Almost makes me want to start a visa process again...
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
That Luang, Vientiane, Laos
As soon as we get on line, I'll type something, until then just look at this.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
I've seen the future (and it looks like this)
This was taken whilst we were listening to this quality progressive house mix www.megaupload.com/?d=XI0ZQY8V and Bamboo started rocking away, for some reason he buzzes off heavy in yer face hard rocking house, a chip off the old block perhaps but the similarities are heartening, eary and scary.
Perhaps we will take him to the Full Moon Party in Ko Phan Ngan for his first birthday, then he can tell all his mates at school he was there before them.
You know how your parents used to say stuff like 'turn that shit down!' We should all buy T-Shirts when we go clubbing that read, 'our kids will be listening to this shit' and on the back 'turn it down'
Blog On
Our House (in the middle of a canal) # 1
This was the view from our front garden yesterday... 'I've seen this happen in other peoples' lives and now it's happening in mine' Morrisey.
Take it East
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Handbags
I saw this daubed on a bridge near the canal on a Soi off Sukhumvit (Bangkok's main road), the sign resonated with me for obvious reasons and then within about 30 seconds I spotted this lady walking down the road, so I shot her handbag and decided to ask my friend Dave to put the two shots into one frame for me.
I think one of the most poignant truths for anybody living in Asia is the huge disparity between poverty and wealth and the negative effect this has in cultural and social terms. Not just on the poor but the rich too.
In a city like Bangkok these issues are bipolar, but there only ever seems to be one winner in the propaganda war between the needy and need nots.
Devotion to money manifest, appears to create a convenient cycle of myopia, the force of consumerism creates useless needs for the need nots, whilst the really needy watch the trend cycle by.
I believe the tide will turn one day and that's why I bring these shots to your attention.
I think one of the most poignant truths for anybody living in Asia is the huge disparity between poverty and wealth and the negative effect this has in cultural and social terms. Not just on the poor but the rich too.
In a city like Bangkok these issues are bipolar, but there only ever seems to be one winner in the propaganda war between the needy and need nots.
Devotion to money manifest, appears to create a convenient cycle of myopia, the force of consumerism creates useless needs for the need nots, whilst the really needy watch the trend cycle by.
I believe the tide will turn one day and that's why I bring these shots to your attention.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Insomnia (Barking Dogs Mix) Faithless
Just when things started looking up, dogs howled and yapped all night long , that's why I'm in work at 6.30am writing this. Taking after my Dad for his love of barking dogs, call it nature or nurture either or, from 2am onwards I've had no sleep. At 5am the neighbours were berated and frankly put, if any of their dogs get within bamboo swinging pole reach of me I'm going to beat the living crap out of it or them.
Rhetorically, who in their right mind lets their dogs run round the moo bahn (estate) upsetting all the other dogs, all night long? Who never complains about problems because it's not in their "mai pen rai" quasi-nevermind culture? Why are problems never solved? Why does the white man come across as the crazy one?
Thankfully, I attained my compulsory 20 hours of Thai culture and language knowledge certificate the weekend prior, otherwise I may have gotten myself kicked out venting my spleen on this subject, like the drunk who stood up and said something like "when are the Thai people going to realise they are part of the international community, why is it always Thai this Thai that?" He was roundly booed but by then, he'd already upset the audience by screaming for the microphone and abusing the nice pretty well spoken lady orating the course.
In one way after a night of barking dogs no matter how far I've come to consolidate myself back with the "culture" since leaving Bangkok and a near two year fall out, it's like Tin Tin Out... always something there to remind me.
Take it East (Leave it West in a nod to Danny)
Rhetorically, who in their right mind lets their dogs run round the moo bahn (estate) upsetting all the other dogs, all night long? Who never complains about problems because it's not in their "mai pen rai" quasi-nevermind culture? Why are problems never solved? Why does the white man come across as the crazy one?
Thankfully, I attained my compulsory 20 hours of Thai culture and language knowledge certificate the weekend prior, otherwise I may have gotten myself kicked out venting my spleen on this subject, like the drunk who stood up and said something like "when are the Thai people going to realise they are part of the international community, why is it always Thai this Thai that?" He was roundly booed but by then, he'd already upset the audience by screaming for the microphone and abusing the nice pretty well spoken lady orating the course.
In one way after a night of barking dogs no matter how far I've come to consolidate myself back with the "culture" since leaving Bangkok and a near two year fall out, it's like Tin Tin Out... always something there to remind me.
Take it East (Leave it West in a nod to Danny)
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
New Age Colonialists of the World (hand it over)
For one reason and another I previously omitted to mention where we moved to, Khon Kaen. We live a little out of town quite close to the lake which takes a cute photograph at sunset. I first came here on my way back from Laos five years ago and distinctively recall the ultra friendliness of the locals and laid back atmosphere of the place. Situated at the heart of Isaan, most people converse in Lao dialect and drive like complete buffoons, the town is quite small and easy to get around but for the foresaid imbeciles.
I’ll try not to get too hung up on the locals’ lack of driving awareness but it really is bad. Being a small town we decided to take a little personal responsibility for Bamboo’s, Bamboo’s childrens’ (and so an and so forth) future world. Rather than buy an all air polluting, petrol consuming motorbike for our travels we invested in a pair of bicycles. Dtocky has a blue city (vicars’) bike and I have a red BMX. We are thanked for our selflessness at limiting our carbon footprint on Mother Earth by nincompoops driving motorised vehicles who regularly without warning make all manners of hazards; of us, themselves and the road in general. Of all the benefits of living in the countryside away from a big city like Bangkok I would say yokel style drivers have to be the largest drawback. My commute to and from school is never without hazard.
After nearly three years in Bangkok (on and off) making the transition back to the countryside is quite strange. After the equivalent of days as I’d had years there, retreating in the vicinity of some of the world’s most beautiful beaches my father commented ‘I miss Bangkok.’ At the time, I balked but if one has lived and survived in Bangkok for a considerable amount of time becoming acquainted with its city map, myriad methods of transportation, culture, language and lifestyle, one can leave Bangkok but Bangkok will never leave those (especially their alveoli). We have both commented how we especially miss lazy afternoons in Lumphini Park, perhaps the urban contrast of arcane hypertensive traffic flow in transition with the park’s quiet beauty (when the propaganda radios are switched off) makes its serenity all the more worthy of an occasional nostalgic look back at that distant metropolis we once suffered.
There’s definitely no going back, we live in a house in a cul de sac, there’s a dog opposite called Bonbon that barks at outsiders, on Sundays its owner family shoot hoops at an invisible basketball board whilst the sane half hang the washing out. Babies are everywhere and often we think it’s Bamboo crying when it’s not. Everything is within pedaling distance so we’re getting fitter and eating healthier.
More time spent off the sky train spent pedaling means more free time with the family, books and music channeled through a Sony Playstation 2 and portable television. On Sunday evening, enjoying Paul Simon’s Graceland and a book I realised I was turning into my Dad, I looked at the cover and was thankful it wasn’t Dick Francis.
I’ve never plugged a book specifically but then again I haven’t read a book as good as this in a long time: Freedom Next Time by John Pilger is one of the best exposes about ‘new age colonialism’ (a phrase I stole from Robert Mugabe quoted on Al Jazeera) that I’ve ever read, covering five chapters with some fantastic interviews (memorably Nelson Mandela who squirmed at the point of his official recognition of the Burmese incumbent junta, they supported the ANC you see), Pilger reveals the facts behind the British government’s theft of the Chagos islands including Diego Garcia (now a US military base from which Iraq is attacked and Iran will be) and the plight of its indigenous peoples whose existence was denied, it investigates the legacies of the British Empire’s lost colonies covering the Israel Palestine conflict, India, South Africa and Afghanistan. Paying attention to the stories ignored by the mainstream he interviews the voiceless and brings their stores to the reader, he then goes on to the policymakers and puts these struggles in perspective, to quote the writer "This book is about empire, its facades and the enduring struggle of people for their freedom. It offers an antidote to authorised versions of contemporary history that censor by omission and impose double standards."
It really is worth a read. I’ll cycle on home pull some jumps over sleeping police men, try not to get hit by veering motorists driving on the pavement and cheer on ASEAN for their long overdue and eventual marked criticism of the Burmese junta over the illegal imprisonment of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Take note current Thai administration.
Blog On
I’ll try not to get too hung up on the locals’ lack of driving awareness but it really is bad. Being a small town we decided to take a little personal responsibility for Bamboo’s, Bamboo’s childrens’ (and so an and so forth) future world. Rather than buy an all air polluting, petrol consuming motorbike for our travels we invested in a pair of bicycles. Dtocky has a blue city (vicars’) bike and I have a red BMX. We are thanked for our selflessness at limiting our carbon footprint on Mother Earth by nincompoops driving motorised vehicles who regularly without warning make all manners of hazards; of us, themselves and the road in general. Of all the benefits of living in the countryside away from a big city like Bangkok I would say yokel style drivers have to be the largest drawback. My commute to and from school is never without hazard.
After nearly three years in Bangkok (on and off) making the transition back to the countryside is quite strange. After the equivalent of days as I’d had years there, retreating in the vicinity of some of the world’s most beautiful beaches my father commented ‘I miss Bangkok.’ At the time, I balked but if one has lived and survived in Bangkok for a considerable amount of time becoming acquainted with its city map, myriad methods of transportation, culture, language and lifestyle, one can leave Bangkok but Bangkok will never leave those (especially their alveoli). We have both commented how we especially miss lazy afternoons in Lumphini Park, perhaps the urban contrast of arcane hypertensive traffic flow in transition with the park’s quiet beauty (when the propaganda radios are switched off) makes its serenity all the more worthy of an occasional nostalgic look back at that distant metropolis we once suffered.
There’s definitely no going back, we live in a house in a cul de sac, there’s a dog opposite called Bonbon that barks at outsiders, on Sundays its owner family shoot hoops at an invisible basketball board whilst the sane half hang the washing out. Babies are everywhere and often we think it’s Bamboo crying when it’s not. Everything is within pedaling distance so we’re getting fitter and eating healthier.
More time spent off the sky train spent pedaling means more free time with the family, books and music channeled through a Sony Playstation 2 and portable television. On Sunday evening, enjoying Paul Simon’s Graceland and a book I realised I was turning into my Dad, I looked at the cover and was thankful it wasn’t Dick Francis.
I’ve never plugged a book specifically but then again I haven’t read a book as good as this in a long time: Freedom Next Time by John Pilger is one of the best exposes about ‘new age colonialism’ (a phrase I stole from Robert Mugabe quoted on Al Jazeera) that I’ve ever read, covering five chapters with some fantastic interviews (memorably Nelson Mandela who squirmed at the point of his official recognition of the Burmese incumbent junta, they supported the ANC you see), Pilger reveals the facts behind the British government’s theft of the Chagos islands including Diego Garcia (now a US military base from which Iraq is attacked and Iran will be) and the plight of its indigenous peoples whose existence was denied, it investigates the legacies of the British Empire’s lost colonies covering the Israel Palestine conflict, India, South Africa and Afghanistan. Paying attention to the stories ignored by the mainstream he interviews the voiceless and brings their stores to the reader, he then goes on to the policymakers and puts these struggles in perspective, to quote the writer "This book is about empire, its facades and the enduring struggle of people for their freedom. It offers an antidote to authorised versions of contemporary history that censor by omission and impose double standards."
It really is worth a read. I’ll cycle on home pull some jumps over sleeping police men, try not to get hit by veering motorists driving on the pavement and cheer on ASEAN for their long overdue and eventual marked criticism of the Burmese junta over the illegal imprisonment of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Take note current Thai administration.
Blog On
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Peggies
I was sitting in our bed reading Noam Chomsky's Manufacturing Consent (highly recommendable) the other night whilst Dtocky was outside nattering to the neighbours, she knocked on the window and I shouted "I can't come out I'm naked!" So she asked "Which is closer to here Nong Khai or Ubon Ratchatani?" "Nong Khai" (of course).
This is the geographical and linguistic equivalent of three Lancastrians asking a Pole whether Bolton or Wigan are closer to Preston, but seeing as that the most topical topic of conversation in the staffroom is that there is now a Polish edition of The Sun that might not be a too distant vision.
On a side note one of Bamboo's front teeth has come through, not as nature intended however, he dangled precariously from a plastic style storage unit piled top heavy with unbroken glasses (for drinking out of). He lost balance, fell backwards (in slow motion) the glasses exploded everywhere and one of them slightly dinted his gum which seems to have provoked the emergence of the said tooth.
Take it East
This is the geographical and linguistic equivalent of three Lancastrians asking a Pole whether Bolton or Wigan are closer to Preston, but seeing as that the most topical topic of conversation in the staffroom is that there is now a Polish edition of The Sun that might not be a too distant vision.
On a side note one of Bamboo's front teeth has come through, not as nature intended however, he dangled precariously from a plastic style storage unit piled top heavy with unbroken glasses (for drinking out of). He lost balance, fell backwards (in slow motion) the glasses exploded everywhere and one of them slightly dinted his gum which seems to have provoked the emergence of the said tooth.
Take it East
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