Up late packing for tomorrow afternoon’s departure for the US. More before I leave.
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Monthly Archives: March 2010
Random Photos Around Krungthep
Welding of a column at the Terminal 21 construction project, Sukhumvit and Asoke roads.
Abandoned structure on an overgrown property, Soi Phrom Phong near Khlong Saen Saeb.
Passenger riding in the back of a delivery truck, Rama IX Expressway near Ekkamai Road.
Monk collecting alms and giving blessings in the morning at the corner of Sukhumvit and Thong Lor roads.
Crowded street near the Flower Market on Rattanakosin Island in the old section of the city. The yellow flags are the flags of King Rama IX.
Abandoned cars at a junk yard on the frontage road running along the eastbound train tracks, parallel to Phetchaburi Road.
Sunset over Asoke Skytrain Station.
Thai Language Newspapers
One aspect of living in Thailand that has caught my attention is comparing Thai language newspapers to the English language papers. There are some interesting differences.
For starters, there are approximately ten daily Thai language newspapers and two English language papers here in Krungthep. Bear in mind that the population of the greater metropolitan area is between six and ten million. The lower number represents the officially registered population, but the higher number represents the many laborers who come in from the countryside but never re-register their address from their home province.
It amazes me that there are so many newspapers here. Now, they aren’t all newspapers in the way you might define a newspaper if you are from the US or Canada. Some are more political, some focus mostly on sports, others are mostly tabloids. But they are all daily news publications.
The English language papers – the Bangkok Post and The Nation – looks and feel much more like a traditional Western paper: news section, sports section, business section, and lifestyle section. One could argue about the quality of their reporting, but that’s for another entry.
The Thai language papers, even the ones that profess to be serious news outlets, are not shy about using shocking, barely redacted images on their front pages.
Almost every day there is a scene from an accident, a murder, a bomb attack in the South, etc. The bodies are pixelated in an attempt to protect the sensitivities of the readers, but they don’t try very hard.
These two examples are pretty tame. The worst image I’ve ever seen was in the case when a young man rather stupidly climbed a pole supporting high-tension power lines. He was electrocuted and his charred body was caught up in the lines. The image on the front page of one paper showed the unmistakable image of a charred body, twisted up in the power lines. Gory.
I guess you could make the argument that showing more graphic images keeps people from living in the illusion of a sanitized world, free of death, violence, and ugliness. However, I’m not sure I need to see such graphic sights over my breakfast to help me fully apprecaite the world. Thoughts?
Motorcycle Taxi Ride
One of the best (if not the safest) ways to get around the narrow alleys of Krungthep are the motorcycle taxis. I shot this video a few months ago but didn’t put it together until this afternoon. I hope you enjoy it.
Does Anna Paquin Resemble Holly Hunter?
I’m neither a big TV watcher nor very up-to-date on matters of popular culture. We don’t have cable and our TV can’t even receive the free broadcast channels. But about once or twice a week, Tawn and I will watch an episode we’ve purchased from the iTunes store of True Blood, the HBO series about vampires living amongst humans in a small town in Louisiana.
Our friend Ken first suggested the series to us and we’re hooked. I’m not sure why I find it so compelling – the cliffhangers at the end of each episode are a bit melodramatic – but there’s just something about the idea of vampires finally “coming out of the coffin” and living among human society that is interesting to me.
I also really enjoy Anna Paquin’s acting. She’s a marvelous screen presence. Since the first episode, I’ve wondered whether anyone else notices the resemblance between her and Holly Hunter, whose daughter she played in the 1993 film The Piano by Jane Campion. Paquin won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in that film.
What do you think? Is there a resemblance between Paquin (left) and Hunter (right) or am I the only one seeing it? Or has this already been widely discussed in People Magazine and I’m just completely out of the loop?
New Shoes
A few weeks back I had to buy a new pair of sneakers. While running on the treadmill, the sole of one of my approximately 14-year old sneakers came right off. It had been flapping a while near the heel but I didn’t realize it was going to actually come undone while I was running.
The fact that I haven’t bought a pair of sneakers in more than a dozen years somehow provides considerable insight into my personality: I’m not one to throw away something old if it still works.
Still recalling the confusion which I faced during my last sneaker purchase all those years ago, I went to the sporting goods section of the Central Chidlom department store and waded through the hundreds of shoes. Of course none of the employees took the initiative to offer help and even if they had, I’m not sure any of them are particularly knowledgable about shoes.
I figured cross-trainers are a good choice because I use them for biking, walking and, recently, running. Focusing on the models labeled as cross-trainers (without knowing if those labels were accurate!), I eventually selected three models and called over a clerk to bring the right sizes for me to try. I settled on this pair of Adidas shoes that seemed lightweight and breathable, features that are useful here in Thailand.
Except for the fact that I had to buy one size larger than is ideal – I have wide feet, so have to suffer a little too much toe room in order to avoid a squeeze – these shoes have worked out pretty well. They are comfortable and, being dark, I don’t have to worry as much about scuffing them.
I’d better mark my calendar for sometime around – let’s do the math – 2023 or so to buy my next pair.
How About this for Tawn’s New Car?
We’re driving a Nissan Cefiro, what in the US was basically the Infiniti I30, which is approaching a dozen years old. While it has held up pretty well other than a few cosmetic scrapes and scratches, it is starting to show its age and has required more frequent visits to the mechanic for various small problems. The signs are clear: sometime in the next two years or so it will be time to buy a car.
Of course, major purchases are often the source of potential conflicts in a relationship. Different styles, different expectations, different buying habits, etc. all influence what each person thinks is the right purchase. So over the next few months as we start the process of thinking about what car might be the right fit for us, I’ll share our thoughts on the blog. That way you can get some insight into how we think about these things.
Tawn’s expressed his interest in a “statement” car, something that reflects his personality and sense of style. Of course, you might correctly imagine that I’m looking at things from a much more practical perspective. But let’s not delve into those depths quite yet. Let’s just keep things fun.
A few weeks back we were at the local car wash and there was this convertible for sale. It is a Sunbeam Alpine Series IV, a beautiful British car from the mid-1960s. If there was anything that would work for Tawn, this would be it – except for the fact that it is a convertible and Tawn is not a fan of the sun!
What do you think? Could you see us driving amongst the rice paddies of central Thailand in this? The red color would certainly look nice against the lush green of the paddies! Of course, the reality is we’d be sitting stuck in traffic in Bangkok, breathing the fumes.
christao408 