Bangkok Blog

Don't ask me what's going on

2008-11-26T16:53:00.002+07:00

To be honest, I'm so engrossed in my PGCE that I haven't had time to follow the news. Was amazed to see this BBC clip (thanks James) which is the road outside our house. We had heard a bit of a commotion, but hadn't realised that people were shooting at each other. Sometimes it's best not to know, I guess.

Teaching is Tough

2008-11-16T16:50:00.000+07:00

It's been a while I know... but this teaching lark sure takes up your time. I'm in the middle of my first "teaching practice" block of my PGCE. And I really don't have much time to spare. Still, there's always the holidays to look forward to, and for teachers, the next one is never that far away...

Family Fortunes

2008-09-17T14:38:00.002+07:00

Following the ousting of Samak over his TV cookery, parliament today chose a new Prime Minister. Now given that the main gripe of the PAD protestors (still occupying Government House) is that the government was a puppet for Thaksin (currently hiding out in the UK to evade his corruption trial), you'd have thought they might take this opportunity to distance themselves from such allegations. So who have they chosen as PM? None other than Thaksin's brother-in-law. That'll certainly help to bring peace and reconcilliation to the country, eh?

Too Many Cooks...

2008-09-09T21:21:00.003+07:00

Thai politics trawls even deeper levels of inanity as the Constitutional Court sacks the Prime Minister - for the apparently unconstitutional act of appearing on a TV cookery show. Given the guy has a track record for Tiananmen Square-style massacres of his own people (see 6 Oct 1976), it seems somewhat ironic to be impeached for such a trivial offence. Still, it got cheers from the crowds who've been occupying his offices for the last few weeks. And what exactly are they doing there? The more you hear their demands, the more you wonder. They style themselves the 'People's Alliance for Democracy', but their manifesto is decidedly undemocratic: 'Western democracy can't work in Thailand, as voters can be bought - the only way is for us to decide on the people's behalf.'

Here We Go Again...

2008-09-02T16:42:00.002+07:00

Looks like things are going downhill again on the political front, although nobody here is particularly surprised. Once again, the army is moving on to the streets, but in an interesting twist, this time it's at the request of Samak, whose puppetmaster is the very guy the military coup deposed last time. Needless to say, with a State of Emergency having been declared, media restrictions have been imposed, and I don't have direct access to my blog. Thanks again to Brian for providing the censorship workaround.

Dr Wilson I presume...

2008-08-18T16:56:00.002+07:00

Working the fans

So after 2 weeks in this country, one thing has become very apparent. It turns out that Dad is the most famous man in Tanzania. I'm not exaggerating. Literally every place we go, someone rushes up to greet him. It happens everywhere - on the beach in Zanzibar, in the hills of Morogoro, in a grimy bar in Bagamoyo, on the streets of Stonetown. At the airport, he is greeted by a friend in the check-in queue, a further acquaintance in the security line, and then several others in the departure lounge itself. In a two-hour stroll through downtown Dar, we meet everyone from government ministers and professors to street boys and waiters. The cry of "Hello Graham" is everywhere. It's my first real taste of celebrity.

Ferrero Rocher, sir?

2008-08-03T16:49:00.003+07:00

Tiffin is served

We head to the magical island of Zanzibar, where through Dad's connections, we get to stay in none other than the British High Commissioner's official residence. Happily, the man himself is elsewhere, so we get the full run of the house, its staff, and the stunning views from its clifftop perch. Whilst I find the portrait of the queen above our bed slightly disturbing, the fact that we are driven around the island in the official Land Rover complete with the little flagpole on the front more than makes up for it.

Visiting the Old Dears

2008-08-01T17:58:00.000+07:00

A freak, ah?

2008-07-28T16:55:00.000+07:00

We head off to Africa for the rest of the summer. A couple of weeks in Tanzania, and then Kenya. Initial impressions are that East Africa is remarkably chilly and surprisingly pricey. I've clearly been in Thailand too long.

House-sitting in the Countryside

2008-07-17T16:54:00.007+07:00

Small place in the country

We luck up big time (as I think Americans say) when Rob and Sarah decamp with their family to Vietnam for 3 weeks, and require us to house-sit for them whilst they're away. OK, we do have the minor hassle of looking after their menagerie of dogs, buffaloes, rabbits and tortoises, but the beauty of the location more than makes up for it. We're 20km outside Chiang Mai, in an idyllic rural setting, which we've been able to fully explore thanks to the car, 4WD truck, ATVs, bikes and wellies that Rob kindly left for us. All around is classic Thai countryside; farmers in bamboo hats tilling their paddy fields (no doubt cheered on by the skyrocketing export value of Thai rice), buffalo stubbornly being put to the plough (they were outdated, but now petrol prices have made the tractor unfashionable), and a plethora of churches springing up in every village (churches? surely you mean wats? no - churches - there's loads of them. American missionaries must have been real busy up here)

Teaching the Natives how to Speak

2008-07-07T16:30:00.000+07:00

Long story, but I've decided to transform myself into a fully qualified Physics teacher, and the metamorphosis has begun. First stage was getting a CELTA qualification, which is Cambridge Uni's teaching-English-to-Johnny-foreigner course. This will allow me to work as a teacher in Thailand as I study towards my PGCE (a 9-month course starting in August). The CELTA is infamous as being a tough course, and sure enough it turned out to be so, with relentless 12-hour days for a month. Apparently just repeating English phrases at an ever-increasing volume until they are understood just doesn't cut it in the teaching world anymore.
That was the reason for the temporary hiatus in blogging. But full service is now resumed...

Songkran Festivities

2008-04-15T11:56:00.005+07:00

Ready for War

It's fair to say that we manage to make the most of the 3-day national waterfight. Starting off in the popular Khao San Road area, we arm ourselves with ice-filled supersoakers and join the tens of thousands of locals and tourists 'blessing' each other with the gifts of water and flour. In the evening, having dried off, we head to a local music restaurant for some Thai food and Thai pop, unsure of the etiquette. But sure enough, by 10pm, all 200 customers have lost interest in either the band or the food, and we spend the night emptying buckets of water over each other. Hilarious.

Swamp Boxing

But the highpoint comes when we all visit Muang Boran, a Thai cultural park which throws a Songkran festival each year. Being the only white faces, we're suddenly centre of attention as we wander past the swamp boxing arena. The compere grabs me for an interview and the crowd are amused by my adopted Thai name. Before we know it, Jules and I are locked in mortal combat balanced on a pole 10 foot above the swamp, being cheered on by a few hundred spectators. The aim is to box your opponent into the swamp, but being untrained in Thai martial arts we put on a somewhat unspectacular display of flailing limbs before simultaneously falling off, much to the crowd's amusement.

A surprise visitor

2008-04-11T11:30:00.001+07:00

Out of the blue, Julius rocks up in Thailand for a ~~week's holiday~~ week's work for Nortel. Leaving the in-laws to continue their island getaway, I jump on a boat, and manage to catch Jules at Bangkok airport, where he's just got in from a meeting in China

The Outlaws Arrive

2008-04-05T11:27:00.008+07:00

Classy Arrival

As Brian leaves, Phil and Steph rock up from Canada for a 2½ week stay. We haven't seen them in over 3 years, and it's great to catch up. Since this is the hottest time of year, first port of call is the beach. Off to Koh Samed we go.

Big Brother

2008-04-04T14:38:00.003+07:00

Brian in Action

Brian visits for a week en route to Australia. We opt to escape the heat of Bangkok and fly up to the Golden Triangle to buzz around on motorbikes. Emboldened by his new GPS-capable phone, Brian insists we leave the road network behind and head off into the jungle. Unfortunately, the Nokia software doesn't actually indicate national borders, and we get a bit nervous when we stumble across a camp that is clearly not flying the Thai flag. Back on the established road, we see that the border is occasionally marked with small plaques, but other than that, there's no real impediment to crossing this famously porous border.
Undeterred by our brush with the Burmese, Brian then gets waylaid by some North Korean escapees who have floated down the Mekong and pitched up in Thailand. The locals refuse to help, fearing arrest, so somehow we get involved in smuggling 2 of them on the back of our bikes through to Chiang Rai. Makes the police checkpoints even more nerve-racking than usual.

Chiang Mai

2008-02-27T15:21:00.001+07:00

Afternoon Tea

It's my birthday, and also half term, so we go up to Chiang Mai for a few days. Hiring a jeep allows us to have some interesting off-road experiences, and we also treat ourselves to a few nice places to stay. Then it's off to see Rob & Sarah's new house, which is coming along well. With the 3 kids, 2 buffalo, 4 dogs, and 20 on-site builders, there's an engaging level of chaos to their lives.

Reading the Small Print

2008-01-25T11:53:00.000+07:00

Like everyone else, I never bother to read the ridiculously lengthy 'End User Licence Agreement' that you have to 'Accept' every time you install a bit of software. But feeling vaguely bored today, I did scroll down the agreement that popped up when iTunes asked to update itself. It turns out I'm specifically banned from using iTunes for "the development, design, manufacture or production of missiles, or nuclear, chemical or biological weapons". Now I personally feel that some of Sara's music would classify as an offensive weapon (e.g. anything by Sade or Gabrielle), but it seems a big step between that and a full-blown biological weapons programme.

Down on the Farm

2008-01-22T12:47:00.000+07:00

Guest Room

The parents of one of Sara's pupils kindly take us out to their farm for the weekend. Just 3 hours from Bangkok, but a complete world away; dirt tracks with no vehicles, clean air filled with birdsong, no development spoiling the beautiful views across jungle-clad hills; no lights to spoil a beautiful starscape at night. It's easy to forget when you stick to Bangkok and the tourist trail that much of Thailand is like this. Curiously, the shelf in the farm's guest bedroom holds 2 objects; a pink cartoon elephant and a .38 Smith & Wesson.

Stars in Their Eyes

2008-01-18T12:40:00.000+07:00

Fiddy Baht

Ali turns 50 and hosts a Stars in Their Eyes party. I'm always a huge fan of fancy-dress parties, and it's a great night. My transformation into rapper Fiddy Baht isn't a complete success; I try and be as misogynistic, homophobic, materialistic and violent as I can, but I don't think anybody's convinced.

Full of Eastern Promise

2008-01-13T16:12:00.000+07:00

On the Road

Emboldened by our gradually improving stumblings in Thai, we decide to explore the less-touristed North Eastern region of the country. Hiring a car and following our noses, we initially get distracted by the wine region around Khao Yai for a few days, delighting in the hilly scenery, fresh air, and vineyard tours. Venturing further East, we discover Angkor-era temples and fortresses, go for a trek in the jungle, and dodge the Khmer Rouge minefields along the Cambodian border.

The New Black

2008-01-10T17:02:00.000+07:00

I do like to keep you abreast of the latest sartorial trends on the streets of Bangkok. Following on from the long-term yellow phenomenon, and the more recent explosion of pink, this season's colour is very much black, following the death of the King's elder sister last week. As a teacher, Sara is restricted to wearing only black or white garments for the 3-week mourning period.

Happy Christmas!

2007-12-27T11:24:00.000+07:00

Happy Christmas

Christmas Bangkok-style; enjoying roast turkey in the garden with Andy & Sarah & family. No imminent signs of snow.

Useful People to Know

2007-12-24T23:33:00.000+07:00

Nice Place

The parents of one of the kids in Sara's class insist that we come down to their holiday home at Jomtien Yacht Club. It's definitely a case of how the other half live. I mean, this guy's got a cinema in the house, and a $100k+ stereo that makes even Giles's look like a ghetto blaster. Luckily, they're also very generous, down-to-earth people, and I really enjoy getting to know them and learning from their insights from the top of Thai society.

A Sober Recollection

2007-12-24T15:17:00.000+07:00

A curious aspect of Thai elections is that all alcohol is banned over the 2-3 day period surrounding the vote. Bangkok's normally buzzing nightlife hotspots are deserted, save for a few confused tourists forlornly searching for a drink. It's amazing how important a beer becomes when you can't find one.
According to a Thai friend, the rationale behind it all is to stop party candidates throwing big free-beer parties and then bussing the amenably tipsy voters off to the polling stations. The Labour Party's focus groups should take note.

Déjà Coup

2007-12-24T12:35:00.000+07:00

The results are coming in from the general election here. As most people expected, the party allied with Thaksin, the chap the army deposed last year, has won the most seats (after all, he was always a majority-elected leader). With various PPP candidates openly calling for Thaksin's return in the New Year, one can't help feeling that history is repeating itself. In Thailand's turbulent political history, all governments bar one have failed to complete their 4-year term. I've yet to hear anyone dare to suggest this one will be any different.

Happy Birthday King

2007-12-05T10:27:00.000+07:00

The entire country takes the day off to celebrate his majesty's 80th birthday. Unlike the West, where decade birthdays have significance, Thai's don't generally consider your 30th, 40th, etc to be special. What is important here is every 12th birthday; once you've reaced your 24th, 36th, 48th..., you've completed a full 'cycle' through the 12 zodiac animals. (thus this February will be a biggie for me). However, someone spotted that 80 was the age at which Buddha passed into nirvana, so that's been taken as an excuse to go large on the celebration front.
Obviously, pretty much everybody is wearing their yellow polo shirts in honour of the King, but in an interesting twist, there's a few people starting a counter-trend by donning pink polo shirts. This new look has been inspired by the King's recent departure from hospital in which he was seen dressed in a bright pink suit, on the advice of his official astrologers who said wearing pink would improve his health.

Young as You Feel

2007-12-03T10:02:00.000+07:00

Jackfruit

We're delighted to have Donald & Clare staying with us as part of their Laos Adventure. I can't believe it's nearly 20 years since we started Uni. But in our minds, we're still young, and on a Bangkok Friday night we set out to party like it's 1988. I'm pleased to report that we made it through till 3am. Best not to ask Don what happened to his breakfast though.

Well That Floats My Boat

2007-11-25T16:09:00.000+07:00

Yesterday was Loi Kratong Day. For those unfamiliar with Thai custom, it's the day when everyone makes little boats topped with candles, incense and sparklers, and then goes and floats them on any available water source. Ironically, this ceremony, in which the lakes and canals of Bangkok fill with millions of pieces of floating detritus, is intended to give thanks for clean water and apologise for the pollution we cause. Trying to do our bit for the environment, Sara and I purchase ready-made biodegradable kratongs cunningly made out of bread. Now custom dictates that young couples should float their kratongs together; if they float off side by side, the couple are destined to be as one, whilst if they drift apart, things aren't looking so good. (I hear that cheating, through the hidden use of string, is not unheard of). We push ours off into the lake, and immediately Sara's is mauled by hungry fish, who sink it within seconds. Meanwhile mine has caught the interest a fast-moving predator, and I watch it zip randomly across the lake before also meeting an early demise. Our Thai friends are unable (or unwilling) to explain the possible omen.

I Wasn't Born Yesterday...

2007-11-18T20:00:00.001+07:00

Zaki Featherstone

What's it with all these babies everywhere? I'm becoming alarmingly familiar with Samitivej Hospital's Baby Unit. But congrats to Andy and Sarah on this new addition to the human race, Zaki, born yesterday evening. See how confident I look these days...

Moved!

2007-11-11T21:37:00.000+07:00

A hectic day, as we've moved house. OK, we've only moved next door, but you've still got to shift everything. And it's amazing the amount of stuff you can amass in 2 years. In retrospect, I must admit that having a house-leaving party the night before actually having to move everything was possibly not the wisest idea. But special mention to Simon for shrugging off a hangover and returning to help us move.

Go Go Granny

2007-11-08T13:37:00.000+07:00

Just got a letter from Granny, in which she filled me in on her 91st birthday activities. Amused to hear that she celebrated by going go-karting with some friends! And having been a passenger in her souped-up Fiesta in the past, I can only presume that she would have been a mean competitor. She did say that she won a trophy, but modestly claimed is was for being the oldest ever racer they'd had at the track, rather than for her undoubted rally-driving skills.

It's a Little Bit Funny, This Feeling Inside...

2007-11-06T13:25:00.000+07:00

Last week I popped into our local supermarket, and was amused to hear that for some reason, Elton John's "Your Song" was stuck on a repetitive loop. Actually, the joke soon wore thin, and after 15 minutes, I had to abandon my shopping as it was already beginning to grate. So imagine my shock, on returning to the supermarket today, to find that the PA system was still blaring out Mr John's schmaltzy hit. That's a whole week! And it's a 24-hour supermarket! I wasn't sure what to do - call the police? I mean, the poor staff; surely this classifies as 'cruel and unusual punishment' in the extreme.

Honestly

2007-10-30T10:57:00.000+07:00

If you read the Lonely Planet guidebook, which is always a debatable practice, it warns of one classic scam which involves tourists asking a tuk-tuk driver to go to the Grand Palace, at which point he tells them that it is "closed", and ferries them to his brother's jewelry shop. Yesterday, our intrepid visitors Nikki and Mark headed off to the Grand Palace, only to be told by a nice young man at the river ferry pier that it was closed today. They phoned me up, and I said, oh no, I've read about these scams, he'll be lying. So taking my wise advice, they take the ferry up the river and trek all the way up to the Palace gates.
Needless to say, it's closed for the day for a special festival.

Essex People

2007-10-29T11:16:00.000+07:00

We're delighted to have Nikki and Mark visit on their trip round Thailand. Having been warned by friends that Bangkok was dirty, hot and smelly, we opt to take them on an alternative tour, boating along pretty canals past coconut plantations and orchid farms. In a city this big, everything is on offer.
I'm intrigued to find out that they have some impressive family connections out this way, in that Nikki's cousin is Tony Fernandes, the owner of AirAsia and SE Asia's answer to Richard Branson.

Who's Reading This Drivel?

2007-10-13T15:58:00.000+07:00

You can get these counters which show you who's been reading your blog, and why. Inevitably, a lot of people get here through google searches, and it's always amusing to see what they were actually looking for. A particular favourite seems to be people interested in a certain classic '70s ladies drink. Googling Babyshams inexpicably puts me at number 3.

The Daily Commute

2007-10-13T13:24:00.000+07:00

My Thai lessons are in town; each morning I join the millions of commuters heading into Bangkok. There's a choice of transportation options, each allowing me to join a different stratum of Bangkok society. Cheapest and most entertaining are the government buses; with no aircon and guaranteed to be packed absolutely solid, these offer a lively morning workout just in the process of staying on one's feet. The more aspiring will splash out a few extra baht on an aircon bus; just as packed, but as well as keeping you comfortable, the cool air means the driver isn't so hot-tempered on the brake pedal. The middle classes will board a minibus, with the promise of a seat, speedier travel and personalised drop-offs. Of course, there's always the taxi option, but at £1, that's 10 times the cost of the bus with none of the entertainment.
So generally I'm to be found on the bus, enjoying the contrasts of cruising down a 26-lane superhighway whilst watching saffron-robed monks wander the pavements performing their age-old morning alms rounds.
The quickest route into town involves a change on to the skytrain, which speeds you above the hectic streets in chilled comfort. There's also the ultramodern underground, for those looking for a cool trip. And I am talking about the temperature; whilst London abandons efforts to cool its underground, the Bangkok version is chilled to the point that you worry about ice on the line. And mobile phones seem to work down there too. Smart.

Where's that Runner Bean?

2007-10-07T20:47:00.000+07:00

So would you believe that Sara and I signed up for the Bangkok Midnight Run? We've been in training for a while now, and the big night is next week. It sounds quite cool in that they close off the centre of Bangkok, and several thousand people hare round (or tortoise round as the case may be) the streets at midnight. The idea behind the timing is that it's cooler, but unfortunately only by a couple of degrees or so. And let me tell you that running in Bangkok is a pretty messy affair. It's difficult to conceive of the amount of sweat the human body is capable of producing. After a few miles, I generally lose the ability to see due to the stream of salt. And after 4 miles, my shoes simply slide off.
Today we went running in Lumpini Park, Bangkok's take on Hyde Park and a popular jogging spot at dusk. I'm always amused by the bizarre spectacle of hundreds of runners frozen in unison for a minute at 6pm as the National Anthem is played.

Takes One

2007-10-02T20:27:00.000+07:00

It's all a bit tragic to see events unwind in Burma. I see that Thailand's PM has been speaking out at the UN of his grave concern at the junta's abuse of power over the border. Although I can't help feeling that what with Thailand still being under martial law, and him being an army General, it must undermine his scramble up the moral high ground somewhat.

An Outdated Rite

2007-09-22T15:07:00.000+07:00

At school, we're mastering the reading and writing of Thai. And what I'm finding is that as well as the 80-odd letters and confusing tone rules, it's the physical act of writing that is causing me to struggle. Having worked in the technology industry for 15 years, I've had no real use for pen and paper, and I seem to have lost the ability to write in English, let alone Thai. Makes me wonder if I should just learn to type in Thai instead; perhaps the skill of handwriting is one not worth acquiring these days.
One positive aspect of all this is that I've got to play around with the latest in pencil and eraser technology. We're required to use pencils at school, due to the inevitability of mistakes. I have to go back to Primary School (30 years, arghh) to remember the last time I used one in anger. And things have definitely moved on; these funky clicky pencils have rendered the sharpener industry redundant, whilst the cutting-edge polymer erasers are truly a joy to use; no smudging and none of that pesky eraser dust getting everywhere.
(PS in terms of eraser/rubber terminology, I find the former avoids embarrassing confusion, what with the preponderance of US-English here)

East is East

2007-09-15T14:31:00.000+07:00

My daily battle with the Thai tongue continues at language school. Thoroughly enjoying it, though. Currently, all my fellow students are Asian, and getting to know people has provided an eye-opening insight into both the surprising differences and life-affirming similarities between East and West. Above all, humour stands out as a common bonding trait. Despite, or perhaps thanks to, our lack of a common language, I spend a lot of the lessons in tears.
Meanwhile, I was thinking that my ability to discern the country of origin of Asians must surely be improving, but in an internet test, I'm disappointed to report I'm little better than average...

An Inconvenient Time

2007-09-09T13:03:00.000+07:00

Some of our Thai neighbours are moving to a new house round the corner. As with all major life events here, the exact timing is of utmost importance. It's not simply a case of moving in when it's convenient for you; monks and astrologers will have been consulted months before to pinpoint the most auspicious time and date. Hence the oddities such as the 5am wedding we went to a few months back. And you hear of worse; my Thai teacher had to get married at 3am. Meanwhile, access to private medicine is allowing wealthy Thais to pinpoint that most unpredictable of human events down to the precise auspicious minute; the popularity of Caesarean births is rocketing.
Luckily, the stars indicate that our neighbours should move house at the not-too inconvenient time of 10pm. At that precise hour, we are called on to wish them on their way.

The Return

2007-09-03T22:10:00.000+07:00

Ok, Ok, I know it's been a while, but I'm back...
Spending a month in and around the UK, it didn't seem appropriate to update the 'Bangkok' Blog, and anyway, I was just too darn busy catching up with all you fantastic friends and family. Seriously, it was great to see people again; 2 years is a fair old time, but it was superb to be able to slip back into friendships so easily.
Oh, and the other excuses for my slack return to my PC include Alison's visit (great to have you over!) and Google's strange decision to force blogger.com to speak only Thai to me. OK, I know I'm meant to be able to speak the language, but reading it is another matter. Turns out Google forces language selection based on your ISP, and changing it required a lengthy translation process of their various menus. Still, at least my Thai reading has improved...

Homing In

2007-06-28T15:14:00.000+07:00

Sara's summer holiday approaches and so does our trip to the UK. I update myself on some UK news and see that Blair has finally been dragged away, and that there's been unseasonable rains, with 50mm falling in a day over Sheffield. Funnily enough, we happen to having a minor shower here. I check a local online weather station and see that 63mm of rain has fallen in the last hour.

Talking Shop

2007-06-09T10:53:00.000+07:00

So what have I been up to since my work came to an end? Learning Thai, that's what. In an effort to crack this tricky language, I've been attending school. Being back in the classroom after so many years is a bit of a weird one, but I'm really enjoying it. My fellow students are Korean, Taiwanese and Mexican. Nice bunch.

And We're Back

2007-06-09T10:52:00.000+07:00

Political crisis averted, and trouble avoided, thanks to the junta's decision to mobilise 13,000 troops and issue an order threatening to arrest any elephants attempting to come in to the city centre. And happily, blog sites have been reinstated.

The Clampdown

2007-05-29T18:26:00.000+07:00

Following on from blocking YouTube a few weeks ago, the Thai government has now blocked all blog sites. I can no longer access my own blog, unless I do it from abroad (thanks Brian!). Word on the streets is of another coup on Wednesday. Darn.

The Natives are Friendly

2007-05-18T17:46:00.000+07:00

Some things about Japan matched my preconceptions; the trains run to the second, the food resembles a work of modern art, and the red/green crossing man is universally obeyed. What I wasn't expecting was the sheer friendliness of the people of Kyushu. As well as the unfailing politeness, which the stereotype suggests, we experienced a lot of warmth and friendship on our travels. From the strangers in the villages who insisted we try their food, to the students in the city keen to teach us Japanese drinking games. From the elderly Nagasaki woman randomly welcoming us to her city to the kind driver who picked up two bedraggled hitch-hikers and utilised his satellite navigation to drop us exactly where we wanted. Lovely people.

Bullet Train

2007-05-15T18:10:00.000+07:00

Shinkansen

I remember always wanting to go on one of these as a kid.

A Crater Too Far

2007-05-15T14:06:00.000+07:00

Don't go down there

We strike out into the wilderness, attacking the Kirishima volcano chain. On paper, it looks like we can traverse the mountains in a day, reaching a village on the other side in good time for tea and medals. However, the lure of descending into one of the craters is too strong, and we leave the path to pick our way through the bamboo jungle. What looks easy from afar turns out to be ridiculously tough going; at points, we're forced to swing between trees to make any headway. Hours later, we eventually make it down from the hills, arriving too late to sort accomodation. But a kindly man takes pity on us, and gives us blankets and a hut to sleep in. It's more remote than we thought; the next day we resort to hitching our way out, and back into civilisation.

Unwelcome to Japan

2007-05-11T15:00:00.000+07:00

Am currently in the station awaiting Julius's arrival on the bullet train, having just spent 2 remarkably stressful hours courtesy of Japanese immigration. It's that old 'address where staying' problem on the immigration form. Arriving in a foreign country, I seldom have a clue where I'll be staying. Normal practice is to insert a random hostel from the guidebook, but I don't have one. So I leave it blank. Big mistake. I'm dragged from the queue into the interrogation suite.
At times such as this, my policy is to always tell the truth; these guys will pull any fabrication apart. The problem is my story began to seem implausible even to me.
"No, I don't know where I'll be staying - I'm meeting a friend"
"No, I didn't bring my phone (GSM phones don't work), or have any other means of contacting him"
When pressed, I produced my sole piece of evidence of my intentions - a scrap of paper with 'Hakata Station 10am' written on it.
"But Hakata Station is a huge place"
"Yes, but we're used to winging it"
"Your story makes no sense to me"
After an hour of this, he was clearly distraught that there was still nothing to write in the box. But deoprtation would be too much effort, and after a profuse apology on my part, I was waved through.
By this time, arrivals was completely vacated. Sauntering alone through the Customs Hall, I was an obvious suspect. Another run through my implausible story, and an intimate search of my bag. At least I got to keep my clothes on.

The Route Less Travelled

2007-05-11T13:23:00.000+07:00

It's clearly not a popular destination. It's a night flight, and I have rows 1 through 5 all to myself - lucky me. The stewardess kindly helps me to collect all 30 pillows, and plies me with red wine to ensure a sound night's sleep.

Enola Gay

2007-05-10T13:23:00.000+07:00

Jules gets in contact and mentions he's in Japan for a conference. I check RyanAir's website and am delighted to see I can get cheap flights to Japan. OK, so in common with many budget airlines, they don't fly to the major hubs; curiously, their only 2 destinations are Hiroshima & Nagasaki. Obviously, I book a ticket right away.

Workers Unite

2007-05-01T10:09:00.000+07:00

Today is International Workers' Day. Amusingly, it is also the day my contract ends and I find myself unemployed. Next steps are unclear. But life is always more interesting when the future is unknown.

War on Scissors

2007-04-21T11:20:00.000+07:00

Back home to Bangkok, and Al-Qaida notches up another small victory as my forgetful wife surrenders yet another pair of nail scissors to the security screeners.

Escaping the Masses

2007-04-17T11:58:00.000+07:00

Homestay

We head North into the hill forests. Our desire to get away from it all is somewhat thwarted by the difficulty of escaping the dreaded 'guided tour'. In Vietnam, it seems someone (the communist government?) is determined to restrict tourism to pre-ordained itineraries. We escape the system on a rented motorbike, and have a beautiful time exploring the more remote parts of the highlands. Although when the road disappears in a major landslide, we are held up for a few hours...

Bird Flew

2007-04-16T11:29:00.000+07:00

Enjoying the Ride

I’m always confused by the animal rights brigade in the UK. British animals are incredibly well treated compared to many countries in the world. Just check out these motorbiking ducks. Or is it just that British animals are somehow more important than foreign animals?

This Season, I Will Be Mostly Wearing...

2007-04-15T11:27:00.000+07:00

Vietnam is famous for its cheap clothes, and so whilst here I stock up on a new wardrobe. I blow over £30, which is a lot for someone who’s clothing budget has averaged £10 a year over the last decade.

A Bit Hanoi-ing

2007-04-11T11:35:00.000+07:00

Noisy

It may be pleasantly cooler, but Hanoi is remarkably noisier. You’d have thought that bustling Bangkok would prepare you for any city, but Hanoi is deafening. The locals appear to believe that constant use of the horn is the epitome of careful driving, and with a motorcycle density of 10 per metre of road, one soon develops a strong desire to leave. Which is a pity, because Hanoi’s Old Quarter is an attractive place; it’s architecture and cafés being some of the few worthwhile legacies of the wholly dubious French colonial project.

It's Getting Hot in Here

2007-04-09T11:18:00.000+07:00

It’s approaching the peak hot season here in Thailand. Come mid-April, the locals will be cooling off in the great Songkran waterfight. We decide to escape over the holidays, and I look up the climate charts of all destinations flown to by budget airlines out of BKK. Determining the coolest to be Hanoi in Vietnam, I book tickets online and we’re off...

Death Bed

2007-04-05T16:41:00.000+07:00

There was something that puzzled me when we first arrived in our house. It's a furnished house, but the only brand new items were the mattresses. And rather than being on the beds, they were propped against a wall, still in their manufacturer's wrappings.
Didn't really think about it any further until chatting with a Thai friend this morning. Turns out the ever-suspicious Thais have a particular aversion to pre-owned mattresses. You see, the thing is, someone could have died in the bed, at which point their ghost inhabits the mattress. If you then rashly sleep on it, they could give you a big hug. Or something.
By the way, if you're looking for a cheap second-hand mattress...

I Can Hear Clearly Now...

2007-03-28T12:09:00.000+07:00

For the past week or so, I've had muted hearing in my left ear. Ear drops provide some benefit, but it becomes obvious that there's some serious blockage going on. As usual at a time of crisis, I turn to Wikipedia. I educate myself on all manner of spurious facts (e.g. did you know that there's 2 genetically distinct types of earwax; in the West we have the gooey yellow variety, whilst in Asia, it's grey and flaky?). I've never had my ears cleaned before, but I read about syringing. And being a scientist, I can't resist the temptation to experiment. Particularly when I realise that my recently purchased printer refill kit has all the necessary equipment. It's an oddly pleasant experience, and before long I've removed a shocking amount of debris from my ear, including a huge chunk the size of a fingernail. I don't have the stomach to investigate what it might once have been; I guess some kind of tropical insect.
Afterwards, the effects are astonishing. The world echoes with a crisp sibilance; the tiniest sounds ring with miraculous clarity. Makes me wonder if in fact I've been deaf for decades rather than days.

Better Late than Never

2007-03-22T09:17:00.000+07:00

I'm not sure what spurs me into action; maybe that recent taxi journey. But I finally get round to sorting out some medical insurance for myself. I guess it's one of the few things in life that you hope is a complete waste of money; ideally, I'll never need to claim on it.
It's not cheap. Well, it's around 27 quid a month. Is that a lot? Sounds a lot to me, but then I'm gradually losing touch of the UK cost of living.

It's a Nice Day for a Red Wedding

2007-03-18T19:54:00.000+07:00

Sunday morning, and we're attending a Chinese wedding ceremony. Now, I don't know if you've ever been involved in one, but they kick off at 4.30. In the morning. Sheer madness. It's being held in our neighbour's house, and everything has been decked out in red, including me. The early hour fogs my mind; I can't work out why our Costa Rican neighbours are hosting Chinese ceremony between a Japanese bride and a Thai groom. In fact, my mind is very foggy; last night was St Patrick's, and it's only been a couple of hours since we slunk home.
After the ceremony, we go back to bed. On waking, the whole thing seems like a surreal dream. Maybe it was.

Bleeding Ink

2007-03-15T11:54:00.000+07:00

So when we came to Bangkok, I bought an Epson printer (yes, I know, but I was naive). I've been becoming gradually more astounded by its increasing ability to drink ink. And the refills are ludicrously expensive, even here, in the land of cheapness. The final straw came when one of the separate colour cartridges ran out, and it took that as permission to completely refuse to print a black-and-white page.
Determined to fund Epson's greed no longer, I purchased a Defeat-Epson pack from our local mall. Now, I'm not sure of the legality of this - Epson certainly make it tough to crack their system - but I'd had enough. In the pack you get refillable cartridges, a battery-operated chip reprogrammer, hypodermic syringes, and a year's supply of ink. And all for less than an Epson cartridge.
It's all a bit involved - you have to prise the chips off a genuine Epson cartridge, reprogram them, insert the chips in the new cartridges and finally fill with ink. Not being a medic or a drug-user, I'd never really used hypodermic needles before. But one thing I can attest to - they are sharp. Luckily, the needle accident involving most significant loss of blood occurred as I was filling the red cartridge, so print quality shouldn't be degraded too badly.

The Highway Code

2007-03-10T12:57:00.000+07:00

After such a long time living somewhere, a lot of things tend to become routine. Other activities, however, never lose their capacity to surprise. Take taxi journeys, for example. Flagging one down, there's always a vague sense of apprehension; you never know who you'll get.
There's the miserable old boy who'll refuse point blank to take you (how does he make a living?), or the young chap just in from Burma who doesn't actually know where Bangkok is. Downtown, you'll get the chancer who sees White and offers a 200 baht fare, or surreptitiously suggests a ping-pong show. An abundance of Buddha statues doesn't necessarily make me feel safer, particularly if the driver can't actually see through his windscreen for all the trinkets. And there's that unnerving habit of removing both hands from the wheel to 'wai' at every passing shrine. But my favourite is always the crazed red-bull driver, who'll flout every convention of the road just to steal those vital few seconds.
We had a classic this week - returning home, we'd failed to notice he'd taken a wrong turn, and we were heading on to the motorway back into town. Unperturbed, and not fancying the 5-mile round trip to the next U-turn bridge, he simply span the taxi round and headed up the motorway on the wrong side. We covered a good couple of miles in this manner, switching lanes to avoid the oncoming traffic. And being Thailand, there wasn't a single horn sounded; just some quizzical looks and amused shoulder shrugs from the drivers swerving out of our way.

Googled

2007-03-01T12:52:00.001+07:00

So apologies for the short intermission in posts. It appears that my blog has been bought over by Google. Do they own everything on the web now, or what?

Just What is Going On?

2007-01-30T21:06:00.000+07:00

We were happily ensconced in New Zealand when Bangkok made the news with its New Year's bombings. However, a whispered warning from our neighbour with "contacts" alerts us to the possibility of further attacks. Sure enough, this morning the hotel over the road and a nearby newspaper office are hit in a grenade attack. Still no clear idea who's behind any of these attacks. And why would they hit all the way out here in the pleasant Northern suburbs?...

The Opposite of Bangkok

2007-01-06T17:40:00.000+07:00

Photogenic

My expectations of NZ are high; who hasn’t heard the hype regarding the beauty of the scenery? Sara and risk our first week heading down the West Coast. The risk factor is the weather; this side of the South Island can get 15m of rain annually. But we’re in luck, and fail to see a drop of rain; clearly the sun does shine on the righteous. As we saunter down the island, from the native bush and golden beaches of Abel Tasman National Park to the rainforest of the South, via the glaciers and remote peaks of the Southern Alps, we’re duly awestruck. It has to be said, it’s a stunning part of the world. Our experience is heightened by the fact that with its bracing winds, continually varying landscape and remarkable remoteness, this place is the antithesis of the heat and chaos of Bangkok.

A Flantastic Christmas

2006-12-25T18:13:00.000+07:00

We get to spend Christmas with Paula's family on a sheep farm. And it's a big family - there's Flannery's dotted all over the valley; they've been here for generations. Even the road is named Flannery Road. Around 40 of them show up for the celebrations. It's a non-stop sporting festival; we teach them Elsenham-rules cricket, which goes down a storm.

Down Under

2006-12-20T17:38:00.000+07:00

We head off to New Zealand for Christmas, on the invitation of Andy and Paula. It's my first trip out of SE Asia since arriving in Thailand, and it's strange the things that come as a shock. First thing is the silence. We arrive in Nelson, which is ostensibly a city - but where are the swarms of people and the craze of traffic? At the B&B, we amuse the owner with our resilient habit of removing our shoes at the threshold. Meanwhile, I’m delighted to be able to drink from a tap, but horrified at the prospect of having to use toilet roll again. (Sorry to bring this up, but once you’re used to the cleanse of a jet wash, smearing on to paper does seem somewhat medieval)

Buying Nirvana

2006-12-06T11:47:00.000+07:00

Shopping Monks

Our digital camera has never been the same since I spilled DEET on it several months ago. It literally has a mind of its own. Leave it on the side and every so often, it will switch on, spontaneously take a few snaps, and then shut down. More recently, it has become more moody, sometimes refusing to take photos, and then selfishly running the batteries down on its own.
So I head out for a replacement to my favourite mall. Pantip Plaza is a heaving, cramped shrine to all things Gadget. Shiny new laptops, decaying old PC innards, any software you want for £1; all digital life is here.
One thing I just don't get about it. It's always chock-full with monks. Presumably the monastic renouncement of all worldly goods doesn't apply to electronics? I take a quick photo to confirm my new camera is OK; the monks before me in the queue have just purchased a Canon A640.

Hit Me Baby, One More Time

2006-11-28T14:16:00.000+07:00

Baby Jesus?

Si and Tess have a baby, Caitlin. We visit the hospital, and I'm amazed by how soft she is; Sara's impressed by her large feet. I'm forced to have a go at holding her. As you can see, these things come so naturally to me.
At school, Sara is teaching the Christmas story. There's clearly some confusion as the children ask whether Mr Simon's baby is called Jesus.

Coconut Injury

2006-11-25T14:00:00.000+07:00

Ever tried opening a coconut? They're surprisingly hard work. Sara has a go, but sadly the meat cleaver bounces of the coconut and into her arm. Ouch. She alerts me with some strange yelping, and I tape it up and take her to the hospital. 6 stitches later, she's fine.
It's my first visit to a Thai hospital, and I'm very impressed. I can see why the country has such a growing medical tourist industry. Amongst other procedures, I hear it's the top destination for "gender reassignment" surgery. Any takers?

Sin, eh ma?

2006-11-12T14:30:00.000+07:00

I make a rare visit to the cinema. Points to note about Thai cinemas: (1) they're chilled to -10°C (2) they show gruesome graphic horror trailers before the most innocent of films (3) you must stand during the playing of the Royal Anthem, which is accompanied by film clips of the King, cut with a bizarre sequence involving a blue flying child beckoning to a bloke dressed in Thai finery swimming through a thunderstorm.

Perfect

2006-10-25T14:40:00.000+07:00

On a more cheery note, we've come to Koh Chang for the half-term holiday.
Sara and I sitting by the beach with a chilled glass of wine, a warm breeze, palm trees, the extravagance of the sunset being replaced by the excitement of an electrical storm moving in from the sea - sometimes you have these moments that are just perfect.

Grim Reading

2006-10-23T14:00:00.000+07:00

Back home, the newspapers seldom show detailed pictures of human carnage; a photo of a bus bomb shows the bus, not the bodies. The Thai press clearly don't follow the same sensibilities; perhaps Thais aren't so squeamish. Yesterday, there was yet another bombing in the South. The front page of the Bangkok Post didn't baulk at displaying the dying monks, their orange robes turning crimson.
Not sure if you're aware, as it's little reported in the UK, but there's a long-running Muslim insurgency in the South of Thailand. Every day seems to bring fresh news of shootings and bombings. Unbelievably, school teachers are a key target. Perhaps education is the biggest threat to religious fundamentalism.

Dog Tired

2006-10-10T08:41:00.000+07:00

I think I mentioned that the removal of the airport has uncovered a new nocturnal soundscape; last night I was woken by those bloomin' soi dogs. Or, having read the news, perhaps it was the aftershocks of North Korea's Big Bomb? No, it was definitely the dogs. Things seem to kick off around 2am - closing time at the doggy bars perhaps? It really does sound like a mass brawl, with one poor dog apparently being torn limb from limb. Reminds me of Essex.
In case you're wondering - Bangkok has an enormous population of feral dogs; quarter of a million by some estimates. Being Buddhist, people leave food out for them; you never know, that could be Grandpa after all.

The Sound of Silence

2006-09-29T11:41:00.000+07:00

So they moved the airport last night, and suddenly it's quiet. Well, quieter. Listen, and you'll still hear the all-pervasive rumble of Bangkok traffic, the odd train creaking past, and the remarkably annoying squawks of tropical bird life... Not to mention the howling soi dogs.
It may sound kind of sudden to move an airport overnight, but they've been planning this since 1973. Various political upheavals have delayed construction, not to mention allegations of corruption involving our dearly departed leader Thaksin. The new airport is snappily named Suvarnabhumi airport; not the most user-friendly name for non-Thai speakers, but apparently an impressive place, with claim to the world's largest terminal building, and the world's tallest control tower...

Done and Dusted

2006-09-21T14:29:00.000+07:00

Well, it looks like it's all over remarkably quickly. Martial law is being imposed for a year, with the claim that democracy will be allowed again after that. The only obvious differences are the soldiers on the streets, and the fact that as soon as Thailand is mentioned on the international TV news channels, they clumsily cut to the grinning faces of Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. Bizarre. Online access to international news is still uncensored - presumably the military boys have never used the internet, or don't have the IT skills to block it yet.

Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old AK47

2006-09-20T13:48:00.000+07:00

Given the apparent level of calm, I can't resist going out on the bike to look around our neighbourhood. At the top of our road, a squad of soldiers is assembling a machine gun nest. The fact that they've all tied pretty yellow bows on to their weapons goes some way in allaying my concern.

All Quiet on the Eastern Front

2006-09-20T12:42:00.000+07:00

From what I currently understand, the coup has been swift and successful; the country is now under martial law. We head out with Louis to a local supermarket, and I'm secretly disappointed that we don't see any tanks en route; it seems pretty much business as usual. Mostly it appears that the Thais have reacted to the political upheaval by heading out for a spot of shopping.

The Next Day

2006-09-20T09:08:00.000+07:00

It's difficult to ascertain exactly what's going on, but UK embassy advice is to stay put, so Sara takes the day off. They've taken the satellite TV off the air, but I still have internet access, though I guess that might be the next thing to go. Everything seems pretty calm, and given the number of coups over the years, I guess Thais take these things in their stride.

Goodnight, and Good Luck

2006-09-19T23:49:00.000+07:00

9pm, and our neighbour Louis comes round. He's a well-connected chap, and some contacts in military intelligence have warned of imminent action. Being Latin American, he's experienced at this kind of thing, and offers to drive us to an ATM to get cash out before the banks shut down. An hour later, the BBC website flashes a report of tanks on the streets of Bangkok. The Thai TV stations go off the air, and CNN and BBC are also turned off. Seems like a good moment to go to bed.

Back to Skool

2006-08-29T10:25:00.000+07:00

It's amazing how quickly 8 weeks can go. Sara's back to school this week, and I'm back working from home after a summer of working from some rather bizarre and remote places... the benefits of long-distance telecommuting!

Tea for Two

2006-08-16T15:56:00.000+07:00

Tea plantation

I need a new visa, and Thailand's awkward immigration rules mean that I need to apply for it from another country. Sara and I use the excuse to go to Malaysia for a week. We head to the Cameron Highlands; an old colonial hill-station, and a beautifully cool respite from Bangkok. Mornings are spent trekking through the jungle, whilst afternoons are reserved for indulging in that great legacy of British colonial rule... the cream tea.

Phew, that was a Close Shave

2006-08-10T17:50:00.000+07:00

So I've always been content with my Mach3; even that seems a bit of overkill. I mean, I'm pretty sure my Grandpa managed with a single blade. But then along came the Wilkinson Quattro. Now, I see in a friend's magazine that Gillette have launched a 5-blader! When's it going to stop? Is there a market for a 20-blade razor?
"If you can’t get a close enough shave with 2 or 3 blades, maybe God is telling you to grow a beard" M.D.

Do you trust Big Brother?

2006-08-04T10:33:00.000+07:00

So I forgot to mention Sara's super efficiency on the laundry front a few weeks ago. On returning from Singapore, she'd lovingly washed all our clothes as soon as we got back, in preparation for our next trip. Unfortunately, she also managed to boil-wash both of our passports. Ironically, I needed a new passport as mine was full of stamps. Now it didn't have any (you'd have thought they'd use fail-safe ink).
Anyway, today was new passport day. Did you know that they now cost 100 quid each? They've also got a somewhat worrying biometric chip glued inside. I wonder what that contains? my DNA profile? details of my Tesco shopping habits? a full set of my primary school report cards?...

New Balls Please

2006-08-03T10:17:00.000+07:00

Simon challenges me to a game of golf, and we head over to the Royal Thai Army Course. You'd have thought that the presence of rifle ranges all round the course would have helped to reduce my legendary ability to slice the ball, but no such luck. Thanks to the fact that the course was more water than land, I manage to lose an impressive 20 balls. Simon fares little better, and we agree that the only winner today was the course itself...

Just Don't Leave Me Holding the Baby

2006-08-02T11:06:00.000+07:00

Wha-hey! Andy and Sarah arrive with Sianna in tow, and we get to meet our God-daughter for the first time. Still not being a natural with small humans, I opt to get to know her from a safe distance.
For the first few weeks, they'll have the unenviable task of finding somewhere to live. As they start to troop round looking at places, I'm reminded of this time last year; how horribly unsettling that first period is, and how happy you feel when you finally find somewhere to call home.

Two Babychams and a Bucket of Gin, please

2006-07-25T10:25:00.000+07:00

After our exertions in the mountains, we decide to take some time out at the beach. A few days chilling out on Koh Samed - you can't beat it. On the last night, Matt orders a gin and tonic, and it arrives in a bucket. It's a messy night, but I realise how good it is to spend time with old friends.

Hill-walking the Easy Way

2006-07-17T21:00:00.000+07:00

Rosa & Jack

Matt and Rosa turn up, and we decide to head North. Having reached Chiang Mai, Matt and I head out to check out the various transport options, and return with a huge 7-seater Toyota 4x4 complete with aircon and CD player. I realise that my hardcore backpacking days might be behind me.
We head out into the National Parks, full of good intentions of trekking in the hills, exploring untamed wilderness, and communing with nature. In reality we spend a lot of time in some rather nice restaurants. Perhaps it's just that we're getting older. To be fair, we do manage to conquer Thailand's highest peak... by driving up it in our 4x4.

Singapore Sling

2006-07-13T10:18:00.000+07:00

Sara's now off for the summer, and we kick off our travels by heading down to Singapore to stay with Rosa who's been working there for a month. Matt joins us after a few days. After a year in Bangkok, Singapore comes as a bit of a shock. It's just so clean and tidy. Imagine a city run by the Disney Corporation, and you're half way there. It makes for a very pleasant place to spend a few days though; we particularly enjoy the karaoke booths, where we hole ourselves up for a couple of nights singing Glen Medeiros classics. I read in the local paper that as well as outlawing chewing-gum and executing Australians, the one-party government also randomly drug-tests its own citizens. I guess all that cleanliness comes at a cost...

Material World

2006-07-07T12:26:00.000+07:00

To me it seems somewhat ironic that in such a staunchly Buddhist country, Bangkokians are such a materialistic bunch. Shopping is the national obsession; a new shiny mall opens every month to feed the habit. For many, it's all about labels. And because it's Bangkok, these aren't always what they seem. A tale of caution:
Sara receives an end-of-term present from England. No, not the country, it's one of the kids in her class (football is a common theme in names - a family we know of has two boys called Man-U and Markhughes). It's a sarong, and the box and bag that it comes in indicate that it's from a expensive boutique shop in town. Sara likes it, but isn't too keen on the colour, so goes into said expensive boutique to change it. An embarassing scene ensues as the assistant explains that the sarong doesn't come from their shop at all. The parent has taken a cheap sarong and put it in the box to make it look like they were being flash...

Just Say No

2006-07-03T10:01:00.000+07:00

In Thailand, Red Bull is the national drug. And it’s not like the stuff back home – a long, fizzy refreshing drink – no, this is a concentrated syrup version, served in small glass medicine bottles, distilled down to maximise the sugar-caffiene hit. Taking a walk round our village early this morning, my favourite sight was of an old couple, probably in their eighties, sitting on their front bench, knocking back their his’n’hers Red Bulls to kick-start the day.

A Right Royal Fiasco

2006-06-28T08:43:00.000+07:00

The Crown Princess comes to officially open Sara's school. Given the veneration of the Royal Family here, this is a momentous event indeed, and there's been weeks of making displays, practising courtseys and drilling the children. Sukhumwit Road is closed for a few hours, paralysing central Bangkok, and security is tight, with a hundred armed police on the premises. Primary school children can be dangerous, it appears.

Pedantry

2006-06-28T08:33:00.000+07:00

OK, fair play to Damian for spotting a grammatical error in the previous post (do you see it?). He wins today's star prize of a yellow polo shirt (worn once). Feel free to collect it any time, Deebs.

You can't just Barge through

2006-06-13T17:03:00.000+07:00

Bargin'

The celebrations of the King's Diamond Jubilee build all weekend, climaxing in the Royal Barge Procession. It only happens once a decade if you're lucky, and as we pile down to the river, we're joined by a million other Bangkokians, still uniformly clad in their yellow polo shirts. It's an impressive sight as the King's fleet of 60 gilded barges float past, crewed by oddly-dressed rowers who perform a peculiar stylised rowing dance in perfect synchrony. I guess it's all a bit like Trooping the Colour, but with more water, and less horses.

Yellow Fever

2006-06-09T10:47:00.000+07:00

I go into town, and I notice a lot of yellow shirts. In fact, it soon becomes apparent that everyone, and I do mean everyone, is wearing matching yellow polo shirts. Let me tell you, wandering round a city with 9 million identically-dressed inhabitants is strangley unsettling. I meet up with Sara after school. She's wearing a bright yellow polo shirt.

What, this Friday?

2006-06-07T10:00:00.000+07:00

Thais do like to leave things to the last minute. This Friday marks the 60^th jubilee of the King; obviously an important milestone, and the government have announced that Friday will be a public holiday. The daft thing is, they only got round to telling everyone today (Wednesday). I guess you don’t really need a whole lot of notice, but coming from the UK, where such things would be announced a good year or two in advance, it just seems somewhat haphazzard…

I saw it in a Jazz Magazine

2006-06-05T09:58:00.000+07:00

Sand Castle

At the weekend we head down to the beach for the Hua Hin Jazz Festival along with Si and Tess. And what a fantastic way to spend a weekend – impressive musicians, cool beach, warm evenings, hot friends, cold beer (kindly subsidised by the sponsors Heineken)… and best of all, it’s free ;-)