Wordery I love that you can make “calisthenics-ers” a word. And don’t ever criticise motorcycle riders. We’re the reason the world’s traffic congestion isn’t as shit as you car drivers make it!
Massive hug for Carly.
Definitely guilty of this! “Over the years, I have discovered, much to my dismay, that learning languages is very hard; on the other hand, making stuff up about them is very easy.” And so much fun! This made me chuckle a lot - your musings sounded very convincing to me 😄
Enjoy Hoping you remember me. I really enjoy reading your blog. Seems like you and yours are well. Us too. Me-8.5 years at Lehman College. How time flies.
Did Poo Explain Her Nickname? I’m curious whether Poo explained that her nickname means crab at the session you attended, or did she not explain it so as to maintain the mystery behind her business name?
origins of Poo Hi Siewch, you are correct that Poo also means crab, but that is spelled differently and has a different tone. This Poo is a diminutive form of 'chmpoo', which means rose apple.
I don't know why, but this makes me want to try it. It seems as if you can get over the smell, it's quite good. Maybe I'll try it with my nose clamped shut.
Brave behavior comes in many forms… I give credit to anyone willing to eat strange and mysterious foods…and then willing to give a thumbs up to a mysterious and unidentifiable “thing” that most likely doesn’t taste like anything he or she has ever bitten into. Kudos to the brave ones!
Thanks Hi Collin,
Thanks for your great writing about durian. I did not know of it. I really like the advice from mothers! Wishing you all well. Love,Jan
Brave people you! Thank you Colin for another excellent morning read. I loved the cultural food lesson and I'm glad y'all have tried it- which now in my mind- spares me from trying it. I think y'all can represent the family on this one!
Taking Ghosts and Spirits Seriously Thanks for explaining the red Fanta; I’ve always wondered about that.
Your post reminded me of this ad: https://youtu.be/XRFPf0dgfSg. Hope you get a chuckle out of it.
Mai Mai Mai Mai, Mai? I learned enough Thai to survive when I lived in Bangkok in the 1990s. I had to think about how “new wood doesn’t burn, does it?” is pronounced, and it brought a big silly smile to my face. Thanks for making my day! On a side note, I was bummed when the Thai government walked back on officially renaming Bangkok.
renaming BKK I only knew about the abbreviation (Krung Thep Mahanakhon) of the super ridiculously long official name (Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit)
We had a spirit house in our backyard in Thailand... thanks for such an in depth explanation of the place this has in Thai society. Ours was built of wood so rotted away eventually.
Offerings? Another excellent blog. Just yesterday, I was reading select portions of your Thai massage blog to my parents. We all enjoyed that. Question: can anyone make an offering to a spirit house? Have you ever made one? Are there particular occasions or reasons to make offerings?
Erawan Shrine You are probably familiar with the Erawan Shrine outside the Grand Hyatt, it's hard to miss.
I was told that when the Grand Hyatt hotel was being built, it was plagued by all manner of problems: workers were getting injured, construction materials were being lost, and there were lots of cost overruns, to name a few. An astrologer was consulted, and he advised that the bad karma came about because the foundation was laid on an inauspicious date. He further suggested that a shrine be built to counter all the negative energy around the site. The Erawan shrine was built in 1956, and the mishaps ceased.
You can look down on the shrine from the Skytrain station at Chit Lom.
Erawan Shrine Hi, definitely familiar. There was also the incident of the guy attacking the icon with a hammer and getting beat to death by the locals. If I ever get around to it, I may just write another blog post about the shrines in that part of town. There are several and I'm pretty sure they are all Hindu gods.
Cats & Kids from Chile to New Zealand Buenas from another Carleton grad (‘98) also moving around the world with kids & cats! Your entry on cats and paperwork is spot on, our two are currently on the plane an hour out from landing in Auckland, then they spend 10 days in kitty quarantine (without us). If only I had know about the unicorn horn, maybe that would have expedited the extremely lengthy ordeal of planning their move. Meanwhile, movers are rapidly packing up the house and the rest of us fly from La Serena to Christchurch early next week. Given they expect our container to take 6-8 months to arrive we will be the people at the airport checking in 11 suitcases, 9 duffle bags, and 3 bike boxes. Please be patient if we’re in line ahead of you! Chao chao.
Best massage I ever had Was a free one that came with the hotel Maria and I stayed in near the Bangkok airport. She was watching Thai soaps the whole time so it must have been the tourist version, just my speed.
But I can imagine. I love this account Colin. How much does such a massage tend to cost in US dollars?
I've not had a Thai massage, but I've had a massage that sounded similar in California: the practitioner hung from some ropes while doing the damage to me and my back (this was before I had surgery for my ruptured disc) and at one point the pain was so intense that I was making noises. She said (with a touch of pride) "I hear you growling down there!" and I had to laugh with tears coming out of my eyes. I'll never forget those $80 of pain
Publish or perish Yes. Very publishable. I suggest Gentleman's Quarterly or any number of mags for men! Your article had me laughing and that is good! No?
Sambo
non-member comment
Wordery
I love that you can make “calisthenics-ers” a word. And don’t ever criticise motorcycle riders. We’re the reason the world’s traffic congestion isn’t as shit as you car drivers make it! Massive hug for Carly.