An Englishman in Bangkok

A Quiet Songkran - for some

2011-04-17T06:10:00.000-07:00

Last year - we travelled north to Chiang Rai for the Songkran festival - I had only just arrived in Thailand and never seen it before. I must say I did enjoy riding in the back of the pickup around the town - getting soaked in freezing water with a gang of screaming teenagers - an experience not to be missed. This year is different - we stayed in Bangkok and enjoyed the relative peace of the city while most people are away with their families. The city has a very different character at this time with most people in holiday mood - a lot of them armed with serious water pistols.

Last night we wandered out to a small park by the Chao Phraya and sat for an hour or so with a couple of young lads who were both highly skilled in street magic. With a little persuasion and a few baht they revealed one or two secrets of their enterprise. I have very high admiration with anyone with manual dexterity and these two were no exception. They introduced us to a flying card trick and also the contact juggling ball which I will be trying to master.
Apologies to whoever is in the apartment below for dropping it on the floor last night around midnight.

2010-12-14T08:19:00.000-08:00

Had an interesting week here. I was returning from a meal and came across this performance by Kinaree dancers at Siam Paragon which is all trimmed up for christmas

On sunday afternoon we decided on a trip out somewhere and so just went around the corner into the next soi to the Jim Thompson house which is well worth a visit with its exquisitely decorated collection of traditional thai houses. Mr Thompson who established a healthy trade in thai silk disappeared in Malaysia in 1967 with no trace. Sadly it wasn't permitted to take photographs inside.

A night out with a camera is always well repaid in Bangkok - these shots were taken from the skywalk at Rajprasong intersection

... and lastly - tonight we ventured out looking for the Royal India restaurant and found it in a dark and dingy alley - it's sign set askew behind some boxes proudly proclaim its award winning status. I must admit I enetered with not a little trepidation, but my fears were unfounded and the food was very good - in fact the best Naan bread I have tasted. There are actually awards from Tatler magazine on the wall in this very small one roomed establishment.

Just before boarding the bus back to the apartment, this row of dried squid caught my eye -a delicately coloured lampshade...

2010-12-03T03:13:00.000-08:00

I spotted these interesting markings from the skytrain walkway on the bonnet of a new car below. Som tells me they are called yantra - and have been applied by a monk in order to offer blessings and protection for the new owner. Similar markings can be seen on the roof lining of almost every taxi in Bangkok too.

We breakfasted in Central World shopping mall which has been closed for a while due to the fire damage inflicted by the red shirts during the riots earlier in the year. On display in the mall is an exhibition of artworks created by the fine art students using found objects from the ruins of the old Siam theatre in Siam square. This was also destroyed and has now been demolished. Here is one exhibit with a costume made up of fabrics printed with images of the burnt out theatre alongside actual fire damaged goods.

Loy Krathong

2010-11-22T18:46:00.001-08:00

As loath as I am to write a negative report, I have to say this...
I'd been looking forward to this festival since I saw some lovely photographs last year. Loy Krathong is a traditional festival where small floating crowns or 'krathongs' carrying incense, a candle and hopes and fears are launched out onto the Chao Phraya river to which they also pay respect. Armed with my new camera, I had the idea that it would be a beautiful and inspiring scene and I would return with some lovely shots.
Sadly this was not to be the case as, upon arriving at Saphan Taksin we were confronted with a full on assault of a rowdy funfair atmosphere. Foolish I suppose to expect otherwise.
We did fight our way down to where I managed to get this shot which although looks romantic, in reality was not. The people lovingly cradling their krathongs I'm sure were craving the atmosphere that I had hoped for, but had to accept what it had become.
Deciding to leave the melee we tried to climb to the bridge but were unable to reach the top of the stairs - the crush was frightening and it crossed my mind what an awful disaster this could become.

I am so saddened to read this morning that this exact scenario has played out in Phnom Penh and 339 people have lost their lives. This could so easily have happened at Saphan Taksin.

New camera and the TCDC

2010-11-14T08:19:00.000-08:00

Coming back to Bangkok feels like putting on an old pair of warm slippers - feeling very relaxed. I treated myself to a new camera this week and am enjoying trying it out here and there around the city. Here are a couple of very local shots - Mah Boon Krong the shopping mall and a street food vendor (very non vegetarian unfortunately)

This afternoon we took a trip to the Thailand Creative Design Centre at the Emporium shopping mall. They have made a great job here of creating an interesting and relaxing venue for exhibitions, study, live music and of course a great cafe. The centre sits high up in the building with a great view across the city. I'm sure this is going to be a regular haunt of mine.

The current exhibition focusses on international design classics - but unfortunately the British section does leave rather a lot to be desired - there's a Burberry's mac, a wind up radio and an old plastic canteen chair - all a bit embarrassing when set against a beautiful old Citroen DS and a Jean Paul Gaultier handbag. Oh well - mai pen rai.

...and I thought you might like this little item:-

* stop press * culture shock... very sweet pickled garlic
(actually delicious I found out this morning, with fresh pineapple in a stir fry)

2010-11-07T06:15:00.000-08:00

I arrived back in Bangkok yesterday afternoon (nov 5), safe and sound. It really did feel like coming home after an over extended stay in England. I'm still a little jet lagged but hopefully will be resuming my ad hoc reports as soon as possible.

2010-09-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

* culture shock * ....

Avocado with condensed milk

Cosfest

2010-08-28T10:09:00.001-07:00

I've been suffering with a bit of a cold this week and confined to the apartment more than normal so it was nice to get out today - Spent some time wandering around the Cosfest event at Siam Paragon - just stumbled on it really - hundreds of kids enjoying dressing up as their favourite manga characters and being photographed. Quite an unusual event for a small town englishman. It's very difficult to tell whether some of these are boys or girls - not that that matters at all. Everyone was having a fun time...

2010-08-21T10:10:00.001-07:00

Had an interesting day today - lunchtime meeting at the Neilson Hays library with the tarot club - plenty of different decks to look at and plenty of good humour... oh and a marmalade bread and butter pudding with custard and hot chocolate brownie - scandalous.

Following on from that we visited the Thailand Creative Design Centre at The Emporium where they are running an exhibition on spirits - very interesting, covering lots of aspects of superstitions and fear. This Feng Shui builders tape measure one of the more unusual exhibits.

a thai horror movie poster..

and some fascinating masks from the Isaan area in Northern Thailand:-

... and I was very surprised and pleased to see this facsimile of an ancient Mappa mundi on the wall in the centre - amazing work from the 15th century with microscopic calligraphic work and illumination. If you don't recognise the land forms here - it's upside down to how we normally see a world map- that's Africa upper right.

I suppose if you wanted an expression that might sum up Thailand it could be 'Expect the unexpected'

Observatory

2010-08-15T21:35:00.000-07:00

Bangkok is written from the ground up
like footprints in broken concrete -
in blackened gum on the pavements,
in the fish dribble of melted ice, pork fat and exhaust,
indelibly marked on the faces
of the people who call this their home - the street
with all its waves and odours of humanity.
The tiny crumpled tissue paper and toothpick woman
and the melted man with half a face formed in fire.
Countless numbers gaining their bread
through what they have lost.

I walk through it all a privileged man
humbled by their dignity and tenacity to life,
singing their songs,
selling their wares,
girls illumined brightly in dim trades.

Written where the workers' fiery breath
has stripped all the paint off the tables.

2010-08-01T08:28:00.001-07:00

Today was no exception when it comes to amazement either.... Took the train from Wongwian Yai to Maha Chai... quite a narrow gauge railway. Health and safety would have a field day here - no doors, no guard rails, and the train bumping along the narrow track within inches - well no less than that - of the vegetation, the habitation and the population. There is no way you could put even your nose out of the window as it would be instantly shredded by a passing banana tree or corrugated tin roof. In fact on more than one occason, bits of banana leaves entered the train. Free to thais and only 10 baht for me (about 20pence) for a ride of at least 40 miles I would say. The conductor even refused my money on the return journey.

Maha Chai will stay in the memory, the olfactory section, that is, on account of the all pervading aroma of fish. I would imagine perfume sellers in Maha Chai gave up long ago.
Took a small ferry then a rickshaw ride to a wat, famous for a monk whose body did not decay and who was followed from his cave after death by swifts and swallows who now occupy the wat

The effigies of the monks in the Wat are extraordinary really - covered in small flakes of gold leaf that flutter in the breeze. No detail is missed.

Did anyone spot the deliberate mistake there? ... actually it was the train that was moving, not the banana trees or the tin roofs... I was 35 before I realised this.

2010-08-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

The other day we went bus hopping and ended up travelling south west out of Bangkok where this amazing sight came into view. Bigger than the apartment block as you can see - and with three heads (the name of it is Erewan). Every time I set my foot outside the door I seem to be amazed.

2010-07-28T00:42:00.000-07:00

A couple of small items...
can't resist uploading this - it just makes me smile...

and here's a shot of a fruit bat below the balcony - I imagine the wingspan at least 25cms

2010-07-20T20:50:00.001-07:00

*Culture shock*

yes.... pizza and barbecue flavour banana

2010-07-18T07:38:00.000-07:00

At the risk of being boring, here is my friend again getting just a little close for comfort. I think she/he was showing off a little. A cloudy day today in Bangkok - spent all morning in the park practising - my arms and legs are getting like Popeye's (but the rest of me is pretty much like Olive Oil). Funnily enough Som bought me a spinach pasty today too - I think this is all called body sculpting. After a walk around Lumphini went off to meet one or two new friends at the tarot club meeting at Nielson Hays library cafe. Interesting conversation and a few different tarot decks to look through... oh and some nice cake :)

2010-07-15T05:37:00.000-07:00

My good friend Claude brought this to my attention ...

Now I become myself - May Sarton

Now I become myself. It's taken
Time, many years and places,
I have been dissolved and shaken,
Worn other people's faces,
Run madly, as if Time were there,
Terribly old, crying a warning,
"hurry, you will be dead before -----"
(What? Before you reach the morning?
or the end of the poem, is clear?
Or love safe in the walled city?)
Now to stand still, to be here,
Feel my own weight and density!.....
Now there is time and Time is young.
O, in this single hour I live
All of myself and do not move
I, the pursued, who madly ran,
Stand still, stand still, and stop the Sun!

Thanks Claude

2010-07-15T04:22:00.000-07:00

Day two of standing still, and a completely different set of muscles are aching now. It's very interesting to observe and try and adjust the body to a position that is most comfortable. It certainly feels after doing this for a while that you've had a full body work out. I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to do this in such beautiful surroundings with very pleasant new friends.... including...

While standing there motionless gazing out over the lake, you start to hear and see all the life going on around... the water paddles rhythmically churning the still water, the birds, the clock chimes, the traffic, the alarms, seeing the fish jumping, the men trimming the trees, the reflections, dragonflies, the monitors, the cyclists, the water sprinklers.

Culture Shock

I'm reading a book called Culture Shock: Thailand which is quite interesting and amusing although I haven't really encountered many problems. As Robert Cooper says in the book - there will be many a time a phalang will find that he is standing with his head in an air conditioner vent, which I found to be quite true when taking the bus the other day. I couldn't see a thing out of the windows which seemed to be a good two feet below my line of vision.
However, from time to time small culture shocks pop up which are of note. So maybe I will start to drop these in here in this fashion:-

*culture shock* - garlic bread with sugar
and it looked and smelled so good :(

2010-07-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

rainy night

2010-07-13T02:07:00.000-07:00

Just a little background information...
I first came to visit Thailand in September 2009 for one month, returning in April 2010 on a non immigrant class O visa.
My time here has been shared between living in Bangkok and Chiang Rai. At present I am in a small but very convenient apartment close to the city centre. It is with great thanks to my partner Som that I have been able to come here and see the world from several new angles.
The language barrier can be a problem at times. My skill at languages leaves quite a lot to be desired I must say, but I am learning a few words and phrases at a snail's pace, as well as trying to learn the alphabet. Although this makes living here quite bewildering at times, my sense of understanding is little worse than when living in my own country and so this does not deter me. In fact it is in some ways a protective layer which does afford me time and space to think and adapt. I trust that this layer will wear away in time and with some effort. Unfortunately I slipped up when I transferred files to the new laptop and lost my thai study recordings :(.

The idea that 'nothing is out of place' (clearly showed to me by my first tai chi teacher many years ago) always reassures me to the fact that things are ok and I am where I should be.

I have also never been a 'diary' person, so starting this blog is another new venture for me in trying to pin down some coherence or at least to chronicle this part of my life.

2010-07-12T10:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome to what I'm sure will be a fairly random collection of thoughts, impressions and images that present themselves to me as I wander around Bangkok. I am not a great traveller and adventurer, and so to find myself here in such surroundings at the seasoned age of 50 is a little odd.
Let's see what happens...