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"The Rounds"
Interesting New Bangkok Photography Site Despicable Thieves Steal Power Cable for Tsunami Early-Warning Tower
Some Words of Wisdom Regarding Expats * * * * * * * * * * 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! * * * * * * * * * * Unsurprisingly, it's getting hotter than blue blazes around these parts now that we have formally entered spring -- the hot season here, unlike in some parts of the world. I've lived here through ten hot seasons -- I arrived in mid-1994, after that year's hot season was already over -- and dreading it. Though the actual temperatures don't get as hot as they do in my native Texas, the relative humidity in Texas is WAY lower than it is here. In Texas, I thought I was suffering when the relative humidity soared noth of, say 35%; here, that's practically a Saharan day! If you come here and aren't used to this sort of climate, please use a little common sense as you go around visiting places. For instance, the Grand Palace is a rather large structure and takes quite a bit of walking around to see in its entirety, and it's easy to overdo things. Just ask my Sister, who during her First-Ever Grand Asian Experience in 2002 went there with a former girlfriend of mine. They were on a three-stop riverboat tour of the Chao Phraya River, the last stop being on the bank at the nearest stopping point relative to the Grand Palace, itself a fair hike away from the palace grounds. Kate (my Sister) got pretty overheated and thought she was going to have, at best, a heat stroke, maybe worse. The ex-girlfriend later confided in me she feared she was going to have to has Palace security officers to summon an ambulance to evacuate Kate to the nearest hospital, though in the event it didn't come to that (thank goodness). As for myself, I'm miserable at acclimating. That is to say, were I to go to Beijing, for instance, in the depths of winter, I would freeze my fanny off, it's been so long since I lived in such a climate. On the other hand, I detest the wet heat! Sigh. Just this morning when I got up a bit before 5:30 A.M. I thought to walk from home to Washington square, a short walk of only about 15 minutes, and that at a leisurely pace. However, when I stepped out of my apartment shortly before 6:00 A.M. in to un-air-conditioned hallway, I instantly dismissed such a foolish notion, option to take an air-conditioned taxi instead; the air was so wet it was sticky, like a muffler soaked in warm water. (Though the sun is shining brightly as I write and the skies are a beautiful blue, it rained a little over an hour ago. That's Bangkok weather, though I do have to admit having rain this early in the year is rather startling.) With the northern hemisphere warming up now, people in places with cold climates who like the warmth of tropical destinations when it's well below freezing at their homes have less weather-inspired reason to come here now. Still, for those without ready access to beautiful beaches, Thailand remains an excellent destination year-round. Come on for a visit. [Saturday, March 26, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * Okay. So I lie a lot. Last week had me chasing my own tail in circles as I prepared to make a business trip to Cambodia, leaving home early Wednesday morning and not getting back until early Friday evening. In any case, I didn't want to get this column up until after the snap general election yesterday (about which more later). Though in any immediate sense the trip was not successful in business terms, in the mid- to long-term scenarios strengthened existing contacts and led to my introduction to a new one, three contacts at very high levels, two of them in the government itself, both of them approximately equal to ambassadors in terms of protocol rank, formally addressed as "Your Excellency." In true Cambodian style, neither acts like a big shot; each is a great man, easy to be with, not at all full of himself. The third is unofficially equal to those men, though she holds no formal government post, so protocol doesn't come into play with her. Should I ever wish to do any business in Cambodia or simply to want to spend an extended time there, those folks are good to know, and all offered any assistance I may need up the line -- very kindly and graciously offered, I should add. I've made the following observation before, but it bears repeating. One of the most fascinating parts of being an expatriate is the sheer variety of people with whom one has the chance to interact, from absolute scoundrels to senior government officials and captains of industry and commerce. And then there are the many shades in between the extremes. But returning to Cambodia in particular, I want to say something else about the kindness and patience of the Cambodians. Through my own error, I arrived without U.S. dollars to pay for a visa, and dollars are required. I explained my plight to an Immigration officer, adding I could pay in Thai baht, or, if allowed to be escorted to the ATM machine just beyond passport control, could pay in dollars. (All ATM machines in Cambodia that accept international debit and credit cards issue greenbacks.) The latter would have involved coordinating with officers on the passport line, so a kind supervisor took the decision to allow me -- this time only -- to pay in baht. (Don't try it; I've seen them turn people back. I suspect the only reason I got away with it was that when the supervisor asked the purpose of my visit I replied to meet government officials. *I* certainly won't try it again -- in fact, I've now stashed untouchable dollars in my wallet to cover the visa fee and airport departure tax there!) Now, the Immigration folks would have been perfectly within their legal and moral rights to turn me back promptly, just as they would have been to berate me and chastise me all around. However, not only did no one do either (obviously), but they were kind, almost solicitous, even *before* the purpose of my visit arose -- that didn't come up 'til late in the game. The kindnesses continued throughout my visit. As I already noted, the people I went to meet were all very personable, polite, and kind, going out of their way to make sure everything was going smoothly for me. In other words, they went well above and beyond any reasonable expectation. I didn't do any exploring of Phnom Penh this trip, electing to go to old favorite spots instead, specifically, staying at the beautiful Phnom Penh Hotel and visiting Coyote Ugly Bar, Golden Vine Bar, and Cat House Bar. While Phnom Penh has many hotels in all price ranges, and rooms above various restaurants and bars, if your pocketbook can stand it, the Phnom Penh Hotel is certainly worth considering. As I recall, the rack rate for a single is US$150 or 155 per night on the Executive Floor, a price which includes a buffet breakfast of both Western and Asian food, an evening "snack bar" plus free standard drinks and beer (the snack bar offers enough to make a satisfying meal), AND free nonalcoholic beverages during all the hours the place is open, i.e., 6:00 A.M.-9:00 P.M. This is in the Executive Floor Restaurant, not the hotel's other excellent outlets. (As web master for a Bangkok-based company that conducts business in Cambodia, I get a corporate rate far below the rack rate.) This was only my third time to stay at the Phnom Penh Hotel, so imagine how impressed I was when I got off the elevator to go to the Executive Floor Check-in desk and the lady behind it immediately arose, smiled a beaming smile, and said "Welcome back, Mr. Kurt!" (She's mighty easy on the eyes to boot!) As for the bars, I've lavished praise on all three before, and this most recent trip just reinforced my feeling I'm spot on target in my assessment of them. Phnom Penh is definitely worth a trip. Several airlines serve it from Bangkok with direct flights, and others via other countries (such as Vietnam Airlines). And the fares aren't all that bad, especially on Air Asia, if you don't mind a no-frills airline. (I have to stop short of making a judgment of Air Asia for the simple reason I haven't tried the airline.) [Monday, April 3, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * Interesting New Bangkok Photography Site Got an e-mail from a friend in the U.S. calling my attention to a new website aimed at photographers and others interested in photography in Bangkok and Thailand generally, a website called, appropriately enough, Photography Thailand. According to the site, the web master, one Marc Shulz, set up the site as a free resource for people interested in this field. I poked around it a bit, and it looks to hold great promise as a tool, especially once Marc (whom I don't know) gets some kinks worked out -- for instance, I couldn't post a message even after going through the process of signing up (for free) as a member -- and reaches a critical mass in terms of numbers of members. (there were 172 when I signed up earlier -- not bad for a site started just March 11th, 2006.) The site offers forums where, though advertising per se is prohibited, a person can interact with professionals and get advice or maybe retains their services. There are also moderators on hand in certain threads to offer free tips on using, for example, Adobe Photoshop, a powerful digital graphics program. And don't think you need to own a digital camera to use the program -- you can scan photographs of the paper kind into your computer, or, if you don't have a scanner, onto a CD at a local Internet shop, many of which have scanners, or at certain studios run by the likes of Kodak and Fuji. I think Mr. Shulz deserves applause for setting up this website -- it should prove to be invaluable for very many people. [Monday, April 3, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * While no official election results for yesterday's parliamentary elections are yet available (it's only coming up on 2:00 P.M. the day following the election as I write), it seems pretty clear that the main ruling party, the Thai Rak Thai Party led by embattled Prime Minister Thaksin, is doing even less well, in some ways, than pundits predicted. For instance, under one requirement of the 1997 "People's Constitution," a candidate running unopposed in a given constituency has to garner 20% of the registered voters (as I understand it) to assume the seat -- yet it's becoming increasingly obvious by the hour that in a fair number of such constituencies TRT candidates appear not to have achieved that level of support. Another rule requires that every single parliamentary seat be filled before a new government can be formed. The net result? -- no new government can be formed immediately, if the cards fall the way officially the way they appear to be falling at this moment. So, where will that leave the Kingdom? The Election Commission will be forced to hold by-elections in such constituencies as soon as possible. Some fear the possibility that an endless series of by-elections will follow. Where would that leave Thailand? I don't know if an entirely new general election can be called or not. I do know His Majesty the King can choose, under a constitutional article, to appoint a government, one tasked with organizing a new general election. But His Majesty tries his very best to stay above the day-to-day political frays, as evidenced by the fact that the last time he stepped in was way back in 1992 -- and there was Thai blood in the streets then, something not a factor now. Further, different groups have invoked the Throne trying to win political support for their particular point of view, something which has displeased some people who feel His Majesty is absolutely correct in his effort to leave things alone. (Thailand is blessed with a King who must rank among the greatest monarchs of all time -- even we foreigners feel that way.) Things are possibly going to be murky for awhile in the political arena, which may affect foreign investment and tourism here. I'm not qualified to comment on the advisability or inadvisability of making a foreign investment in this situation, but I can say until now I remain confident tourists need not worry. Senior military and police officials continue to stress the security forces have no wish to be forced out of the barracks into action, and that's very reassuring. Also, the almost daily protests over the past several weeks have proceeded virtually violence-free -- kudos to all around on that score of all camps -- and what little trouble there has been is minor. (More kudos.) One factor to reflect upon is the Opposition's role in the current situation, a situation that some -- many -- are saying could lead to a Constitutional crisis. To wit, was boycotting the election, as the three major opposition parties did, the best way to serve the democratic process in the Kingdom? Was encouraging voters to tick the "no vote" box [abstention, or "none of the above"] a good way to promote their opposition to the Prime Minister? It is the Prime Minister himself who is by far the largest target of the Opposition, not the Thai Rak Thai Party in general. The final straw leading to the current situation was the sale by the Prime Minister's family of a huge stake in Shin Corp, a sale in which his family made a stupendous profit -- without having to pay any taxes, not a single baht. Yet from what I've read and heard, that tax-free sale was entirely legal under Thai law. Maybe such sales shouldn't be tax-free, but "shouldn't be" and "are" are two very different notions. Earlier moves made by the Prime Minister with his various financial holdings aroused suspicions in some quarters, leading to a court investigation some years back, an investigation in which he was narrowly cleared. But suspicions tend to linger when someone is seen to have gotten away with something, as some people -- despite the court's final ruling -- still harbor. Underscoring the significance of the situation here is the media coverage it is receiving internationally. I watched CNN International this morning, and two hours in a row this was the lead story. Other internal media are providing heavy coverage -- just go online and look at the news pages of sites such as Yahoo! I have my fingers crossed this mess can be sorted out happily for one and all -- quickly. [Monday, April 3, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * Despicable Thieves Steal Power Cable for Tsunami Early-Warning Tower Unbelievable. Thousands of people died, many more thousands were injured and/or made homeless and jobless -- and someone who must have the morals of a snapping turtle steals wire supplying power to one of the 18 early-warning towers erected in the wake of 2004's calamitous tsunami that wreaked havoc, death, and destruction across the entire Indian Ocean, especially in it's eastern half, including the Andaman Sea. The Phuket Governor is reported to have angrily said whoever catches the culprit(s) should use the wire to electrocute them. That's obviously not a judicial way to go about matters -- but on the moral level, I, for one, can hardly condemn him for his emotional outburst. The helluva it is that the wire, when sold as scrap metal, will, according to the Governor, bring a mere pittance. Fortunately, appropriate personnel test the system daily, so such breaches are detected quickly, then corrected at the earliest possible moment. The affected tower had its poser restored in short order, thank goodness. The person or persons responsible better hope they don't get caught by a crowd of locals -- locals might not want to waste time with the judicial process. I condemn this theft in the strongest possible terms, the strongest possible whilst remaining civil. People who know me can easily imagine the stream of vulgar invective streaming through my mind. [Monday, April 3, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * Things are beginning to move along nicely regarding my radio show for www.RadioBangkok.net. I have one show online already and just this morning e-mailed four more to Bill, the person there with whom I'm working. I'm not entirely clear on the schedule yet; the station's schedule page still says a show will be broadcast every three hours, while Bill e-mailed me the other day it will be broadcast every two hours. In any case, the folks at the headquarters in England are working on the technical stuff to make the shows available-on-demand files for those of you who might find the "live" broadcast times inconvenient. I gather this process takes some time. It helps that I'm finally figuring out how to use the software I have to use for the recording, a software entirely new to me before this project came along. In the hope I might be allowed to make public-service announcements -- something I've not discussed in any depth with Bill or anyone else at the parent company, www.RadioCompany.net -- let me ask you to send any such notice along to me, for now at my BangkokAtoZ.com address MekhongKurt at BangkokAtoZ.com. Later I'll have a mailbox with www.RadioBangkok.net for you to use for that particular purpose. This stuff is amazing. Little more than a century ago, radio was brand-new. Now Internet-based companies can set up even personal radio stations for individuals, and do so affordably. I'll be writing more about this as things firm up -- hopefully, by the time I'm ready to go online with the next edition of "The Rounds." Meanwhile, tune into the station at www.RadioBangkok.net -- as I've commented before, I liked the station well before this chance came down the road. I'm listening to it even as I type! [Monday, April 3, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * Last week I was in the uncomforatable position of having to apologize to online columnist Fred Reed for plagiarizing an entire column of his he has on his most excellent site over at www.FredOnEverything.net. I sent Fred an e-mail Saturday-before-last, saying the only thing I could say: "Guilty as charged, Your Honor." And I detailed my transgression in full. Imagine my pleasant surprise when I had a reply within something on the order of two hours, and my further surprise that he took absolutely no offense at my having cobbed his material. [For my fellow Yanks, a definition: "cobbed" means "stolen."] Then I practically fell out of my chair when I read his next words, which were to the effect I could feel free to use any of his material, should I wish -- one heckuva generous offer, especially coming from a gentleman I don't even know. Hell, less than two weeks ago, I had never even heard of him! I was lucky -- and know it. A huge public thanks to you, Fred, for your graciousness. [Monday, April 3, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * Some Words of Wisdom Regarding Expats My master's thesis was on Gothic elements in selected work by early American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, who helped push the Gothic to new plateaus as well as to contribute a firmly-American national literature. "So," you ask, "what's that got to do with the expat in the 21st century>" That I wrote my thesis on Hawthorne -- nothing. But something Hawthorne himself wrote in his novel The Marble Faun has a lot to do with it. Though I like every single work of Hawthorne's, The Marble Faun is undoubtedly the one I least favor -- just a matter of preference. As a result, over the 20+ years since I studied his works in graduate school, I have forgotten, until now, a passage from that novel that applies to a great many people who choose to become long-term expatriates. For the reminder I am indebted to my friend Ken Bower, whose e-mail containing the passage below included a subject line that inspired the title of this article. Here's good old Nat's incisive observation on expatriates: Now . . . they resolved to go back to their own land; because the years have a kind of emptiness when we spend too many of them on a foreign shore. But ... if we do return, we find that the native air has lost its invigorating quality, and that life has shifted its reality to the spot where we have deemed ourselves only temporary residents. Thus, between two countries, we have none at all. . . . It is wise, therefore, to come back betimes, or never. For those of you who have never lived extended periods abroad, this may be difficult, even impossible, to understand. But those of us who left our native shores decades ago get it, even if we are able to escape it. If you have a friend or loved one who is an expatriate and you sometimes wonder what in the world has happened to him or her during those long years abroad, it might be fruitful to reflect upon Hawthorne's observation. On the rare occasion I return to America for a visit, I am invariably reminded of the title of the late science-fiction writer Robert Heinlein's superb, seminal novel, Stranger in a Strange Land. Why? Because I "don't know how to do," to borrow a phrase from Mandarin. Though I love my homeland and am happy while I'm there, a part of me is continuously on edge, worried I might, in my not knowing "how to do," err in some way my home-staying compatriots may find worthy of note, even disturbing, maybe even shocking. That's especially true in the cursed area of political correctness. I know people Out Here East of Suez who haven't been out of their new "homelands" for decades -- not years, but decades. A number of them expect never to return to their countries of origin. Some years ago I happened to find myself on the plane to the States with one such acquaintance from here in Bangkok, a man who had not been out of the Kingdom in nearly 30 years. When I saw him back in Bangkok some weeks later, I of course asked him about his visit with his family and old friends. His response was instructive. He said that on some level he loved them all just as much as ever, and enjoyed getting to see them again, probably for the last time -- but that after a few days he felt very much the fish out of water, often at a loss what to talk about. For him, trying to communicate on a meaningful, beyond-the-mere-anecdote level was akin to his being Martian trying to talk to Earthlings. And, no doubt, it was the same for his loved ones and his old friends. On some very important levels, while I haven't gone native -- I don't speak the language, for example -- I feel more at home here than I do on the ranch in Texas. And I don't mean just because I spend the bulk of my time in a foreigners ghetto; I feel that when I'm sitting, say, at my buddy's girlfriend's shop down the way with her and her sole employee, both of them Thai to the core, virtually all of her customers locals. Let me interject this: we expatriates are no better than our family and friends who stayed in The Mother Country, wherever that might be. Just different. And please don't rush in and say "Weird's more like it!" ;-) [Monday, April 3, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * Enough for one go . . . Until next time -- Mekhong Kurt
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