The Importance of Writing Clearly

Posted on 20 March 2009 by christao408

Effective writing skills are important. From time to time, I make spelling mistakes. Grammar mistakes, too. Especially when I’m in a rush to post an entry or send an email, I don’t spend nearly enough time reviewing and revising my words.

But there are times when I think such effort is crucial if you want to be taken seriously. If for no other reason than to make your point clearly, taking the time to consider, review and edit your writing will yield many benefits.

This week I was exposed to two examples of why poor writing weakens your argument and causes others to not take you seriously.

The first example came from work. Someone submitted an email from a personal email address to an internal company address that perhaps they thought would not be monitored. The letter was so unclear and unfocussed that it was brought to the attention of my division’s VP, who took the time to respond and ask for clarification.

Here’s the text of the email. “Huddles” are a type of daily team-building training session, about 10 minutes in length, that our employees conduct.

Huddle notes. What are we, high school 15 year olds. But then again for what [our] employees are paid has a lot to do with the quality of people you attract. They have been re-hashed, re-worked and repeated. Micro-Managing is old and tiresome. I would no more give someone who gets a livable wage the next idea for a huddle through a note or comment I may or may not make.

What in the world is this person trying to communicate? The VP’s eloquent response conveyed a sincere desire to understand what, exactly, the person was concerned about. Being provided with the opportunity to share suggestions? Having a document on which he or she could take notes about the training? The quality of employees we hire? The amount we pay them?

Hopefully, the employee will respond to the VP’s email with more information. My suspicion is that the person didn’t expect to ever receive a response and, when asked to articulate him/herself more clearly, will scurry into the shadows of anonymity.

What a shame, though. There is obviously something bothering that employee, but his/her inability to clearly articulate it will hamper our efforts to address the concern.

The second example came from a friend who shared his frustration at Kenneth Starr’s role in persuading the California Supreme Court to overturn the 18,000 same-sex marriages that have been performed in the state. In an online comment board, the friend wrote the following:

Which constitutional rights should you lose simply because you are heterosexual? As a honest taxing paying citizen, what right am I entitled to revoke yours. Are you doing this for money? You can’t take it with you. Fame? same sex marriage will happen soon or later…like it or not… very soon, in history, you will be remembered as one of most hated person. why you are doing this? you will regret so much in your death bed knowing how many hearts you have broken & how many people wish you, your family and anyone relate to you go to hell (i am atheist and don’t believe in hell). you are good at what you do as an attorney(prostitute)-for-hire & put your skills to good use. so many things come & go in life…one thing has & always will remain the same…how love make people feel. anyone with heart knows this. do you have a heart? I know my love as much as you know your love. Don’t judge your daughter/son & granddaughter/son’s love. There are less days you’ll live compare to the days you lived. Do yourself a good deed while you are a human being. Don’t wait till you return to earth as a handful of fertilizer…than you’d would be no different from the worst criminal you’d know.

His passion is very clear but I think the power of that passion is lost when the message delivered is so unclearly articulated. It isn’t the spelling or grammar errors – those are understandable. It is just the way that so many disjointed ideas are crammed together in a single paragraph, running into each other in a stream-of-consciousness way.

The sad truth is, it isn’t a statement that’s going to persuade anyone to change their views about same-sex marriage. It isn’t going to cause an experienced lawyer (Starr) to sit back and reconsider his position. If anything, it makes the argument in favor of same-sex marriage look weaker because it makes us look like a bunch of people who can’t even express ourselves clearly.

It is important for us to be passionate and to express those passions. But I think the passion is most effectively channeled when we can express it in a way that moves others to understand and hopefully support our views.

Coming Down off the Singapore High

Posted on 20 March 2009 by christao408

It took me five days, but finally this afternoon I came off my Singapore high. I no longer pine for the smooth pavement and large, shady trees of the Singaporean parkways. I’ve made my peace with motorcycle taxis and the Thai post office.

It was while I was walking home from lunch with Stuart at J Avenue that I had this epiphany. Full from my lunch at a favorite Japanese restaurant, carrying my groceries from Villa market in one hand and eating a single scoop of rich chocolate ice cream from Ummm… Milk (a local dairy products company) from a cone in my other hand, I stumbled along the side of the road, looking over my shoulder to avoid oncoming cars and motorcycles, and wondering whether I would make it home before the rain started to fall.

And it was at that moment that I realized: Krungthep is fine. I don’t need any fancy city-state central planning. I’m perfectly happy with my red shirt – yellow shirt political merry-go-round.

But before I let it all go, here’s one final picture from Singapore, snapped while we were driving to the IT mall.

Above: A Chinese immigrant to Singapore pauses in the shade to read a text message. I really like the composition.

Taste of Singapore

Posted on 19 March 2009 by christao408

Some say that Singapore doesn’t have great food, only okay food. One thing I like about it, though, is the variety. The quality is good and with such a mélange of cultures, the number of different styles and flavors is enough to pique my interest for days at a time.

Here are a few of the treats I enjoyed:

Roti Prata with curry. Coming from the Malaysian side of things (and tracing back to Pakistan and India), roti prata is an unleavened bread fried in oil. Many layers and nice and crispy. Served with a bowl of vegetarian curry and, for in this case, a side of stir-fried greens. Roti is available here in Thailand, too, mostly from Muslim vendors and mostly served sweet.

Hainanese Chicken Rice. This is the ubiquitous Singaporean dish. Chicken (either boiled or roasted – in this case boiled) served with “oily” rice, some broth and a plate of braised tofu and duck eggs.

Claypot chicken rice. This is one of my favorite Chinese dishes, originating from southern China. Cooked over a charcoal stove, the rice at the bottom bakes on, forming a nice crispy texture. The sausage is sweet, the chicken succulent, and the bitter greens provide a nice counterpoint to the satisfying savoriness of the overall dish.

Funny story about the claypot chicken rice, though. I ordered this at a food court and the guy looked at me for a long time, like he couldn’t decide whether or not to serve the dish to me. It wasn’t a case of him not understanding me, though. Instead, after a few moments he walked out from behind the counter, crossed the sea of tables to a person collecting dirty dishes, and poked through the tub of used dishes to find a clay pot and lid.

Then he returned the dish to the kitchen and I proceeded to wait ten minutes for them to prepare the meal, hoping the whole time that they were really going to scrub the pot first!

The high heat of the fire would kill any germs, right?

Additional vegetarian selections at the restaurant downstairs from Otto and Han’s place. Big line outside in the morning makes me think this is the neighborhood hot spot.

NAACP Chair Addresses Human Rights Campaign

Posted on 18 March 2009 by christao408

NAACP Board Chair Julian Bond spoke Sunday evening at a gathering of Human Rights Campaign, a gay-rights organization, in Los Angeles. In his 25-minute speech, he eloquently compares the push for gay marriage rights to the struggle for civil rights for people of color.

As you may or may not be aware, there has been a lot of friction within the gay community since the passage of Proposition 8 in California, over the way that pro-gay marriage campaigners failed to effectively engage the communities of color, including gay and lesbian people of color. In the days after Proposition 8 passed, there were nasty attempts to pin its passage on the members of black churches who turned out in record numbers to vote for President Obama.

It is against this backdrop that the words of Mr. Bond are especially important to listen to. This is a man who has been involved in the struggle for civil rights and who has joined his gay and lesbian friends as they push for equality.

Walking the Dog in Singapore

Posted on 17 March 2009 by christao408

The final night of my trip, I stayed with Otto and Han at their condo near Sentosa Island, in the south of Singapore. (Will Zakiah notice that I didn’t say “Southern Singapore”?) We weren’t alone, though, as they have a Jack Russell Terrier named Mantou (饅頭) – Mandarin for those plain steamed wheat buns popular in Northern Chinese cuisine.

Right: Otto and Mantou.

It is safe to say that Mantou lives a life of pampered luxury and receives no shortage of affection, being lavished with attention and played with throughout the day.

He must have done something right in his previous doggie life – pulled someone from a fire perhaps? – to have earned a rebirth as Otto and Han’s puppy in this life.

One of the nicest things about staying with Otto and Han, besides their good company, is that it gave me a chance to experience Singapore from the perspective of “everyday” Singaporeans, living in the suburban government housing blocks known as HDB flats.

The Housing and Development Board is an interesting organization. Its mission is three-fold: to provide affordable, quality homes; to ensure vibrant towns; and to focus on the community. Set up in 1960, the HDB has overseen a complete overhaul in terms of the way people live. Gone are the slums and squatter settlements, replaced by planned and organized high-rise flats that now house an amazing 84% of Singaporeans.

Left: a typical HDB tower.

To be certain, there is a fair amount of grumbling by Singaporeans and those who have the means to, usually do escape to privately-owned and developed condominium complexes.

But for the vast majority of residents, HDB housing provides the opportunity to affordably own a clean, efficiently-designed flat in a community that is walkable, has most of the services you would need in one place, and includes spaces for public life to occur.

Idyllic, utopian, and very typical of the trade-offs that one makes if you live in Singapore.

One observation I’ll make just from staying with Otto and Han: their place is quite spacious for two people, nicely laid out, has an excellent view of an adjacent green space, and enjoys very good cross-ventilation. In fact, the house was very comfortable just with a ceiling fan going. From my perspective, it has a lot going for it.

Sunday morning Otto invited me to join him and Mantou on a walk, which gave me more of an opportunity to see the suburbs and various HDB “towns” – each of which have their own elected town council.

The first thing I noticed, as we set off through their own town, was the amount of community interaction. Breakfast business at a vegetarian restaurant downstairs was hopping as people came and went. Cars were being washed, dogs were being walked, and at a pavillion designed just for that purpose, residents hung their birds and admired the incessant chirping. (Each birdcage hook has a number, just so you don’t forget where you left your bird!)

We headed out the front entrance of the town and made a right turn, heading to the main street. Along the way we walked on smooth, level foot paths that were incorporated into broad, grassy shoulders next to the road. Large trees provided plenty of shade and even though it was a warm day, it didn’t feel as hot as it does when you’re stumbling down the uneven pavement in Krungthep, sweltering in the direct sunlight.

Over the years, the HDB has collaborated with private developers to create towns with a little more flair and individuality. One we passed had a bit of a nautical theme to it.

We continued for about ninety minutes, following wherever Mantou would lead. Along the way we passed a Thai Buddhist Temple, a sect of Buddhism that is growing in popularity throughout Southeast Asia. This temple looks just a little like the one on Russell Street in Berkeley.

Our path took us across a main expressway into town. Even then, the pedestrian facilities were clearly marked and crossing this large intersection didn’t feel like a life-or-death game. To top it off, the expressway was clean, smoothly-paved, well-marked, etc. Can you imagine something like this in Thailand?

To be certain, comparing Singapore and Thailand is really comparing apples and oranges. As much as I wish my footpaths were smoother, my government less corrupt, and the trees along my walks provided more shade, there are many good aspects about life in Krungthep.

And I’m well aware that many Singaporeans and expats who live there feel a bit stiffled by the “big brother” government, the almost sterile cleanliness of the country, and a sense that there isn’t anything to do there.

If anything, Singapore provides a pleasant change of pace, a different view of the world, and a few moments of wistfullness, hoping that maybe, one day, the Governor of Krungthep will have the power to implement a few small changes that would make the Big Mango a little more beautiful, a little easier to navigate, and a little more pleasant for those who live, work and visit here.

Why are my pictures disappearing?

Posted on 16 March 2009 by christao408

In the past few days, I’ve had several pictures from my Xanga photo album disappear, replaced with an unhappy looking computer cartoon saying “image not found”. These are my own photos, so it isn’t as though there’s a copyright infringement issue.

Any ideas why this is happening?

Breakfast in Singapore

Posted on 15 March 2009 by christao408

Singapore was the first place outside of the US and Canada I ever visited, way back in 1996 or so. In the dozen-plus years since, I’ve visited any number of times. I’ve enjoyed watching it grow and develop. At the same time, having visited so often, I’m less inclined to snap a lot of photos and document each visit. Thus my three days of blog silence. Here’s a little bit to share, though.

Saturday morning Suyoung picked me up at my hotel to take me for brunch. She and I worked together for a few years at the SF International Asian American Film Festival (going on now – visit http://festival.asianamericanmedia.org/2009/ for information) and then again at the Hamptons International Film Festival. Now she’s working in Singapore doing marketing for a high-tech firm and we’re able to meet up either here or there every year or two.

Suyoung took me to this beautiful restaurant called PS Cafe, located up on Harding Road in the Dempsey Hill district, a rennovated complex of former British Army barracks that now house galleries, furniture shops and restaurants.

The entrance, down a flight of steps from the road, looks small and secluded but when you walk into the restaurant you see that the entire far wall is glass, looking out on a small meadow with lush trees and tropical foliage. The style is very Californian and it makes for a beautiful setting for brunch.

Outdoor seating is pretty well-shaded although we had a few minutes of strong sun before the clouds of a thunderstorm brought back the shade. The fans kept a nice breeze and all the surrounding plants kept the temperature comfortable.

Service is a little slow and disorganized but with such a nice setting, it was easy to overlook this hiccups and instead enjoy a relaxing meal.

PS Cafe’s menu is international with typical brunch dishes as well as salads, sandwiches, and mains with a generally western feel. Truly, this restaurant would not be out of place in Napa and its selection of baked goods is extensive.

Suyoung had a beautiful eggs benedict which she said was tasty. I had the buttermilk pancakes which, made from a combination of spelt flour and whole wheat, were just a little dry – especially as they were stingy with the maple syrup. They were tasty, though.

After brunch we walked around the different shops, stopping in at Jones the Grocer, an upscale cafe and gourmet grocery featuring specialty products like pastas, preserves, teas, coffees and spices.

A very relaxing Saturday afternoon.

The Thai Pickup

Posted on 12 March 2009 by christao408

When you ask people to name the motor vehicle they most associate with Thailand, most will name the tuk-tuk, the (t)rusty three-wheeler that death-defyingly (and not always defyingly) careens through the congested streets of Krungthep. But the tuk-tuk isn’t the most Thai of motor vehicles: the pickup truck is.

Why are pickup trucks so popular here? First of all, imported vehicles carry a tariff of about 100% or more, depending on weight and price tag. Many brands of pickup trucks, particularly Toyotas, are built here in Thailand, making them much more affordable. In fact, Thailand produces more Toyota pickups than any other country.

The other reason pickups are so popular is the sheer utility of them. Why buy a sedan that only seats six or seven or eight when you can get fifteen or more into a pickup? Yes, even the advertisements for Toyota pickups shown in the cinema have images of a truck transporting an entire team of child footballers, cheering their victory. No mention, of course, that driving with people in the back of the truck is tremendously dangerous especially when those people are children.

Driving down the roads and highways of Thailand, we see no shortage of pickups filled to the brim with all sorts of cargo, all manner of people, and even some buffaloes. Even on the hottest days people are huddled in the back, jackets draped over them to keep the sun off their bodies.

So as Tawn and I start thinking about replacing his nearly 12 year old Nissan sedan, maybe we should start thinking in practical terms and consider a pickup!

Sunday Morning Solo Ride

Posted on 11 March 2009 by christao408

Sunday morning I set out about 6:30 for another bicycle ride, this time solo since none of my other fellow cyclists was available. I traveled the usual route – about 50 km roundtrip (a bit more, actually) from Thong Lo out to Minburi and return.

This time I explored a few new side streets out in the countryside, discovering a way to get “back to nature” more quickly. Sure enough, I was able to arrive at rice paddies and quiet canals a good 5 km earlier than usual.

On the way out to the ride site, I follow alongside the airport expressway. It isn’t the most scenic part of the route but the frontage road has wide shoulders and is smoothly paved. That counts for a lot. Along the way I pass a couple of large mosques. Since Islam forbids the depiction of animals or humans in artwork, mosques are instead decorated with gorgeous geometric patterns and architectural flourishes. This one is fairly basic in design but I still think the lines are so graceful.

Where the expressway intersects with the outer ring road there are many new housing developments, gated suburban communities that wouldn’t seem so out of place in Los Angeles, except for the lotus flowers in a pond outside the gate.

Not long after taking the above picture, I found myself riding through rice fields, down small rural sois with unfriendly dogs, and on a narrow elevated concrete path two meters above a peaceful canal. I dismounted to take this picture, managing to catch my riding shorts on the bicycle seat and pulling a muscle in the process.

Continuing a few kilometers down the road I came across an area where people dump a lot of garbage, particularly the insulation from old refrigerators and other appliances. Judging from the scorching on the ground, it looks like they dispose of this garbage by burning it. What a terrible shame!

This area out in Minburi is a beautiful place to ride. However, since my bicycle rack for the car broke a few weeks back, I’m forced to ride all the way out here. By the time I’ve fit that 50 km in, I haven’t much energy left for exploring! Maybe I need to eat a proper breakfast before I start out. Normally I just have a bowl of soup noodles along the way.

Trip to Taling Chan Floating Market

Posted on 9 March 2009 by christao408

On the to-do list for many visitors to Thailand is a trip to the floating market. But the challenge is finding one that is reasonably authentic and is reasonably nearby. All the pictures you see of floating markets in your Lonely Planet guide are of Damnoen Saduak in Ratchaburi province. This is a strictly-for-tourists operation and isn’t particularly worth it.

There is also a nighttime floating market that operates Friday-Sunday at Amphawa in Samut Songkram province. This is geared towards Thais and is great fun, but requires you to drive ninety minutes each way, which is a drag.

Closer to home there is the Bang Nam Phung market in Phra Pradaeng. That’s weekends only and has a nice selection of food, but there’s nothing floating about it. Still, you have to take a ferry across the river to reach it, so there’s at least some nautical action along the way.

A fourth market, Taling Chan, is one I’ve heard about before but assumed it was very touristy and had never sought it out. Finally, this weekend I had the opportunity as Otto and Han were in town from Singapore with their friend Dixon in tow, all at the same time as Pong from Kuala Lumpur.

After meeting them all for dinner on Friday evening at a local place near the Lumpini police station, Pong and Dixon decided that they were game for some sightseeing. I met them at Saladaeng BTS station on Saturday morning and we headed to the end of the line at Saphan Taksin. Instead of fighting with the touts, I stopped at the travel desk inside the station and negotiated a 2-hour canal tour for the three of us with a stop at the floating market for 2000 baht – about $20 per person.

Above: Long-tail boats floating on the Chao Phraya River.

We headed up the river for about about twenty minutes, passing all the fancy hotels (Oriental, Peninsula, Shangri-La, Sheraton, Hilton), until we reached the area of the Grand Palace. Across from Tammasart University, the “UC Berkeley” of Thailand, we turned into Khlong Bangkok Noi – “Bangkok little canal” and headed west.

About ten minutes along the river we came to the Taling Chan floating market. This is a combination of a land market and then a series of covered, floating platforms with seating areas in the middle of each. Boat-borne vendors are moored alongside and you can order your food from them.

The crowd was mostly Thai, although I did see several other tour groups stop. Our guide took the easy way out and left us to our own devices for a half-hour. Perhaps if I had not made the effort to speak Thai with him, he’d have done his work.

Above, Dixon and Pong seated at the floating market. The vendors are just over the side on the water.

We ate all sorts of nice things. I didn’t take pictures of them all, but here is a selection:

From left to right: gwuitiaw moo – mixed pork over rice noodles; satay gai – chicken grilled with coconut milk and served with peanut dipping sauce; gung ob wun sen – Baked shrimp with vermicelli noodles, normally served in a clay pot but here on a banana leaf.

Dessert – khanom buang. A Thai taco with a crispy shell, a meringue-like paste (not from egg whites, though) and either shredded sweet pork or shredded egg yolks cooked in palm sugar syrup.

Across from the market some children played in the water. The canal is surprisingly clean, more so than the Saen Saeb canal.

Back on the boat, Pong poses for a picture.

We had a nice ride back, enjoying the breeze and continuing through the canals until we came back to the river about halfway downriver from where we turned into the first canal. Even on a hot day, the temperatures are cooler when you’re on the water.

Above: a picture of the Thai Navy headquarters and, on the right, Wat Arun – the Temple of Dawn.

Since we started so early, we were back at the Taksin pier before 11:00, plenty of time left in the day for other things. I’m glad I took a chance on the Taling Chan market, though. Well worth another visit.

christao408

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

Category Archives: Uncategorized