More Messages

E-mail messages from friends in Yangon keep popping up in my inbox, albeit very slowly. From those notes and articles that I’ve read online, it appears the city is beginning to recover from its storm-induced battering, although that process is going to take a very long time. When I hear tales of obliterated buildings and the fact that over half the trees in the city are gone, I feel numb. Will I even recognize the city when I return next time? And the scary thing is that Yangon wasn’t hit nearly as hard as the Delta region. Some villages were entirely washed away.

Ni Ko, one of the postcard selling kids that I met when I was in Yangon in March, sent me a note today in reply to an “are you alright” e-mail that I had sent last week:
“Thank you so much for your email. I am amazed that you are concerning me. As you hope, my family are safe from great storm in Yangon. We are all fine but our house is completely destroyed. Now we stay at the monastery. It is good to hear that you are going to come back here soon. I miss you and am thinking about you always. Take care of yourself.”

The kid obviously had someone at the Internet Café help him compose the note (he can speak English well enough, but can’t read or write), but I’m just happy he took the time to write, especially since his housing situation appears precarious. Man, I can’t even imagine what it’s like to lose your house. Living in a monastery? By coincidence, I gave a friend --- who left for Yangon yesterday --- a letter (with money inside) to give to Ni Ko and his friends. That, of course, was conditional on my friend finding these kids. They are usually easy to find on the street where they usually sell postcards, but with no tourists in town this week I have no idea what the kids are doing. I told my friend/courier that if he doesn’t find Ni Ko and crew, to leave the money at my regular hotel. The woman who manages the place can give it the kids. I just sent Ni Ko a reply, making him aware of my package and how to claim it. It’s not going to be enough to put a new roof over his head, but at least he can buy some food and water with it.

01:19 AM PDT Permalink |

Politics, Psychology & the Cultural Divide

I realize that I’ve been rather harsh in my comments about the Bush administration, but I think they deserve being called out as the hypocrites that they are, especially after their comments of the past week. I read a very good article by Paul Richter in the LA Times yesterday that reinforces my own concerns about the American government’s criticisms of the Burmese junta. Our feelings are the same; last week’s onslaught of political rhetoric by the Bush-ites has done more harm than good:

As Myanmar's aid crisis deepens, the Bush administration is facing criticism that its denunciations of the military regime may have contributed to its resistance to allowing foreign aid workers to enter the storm-ravaged country.

After Tropical Cyclone Nargis pounded Myanmar, First Lady Laura Bush and administration officials condemned the government Monday as illegitimate, blasted its human rights record, and charged that it had failed to give its residents adequate warning of the storm's approach.

The next day, in a move that was certain to sharpen tensions between Myanmar and the U.S., President Bush presided at a ceremony awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the regime's archenemy, detained democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi.

Critics said the administration's harsh comments were poorly timed and risked reinforcing the government's suspicions of the outside world and undermining the humanitarian effort.

"For the humanitarian purpose, you have to put politics aside and say unequivocally that we want to help," said Joel Charny, vice president for policy at Refugees International, a Washington-based advocacy group. "We know the Burmese generals are going to be suspicious. We shouldn't be taking an approach that's going to make it more likely that backs get up and doors remain closed."

The episode is not the first time that the Bush administration has drawn controversy with what many consider its selective condemnation of governments for a lack of human rights and democracy.

Laura Bush accused Myanmar officials of failing to notify the public of the storm's advance, even though they knew of it. "We already know that they are very inept," she said at a rare news conference.

Asked about Laura Bush's comment that the government had failed to warn the public, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said, "I just don't think we're in a position to make that sort of judgment now given the difficulties of communication. The priority now is rendering assistance to thousands of displaced people who urgently need our assistance."

News websites frequented by Myanmar emigres quoted readers indignant that, in their view, Laura Bush seemed to be offering aid conditioned on the government putting off the referendum. "She is insulting us," wrote a blogger identified as Moke Him Kha on the Asia Observer website.

Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), who led an effort to pass a bipartisan Senate resolution urging aid to Myanmar, cautioned against renewing criticism of its rulers. "It is not clear how criticizing the military junta right now helps convince them to allow urgently needed assistance for the Burmese people," Kerry said. "The only goal right now should be getting help to the people of Burma, however we need to do it. "

Very true. The Bush administration seems determined to provoke and belittle those countries that they feel aren’t guaranteeing their populace enough “freedom.” And as the article pointed out, their practice of “selective condemnation” is most curious. And just what do the Bush-ites hope to accomplish by constantly condemning countries such as Burma? As Senator Kerry pointed out, such comments will only serve to agitate the other country, make them suspicious of our motives, and further handicap efforts to distribute aid. The US government’s most recent “Junta Bashing” is sadly typical of the heavy-handed (or should that be “heavy-throated”?) way in which they conduct foreign affairs. They need some cultural sensitivity training or, at the very least, a refresher course in Psychology 101.

An editorial on the Burma Digest website written by “Thuria Tayza” wasn’t particularly polished, but it provided a very interesting take, presumably from a Burmese native, on the current predicament:

“Rather than threatening them with impractical but very provocative threats of unilateral intervention by force, coaxing the Generals through friendly diplomatic channels (UN or Chinese or ASEAN) may be more effective in getting more and more aids delivered to Burma sooner.

And keeping their mouths shut and avoiding making any more unnecessary hostile remarks by (foreign) governments and diplomats and the like, will also help calm things down better … the only way to get things done quickly in Burma is to get the regime’s consensual cooperation.

For any cooperation, there is a vital need for mutual understanding of each other’s psyche or mentality. While big countries have big enough egos to want to make unilateral interventions, small countries also have similarly bloated egos to resist any intervention by any means.”

Let’s hope that neighboring countries such as Thailand and China can help bridge this impasse and facilitate the delivery and distribution of aid that so many people in the delta region so desperately need right now.

I got this update from a friend in Yangon yesterday:
“ one truck with donation (from my boss and some people from outside Myanmar, and one famous singer, Zaw Win Htut) already gone to delta and they will try to give straight to people. I will try to go there alone and I will keep in touch with you. Our donation will be on second trip and I will confirm you the detail. ”

09:25 PM PDT Permalink |

Finding ways to Help

Here is a portion of another e-mail that I received from a friend in Yangon yesterday:

“I’m fine but so many others, so many, are homeless or dead or without shelter. I really did not take much notice of the cyclone warnings from the state media although they did say it would be serious. Now I am careful of batteries in my laptop, but thank god I can send emails. I hope this gets to you. I have no power but everything is alright. Writing this by torch and candlelight. It was a very scary 13 hours from before midnight of the 2nd to afternoon of next day. Had a slight accident with my car, front grill/lights ripped out. I am unhurt but rattled. So many trees are down ... Yangon looks wounded.”

It’s been one of those weeks where my thoughts are preoccupied and I can’t think of much else besides the current humanitarian crisis in Myanmar’s delta region. Normal concerns --- such as what I’m going to have for dinner, how many books we sold today, what CD I’m going to buy next, or how the Minnesota Twins did yesterday --- are suddenly unimportant and trivial. People in a neighboring country are hungry, thirsty, sick, and homeless. They need help.

I hesitate to make public pleas for help, but in this case I think it’s vital that we do something. I know several people travelling to Myanmar in the coming days. They already have visas and contacts within the country. Some of them live and work there. I plan to donate and collect as much money as I can and give it to these people before they leave Bangkok. They can get money and supplies to local volunteers and organizations that can quickly distribute them to needy people in the area. Getting into the hardest hit parts of the delta region is problematic, but that’s where various UN organizations are best equipped to help. The people I know can help those in Yangon, across the river in Dalah and Twante, and further west in Pathein. I know this is somewhat of a band-aid approach to relief, but I think if we can help even a few hundred, or a few thousand, people, it’s worthwhile.

If you are able to help at this time, you can send money to my PayPay account: klongbang@yahoo.com
Check their website for details on how this works:
https://www.paypal.com/

Thanks to everyone who has helped or expressed concern about this situation. An extra “Thank You” to John in Bangkok, who dropped off an envelope with cash at my bookshop on Saturday. When I first peeked inside, I noticed the one bill, but I didn’t realize there was a second one behind it. Double thanks!

10:38 PM PDT Permalink |

Helping Myanmar

The frustrations continue: how to get help to the people in Myanmar that desperately need it. I won’t even get into the absurd situation that has developed between … well, “those” people and the rest of the world. Meanwhile, I’ve been “networking” (I really hate that word, but in this case, I’ll use it) with others that are concerned about the situation in Myanmar and want to help. In addition to one friend that is travelling there next week, I’m in contact with at least three other people who have visas in hand and are also going next week. Let’s get some money to them. They can circumvent the political red tape and get medicine, clothing, food, and water directly to people that need them, or can arrange for these donations to be used properly. Contact me at Dasa Book Café (see the link on this page) if you would like to help. Thanks!

An e-mail today from an expat teaching in Yangon:
“Sorry about the mass e-mail, but internet access is limited. The only update since I wrote the letter below is that our school year will resume on Monday, but we will end a week early. There's still no power in most parts of the city, although water and fuel shortages are getting better. Thanks for the innumerable messages of concern and support.”

From a Burmese friend in Yangon:
“I just have news from a guy coming back from delta and he said there are a lot of deaths and most are homeless and short of food, drinking water and clothes ... very bad news ... I hope people not die before they can arrange in order.”

05:46 AM PDT Permalink |

Storm Updates and Political Posturing

The news about the damages from the cyclone in Myanmar is trickling in and it’s increasingly grim. As people deal with the logistics of how to properly distribute aid, the Yangon area is struggling to get back on its feet after the devastation caused by the cyclone. Meanwhile, in the midst of the efforts to provide relief to the victims of this catastrophe, politics rears its ugly head.

Here is an excerpt from a New York Times article I read yesterday by Seth Mydans and Helene Cooper:

Mr. Bush’s called for openness from Myanmar a day after his wife, Laura, criticized the country’s military leaders for not warning people before the cyclone hit on Saturday.

In reply, Australia’s foreign minister, Stephen Smith, was among those who urged countries to focus on helping Myanmar instead of criticizing its government. “The priority now is rendering assistance to thousands of displaced people who urgently need our assistance,” Mr. Smith said in Hong Kong.

Likewise, Joel Charny, vice president for policy at Refugees International, a Washington-based aid organization, said the Bush administration’s approach could be counterproductive. “To stand up and say, ‘One message is we want to help and the other message is the government is incompetent, and oh, by the way, tomorrow we’re giving a Congressional medal to Aung San Suu Kyi,’ well, that gets their back up,” Mr. Charny said. “I’m not saying the U.S. shouldn’t have concerns about democracy. I’m saying that the idea is you try to make it easier rather than harder for the regime to take on international assistance.”

In addition, Mr. Bush said he was prepared to use Navy warships and aircraft “to help find those who have lost their lives, to help find the missing, to help stabilize the situation.” Still, he added, “In order to do so, the military junta must allow our disaster assessment teams into the country.”

A Burmese political analyst called Mr. Bush’s condition “a cheap shot.” The analyst, Aung Nain Oo, who is based in Thailand, said: “The people are dying. This is no time for a political message to be aired. This is a time for relief. No one is asking for anything like this except the United States.”

Exactly. If the USA, or any country, wants to offer humanitarian aid, I think that is wonderful. But the aid shouldn’t come with strings attached, or accompanied by lectures. Just help the people that need it, and keep your political and religious agendas to yourself. But that seems to be an impossible task for the “holier than thou” contingent. You would think those idiots in the Bush administration would “get it” by now. But no, they continue their same style of inflammatory, derisive diplomacy; criticizing and ridiculing other countries, rather than making a sincere attempt to engage in constructive dialogue. That means sitting down and talking to the other country, not lecturing them and calling then bad names.

There have been suggestions by some officials that the UN should “intervene” and impose a resolution on Myanmar demanding that they accept relief teams into the country. An article in the International Herald Tribune offered response to this idea:

But the United Nations' under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs, John Holmes, resisted the idea of taking action to force Myanmar to open its doors, though he noted that 50 to 10 United Nations aid workers were awaiting word on their applications for visas.

"To be honest I'm not sure we're at that stage at the moment," Holmes said at a noon briefing on Wednesday. "We are having useful and constructive discussions with the authorities of Myanmar. It is moving in the right direction. We want it to move much faster, clearly. But I'm not sure it would help at this moment at least to embark on what could be seen by some people as a confrontational path."

When a reporter from Al Jazeera asked why the United Nations should not simply going into Myanmar, "invited or not," Holmes replied tartly, "I'm not sure that invading Myanmar would be a very sensible option at this particular moment." He added: "Would it actually get aid to the people who are really suffering on the ground any quicker? Personally I doubt it."

This e-mail just in from an expat friend living in Yangon:

“In our house we were trapped when tress around the house fell over after 11 hours of strong winds at 200-240 knots. The mess is terrible everywhere, with all electricity down and no water for days. Our home/office phone lines are down including all power lines. I am here today at the internet café. This area on Mahabandoola Street is open again in downtown Yangon, as they had underground wiring and cables. All the rest of us who live in residential areas & in the city are left with no power. We are looking at 3 to 6 months, or maybe 1 year to get power again! To add more stress, all food and water has gone up 3 times the price. As each day goes by, the price of generators go up; we paid $2,000 for a generator that is usual priced at $900 to$1,200. So it’s really bad. All of us are unhurt, but we are still having to cope with this situation.”

11:33 PM PDT Permalink |

Help is on the Way

It’s one of those odd, but remarkable phenomena of human nature: natural disasters bring people together. So it is with the cyclone that struck Myanmar over the weekend. People from countries all over the world are pitching in and volunteering their time and money to do what they can to bring relief to the people of Myanmar who have been left homeless, injured, or without food and water in the wake of this destructive storm.

My network of “Friends of Myanmar” --- people that either have visited this remarkable country or worked there --- are all checking in this week to find out what each other has heard about the conditions in the Yangon area, as well as the status of friends that are still living there. In past 24 hours I’ve received two e-mails from locals that work in Yangon, reporting that they are well, electricity is back on, although sporadically, and that the city is indeed a mess. Here is one report from William Myatwunna of Good News Travels in Yangon:

“We, all our family members and the staff members' family are safe although there has been big damages at homes. Luckily, there hasn't been any damage at the office. We will be back functioning at normal operation as soon as the electricity and internet is back. This is the first moment the authority could start the limited internet access. The Storm was indeed terrible. I and everyone in town are not yet recover from the shock. We were very scared. It will take so much of time for the areas to get back to normal. There are many a casualties, people homeless, and there are many more problems await. 90% of the infrastructure is down. But, we pray and hope that things would recover quickly. However, reconstruction everywhere is extremely slow as the damages are enormous. Thanks so much for your thoughts, worries, prayers and messages at this time of natural disasters. It provides us warmth at heart, which we all need it at this moment. Thanks you indeed for your support. We will keep you posted.”

One friend, who has family in the Yangon area, is flying over on Thursday to take relief supplies and money that will go towards purchasing medicine, water and food. I plan to meet with her tonight and give her some money to use for various projects. Yet another friend, who had a trip planned for next week, is still going ahead with his trip. I’ll meet him at his hotel in Bangkok on Saturday and give him another chunk of money and messages to take to friends in Yangon. There is so much to do, that it makes me feel overwhelmed and powerless. But if there is a chance to help just a few people, I’m going to make an effort and do it. I just feel fortunate that I know people who are travelling there this week and can act as messengers.

Every time I check for updates on the situation in Yangon, it sounds worse and worse. But if anyone is considering a trip to Myanmar in the near future, I would STILL urge you to do it. Most of the country was not affected by the cyclone. But even in the devastated areas of Yangon, I expect things to get back to relative normality rather quickly. At the very least, the locals will appreciate the presence of foreign visitors who can offer monetary and moral support as they start the process of recovering from this calamity. They need your support now more than ever.

03:31 AM PDT Permalink |

Rolling on the River

Most of you have read about the devastating cyclone that hit Myanmar, particularly in the Yangon area, on Saturday. With no electricity, along with phone and internet connections down, it’s impossible at this point to determine how extensive the damages and casualties are. I only hope that life can quickly return to normal for the long suffering citizens of Yangon.

Earlier this week, I found myself reading two different books about river trips. One was Old Glory, a book written by Jonathan Raban back in 1979. Inspired by Mark Twain books he read as a child in England, he takes a solo boat trip down the Mississippi River. More than just an account of his river journey, the book offers a perceptive look at the American towns and cities that hug the banks of the river, as well as the people that populate those places. Raban is an excellent writer --- one of those who make me shake my head in frustration and say: “I could never writer anything remotely this good” --- and this book is one that will appeal to fans of travel literature, history, and sociology. The other book I’ve been reading is Canoe to Mandalay, by Major R. Raven-Hart. This account of travel on the Irrawaddy River in Burma was first published back in 1939. I’d never heard of this author before but he apparently was a big river buff, having also written books in his “Canoe Errant” series about the Nile and the Mississippi. Raven-Hart is a witty, compassionate writer with a good eye for detail.

In one passage from Canoe to Mandalaythe author talks about the differences between Buddhism and Christianity, and in particular the way that Buddhists in Burma deal with death:

“Their deaths and funerals are not events of gloom. I think nothing is more startlingly lovely than the Buddhist idea of a death-bed, not with a priest exhorting the dying man to remember his sins, but with his friends around him reminding him of his good deeds.”

“Perhaps the greatest difference is that the Burmese are not dominated by a religion which tends to stress suffering and sin: Buddhism as the Burmese take it is a cheery religion. In reality it is of course nothing of the sort: it is a striking paradox that Buddhism, the coldest, hardest creed in the world, in which it is a sin to seek happiness except in renunciation, in which even death is no release, should in its popular forms be one of the happiest; and that Christianity, essentially a religion of joy and hope, should in most of its popular forms be one of the gloomiest.”

I love river trips, but I’ve never undertaken anything remotely as adventurous as those two writers. The closest I came was a two-day “slow boat” trip down the Mekong River, going from the Thai-Laos border in Chiangrai province to Luang Prabang. On that trip we spent the night in the tiny Laos village of Pakbeng. At that time they didn’t have electricity, but thanks to generators and ice, there was a most welcome supply of cold beer at night. In Myanmar I took the popular river trip from Mandalay to Bagan during my first visit to the country. That was enough. It’s wasn’t an ordeal of any sort, just a pretty placid and boring all-day (about 11 hours) trip down the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River. Not much to see as river journeys go, so it was a bit of a disappointment. By contrast, the Li River journey near Guilin, China was spectacular. The river was ringed by craggy mountains and colorful villages. I’ve done that one twice and would gladly do it again.

10:56 PM PDT Permalink |

Romantic Toilets & other delights

The Thai advertising industry is known for their clever, and often hilarious, ads. But when they try to convert their messages into the English language, things don’t always click. A company called Toto makes bathroom fixtures. They have recently been running large ads in the local newspapers. There is a big white toilet pictured in the center of the ad, along with copy that says:
COCKTAIL SUITE
INNOVATIVE PERFORMANCE & ROMANTIC DESIGN
I can think of many adjectives to describe a toilet (functional, efficient, ugly, attractive, dependable), but romantic would not be one them. Nevertheless, the people over at Toto (a Japanese company with a Thai subsidiary) are determined to plug their “new romantic collection” of bathroom fixtures. Beneath the toilet photo, there is more advertising copy, hyping the cocktail suite’s “elegant contours based on the designs of stylish crystal champagne flutes and martini glasses. Treat yourself to the same ambience of love enjoyed in the most exclusive accommodation.”
Ambience of love? Good heavens, what drugs are these people taking? What does “ambience of love” and “champagne flutes and martini glasses” have to do with flushing toilets? There is certainly no noticeable symbiotic relationship that would make a person feel compelled to rush out and purchase their cocktail suite based on this advert. Too damn silly.

My other favorite ad is one that a local hospital has been running in newspapers for a solid two years already. It’s usually a small one, but strategically placed on the top right corner of the front page. Pictured in this ad is a grinning foreign man … with a bloody bandage covering his head. The ad proclaims that you will be “worry free” at their hospital. Personally, I’d be worried if I stayed at this particular hospital and they hadn’t given me a clean bandage for my head wound.

It felt like a typical Friday night in Bangkok, perhaps even worse; the streets and sois of “downtown” (a geographic area in Bangkok that is almost impossible to define; the beast is constantly growing and changing) were clogged with vehicles and pedestrians (why stay packed inside a bus for an hour, the vehicle having progressed no further than one block due to the gridlock, when you can walk?) … and the obligatory elephants. But this was Wednesday night. What was happening? The reason for the ramped up traffic madness was because the next day was May 1, the Labor Day holiday here in the kingdom of mirrors. As a result it appeared that Bangkok’s under-30 denizens were all out to “party” the night away. It’s a good thing there was no rain (which there had been on almost every other day the past week) or the chaos would have been even worse. On Thursday morning, the actual holiday, Bangkok felt a tranquil upcountry town; no traffic at all. Where did everybody go?

I wanted to buy an orange t-shirt. Anything would do. I just felt like there was a void in my wardrobe that only an orange shirt could fill. Perusing the wares of some street vendors on Sukhumvit, my choice was limited to a “Hard Rock Café Bangkok” one and the ever-popular “Same Same” design. Both looked equally touristy, but what the hell, I splurged 200 baht (had to bargain to even get that figure) on the Hard Rock shirt. I’m styling now!

I had a late dinner on Tuesday with my business partner Kiwi (Kaweewut) at the Robin Hood pub on Sukhumvit, right across the street from the Emporium. This was my first visit to the “Hood” but Kiwi had been several times previously. I had the beef stew and a pint of Guinness. Ah, that hit the spot. I hadn’t had a Guinness in what seems like eons. All in all, the Robin Hood made a good impression. I’ll be back.

07:45 PM PDT Permalink |

Cops and Coroners

I’ve recently read two books by Colin Cotterill, both set in Vientiane, Laos during the 1970s. The protagonist of these quirky and charming mysteries is Dr. Siri Paiboun, a delightfully rebellious doctor in his 70s who is appointed (much to his own amazement) as the country’s head coroner. Vientiane has always been one of the sleepiest capital cities in the world, and it makes a unique and colorful setting for Cotterill’s novels. I just finished reading Thirty-Three Teeth and am looking forward to starting the third book in the series, Disco for the Departed. Looking at his website (www.colincotterill.com), it looks like there are --- or will be --- five books in the Siri series.

I got stopped by the cops this week. Nothing alarming, fortunately; we were on the way to Victory Monument when the motorcycle I was riding, as a passenger, was stopped by police on Rama 9 Road. As usual, we weren’t the only ones; this was one of those infamous Thai traffic stops where they search the locals for drugs and any other contraband that looks “funny.” My driver was asked to hand over his ID card and empty his pockets. The usual questions: what’s that? Where do you work? Where are you going? Upon seeing me, one cop confided to a fellow officer (speaking in Thai): “What do I do? I can’t speak English!” Despite his language handicap, I fully expected him to look through the bag I was carrying, but instead he patted my arm, smiled, and said “Thank You” in English, waving us on. One of those nice “only in Thailand” moments.

For a populace that loves to douse one another with water during the annual Songkran festival, Thais have an unusual aversion to getting wet throughout the rest of the year. You see this tendency anytime it rains: the locals scurry for cover, fearing the affects of the precipitation. Or a more likely reason; they don’t want their new Korean-style hairdos to get messed up. One nice consequence of this mass outdoor exodus is that the sidewalks become less cluttered with vendors and slow-strolling pedestrians, making it a pleasure for us wacky umbrella-armed foreigners to use the sidewalks for actual walking. “Look,” the Thais shriek, “another crazy farang is out walking in the rain!”

Thais may not like to walk in the rain, but they are quick to use rain as a convenient excuse for a variety of things. Late for work again? It’s because it was raining. Feeling sick today? Blame it on the rain. Caught in another traffic jam? It’s the rain’s fault, of course. Did poorly on your final exam? It’s probably due to that damn rain! Yet another politician forgot to pay his taxes? Why, it’s because of all that rain!

03:31 AM PDT Permalink |

Rainy nights … and flight booking weirdness

I was at home late on Tuesday night, reading a book, when I noticed the smell. I opened the window screen and leaned out take a heady sniff: rain was coming. For me, a rainstorm is one of life’s most intoxicating aromas. After indulging in a bit of rain-aromatherapy, I settled down to enjoy the rest of the deluge. The refreshing rains that night and last night have also helped coax down the steamy temperatures we’ve had to endure this month. More rain, please!

I paid a visit to a Bangkok dining institution last week; enjoying a dinner at the Thai Room on Patpong Soi 2. The Thai Room has been around for at least 30 years, dating back to those days when American GIs came to Bangkok for R&R during the Vietnam War. I had not visited the Thai Room in about five years. Actually, I had heard a rumor they had closed, but that wasn’t true. The restaurant is still there; but now it only occupies about half the space that it used to have. The new location won’t win any awards for décor --- and just what are those mysterious dark stains on the walls? --- but the food is still first rate. One out-of-the-ordinary menu item that the Thai Room boasts is Mexican food. That’s right; enchiladas, tacos, burritos, tamales and chili with beans. Besides their excellent Mexican and Thai dishes (the Tom Kha Gai is one of the best I’ve had), they also offer a variety of other international and western dishes. Truly something for everyone.

I got an e-mail last week from Air Asia announcing new baggage charges. What was odd about the announcement was the way it was phrased:
Introducing … Checked Baggage Handling Fee! Yes indeed, they used an exclamation point, trumpeting this announcement like it was marvelous news of some sort, instead of the irritating new policy that it actually is. Now, when booking a flight, they slap a 30 baht charge per checked bag on you. But if you show up at the airport with bags that weren’t already checked in their system, the charge is 50 baht per bag. I think this will only add to the number of passengers trying to lug bulky hand-carried bags onto the plane. Bad policy, Air Asia.

I experienced a further annoyance with booking a flight online with Air Asia recently. There seems to be no clear way to make an online reservation/purchase without having to pay for flight insurance. Once you’ve clicked through their booking process you realize that you’ve been saddled with flight insurance that you don’t want --- and there appears to be no way to undo the damage. By the time you’ve noticed the charge, your credit card has been processed and there is no turning back. I attempted to contact Air Asia but e-mail, but that’s a futile task in itself. All I received was a generic computer generated reply that said:

“As we receive an overwhelming number of emails daily, we are unable to attend to every enquiry.”

That’s hardly reassuring. And it’s certainly a lame excuse for customer service!

Another odd thing about booking online with Air Asia is trying to get an English language page to show up. The secret is to first select not the language you want but a country. That’s right, you can’t get an English language page unless you select Australia, and ONLY Australia. It doesn’t matter that I’m living in Thailand; I have to select Australia to get an English language menu. At least this solves yet another mystery: I always wondered what language those Aussies were speaking!

And now, our musical interlude. Here is this month’s listening list:
Counting Crows – Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings
Cat Power – Jukebox
Midlake – Bamman and Silvercork
Various Artists – Bay Area Funk 2
Ben Folds Five – Whatever and Ever Amen (Expanded Edition)
Boney M- The Magic of
Nick Drake – Pink Moon
Various Artists – After Hours: Northern Soul Masters
Gary Louris – Vagabonds
Scott Miller & the Commonwealth – Thus Always to Tyrants
Nina Simone – My Baby Just Cares for Me
Glenn Mercer – Wheels in Motion
Bruce Springsteen – Live in Dublin
Mary Chapin Carpenter – Party Girl & Other Favorites
Robert Forster & Grant McClennan- Intermission: the Best of the Solo Recordings 1990-1997
Mark Knopfler – Shangri-la
Led Zeppelin – Mothership
Luna – Best Of
Tim Hardin – Hang on to a Dream: the Verve Recordings
True West – Hollywood Holiday Revisited
Mitch Easter – Dynamico
The Cardigans – Best of
Sloan – Never Hear the End of it
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Street Survivors (Expanded Edition)
Levon Helm – Dirt Farmer

10:05 PM PDT Permalink |

Beating the Heat

I couldn’t stand it any longer: on the last day of the Songkran water festival, when my bookshop was empty of customers, I changed into an old pair of shorts and a ratty t-shirt, and ran out into the street, armed with my own bucket (okay, it was a plastic pitcher) of water and briefly joined the fray, getting gloriously soaked in the process. In my own mad way, I felt cleansed and rejuvenated by the experience. But the simple communal act of participation was the best feeling.

Meanwhile, the heat wave continues. People keep asking: “Was it this hot last year?” I can’t confirm that, but it certainly feels a wee bit stickier and toastier this past month. Bring on the rains!

I popped into the Emporium branch of Kinokuniya on Wednesday and was delighted to find the new Lee Child book, Nothing to Lose, sitting there on the racks. In fact, I could only see one copy, so I snatched that baby off the shelf and quickly escorted it to the cash register. Less than 48 hours later I had finished reading the book, satisfied once again with another fascinating Jack Reacher tale. This one was particularly timely, offering a thought provoking scenario on what happens to wounded veterans who have fought in Iraq, as well as the fate of “mechanical casualties” such as tanks and other vehicles. In the world of crime fiction Child remains a “must read” author and there are few more interesting characters than Jack Reacher. Get that man a cup of coffee --- and make it a good one!

I’m back to doing my daily Burmese language study sessions. I alternate between reading phrasebooks and dictionaries, and listening to CDs and cassettes with lessons on them. One of the books I’ve picked up is an odd, but occasionally handy one called “Practical Myanmar.” It’s credited as being published by two companies: Myan Com Services, and Book Promotion & Service Ltd. This “revised edition” is dated 1997, but looking through some of the more arcane entries in the book makes me wonder is this thing was first written in the early 20th Century, during the days when Burma was being ruled by the British. Clearly, this book was designed for the sort of British expat resident who hires maids and drivers, rather than a tourist or someone who enjoys meeting and talking to locals (rather than giving orders and making demands!). Oddly, there are no chapters or sections devoted to Buddhism or talking to monks, yet there are sections on railway dining cars (do they even have such things in Myanmar any longer?) and making complaints. Some of my favorite useless phrases include:
“The chicken is hard as a chunk of wood”
“It began the day before yesterday by a shivering fit”
“I noticed the baby’s frock was quite smeared yesterday”
“You are a damn liar!”
“Swimming will improve your muscle tone”

Right, just the sort of “practical” phrases that will NOT win friends and influence people! But this book isn’t the only one guilty of bizarre, if not totally stupid, sentences. I have another course, “Burmese for Beginners” (by Paiboon Publishing; the same company that gave us “Thai for Beginners” and “Cambodian for Beginners”), that includes such gems as “My husband cuts his own hair” and “There are no camels in Myanmar.”

I swear; one of my goals in life is to produce a series of language courses that actually ARE useful for normal people and tourists who like to do things on their own.

08:50 PM PDT Permalink |

Festive Mood

I’m holed up in my bookshop again today, working alone, and watching and listening to the Songkran festivities outside. The construction crew from a building that’s being built on our block have all taken up position next to the traffic light, and every time it turns red, they run out and ambush any vehicles that have stopped. Good, clean, crazy fun.

While the Songkran water festival is loved by almost all Thais, it is equally loathed by most resident foreigners. I’m always struck by the intensity of the dislike that farang residents have for Songkran. Many of them despise the holiday and shudder at the thought of getting splashed --- or drenched --- with water. So, they observe the holiday by barricading themselves indoors for three entire days, not daring to venture out into the streets during daylight hours. Tourists are another breed altogether, and most of the ones that are here in April have come for the express purpose of participating in the festival, so they know what they’re getting into.

Personally, I love Songkran time, especially here in Bangkok. It’s one of those uniquely Thai festivals (well, not too unique; you’ll find similar water shenanigans in Laos, Myanmar, and to a lesser extent in Cambodia) that make the country so fun. And with a high percentage of the populace out of town for the holidays, Bangkok becomes a more pleasant, quieter, and less chaotic city, with none of those notorious traffic jams to contend with. But what I love most about Songkran is the pervasive good vibes. Walk down the streets and into shops (the few that haven’t closed for the holidays) and you see the locals in great spirits. The mood is festive and upbeat. Pickup trucks cruise by, filled with celebrants whooping and hollering. People are having fun, and as long as the water throwing isn’t vicious or over-the-top, I think it’s great.

Yesterday’s business at my shop was actually very good; steady all day long, so I wasn’t overwhelmed with trying to handle it all alone. The first day there weren’t many water throwers on our block, so customers could come and go without too much difficulty. Today, however, is a different story. People, most with smiles on their faces, tell of having to “run the gauntlet” to get past the overzealous construction folks on the corner. But people just deal with it, usually with good humor. Sometimes, when I look out the window and see a truck full of happy Songkran warriors stopped at the light, I sort of wish I was out there taking part and getting drenched along with them.

02:41 AM PDT Permalink |

Happy, Hopeful People

Some more photos today, mostly of the happy children I met in Myanmar. I’m sure they are all looking forward to the annual water festival this week. People will be partying in the streets and travelling back to their hometowns, much like what happens here in Thailand. Many businesses will close for the holiday, even some (but not all) of the popular teashops in Yangon and Mandalay.

But what about the future for the children of Myanmar? When these kids have finished school (and actually, even some of these youngsters are looking at their school days in the rear view mirror; many of them work to help earn money for their family) what are their job prospects? I talked to several kids during my travels, and also adults in their 20s and 30s, who are seriously thinking of trying to get jobs in Thailand and Malaysia. But doing that involves a job broker, a practice that is not without its risks, as evidenced by the tragic suffocation of several dozen Burmese workers in the back of a truck this week. They had apparently paid a broker to take them to Thailand to seek jobs.

I thought about the youth of Myanmar again today when I received an e-mail from Ni Ko, one of the kids I met in Yangon. Ni Ko apparently asked someone at an Internet Café to help him write this note:
“How are you? I am fine and attending school through your money that you offered me. How's everything with you? I kept two books that you gave me till today. I am looking forward to seeing you again.”
Ni Ko had expressed an interest in taking some English classes again so I assume that’s what he used the money for. Another tourist had paid for him to take some classes last year, but once the money ran out the classes stopped. If the kid looks like he’s sincere about studying, I may accompany him to the school next time and pay his tuition for a full year. He may not be able to attend regular school at this point, but I want to encourage any other subjects he is interested in studying.

I also go an e-mail yesterday from my friend Laurie Weed, who has been travelling in Myanmar this month (we actually arrived in Yangon on the same flight last month, and shared a taxi from the airport to our hotel; the May Shan) before going back to California (she also sandwiched in trips to Laos and England recently). Laurie reported that she ran into Ni Ko and the other postcard sellers on the street this week and they send their regards. Happy Water Festival Holiday to them all! I hope they keep those postcards and books dry this week!

03:43 AM PDT Permalink |

News of the Weird

It’s been an amusing week for news in Bangkok. Wan Yoobamrung, the controversial “reformed bad boy” son of controversial loudmouth politician Chalerm Yoobamrung, was all over local newspapers, pictured in his new role as “Mr. Happy Toilet.” Strange but true; as a spokesman for the Public Health Ministry, Wan gets to promote clean hygiene and other such matters. Surely, this is poetic justice for the former hell-raising rich kid. But one question remains unanswered: does Wan smoke on the toilet?

But that wasn’t the most outlandish story to make the headlines. The honors for that one go to Pavena Hongsakula --- a master at getting her name in print --- who held a press conference to warn local women about drinking coffee and orange juice that has been spiked with a “sex stimulant.” According to Pavena, this concoction “triggers an uncontrollable urge to have sex with the men who set out to take advantage of them.” Her source, a young woman named Bee, claimed that she drank one such cup of spiked coffee and “shortly afterward felt a surge of arousal and an instant desire for sex.” Just how absurd is this story? Man, this one is totally off the charts! I suppose Pavena didn’t have any sex slaves to rescue this week, so she resorted to this nutso “news story.” As a former cabinet member of the notorious Thai Rak Thai Party, Pavena has been banned from politics for five years. One wishes that ban would cover public appearances too.

In a possibly related development, news from Cambodia indicates that the government there is cracking down on the “happy pizza” phenomenon. In case you have never been to Cambodia, they have locally-operated pizza joints that specialize in offering “happy” style pizza. What makes the pizzas so happy is the special topping: marijuana. You want that pizza “double happy”? No problem! Or at least it used to be no problem. A police official claimed that they “are strengthening our monitoring throughout the country and its borders. Marijuana is no longer a problem in Cambodia.” Well, that’s comforting: now let’s address the issue of endemic poverty. Anyway, as for the pizzas, besides making one feel ecstatic, eating them apparently had other effects. Another police official claimed that he “saw people take their clothes off after eating this --- especially women. Some people laugh, some cry, and some just jump in the lake.” Just think: combine this happy pizza with Pavena’s mysterious coffee mix, and young women will be eagerly shedding their clothing, jumping into lakes, and having uncontrollable urges for wild sex.

09:56 PM PDT Permalink |

Time for a Festival

I’m too busy to write much today (bombarded with book arrivals at the shop this week!), so this post will consist mostly of photos that I took on my recent trip to Myanmar. Everyone is looking forward to the annual water festival, called Thingyan, that is being held this week and next. This year the holiday will last ten full days! One trend I notice during this hot and humid time of year is that the kids like to dye their hair in various shades of red and orange. Not sure what this has to do with the festival, or the time of year, but with school out of session, perhaps the kids feel like sporting new fashions. But I’ve also seen the dyed hair thing on older citizens, usually elderly Burmese-Indian fellows. I noticed several gents sporting salt and pepper beards --- that were further highlighted with streaks of orange. Wish I’d taken photos of that!

Playing an outdoor game of marbles in Mandalay.

Monks in New Bagan making their morning alms rounds down the main road.

Selling a popular pink-colored drink in downtown Yangon.

Young fruit vendors in Paleik.

Attempting to climb the giant roots of a riverside tree in Paleik.

Making sugar cane juice in Bagan.

Watching the snakes during bathing time in Paleik.

Flower vendor at Mt. Popa.

Postcard vendor in Yangon.

Some of the many ancient stupas in Paleik.

Street musician in Yangon, in front of the Yatha teashop.

More monkeys at Mt. Popa.

Zin Maung Maung poses for a photo in Old Bagan.

Tasty local snacks at a home in New Bagan.

Scenes from the festive kitchen of the Junior Duck restaurant in Yangon.

Enjoying the bumper cars at Happy World in Yangon.

Monks receiving alms in New Bagan.

Trying on the horse head in New Bagan.

Cooling off in one of the swimming pools at Happy World in Yangon.

11:24 PM PDT Permalink |