Thai Society/Culture
-
Carabao (Rural Thai Graffiti)
The Thai rock band Carabao is the Rolling Stones.of Asia. This photo was taken at a workshop where they cast bronze Buddha images. The wooden basket on the floor is actually a cage for keeping chickens in – usually fighting chickens, because normal chickens are just let free to roam and forage and cross roads or whatever.
-
Airbag Story
On Saturday. I went to my homeboy Ot’s shop, Wattana Sound, to get a bigger horn put on the car since it seems to be the only deterrent to the 50,000 students haphazardly riding motor scooters on the local roads. His worker takes off the steering column cover and leans under to examine wiring bundles. He uses a tester and checks each wire and then inadvertently triggers the driver’s side airbag… POW! The airbag catches him square in the eye and is louder than a tire blowing out (I know this because I was across the street when it happened). So eventually I return to the shop and Ot is…
-
On the Road 2007 (Part 3) – Koh Chang
There are several ferries running from Trat to Koh Chang. We chose the Center Point Ferry because it was the only one that looked like it wouldn’t sink if hit by a stiff breeze. The signs for it on the roadway emphasized the fact that they were using Japanese ferries, which was somehow very comforting (I don’t know how I would feel about trusting my life, wife, and car to a ferry made in, say, Kazakhstan or Luxembourg, you know?). It might be since I rode the ferry so many times between Awaji Island and Osaka, but I guess it’s the same thing applied to electronics or cars. Ferries are…
-
Thailand Blogspot Ban
All of you on blogspot.com are apparently dangerous… You have all been banned in Thailand for the past couple weeks. No word on when the ban will be lifted, since it was never officially imposed. The reason behind the ban was apparently to suppress any anti-gov sentiment during the previous party’s court ruling last week (they got disbanded). FWEEDOM OF PEACH, FUWEBA!
-
Monks collecting food
Buddhist breakfast Monks come around almost every morning to receive offerings from houses in the neighborhood. Some people give, some people don’t. We give quite often so I decided I should at least get a photo out of it.
-
This is me, holding my tongue
You know, it really shouldn’t be illegal to shoot a certain number of in-laws in one’s lifetime, say three or so. At the very least, dueling (between in-laws) should be brought back on a trial basis. That is all. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||| On second thought, it sucks to end on such a hopeful note, so here’s a photo of a plate of delicious bugs that a gardener gathered from our backyard forest and asked if I wanted to share for lunch: Don’t mistake the ant eggs for grains of rice. Homeboy must have dug up an ant colony, among other things – Nam poked around it with a twig and a small…
-
Tainted by Marriage (Thai Government Bank Discrimination)
Okay, I have a really fucked up situation that needs airing, even if the country in which I am currently residing isn’t being ruled by an elected government and the province we live in is still officially under martial law. I thought long and hard on the porcelain about how to state this and I’ve decided to do it quick and dirty, without being too specific. Last Friday, Nam went to a government bank to apply for a housing loan (we be moving soon, but that’s another story/rant). The president of this bank refused her application on the grounds that she is – wait for it now – married to…
-
On the Road 2007 (Part 2)
On a typical road trip, the driver is the big man who calls the shots and ultimately determines whether one arrives safely or stuck in a ditch. The navigator’s main responsibilities include reading maps, changing music, spotting promising meal venues/interesting sights, and taking photos from shotgun position. All of the photos below were taken at high speed (both car and shutter) and the variation in sky color can be attributed to three factors: Ever-changing weather conditions the week of our trip Whether the shot was taken through an open or closed side window, or our polarized windshield (BTW, having a tinted windshield is totally awesome because until now I’ve only…
-
Yoshimoto Entertainment in Thailand
This time we’re off to see Yoshimoto perform in Bangkok at the Imperial Park Queens Hotel. The organizer is an old friend of Nam’s and he came to our wedding last year. We are using our Thai Air mileage for the flight out from Khon Kaen; we need to return on Sunday but all the flights are full. We need to get back to the airport since we’re leaving our car in a pay lot (50 Baht/day) right next to it… Maybe take a Nakhonchai Air VIP bus (curiously, Nakhonchai Air doesn’t have any air transportation – just buses and vans). Unfortunately, our friends High Heel Momoko and Kuro-chan do…
-
On the Road 2007 (Part 1)
Ten days ago, we set off on a road trip. The rainy season had not yet really started, but it was giving us a nice preview. Wherever we went, the fields were green. The basic idea of any successful road trip is that you just go where the road takes you. On the first day, it led us to the muddy back roads of a garish temple erected by one of the largest Buddhist sects in Thailand. The temple interested me much less than the hidden pond guarded by water buffalo and spirit houses just off the temple grounds. Although the main sanctuary was in good condition, the surrounding buildings…
