you are one of our former gayromeo followers/clubmembers, not only to become a follower here but also pass on the word and the information to those you may be in contact with.
So we can enjoy the feedbacks again of all or most of you!

BUT more important, we will have a chance to meet up with you again!!

Take good care
and stay healthy!

On behalf of the Backstage Team,
Rob

All quiet at the ( Backstage- ) front?

As I wrote in one of my last entries here, it would be a bit quiet fro a while ... for sure as long as I am in Europe, Holland to be exact, as your Backstage-reporter, taking care of private business ;-)

The political/ssocial situation in Thailand, on Phuket

The troubles had just started again in Bangkok and to this day they still last! Am deeply worried for the consequences it might have for the Thai people as a whole and ofcourse for my Thai friends and family in particular.

Am sure many of you feel worried as well, knowing so many people in Patong Beach on Phuket. People who have families, friends and partners, not only in troubled Bangkok, but al over the country! We all worry for them.

As you may know, farang are not very welcome to state too publicly their opinions about what happens in Thai politics and society as a whole. You and I also know that for us its allmost impossible not to care and have an opinion about what is happening.

As The Backsstage WE DO NOT HAVE AN OPINION. But that doesn't mean that we, as individuals, don't want to express our frustrations at times with what is happening.

We, or better said I, will not use this forum for that, but if you are interested in opinions of me, or others when I choose to pass them on, then feel free to read my other weblog
and also feel free to comment on my comments if you feel the need to do so, specially when you think I make a fool of myself ;-)

Ofcourse this other weblog of mine/us not only reports on Thai politics as how preceived by an outsider, but also about Dutch poitics, small and big events happening in Kik and my life, etc.etc.etc. often illustrated with pictures or links to other websites.

Present situation in Patong and with Backstage.

The situation on Phuket is still peacefull and quiet and totally safe to travel to, direct or via Bangkok, because the airports are very safe indeed to be used in the present situation. At least in that respect it shows that the Thai are willing to learn their lessons on both sides of the divide, specially when they recognise the common interest!
One can only hope and wish for more lessons well learned, but sofar.... we can only wait and see what will happen, luckily none of us have any knowledge about the futur ;-)

The Backstage sofar has nott really operated, they wait not only for my return, but also for some 'essential' paperwork to get trough so we can operate without intervention of other parties who have an interest in that soi....

The situation in Patong, regarding the amount of tourist present is such that when we start operating for real, we all need to put in our weight, effort, to make things work as they should.


Kik is not afraid to go on stage, from a modern performance, like he is now preparing for Simon, or a classical performance as he gave at DWH, winning first (!!) prize during Student Introduction Week at the Gay Association in Delft.

Kik in the maintime, has been asked by Simon Cabaret to audition for the, as I call it, the Tina Turner spot, which has come vacant. It would be a real step forward for Kik if he actually got the solo slot in the Simon show.
As it stands, he has to audition on the 17th of May, so let us all keep our fingers crossed that he will be as succesfull as undoubtedly he and I allready wish for ;-)
Am somewhat excited about it myself as well! Kik showed me via Skype/cam what it is supposed to look like, costume, routine, music... and am very very curious indeed how it wil look on Simons big stage ... because am sure we will be ablle to enjoy it at The Backstage I am sure, but then on our mini stage ;-)

Let us hope that events in Bangkok will not distract too much, as they at present seem to do;-)

Hugs :-)))

Peace and quiet...

Left: A relaxing Didi, our dog, while her boss (me, haha) is away to Europe/Holland on (family) business!


At the moment, your informer about the going ons with The Backstage, is temporary back in his homecountry Holland for roughly 4 weeks.
These last days were rather exciting because at first we were not sure I could get away in time at all... but now I am here in Holland and as such its way harder to report about what is going on at The Backstage.
My apologies for that!

Kik is busy getting the last paperwork in order, but knowing the sometimes typical way things are organised here, ergo not according to western logic but Thai logic, it progresses slowly.
We would not like the idear of us, or you for that matter, being dragged off to the police because something was not as it should have been.
These previous weeks we heard several times of such 'incidents' and except that they are costly, even for us farang, its also a big nuisance... so we decided to run no risk and be sure we comply.
BUT ofcourse, as you might expect me to say: This attitude from us is no guarantee that we actually succeed in that.
We do our best though!

I expect to be back after mid May, but if all goes well, wel before the end of May. Till that time reporting here will be somewhat minimal.

BUT enjoy whatever you are doing right now and hope to see you all son again in Patong!

A farewel party annex testdrive of The Backstage....

Left: Friends enjoying themselfs after Kik had organised a spontanious farewell party for yours truly the night before last.

A spontanious farewellparty for yours truly, organised by Kik, with lots of his/our friends from Simon and My Way, and actually also some farang friends, gave us a wonderfull insight what needs to be taken care off at The Backstage in the futur.
As we say we had a wonderfull fun learning opportunity ;-)

Myself, I was very happy to wittness how disciplined everybody behaved in our special circumstances right now. Everybody was very considerate with the restrictions we still have to work with here.
It also confirms my believe that its best to start a new place from scratch at the beginning of low season. Far less pressure and one can afford to enjoy the funny side of when things do not go as they should have gone, to learn with a smile!

On a personal note: I was again surprised by the arrival of so many thai friends on the occasion of my departure... then ofcourse we were still unaware that my departure the next day for Europe was totally going no where. I didn't get further then Bangkok... to return back to Phuket on the last flight leaving Bangkok last night!
KIk wanted to organise aother spontanious party but now for welcoming me back, with a broad smile... haha... but I asked not to do that crazy though could see the fun of it... I was simply too tired ;-)

A J&B friend of ours, Hans, came also, he was just recoverring from the news that his returnflight home was cancelled and he had to wait at least a week if not longer.... pffff.
Also heard from a German J&B friend of ours (one of our First Customers), who got stuck in Bangkok and went to Pattaya to ride out the cancellationstorm due to the vulcanic erruption.
Wim, Wiwat's husband from Amsterdam, who was supposed to leave for Holland 2 days before me, he's still stuck in Bangkok till at least wensday or maybe even saterday/sunday if not later.... A mess huh?
Well, at least Hanse felt extra welcome showing up for my farewell party, which in the end turned out to be an impossible-to-leave party !


Right: A happy Kik (doesn't he look great!) talking to Hans (not bad looking as well ofcourse).

First Customers but openinghours still pretty irregular ;-)

Left: Our official First Customers sitting on our relative virgin terrace LOL.

One of the last customers of J&B paid their first visit to our new location The Backstage last night.
Ofcourse we were still pretty much in an improvising mode. But knowing that one of our two friends from Germany was leaving Patong, we did our best to open the bar in some decent way.

Due to circumstances, among which my own departure from Phuket to Holland for 3-6 weeks, as well as the aftermath of Songkran and the turmoil in Bangkok, combine that with the last organisational details surrounding The Backstage....which, how typical Thai, allways have last minute situations which need to be taken care off, also 'official' things, LOL.

Last night we discovered a, for us, new approach by police, respectively the way they check out things: They came to The Backstage to check up on us. We had no 'sideshow' meaning for Thai: signpost, a "sign" up on our building stating what we are. Also they didn't want to believe it was the homestay of The Backstage.... LOL... because they could not make a case either way, they left us alone this time. Gues we didn't fit in any of their rulebooks, so potentially complicated and unsure in outcome, ergo they let us be!
It made one thing clear for us though: double-, no tripplecheck our own paperwork to prove we are legit. And make a signpost on the building stating what we are; The Backstage meeting point. Because otherwise, we would get a fine for not having a 'sideshow' on our building. And fines being pretty steep here for businesses, we decided to open again when all these details, strange and weird as they sometimes might be, are taken care off.
I never heard before that you could get a steep fine for not having a sign on your building, a sideshow, while being open for business, even with all the paperwork in good order.
I gues it is a variation on letting us know who we must keep as friends... so we are now trying to find out if these officicers are the friends we need, in which case we know what to do and if not... then we have to find the right ones.
Welcome to Amazing Thailand.

So tonight we discuss the approach from now on, when and how we will open The Backstage for the next couple of weeks.... and at least til I am back from The Netherlands.
A pitty but better forwarned then start paying unnecessary 'fines".
Ergo, tonight closed again, but will let you know when we open up again and how ;-)

Starting a business from scratch is very different from taking over a bar or whatever, thats for sure! A take over is so much more easy, though it has its traps as well, but also cost waymore because you start with paying keymoney before you can do anything at all. From scratch you don't do that, but then a whole other series of problems are trown on your way...a small business or not, same same but also same time its a lot cheaper that way ;-)

Happy to say that our 3 guests were positivly impressed with our results sofar! They gave us some valuable feedback on our location which we wil look into and try to apply as son as we have the chance to!
Very graciously they brought a box full of delicious cakes from the Coffee Corner (oposite My Way in Paradise) to celebrate their first visit to The Backstage!


Right: The payment of our first bill as Backstage - from right to left: Joerg, Ulli and myself.. The 3 First Customers, haha, because we went , how appropriate, dutch!

Guys thanks for being our first customers and giving us your positive feedback, so much appreciated and we do hope to see you back in due time in, above anythng else, good health!!