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The Westernization of Thailand
This was all all procured locally. This part of the world will be hit with a metabolic syndrome epidemic in the coming years that will surely rival that of Mexico and their pudgy northern neighbors – we have a Starbucks three minutes from my house, for Christ’s sake. Note: This round of Hate Gaijin Expansion may be finished for now.
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Neither Washington nor Colorado
Forty years of failed US drug policy has culminated in my daughter wearing what appears to be an anti-hemp headband in her preschool parade in Thailand… A country where you can buy marijuana-seasoned chicken soup (not easily, but still), but where possessing it can get you all kinds of ganked, gaffled, or even shot by the police, all thanks to US drug policy. In fairness, there were also anti-drinking, -smoking, and -injecting headbands worn by other kids, and the only thing frowned upon among those by Theravada Buddhism is the alcohol. That’s why Buddhism is so fucking cool – in a place with such high road fatalities due to DUI,…
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The Hidden River
Last month, the kids and I went searching for a hidden river rumored to run along the property line of our friend’s dirt farm (have no idea what he’ll end up growing there, but it’ll have to be something hardy!!). We went as far as the eucalyptus stand, but didn’t find it. It was a fairly hot day.
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View from a remote Amazon Coffee
The sun shining just right can make anything look good. Photo by Taro Machino.
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Catching Giant Snakeheads with an Excavator
In the past couple of years, the pond in front of our house got seriously overgrown on the banks (as well as on the surface) with reeds, vines, and other opportunistic vegetation. Yesterday, the banks were cleaned up with a Caterpillar 313b excavator: The road hasn’t been cleaned up yet, and I’m not sure that it actually will be (since the predominant way of thinking is that it will get washed away by the rain – even if rainy season is half a year away!), and the weeds need to be pulled off the surface of the pond, but it’s good start. Here are some before-and-after pics: BEFORE:…
