Remember Those Days: Little Buddha

Today, July 8th, is Buddhist Lent Day or Vassa. Being quite a good Buddhist as I am, I think I have to talk about it a little bit.

Vassa, also called Rains Retreat, is the traditional retreat during the rainy season lasting for three lunar months from July to October. During this time Buddhist monks remain in a single place, generally in their temples. In some monasteries, monks dedicate the Vassa to intensive meditation. During Vassa, many Buddhist lay people reinvigorate their spiritual training and adopt more ascetic practices, such as giving up meat, alcohol, or smoking… (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vassa)

Being not the good Buddhist as I previously claimed, let’s talk Buddhism in an entertaining way. How about a movie? This movie was released in 1993 and directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. It’s called Little Buddha. The film intertwined two precious stories together: a pursuit of reincarnation of Lama and the story of Lord Buddha himself. The flick is my precious memory as well.

Why I consider it as one of my good memories ?

The answer is so simple. The first time I watched Little Buddha was like an outing to me. We an elementary students could go out of school in the restricted time and paraded on buses to a theater. It was a fresh and fun activity for children. And both quality doubles when I’d shared this experience with the whole class of my friends. I’m still impressed with the movie and even have the DVD at home. But that wasn’t the point. The most important message conveyed in the movie is the great teaching of Lord Buddha. Unfortunately, I realize about this value when I grew much older. That’s fine. At least, the movie sooner or later makes me realize about something.

So I leave you now on the beautiful movie from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTbVVbDpGzM&feature=related

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTbVVbDpGzM&feature=related]

Remember Those Days: Nang Klang Plaeng (Open-air Cinema)

Hear a reel’s rolling? See a flash of light to that silver screen?

Today I take you back in time to meet one of my hidden drawer of memories when I was still a little child. It’s the time beyond this digital age. The time when EDGE or 3G didn’t exist. The time when color TV was just released to market and we were crazy about it like Blackberry. It’s the classical time of Nang Klang Plaeng or open-air cinema.

In the old days, when the festive seasons like songkran or other community ceremonies, rolled around in suburb area where I was born and raised, one activity often held is the open-air cinema. The show is usually free for public as it was a treat by a host of each ceremony. It was always held at night when the wether is perfect for being out under the sky.

I think our Nang Klang Plaeng can be compared to your drive-through movie. They are the show that gathers lots of people together outdoor in the same place just to watch the same movie, except that Nang Klang Plaeng normally took place in a rice field after harvest or somebody’s unused land. Plus, while you were having popcorn in your hands, we could have some grilled meat balls or rolled squid.

I still remember that I went to this kind of show a couple of times with my family. The picture is clear in my head. Taking with us was blankets, sheets, and small pillows, we took the best area we could find. My brother was on my left and my mum and dad were in the back. The blanket was the most effective weapon to fight back my fear of ghost in the movie by means of covering myself with it.

As EGV, IMAX or whatever brands fulfilled our desire for entertainment, it’s hard to find the open-air cinema, except in the rural Thailand. I’m now far and far from it, no direct experience with it anymore as I move to BKK. But everytime I look back to those days, I can hear the rolling voice of the reel and the smell of meat balls and the harsh feeling of grass beneath me.

Don't Let Jealousy Get the Best of You

When the red and yellow teams get diminished from the limelight. We now have another talk of the town: the panda team and the elephant team. Some people stirs thing up when it seems like the two panda Chuang Chuang and Linhui and their unnamed baby steal all the attention. The elephant lovers then come up with a mocking idea. Elephants're disguised as pandas! Ouch! That hurts!



Thanks for photo from matichon online

Why Transformers Don't Exist in Thailand

The action-packed movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is something I love lately. I found a hilarious and creative forum in pantip.com that is, more or less, connected to the flick. http://www.pantip.com/cafe/chalermthai/topic/A8016156/A8016156.html It’s about ‘why transformers don’t exist in Thailand’

The autobots and the decepticons are planning to hide themselves in the other planet since their own star was ruined by the battle.



Finally they decided to land on a planet called ‘Earth’ Some of them crash landed on a city of angel Bangkok where ‘Patpong’ and ‘Soi Cowboy’ can be spotted from their distance home.



As one of the robots transforms into a green minibus, he knew that he made a mistake. There’re plenty of reasons for that. He’s sick of crowded passengers on him and most of the time a driver drove insanely. But he can do nothing about it as people will know that he’s in disguise.



Some of the robots shape shifted as taxis or buses, running around Bangkok. You may be a passenger on that transformed vehicles!



The sickest problem for most transformers in BKK is that they always get stuck in the traffic for a long time. So they always dream of their own home where they can run freely without intersections, red light, traffic jam, and bad drivers as their obstacles.



Sometimes, unlucky autobots are attacked, not by the decepticons but by humans! The popular means of attack is to throw a big chunk of rock into the moving vehicles.



Robots, who have learnt from mistake and know never to transform into cars in Bangkok, choose to planes. But they’re wrong! Again! Because an airport was held hostage by some group of protesters, they can’t land when they want to.



The autobots and the decepticons have to pick which side they’re in. There’re yellow and red team to choose from.



With all the frustrating problems they confronted in Thailand, both autobots and decepticons can do nothing but cry.

That’s the end of the story of autobots and decepticons in Thailand. Hope you enjoy it:)



PS. Million thanks for photo from Khun littlegun@pantip.com.

When the Rain Comes

Just want to share a wonderful moment with you guys. A Siam tulip fields in Pa Hin Ngam National Park in Chaiyaphum. The flowers bloom in the rainy season, around June to August in Thailand. If you want to have an unforgettable memory like mine, go and prove it with your own eyes.

Know more about Chaiyaphum here: http://www.tourismthailand.org/attraction/chaiyaphum-36-4554-1.html

Tribute to Sunthorn Phu

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrKa2XFUKHo]

Above video is a Thai animation called Sudsakorn, a spin-off from epic poem Phra Apai Manee composed by one of greatest Thai poets Sunthorn Phu. Just to remind us that today’s is Sunthorn Phu’s day.

Tattoo, too much?

Remember those 5-row tattoo on Angelina Jolie’s sexy back? I’m not sure whether Jolie’s popularity or the magic of the sacred tattoo itself or both encourages another Hollywood star Brittany Daniel to recently fly to Thailand for the first time, not for a trip to Koh Paghan. But for Ajarn Noo Kanpai. A man behind Jolie’s 5-row tattoo.

In Thailand, we have more than graphic or fashion tattoo to offer you. We have another kind that involves dark magic and needs your belief: a magic tattoo or Sak Yan. The tattoo can be divided into four main patterns:

• Round Tattoo: this type means a face of Buddha.


• Triangle Tattoo: this shape represents the Trinity or the Three World.


• Square Tattoo: it means the four continents or four elements.


• Picture Tattoo: this pattern can vary to many different pictures, such as angels, animals, and etc.

Each magic tattoo has a specific power of its own, for instance, the lion magic tattoo will empower the owner with prestige. For the celebrities’ 5-row tattoo, it will grant the owners life improvement, especially in career and love issues. Ajarn Noo Kanpai insisted that the tattoo owners must have a strong belief in the power of tattoo, then its power can be real.

The magic tattoo rite doesn’t finish by wiping blood out from tattooed areas and giving customers Motrin. There’re more sessions coming after this. An incantation process. This step ensures that the magic tattoo would release its power definitely.

Although the Thai magic tattoo gains so much faith in its believers, I don’t buy such the magic. At all. Does the tattoo work help to improve your career if you just sit back and relax and won’t put your 100% into work? I don’t believe in the face of Buddha but I do trust in his teachings. Nothing can control destiny, but action.

Thanks for photo from bp.or.th

Words Etched From Memory

Written words have become part of our everyday life, we daily use words in such a perfunctory fashion, hardly ever give it much thought.

Each one of us have our very own sets of habitual words that we use to translate our thoughts, in an instant, into conversation or as me right now, with this blog.

However, there are people out there that have made studies of words and make us re-examine our relationship with words.

One international renown artist that comes to mind is Ed Rucha whose work is highly influential and uniquely himself.

HOLLYWOOD IS A VERB. © Ed Ruscha. Edward Ruscha Studio.

Right here in Bangkok, there is another artist that makes his art with words, the print maker, Kitikong Tilokwattanaothai.

Kitikong uses words as starting points of his art, to set the context and use them to flesh out shapes, forms and colours associated with these words.

You can view his recent etchings, entitled Visionary Word at Art Republic, but do hurry as it ends this Saturday! Here is taste of what you can expect.

© 2009 Kitikong Tilokwattanaothai

His etchings are atmospheric, very tactile and feed into the world where form exists for form sake. It remoinds me of children learning to write and much more! But don't quote me on this! Here is the blurb from the gallery, but better still go and see for yourself

" Visionary Word " is the combination of patterns, lines and the connection between each visual element.

Words don't always have to be expressed in literal forms, but can also be derived from abstract forms such as art.
This exhibition reads like an open diary, including all the elements of the artists emotions, thoughts and observations. The diary itself takes the form of a blank sheet, and the words instead become a whirlwind of colours, paint and lines, shaping the artists perspective onto a series of etchings.

If you like art and know of new and exciting exhibitions by up and coming contemporary Thai artists then let us know. We love to hear from you!

A wise man once said ...

Now just listen to this:

"Looking for peace is like looking for a turtle with a mustache."

Right all you idealists out there, don't react just yet but simply take this sentence in. This does not say we should not have pace, man! :)

But it seems just the right thing to contemplate, right now, when so many places in our world are facing political uncertainty and that includes Thailand!

Now humour me. Are you sitting comfortably? Relax and focus your mind. Bring up the trouble in the southern Thailand, how does that make you feel? Stress?

Right, now stop all that, take a deep breath, may be a couple more and watch this video.

Feeling better? Then imagine a gang of people looking for a turtle with a whiskers! You're smiling now, right! See that thought at least, makes you feel at ease. Just conjuring up the image of people searching for a turtle with a moustache alone has lightened the mind!

And To think that this is what we do all the time, going round wishing for something troublesome to end or change because our ideology demands an end to situations. Most of the time we cannot even comprehend the cause of the situation.

You might think that in certain situation we must force a resolution to stop the violence and I do agree as in some cases we cannot stand idle. But how many times now have we stepped in, not understanding why and made things worse, much worse.

Now let me quote you the whole saying:

Looking for peace is like looking for a turtle with a mustache: You won't be able to find it. But when your heart is ready, peace will come looking for you.

It is a saying by one remarkable human being, Ajahn Chah, a monk that I have long admired and cherished. His philosophy on life is not intellectually profound but spiritually breathtaking. His sense of humour is supreme and the combination of the two makes me bow whole heartedly to this man. His words are not just for musing about, try living by them!

Ahajhn Chah, Buddhist monk, 1918-1992

Swine! H1N1 has arrived in my circle!

Like most people, I've been watching the news of this flu outbreak since Mexico but it still seemed quite removed from my reality even when it had found its way here. But not any more! YES, wear a mask when reading this, just kidding!

Why does it seem more real? My nephew's school has closed after two students have been infected with H1N1. The poor chap is very put out as all his sport activities have been cancelled until the end of term. He even joined the I Hate Swine Flu group on facebook, to register his outrage!

Apart from my nephew getting heat up, has this changed our lives? Not really. We try to follow the WHO advice: wash your hands, cover your mouth when sneezing or blow your nose into a tissue, eat only hot food and and wear masks when you have respiratory infection. They are basic hygiene rules requiring little adjustment bar 1! I must admit that I find wearing masks uncomfortable (as I would be killing myself laughing!)

Then I found this photo composite of masks wearers, from accomthailand which could change my mind! La chic, huh! I found the skull one highly amusing!

© 2009 accomthailand.wordpress.com

What else has changed in my world? Well ... the chemists in my area are running out of antibacterial hand wash, especially the ones that need no water! To buy that I have to go to central Bangkok!

On a philosophical note though, this H1N1 outbreak will make us realise, yet again, that man is not the super race after all and of course, size isn't everything - even a micro organism can BE potent!

Kru Jaeng Khlaisithong: He's a Genius

	My today’s blog starts with unusual Thai performance that I find enticing. It makes me nostalgic everytime I hear it. A sound of heaven reminding me that my favourite cartoon show was coming after this weird yet charming sound. To me, it never falls out of fashion but still very contemporary. This singing performance is called “Kab Sebha.” And the performer in the clip is a genius who specilizes in this field. Kru Jaeng Khlaisithong. Sadly, all of his great performances are left behind for us to treasure as he now lives in the other world. I heard a sad new that he passed away yesterday of acute coronary. So, this blog is dedicated to his flawless works of art and his dedication to Thai music. He’s the fallen petal that still leaves its sweet fruit for us to taste. For your information, in 1995, Kru Jaeng Khlaisithong was selected as National Artist in Performance Arts (Music). He’s regarded as one of the best artists in ‘Kab Sebha.’ The performance is the combination of singing voice and a sound of ‘Krab’ or wooden rhythm clappers. Therefore, the performers should be adept at controlling their singing voices as well as the rhythm of ‘Krab’ in order to deliver a perfect mix of sound.
	Thanks for video from www.youtube.com

HiSo, LoSo and now MoSo. Can you keep up?

© 2008 gotoknow.org

If you live in Thailand then you would be acquainted with the terms "Hi So," it is used very liberally to describe socialites and celebs that have made it! And if you want to find out more then go and read the Lost Boy's blog Hi-so in Thailand: Lifestyles of the (not so) rich and (moderately) famous. It's amusingly informative.

"Lo So" is the opposite of "Hi So," it's a term used to describe the under privilege class. But have you heard of MO SO?

MOSO which stands for Moderation Society or สังคมพอประมาณ ที่คนใช้ชีวิตอย่างพอดีๆ I came acroos this term via TV ad and some billboards.

One ad in particular fascinates me as I'm not sure what to make of it. It's very good and well produced. If you haven’t seen this then watch and see what you think!

This ad is entitled: Mindfulness + Rationale = Immunization. Immunization against what you might wonder!

I do find this ad powerful and in some way thought provoking. It does prompt you to ask what has been happening in Thailand lately. If I call it propaganda then that is not quite right! But it certainly put a thought into your head!

How about you? What is your reaction after watching this? As a nation, do we need an ad like this?

So she's not the heroine at the moment but ...

It is refreshing to hear positive endorsement of a woman at the centre of recent headline news! Thank you Lucy and the BBC who tried to address the balance by publishing her story at this time when the American Press has totally rubbish her credibility.

Dr. Pornthip Rojanasunan or doctor death as dubbed by the Thai media has been a controversial figure and gets her fair share of blames and criticism over her professional conducts. Some people even say she courts that type of attention! Guess it’s not easy being 1. a pathologist, 2. a female who speaks her own mind and 3. a female with her own fashion sense that is at odd with the women of her status. Remember in this country we really do look at appearance first!

Let us remember her work! Not the way she dresses or her idiosyncratic behaviour when a microphone is put in front of her. This woman has brought modern pathology to a country that is suspicious of the police and the legal system, to the point that most people do not think they will get a fair hearing when arrested so they are prepared to offer a little bribe to ease their way out of the tricky situations. She has made us listen to evidence and gained perspective and space when face with a subject that is highly emotive. Remember how she and her team tirelessly worked to reunite the tsunami victims with their families!

Hooray for a woman like Kunying Pornthip I say! At least Thai woman will learn that it’s OK to be an individual and break moulds!

Nude for Fund

	Nudity is the word that sells itself. A kinky yet productive way to promote something. Art aside, we aren’t strong enough to resist the naked body of the opposite sex, or some the same sex. Right? Students at Oxford university know this human nature very well. So some of them show up NAKED in a photo shoot for a celendar. Don’t panic just yet. The nude calendar is produced for a good reason. Its sales volume will go straight to people in need in third world countries. It’s hard to tell where my feeling is at after seeing the calender. My one half appreciates their good attention to raise fund for helping poor people and their courange to pose naked. Plus, the black-and-white photos they take looks classy and beautiful to me. They also remind me of one of my favourite British comedy Calendar Girls. The movie is based on a true story of a group of women in Yorkshire who use the same tactic to raise fund for Leukaemia research. However, the other half of me feels that, with 200I.Q. they have, they should come up with more ingenius means to raise money. I feel like they Hugh Hefner me, using naked bodies to arouse my interest! It seems to me that they use their head only in class! Anyway, the situation eases up a bit when it happens in the western country. I don’t dare to imagine what gonna happen if the calendar is made by Thai students.
	Thanks for the photos from dailymail.co.uk

A Gift for World Environmental Day

	Since today is the World Environmental Day, I offer you an interesting documentary that’s specially made for this special day. From bird’s eye view, see the place where we live in and sometimes take advantage of. The place where we all call ‘Home’.
	“Home is a 2009 documentary by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, a French photographer, journalist, reporter and environmentalist. The film is entirely composed of aerial shots of various places around Earth. It shows the diversity of life on Earth and how humanity is threatening the ecological balance of the planet. The movie was released simultaneously on June 5th in cinemas all over the world, on DVD and on Youtube.” (from wikipedia.org)
	Thanks for the video from http://www.youtube.com/

Meet the Wonder Gays

	Inspired by Wonder Girls, Korean girl band, five teenagers finally find their true passion Dance! Their dancing routines copy all steps of the Korean band. The exception is they’re all boys. Nothing’s feminine in them, from skin-headed hair to shorts they wear. But that’s not the problem. They seem to come out and dance as good as girls! Their reputation gradually grows when some netizens spot their dancing routines on Youtube. Although they don’t create any new style of dance, they’re still an inspiration for some groups, especially rainbow boys. The boys no longer hide in the shadow and announce who they really are. This grasps one of the biggest music companies’s attention. All the boys got signed and their debut album will be released soon. They have my support 100% as long as they’re still determined to do something that they really love. Gender matter is too little to be the problem. I hope they can reach their dreams but I don’t think the road is paved with roses for them. Some sort of old-fashioned fellows are their biggest thorns, I think. Anyway, go on, do it boys! Thanks for video from www.youtube.com

My Apology, I Was So Wrong!

	I was so excited when I heard that a Thai student actually won the prestigious films award at Cannes Films Festival this year. I thought it was about time we received some positive press after the whole year of negative press because of the political situation. But I was wrong! I thought when you hear the story on Thai TV and other respected newspaper including the English dailies, The Daily Express that the story must be true! I was proved wrong. The truth and thank you Bangkok Post for telling it like it is, here is the direct quote from Kong Rithdee’s Bangkok Post’s article: A Breach of Integrity on Television Let's make the truth clear: Pornpatchaya did not win any award from Cannes and her film was not "officially selected". It was shown in the Short Film Corner at the Cannes Film Market, a trade exhibition in which participants have to pay a registration fee in order to have their movies included. There's no competition, no prizes distributed; her film is not part of the Cannes Film Festival and she's not a "winner at Cannes" as one of the papers splashed across its front page (two days later, it ran a retraction).To use an analogy: To pay your way to have a film in the Film Market is like, say, during the World Cup 2010, you pay a fee so your football team can go to South Africa and play 5-man beach football with some local sides, but you come back to claim that you've competed in the World Cup itself. When Pantip Board was jammed with people wanting to air their disappointments and outrages at the shear nerves of this woman to go on television and tell a half truth in order to have her 15 min. of fame and promote her career. None of the TV channels came out to apologize for not getting their facts straight. Only a few days after did one of the newspapers retract their story and one TV channel, channel 3, re-interviewed Pornpatchaya. Did this Cannes non winner apologize for misleading the press and the public? No! She coolly said that the press misunderstood her use of English and made the assumption that she was talking about Cannes Films Festival when she was referring to the other Cannes! Yes, K Pornpatchaya, you had every opportunity to tell the truth but you chose not to, instead you choose to promote yourself and in doing so lost your integrity and to be honest, the people that called you a liar and a b**ch might actually have a point. What’s wrong with us today’s? Why do we people think taking short cuts to get to the top is OK! I feel really sad and disappointed with Pornpatchaya and her family who must be financially supporting her endeavor! Money can never turn you into the next Spielberg, pure talent does! Money can buy you fifteen minutes of fame but the truth will always come out in the end! What’s even sadder is the fact that she might actually have some talent but who will want to have anything to do with her now, not me! Now you decide for yourself what you think of Pornpatchaya. This clip below was the interview that appeared on TV.
	Right the clip below is sound only but you can listen to how she justified her part of the story. Sadly it's only in Thai!
	Barnum did say that there was one born every minute, right! Count me as one then.

New Hope for Thai Cinema

	There is hope for Thai cinema on the world stage after Ong-Bak, prooving that we are not a one horse wonder. Pornpatchaya Suppannarat entry for the Student Short Films section at Cannes has just won her best film. Revenge Tragedies is a sad tale of Airel who decides to comit suicide after she was raped by her boss then rejected by her lover. A powerful subject that is not easy to portray on screen, yet Kuhn Pornpatchaya has done just that! Pornpatchaya or Chaya for short, comes from a family of film makers. Her mother is the renowned Hollywood casting director for Thailand. So location sets of big budget Hollywood films have been her playgrounds! Her talent is not just behind the camera! At 18, she made her international début as actress in a supporting role as ‘Lan’ in the American film ‘Holly,’ directed by Guy Moshe which starred Ron Livingston and Udo Kier. However, its not her pedigree that impressed me but the fact that she has something worthy to say and is not frightened of saying it! Her exploration of the struggle of Asian females in the twenty first century bypasses the Hollywood norm of prostitutions, sex and scandals for its own sake. In her own words, “Women today are stronger, but they are still made victims by society!" I’m looking forward to seeing her feature length films. Let’s hope that the pressures from commercial producers who can only see $’s and aping Hollywood big budget films as how to make $’s don’t get to her so that she manages to stay true to her art and mature into greatness! We can soon see her first feature length directorial début in Sahamongkol Film’s Botrian Ruedu Nao (Winter Experience) written by Yuthalert Sippapak. She said that it’s a cross between the story of Nampu and Loke Thung Bai Hai Nai Khon Diaw (Romantic Blues).
	Here is the trailer of Holly, I can't find a trailer of Revenge Tragedies yet but when I do I'll post it up. Holly looks intriguing but so Hollywood in articulation!

Remember Those Days: Maana Maanee Piti Chuujai

	Nostalgia attacks me out of the blue when I read a Thai topic in pantip.com http://www.pantip.com/cafe/chalermthai/topic/A7885426/A7885426.html It’s about a Thai study guide for elementary school students called ‘Maana Maanee Piti Chuujai’ A weird name. Right? The book’s name simply comes from four main characters in the book. It’s strange that the book was nothing to me back then when I was an elementary school girl. My only feeling for it was that it was sooo heavy for my small body when I had to carry it, together with other text books, with me every morning to school. It’s even more strange that now I miss it dearly. I miss Manee, the girl main character of the book, her brother Mana, and their dog Chao Dho. I miss Chuujai, Manee’s best friend and her cat See Thao. I miss its vivid color cover. I miss the page that I dropped my milk on it. I miss the funny story that made me feel more like reading fiction rather than text book. I owe them a lot. Without them, I can’t read, nor write. And they turned my boring Thai class into something fun and entertaining. Thanks a lot. Maana, Maanee and the gang for being my lifeless yet lively friends. Note: ‘Maana Maanee Piti Chuujai’ is an illustrated book series used as a Thai study handbook for elementary school during 1978 – 1994. The story is composed by a teacher Ratchanee Sripraiwan and the illustrations are provided by Khun Trium Chachumphon, a well-known cartoonist from Chaipruk Cartoon.

On Suthichai’s Neutrality Trap

Suthichai Yoon wrote in the Nation column’s Thai talk, dated May 20, raised many eyebrows across Thai blogs world. It made a very interesting reading indeed and he did make many valid points. If you haven’t read this then you should: When 'neutrality' means that fact and fiction get mixed up. But it’s worth reading this counter from New Mandala by Nicholas Farrelly too.


What do you think? Has Thai journalists trapped themselves in the quagmire of views and opinions to stay neutral? Here is what I think.

What Suthichai Yoon has to say cast an interesting shadow on Thai society and on the media magnet, himself! However, rhetorical speech is one thing but they do say, don’t they that action speaks louder than words. So come on Mr Yoon, show us what you mean. Why not let your journalists practice what you preach.

Any way, when did the Nation ever told it like it is! OK Mr. Yoon, I’m only jesting! Sometimes the Nation comes up with real gems when the subject isn’t about Thaksin.

Its all right to write an essay on the state of journalism today’s as long as it remains just that an essay to be discussed, chewed over or spat at. However, when a media magnet the like of Suthichai wrote and published it in his newspaper, that makes a difference right! What do you think?

I have to give Mr. Yoon some credit and admit that he raised concerns that we all shared since the Songkran incident. I had never seen such media frenzy! Yet nothing of worth was reported! Instead we had “what he said and what she said” type of reporting which was reactive and stirred up more feelings than calm. The only thing left to go on was the actual footage of incidents or photographs to establish facts but even that got heavily edited.

Responsible reporting as Mr. Yoon has pointed out requires presenting both sides of the stories and allowing the viewers to make up their minds. It does not mean equal air time. It means reporters having the intelligence to report both sides of the stories fairly accurately. It means training reporters to do more than just stand in front of the camera and look the part! We watch the news programs not for eye candy or for entertainment values! OK occasional farce does liven up my life!

What we need to address is how we can educate the unsophisticated media audience on having informed views. We need to show them how to receive news, created by all media and how to reserve judgments until all views have been aired then they can choose to make decisions as in what to believe.

Thailand still has a huge gap between the educated and the uneducated. The mass can easily be exploited by the mass media! Even worse is when the rich and powerful play dirty and use the media to fight their causes but this is not only a Thai media thing but world media. As long as the rich can still buy views, opinions to make them look good then only education is the key to free our minds!

I look forward to the days when politics get discussed at school on the same par as Korean pop stars, Jonas Brothers, Eyelash extensions and children are encouraged to be politically proactive. After all their future is this country’s future and we adults need to see that. Innocence does not mean ignorant. Politic isn’t something only boring serious grown ups talk about but our everyday lives and their future.

Excellent Excuse for Girls to Wear Make-up

• Transparent brush. Foam all over.


• Small pot under eyes, dimple, creases, blend in.


• Clinique. Super balanced make-up. All over again, like painting a wall, and ears. Shut eyes over lids then with make-up pad smooth over liquid.


• Powder (dark brush) terracotta Guerlain, all over. (from www.guardian.co.uk)

Above looks like steps that you girls put on make-up every morning. It’s a combination of surprise and hilarity to know that the above make-up instructions are for no one but British leader Gordon Brown. The note was left on a taxi by one of his staffs. (I keep my finger cross for that staff.)

Many thanks to Gordon Brown and especially to the forgetful staff. Now that I have a good excuse for FAQ from men: why women have to wear make-up?

Thanks for photo from www.guardian.co.uk

Not a Thailand Tourist Guide You've Seen in Market!

	It’s a real pleasure for your heart and soul to once in your life experience the beauty of Thai’s tourist attractions. I’m not biased! Phang Nga Bay of Thailand is ranked no.3 by Andrew Harper as the most wonderful place to visit. However, some of you might be afraid to even set your little toes of your foot in our country if you saw the political-protest-turn-violence that happened last week. But this guide will help make your trip in Thailand unforgetable. This is the most important rule. Take it as your survival guide in Thailand. Red and Yellow clothes are taboo in Thailand. Avoid bringing such color outfits to my country. I’m serious! No more red and blue in the opposite corner. Us Thais have yellow VS red. You might find yourself an object of destruction if you wear the taboo colors. Apart from bringing sunscreen to protect your skin, do bring a bulletproof vest as well. Your life far worths protecting than your skin. Anything bad and fatal can emerge if you happen to be near the protest area. Before you book a hotel, remember that it shouldn’t be the venue that can hold Asean Summit. Or your peaceful night will be ruined by some group of people who violently trespass the hotel. Have a direct flight to Thailand? It’s not a good idea at all. I suggest that you land in neigbourhood countries of Thailand first then cross to Thai’s border by car. Our Suvannabhumi is not only international and modern airport but it’s also a place that protesters can held hostage. You probably find yourself stuck in the airport for weeks if you don’t listen to this advice. Public transportation, especially bus and taxi may not be a convenient way to get around Bangkok. Some taxi drivers stop working because they’re engaged in the protest. And some bus had been burnt by protesters. You don’t want to be on the bus. Right? You still have Tuk-Tuk, BTS, and MRT to be your option though. Hope you enjoy the trip in the Land of Smile and still be alive!

Boku to issho: Together with Me

	Yuya Yakira pulled it off when he portrayed a life of abandoned boy who has to take care of his silblings alone in 2004 Japanese drama film Nobody Knows. This earned him Best Actor at Cannes Film Festival 2004. If you’re still impressed with Yakira’s talent and the heartbreaking film, you’ll also enjoy Boku to issho or Together with Me, a Japanese comic by Minoru Furuya. But there’re few surprises for you to expect. First of all, the comic is ultimately hilarious and sad at the same time. While the story is loosely camouflaged by funny drawings and some stupid happenings, it still portrays a struggling life of orphans who try to survive on their own. It will make you laugh and cry simultaniously. Then, the drawings alone can make you laugh your ass out. You can’t help but burst out laughing if you get a chance to see quirky faces of each character. A round of applause and standing ovation for Minoru Furuya who make the over-reacted facial expression of these characters, my private laughing stock. Hilarity aside, I think this comic is a clear mirror reflecting our society nowadays, not only in Japan but our society in general. It’s so sad to learn that one thing that some take it for granted is parental responsibility. That’s why we still have children like notorious boy Keigo Sato and other orphans to prove this statement. See Boku to Issho with your own eyes here: http://www.mangafox.com/manga/boku_to_issho/v01/c001/24.html
	Thanks for photos from www.geocities.com/chas_kit/

A Double Life

Do we all lead a double life or is this just in the Celebes realm?

With the recent happenings in Thailand, the political turmoil that has caused the country to divide into two, led me to think that all this happened because we in Thailand, live a double life!

We live in a culture that encourages us to have a public front and a private life and never the twain shall meet!

Why? Because we demand absolute perfection. Life must be two dimensional, there are only black or white. You can only be right or wrong. But real life isn’t like that. We all know what real life is like; we live it! But we would never dare admit the things we do in private, to the public! Real life is lived in private and must never be shared! This is not an exclusively Thai things I know but we have perfected this to such an art form though!

So many of my farang friends commented on how easy going and non confrontational Thais are. I beg to differ. We appear that way but in private, we are less forgiving. Are we non confrontational because we are too frightened to tarnish our public image. So we choose an easy option and of course there is nothing wrong in this if we do this by choice and not because its a cultural thing.

What has made me smile and not because of the sweet nature of the content but rather in a sardonic sense, is how Thai entertainment media forever producing goodie too shoes princes and princesses for our consumption. They become idolised and adored by all. If suddenly they done something that they shouldn’t do! The press turned on them like a pack of hungry wolves ready shred them into bits! No mercy!

The media has become our conscience. They uphold absolute purity for our sake. Why? So that we can all live a double life. One that can appear moral, pure and untarnished in public while in private we can commit debauchery let ourselves go telling ourselves that we deserve theses treats to unwind.

And the media also feeds our private life. It feeds us stories of sensual pleasures, enticing us to the dark side! Why have just one legal an official partner when you can have as many. They are so easy to find. In a way, it’s our social duties. So many deprived beautiful young people out there need to find sponsor to further their education and their lifestyles!

How many actresses, actors, media personalities, politicians painted themselves public images that are whiter than white and we all fell in love with these images. Only to be told later that in real life, these demigods and demigoddesses are pure fictions, created for our consumption.

Aren't you tired of it all? It just leaves us feeling empty and needing to feed off others success and failure!

Me: I’m open to public figures that live their lives in front of us and showing us who they really are. I want a public figure that understands my everyday needs and know how to solve the economic crisis that affect our daily livings. I don’t want a god like creature that is so far removed from reality that has little understanding of my life. But I feel I’m in the minority here.

What about you? Do you like to lead a double life? If so why, convince me that this social etiquette is worth practicing!

How Convenient to be Thais

	How do you perceive us as Thais? People who’s extremely loyal to the King? Tom Yam Kung maker? Or red and yellow fighters? What you see in us is just the tip of the iceberg. Let me, a real Thai, clarify point by point to you. And you will know our true color. First, we aren’t raised to abide by any law. We do know the law but sometimes we find bliss in ignorance. And it’s even better than ignorance when we find the loophole. Our behavior on the road is one good example. If we happen to turn in the forbidden lanes reserved for bus, only one red banknote in the hands of law protector will help you out of the situation. Not a single fine at the police station. Believe me! From a poll I heard recently, we don’t care anymore about the corruption problems as long as politicians do something good, even the tiny bits, for the country. If we do something wrong and feel ashamed to face the truth, then escape to other countries will help. But with one exception. You have to be rich and have connections. To do time in prison isn’t a good choice, right? Why not use influence to save our ass while we can? If you break the norm of society. First thing first, reject it. A lot is saved by this technique because of the lack of evidence. But if you’re caught in the act or you find yourself in a tight corner because of obvious video clips or something, fake crying in front of the camera is another choice to help save your face. We have less frontal lobe of cerebrum than other races on this planet so we’re a creature of forgetfulness. Any bad things you’ve just done are like a breeze that touches our skin. It will come and go, leaving nothing on our mind. We don’t have true friends as well as foes. It sounds terrible. But here’s our logic. Friends can be foes, and vice versa. Do you get it? I mean it’s all up to mutual benefit. If foe can help get what we want, his status is changed to be friend. Just simple as that. Feel so good to be Thai.

In Response To Being Farang On The Culture Of Denial

I came across a blog by Being Farang called DENYING, DENY, DENIED. The blog suggested that the most overused word in Thai politics today is “DENY”. This was amusingly true by today’s standard.

He went on to imply that this is part of the socio-cultural fabric of Thai life and concluded that to truly understand Thais, you just need to get off the high moral ground. This at first outraged me. How dare he say that!

This isn’t just a Thai thing!

Still, I read on and he made a valid point. This is something very true.

It makes me ask why I have such a reaction. Perhaps, it’s because a farang said it and not me or another Thai. This makes it worse as it makes me a bigot! Why do we Thais find it hard to listen to criticism from outsiders? Or should I just say "I" here!

The point is “we Thais” find it hard to objectively look at ourselves, our culture or even our history in perspective. Why is that?

To be able have a perspective on thing means you must be able to stand back and objectively see what’s going on. This implies ability to listen without reacting to criticism as only then can we see things from all angle. Only then can we know what others think or see Thailand. Yet as a nation, collectively as Thais, we find it so hard to allow ourselves to do just that! Is it because we don’t have the luxury or is there something we are holding onto. If so how can we let go?

What’s holding us back?

As an individual, in private, we are not bound by anything; I even go to say we are quite hedonistic. We give ourselves freedom to do whatever we want to do but only in private, out of the public eyes! In public, a new code of conduct kicks in; we become mute and only allow the ruling elites to have their plays!

OK, this happens worldwide. The upper crust of society plays by different rules to the common people. But in Thailand, I feel the difference actually fuelled this culture of denial and makes us hide behind our public masks.


Being Farang actually said that having little moral stand makes him less tense and stress but is it really worth dropping social responsibility for the sake of a stress free, relax and hedonistic life? What about social responsibility? He has the luxury of adopting the so called culture of lies and denial because he comes from another type of society. He comes from a culture that taught him to gain perspective on things and to have a view! Most of us do not have that luxury.

Collectively, we often express no views. Collectively, we mostly choose to remain silent! This makes it very hard for an open discussion and even harder for outsiders to gauge our thoughts. So as Being Farang rightly noted, to learn how we really feel, it’s not enough to listen to our comments, he needed to read our body language too!

Why do we prefer not to cause a stir at a risk of offending or simply let people know our feelings just in case we hurt them or in case we might appear in bad light? Can't we display what we feel in public?

We all know that some people are immoral; our society isn’t clean and pure. Everyday Thai media is full of immoral, indecent acts committed across all echelons of society. So why do we need to appear purer than pure, whiter than white.(But don’t let me start on the word white as that also makes me react to why all cosmetic manufacturers insist Thai women should be white!)

We are encouraged to live like a schizoid, having two distinct personas! We have a public front which generally follows the mass and appear to align ourselves with the status quo. But we also have a private life that is unconstraint. The point is we are encouraged to live in a culture that endorses double standards. So it’s hardly surprising that our politicians will when first question about something, deny at all cost, regardless of the evidence!

Right now, we Thais are living on the cusp of change. Politic has empowered many people who now dare to voice their opinions. Look at me here! We are learning that an individual can be equally powerful and have the same right. We are learning to appreciate the basic right of a democratically run country.

But if we still allow the ruling elite to only provide us with their own definition of right and wrong then when are we going to mature into a truly democratic country.

Still we Thais have not tasted real democracy that truly liberates our minds. Only then can we grow. Socrates did that many years ago to liberate the Greeks. We all learnt about this but when are we going to have courage to change.

This new found political voice will be wasted if we do not allowed ourselves the freedom to be self critical. Right now politicians have only confused us with their politicking and doing very little else to help the nation mature, leaving us the common people dazed and blinded by artificial loyalties and right back to the culture of denial.

Songkran Goddess

	Songkran isn’t only a water battle on the road that you’ve seen today but there’re beliefs and culture behind it. In Thai ancient time where calendar wasn’t invented and the Meteorological Department wasn’t formed yet. Our ancestries wisely created symbols to inform citizens the New Year day (Songkran) and the weather forcast of that year. And the symbols used during Songkran was Songkran goddess. The seven goddesses were assigned to each day of the week. Before Songkran rolled around, a Songkran Annoucement and the name of Songkran goddess of that year would be released to public. So people would know the new year day and the weather of that year. They were very important to them whose lives highly depended on agriculture. And here are the name of each Songkran goddess. Sunday The Songkran Goddess of this day was named Thungsa. She rode on Garuda’s back. She had pomegranade flower in her hair and wore red jewelry. Geer wheel was in her right hand while conch was in her left. Thungsa’s food relies on fig.
	Monday The Goddess’s name was Koraka. Her ride was tiger. Flowers of cork tree was put behind her ear and she wore pearls. She hold sword in her right hand and a cane in her left hand. Koruka exists on a diet of oil.
	Tuesday Raksod is Tuesday’s goddess. She rode on pig. Put behind her ear was lotus and wore Mora gem. Trident was in her right and bow was in left. Raksod isn’t a vampire but she drinks blood.
	Wednesday Today’s goddess is Monta. Donkey was her vehicle. She had Jampak flower behind her ear and wore cat’s eye gem. On her right hand was pointing iron while on her left cane.
	Thursday Kirinee is the goddess of this day. She decorated her hair with magnolia and her jewellery was made of emeral. She rode on elephant’s back. Mahout’s was in her right and gun was in her left. Grains was Kirinee’s diet.
	Friday Friday belongs to Kimita. She wore topaz jewellery and had waterlily behind her ear. Buffalo was her vehicle. And she hold a pointing on the right while on the left was Indian lute. Kimita has banana as her diet.
	Saturday Saturday’s goddess was named Mahotorn. She had water hyacinth and black sapphire as her decorative items. She hold geer wheel on the right and trident on the left while sitting on her vehicle peacock. Mahotorn wasn’t a vegetarian so hog deer is her only food.
	This year’s Songkran goddess is Koraka meaning that the Thai New Year will fall on Monday. The prophecy has it that the king will be prosperous but we have to live life in a careless way. The land will be florished with rice and there’s plenty of water for agriculture. Thanks for photo from http://www.culture.go.th/study.php?&YY=2551&MM=3&DD=1