Archive for June, 2008
RIP George. Punch Jesus in the Nose for Me.
Today is a sad day for people who like to laugh. George Carlin, the legendary comedian and one of my favourite all-time performers, has died at 71, from heart failure. When I was growing up, I listened to Bill Cosby non-stop; my Mom had a ton of his records. They really helped to shape my [...]
How to Mangle the Thai Language
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve left Thailand for a vacation back home, only to have someone ask me, “So how much Taiwanese do you speak?” When I tell them that I don’t speak a single word, the quizzical look I get is almost worth the explanation I have to give. Thais, of [...]
Elephants in the Big Mango
For many visitors, walking around Bangkok will allow them a glimpse of many things they would never see at home, some awful, some amazing. Dudes selling fried bugs, beggars with awful diseases, bike paths that end at brick walls and an alarming cross section of social strata that would make a New York subway [...]
Thailand’s Computer Paradise
Last time I was in Canada, I was - somewhat futilely, I admit - searching for those little keychain license plates with names on them, but with Thai names like Tin, Pik, Nok and so forth. It’s no surprise that I couldn’t find any. The clerk asked me what I was looking for [...]
Getting a Thai Driver’s License the Hard Way - Taking the Test
After living here for over 7 years now, I’m familiar enough with the rules and nuances of Bangkok traffic to know that I never, ever want to drive in it. It’s not so much that it’s bad - traffic in India or Vietnam makes Bangkok traffic look like a driver’s ed training course - but [...]
