The Slow Road

Crazy nights in Bangkok

2009-12-24T17:25:00.000+07:00

Eventful nights out are difficult to photograph - the excitement and fun of having a group of wild people together on a hectic night-time adventure is hard to portray through a series of still images. And I've been going out and doing so much stuff, it's hard to find time to compile all the adventures into blog posts. There's something new every day!

I've been heavily involved with the CouchSurfing organization. Last week Peak and I hosted a bunch of them all at once - a german, a russian, two frenches, two thais, and an aussie. After a pot-luck dinner, we stayed up until 4am talking about life, spirituality, sexuality, and community. The following night, we joined up with a lot of other local and visiting couchsurfers and took a private bus down to Khao San Road - the most famous tourist trap area of Bangkok. Unlike most tourist traps, it wasn't particularly glitzy, and we had a good time stomping around the crowded street, between bars and clubs and street food. The next night, we went to a bar where we met one of Peak's very old friends. He's now a successful rock musician and had us stay on stage as the guests of honor. For some reason, the organizers incorrectly assumed that I was the one who knew the band, and brought me up on stage to meet the star dancer of the evening, who performed a traditional Thai dance as an opening act.

There's much more in depth detail relating to Nga, Peak's musician friend. It's quite a story of how we ended up going to see him, but this is just a recap of the week. A preview:

On our way to Khao San in a private van

Deciding just how much beer to order

You never know what you'll find in Bangkok

These are our beers.

Khao San Road at it's finest

Sacha and Olga partaking in the street food feast

Me making fun of Peak - dangerous when she's carrying a camera

These tiffins are full of food! You just can't tell!

Niko guards his food jealously

Olga, Lise, and Sascha grab a bite

Wow teaches Lise and Sascha traditional Thai dance, while Ptae watches.

The opening act at a rock concert: traditional Thai dance.

Ben is the guest of honor and is brought up on stage. Nobody knows why.

Our table on stage.

Happy Holidays

2009-12-18T19:06:00.001+07:00

Today I was shocked to realize that Christmas is exactly a week away. In the USA, there'd be no escaping this fact as the entire country spends a month gearing up for one holiday. Here, the only Christmas music I've heard was while walking by a shopping mall. No mentions of good gifts guides, holiday stress, holiday cheer, and absolutely no prospects for snow. No red suited, coca-cola inspired Santas, and only the regular background level of rampant consumerism.

Near as I can tell, only this one elephant is dressed up for Christmas, and he may just dress like this all year round.

My friends and family, it can be difficult to be so far away, but don't fret - there's skype.

Chatuchak Market

2009-12-16T05:38:00.000+07:00

The largest market in Thailand, which itself sometimes feels like a giant market, is located just a few blocks North of Peak's house. Named Chatuchak or Jatujak market, it consists of a giant structure completely made up of market stalls. Imagine the biggest farmer's market you've ever been to, times a bajillion. If you want more accurate statistics, try the Wikipedia entry on Chatuchak Weekend Market.

Anything you'd ever want to buy, you can buy at Chatuchak. That includes cats, dogs, squirrels, furniture, food, booze, clothing, electronics, art, anything. With the notable exception of tampons (according to many female couch surfers and travelers). It's chaos to behold, but somehow hundreds of thousands of people set it up, filter through it, and tear it down, each and every weekend. It's almost completely empty on the weekdays.

Scary dolls

Popsicles!

Shirts with stuff already printed on them, so you don't need to carry that stuff around.

Many flowers

Belts and, apparently, small children (might not actually be for sale)

Because Peak was using my camera, and I can't remember which are mine:

All photo credit: Peak

Photo Grab Bag #2: People Around Town

2009-12-13T21:10:00.001+07:00

Three different types of soldiers standing guard at the King's Birthday celebration. The two on the left are saluting a high ranking officer who is driving past.

A Buddhist Monk carrying a fancy digital SLR camera and talking on a cell phone.

Children playing at the King's Birthday celebration.

Police lining up for duty at the start of the King's Birthday celebration.

There are a lot of police in Bangkok - about one per block. They direct rush hour traffic in the morning and afternoon, and there are small single-occupant 'stations' on major intersections.

Being a policeman, and other government jobs, are considered respectable and are recognized as serving the community. Though not high paying, government workers get discounts almost everywhere they go. Sometimes the police get additional discounts or gifts, though I'm not going to discuss that element just yet.

Bored kids, playing in the dirt.

A woman selling fried insects. Blech!

A merchant woman sitting on the bike she uses to pull her cart. I just thought she looked tough.

No matter what you want, chances are you can buy it on a sidewalk somewhere in Bangkok.

Boy scouts returning from a field trip.

A stereotypical Farang. Not pictured is his Thai girlfriend, who is cute and in her 20s. He was crass, purposefully so, but he bought everyone's drinks.

A man sells leather goods at the Jatujek (Chatuchek) market.

The porridge stall outside our house!

(pardon the delay on this post; Ben has been sick and sleeping it off. Symptoms: 100 degree fever, which lasted only one day. Fatigue and sleepiness. He's feeling better now.)

My Namesakes

2009-12-10T21:24:00.010+07:00

Frequently I'm referred to as a Farang, and occasionally I am referred to as a "เงาะ," which is Thai for rambutan. They call me rambutan-head. I take no offense, as rambutans are Peak's favorite fruit. They're incredibly sweet, like lychee, and fun to open. They have a bitter almond-like pit that you can eat, but most don't.

Curiously, I couldn't stand the smell or taste of Farang fruit. To me it smelled like a bitter pumpkin/green apple mix. The texture felt like eating raw pumpkin but with a sour aftertaste. Peak said it was bland with no smell, and tasted like an apple with extra spices. It was so bad, I couldn't stand to be around the smell in the room.

Farang and Rambutan

Smelly Farang Fruit

Rambutan Fruit

Rambutan Skin

What Peak thinks I look like

Steriod Use for Fun and Profit

2009-12-08T13:48:00.001+07:00

Mosquitoes love me; they've always loved me. Here in Bangkok I'm averaging 2 bites a day, though at first it was much, much more. I could get away from them by staying in nicer hotels in the Farang part of town, but in Peak's old stale house, they find a way to get in.

The Thais deal with mosquitoes in a couple of ways. My second day here, covered in bites, I went into a local pharmacy where they spoke no English. Unable to ask for help, I just pointed to my bite-ridden arm, and the old kindly pharmacist man instantly recognized what was up, and got me some DEET spray. Pointing at my arm again and rubbing on it, he brought up a tube of Clobevate cream (clobetasol propionate). I had no idea what it was, but bought it anyway.

Clobetasol is a miracle drug. Now I wish I had taken pictures of the huge bites I had - the kind where the skin swells up and turns white with a quarter-sized raised bump. I laugh at such bites now. Dab some Clobevate on it and it stops itching immediately. Then, 30-60 minutes later, the bite is completely gone. I mean, there's just no trace it was ever there. I've been plagued by mosquito bites my whole life, I've tried After Bite (tm), benadryl, anything to get them to stop itching.

There is a catch, and a reason it's not available in the US. Clobetasol propionate is a very powerful topical steroid. So powerful that if one were to use it in large amounts, it would absorb through the skin and have the same effects as injecting it. Safety indications suggest that using small dabs on the skin, even in several spots, shouldn't be a problem. Coating my back with it (or perhaps my biceps, yeah!) would be a problem, but I'll avoid that for now.

Strangely enough, the cream seems to have no effect on Peak. She applies it and the bug bites continue to itch and remain. She informs me that there are several other Thai remedies for bug bites that work better. First, eat spicy food. Apparently mosquitoes hate the smell and will avoid people who've had curry, garlic, or peppers (capsaicin) lately. This is no problem for me as I love all three, and sure enough, I've been getting fewer bites over time. If a Thai person gets a bite, they'll typically rub Tiger Balm on it, which alleviates the itchiness instantly, feels great anyway, but doesn't make the bite itself go away any faster.

The King's Birthday, or, why the Thai love Pink

2009-12-06T12:02:00.002+07:00

Yesterday (Dec 5th) was the King's birthday, a major event here in Thailand, where everyone loves the king.

For example, let me describe the current political unrest and how it involves the King. There are four major factions currently competing for the hearts and minds of the Thai people. There's very rarely violence involved; the main method by which people show their support is by wearing different colored shirts. In the past, protests would involve shutting down airports or major roads by forming human blockades.

The Red Shirts love the King, but think Taksin (a former prime minister who was ousted in another non-violent coup) should come back and focus on economic development. Taksin's policies are similar to the Republican policies in the United States, he strongly allied himself with George Bush, and Taksin used his previous power to build his own personal fortune. He has a history of personally investing in infrastructural for rural Thai villages. These investments, usually telephone systems, were run by companies Taksin owned or had stakes in. Many poor villagers consider him to be a hero for building up this infrastructure and seemingly don't mind paying for the services he provides, even at an inflated price. The city folk generally distrust him for using political means to pursue personal profit.

The Yellow Shirts love the King, and are anti-Taksin to the core. They're the urban middle and upper class, and often represent the business owners of Thailand, who view Taksin as unfair competition. They typically fight through court decrees and non-violent protests, as the Yellow shirts are considered the educated class. They're currently 'in power.' The yellow color was originally the official color of the King, though due to the political partisanship recently associated with the color itself, many are now disassociating themselves from the Yellow Shirts.

The Pink Shirts love the King, and avoid any further political classification. They were the main show at the King's birthday, demonstrating that their love for the King is not politically motivated, nor are they attempting to use the King's image to further an agenda.

The Blue Shirts love the king and work for the government in one capacity or another. The Blue Shirt allows them to declare that they'll follow the orders and laws of the government regardless of personal judgment. This allows government workers from soldiers to clerks to band together, separate themselves from the political turmoil, and avoid claiming rank or allegiance. It's an effort to save face, avoiding intimidating others by wearing a uniform, yet protecting themselves and their careers from political infighting.

Just trying to do my job

2009-12-05T11:53:00.000+07:00

Apparently the Kingdom of Thailand prohibits certain hacking related websites:

Home Sweet Home

2009-12-03T12:49:00.001+07:00

Peak's house is finally coming together. Today we had the internet wired up and connected. For 1200B a month, we get 8mbps service. That's $36 a month; this is their business class service level. However, 8mbps speed is roughly 8x faster than what cable subscribers in the United States typically get. The internet is blazing fast now!

Oh, and we got the water pump fixed so that we can take showers now. But, you know, that's secondary to a fast internet connection.

Feel free to video chat me anytime:

And if you want to come visit, here's directions from the nearest SkyTrain (Bangkok Transit System, BTS).

View Larger Map

Bangkok Traffic

2009-12-03T09:22:00.000+07:00

Thank goodness for SkyTrain, because the traffic here is rather intense.

Next week is the King's Birthday, and for 9 days, all public transportation is free. This is to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to partake in the celebrations going on around the city. Pictures to come...

Forgot to mention - Pantip Plaza is a mecca for pirated software. While I didn't purchase any, I did sneak this photograph. They are extremely suspicious of Farang taking pictures of software, because they fear a crackdown. That said, I'm told that every few months these stores are warned to take a day off, and 'an example' is made. One shopkeeper stays behind. The police come in, find this one conspirator selling something rather innocuous, and make a show of arresting him. A few bribes later and they're back in business, and the police can advertise that they're tough on piracy. These are just the rumors I'm told...

Either way, the Engrish on these packages is hilarious. I also appreciate that they're selling free, open source software too.

Pantip Plaza, the computer mall

2009-12-01T11:07:00.000+07:00

Saturday, Peak introduced me to Pantip. This Pantip Plaza place is an entire five story (5!) shopping mall dedicated entirely to selling electronics, computers, and accessories. The sheer volume, with every nook jammed full of electronics for sale, with colorful signs everywhere and announcers constantly proclaiming the next great deal - well, it is a bit overwhelming. We spent 5 hours there, buying equipment necessary to secure our precious internet connections.

Nothing sells computers like ... cosplay!

An example of a Farang:

Photo Grab Bag

2009-11-30T20:12:00.002+07:00

Smog makes for a beautiful sunset.

Every major building and business has a shrine, to house guardian spirits.

Every sidewalk is a market.

Fans are necessary, even if you have AirCon.

Bangkok is a thoroughly modern city.

Shrines and Skyscrapers.

Yeah, elephants.

And colorful cute things everywhere!

Including little kids.

Muay Thai - Thai Boxing

2009-11-30T19:44:00.001+07:00

Peak's current photo project revolves around Thai boxing. Though she rarely dabbles with digital, she took a few practice shots with my camera.

In brief, Thai boxing is on the rise in America, particularly within the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) community. It brings in a lot of attention and money. Thai boxers are considered glamorous and distinguished. Peak hopes to expose the cultural background lost in the media glitz and advertising. Thai boxers are typically raised in boxing camps, training from the age of 9 until they're ready to compete - which isn't long. There are regular children's matches, one of which Peak has already attended. Poor children are sent to these camps instead of school, with the hopes of escaping poverty through victory. This story is similar to those told about American inner city youth and basketball scholarships, or Ethiopian children and running scholarships. The odds of success are minimal, and those who do achieve fame or victory often don't know how to manage their career or money. Most will blow through it and return to Thailand, where boxers, though respected, are still considered low class (the same way Americans might view WWF wrestlers).

Meanwhile, many resort training camps are opening in Thailand, and boxing gyms are opening everywhere (including on the roof of the hostel where we are currently staying - they are that numerous!). Many foreigners are traveling to Thailand to train in this sport, unaware of it's true origins or cultural significance.

Thai Gideons

2009-11-30T19:40:00.000+07:00

Apparently the Gideons have some competition.

(found in our hotel the only night we stayed in one)

The Tuk Tuk

2009-11-30T18:10:00.000+07:00

Settled in Bangkok, Peak and I needed to get around. In Thailand you can pick up a taxi or a tuk-tuk. A tuk-tuk is a motorcycle engine housed within a colorful two-person wagon. The don't run on a meter, so you have to watch out for the "Farang discount." The name stems from the sound they make as the motorcycle engine idles.

2009-11-30T17:30:00.000+07:00

From the City of Angels, To the City of Angels

2009-11-30T17:15:00.000+07:00

(Written: Friday, November 27th, 2009. Under the influence of jet lag.)

Today I left Los Angeles after a year's stay. That isn't to say I had a home that whole year; I spent several weeks homeless, but I had established myself. It was difficult to leave my friends and family.

Though it doesn't feel as if I've gone far. Frequently I remarked to Peak that it felt odd that we'd traveled 20 hours to arrive somewhere that belonged just on the East side of downtown LA, or in Chinatown, New York City. The signs are both in English and Thai, the people all speak English, better than many Los Angeles residents, and some more properly than I do myself. All brand names and shop logos are in English, from NetCafe to 7-11. By staying near Peak's family in a non-tourist area of town, I've seen only four non-Thai people since leaving the airport - so it's not that everyone here is accustomed to dealing with foreigners, as that English signals high status and upward mobility.

Our total travel time of 20 hours somehow took us two days into the future; we left Wednesday and completely bypassed Thursday, to land Friday. While everyone I knew was celebrating Thanksgiving, that holiday simply ceased to exist this year.

Settled at our wifi-less hotel (how barbaric!) and thoroughly jet-lagged, Peak and I took a 3am walk around the streets of Bangkok, before they filled up. With thanks to jet lag, our bodies didn't know when to feel tired, awake, hungry or full (even bloated).We caught a few people boiling water, cutting vegetables, or loading newspapers in preparation for their day of street vending. I'm told that street vending, far from being a trade of last resort, is actually quite profitable. In fact one of our neighbors, a lawyer, quit his job to open a late night porridge cart outside his house. He still operates it into his retirement, though Peak informs me he's saved up quite a bundle from it. Many of the vendors we saw preparing in the morning had closed shop by 10am - clearly catering to a breakfast crowd. We made friends with a few street dogs and cats; they are scattered, each guarding a block as their territory. They are friendly and welcomed by shop keepers, and so these wild pets avoid the manginess you might expect from a life on the streets.

So beyond a few small changes, I don't feel far from home. The infrastructure is the same, if not superior to what I'm accustomed (the traffic lights count down by seconds to when they turn green, the internet is faster). Still, it doesn't feel that I've gone far. I left the City of Angels only to land in another City of Angels, Bangkok, Krung Thep.