Thailand

Five Things I Wish I Knew About Thailand Before I Got Here

After a few years as an expat, you look back on your first days/weeks/months here and smile. Or cringe. Usually cringe. The amount of mistakes and cultural boo-boo's you make in your first foray into fitting into a new culture is often the source of much guffaws for Thais, and - hopefully - act as benchmarks for the progress you've made in adapting to living in the Land of Smiles. However, hindsight is 20/20, and I was thinking recently about a few things I wish I had known before I came overe here. It could have saved me a few grief-filled afternoons, but... then again, I wouldn't have some of the cool stories I do. At any rate, here are my top five things I wish that I had known before I moved to Thailand.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:29+00:00Bangkok, Culture, Thailand, Tips on Visiting, Travel|0 Comments

Bangkok in a Bun: How a Weird-Ass Treat Symbolizes the City’s Awesomeness

There’s a lot of strange things to be found in Bangkok, from the driving ‘rules’ to the cultural norms to the variety of food. For first-time visitors it’s usually exhilarating, confusing and draining all at once, and rarely is it boring. It’s hard to imagine what could accurately depict all the intangible pieces of Bangkok’s jigsaw as a single image, but it struck me the other day that the closest I could come was one of Bangkok’s favorite treats – and something that makes absolutely no sense to us foreigners the first time we see it: the Bangkok ice cream sandwich.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:30+00:00Bangkok, Food, Thailand|8 Comments

On Bangkok’s Curfew… and Snacks

As you likely know, Bangkok has, for the past several nights, been under curfew. This isn't something I've experienced since I was about 15 years old, so to say it was a bit odd is an understatement; knowing that you'll likely be arrested by the army if you're outside after 9pm is the adult version of a kid running home at sunset to avoid the monsters that come out after dark. Seeing the city asleep has been very strange. Normally buzzing with the sound of cars, motorbikes, music, food and general city sounds, the city is quiet and lifeless. Standing on your balcony looking out out across the blinking lights, I felt a bit like Will Smith in I Am Legend, but without all the abs.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:31+00:00Bangkok, Current Events, Politics, Thailand|0 Comments

The Role of Twitter in the Bangkok Protests

Well, despite my vow to avoid writing about politics, here's another post about the situation in Bangkok. As the redshirts tear up the city, again, and the army tries to beat them into submission, again, it's like some sick version of Batman vs The Joker - neither side wins, everyone loses, wash, rinse repeat. I don't mean to crack wise - the situation is tense, deadly and will have long-term repercussions for the entire country. Being stuck amid events like these is not something that us North Americans are used to, and I've written before about how it changes your perceptions of reality. It also really opens your eyes into the machinery behind situations like this, most notably the machinery of how information is distributed and consumed. In this regard, it's been a salient - although deadly - crash course in the power of Twitter.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:32+00:00Bangkok, Current Events, Politics, Technology, Thailand, Web Media|0 Comments

5 Surefire Ways to Get Punched in the Face in Thailand

Thailand’s oft-hapless Tourism Authority has always done a good job of pushing Thailand as ‘The Land of Smiles’. The problem with this, of course, is that anyone who reads a few paragraphs of sanitized TAT-approved copy arrives in Thailand thinking that everyone is running around with grins so big that their heads are splitting open. Of course this is not the case – Thailand has jerks and thugs just like any country, and the ‘Thai Smile’ can often be nothing more than a mask for some serious emotional distress. With this in mind, be wary of what you do and say, because while Thais certainly love to smile, they aren’t shy about giving someone his comeuppance, if they deserve it.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:32+00:00Bangkok, Culture, Politics, Thailand|0 Comments

How Expat Life Changes Your Perceptions of ‘Normal’

From a sociologist’s point of view, traveling to (and living in) a strange culture is akin to taking off your clothes and jumping butt-nekkid into a cold mountain lake. It strips away any notion of comfort that you may have had and gives you a new perspective on yourself, your surroundings, and the world you inhabit. Thailand certainly has this effect on one as well, as I expect living in or visiting most any country would, but in some very interesting ways. There are many short-term changes - things that most people recognize during their first week, month or year - but there are also a surprising amount of long-term changes that sneak up on you.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:32+00:00Asia, Bangkok, Culture, Politics, Thailand|0 Comments

Five Reasons You Should Definitely Visit Bangkok – and Five Reasons You Shouldn’t

Bangkok is kind of like a handlebar moustache – some people love them, some people hate them, but rarely will you find someone that says they don’t mind either way. If you’ve read any of my previous blog posts, you’ve likely come to the (correct) conclusion that I really dig this awful, amazing, ugly, beautiful city to the point where I rarely leave it. But as much I like it here, I can also see why people want to avoid the place like a barbed-wire hammock. I make no judgment either way, but after nearly a decade living in the Big Mango, here are my reasons why you should definitely spend some time here – and why you definitely shouldn’t.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:33+00:00Bangkok, Culture, Food, Thailand, Travel|8 Comments

Some Thoughts on the Red Shirts

There are a few things I generally try to avoid writing about on my blog, and politics is one of them. Part of it is due to the fact that I'm too busy to write regularly about such topical and quickly-evolving subjects, but mostly it's because there are other bloggers out there who speak much more eloquently on the whole shebang than I ever could. However, as I do often have an opinion or two, I thought I'd put up some pictures and write a short bit about the ongoing red shirt protest in Bangkok and how I feel about the whole mess.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:33+00:00Bangkok, Culture, Current Events, Politics, Thailand|0 Comments

ExciTED, MotivaTED, ExhausTED: Anatomy of a TEDx Conference

Up until about 6 months ago, I only had a few basic tatters of information about TED Talks. I knew it was an annual conference, or... something. I'd seen a few talks on the website and thought it was an interesting concept, but it was only when I was invited to help organize Thailand's first TEDx event, TEDxBKK (the 'x' stands for an independently organized TED event under the main TED umbrella), did I truly get an understanding of what a powerful, important and tremendously enjoyable event they can be. The big day was February 13, 2010, and it went of superbly, thanks to a great team that really personified what TED is all about. Another reason I got a backstage view of the whole thing? I was asked to be the host.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:34+00:00Bangkok, Culture, Movies, Music, Politics, Pop Culture, Technology, Thailand, Web Media|0 Comments

Forcing Yourself to Feel Lost Again is a Good Thing

Momma always said that it’s very easy to get in what she called a ‘comfortable rut’, and she was right. After a while in any job/location/relationship/yoga position, you get comfortable; staying where you’re at is easier than moving on, and consequently, a lot of people never bother to change their situation. A drastic shakeup is usually not necessary, but a quick metaphorical head-shake is usually a great idea. That’s why as an expat, despite the fact you already live in an exotic land, it’s important to get out of Dodge every once in a while and get your compass realigned.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:34+00:00Asia, Bangkok, Culture, Thailand, Travel|0 Comments