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"The Rounds"
Humorous Response to Last Week's Traffic Story Another Travel Story to Bring a Smile . . . Mojo's Just Off Sukhumvit Soi 33 Changes Hands Possible V.F.W. Ladies' Auxiliary in Bangkok "Mrs. Superman" Passes Away at Age 44 The Office Bar & Grill Sports Schedule * * * * * * * * * * Just a reminder you can sign-up for free to receive the BangkokAtoZ.com Updates (plain text) e-mail to always know when I add something new to the site or modify it in some important way. A great way to be sure YOU don't miss something of interest, best of all is that this service is absolutely FREE! * * * * * * * * * * Humorous Response to Last Week's Traffic Story Those of you not suffering senility [yet] may recall I wrote a serious piece about the dangerous traffic here in this column last time out. Unexpectedly, that elicited the following funny story from devoted reader J. Brunt of the United States. First Time Driving in Thailand © J. Brunt On one of my first trips to Thailand some years ago I took courage and agreed to drive a Thai friend's car, admittedly we were in a much smaller city than Bangkok. It took some time to get used to the gear shift and signals being reversed (for me, that is!), but I figured it our and off we went. My Thai companion complemented me on my skill in handling the car, and my confidences soared, but then she finished the sentence, as only a polite Thai could, "Khun Julian, you drive so well, . . . but please, drive on the other side of the road!"
It was one of my first driving
lessons in Thailand, and, perhaps more importantly, a lesson in the politeness
of the Thai people. I can identify with J.'s experience. When I moved to Macau in 1990, I knew I shouldn't even THINK about driving -- so I didn't. But after about nine months, I figured I could buy a car and make my way around that Portagee Paradise on my own, and promptly proceeded to do so, with no problem. (Well, no problem EXCEPT when my Mother came for a visit and had heart attacks every time I drove her somewhere, which is neither here nor there OTHER than she almost made me have countless wrecks with her screaming!) THEN I went back to America, my homeland, for a visit. After getting used to driving on the "wrong" side of the road. Twice, in Houston, I pulled out of shopping mall parking lots onto avenues -- and both times turned into oncoming traffic. Fortunately, both times were on a Sunday, so there was virtually no traffic. I was oblivious to my error in both instances until a police cruiser made a rapid U-turn to whip in behind me and find out what to HELL I was doing going the wrong way -- and in midday at that! (That is to say, before Happy Hour.) Talk about a lucky son of a gun, that's me. In both instances, the officer was a military veteran -- and had served in countries where people drive on the wrong side of the road. Maybe it helped I was humbly apologetic. Anyway, in both instances the officer laughed, shrugged it off, and let me be on my way -- WITHOUT the well-deserved ticket each could have issued. Yes, I do indeed appreciate J.'s story, and instantly wrote him to ask him if I could use it here, a request to which he amicably (not to mention kindly) consented. This story will also be in the "Travelers' Tales" section on this web site, to make it easier for folks to find later. And I'm quite confident people will be reading it again. I LOVE the emphasis, rightly placed, on the courtesy of our Thai hosts. [Friday, March 10, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * Another Travel Story to Bring a Smile . . . Last night I was chatting with a friend, an Englishman who has been out here about thirty years. I told him the above story, which elicited a chuckle from him. Then he told me a story on himself equally amusing. Some years ago he had occasion to be in Vientiane awaiting a flight, and he was unfamiliar with boarding procedures there as it was his first time. There happened to be a group of American soldiers working in the M.I.A. unit awaiting to board, my friend thought, the flight to Bangkok, as he was. After all, there wasn't anyone *else* in the waiting area, so his assumption was quite reasonable. Then an officer called the troops to order and lined them up in a file to board the aircraft. My friend, thinking this must be the standard operating procedure in that Communist Paradise, fell in at the back of the line. Of they went, "Hup-two-three-four," marching across the tarmac. Towards a helicopter, which my friend rightly figured couldn't be right, but not knowing the drill, he desperately stayed in formation. Once the squad arrived at the chopper and the O.I.C. [Officer In Charge] turned to do a quick review of the troops, he roared at my friend, "Just who in the hell are you, and WHAT in the hell are you doing here on a U.S. military mission???" Needless to say, my friend slinked back into the terminal -- licky not to be under armed Laotian military escort -- and eventually caught his flight back here. . . . [Friday, March 10, 2006] The political situation here in Thailand is difficult to read at the moment. The Prime Minister has become quite conciliatory, given his independent streak. More prominent Thais have come out to say he either should compromise or resign. which no doubt has contributed to he current flexibility. The Opposition may well be spoiling a chance by continuing to insist nothing but the P.M.'s resignation will satisfy them; they still insist on boycotting the pending April 2nd election. Yesterday, an ominous new development occurred: there was a remotely-triggered bomb explode outside the home of the highly- and widely-respected former Prime Minister and current President of the Privy Council General Prem, an explosion that injured several people. In my most recent column I commended both sides for their exercise of physical restraint. Both sides deserve that commendation. I don't have any idea, of course, who the bomber(s) was/were, nor their motive(s). I have my suspicions, though. I suspect whoever planted and detonated the bomb wasn't associated with either the government or the opposition, but some dark force or the other with its own unsavory, selfish agenda set upon forcing violence. There can be profit in mayhem. Why do I think that? -- precisely because the forces facing each other have consistently argued for peace. Again, the people backing Prime Minister Thaksin and the people who oppose his continued rule deserve praise for their peacefulness. This week, the commander of the Army has said more than once that His Majesty the King may be disturbed by the current situation. As loving a monarch as His Beloved Majesty is, I expect that assessment is correct. His Majesty is indisputably amongst the most loving monarchs of the world. He surely is likely to be worried about the conflict. Business sentiment is apparently being affected. A group in Singapore, according to an SMS headline I received from The Nation earlier on my handphone, has backed off upping its investment in Thai Military Bank because of "political tensions." Shin Corp., the company sold by the Thaksin clan to the investment arm of the Singaporean government, was reported today to be insisting the deadline on completion of the sale has not arrived, despite reports to the contrary. There are also reports the Prime Minister plans to remain in the Northeast early next week so as to avoid protestors bound and determined to march yet again demanding his resignation. There have been numerous criticisms of the Prime Minister in the media. But there also have been numerous criticisms of the Opposition in those same venues, something which should not be forgotten. Some members of government are subject to considerable criticism, but so are some of even the chief opposition leaders. My position as an outsider who cares about the Kingdom remains the same: I hope the Thai people -- whose business it is -- are able to resolve the conflict suitably for them, with an outcome they can accept. [Friday, March 10, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * Mojo's Just Off Sukhumvit Soi 33 Changes Hands I haven't had a chance to check this out, but I understand that Bob, one of the owners of the evergreen Office Bar & Grill, has together with some other investors bought Mojo's, located directly across the drive from The Office, as well as the shophouse next to it. Before Bob acquired the place, it offered food and [very loud] live music. Bob is a great barman, so I'm looking forward to finding out which concept he settles on. He certainly does a most excellent job with the flagship The Office Bar & Grill. [Friday, March 10, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * Possible V.F.W. Ladies' Auxiliary in Bangkok Below is the forwarded e-mail I received concerning the possibility of the formation of a Ladies' Auxiliary for the local Veteran of foreign Wars Post # 9951. The V.F.W. is a very worthwhile organization providing support to U.S. veterans of wars in which they served. It doesn't matter whether you or I supported the particular war in which a particular vet was involved: he served. Period. End of story. The political fight we can take to Washington, D.C., not to the lap of some retired Staff Sergeant who just muddled his way through. The ladies associated with those veterans have, sometimes, wanted to form a support organization -- and now the opportunity is here.
Attn: Ladies Auxiliary orientation meeting. Think about it, Ladies. The lads appreciate your support. [Friday, March 10, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * "Mrs. Superman" Passes Away at Age 44 The wife of Christopher Reeve, forever immortalized as Superman in the films of some years back, passed away at the ripe old age of 44 a few days ago. From lung cancer -- and she never smoked, for God's sake. Mrs. Reeve had rare class. I wish I could be a tenth as good as she was. I remember seeing her husband, Christopher, on "Larry King Live" on CNN some years back after Superman's tragic horse-riding accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Superman paralyzed??? How could that be? Of course I understood Christopher Reeve was an actor, not really Superman, yet he was so indelibly identified with that role that his paralysis was hard to believe. But back to his interview with King, a remarkable moment in the annals of television interviews. Reeve was painfully frank, particularly in his comments regarding his beloved Dana. He spoke of his despair and his wish just to die. Then he revealed than Dana finally told him, when he had said to her he wasn't the man she had married -- meaning physically -- she retorted she didn't marry his body, but his heart. I fell in love with her at that moment. And she wasn't even in the studio -- Christopher was. You know what I mean? I didn't know a doggone thing about her other than she existed, not before that moment. But when her husband said that about her . . . well, I signed aboard the "Dana Reeve Fan Club." I was already [and remain] a huge fan of her husband. What a lady. Would that all of us could show her courage. Forty-four. A decade younger than I am now. What a loss. Godspeed, "Mrs. Superman." You were Superwoman in your own right. [Friday, March 10, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * The Office Bar & Grill Sports Schedule
Here's the weekend television broadcast for this
evergreen Sukhumvit Soi 33 bar -- or what's left of the schedule, anyway!:
Sat 11
12.00
Cricket
India v England 2nd Test Day 3
LIVE
13.00
Golf
Singapore Masters Day 3
LIVE
14.30
Rugby
Super 14’S Brumbies v Sharks
LIVE
17.00
Rugby
Super 14’S Reds v Force
LIVE
18.00
Formula 1
Bahrain Qualifying
LIVE
19.00
AFL
NAB Cup S/F Geelong v Fremantle
DELAYED
19.00
Soccer
Birmingham v West Bromwich
LIVE
19.40
Soccer
Chelsea v Tottenham
LIVE
20.30
Rugby
6 Nations Wales v Italy
LIVE
21.00
Rugby
Super 14’S Bulls v Highlanders
LIVE
21.55
Soccer
Everton v Fulham
LIVE
21.55
Soccer
Bolton v West Ham
LIVE
22.30
Rugby
6 Nations Ireland v Scotland
LIVE
24.00
Rugby
Super 14’S Stormers v Hurricanes
LIVE
24.00
Soccer
Blackburn v Aston Villa
LIVE
Sun 12
12.00
Cricket
India v England 2nd Test Day 4
LIVE
12.00
Golf
Singapore Masters Day 4
LIVE
14.30
Cricket
SA v Australia 5th ODI
LIVE
18.00
Formula 1
Bahrain GP
LIVE
20.25
Soccer
Man U v Newcastle
LIVE
21.55
Rugby
6 Nations France v England
LIVE
22.55
Soccer
Arsenal v Liverpool
LIVE
Mon 13
15.30
Cricket
India v England 2nd Test Day 5
LIVE * * * * * * * * * * Man, oh man!!! Is it EVER getting close and hot here in this Mango Paradise! The temperature never gets all that high here in The Venice of the East, to be fair. But the humidity makes it god-awful, on occasion. When the temperatures are in the mid-30's/mid-90's and the relative humidity is approaching 100%, things can get sticky indeed. Oh, for the rainy season to come around again. Better yet, the cool season. (Lord, if I fall on my knees and beg, will You give us a cool season year-round??? I'll remember to put something in the collection plate if You do!) That said, there *are* folks who revel in this sort of weather, so now's the time for you folks to board a plane and come to The Sunny Realm. You can leave your sweaters at home, that's for sure. Although I know a bar girl who shows up for work every day complaining about how hot she is after he multi-bus ride from her home -- complains as she pulls off her woolen sweater! * * * * * * * * * * 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. I'm pleased to say that more and more of you are signing up, and I urge all of you not to hesitate! * * * * * * * * * * Where is *Your* "Traveler's Tale"???
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Copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 by Kurt T. Francis, except as noted otherwise. Materials by Christopher G. Moore, Dean Barrett, Richard K. Diran, Sonia Pressman Fuentes, and Hardy Stockmann are copyrighted © by those respective authors. All rights reserved. Please see the Copyright Notice for further information. Click here for our Privacy Statement Please direct all inquiries to MekhongKurt [at] BangkokAtoZ.com
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