Pollution in Bangkok

Thai Folktales

I've recently finished Thai Folktales by M.L. Manich Jumsai and thought of sharing some passages from the book with you:

- “Man could even conquer the universe, cross rivers and deserts if he wanted to.”

- “In Thai tradition, the ghost of a woman who dies in childbirth is very fierce and must not be cremated…”

- “According to Thai belief, a human being can be reborn as a god in an afterlife, enjoying much greater happiness than an earthly man can.”

- “Bad men can be reborn in hell after death or be born as lowly animals with all the discomforts of life, for the Thais believe that life never dies.”

Albino turtle

Last month I went to an interesting fish exhibition at the Mall Bang Kapi.

The albino turtle on display is an endangered animal, with only a few remaining around the world.

Overload?

Picture taken on Bangkok - Chonburi motorway.

My Thai Girl and I

PRESS RELEASE

“My Thai Girl and I” by Andrew Hicks
(250 pages including 8 colour pages with 20 photographs and 95 monochrome photographs in the text.)

This new book about the author’s life in Thailand has been distributed by Asia Books to bookshops and outlets throughout Thailand as from early April 2008.

Written by Andrew Hicks, author of the best selling novel, “Thai Girl”, it is expected to sell to readers looking for an accessible story about expat life that also informs about the local culture and living in rural Thailand .

The Blurb on the Back Cover

“This is how I met Cat, a ‘Thai girl’ half my age and how we set up home together in her village out in the rice fields of North Eastern Thailand. I’ll tell you of toads in the toilet, of ants’ eggs for breakfast, how we took up frog farming and how I got married without really meaning to. It’s also a book about the countryside, of the old Thailand where the rhythm of the seasons and belief in the spirits and Buddhism remain strong. Though how could I, a greying English lawyer, ever fit into the lives of a Thai rice farming family. Can Cat and I with our many differences really be compatible? If you’re curious to know what it’s like to start a totally new life as I did, to slow down and ‘go with the flow’, I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading the story of ‘my Thai girl and I’.”

Five Brief Reviews of the Book

This new book tells the story of how the author, a former law professor set up home in an Isaan village with a rice farmer’s daughter half his age. With all their incompatibilities and the many problems of adapting to rural life, how could such a relationship ever succeed. A funny and engaging tale, it shows that anything is possible if Andrew throws off his cultural assumptions and learns to go with the flow.

****

There are many ‘culture shock’ handbooks written for foreigners settling in Thailand but another way to get an authentic flavour of living in the Kingdom is to read a new book just released called, “My Thai Girl and I”. Written by Andrew Hicks, author of the successful novel, “Thai Girl”, it describes how he met his Thai wife Cat and how they set up home together in her village in the North East of Thailand.

The many lessons to be learned are amusingly told, that smiles can mean a thousand things, that yes can sometimes mean no and nothing is ever what it seems. Building a new house involves a thousand crises and compromises and running a thirty year old jeep can turn into a nightmare.

Lavishly illustrated, this is the story of five years in the lives of two people who are as different as can be but offer each other the same thing, namely a totally new start in life. For the author, an older man used to the comforts of city living, there are many lessons to be learned and moving to live in the real rural Thailand presents many challenges.

How Andrew coped with these challenges, struggled with his own cultural assumptions and learned ‘to go with the flow’ will amuse and enlighten those who long for a slower way of life and contemplate retirement in Thailand .

****

In many Isaan villages the ageing farang resident married to a local girl has become a familiar sight. It’s hard though to imagine the reality of these unusual relationships, but a new book now gives the inside story. In “My Thai Girl and I”, Andrew Hicks, author of the best selling novel, “Thai Girl” tells how he met his Thai wife, Cat and how they set up home together in her village in Isaan.

He describes the tortuous business of building a house, of maintaining a thirty year old jeep and all the difficulties of a new life in a very rural environment. How could a sixty year old former corporate lawyer possibly come to grips with the volcanic local food and culture and co-exist with an army of in-laws that he can’t even speak to.

Fully illustrated, “My Thai Girl and I” is a pleasant read that takes the armchair traveler on a quest that is both funny and informative about cross-cultural relationships, the rhythms of the seasons and life in a rice growing village in Surin.

****

What’s the story behind the smart new concrete house that’s just been built in a remote village in Isaan? Who’s the tall farang often to be seen drawing wads of money at the ATM in the local town?

A new book, “My Thai Girl and I” now tells the inside story of how one Englishman retired from the rat race and came to accept a much slower way of life with a family of rice farmers in Surin.

Its author, Andrew Hicks tells how he met his Thai wife, Cat and of his culture shock when first she took him to her village. A former corporate lawyer and academic, how would he succeed in adapting to so different a life out in the remote rice fields of Surin?

He tells of the discomforts of living with no bed, no chair, no news of the outside world and with no way to get out of the village except by bicycle. An old Asia hand, he nonetheless finds the local diet of ants eggs and fermented fish spiced up with volcanic chili more than challenging.

The story takes you through five years of his life with Cat and describes the problems of building a house and of keeping a thirty year old jeep on the road and how their relationship confronted the strains and pitfalls of an unusual cross-cultural marriage.

The book thus offers the reader an upbeat and amusing read, with many insights into life for a newcomer to rural Thailand . For Andrew it wasn’t always easy, but ultimately life with his ‘Thai girl’ allowed him to look for a new balance in his life and to learn ‘to go with the flow’.

****

Thailand offers an enticing haven for European men wanting to retire to a warm and welcoming climate and huge numbers seem to be flocking this way. The food is amazing, the cost of living is reasonable and the ladies do really know how to smile. Some of these men succeed in finding happiness but theirs isn’t always an easy path.

In “My Thai Girl and I”, author Andrew Hicks describes some of the pitfalls that can be encountered along the way. Ants eggs for breakfast and toads in the toilet are the least of his troubles and with his energetic wife, Cat, life is a roller coaster as they deal with the stresses of marriage and the cultural gulf that separates them.

After life as a lawyer in London , Hong Kong and Singapore , Andrew finds a small village in Isaan takes some getting used to. He discovers that he’s not only married his wife but her family too, her village even and that their collective way of life is in stark contrast to the individuality of the West.

Andrew describes the problems of building a home, of running a thirty year old jeep and most difficult of all, his isolation from his own world; from world news, family, food, language and culture. How can two people of such differing age and experience possibly make a life together?

The book tells of all the ups and downs of a cross-cultural relationship and, drawing on the humour of the author’s predicament, offers the reader an upbeat and amusing read whose conclusion is distinctly positive.
Available at Asia Books and Bookazine and all bookshops throughout Thailand .
Published by Konstrukt Books, price 450 baht

See also the blog and the website.

Aikido Seminar in Bangkok

Aikido of South-East Asian Nations Fellowships will take place between 18-21 April 2008.

The Aikido seminar will be hosted by the Aikido Association of Thailand at ChaoPhya Park Hotel. The event was organised by Fukakusa Shihan, who invited Waka Sensei to be the guest of honor. Although also invited as a guest of honour, Fujita Shihan will not attend the seminar due to heath problems.

Fees:
- US$250/person - accommodation, daily breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners (Welcome party and farewell party) and seminar.
- US$150/person - welcome party, farewell party and seminar.

Schedule:
Sat, 19 April
06:30 - 08:30 - Breakfast at the Hotel
09:00-10:00 - 1st session with Motohiro Fukakusa Shihan (7 dan)
10:15-11:15 - 2nd session with Freddy Khong Sensei (5 dan)
11:30-12:30 - 3rd session with Rosso Fernandez Sensei (6 dan)
12:30 - Lunch at the Hotel
14:30-15:30 - 4th session with Harry Ng Sensei (6 dan)
15:45-16:45 - 5th session with Lucio, Jr. Alejo Sensei (5 dan)
17:00-18:00 - 6th session with Jun Yamada Shihan (7 dan)
Free time (Dinner on your own)

Sun, 20 April
06:30:08:30 - Breakfast at the Hotel
09:00-10:00 - 7th session with Mineo Tominaga Sensei (6 dan)
10:15-11:15 - 8th session with George Chang Sensei (6 dan)
11:30-12:30 - 9th session with Takao Hattori Sensei (6 dan)
12:30 - Lunch at the Hotel
14:00-15:30 - Special training with Mitsuteru Ueshiba Waka Sensei
15:45-17:00 - Demonstrations
19:00-22:00 - Farewell Dinner Party

Mon, 21 April
06:30-09:30 - Breakfast at the Hotel
12:00 - Check-out

How many will die this year?

During Thai traditional new year holidays in 2007, 361 people killed and 4,805 injured in road accidents throughout the seven- day Songkran holiday.

Let's hope that this year the numbers will go down!

New car

Last month we sold the Sunny Ex-Saloon we had since 2005 and bough a 5-year old Honda CR-V. Yesterday we took it for a 400-km ride all the way to Rayong province. The picture was taken at Dok Krai Reservoir. Here we had something to eat and just relaxed.

Dasa Songkran Hours

Dasa Book Café will be open every day during the Songkran holidays in mid-April. During the official holiday period, from April 13-15, the normal hours will be kept: from 10 a.m. till 8 p.m. daily.

Whether you remain dry or opt to indulge in the water mayhem, we wish you a very happy and safe Songkran holday!

Want to know what’s new in stock at Dasa? Don’t forget to visit their website for daily updates on new book arrivals, along with weekly book recommendations, and blog postings at http://www.dasabookcafe.com/ .

Source: Erin's newsletter

Bookcrossers get-together

In addition to the regular first Tuesday of the month get-togethers, Bangkok Bookcrossers will also hold occasional weekday afternoon meetings. The next afternoon session will be on Friday, April 18, at 12:30 pm, at the Starbucks on Langsuan Road.

Wooden Thai House

The picture above was taken in Chonburi. The house was build in the schoolyard of a government school. I suppose that they use it for Thai dance and music.

Read more about Thai architecture here.

Hits from 100 countries

Stories from Thailand has finally reached its country count to 100. That is, this blog has been viewed by people from 100 countries from around the world.

In late January 2008 I wrote a post with a similar title on Teacher in Thailand, where the counter showed the most visits coming from the USA, Thailand and UK.

On this blog, the first place is taken by the United States with 1232 hits, then Thailand with 1079 hits, and far behind, with only 387 hits, comes the Philippines. The total number of visitors registered since I've installed the counter is 5122.

Bangkok Writer's Guild

What?
- we write
- we share
- we started a nation
- we celebrate

When?
- last Friday of the month

Where?
- Bitter Brown caffe, across from MRT Sukhumvit or a 5-minute walk from BTS Asok

What time?
- 6:30 pm

More info?

- http://bkkwriters.googlepages.com/

Logo design: Eric Barrientos
Logo concept: A.D. Thompson