Greg, Author at Greg to Differ

In Defense of Titanic

A bit of a departure from Bangkok-specific things, but Titanic opened here this week, and since I'm a movie nerd, I have a few things to say. The term ‘backlash’ has been the subject of many sociology studies. Wikipedia defines it as “a popular negative reaction to something which has gained popularity, prominence, or influence, [usually] a reflection of a collective resentment of that thing's ubiquity in culture and media.” You see it a lot in popular culture – when a band ‘sells out’ or someone becomes famous overnight. You see it in movies too, and none more than Titanic, which has had an undue amount of scorn directed at it since its release 15 years ago. I was there on December 19, 1997, opening night at Westhills Cinemas in Calgary. When the lights came up, the only thing you could hear was sniffing and snorting as women dabbed their eyes and men pretended they weren’t verklempt. But I’m here to say it publicly and out loud and I don’t care what anyone thinks: Titanic is a stunning, emotionally wrenching, technically masterful film that deserves every dollar it made and every award it won, and I got a fistfull of baht ready to see it again in 3D.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:11+00:00Movies, Pop Culture|0 Comments

A Plastic Overload at 7-11

If you've ever walked by any abandoned lots in most any big city in the world, you know that plastic has a habit of piling up and causing all kinds of ugly problems. Well, it's no different in Thailand and the biggest and most visible kid on the block in terms of where all this plastic comes from is the ubiquitous 7-11. Indeed, it's one of the long-running jokes here that whenever you go into one to buy a few little things, you come out with two bags, four straws of varying sizes, a handful of little plastic spoons, a bunch of stickers and a receipt, all for something that you bought with pocket change. I thought, as a retailing behemoth, surely they're aware of just how much they're contributing - and more importantly for a big company, how much they could save - if they weren't handing out so much damn plastic. To find out, I called and called and called, and finally got through to their Corporate Communications Division.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:11+00:00Audio, Bangkok, Shopping, Thailand|0 Comments

Greg to Differ in Lonely Planet

When I first came to Thailand in 2001, Lonely Planet was the authority on travel. Their books dominated travel sections in book stores, their television shows were on my schedule every week, and their burgeoning Thorn Tree forum was the place to go for travel info. A lot has changed since then – both in the wide world as well as in the travel industry. The company was bought out by the BBC in 2007 and the internet and smartphones have revolutionized how info is digested by travelers, but LP is still […]

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:11+00:00Print Media, Thailand, Travel|3 Comments

Hey Thailand – Are You Ready for AEC? I Hope So

Unless you're tied into the Thailand business community, it's easy to not have heard about the upcoming ASEAN Economic Community, or AEC. If you're not doing business here, it likely won't matter to you what it is, but if you are - or if you're interested in the shifting economic and social goings-on in Southeast Asia - you should definitely do a bit of reading on it. The only reason I know about it is because I work for a business magazine, and all indications are that if Thailand wants to stay competitive when the AEC goes into effect in 2015, it's got a lot of work to do.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:11+00:00Asia, Thailand, Transport|0 Comments

A Few Thoughts on Thai Healthcare

I've been away from Canada for so long now that I barely remember how the much-vaunted health care system works there anymore. Thankfully I've never needed a major operation, and any minor procedures I ever had done were just kind of...taken care of. Whenever I visited a doctor in Canada, I always trusted them 100%. Sure, you might get a second opinion, but you were always pretty sure that each doctor had your best interests in mind and that each one would narrow your ailment down to a fairly specific ballpark. But in Thailand, it sometimes takes a while to learn that things might not always be what they seem, and you have options as to the who, what, and where of your healthcare.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:12+00:00Bangkok, Health, Thailand|0 Comments

On Myth and Superstition in Thailand

If you've spent any amount of time in Thailand, you'll be familiar with the the fact that most Thais - young or old - put a whole lot of faith in superstition, myth, and legend. From ghosts to fortune tellers to old wives' tales of the tallest order, you will find that belief in these things is as ingrained in the culture as mango and sticky rice. Now, I'm of the mind that one should live and let live and mind your own business. If someone wants to make offerings of Snickers bars to the spirit inside their great-grandfather's favorite pencil, who am I to argue? But for those of us who tend to favor the side of hard evidence, it can be at times frustrating, amusing, and confusing. Obviously, superstition and myth aren't just specific to Thailand - every country has its rituals and beliefs - but in Asia it does seem to be less a personal belief as it is a cultural norm.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:12+00:00Asia, Culture, Education, Thailand|0 Comments

Louis C.K. & the Success of Digital Distribution

As I often do, let me start this post with a disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer or a copyright specialist and probably couldn't argue with any reasonably talented devil's advocate on this topic for more than 15 minutes before they out-debated me. But - I'm really fascinated by watching how technology is redefining and even destroying traditional models of production, distribution and consumption. It'll suck for a few old-school organizations for a while, but I really think we're on the cusp of a digital verison of the industrial revolution, and we've only scratched the surface. One particular aspect that fascinates me is how digital distribution is cutting out the middle man and letting entertainers connect with their audiences directly. There have been a few notable events in this slow-but-sure transition, but the one that really connected with me was the release of Louis C.K's new standup special, Live at the Beacon Theater, which he did wrote, hosted, produced and edited entirely on his own and made available online for $5 (150 baht).

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:13+00:00Comedy, Pop Culture, Technology, Web Media|0 Comments

Losing the Christmas Spirit in Thailand

Christmas was always my favorite time of year in Canada for all the cheesiest and most clichéd reasons: walks in the snow, hot chocolate in front of roaring fireplaces, carols, time with family, and the general feeling of good cheer that goes along with the whole thing. Also, eggnog and free swag. But as I approach my tenth Christmas in Thailand, I have realized that – somewhat sadly, I admit – I have lost almost all of my emotional connections to this time of year. Now, instead of looking forward to the holiday season, all I do is join the growing chorus of groans when I start to see Christmas trees dotted throughout the city. Of course, whenever anyone says anything anti-Christmas, they’re labeled a Grinch or a Scrooge, but let me explain.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:13+00:00Asia, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Shopping, Thailand|0 Comments

Listening to the Universe When Travel Goes Bad

Recently, a friend of mine who was visiting for my (now postponed) wedding had his grand travel plans derailed in a rather spectacular way. B, as I will call him, had planned to stay for a month in Thailand, with a side trip to India. I’ll detail his travel derailment below, but it got me thinking – when you're traveling, is there a point where you get so much bad luck that you just give up and cancel? It’s a relevant question because travel is not, as the TV shows would have you believe, a seamless, stress-free experience. And as an expat in Bangkok you meet a lot of travelers – from first-timers to round-the-worlders to full-time travel experts. To get a bit of perspective, I asked B a bit about his attitude during the whole thing, as well as a few of my professional traveler friends to see what they had to say about how much fate dictates their next move and how they deal when they just can't seem to catch a break.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:13+00:00Culture, Health, Thailand, Travel|4 Comments

A Bit of Comedy in a Grim Time

Whenever I’m feeling depressed or bored, or simply haven’t laughed in a while, I always turn to standup comedy to cheer me up. Despite the message I got from a clueless guy tonight who thought the goofy SCUBA mask on my header meant I didn't care about any of the flood victims, I think now is a perfect time to have a bit of a laugh - after all, the ability to laugh in even the most dire of situations is one thing the Thais are known for, right? Anyway, with a kabazillion cubic meters of water bearing down on Bangkok and the mood of the city best described as ‘moribund’, I thought it would be a good time to start a series of posts I’ve been thinking about for a while in which I profile a certain comedian that I like. A bit more of my thoughts on comedy and my first comedian below.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:14+00:00Comedy, Fun Stuff, Pop Culture, Video|0 Comments

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