Dave in the Mango

here, there and everywhere

2007-03-06T12:24:00.000+06:00

Living in Thailand, working for a German client with American customers is always going to involve travel and for the last year or more i have been back and forth to the US nearly every other week. Since the New Year i have finished one job in LA and have followed the rollout to Colorado. This is my first time to any of the Rocky Mountain states and at the end of winter it is pretty spectacular here. I arrived after a stop over in LAX and went straight into the office, however yesterday i drove up to Estes Park, quite lovely sceanary and i enjoyed the drive and a walk around the lake. The weather for someone now used to +35 deg C heat and very high humidity is far too cold and dry!

It is funny that just over a week ago i was sweating just eatting in an outside canteen in Singapore and yesterday as i walked arround this lake i seriously thought about breaking into a jog to keep warm! I was hoping that i would see some Elk up near the national park and as i parked my car i realised that there were two large ones right next to my bonnet.

After my short walk i drove back down route 36 to Lyons and stopped in a pretty cool bar called Oskar Blues. Apparently it is a chain owned by a famous baseball player but as chains go it had decent food, music and some heavy looking beer for sale from the onsite micro-brewery, if you get the chance to go there the prime rib cajun style went down a treat!

New Years boom

2007-01-03T16:04:00.000+06:00

Sitting drinking bubbly yards away from an explosion that tore off a tourists legs was not the way i had imagined to spend the countdown. Just the day before i came back from a visit to Pattaya and was looking forward to walking down the street into the crowds and bringing in the New Year with a can of Singha and countless thousands in an atmosphere that is usually so typical friendly and enjoyable. Early afternoon as the news of eight bombings came in i walked down towards the Rajprasong junction against a mass of people all trudging back after hearing that the events had all been cancelled- a move that later looked well judged as a later bomb ripped apart some phone boxes and injured several badly right on the corner of the intersection close to midnight. I was sat at the time outside the Four Seasons hotel and had planned on walking down there, luckily i ended up watching a movie and heading to a Jazz bar much later after things had calmed down. Or so i thought, as today news of another bomb this time in the Chinatown area bring back the thoughts of feeling that bit less safe in a city where you so often forget any notion of being threatened. Who organised it is unconfirmed but i would not be surprised that elements of the last government performed it to look like the work of Southern seperatists. In my opinion the seperatists would claim responsibility to broaden their international awareness and would probably have done a better job as they are setting off devices daily in the Southern provinces.

"Ventura highway, in the sunshine"

2006-10-14T06:13:00.000+06:00

A few posts ago i wrote about the atmosphere of Don Muang airport at Bangkok. Well i am currently back in the States having left for Los Angeles from the glistening Suvanabhumi airport to the East of the city centre. I was pleasantly surprised at the ease of getting there, although almost the whole journey i was passing miles of stationary traffic going the other direction on the Bangna-Trat highway, and when i arrived it was pretty easy going to pass through the terminal and into the lounge area. The design of the airport is spacious and being Thailand of course there are airport staff everywhere to take care and generally smile and make people feel less stressed about any teething delays and troubles that might occur.

Completly unrelated, but the pic above is of a poster for my favorite band in BKK, T-Bone. They play Ska and if you have the chance to catch them then make sure you do!

So i left for the US after a full days working Monday in the office only to travel for 15 hours and then arrive on the same Monday evening on the West coast. The drive up Ventura highway to Thousand Oaks took me to a part of LA that i have never been to before and after 6 hours sleep i was up and ready to start work. The first mornings' dawn was lovely and i suddenly realised how close the hills and countryside are when you are in LA, in winter the West coast scenery is quite special and the following weekend i enjoyed driving through canyons and along the Pacific Coast Highway and trying not to start speaking like a surfer, dude!

One more week here then i will travel back over the ocean to Thailand and catch up on the latest on the coup, that is of course if they let me in as i will have to point out to the immigration officer exactly how he can squeeze yet one more arrival stamp into my passport..

Day 3.. more rumours..

2006-09-22T16:47:00.000+06:00

Just now i have been told from 2 different sides that something is going on very close to here in the centre of Bangkok, something like a demonstration or disturbance but nothing verified at all. This is in keeping with the general sense of nothing having changed but underneath some very real fears that problems may arise quite suddenly. Best thing to do is to stay in touch with the news but dont let every piece of information affect you until your really know what is going on. As for a typical Friday evening in Bangkok, well for me the usual choice would be to head to a bar near my home and relax and unless something major happens then i will still do just that! But always better to be safe than sorry right.

Coup Day 2

2006-09-21T18:07:00.000+06:00

Everything back to normal? well on the surface yes, but rumours still abound in Bangkok that there could be some reaction to Tuesday nights coup. The junta today have started to clamp down on some democratic freedoms including the right to form a political party and the martial law stops public gathering with more than 5 people. Outside of stopping football games i dont see this causing much issue just at the moment but it could be that if any pro-Taksin elements exist in the army then they will rise up sooner rather than later. Very little has been covered in the media about activities outside of Bangkok and here is where Taksin's party have always had their support, Bangkok is Bangkok, the rest of Thailand has a totally different political makeup.

Perhaps the feeling of back-to-business today is a sign that the interim period until new elections are put in place will be peaceful, but it could also be a false sense of security masking the fact that having a army in place at the helm could soon start to cause tensions that are also dealt with in a show of force. I trust in the people's love of the king and that any rocks in the path ahead can be smoothed with a simple word from his Royal Highness. Hopefully that will not even have to happen as influential Thai's get together, bash out a new constitution and take the opportunity to rebuild the democracy on a solid and fair basis..

20th September - Thai Coup Day 1

2006-09-20T05:36:00.000+06:00

Well it has been 6 months since i first really saw the writing on the wall for the PM Taksin but last night he was ousted in a coup held by the commander of the army Sondhi. Quite sureal to see it unfold in front of your eyes here in Bangkok and this morning it seems that no-one is quite sure what is really going on. There are rumours of violence in the Rattanakosin area of the city, although from here in Chidlom in the shopping district the only sign something is amiss are the troops stationed on intersections and an abulance which left heading in that direction with its sirens blaring.. it might well have come from the military hospital just further down the road.

Today has been announced as a public holiday but currently i am in the office at 6:00am waiting to do a remote training session for some guys in the US, another amazing thing about working with the timezones is that by the clock over there this has not even happened yet, lets wait and see what everyone knows by the time the rest of the world wakes up on Wednesday 20th September.

The longest flight from old Don

2006-09-10T00:27:00.000+06:00

Since i last posted i seem to have been everywhere, and nowhere at all! The major achievement during the last 2 months for me has been to take a brief 2-stage holiday in Thailand, first down on Ko Lanta with an old friend of mine from University and then over to Ko Chang for a really relaxing time playing around in the waves all day at lonely beach.. I can't say that i did a great deal during my time off, but that is exactly what i set out to do! before that i was back in Germany, the US and China working pretty hard so to spend time concentrating my mind only on playing cards and working out what to order from a menu for a week and a half felt like a medicine missing since last Christmas when my family came out for their hols!

The end of my vacation has somewhat predictably coincided with yet another trip to America. In my last post i said that New York is a long way East or West from Thailand, but this time i took Thai airways' flight TG970 direct to JFK and this makes it in just under 17hrs! The route heads due North from Bangkok over Laos, China and Mongolia and then across Russia to loop around the North Pole and down to the US over Canada. I can definitely now recommend this as the preferred way to get to the East Coast from SE Asia as i have done it via many different connections and this is certainly the easiest to handle. I left after having a couple of beers with some friends in Bangkok on Friday evening and now i have just finished lunch in Rhode Island on Saturday! The jet lag seems to be much more slight than usual as you go to sleep at midnight Bangkok time and have one very long nights rest before waking up at first light, ready to arrive into the US. -this of course if you can sleep on planes, so i can also recommend that you book using Premium Economy or Royal Silk class if possible!

So this trip is going to be (maybe counting my chickens to early here) my last in and out of Don Muang airport which on the 28th will be officially be replaced by Suvanabhumi as Bangkok's main airport. I have seen countless photos of the new airport and i flew over it very recently and actually i think it is quite an exciting prospect to go there soon and really have a good look at the place. One thing that perhaps will be missing will be the atmosphere that Don Muang has, it is probably undesirable to replicate the slighty peeling, musty and humid ambience of the old airport but there is no denying that Don Muang has a definite character to it! During my holiday i flew down to Krabi on Thai air, and being ushered through an indistinct door and the VIP domestic departure lounge, sitting amongst politicians and others before walking through almost covert corridors direct to the metal detectors had a 70's spy-era feel to it at Don Muang! i am not sure that the glitzy new terminal building will provide an equal experience now the modern and high tech has replaced the old guard but it will be a fantastic new airport for the region.

Newark-London-Bangkok-Jakarta

2006-07-17T04:02:00.000+06:00

Coming back to Thailand from the US is always a long journey however you take it. I looked at the flight details and other than a direct connection to Bangkok from New York it is 20 minutes longer to travel East from Newark airport than it is to go West! As I had an existing booking back home through London I managed at the last minute to call-up my old friends there and find myself a place to stay for the Friday night. After a night flight on Virgin and a trip from Heathrow through the tube I arrived pretty tired into Hampstead but was soon welcomed by my friend Eddie by having a lunch out in the summer sun and watching the World Cup. It really takes a lot to beat fine weather in the UK and wandering around Hampstead Heath it not only felt like being on holiday but I also felt pleased to be back in England again so soon and enjoying the pleasure of having a lazy day! That evening we did what the British do best and sat outside a pub eating and drinking, the main point of note was the £2.50 aviators that James brought along and everyone ended up wearing!

The next day I had another night flight to jump on back to Bangkok, to be honest any flight less than 14 hours does not seem to affect me now but I found that on this trip back my bodyclock travelled over the Pacific while I came back from the US over the Atlantic and the Indian oceans, I think we meet again about 3 days later in Thailand!

The following days back in Bangkok were basically taken up with catching up on admin, outstanding bills and preparing for a short visit to Jakarta. In between of course the distraction of the Word Cup caused much glee in the German restaurant I watched their game with Argentina and the following evening much trauma as England went out yet again to Portugal.. L

Sunday morning I flew to Jakarta for my first stay in Indonesia. The 3 hour flight is short but I can’t think of a closer place to Thailand were you can find such cultural difference. Indonesia, the 3rd largest democracy in the world and the largest Muslim country is a place on which you could write several books and still never really dig under the skin. Jakarta itself is a huge metropolis that in 2010 will have much more than 20million people and its long history as a trading port has made it one of SE Asia’s most important cities. My first impressions stuck in a traffic jam heading into the city centre were that of an African city in terms of the infrastructure, the commerce and the street layout. Once I arrived at the plush hotel the distinction between real life outside and the foyer inside were huge, this is something you are always somehow not as aware of in Bangkok. Later in the afternoon I walked down to the national monument and people came up to me to ask where I as from, could they have their pictures taken with me and generally treated me with a good deal of amusement! That evening at a breezy sundown I went out by the hotel pool and looked over a vast rundown housing area, with the call to prayer echoing around and the minarets poking out from the red tiled rooftops I was taken back to many nights watching the same scenes in Marrakesh. I have a plan to go back to Morocco on holiday in the Autumn and when I do I am sure that I will be reminded of Jakarta in the same way, the similarity is not just on the surface or due to religion but in the friendly albeit serious nature of the people. Indonesia has of course recently had disaster after disaster, the long term threats of separatism and radicalism and a chronic lack of investment per capita, but despite that I can see that the people are undertaking large steps in pushing themselves and their business forward. As one person I met told me in relation to the national football team however, the Indonesians want to score a goal for themselves every time and the lack of team work ultimately lets them down. Not sure is this one really applies to Africa, and in the current World Cup there are many more African teams than before so perhaps football can be a lesson for life and a lesson for the Asian countries to learn to act as a team?

Dave in the Apple

2006-06-14T20:16:00.000+06:00

So finally for all these trips to the US i made it to a place i have always wanted to go! New York. After an all to brief stopover back home in Bangkok I left once again for Germany (now even deeper into celebrating the World Cup) and then onto the East coast of America. Originally scheduled to stay for just 4 days I was asked (well pushed!) to extend my trip for another 2 weeks. This gave me the chance to call an old friend from Uni and arrange to meet him in Manhattan on Friday night. The plan was to go for a few drinks, some food and generally catch up on the last 4 years since Ric departed for LA and I went back up north from studying in Bristol together. We meet at the Phoenix Pub opposite Fox News and after a couple of pints headed across the city, over the East river and into Brooklyn. Ric has been living over there for more than 2 years and told me that the Williamsburg area has undergone a transformation since he first arrived, his girlfriend has lived there all her life and told me that 10 years ago it was a very poor area known for its social problems and street dangers. We went to a typical dinner for a late meal and then onto an impromptu art gallery followed by a quick visit to one of the artists workshops. This place deserves a post all of its own as I have never seen so many unique sculptures, artwork and 'installations' and had the freedom to walk around and really check them out.

The next day we woke up amazingly early to jump on the subway back over into Manhattan in time to watch England win very unconvincingly in their first game of the World Cup. After a wander around the Union square stalls and upto the Rockefeller centre we decided to join suit, buy a ball and go for a kickabout on central park. I am not sure what the American football players, baseballers, frissbiers and dogwakers thought of the two English guys booting a 'real' football up, down, into, over and across their paths but we certainly had a great time!

That evening on the way home we stopped in a nice cafe for a very expensive meal but sitting by the sidewalk in the fresh breeze watching New Yorkers walk by will stick in my memory for a long time.

Around the world in 13 days

2006-05-24T10:47:00.000+06:00

I have just got back from a business trip which took me first back to Europe in North Germany then to Los Angeles and then (thanks to my travel agent) to Hawaii! The work itself was certainly hard but it was nice to see Europe in spring as the weather was fantastic, also as the World Cup is about to start there seems to be a growing festival atmosphere in Germany. Talking to some locals there is a real fear that the infamous English fans amongst others will spoil the party with bad behaviour, it remains to be seen if this occurs but if it does it will further cement the reputation that always travels with the English Football Fan. Speaking of football I caught the first half of the Arsenal-Barcelona Champions League final whilst waiting for my flight to Honolulu, i had planned on waking up early to watch it but my jetlagged brain had miscalculated the time difference by a good 5 hours! and so i was resigned to watching the highlights the next night.

For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to go to Hawaii, unfortunately i was only on a one night stop over in Honolulu but i saw enough to confirm what i knew already; the scenery is really quite stunning, the first view I had of the islands was Mauni Kei's 4200m summit poking through the clouds from the plane window and the glimpses of Big Island I saw from 30,000ft really wet my appetite to return and explore. As for Honolulu itself I thought it was very dull, granted i was there on a weekday amid the throngs of Japanese tourists but i had heard that Honolulu was an entertaining place- perhaps i went to all the wrong places?!
The walk along the waterfront down into Waikiki is one long stretch of restaurants and hotel bars running alongside the beach. It would be a nice place to stop and eat and take in the ambience from the Hawaiian dancers and music that every hotel seems to have but there alone looking to watch the Arsenal game I felt in no mood for it. Eventually i found a half decent sports bar showing the replay and spent the night seeing Arsenal unluckily lose out in a final that no-one ever thought they would have got to.

Now back here in Bangkok and in the start of the rainy season the breezy spring weather of Europe seems a long way away but to no surprise I have another trip starting next week back there and this time I will make the short hop over to the UK. It will be interesting to see if anything has really changed since I have been away and I can’t wait to see my family and some of my friends. Also I will be watching the first England game of the World Cup in the traditional environment of a pub surrounded by old pals so win or lose it will be a great time.

Songkran!!

2006-04-10T18:07:00.000+06:00

If you are lucky enough to arrive into Thailand during the middle of April then chances are that your first experience of the countries’ famous smile will be on mischievous locals waiting by the side of the street with barrels full of water, many large buckets and huge water guns primed and ready to fire. “Sabai-Dee-Pi-Mai!!” they will shout as several of the filled buckets get thrown at your (hopefully closed) car windows- No this is not an unusual welcoming for tourists, this is Thai New Year!!..

Just as the temperature gets to its stifling peak and prior to the onset of the rainy season monsoon, Thailand and the other Buddhist Therevada countries such as Laos, Cambodia and Burma celebrate the Songkran festival. Today this festival is a period for people to return to their home towns, taking part in massive water fights and generally letting their hair down and having a great time. So how did this craziness all start? and how best to experience it?

History:
Traditionally the Songkran festival originated as the lustration ceremony, in which Buddha images from the temples are cleaned. In many cities, the Buddha statues are paraded through the streets, so that the townsfolk can throw water onto them as they pass. Another important custom at this time is that young people pour small amounts of lustral water onto the hands of their elders. People also carry handfuls of sand to their temple (to make up for the dirt that they take away on their feet throughout the year) this sand is then made into large sand castles and decorated- In general, Songkran is a time for cleaning and renewal and many Thais take this opportunity to give their home a thorough cleaning.

Strategy:
Tip 1: Have fun. Don’t take it seriously, get in there, get wet and have a great time! If you don’t like water enough to be walking around constantly damp all day and all evening then consider either changing your travel plans or purchasing a drysuit- no one is safe during Songkran, don’t think that disguising yourself as a Policeman or even Palace Guard will help as authority figures are certain targets for a drenching.

Tip 2: Motorbikes. It is strongly recommended to avoid high speed (plus 10km/hour) travel by motorcycle during Songkran as even if you think that throwing a bucket full of water at a rider on the Highway is madness it is quite possible that those laughing kids in the pickup truck ahead will not. Over three days during Songkran in 2005, over 500 people died and most where involved with motorcycle accidents so our suggestion is to stick to four wheels or better still two legs (its easier to duck or run away also!)

Tip 3: Firepower. There is always someone with a bigger weapon than you at Songkran, don’t think that your SuperSoaker5000 will be any match for the guys draining the river dry with a 6 inch water pump. Having said that from our personal experience don’t expect any mercy if you find yourself unarmed, alone, freezing cold and with a water damaged mobile phone on which to call in reinforcements so make sure you have some emergency water balloons or a bottle of ice water handy for such occasions. (Image from Changnoi.com)

Tip 4: Sunburn: Make sure you keep your self well protected from the sun, all the water getting thrown about may keep you cool and make you forget about the beating rays but when you get back to the safety of your lodging you will notice that you have become as red and sore as a boiled lobster.

Brutal karma at the shrine?

2006-03-22T15:01:00.000+06:00

On my daily walk to work yesterday there was something strange going on at the Rajprasong intersection. Usually there are many people milling around at the junction of Rajdamri and Ploenchit roads as one of the most famous shrine's in Bangkok, San Phra Phrom (or the Erawan) is positioned besides the crossing. The area around the scene was even busier today but as i approached i saw that the shrine was closed off with police tape and the actual statue itself was covered with white sheeting. Asking my usual coconut seller what had happened i got the answer that someone had hit the statue.. After further conversation in pidgin Thai I understood that it was someone considered 'crazy' and that they had used a hammer to damage the four headed image of Brahma. Further more during the incident a fight had broken out with the guy involved and he was tragically beaten to death by two street cleaners. Actually the answer i got did not make any of this very clear as obviously everyone was pretty agitated about what had just happened. Later that day more details leaked out and the death was confirmed in the press. I have yet to read the papers today but this picture I took shows the covered statue and the makeshift placement of offerings outside this revered shrine.

I am sure that the majority of people will consider the death to be a vicious Karma and will have little thought of wrong doing on the part of the killers, even if it is true that the man suffered from a mental illness. What it highlights to me is twofold; first that however placid and full of smiles Thai people are, that once pushed too far they can snap with real force and about things that may seem strange to those with little understanding of the local culture. Secondly, that the power of belief can be immensely deep and often causes actions out of odds with everyday behaviour, and the Buddhist religion- if you consider it a religion, contains an extremely diverse range of devotion and adherence.

Hopefully (for my coconut seller for one) the shrine will soon be repaired and open for the tourists and the devotees once again. I will also keep an eye on the trial of the two accused of this death, but I expect that the law will deliver a relatively lenient sentence, perhaps the thinking will be to allow Karma to judge the killers also?

More here from the real journo's..

Taksin's last stand?..

2006-03-14T09:11:00.000+06:00

So today is billed as 'D-day' for Taksin Shinawatra the caretaker PM of Thailand. Another mass demonstration is due tonight at the Sanam Luang parade/event ground close to the Grand Palace and it is widely believed that the mounting pressure will see the Premier stand down before the April 2nd snap elections. Taksin however has repeatedly stated that he will not stand down unless voted out or if his Majesty King Bhumibol tells him to go.

For those of you who have not been aware of recent events the main reason for the backlash against Taksin, who has presided over a fairly impressive economic rebound from 1999 is due to the sale of the Shinawatra family's Shin Corp communications company. The company was founded by Taksin and passed onto his family in the hope to ensure against the accusations that are now being levelled. It is alleged that Taksin manoeuvred the company using his influence and even by passing regulations within the communications industry to remove competition and guarantee contracts. One particular regulation that was passed by the Taksin government was to 'protect national interests' by restricting foreign investors from purchasing a majority stake in certain industries, this just happened to stop a well placed competitor from making use of foreign capital at a critical point and led to huge gains for Shin Corp. Then just last year this regulation was revoked and suspiciously soon after Taksin made a $1.9bil deal to sell Shin Corp to the Singaporean government’s Temesak holding. More recent revelations have brought more light on this merky deal as Taksin's son and daughter have been disclosed as purchasing an 11% stake on the eve of the deal!

Watch this space to see if Taksin manages to hold on or is forced out, it should be an interesting few weeks but I really hope that the protests are handled peacefully by the security forces; It would be terrible if as in 1992 there is violence. However I am not concerned about any wider trouble as regardless of politics the love of the Thai monarchy is so strong that His Majesty himself ensures the stability of the country.

Things you see in the park..

2006-03-06T09:44:00.000+06:00

I have written before about the many amazing, strange and wonderful things you can see in Lumpini park. This weekend walking back to have a bowl of noodles on the way home I saw this poor guy who must have dehydrated running around the track..

This was setup for a green tea advert, but what was really funny was the genuine look of concern from the people walking past!

This weekend I went over to Thonburi to spend the evening with some friends at a resteraunt/bar. I do not often go out over the other side of the river but this place was really lively and we had a great evening- the jokes were mostly at my expense (being the only Falang guy there) but what I have always found with Thai people is that their sense of humour and fun are not really pointed at anyone inparticular but rather at whoever will cause the most laughs!

A cartoon paints a thousand words..

2006-02-13T12:50:00.000+06:00

Party in the Beer Garden

2005-12-15T16:43:00.000+06:00

Yesterday I stopped by the beer garden after work for what was intended to be a quick drink and evening meal with one of my work colleagues. By chance a good friend of mine called me just before we left to go home and as I stood up to take the call I realised that she and her party were sat at another table just a few metres away. They had been there already for an hour or so and as it was a birthday celebration a few beer towers had already been consumed but naturally we joined them to start another! The live music that night was really great as some famous Thai singers were on stage and the atmosphere later turned into that of a typical rock concert! Actually the first singer on stage I really like and I was amazed to see someone I know providing the backing vocals for him- it was definitely a night of strange coincidences! The photo below shows the crowd going crazy to an act called Sak Loso:

What is funny about this photo is that guy taking a photo of me at the same time!

Shows..

2005-12-08T11:42:00.000+06:00

Back over to Singapore recently and I hoped to catch the opening of the Moulin Rouge cabaret at the Crazy Horse, usually cabaret's dont appeal to me but this one is world famous and I am told that the Crazy Horse has a great atmosphere. Unfortunately it has yet to open but I am sure I will be back down there soon or in the New Year. Singapore now has very late licenses and a multitude of places to go eat, drink, dance and have fun. This expansion of bar-culture is a fairly recent development to Singapore lifestlye as not that many years ago the only place to go after midnight was the 7-11 on Orchard Road! Now Singapore has a much more accepting society and government legislation is pushing for the country to become a lead destination in the region for tourism, included in this drive is the construction of a huge theme park and a 2 casino complex which provoked strong arguments for and against allowing the mass gambling. As with everything in Singapore the benefits for the economy won out and I understand that by 2009 the project will be complete, it is expected that annual revenue will top $1.5bil from the casino alone and that construction will cost around $5bil.

Having missed out in Singapore i could hardly turn down the offer to see a ladyboy show on my return to Bangkok. The cabaret is called Calypso and is held nightly in a club under the Asia hotel. I was surprised that the show was so expensive but we arranged 1/3 price tickets through a travel agent. It is quite professional and some of the ladyboys are remarkably pretty, not up to the standard you can see elsewhere in Bangkok however but i am not sure if i can recommend the other places to families etc!! At the end of the evening talking to my friend, i realised that although Singapore has the money to try and develop a tourist industry to compete with Bangkok it will never succeed in terms of the innate appeal. In recent years as Singapore has become less restricted Bangkok has had curfews and development in entertainment areas imposed- but i can never imagine a time when 'one night in Bangkok' will become 'one night in Singapore'.

Oktoberfest Bkk style

2005-11-24T18:33:00.000+06:00

Back in Bangkok now and the Christmas preparations are coming along at great speed. These last few weeks have been more hectic than usual due to my work in the States being delayed meaning that I flew all that way to simply turn around and come back again! Also all those flights must have caught up with me as I have spent the last few days in bed with a terrible flu not doing much other than sleep, watch a couple of DVD’s (chicken run is great BTW) and generally feel sorry for myself. One thing that has happened since I left and returned to Thailand is that the beer gardens have started to open outside the World Trade Centre (or Central World Plaza as it has been renamed -presumably after 9/11).

The beer garden season lasts from end of October through to New Years and the cool seasonal weather makes it a great time to sit out without air con and enjoy the shows, live premiership football, good food and of course the beer! Hopefully I will have recuperated enough by tomorrow evening as some of my work colleagues have a table booked and I would like to help them out with the towers of beer that will inevitably be involved, you can make one out in the pic.. It will be hard after this week but hey it is nearly Christmas and I am sure I will need the practice for New Years Eve..

Back East to the West Coast

2005-11-14T13:33:00.000+06:00

I had a late reprieve at 1:00am the night before I was intending to return to LA so the extra week in Thailand I spent getting a seemingly endless list of things done for myself and also at work. The new office we have moved into is beginning to take shape from the bareshell we started from and it really feels good to have our own place and the freedom that comes with it- I will upload some pics when the floor and ceiling are complete.

It was lovely to be back in my own bed and in the city I now call home for an additional week and last Saturday for the celebration of our company's one year anniversary we hired a wooden boat and cruised up and down the Chao Pyra river at night. Just before we meet at Taksin bridge to start the cruise a tremendous downpour passed over Bangkok and during the evening we had a spectacular lightning display to accompany us up and down the river. Everyone had a great night -even though I was roped in to help a friend of ours sing and play some guitar, the dangers of alcohol!

Now the week has passed and I find myself once again on the West coast, although this time I have decided to stay slightly further up towards LA near Seal Beach. I am hopeful this time that the hard deadline I have to be back in December will mean that all the work gets done so I don’t have to return too soon- this is not a slate on California as the place is beautiful and the people are nice but I seem only to be able to think about Christmas holiday now and diving into a sea warm enough not to need a wetsuit! Roll on Ko Chang that it what I say..

Getting ready for Christmas

2005-11-06T08:45:00.000+06:00

After a painful journey back to Thailand through Taipei and Singapore I have had a crazy week taken up by moving our company's office and waiting in various bureaucratic offices including a high speed motorcycle dash to the police station (don't ask!) to renew my Visa and Work Permit. BTW: For anyone unfortunate enough to manage their legal status alone in Thailand then I recommend thaivisa.com for a good place to start, the info there is very up-to-date and the forum site has some good reading on life for expats in Thailand. Luckily for me our corporate secretary arranges the many piles of paperwork and points out exactly where in all the Thai script I have to sign.

Returning to Bangkok after sleepy Orange County is enough to wake up even the worst jet lag and so just hours after I arrived I went out to eat with my work colleagues to celebrate the anniversary and relocation of our company. Walking down to a nearby restaurant from my house I saw that the Christmas decorations outside the Four Seasons hotel have started going up. 'Far too early!' I hear you cry, and usually I would agree but if last year is anything to go by then the guys wrapping the fairy lights around the palm tree's are not going to finish for at least another 3 weeks anyhow!

Last chance for the BTS?

2005-10-27T01:06:00.000+06:00

After my previous post regarding Bangkok's stalled long term transport plans I have been keeping an ever-more interested eye on the BTS extension debate- BTS is the city’s skytrain transport system. Recent developments in this story have been full of intriguing insights into Thai politics: on the side for the extension you have the democrats including BMA Governor Apirak Kosayodhin, on the other you have the ruling party Thai Rak Thai and the Prime Minister Taksin Shinawatra who are desperate for the Democrats not to make any political gain from the BTS.

(The end of the line at Chao Pyra bridge- Source: 2Bangkok.com)
Apirak once again restarted the extension proposal after it was cancelled by TRT when he announced that the city council could offer the 2bil baht required instead of the government. TRT then responded by saying that first the city council would have to vote in favor of the extension and then the request be submitted to an as yet unformed(!) authority the Mass Transit Board. Last week the first council meeting to decide the funding was postponed as 18 TRT officials failed to turn up to vote after a break for lunch! But now finally this 'political football' (as it has been named by 2bangkok.com the source for most of this material) looks like it has been kicked towards the goal of the BTS extension and the home supporters of Thonburi- as yesterday the city council managed to convene (presumably before midday!) and voted without exception to provide 1.9bil baht to Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to complete the line.

Now the ball now lies back at the foot of PM Taksin and awaits approval by the MTB which he will lead, so unfortunately the final act of this particular phase of the BTS extension saga looks like it will be Taksin again kicking the ball out of touch. Alternatively, if Taksin and the MTB give into to public pressure and approve the extension the good news for Thonburi and the Democrats will undoubtedly cause a good deal of unrest in the TRT party ranks and may come back to haunt the PM during election time. I am going to continue to watch this, perhaps one day I will report that I have taken one of the first trains over the river and that finally old and new Bangkok have a mass transport link?

The US Midway, San Diego.

2005-10-23T01:21:00.000+06:00

After a spot of work and a change of hotels last weekend I drove further down the coast to San Diego on Sunday to hang out and have a look around. One of the first things I noticed when I arrived was the aircraft carrier Midway sitting close to the downtown area of the city. The carrier has been turned into a museum and you can get to see nearly all of the carrier that was built in the 40’s and was in active service until the 90’s and the first Iraq war. The ship has been reconfigured throughout its life and it is a awesome sight to see the size of the thing and walk around its vast main hanger and 1000ft long flight deck- For only $5 you get a free audio tour and it takes about 3 hours to do the full circuit which I think is a pretty good price.

If you are in the area I can definitely recommend this as a good day out especially if you have kids as you are pretty much free to mess and touch all the dials, knobs, lights, switches, bombs, guns (all difused I am sure!) and get up close to fighter planes and choppers. Just over the harbour from the Midway the huge and modern carrier Ronald Reagan was in berth, looking at these things makes you realise the awesome power and reach of the US military. A really interesting exhibit I saw was the account of the Midway’s time in Japan. The carrier was placed there against the rising threat of the USSR and to protect America's Asian friends in the 70’s. For me the best thing about this museum is that it gives you a sense of how it must have been to live aboard such a carrier and also the many different political climates that the Midway has been through. The photo alongside shows a Huey attack helicopter from the Vietnam war, in the background you can see the carrier's control tower and the downtown skyline.

Hollywood and The OC Riviera

2005-10-18T10:01:00.000+06:00

After last weekend's failed attempt to watch the footy I woke up late on the Sunday and drove up the busy freeways into LA central. 'When in Rome do as the Romans' goes the phrase and I think the most stereotypical 'LA' thing to do is drive your oversized car absolutely everywhere and generally in a fairly rushed and hectic manner preferably whilst disregarding the notions of fast, slow and passing lanes. After leaving my trusty steed in a dubious car park I spent an hour or so wandering (yes really, I walked!) around Chinatown- which I found pretty much devoid of any Asian atmosphere aside from an excellent circus performer. I then drove onwards up to the Griffith Observatory that sits on the edge of Griffith park. The views overlooking the city from these hills was well worth the drive and I even did some more walking (shock, horror) along a trail to a view point looking towards the famous Hollywood sign. At this point I realised I had not really got into the tinsel town vibe and although I am sure for movie buffs this area is fascinating, I don’t think I will endeavor to return and cruise along Melrose and do the studio tours- I think my precious free time is better spent down by the Pacific:

This view is looking over a bay just near Laguna Beach along from Newport and Balboa. I went down there last Saturday to spend some quality time doing not a fat lot! The town is advertised as part French Riviera, part Sicily with a dash of Spain thrown in for good measure and the description is surprisingly accurate and I thought not really because of the architecture or location but more because of the vibe of the place. All these affluent coastal areas in South Orange County are obviously very expensive areas to live but I found everyone I met there very friendly, laid back and down to earth- much like everyone else I have met whilst here in South California.

The west side

2005-10-08T22:50:00.000+06:00

Since I have arrived I have had little time to look around LA or Orange County, but last sunday I spent the afternoon down at a couple of local beaches. I drove there without the aid of the 'neverlost' gps device in my car as it is always easy to find the beach in California- just head west until you run into it! This picture is from Huntington beach pier and in the foreground you might just make out surfers who from about halfway down the pier are catching the waves and surfing just a few yards out from the pier. It is really nice to have such a good aerial view of a sport that is usually watched from the shore and I also captured some video on my phone which I will upload at some point.

Working here on Pacific time is hard when you have friends and collegues to contact in Europe and Asia, we have been starting early to keep in touch with support in Germany and I am finishing late as Thailand wakes up just as I get back to the hotel. Like many people today the best way for me to keep in touch (even if they are in the office next door!) is via skype and I have been spreading the word whilst here in America. One thing that is not available on the net in the States is that you do not have access to (even it seems via the bbc website) the England world cup qualifying games.. I mean say you want to watch football to an American and you just cause confusion and then usually slight offence: "that's not football!". So now, armed with my trusty 'neverlost' I am going to hunt down a place showing the game- If i do manage to find a screen with the match then I will post the location for future stranded travellers.

From one City of Angels to another

2005-09-26T09:24:00.000+06:00

Today was the longest day of my life. Waking at 5:00am to the very first hints of light in Bangkok I hurried to finish packing my cases whilst struggling to wake up. After calling in at our office tower and taking in the view for perhaps the last ever time I flew down the expressway in a typically noisy and decrepit taxi to Don Muang airport. The next thing that sticks in my mind is boarding the packed 747 to Osaka and regarding my economy class seat that was to be my berth for the next 17 hours with absolute disdain- a hamster would have complained about the leg room! In fact this was the second time I had traveled to Osaka in the same week as I left on a red-eye night flight on the previous Tuesday and returned on the Thursday evening, now two days later the flight passed quicker and surprisingly more comfortably.

At 15:00 Kansai airport was beautiful shrouded in a sea mist and I took the 30 minutes break from my assigned seat of pain as an opportunity to check if my legs were still capable of walking, stretching and bending out of the prone position. Looking across the water over to the edge of Osaka I remembered eating and chatting on Wednesday night with my old friend Andy and wondering what he would be doing on such a sleepy looking Sunday. Then just as my knees felt like joints again we were herded back into the same seats for the leg to LA. Being my first trip to the US and having a fairly daunting work schedule ahead it was with some trouble that I fell asleep. Today is the 25th of September and it marks exactly my first year living in Thailand first- In my mind I tried to recall almost everything I had done, accomplished, eaten and enjoyed and soon I fell into a contented slumber.

Arriving at 11:00 am into Los Angeles and I could not understand that it is still Sunday, In fact I am still not sure what time it really is?!.. Surviving immigration, customs, and the drive to my hotel in a strange car on the wrong side of the road took a great effort and I can not tell you a great deal about what I have seen as I simply concentrated on driving and following the instructions given by the on board navigator: “Turn right, immediately!” - I write this now at 20:30 and I know that the longest day of my life is finally about to end in a lovely deep sleep..

Where I would rather be right now..

2005-09-14T12:09:00.000+06:00

A Manchesteresque rain that looks like it could have blown straight in off the Yorkshire moors has been beating into my window all day. These guilty clouds of a particularly grey quality remind me of looking straight up out of bed and thinking how on earth I was to make it to work through the cold and drizzle surrounding Macclesfield.. Thankfully that sinking feeling seems like a distant life away, but on days like this I still think of sunny beaches, lazy mornings into afternoons and chasing fishes through warm salt water, perhaps it is the remnants of Seasonal Affected Disorder that lingers in me somewhere!

This photo (Thanks Mum!) was taken coming back from Ko Wai, a small island very close to Ko Chang in Trat province. Ko Chang is a large island some 30km in length with a series of nice beaches down the West coast and very quiet fishing villages scattered along the East coast. The jump off points for Ko Chang are ferry boat piers that take bus passengers from Bangkok's Ekamai station direct to the island, alternatively it is possible to take a boat that stops in Ko Chang but carries onto the many smaller and usually unvisited islands south of Ko Chang. If you are looking to escape the eternal British winter, or even just the end of the rainy season here in Thailand, you could do a lot worse than playing at Robinson Crusoe down in this area. Don’t be surprised to see me snoozing in a hammock or playing keep-me-ups down there.. I'l be the one supping a fresh young coconut or two with a big grin on my face..

Musings on the side effects of being an oil-aholic..

2005-09-08T16:55:00.000+06:00

Currently much newspaper print has been devoted to the apparent linkage of hurricane Katrina that has just drowned New Orleans and the Iraqi debacle.. the quoted common cause is the world's total energy reliance on oil with the subsequent knock on effects of global warming and the need to secure foreign oil reserves. Now the US and her allies has always backed up its Iraqi action on the basis of the war on terror, human rights and the need to dispose a dangerous dictator whilst strongly rejecting any accusations of oil grabbing.

Additionally I am sure that you would be hard pressed to find many US officials linking global warming and the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Another analogy that is increasingly drawn over the other (US) side of the Pacific is the comparison of today's Iraq with the conflict in Vietnam. This is, for everyday Americans a very compelling argument to pull out of Iraq and one that I feel the Bush government will play on to extract itself from Baghdad as soon as a US friendly government is in place… regardless of the reality of the 'democracy' they will have installed:
(Cartoon: Thanks to Steve Bell and The Guardian, again!)

City transport planning: BKK style

2005-08-31T08:51:00.000+06:00

When I first came to Thailand in 1998, the first phase construction of the Skytrain (BTS) was nearing completion and everyone was really looking forward to being able to travel around the city with ease. When I returned on holiday last year I used it for the first time and was amazed that a journey that used to take 2 hours in a car could now be done in 15 minutes and cheaply to boot. The city now also has a subway system that interconnects to the BTS and the new airport being constructed in the east of the city will have a direct light-rail connection into the city. Now all this has, and will make living in Bangkok all the easier but the reality is still a long way from the original grand visions for the transport network..

This map shows a commonly referenced city plan for public transport, the BTS lines are marked in light (Sukumvit line) and dark green (Silom line) the existing MRT subway is marked in dark blue and all the other lines are planned extensions to MRT/BTS and the now under construction light rail link to the new airport (pink line). One of many transport headaches in Bangkok is the cross river traffic- the original intention was always to provide Thonburi on the west side access to both BTS lines. However, the Silom line ends abruptly at the Chao Pyra river- despite the bridge and the causeway for the tracking already being in place right the way into Thonburi!

Last month everything became clear when a public announcement was made canceling all Skytrain extensions, the main reason being that the ruling party Thai Rak Thai do not want the Democratic party (whose allies own the BTS private company) to gain any political advantage by completing the extension. The planned purple and orange MRT lines have also just today been cancelled despite the government pushing these as one of their main policies during the recent re-election campaign. It remains to be seen whether the red MRT line survives to finally provide a cross river link, but perhaps now the best chance for the ever-suffering car drivers of Thonburi is in waiting for a change of government and the subsequent rapid completion of the Silom extension.

A mixed bag for Japanese remembrance

2005-08-18T16:43:00.000+06:00

As well as the anniversary of the atomic blasts mentioned in a previous post, this week also saw the anniversary of the Japanese 'liberation' over the Russians. This naval and land victory in 1905 signaled to the world that Japan had truly arrived on the world political stage and the change of influence from Russia to Japan in Manchuria caused China to reassess Japan as a strategic threat. Manchuria has been battled over and disputed for centuries and these conflicts are certainly still felt today with the tensions on the Korean peninsula and public Chinese-Japanese animosity.

The above history came to my attention as I have been in Japan working for the last 4 days and the unique culture of Japan is certainly tied in with its recent past. I was lucky enough to have time during my trip to stop-by the Ofuna Kannonji temple in Kamakura. The building of this temple on a small hill overlooking Ofuna commenced in 1929 and the temple's highlight is the beautiful white Buddha statue with a serene meditating face (which I believe is originally an Indian form). Ironically for a temple devoted to eternal world peace, the construction was discontinued due to heavy bombing during WWII and it was not until 1961 that the statue was finally completed.

Returning from Tokyo last night I spent most of the flight reading various opinions on the decision by Prime Minister Koizumi's not to attend Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine which is widely opposed in Asia from the opinion that this shrine commemorates war criminals. Whilst I feel that Koizumi's move should be applauded, I still think that more needs to be done to find a way forward to ease the political friction between Japan and her neighbors. Japan is already playing a key part in the growing Asian markets and with tighter integration and co-operation would really help the whole region as it takes on the Western powers once again, this time in peaceful but aggressive economic battle.

What lies between Teheran and the bomb?

2005-08-09T09:13:00.000+06:00

Jon Snow of Channel 4 News (UK) asked yesterday, "So what lies between Teheran and The Bomb then?" The answer he got was "Oh, about ten years." –

Iran announced yesterday that she has started uranium conversion for energy production purposes at its Isfahan facility (Photo from AP). Washington in particular believes Iran’s nuclear program is aimed at producing weapons- Now how long it really takes, the reasons and the eventual repercussions of Iran’s nuclear ambitions are all up for debate.. What is sure is that the announcement comes from a new hard-line Government at a time of great change and rebalancing in the middle east. Also worthy of note is the role Iran and Syria are playing behind the scenes in Iraq and the pressure that is starting to mount on them both from the US and its allies.

As a reflection on all that, today is the anniversary of the last atomic explosion used in anger (and I hope the last ever) over Nagasaki in Japan. Sometimes the limits of mankind’s destruction seem boundless, I have seen that in the cemeteries for war victims (including of the Japanese invasions of WWII) and equally in the instant vaporizing of 140,000 human beings by atomic device. I certainly believe in a world free of the nuclear threat but I also believe that hypocrisy will not stop proliferation, but rather the countries that have arsenals should set the lead and give them up.

“(Aug6) Hiroshima's Mayor Akiba delivered an eloquent plea for the abolition of nuclear weapons. "The city of Hiroshima," he stated, "along with the Mayors for Peace and our 611 member cities in 109 countries and regions," had declared the period through the following August a "Year of Remembrance and Action for a Nuclear-Free World." The goal would be the signing of a Nuclear Weapons Convention in 2010 and the abolition of nuclear weapons by 2020.” http://japanfocus.org/article.asp?id=336

The underground jungle of Bangkok

2005-08-01T16:48:00.000+06:00

So another week starts and still the weekend has not totally finished- at least not for my poor sleep deprived brain cells. On Friday I went to a as-yet still unopened club called Astra that has been getting increasingly popular and checked out some of the English drum and bass DJ's who play in SE Asia. Astra could not be any more different from the other places it neighbors on RCA and is doing a great job of creating a venue for an up and coming local scene. The atmosphere at this club is always lively and makes a really welcome change from the obligatory commercial hiphop that is blanket played across the city. In contrast to UK drum and bass culture, people really seem to go out to nights like this in Bkk for the fun, music and to meet other like minded people- certainly not because of any 'attitude' that tags along. I strongly suggest you take a look at www.bangkokrecorder.com for reviews and details of similar events.

A Christmas story

2005-07-26T11:29:00.000+06:00

When I came to from the day after "almost the Mother of all hangovers", something was wrong.. In fact there was three things: 1) it was far to early, 2) I had yet to open my presents and 3) I felt a damm sight worse than the day before.. Christ I felt afloat? I was sure that I had left those beers in the fridge well alone last night, and why were my bedrooms blind’s banging back and forth into the window? I fell out of bed, staggered like a drunk to the bathroom thinking it must be a serious illness, grabbing onto the basin to maybe throw-up I could then feel that it was not just my brain vibrating like a strange drum but the whole apartment block.. Running back to the window and the increasingly dancing blinds, I could see the water in the pool far below sloshing up and down in one big wave, it was like a giant had lifted one end of a paddling pool and let it drop. My mind turned over, Earthquake. shit, now what do I do?? As I raced to put on my shorts and a tshirt to bolt down the stairs I suddenly had a visualisation of dieing running down the 13 floors as the building collapsed. I took the easier option that any child would and cowered under my pillow in bed waiting for the ceiling to come down, eventually the movements stopped and inexplicably I drifted into sleep.

Over the next few hours before the waves struck the various coasts, I dreamt of being trapped in a beach-front hotel as first one floor and then the next and then the next got submerged under a steady but unstoppable tide. I can still remember how I escaped to the safety of a hill and could only watch as other guests screamed and jumped from their rooms as if from the Twin Towers.. Later that afternoon I would realize just how scary this premonition was.

A few dazed days later on New Year's Eve I was sitting listening to Jazz in my local bar, I asked the quiet but friendly looking guy next to me how he was doing. "I'm am Ok" he said with what I thought was a smile but there was also something undescernable in his eyes. "Where are you from?" I asked, he paused "North Sumatra". Then he looked at me to see if I understood. Clearly I could never understand. Later he told me that he had just that day found out his family survived, but the town he lived in simply did not exist anymore and nearly eveyone else who lived there was missing.

The reason I posted this is that today I saw this photo of a town in N.Sumatra. This site has more stunningly tragic photos.

A tuktuk virgin no more

2005-07-25T13:14:00.000+06:00

The following is an extract from my friend's account of his first (and I hope not last) visit to Bangkok, for anyone who has ever been on a tuktuk in Krung Thep I am sure this rings a few bells..

"I, in my excuse, had no frame of reference for the correct price to pay a toothless lunatic to drive us through the town on another mangled mix of transportation means (this time a milk float crossed with a moped dashed by a carnival float for colour and the smell of what might happen if you showered a very smelly man in Green curry). In the end, after bravely bargaining him down an impressive 20p, we were off. And again Bangkok gave us that feeling of high happy as we both for the first time flew through this crazed city, gripping on to anything we could hold onto as the milkped darted and danced around the fat columns of stuck cars and trucks.." - A.Talbot 07/05

I may publish some more of Andy's account if and when my lawyer succeeds in having him remove the slanderous claims he makes against me.. However, I must say that it was a pleasure to catch up after 3 years and also all my thanks and deep respects to my other friends who have been over in the last few months. I realise that for everyone coming over from Europe it is at no little expense and I appreciate your visits greatly, for everyone else yet to make it then I intend over the next few weeks to upload a few retrospective posts of my times here in Asia. I hope that in some small way they tempt you to book that flight and see where these midnight tuktuks can take you..

Asalaha Bucha and The Beast Of Lumphini

2005-07-21T08:49:00.000+06:00

Today is a full moon and being the eighth lunar month it marks the day that the Lord Buddha gave his first sermon called "Dhamma-cakkappavattana Sutta" or the Discourse on Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion. The day is called Asalaha Bucha and in the Buddhist calendar it is a very sacred day that precedes the Buddhist lent and honors the community of the monks. In Thailand, Asalaha Bucha is a public holiday and people will go to the temples to make merit and abstain from drinking alcohol (well most people at least!). As for me, I have to work today although I do get tomorrow off and I will be leaving Bangkok for a long weekend in Kanchanaburi..

Two Sundays ago, my friend James and I went down to my local park Suan Lumphini to lie down and basically try and recover from a fairly heavy Saturday night. Lumphini park was built during the reign of King Rama IV who apart from making a lovely park also managed to have 80 odd children and 40 something wife's!. Lumphini is without a doubt one of my favorite places to relax and it is home to an amazing selection of wildlife, I enjoy checking out the water lizards and this particular day we spotted a really large beast that I captured on my phone camera (excuse the lack of zoom). I think the lizards are Malayan water monitors (Varanus salvator) and a friend of mine recently saw one struggling for half an hour to eat a terrapin, eventually the lizard just swallowed him down shell and all!

City of Angels (and traffic jams)....

2005-07-20T15:42:00.000+06:00

My 10 minute journey to work was delayed by an hour today as a large protest blocked the road outside the Securities Exchange Commission near my office. Generally speaking if you close a road for 3 minutes in central Bangkok at rush time then you get horrific grid lock so it is a really efficient form of protest. It turns out that the demo was against a brewing company who makes ‘Chang’ beer and is attempting to float on the Thai stock market. This flotation has meet with fierce resistance in the press and much reported 'public uproar' over the terrible example to the Thai public that it sets (?) Hmm.. Personally I think a demonstration against the US at their embassy just opposite would be a much more moral cause..

The picture attached shows you a typical ominous afternoon during the rainy season here in Bangkok. The daily pattern is generally like this: The day starts off pretty cool (less than 28) and with not much breeze.. After 10:00am the heat is heading above 32 but still is not too humid but by lunchtime however it will be over 35 and getting sticky. Now sometime after 13:00 the wind will suddenly pick up and the clouds usually come in from the W-SW... What happens next is predictable enough but can be amazingly dramatic, last week for example 100mm of rain was dumped down in 2 hours. These downpours often turn roads to rivers and create instant queues of cars, motorbikes, tuktuks, taxis, buses, songthaews and lorries that can extend for kilometres.. Krung Thep the City of Angels? Sure, now where do I buy a set of wings!

London bombings

2005-07-15T10:35:00.000+06:00

Sorry to start on a downer but for my first ever post I thought I would mention the London blasts. I could not help thinking before the events that it was just a matter of when, not if the UK would be attacked. In the light of the bombings I found Steve Bell's cartoon on observing the silence in Baghdad particularly poignant as the bombings in London came at a time when on average 800 people die every month in Iraq from terror attacks.