My groupies
El mundo es un panuelo
Long time, huh?
I went to Hard Rock Cafe Bangkok today, primarily because Jean, a fellow Zamboangeno who just recently arrived in Same-Same Land, told me that another fellow Zamboangeno- who is the son of my former college instructor in Ateneo- is in the band playing the keyboard.
When I got there, I found out it wasn't just him- it was the majority of the band! And they were freaking awesome. When the female vocalist went on stage, I thought that I recognized her. When she saw me in the audience and did a double-take herself, I knew she was this former schoolmate of mine from high school, Sharon. She recognized me as well and waved. "There's a Zamboangeno in the house! A Claretian!" she called out and pointed in my direction. Everyone turned to me and Jean. What the hell is a Zamboangeno, or a Claretian, the Thais must have thought. Na, kanatun.
The male lead vocal on the other hand was a true-blue rocker from WMSU. Really brought down the house. When he found out that me and Jean were from Zamboanga, he began injecting some Chavacano in his songs. "De Baliwasan yo..." he chanted in the middle of a rock song. Hehe.
When the bar closed all of us lingered and chatted and shared some good ol' Chavacano laughs.
It really is a small world.
___________________
* The band is playing throughout May. Catch them.
Summer 08 in BKK
Ruth and Jefrey came over for a vacation and we sure had a blast. The jam-packed nine-day holiday ended all too soon; I hope I get to see more of my friends as often as I want. Come to think of it, who else but really good friends would spend for a quick break and hop on a plane to Bangkok just to see me? I’m sure it wasn’t the elephant show, the magnificent temples, the Songkran festival, the really cheap clothes, the river cruise, the beach or the exotic cuisine that drove them here. Right, guys? Guys?
Saturday morning at 1AM I practically dashed to the airport to fetch Ruth and Jeff. I was very excited to see them again and wanted to make them feel very welcome so when the passengers started pouring out from the arrivals section, I hailed this over my head for them to see and find me:
Several people were looking in my direction and reading the poster with curious expressions on their faces, probably thinking whether we were members of a cult or something. The answer is yes.
In a nutshell, and because I’m too lazy to document everything in detail, here’s what we squeezed into our short holiday:
- toured a number of temples
- talked and joked and made fun of people - including ourselves
- cruised the Chao Phraya river and had dinner at the top deck of a floating resto
- devoured a lot of Thai food and prayed we won’t get hemorrhoids (or in Jeni’s words: cauliflower anus)
- got caked on the face and splashed with water in Khao San during the Songkran festival
- enjoyed world-class jazz and acoustic music at the cozy Brown Sugar
- fed the pigeons at the park and got “peck marks” all over our arms
- walked around Patpong, Bangkok’s red light district, and got hundreds of offers to watch the naughty “Pingpong shows” (the expression on Ruth’s face was priceless)
- tried Lebanese cuisine and decided the lamb made us very sleepy
- fed an elephant prancing about in Sukhumvit road
- braved the heat and shopped for bargains in the famous Chatuchak market. Twice.
- went to Jim Thompson’s house museum and listened to conspiracy theories about his disappearance (my favorite was that he stepped on a vortex and got teleported to the year 2433, where he was trampled by a giant troll by the name of Juno– my own theory)
- saw the entire Bangkok skyline from the tallest building in Thailand
- watched a boring crocodile show (no man-eating happened- we were shortchanged!)
- watched some elephants in Samphran do some amazing acrobatics, soccer and even role-playing
- watched a magic show where the magician’s assistant, a ladyboy, showed complete nonchalance and boredom it was too hilarious
- had coffee and found a freaking little roach inside my cup (I didn’t find out about it until I had my last sip, whereupon I choked and gagged… and died…)
- introduced Ruth and Jeff to my favorite ice cream flavor – Rum Raisin
- went to the beach in Pattaya and saw nice waters but no beautiful ladies
- had fresh Japanese food in an authentic Jap resto where we asked the waitresses to take our picture but got a quizzical look on their faces instead, like they’ve never heard of such a ridiculous idea before
Read Ruth’s blog about our escapade here. Will post pictures soon!
Oldies but goodies
In Thailand there are only three channels I can watch on the tube- HBO, Star Movies and AXN. I hate it that the cable service offers Star Movies and Star Sports, but not Star World. I almost never get to watch TV series anymore. I would watch AXN on very few occasions because the shows that I like in that channel are in the morning block, like CSI and House. Man, I miss weekends at home in Makati with my former housemates. Also, most of evening shows I am familiar with in AXN are dubbed in Thai. Sometimes, it's not even dubbing, there'll just be a Thai voice-over commenting on the show.
And so my stack of DVDs are really piling. My latest is a Jack Nicholson-starrer that my former Philosophy professor in AdZU Fr. DJ had once recommended to our class. Well actually he didn't tell the entire class about it, we were just over at Ronald's house after graduation and people started talking about the best movie they've seen. Fr. DJ, who was the "guest of honor", said One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was a must-see.
And it was. The movie was hilarious as it was sad, and I especially liked the evil nurse and her grim expression. "Your hand is staining my window," she tells Jack in one scene, and instantly the bitchy nurse becomes my favorite character.
Watch it. This was the movie that gained Jack (we are on first name basis) his Oscar nod in 1975. This movie was made almost a decade before I was born. I almost didn't recognize Danny DeVito, he still had his hair back then.
***
Last Saturday was my first night out in a bar with fellow Filipinos here in Bangkok. It was fun, especially since the bar (Yes, Indeed!) was celebrating its anniversary. They gave out some fancy trumpets and party poppers, and everybody made absolute noise. And we had a very nice spot in the bar too, right in front of the platform where two dancers in skimpy clothing strutted ala- Coyote Ugly.
Two of the singers of the house band were Filipinos, by the way, and boy did they rock. This girl Janice can take on And I Am Telling You without effort.
I noticed however that most of the songs in the program were quite old. Like Scorpions old, but it was what satisfied the Thai crowd. I guess they pretty much still like old stuff here. I mean I can still hear songs by boy bands in the late nineties being played on the radio when Im in a cab. (Once though I heard a song by Christian Bautista being played, I wanted to tell the cabbie "He's freaking Filipino!")
But one thing's for sure, Thais really know how to have fun.
I'm Done with my Jail Time
I just finished watching all the DVDs I have of Prison Break. All 12 of them, which I bought in Myanmar.
Now what?
***
The girls at work are unbelievable. They gossip about you right under your nose, and they don't even bother to hide it. We were having lunch today and they were all speaking in Thai when I heard my name in one their conversations. "Yeah?" I inquire smilingly. "No, no," one of them replies. "We gossip. About you." And she proceeds with her animated storytelling in Thai. Like I wasn't even there.
Surreal.
My Certificate of Courage
Okay, I just gotta post this.
This is me, uh, soaring.
The photo's not exactly good, but this is actually a frame grab from the video that they took when I jumped.
So how did it feel? Well it wasn't that high so there wasn't enough time to actually soak in the experience. As the popular line in the news goes, masyadong mabilis ang mga pangyayari (everthing happened too fast). But springing from the board was really something. I mean, you just had to let go of everything and take the plunge.
Surreal. Try it.
The Story of Jesse
At work, my name became an issue again. Two departments have been merged into one so it's time for some re-introdcutions. We were in a circle and one of my new teammates asked me anew what's the story behind my name. Again, I explain to them that Jesse is a very common name not just in the Philippines but also everywhere else in the world, and that it's usually a guy's name. See, for Thais, Jesse is simply a girl's name.
I did a search on famous people and characters named Jesse and I came up with these:
Jesse - Biblical father of King David. Think Jesse Tree.
Jesse McCartney - an American singer and actor, latest work is lending his voice to the character of Theodore in Alvin and the Chipmunks (When I was a kid, I thought this was "Siadore").
Jesse James - a famous American outlaw in his time. There's gonna be a movie about him starring Brad Pitt.
Simply Jesse - an oldie Rex Smith song that goes "And I don't know how I knew it..." Why the song is called that is lost on me as Jesse is never mentioned throughout the song.
Jesse Owens - an African-American athlete who made headlines by being black and winning in the Olympics in the thirties, which was unthinkable at that time.
Jesse Bradford - American actor, to play leading male role in the Hollywood version of My Sassy Girl
Apparently, however, these characters don't ring a bell in Thailand so maybe to eliminate confusion, I'm gonna shorten my name to just Jess. That sounds about right, they tell me.
And they said Philippines is a macho country.
***
Now that I've come to think about it, I've actually had several nicknames throughout the years. At home, because I have a "Junior" suffixed to my name, I am called Jun. Fine, Jun-Jun. Dammit. In grade school, my classmates plainly called me Jesus, and some teachers Junior. But I have this other classmate already called Junior (also had a Junior suffix to his name) so to minimize confusion, I was officially called Jesus.
Growing up, I felt uncomfortable being called Jesus. Who wouldn't be? It's, you know, God's name, as in Jesus Christ. I'm not worthy. Whenever someone calls me Jesus I am usually tempted to reply "Yes, my child." So I had people call me by my last name instead, which is Siason. A lot of people are too lazy to utter the two syllables so they shortened it to Sia (as in "Sha"), and then later Siang, because as it is in the Philippines, we would usually add "-ng" to a one-syllable name ending with a vowel.
Examples:
From Sherwin: Sher - She (short e sound) - Sheng
From Rowena: Wena - We - Weng
From Palangga: Gaga - Ga - Gang
Fast forward to early college, I would usually introduce myself as Jun. But then I also began hearing people I don't know call me Chu. The reason is because in Zamboanga City (I'm not sure if it's also the same case in other places in the Philippines), it is usual for someone named Jesus to have the nickname Chu. I have no idea why, beats me. So people assume that my nickname is Chu. They don't know I have a Junior suffix so had no idea I could be called Jun for short.
I never did like being called Chu. I thought that it sounded like a dog's name. Like Chu-huahua. So I started to ask everybody to call me Jesse. Now Jesse is the more reasonable pet name for Jesus. Jess is also okay, but I liked Jesse better. The inspiration for the name Jesse is actually my father. We have the same first name (I'm a Junior, remember?) and his nickname is incidentally Jesse. It made sense to me that since we have the same first name, what the heck, why not nicknames as well?
And the rest is history. Those who already knew me as Chu would still call me Chu, and my new friends and acquaintances would call me Jesse. When I started working and moved to Manila, I had everyone call me Jesse once and for all. If I retain the Jun I know I'd never be taken seriously at work. Come on.
And so in a nutshell, here's the historical outline of my nicknames:
Jesus - Junior - Jun - Chu - Jesse - Jess.
Lord knows what I will be called next.
Welcome 2008!
Prospects are good in '08. So Im wishing for everyone's dreams to come true!
Below's a video clip I took at the countdown in Central World, Bangkok. There was a vast sea of people and mood was very festive, too bad I was by myself.
(Knife... cuts like a knife...)
Happy New Year!
Holidays in the boondocks
After going through that series of unfortunate events, my karma did a 360. I had a swell time vacationing in Chiang Mai! What a way to end 2007.
Hey, this is actually my last post for the year 2007. Nothing more to say but have a blast counting down the New Year, everyone!
Bad day
Today is just so fucked up.Too many problems happening at the same time.
First, I lost my ATM card. I know it's not a big deal as long as I have the card cancelled promptly, but I am actually flying to Chiang Mai in a few hours. That means I'll be traveling with the few remaining bucks in my wallet- a measly 200 baht. My mom usually tells me
to always bring cash with me, and unfortunately she has a point. She usually tells me, Si ya puede bo pisa tomates de tindera na calle, que laya bo paga? (If you step on some street vendor's tomatoes, how are you going to pay?)
I found out that I lost my ATM card just as I was about to pay for my dinner in a resto. When I feel like I need some loving, I usually treat myself to an expensive (expensive for me, at least. Die, you rich people) dinner and this time the bill was for 500 baht. I frantically fumbled for some cash when I realized my card was missing. Good thing that I have enough left in my wallet, I was already seriously thinking of giving the waiter my cellphone. Or my body.
From this point more problems arose. Seeing that I was going to travel without cash and was running the risk of being a headless chicken in a foreign place, I decided to rebook my flight to allow myself some time to go to the bank and get a replacement card. So I call up the airline and ask for the rescheduling. And guess what, they tell me I need a credit card for this transaction. I don't have a credit card in Thailand and have no plans of getting one (I cannot be trusted with a big credit line) and now it's proving to be an inconvenience. Could I use my Philippine -issued card? Yes, the airline agent on the other line tells me. But I need to fax them some document before they can charge the rebooking fee to my account. I don't have a freaking fax machine and apparently, it's the only way besides having to go to the airport and pay in cash. And I don't have freaking cash.
So I call up my friendly neighbor and shamefully asked if I could borrow some money. Good Samaritan neighbor was truly helpful and lent me 500 baht. That should be enough.
And then suddenly I realized I actually have money in my Equitable bank account in the Philippines, I could just withdraw from the ATM. I triumphantly fled to the ATM for a cash withdrawal. Then the third problem happened. The machine fucked up and decided not to give me my money but deducting the amount from my account just the same. I didn't have my phone with me so I had to borrow the security guard's mobile phone to call the bank (I gave him 20 baht afterwards). After discussing with the bank agent for a few minutes, she tells me it's okay, the transaction has been reversed. I make an account inquiry and see that my money is still uncredited. What do I do? I ask the agent. She tells me that I may have to get in touch with my bank and instruct them to check on the problem because from their side the error was already reversed. And it might take some three weeeks to have the problem fixed. Jesus H. Christ. I made a few more account inquiries to check if the system has updated and then realized some 50 baht was being charged against my account everytime I made a balance inquiry. And I made a lot.
This was actually the same money that I have waited for 3 whole months to be credited to my account. This was my last salary check from Shell Philippines and I had difficulty encashing it because in case the bank hadn't noticed, I'm in Thailand now and couldn't sign the check. I had to get in touch with the bank manager from Equitable Bank and ask for help from my friend Jefrey in Manila to find a way to get my money. And now this.
What is wrong with the world? What is wrong with my world?
And just when I thought I had enough, a mouth sore develops on my lip. It just doesn't get any better than this.
Looking around
Buddhas (Buddhae?) and an anime costume player down town
Christmas tree in my room
Aboard a tour boat in Chao Phraya river and myself in Chiang Rai
Where I go to hear mass (good little Catholic boy me)
Marine life in Siam Ocean World
One of my favorites.
Portuguese-style roasted chicken and chips
Portuguese-style roasted chicken and chips
A large freaking ray and some boy with the UK flag for a tongue inviting Thais to take expensive English classes.
Great shot
I played around with macro setting of my humble Canon and took photos of the Christmas tree in my room and this came out. Freaking nice.
So it's 15 days before the big day. Well, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Last Sunday I received a call from Jesse (yes, a namesake) telling me to come over to the Philippine embassy because they're holding a Christmas party for Filipinos in Bangkok. Of course I went. I got to
meet some nice and cool people like Master J from Siam Pinoy, and other people who were nice enough to welcome me to the group. There were lotsa booths set up in the embassy grounds, all of them selling Filipino foods. Amazing! I had lechon that night (bland, but I was in the "spirit") and bought some goods like Lucky Me noodles (haha) and Zaragoza Portuguese-style sardines. I also surprised myself by buying an entire box of C2 lemon iced tea. As I have no car, you can imagine me carrying this box around and hailing for a cab. There was a band playing some OPM (Original Pinoy Music) staples like... I don't actually know the titles because I don't like listening to OPM. It is NOT in any way turning away from my roots, it's simply a matter of taste in music. I mean, come on, Jessa Zaragosa? I got an invite from a friend living in Chiang Mai, another famous city in Thailand, to spend the holidays at their place and have some sort of reunion of Ateneo alumni. I think I will drop by, nothing to do in Bangkok anyways. I'll bring some Baileys so we can all have a happy Christmas. I'm also planning to go to the beach while I'm there. Wondering when I will have an opportunity to check out Phuket. Hope I'll have free time in the summer.
On a different (and somewhat sad) note, I received news that the first chaps I got to know in Bangkok are moving back to the Philippines: Harold the doctor and Kathy the nurse. They're heading back before the year ends, for good. Kathy wanted a last meet-up before their departure, and I suggested we go to Dreamworld, Thailand's largest amusement and theme park. I hope it pushes through next weekend. Rats, now the few number of people I know in Thailand just got fewer.
Okay, later.
Planning my 2008
Finally got it after downing 20 cups of my favorite Toffee Nut Latte.
Not fair though that in the Philippines it's got a leather a jacket. Oh well. All hail, pop culture.
And here's the list of official December holidays in Thailand.
Yes, there's no typo, Christmas Day is not marked in red ink. But my company's an international firm so thank God, we still get the day off. I'm planning to stay in Thailand for the holidays- my first ever abroad. Let's see what happens. Got no specific plans yet. Argh.
Happy holidays!
Crossing the border
So, Chiang Rai.
Well, I came, I saw, and it was all good. It was company team-building activity and the trip was so jam-packed we barely had time to breathe all throughout the trip. I was always trying to catch sleep in the bus but every time, I just ended up with a blasted headache. Chiang Rai is all the way up there in the northern-most portion of Thailand and I had the chance to see and have lunch overlooking the famous Mekong River which runs through Tibet, China, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand.
We had many stops along the way, like some very grand flower and horticulture park, a Buddhist temple where we were taught how to meditate (or in my case, take a nap without snoring) and some very nice countryside sceneries. The cool thing, however, was that up until the last minute I didn't know we were gonna cross the border and go to Myanmar for some bargain shopping. And because I didn't have a clue about that part of the trip I did not bother to bring my passport - which means I had some explaining to do at the immigration. There were three foreigners in the group- myself (Filipino), a partner of the firm (from New Zealand) and a client (from Singapore) and all of us did not have our passports with us as we learned of the trip to Myanmar too late. The immigration clerks initially wouldn't allow the three of us in, but after a talk with someone from the immigration office (and some name dropping I guess - but don't quote me), we got VIP passes. It didn't really mean anything except that we had to pay a larger fee (about 500 baht) to cross the border, compared to the measly 30 baht for Thais. The company paid for this of course.
I was a little wary walking about the market in Myanmar. I mean, I've heard about what they did to Buddhists in the news, their government is not exactly the cheeriest people on earth. I was careful with taking pictures and did not bother to use my famous haggling skills with the vendors. In the marketplace I got for myself the entire two seasons of the TV series Prison Break on DVD. I finally get to watch Prison Break. Copy, yes, so sue me.
The following day, we were off to cross the border yet again, and this time it's Laos. I learned my lesson and brought my passport with me this time. Apparently, we were standing at one point of the so-called "Golden Triangle" so it's easy to cross to nearby countries. The "Golden Triangle," aside from being a dangerous finger-blasting firecracker back home in the Philippines, references to the three adjacent neighboring countries of Thailand, Myanmar and Lao, which are separated by the Mekong River. From our hotel, the "Imperial Golden Triangle Resort" (get it?) which faces the Mekong River, we can actually see the two countries not too far away: Myanmar on the left, Laos on the right. Cool.
Speaking of cool, since Chiang Rai is in the country-side, the climate was very cold. Some 10 degrees Celcius I was told. In the evenings and early mornings, the wind was very cold I'd get the shivers even with 2 layers of clothing on.
During the trip I got to know some of my officemates a little more. I also found out that some people are bothered by my name. Jesse, they tell me, is a girl's name. "Actually all the Jesses I know are guys," I explain to them. "All Jesse's we know are girls," they say. This confused me because from what I know, Thais have very unique and long names like Pimonporn or Chalermpong, but not Jesse. "Like who?" I ask.
"Jessica Simpson," one of them replies.
Ahh. Can't argue with that.
Anyways, here are pictures from the trip. They open up as a set to my flickr.
Loi Krathong
From Wikipedia:
Loy Krathong (or Loi Kratong, Thai ลอยกระทง) is a
festival celebrated annually throughout Thailand. It is held on the
full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar,
in the western calendar this usually falls into November.
“Loi” means “to float”. “Krathong” is a raft about a handspan in diameter traditionally made from a section of banana tree trunk (although
modern-day versions use specially made bread 'flowers' and may use styrofoam),
decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, flowers, candles, incense
sticks etc. During the night of the full moon, many people will release a small
raft like this on a river. Governmental offices, corporations and other
organizations also build much bigger and more elaborate rafts, and these are
often judged in contests. In addition, fireworks and beauty
contests take place during the festival.
Loy Krathong Festival of Light was over two weeks ago. I went to Benjasiri Park and experienced the fesitivities. Quite cool. They release some small rafts into the pond (or any body of water) in the hopes of letting go of their grudges, anger and bad luck and starting anew. They will also release some hot-air lanterns at night and bid their problems bye bye.
I'm concerned about who cleans up afterwards.
Quick getaway on Sunday
Flying to the Chiang Rai this weekend for a three-day funfest with people from work. Finally, a much needed break. I've been very busy with my audits the past weeks so I really need this time off work (although I always manage to have time to blog, hehe). Chiang Rai is located in the northern tip of Thailand, right on the Thailand-Myanmar border.
Seeing bloody red
Suddenly I realize it's just 35 days before Christmas. Yes, 35! Can you believe that?
I was at the mall today and already plastic Christmas trees are on sale. I'm planning on buying one to make my apartment look Christmas-y for the holidays, but Im not sure how to decorate it. Our Christmas tree at home has always been decorated by my sister and my mom, and my part would usually be just making faces at one of those shiny ornaments hanging about. Gimme a break, I'm pretty sure you've done it yourself lotsa times before.
I'll probably get my tree next week. For the meantime, this will do:
I hope I don't kill it before Christmas day.
***
Because I'm ridiculously excited at the prospect of spending Christmas "home alone" -unless some good soul invites me over- I'm putting up this neat little Christmas countdown in my sidebar. Ah, 35 days left. Can you believe it?
Note: The countdown widget says I wish for love, peace and happiness. Yeah okay, but let it be known that I also wish for a Wii.
Thai adobo
My momma will be proud. I now know how to make pork adobo.
For those who have not yet discovered this tangy all-Filipino goodness (in other words, anyone not from the Philippines), here's a short description courtesy of Wikipedia:
Adobo is a popularly common dish found in the Philippines, thus a national
dish among the Filipinos. Typically made from pork or chicken or a
combination of both, it is slowly cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, crushed garlic, bay leaf, and black peppercorns, and often browned in the oven or pan-fried afterwards to get the desirable crisped edges. This dish originates from the northern region of
the Philippines. It is commonly packed for Filipino mountaineers and travelers.
Its relatively long shelf-life is due to one of its primary ingredients, vinegar, which
inhibits the growth of bacteria.
So last week I trooped to the grocery store and got all the ingredients I needed to cook my first real meal in Thailand. This consisted of a bottle of olive oil, apple cider, bay leaves, peppercorn, naturally-fermented soy sauce, sugar, salt and a pound of hygienic pork. Yes, yes, my ingredients were a little expensive as I really aimed to impress myself, but what the hell is hygienic pork?
And so anyway I cooked. For about an hour. Here's the result:
I must say, it tasted very much like my mom's adobo which I love so much. The oil, the fat, the clogged arteries... ah, this is the life. And to my surprise even my meat was perfect- very tender and tasty.
Now I add adobo to my growing list of specialties:
1. Instant noodles
2. Boiled and soft-boiled eggs
3. Ampalaya con huevos
4. Chicken arroz caldo
5. Sauteed tuna
6. Pork adobo
With this achievement I feel like I can do Iron Chef already. Watch out.
It's coming...
Well what do you know, the Yule is starting to make a presence.
(Outside Emporium and inside Tops supermarket)
Some malls and supermarkets have begun decorating for Christmas already. I had actually expected none of this as Thailand is a Budhhist country and generally does not celebrate the Yule. I guess it's more of commercialism here, then. But I don't really care, 'coz this is the first time Im spending Christmas alone. Home. Alone. Like... Macaulay Culkin.
(cue in: sound effect from the movie Psycho)I decided not to go home this December so I can experience my first Christmas out of the country. I hope it's not going to be that bad, considering I still havent made any friends here in Bangkok. It's just difficult, you know? For one, I work in audit where you hardly see your officemates because you're always away on fieldwork, and for another, I think my Thai officemates are too uncomfortable with their English that they wouldn't bother except for the regular pleasantries and lunches. I've been trying to learn Thai but I can only muster so much. The new acquantances I've met- Kathy, Johan and Harold- are always out of Bangkok so I don't get to meet them that often. It's a nice coincidence therefore that in the past 7 weeks, three Filipino friends have made a quick visit to Bangkok and met with me.
Oh well, if it gets too lonely maybe I will make a quick dash to good ol' Zambo Jambo. But hey, let's be positive here, right? It's Christmas!
Suddenly, more Chritmas presence! I received my first Christmas spam email, and an episode of Family Guy I watched today was about THE season. Can't freaking wait.
The Thai Files
Filipinos and Thais look so much alike that I'm always mistaken for a Thai national myself. People would come up to me and start talking in the vernacular. My staple reply is usually "Sorry, English please" and they would go, "Oooohhhh" and walk away. Quite funny.
So here's a list of curious things I'm finding out about Thailand - its people, its language, its customs, everything. I'm keeping this evergreen too, because there's so many things to discover about this nice country.
1. In spite of Thailand being a haven for Western tourists, a vast majority of Thais cannot speak English. One colleague I know says "Thank you" to my "I'm sorry."
2. Every day has its own color. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. If you are caught using the wrong color on a given day you would be prosecuted and be trampled by an elephant at the plaza square.
3. You would think there's a parade every Monday because everyone is wearing the same shirt. Most Thais wear a yellow polo with the king's emblem on Monday in observance of the King's birthday (the King was born on a Monday). First time I took note of this phenomenon I thought t'was an office uniform.
4. Nicknames are altogether different from first names. While in most countries nicks are some shortened form of the first name, Thai nicknames are so unrelated to the first names you would find someone named Nawarat be also called Pheung.
5. Even Thais I know confirm this: many Thais say yes to shut you up or if they think it's too much a bother to say no. But they actually mean no. (Okay, so big question, when is a Yes a no, and when is a Yes a real yes?)
6. Doraemon is pretty big in Thailand. I don't know about you but Family Guy is still my kind of stuff.
7. It's "Phuket" as in you emphasize the letter H in the first syllable, and not pronouncing it like an F. Same goes for "Thailand," you have to emphasize the H. And I don't know who started this in the Philippines, but there is no such thing as a Thailander. People from Thailand are simply called Thais, okay??? Case closed.
8. Sometimes elephants roam the streets with their herder down town. Really.
9. Thais love and revere their King so much it's amazing. In the cinema they play a video of the King before every screening, and it is very moving, I must say. Long live the King!
10. Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia (or porbably entire Asia) that was not conquered by any country. But you probably know this already.
11. Like in the UK and Australia, the driver's seat is on the right side of the car.
12. If you are male, you use Krub to end your sentences for politeness. If you are female, you should say Kah. Now if you are a she-male, you can probably just end your sentences with "Fabulous!" and you're all set.
13. Bangkok in Thai is "Krung Thep." It means City of Angels. I'm in LA, baby.
14. There are no fat people in Thailand. Everyone wants to be skinny. And wear skinny jeans.
15. It's true, Thais are a smiling bunch. :-)
