Heather’s Slightly Less Helpful Coworker

Posted on 10 July 2009 by christao408

A little bit more about my Restoration Hardware sconce replacement shade project. The friendly Heather sent me an email, providing the part number for the replacement and told me to call customer service at my convenience and any of the representatives could help.

So I called the toll-free number – which connects to a call center in Tracy, California – and got off to a bad start with the lady who answered.

After explaining what I wanted to do, the lady asked for my original order number. What? That was two years ago and 9,000 miles away. I don’t remember my order number. Instead of giving me a constructive response like, “Well, sir, why don’t I search for the order in the system… do you recall the address the order was shipped to?”

Instead of saying something like that, she told me that she couldn’t place a replacement parts order without the original order number and then left us hanging in silence. “What should I do next?” I thought. My exasperation started to show when I explained the two years and 9,000 miles situation, and she finally remembered her customer service training and asked for my address so she could search for the order.

From that point out, she was actually helpful and friendly enough. But in the end, even though the part number that Heather gave me is in the system, it shows a zero quantity in inventory, so this lady couldn’t place the order. After 24 minutes on the phone, the conclusion was that she has filled out some sort of a request for replacement parts that goes to up the decision-making chain. Supposedly someone will get back to me.

This is kind of an up-and-down saga. At first, RH was doing a pretty good job in customer service. Now it has taken a turn for the worse. We’ll see how it concludes.

Heather from Restoration Hardware

Posted on 9 July 2009 by christao408

I am getting a message that the photo module is unavailable right now, so I guess this will be a picture-less entry! As a pleasant break in our rainy season weather, the nights have been cool and breezy. I woke up very early this morning – about 4:30 – thanks to noise from the rubbish collectors outside. Despite the breezy, 80-degree weather (which is what I mean by “cool”), they were banging rubbish bin lids, sorting glass bottles into sacks, and generally making too much noise.

A few minutes later, just as I had rolled over and started to fall asleep again, my phone rang, a forwarded call from my US number.

“Hello, this is Heather from Restoration Hardware…”

When we did the remodel of this unit two years ago, we couldn’t find sconces that we liked for a reasonable price here in Thailand. Restoration Hardware in the U.S. was having a sale so we bought some Dillon single sconces and packed them back. This ended up being a long and complicated process and we wound up spending as much on shipping costs as we saved by buying in the U.S.

To top it off, the frosted glass shades that come with the sconces are a bit fragile. We’ve broken two so far, although the first one was damaged in transit. The last time I contacted Restoration Hardware to order a replacement shade, the one I ended up receiving was the wrong color. I called again this week and the friendly agent took down my information and said someone would contact me and let me know the status within 48 hours.

True to his word, I did receive a call within 48 hours. Despite my asking that he include a note that I prefer to be contacted by email since I’m overseas on business, I still received Heather’s perky call at 4:45 or so.

Heather asked for some more information and said the search for the spare shades was still on. She also promised to make multiple notes on the form so that I wouldn’t receive a call again in the middle of the night.

I appreciate that they are following up as promised, though.

Edit: Just checked my email and there is a message from Heather. She’s located the spare part number for the shades. I also realized that my blurry memory was wrong, as I had initially referred to her in this entry as Katie.

They’re Coming to America

Posted on 9 July 2009 by christao408

In the past few weeks, traffic on my blog has surged. Ever since writing about the murder of family friends in Cole Camp, Missouri last month, my daily traffic has increased from an average of about 95 to about 140 unique visitors. Lots of new people are leaving comments and I feel bad that I haven’t had the opportunity to get to know everyone, or for them to get to know me, very well.

In the four years since I started blogging (well, very close – the uninspiring first entry was August 4, 2005), I’ve slowly built a community of readers, coming to know people and to consider them important in my life. Since that process was slow, I felt like it worked both ways. As people started reading, subscribing to and commenting on my blog, it was easy to find time to visit their blog and do the same. I feel like it is harder to do that as regularly as I would like to with all the new readers.

So to all of you who have recently arrived, welcome. I’ll get around to visiting your blogs and building those connections in the weeks and months to come. Meanwhile, I’ll also try to share a bit more about me. I realize that when we read others’ blogs, we slowly build up a history, an understanding of who they are based on what they share with us. As Matt wrote recently, it is interesting to go back and read the blogs in people’s archives, to see the path they’ve traveled.

In relation to this entry’s title, I’m less than two weeks away from my next trip back to the U.S. This will be my longest trip back since moving here to Krungthep – something like 26 days including travel time.

It will start out in Los Angeles, both for work and pleasure. Hoping to meet with some Xanga friends there. I’ll continue to Kansas City to visit family. Tawn will join me in KC about ten days after I arrive in the US. It looks like there will be a mini Xanga meet in Quincy, IL with Zakiah. After corresponding with her for so long, it will be nice to finally meet in person. (Meg, Judi, Matt, et al – ready to join me?)

Our trip to the US will conclude with several days in New York City, a chance to visit family and friends and, for Tawn, to stroll the streets of Carrie Bradshaw.

The real reason for the trip, though, is that we’re getting married. We’ll bring a few carloads of family and a few friends up to Iowa and finally make this nearly ten-year realtionship legal. I’ll write more about that as the date gets closer.

So much to do beforehand…

A Rubbish Bag Dilemma

Posted on 7 July 2009 by christao408

Attempting to be an environmentally-aware citizen, I try to do the right thing with my rubbish: I reduce where I can, reuse when I can, and recycle what I can. Despite the efforts, there is always some rubbish left over to be thrown in the bin. But the other day at the store, I ran into a quandary: which type of rubbish bag is the most environmentally friendly one?

Since I use reusable bags for most of my shopping – bags that are either cloth or are made from recycled plastic shopping bags – I don’t receive many bags from the store into which I can place my rubbish. That means I end up going to the store and buying rubbish bags.

This weekend I went to Tesco-Lotus, the local branch of the huge British retailer that is similar to America’s Wal Mart or France’s Carrefour. There in the household goods section were two different types of Tesco branded rubbish bags:

Tesco Greener Living 100% Recycled Garbage Bags – Made with 100% recycled recyclable plastic.
Tesco Greener Living 100% Oxo-Biodegradable Garbage Bags – Made with 100% virgin materials but recyclable and biodegradable.

I didn’t know what to make of these choices. First off, I wasn’t sure what oxo-biodegradable was but it sounded tricky to me. To top it off, why would any green initiative tout its use of 100% virgin materials?

Not having all day to ponder this, I made my choice for the 100% recycled bags and headed home, where I fired up the computer and did some research. From what I have read, “oxo-biodegradable” is the so-called second generation of biodegradable plastic bags:

PLA, or corn-based bags were the first generation. These seem to have many problems including not being recyclable through the normal process, imparting an off taste to water or other food products carried in them, and decaying so fast in an oxygen-free environment that they give off large amounts of methane.

This second generation, “oxo-biodegradable”, is made with a small amount of metal that allows it to biodegrade in a period of months or years – but only when exposed to oxygen. If it gets buried in a landfill, it won’t biodegrade any faster than a regular plastic bag. Plus, the metals added to the bag could cause problems with toxic contamination.

A third generation of biodegradable plastic bags are made from naphtha, one of the side products of the oil refining process. These bags are ostensibly more durable than the oxo-biodegradable ones, but can biodegrade fully in months or just a few years whether they are exposed to oxygen or buried deeply in a landfill, with fewer of the negative effects of PLA bags.

One thing of note about both the second and third generation bags: they need to be made with all or mostly virgin materials. Incorporating recycled materials seems to inhibit the biodegradable properties the manufacturers want to achieve.

It seems that, maybe acknowledging that “biodegradable” isn’t a perfect claim, manufacturers of these bags describe their biodegradability as an insurance policy. Recycling is best, but in case they get littered, at least they will biodegrade. While these second and third generation bags are ostensibly recyclable, what happens when those additives that are designed to speed up degradation wind up in other plastic products? Do those products begin to degrade faster, too?

With my head spinning from all this information – as Kermit the Frog said, “It isn’t easy being green” – the conclusion I’ve reached is this:

Reducing your use of trash bags is best, reuse trash bags whenever possible, and recycle where you can. And, near as I can tell, it is best to use the bags made from recycled plastic instead of the supposedly biodegradable ones.

Here in Thailand, the rubbish collectors actually sort through all the rubbish, emptying the plastic bags into the truck and then recycling the bags, so using bags that are made of recycled materials and then will be recycled again seems to go a long way to closing the loop. This manual process (documented in this 2008 blog entry) is a fascinating read in and of itself.

What about you? What plastic bag conundrums have you run into?

Four-Way Intersections

Posted on 6 July 2009 by christao408

As I travel around my adopted hometown of Krungthep, I sometimes see things and think, “Oh, that is so very Thai.” These things usually seem innocuous enough at first glance, but I think they illustrate the differences between Thai culture and other cultures. Four-way intersections are a good example.

When I drive in the US (or pretty much any “developed” country), there are rules and laws and signs and to some degree, everyone follows them. Very little is left entirely to human nature and the good will of the drivers.

Italy seems to be an exception, actually…

Anyhow, here in the City of Angels, we have many uncontrolled intersections. Much of this is a result of how the network of roads and streets developed out of a network of canals and waterways. What worked well for boats isn’t always so effective for cars.

Whether a major street like Sukhumvit or a small, twisting back soi, you encounter these intersections where the drivers’ best behavior is all that governs right-of-way.

Most of the time, it works alright. In fact, like the use of traffic circles, drivers are forced to be more attentive and drive slower because there are few rules to rely upon. Other than the occasional marks on the ground, spray-painted by an insurance company investigator after a crash, there are few signs that the uncontrolled intersections are really a problem.

Here’s a 90-second video clip (set to pleasant music) for you to see the above intersection in action:

In a chicken-or-egg dilemma, it is unclear whether these types of social confrontations (uncontrolled intersections) work so smoothly because of the Thai people’s culture of patience and friendliness towards others, or is the culture a result of having to negotiate these types of confrontations in everyday life?

In either case, it is interesting to observe and even more interesting to experience firsthand as the driver behind the wheel!

Independence Day in the Big Mango

Posted on 5 July 2009 by christao408

Edit: Video is now public. Sorry for not catching that before posting. Thanks to Gary for informing me.

It may surprise you to hear that there was a large celebration of July 4th in Bangkok. The American Chamber of Commerce hosts the annual festivities, which bring together not only the disparate American expat community, but also many Thais and people from other countries who have lived or studied in the US, or just appreciate a chance for a taste of real American tradition.

Last year was my first year attending, in the company of several other American expats who had pretty much only negative things to say about the experience. I won’t go into that episode again, suffice it to say I enjoyed it enough to not only show up for a second year, but also to volunteer for almost seven hours of working at the raffle tickets table.

While some expats take the approach of, “I don’t like the United States, that’s why I left”, I look at it from the belief that even if there are aspects of US culture for which I don’t care, it is within my ability to actively participate and influence the changes I want to see. That’s why last year I volunteered at the Democrats Abroad table, registering expats to vote and talking up the need for change in Washington. I’d like to think that my efforts contributed in some small part to moving the world’s perception of America back towards the right track.

This year’s event was held at the American School, a private primary and secondary school that is located just a few blocks from my condo, behind Samitivej Hospital. Their campus has lots of trees and the main basketball court / stage area has a large roof over it, giving celebrants plenty of shaded areas to enjoy the breezy day.

Several thousand people attended, representing every star and stripe of American culture. We had many expat families who are here on temporary work assignments, we had Mormon missionaries and young Peace Corps volunteers, we had a group of “butch” lesbians with lots of piercings and tattoos, plenty of gay couples of all ages, long-term expats who have been here for dozens of years, tourists who just happened to be in town this weekend, and of course the typical hugely overweight American men with their tiny Thai girlfriends/wives who were half their age and one-quarter their size.

Where some might have seen ugly stereotypes, I saw the diversity that is America, for better or for worse.

There were also lots of Thai families there, many of whom have children attending the American School and others of whom were there just for the fun of it. There was a large play area set up for children with all sorts of games, including all the traditional Fourth of July favorites: tug o’ war, bucket relays, three-legged races, potato (or, in this case, rice) sack races, face painting, etc.

Below, a short video look at some of the fun.

On the food side of things, the local branch of the Veterans of Foreign Wars were grilling hamburgers while the Wives’ Auxiliary were cooking hot dogs and selling the most popular item – Sam Adams beer (which is not sold here and has to be imported through the embassy!). Bourbon Street, Great American Rib Company, Roadhouse Barbecue and Sunrise Tacos were all present, selling their specialties. Another military service group was selling homemade apple pie and at the booth next door, Dairy Queen would put a dollop of vanilla soft serve on top. Of course, what Fourth would be complete without a chili cookoff?

Above, a direct hit at the dunking tank.

Most of my day was spent at the tables by the entrance where I and other volunteers hawked raffle tickets. Fifty baht (about $1.60) a ticket for a chance to win fifty fabulous prizes. First prize was two free tickets to anywhere in the U.S. that United Airlines flies. We had hotel room stays, spa visits, bicycles, car rentals and all sorts of other prizes. Best of all, proceeds went to support the chamber of commerce’s Adopt a School program, which provides support to poor schools in rural Thailand, including the building of playgrounds and providing of supplies. We must have raised at least $4,000 just from the raffle.

So it was a fun day celebrating the 233rd anniversary of America’s declaration of independence. I hope that those of you who were in the U.S. had a chance to enjoy the holiday, too. For those of you outside the U.S., I hope you had a nice weekend!

Air Conditioning Fiasco Resolved

Posted on 3 July 2009 by christao408

A week after it started, we finally resolved the air conditioning situation. You will recall that we moved the unit from bedroom A to bedroom B because it was a bit too loud for Tawn. But the replacement installed into bedroom A stopped working after exactly one night. Since the owner of the air conditioning company was out of town on a New Zealand holiday, we had to wait for his return to do anything more than have the new unit and compressor removed.

Instead of replacing the Panasonic unit that lasted only one night with another Panasonic unit, the decision was made to return to the same Mitsubishi model that we originally had installed in bedroom A – the one that we removed because it makes too much noise.

According to the sales person, the noise issue was because of how it was installed and isn’t related to the machine itself. That may be true, since I work in bedroom B and haven’t heard any noises when running the Mitsubishi until throughout the week.

In any case, this should help lower our electricity bill next month, since for the past week we had the main living room air con running all night and used fans to blow the cool air into bedroom A.

Check that off the list!

Shots from Around Town

Posted on 2 July 2009 by christao408

Let me conclude the week with a few shots I took while out and about.

The morning after we have a heavy rain storm, the skies are really clear and the sun is tremendously intense. Here at the Thong Lo BTS station, passengers huddle in the only shaded area as the sun is at such a point that during midmorning, it floods the inbound platform with bright light.

The passengers waited until the train had arrived and come to a full stop before they left the shade to board.

Walking to my Thai class on a warm and increasingly humid Thursday afternoon, about two hours before another thunderstorm set in, I was following a tourist who was carrying his toddler daughter. I felt so sorry for him, trying to navigate the unevenly paved sidewalks of a miserably warm Big Mango in flip-flops while carrying a sleeping child who looked so warm and uncomfortable with her sweat-matted hair. Add to that the pollution and noise coming from the neighboring street and the Tourism Authority of Thailand would have a fit!

Interesting billboard for an English Language school near Chulalongkorn University. The stated message: “You… can do it.” The implied message, “Unleash your inner farang.” Is it any wonder that so many Thais (especially the better-off ones such as those who might find their way to Chula U) apply whitening lotions and have plastic surgery to shape their features to be more “pleasing” (i.e. more Western)? With messages like this plastered along the street, who wouldn’t feel a bit dissatisfied with themselves?

Action Adventure Dream

Posted on 2 July 2009 by christao408

Normally, I sleep without dreams, at least none that I remember. But last night I had a rather intense dream that seemed to last a long while. Perhaps because I’ve been thinking about my primary school days recently, combined with the question of adding and deleting people on Facebook, the dream took an odd form.

Set in an action/adventure genre along the lines of James Bond or various Hong Kong cop and mafia movies, in my dream I was (as an adult) working in some half-finished abandoned office building. Several bad guys, all of whom had been bullies in my primary school, were after me, trying to kill me. I had to fight back using nothing more than my gun, my fists and my wits.

I woke up before anything substantial happened, like stepping out of the cinema mid-film and not returning.

Thinking more about it, I think the dream was partly influenced by the fact that I chose not to add a few suggested friends on Facebook who were people I don’t have pleasant memories of. One in particular used to tease me in junior high school because my jeans were a bit short – I was growing taller quite fast – making fun of my “floods”, as he called them.

Yeah, not going to add him to my Facebook friends list.

Dining on Sukhumvit Soi 38

Posted on 1 July 2009 by christao408

Our friend Jackson is in town from San Francisco, his first time back since late 2006. The other evening we took him for dinner to Sukhumvit Soi 38, a side street near the Thong Lo BTS station known for its nighttime eateries.

Both sides of this Bangkok soi are lined with food shops that spill onto the streets, offering nearly every type of Thai food you can imagine. The food is very fresh, very cheap and very authentic. Because of the location – lots of expats live nearby – some concessions have been made to non-Thais for everyone’s convenience. For example, it is increasingly common to find laminated menus that have some of the more popular items with both English and Japanese names. If you want some of the more obscure items, though, you have to read and speak Thai.

Regardless of your Thai literacy, no corners are cut when it comes to preparing the food! This is the real deal.

Fatty pork (roasted then fried in oil for an extra-crispy skin) served over rice with a Hoisin-type sauce.

A “red soup” with various pork parts including cubes of boiled blood.

Borrowed from Malaysia and Singapore: chicken and oily rice.

Wide rice noodles stir fried with egg and shrimp – kind of like pad thai but without the tamarind sauce.

Everyone’s favorite – and also a Malaysian import – chicken satay with peanut dipping sauce.

One of the nice features of Soi 38 is that if you are sitting in one vendor’s building, you can still order form other vendors elsewhere on the soi. They will deliver the food to you, collecting the money and then returning for the utensils and plates later on. Each vendor uses a different type of plate, so it is easier to identify what belongs to whom.

Here’s a little video:

While eating, the rain started to pour outside. After several hot days with no rain, we seem to be back into the typical rainy season cycle. Building humidity and clouds throughout the day, giving way to intense storms for thirty minutes or an hour in the late afternoon or early evening.

Above, Jackson dodges the rain.

Since there was nowhere to go and no way to get home without getting soaked, we stopped in at a massage parlor around the corner for a 90-minute foot massage. This was a very “old school” parlor, Chinese owned with the menthol smell of balm thick in the air. My masseuse was a blind man who was surprisingly in tune with the knots in my feet and lower legs. What the parlor lacked in ambience, the masseuse more than made up for with skill.

christao408

The adventures of an expat American who moved to Bangkok for his husband.

Monthly Archives: July 2009