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"The Rounds" Friday, February 4, 2005
* * * * * * * * * * Headlines Happy Chinese New Year 4072! The Year of the Rooster Bars Closing This Weekend for National Elections More About Alcohol and Tobacco Sales Controls Another Reminder about the Diran Art Show at the FCCT Stage Production at Srinakhairinwirot University National Election Campaign Having Its Unpleasant Moments Welcome and Needed Effort to Strengthen Building Standards * * * * * * * * * * Happy Chinese New Year 4072! The Year of the Rooster Next Wednesday marks the actual day of the biggest holiday on the Chinese Calendar, Chinese New Year. And it's a big deal here in Thailand, where many people have Chinese blood. In fact, the political and business elite are comprised of Thai-Chinese people. Thailand is lucky to have not just 1, not just 2, but * 3 * New Years to celebrate: the Western one January 1st, the Chinese New Year (a floating holiday based on the lunar calendar), and the traditional Thai New Year of Songkhran in mid-April. The first two are really nice, though the third has become an exercise in barbaric excess. The most common and best-known version of the lunar calendar used in this part of the world is based on 12-year cycles, each year bearing the name of a different animal, those names repeating each 12-year cycle. Thus, this year is The Year of the Rooster. My own birth year, 1951, was The Year of the Rabbit. Every person's 12th-year birthday, i.e., the one when his or her animal is repeated, is regarded as both significant and auspicious. Because of this, 2011 will be my next big birthday, when I turn 60 -- assuming the bus doesn't succeed in mowing me down first! And one's 60th birthday -- called "5th-cycle birthday" -- is especially auspicious. For that matter, so are one's following cycle birthdays. I suppose that's because making it to 60 is in and of itself some sort of achievement, and it only gets better after that. I remember when His Majesty the King turned 72; the nation went happily crazy. (Everyone is hoping to be celebrating His Majesty's 7th-cycle birthday a few years hence.) Though I don't have the feeling about these cycles in my bones in the same way as Asians do, I've been here long enough -- nearly 18 out of the past nearly 20 years -- that I have become imbued with the spirit to some degree, so I'm looking forward to my Mother's next birthday, which will be her 72nd (hey -- she married young; I was born when she was just 17!). Her 6th-cycle birthday; it's hard to believe. If you're anywhere near a Chinese community in particular or any Asian community in general this Chinese New Year, go join in the festivities; folks here really get into celebrating the occasion. I've already seen 2 dragon dances here in Washington Square the past few days, dances performed to celebrate the new year. [Wednesday, February 2, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * Went to Sukhumvit Soi 33 2 nights ago for the first time in some weeks and visited a few bars, including the Green Parrot, located just off the main soi in sub-soi 3 on the left side. I had been to the Green Parrot before, but not for a long while. But that's no bad reflection on the bar; it is a nice one, in every way. The bar maids are efficient and friendly, and Rodney, the affable American owner, is quite outgoing. And he has an excellent memory -- we've met only once or twice, yet he remembered my name immediately. The physical facilities are also quite nice. I didn't look at the food menu, but I understand the bar offers good barbeque. The bar has a basic web site at http://www.greenparrotbangkok.com with some nice photos. Not all the links work properly; for instance, when I clicked on the "Location Maps" link I didn't get a location page, but one advertising the bar's service assisting in obtaining work permits. The Green Parrot is well worth a visit -- drop around. And tell Rodney Mekhong Kurt from BangkokAtoZ.com steered you his way! The bar is open 1600-0100 daily except days bars have to close.
The Green Parrot Bar & Grill * * * * * * * * * * Bars Closing This Weekend for National Elections Well, Thailand's own Silly Season comes to its climax this coming Sunday. which means bars in the capital have to close at 1800 Saturday night and can't re-open until midnight Sunday night -- and that re-opening time likely is only in theory. I remember 2-3 years ago when the bars had to close for a Buddhist holiday and one Washington Square bar owner attempted to open back up at midnight, reasoning that since the formal notice from the police about the closing indicated just one particular date it would be okay to open back up after midnight -- the following day. A few minutes after he opened back up, 2 police officers came in and ordered him to close. His Thai wife came out, licenses and letter in hand, and argued with them. They were insistent. The husband ordered them out of the bar, so they left -- only to return shortly with maybe a dozen officers in tow, all with the riot batons out, the police saying the bar would close -- one way or the other, regardless what their own letter said. Naturally, the owners followed the wise course and cooperated, if with bitterness. The irony is that often on bar closing days places such as the big tourist hotels are apparently exempt. (I should add that on 1 election day and 1 Buddha day, the hotel I visited in each instance wasn't serving alcohol.) I've heard the police down Pattaya way are taking a more relaxed stance, saying that bars can be open as usual on Saturday but can't open up again until 1800 Sunday. And I'll be surprised if I learn that the open-air Thai restaurants in out-of-the-way sois don't serve as usual. We'll see. Meanwhile, regarding the election itself, the usual rumors and accusations of vote-buying and other improprieties abound. But that's always the case. [Wednesday, February 2, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * More About Alcohol and Tobacco Sales Controls A few weeks a new regulation regarding the hours alcoholic beverages and tobacco can be sold came into effect, one I didn't even know about at first since the bars are completely ignoring it; it's not clear to me if they are exempt. The law bans the sale of alcohol midnight-1100 and 1400-1700, and is being obeyed by outlets such as 7-Eleven, Villa Market, and Family Mart. Two days ago I was sitting in a bar in Washington Square when a friend came in about 1430, disgusted that he had just come from a nearby convenience store where he had been unable to buy cigarettes because of the hour. My friend said the clerk explained the new law applies to tobacco sales as well. I know a popular liquor store on Sukhumvit Road right outside the Square, Pacific Liquor, that completely closes 1400-1700 since all they sell is either an alcoholic or tobacco product, except umbrellas. I've always thought such laws are rather silly, including comparable laws in my own country. I don't know the specific reasoning here, nor if the law is a municipal, provincial, or national law. With the election coming up, it will be interesting to see if enforcement becomes more strict once the election is over. [Wednesday, February 2, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * Another Reminder about the Diran Art Show at the FCCT This Friday marks the opening day of Richard K. Diran's exhibition of a series of oil paintings he's done over the past couple of years, a series he calls "The Week of Seduction" -- and those of you with good memories will notice the change in the series' name; I got it wrong before! Richard's work is intriguing. It is surreal -- yet one can easily see echoes of the Masters, under one of which he began studying at age 12, an Italian master. Different people get different ideas from Richard's paintings. Every time he has completed a canvas, he has brought it to the Texas Lone Staar Saloon in Washington Square to show to his friends and interested onlookers. We've had a number of fascinating conversations about his work. Interestingly, one of the guys showing great insight is an oil industry worker -- well, a pretty senior field supervisor/driller -- but not someone would expect to have any interest in the visual arts. Richard told me he realized things about his own works he hadn't previously though about until the guy spoke. Another interesting point is that quite a few of his see a theme of male domination/female submission throughout the series -- and Richard himself disagrees. That gets all tied up with the critical concept of artistic intent. Current circles of criticism take the stance that in the end, an artist's intent is irrelevant. For example, Shakespeare wrote what turned out to be one of his greatest plays not because he set out to create great art, but because the cupboard was bare and he needed to feed his family. As I mentioned last week, Richard has a we site named Diran Art. As I also said last week, to see the electronic versions of his paintings online in no way does them justice. If you have the opportunity to drop by the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand to see the works themselves, I urge you to do so -- the show runs from Friday through the end of the month. (A side note: the FCCT is closed Saturdays and Sundays.) For what it's worth, I've put my money where my mouth is, partially funding the opening-night reception (which begins at 1930). That's how much I believe in Richard's work. So, if you have any interest in the visual arts should thoroughly enjoy the exhibition. And hey -- the price is right: free! [Wednesday, February 2, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * Stage Production at Srinakhairinwirot University The Faculty of Arts at Srinakharinwirot University-Prasarnmitr at the dead-end of Sukhumvit Soi 23 sponsors a theatrical production every year, and this year's performances began this past Monday and run through next week. The play this year is called "The Mamamouchi," adapted from Molière's "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme" and is a comedy. The production is directed by Martin Grose, who has taught at the university for many years. And he's an excellent director; I should know, since I was his assistant director for one year's production. While such productions involved a staggering amount of work, they are great fun, both in the preparations and the public performances. And the students invariably do a surprisingly good job -- and not only the actors. The budget is always very tight, and it's amazing what the kids can come up with themselves, one way or the other, from lights to costumes to stage props. Traditionally, the night of the final production Martin, any assistant directors he may have, and the students all go to celebrate another successful run over a nice meal, using the profits to pay for it. But this year is special: Martin and the students talked it over, and the students themselves decided to forego the traditional celebration party so they could donate every satang of profit for relief efforts in the tsunami-stricken South. There are collection boxes at the auditorium, and Martin is making an announcement just before the beginning of each performance. But no one is pressuring patrons to contribute anything. Any money for the relief effort will be channeled through the local office of UNICEF, where officials have -- unusually -- already set up a Thailand-specific fund, so anyone making a donation can be assured their contribution will go towards relief in the South, not to some unaffected place (nor to another affected place, for that matter). The entire plan has the full support of the university administration, including the Rector himself, as well as the Faulty of Arts and its English Department. Tickets are unbelievably cheap at 35 baht each. You can't beat that! The university is conveniently located, just a short drive from Sukhumvit Road to the school grounds, which are nestled in behind the Embassy of Japan and run alongside Khlong Saen Saeb, a khlong running parallel to Petchaburi Road. The university isn't accessible from Petchaburi Road, but can be reached, as I said, by going straight up Sukhumvit Soi 23. It also can be reached from Soi Asoke by turning onto the Green Route -- the only traffic signal between Sukhumvit Road and Petchaburi Road marks the Green Route -- by turning left coming from the latter; you cannot turn right coming from Sukhumvit Road. There's another way in from Sukhumvit Soi 31, but it's complex and involves some sub-sois, so I won't even try to describe it. Here's the schedule for the remaining performances:
Tuesday, February 8, 2005: 1330 Martin told me Tuesday's and Wednesday's performances have the most tickets remaining. While the auditorium (an obvious structure right in the middle of the smallish university campus) can seat several hundred, for reasons of acoustics Martin is limiting ticket sales for each performance to make sure everyone attending can here the performers. This sort of thing deserves community support, so I hope you'll attend if you're around and have time, just to show the students support for their hard work. I'll be attending either Tuesday or Wednesday then again on Friday. [Wednesday, February 2, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * National Election Campaign Having Its Unpleasant Moments With national elections just 2 days away, things are getting unusually nasty, even for Asia. A candidate for the ruling Thai Rak Thai party for a psychologically and politically important Bangkok district has been disqualified by the Supreme Court from contesting the election after the university that granted him a bachelor's degree withdrew said degree, claiming the educational certificate he used to gain admission in the first place was itself invalid. The Supreme Court went a step further by barring any potential appeal. The court has directed relevant polling stations to cross out the TRT's candidate name. Meanwhile, allegations of all sorts of campaign misbehavior continue to abound. As is very much the norm, allegations of vote-buying are among the chief allegations being made. Street-level intelligence suggest some of the allegations are true, but I have to add that I myself have never directly witnessed any impropriety by any candidate or any party's representative as far as I know. Even the Election Commission itself has come under scrutiny, with an opposition party member claiming it is inaccurate to call it a "paper tiger," adding that "kitten" is a more accurate metaphor for the beleaguered body. Despite all that, the democratic process has enjoyed some significant gains since the enacting of the "People's Constitution" in the 1990's, perhaps most notably in the creation of a system under which Thai nationals living outside the country can now cast absentee ballots. Voters resident within the Kingdom still must go to where their official address is in order to cast a ballot, but one supposes this ultimately will change. Just 2 more days and the season will end. . . . I can hardly wait! [Friday, February 4, 2005] * * * * * * * * * *
Welcome
and Needed Effort New regulations have been enacted governing construction standards for new high-rises in Phuket in the wake of December's tsunami disaster. Though I am entirely lacking in any qualifications to say much one way or another, I don't suppose it's possible to make a truly earthquake-proof building. That said, I keep thinking how much worse the Kobe earthquake last decade would have been had Japan not had in place strict standards for building structures to be as earthquake-resistant as possible. (As I understand it, Japan has far and away the strictest building codes on the planet in this regard.) Any efforts to increase the survivability of structures and the people within can only be welcomed. Of course, enforcement isn't something for which various levels of the Thai government enjoy a particularly shining reputation, so it will remain to be seen how effective the well-intentioned new building codes are. But the very issuance of such codes is in itself an encouraging sign, as was the meeting last month the Thai government hosted seeking to establish an Indian Ocean Rim early warning system. Though regional politics got in the way of Thailand's desire to become a regional headquarters, so to speak, as a clearinghouse for any such system, the relevant authorities are to commended, in my view, for organizing such a meeting so quickly after the December 26th disaster. While no one hopes any new building codes are put to the test, should another . . . well, let's say "event" so as not to be overly dramatic . . . occur, higher standards will help -- I hope. [Friday, February 4, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * A consortium of travel-related businesses are striving to help revive tourism in tsunami-struck Phuket, arguably the Kingdom's most famous island beach resort. The packages vary, but they include 1-way air passage and a choice of possibilities; they start at only 999 baht. You can find further details in The Nation story headlined "Bt999 packages lure tourists to Phuket." This is a welcome development -- not because it is a travel bargain (though that it is), but because it shows efforts to restore faith in an important destination, especially for international travelers. The coral reefs off the island on the east side have been completely destroyed, depriving the island of one of its chief attractions -- Phuket has long been a favored Southeast Asia destination for divers from the world over. (I have a cousin who dives recreationally, and he simply loves Phuket, right up there with places such as Bali.) But the clear waters remain, and, after all, not *all* the reefs around the island were destroyed. And even a tsunami doesn't alter the pleasant warm-the-year-round climate of a place like Phuket. [Friday, February 4, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * Walking through Washington Square a little while ago, about 5:00 P.M., I was reminded of those drivers who drive with utter disregard for their own safety and that of others. Tuk-tuk drivers are probably the worst of all. There is a school about midway down Sukhumvit Soi 22 that lets out at 3:30 P.M., and starting a few minutes before then, tuk-tuks begin gathering. And that's fair enough. But the drivers use the Square as a shortcut, both coming and going -- and do so at relatively high speeds. I remember a few years ago one day I was walking along the east side of the Square when 3 tuk-tuks came roaring around the corner from towards the Sukhumvit Road entrance -- abreast, and racing each other. One nearly tipped over -- a rear wheel literally came off the ground and I thought the driver was a goner. Luckily for me, there were some cars parked and I happened to be between 2 of them and was able to jump into the space; otherwise, I would have been run down. What reminded me of the Terrors of the Roads awhile ago was I saw a car backing out, entirely blocking the drive, thereby forcing 3 tuk-tuks to stop. Two more tuk-tuks came roaring around the corner, the back one stopping, but the front one swerving around the 3 in front of it, very nearly clipping another tuk-tuk -- and nearly rear-ending the car. Tuk-tuk drivers aren't the only idiots who should be banned for life from driving any sort of vehicle. When traffic is moving well, crosswalks are meaningless; we often joke the stripes provide a front "gun sight" to align with a vehicle's hood ornament, allowing a driver to be sure he's on the right course to mow down a hapless pedestrian. And the police do absolutely nothing, or I, at least, have not seen the police do anything a single time to stop the habit in over 10 years here. In Cambodia (for example) traffic is a mess. That is to say, there is virtually no driver discipline. But there *is* driver courtesy; people don't drive fast, do give way to one another, let pedestrians cross safely, and the like. Here in Thailand -- and not just in Bangkok -- there is an almost total lack of driver discipline *and* driver courtesy. I have Thai friends who are real Jekylls-and-Hydes when it comes to driving: nice outside the vehicle, but hostile monsters behind the wheel. I won't ride with them. They're dangerous. The point is one has to be extremely cautious here, both as a pedestrian and as a driver. I, for one, would never *dream* of renting or buying a car. I have a little scooter I haven't driven in over 3 years simply because I'm afraid to do so. And when I walk around, I go into a sort of lock-and-load mentality, ready to move at of harm's way at an instant's notice. It's the only prudent way to go. And on the occasion I take a taxi driven by one of these TOTR's -- Terrors of the Road -- I make them either straighten up and drive sanely or stop and let me out. I stopped riding in tuk-tuks about 8 or 9 years ago, and rarely take a motorcycle taxi. Sigh . . . [Friday, February 4, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * Enough for one go . . . Until next time -- Mekhong Kurt * * * * * * * * * * E-mail Change Notification Sign-up Sign-up here for e-mail notification when I add or change something on the site. Just go to the sign-up page. * * * * * * * * * * Where Is *Your* Name??? So you've been a slacker and still haven't signed up for the free BangkokAtoZ.com Updates Mailing List??? ;-) Well, get with the program and sign up right now to be notified via e-mail whenever we add something to the site -- that way, you don't even have to visit the Updates Page to see if there's anything new -- we'll let you know by e-mail. If you want to sign up, just go to the sign-up page. 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