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25 09, 2008

The Bare Minimum You Should Know When Traveling

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:54+00:00Travel|0 Comments

If there's one thing I've learned in the seven years I've lived in an entirely different culture where people who look entirely different from me and speak an entirely different language, it's that things are different here. I know, I catch on quick. But after seven years, you build up a repository of cultural credit, as my friend J likes to say. What he means is, the longer you spend in a different culture, the more right you have to say you know said culture. After seven years, I can speak garble the language, order the food, get around on my own and basically survive as a pale shadow of a local. But take me out of Thailand, and my cultural credit drops to zero; I'm a stranger in a strange land. So, inspired by my cousin L's recent move to South Korea (warning: very odd link) and her initial nervousness at how things will work out, I though back at what I'd do if I found myself living in entirely different culture yet again.

18 09, 2008

Biking Around Bangkok

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:54+00:00Bangkok, Biking, Video|0 Comments

Biking around Bangkok is something I really like doing, which freaks a lot of people out. Most automatically assume that it's nothing more than a date with death, but I Greg to differ (ha!). If you're patient, know how traffic works, and keep your wits about you, city riding can be really rewarding, especially if you have an all-terrain bike like mine (pictured at left). Indeed, there are several companies that exist solely to take people on rides through Bangkok's twisting, labyrinthine alleys. I've written about biking before on this blog, but recently, I made a DIY camera mount on my handlebars to see what some video would look like. I know I'm not the first one to do this, but I'm happy with the nascent results, as you can see below.

7 09, 2008

A Welcome Lull in the News

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:55+00:00Bangkok, Current Events, Politics, Pop Culture, Thailand|0 Comments

Because I'm a nerd, the first thing I do when I wake up is roll out of bed and into my command station computer desk to check what's going on the world via my Netvibes RSS feed. When I checked things out this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see no screaming headlines about protests, killings, emergency decrees or tanks rolling through the city. In fact, I was relieved to find that things were relatively boring. I immediately thought back to a fantastic article from The Onion in October of 2001 with the headline "A Shattered Nation Longs to Care About Stupid Bullshit Again" which sums up my feelings pretty perfectly.

2 09, 2008

A Few Words on Thailand’s (latest) Protests

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:55+00:00Current Events, Politics, Thailand|0 Comments

Thailand has a funny way of 're-educating' those of us who didn't grow up here. From opening our eyes to Asian history to shattering preconceptions about race, food and poverty, every day that you live here teaches you something new. Since the continually developing protests have started, I've gotten a few emails from friends asking if everything is okay, to which my reply probably sounds a bit lame. The bottom line - unless you're right down near government house where the protests are centered, you'd be hard pressed to know there was any disturbance at all. Thais have a remarkable resilience to factors that would make the rest of us quake in our boots.

31 08, 2008

Chatuchak – World’s Biggest Market?

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:55+00:00Bangkok, Video|0 Comments

With friends in town, a trip to Chatuchak Weekend Market (or Jatujak, or simply 'JJ Market') is usually on the menu. While a visit to this sprawling covered flea market from hell (apparently the world's biggest) is usually done as a last resort for expats living here (or unless you want some particularly unique things), tourists love it. Everything from used Van sneakers to antique doorknobs to a menagerie of strange animals are available (although the last few times I was there, I couldn't find that section any more), and it certainly makes for an interesting - and hot - day out, usually resulting in a taxi full of bags on the way home.

2 08, 2008

Thailand’s Computer Cops

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:56+00:00Technology, Thailand|0 Comments

Something strange has happened recently, and it's got to do with computers and the internet in Thailand. Generally, the internet here is pretty open and free - if you're not into distributing or watching hardcore porn, selling illegal items or services or insulting the Monarchy, there's very little you can't do (most of the websites that are blocked are pornographic or political in nature - ironic considering the ubiquitous prostitution and political protests in Bangkok, but I digress). However, things are starting to change. It all kicked off in April 2007, when some twit uploaded a video to youtube that was offensive to the much-loved Thai King, which resulted in a blanket ban in Thailand for the site. A few months later, a brand new cyber crime law was passed, which gave the authorities some pretty sweeping powers, allowing them to "control, obstruct and prevent information that might affect national security, including the banning of websites deemed as such." Recently, a friend of mine who has some pretty serious IT credentials said that he's heard that the Thai government is installing some heavy-duting 'sniffing' machines to monitor what goes on online... it all sounds pretty Bush-ian to me.

30 07, 2008

Is Bangkok a Dangerous City?

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:56+00:00Bangkok|0 Comments

I get asked this question a lot from friends and strangers alike, many of whom still think of Bangkok as a seedy, lawless dive filled with prostitutes and shady gem deals going on among every patch of shadows. However, as anyone who has lived here can tell you, the answer to that question is a firm but guarded 'no'. Like any big city, Bangkok has problems, sure, but they're filtered through unique Thai sensibilities and often come out the other end little more than a ripple; something you'd brush off as happening in any place in the world where you throw a few million humans together and say "Okay, now prosper!"

26 07, 2008

Underrated Things – Thai 50 Baht Note

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:57+00:00Thailand, Underrated Things|0 Comments

It never fails - every time I'm in a taxi, the final fare happens to be either 45 baht, or 65 baht (or something very close to these). You can either fumble with a fistful of 20's - if you have enough - or give the driver 100 baht note, which are plentiful. If you're lucky, you'll get the correct change back (sometimes a fistful of coins), but quite often, you'll get a grinning driver who tells you 'Sorry, no have change.' As you dig in your pocket for more, tuk-tuks and taxis are honking behind you and motorbikes are whizzing by your door - it's just a crap scenario to be in. This is all usually avoidable if you have a 50 baht note (sometimes you need a 20 to bolster the final tally), but they're not as common as you'd think! That's why, in Thailand, the 50 baht note is one of my all-time underrated things.

21 07, 2008

Bangkok Beggars – The Good, The Bad, and The Fake

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:58+00:00Thailand, Tips on Visiting|9 Comments

Now, before I start this off, let me say that I don't have anything against those less fortunate than us. I've spent more than my fair share of time taking HIV-positive kids on field trips, painting orphanage walls with mentally challenged teenagers and volunteer teaching at schools for underprivileged children. But in Thailand - especially Bangkok - being a just and noble contributor to the plight of the poor is often harder than it seems. Bangkok's streets are full of beggars - women with babies, leper-ridden octogenarians, deformed outcasts and pitiful looking children - all holding up a cup and asking for a spare coin or two. I'm going to sound like a complete ass for saying this, but I never give. Well, I rarely give. You see, it's often hard to spot the real beggars from the fake ones, and even the real ones are often working as part of a syndicate. It's not easy to hear, but the harsh truth is that you may actually be doing them a favour by ignoring them. So how can you spot a person in genuine need vs a person who's just milking his sympathy card for all it's worth? Well, it's not a science, but a bit of education will often go a long way.

17 07, 2008

The Only Law They Enforce in Thailand… Usually

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:58+00:00Current Events, Thailand|0 Comments

My friend John sums up Thailand's version of law enforcement beautifully: "There are no laws here until there are laws. Then they're completely unbreakable." I remember last year when some City Hall genius decided that Bangkok taxis could only be hailed at designated spots along the streets. Signs were put up, curbs were painted and newspaper stories were printed. That lasted about 45 minutes, and today, the expensive signposts and other accoutrements are gathering dust; there are plenty of similar stories we won't get into. So, when it was declared that from February 11, 2008 all air-conditioned spaces in Bangkok would be smoke-free, I didn't get too giddy. Although, as someone whose lips have never even touched a cigarette (true story, mostly due to a guy who showed us his tracheotomy tube during an anti-smoking demonstration in grade 6, which scared the crap out of the entire class), I was happy to hear they were at least trying to do something.