It has been busy, too busy to spend much time on Xanga. In addition to being up to my eyebrows in several client projects, I also have guests visiting. These family friends take a bit more time to look after than many of my more regular guests, so that means additional time away from the blogging.
Right now, I am up in Chiang Mai with them for a few days. Nice change of scenery, although Tawn was unable to join.
A few random thoughts:
The problem with freelancing is that clients want a firm quote but the scope of their projects always seem to expand and the timelines frequently slide. This leads to less work (and income) in a given month than originally projects.
There is a pending job offer that would lead me from part-time work into full-time work with a company in Bangkok over the next three to four months. Good news but the devil, as they say, is in the details. And I haven’t seen any details yet.
I have been thinking a lot about the subject of identity construction on social media: the ways in which we form an image of ourselves based on what we choose to share, and the ways in which our image of others is based on their specifically constructed identity. While choosing to present your best self is nothing new, social media exacerbates the negative aspects. Feel like I need to think more closely about what I share on social media and why.
Anyhow, time to get started with the day. We are driving to Doi Ithanon, the highest peak in Thailand, today.
Thursday afternoon, out of nowhere, I noticed that the left side of my neck was a bit tender and by the evening, it seemed to be swollen a bit. Considering that I’ve never experienced these symptoms before, I decided to go to the doctor’s office Friday morning and have it diagnosed.
The diagnosis was that I have a “deep neck abscess” – a bacterial infection inside the tissues of my neck. Dead white blood cells accumulate, forming a mass in the tissue. Normally, this is caused by poor dental health or after an infection of the respiratory system. Neither is the case for me.
The doctor wanted to admit me to the hospital right away and get me started on strong antibiotics. A bit hesitant to jump straight to that course of treatment, I negotiated and was instead given IV antibiotics on an outpatient basis with the promise to return this morning.
While the swelling and tenderness haven’t become noticeably worse, they haven’t improved, either. I suspect I will have to cave in and be admitted for what will be the second hospital visit in my life.
Thankfully, it is happening at the start of a weekend, so the timing is only a minor inconvenience. Will have to cancel a trip to the farmer’s market Saturday and brunch plans for Sunday.
What I find interesting is that I never had to be hospitalized until I moved to Thailand. I wonder if it is coincidence, the fact that I am getting into my middle years, or perhaps I am really exposed to more bacteria here in Thailand.
This is the story of my first flight aboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, traveling on All-Nippon Airways (ANA) flight 1075 from San Jose, California to Narita airport in Tokyo, Japan. The 11-minute video version of this trip report is embedded below, if you would prefer to watch it.
The Dreamliner is a revolutionary wide-body aircraft. Made largely with composite materials, it is about 20% more fuel efficient than the older 767 aircraft it is designed to replace. Despite a four-month grounding earlier this year because of electrical problems, the aircraft has performed very well for its initial customers and is opening new “long and thin” routes like San Jose to Tokyo that could not previously have been served profitably.
I arrived at the airport plenty early to watch the inbound aircraft land, which arrived about twenty minutes late. Having grown up in the San Jose area and able to remember the days when the airport was a much smaller operation, it is exciting to see this cutting-edge plane regularly scheduled to fly here.
ANA operates from terminal A. Now nearly a quarter-century old, I still recall terminal A as the “new” terminal compared to the 1960s era terminal C that was only recently demolished. As a child, I relished the opportunity to walk across the tarmac and climb a set of stairs to board the airplane. To me, that made air travel much more exciting. These days, the two terminals at San Jose are modern and entirely enclosed. Certainly the facilities are nicer but the travel experience is also more sterile.
ANA has a small counter space but lots of employees working check-in. As a Star Alliance gold level member, there was no wait and I was efficiently checked in by a friendly agent. While the agent did not appear to be of Japanese heritage – several of the staff members were – she displayed all the appropriate cultural training such as receiving and handing documents with both hands. This was a nice touch and leads me to believe that instead of relying on contract employees, ANA is using its own staff.
Boarding pass in hand – a window seat in the second row of economy class – I headed up the escalator to the security screening area. The terminal has a single consolidated screening point and while there weren’t that many people in line, the process took a bit of time. In particular, the crew of Mexican budget airline Volaris seemed to be holding up the line, unfamiliar with the TSA’s screening procedures. It took several of the flight attendants multiple trips through the metal detector before they finally removed all of their metal items.
Today’s flight operated from gate 15, one of two gates connected to the International Arrivals Area. This section of the terminal is essentially the connector between terminals A and B. There are few amenities but the windows offer a good view of the tarmac. Unfortunately, the sterile corridor leading to the customs and immigration area means you look out through two sets of windows.
I spent plenty of time taking pictures of the Dreamliner. It is a unique-looking airplane, with an asymmetrical nose. The plane’s proportions make it looks smaller than it actually is, perhaps because it looks unusually low to the ground for so large an aircraft.
After taking plenty of pictures – something lots of other waiting passengers were also doing – I headed to The Club at SJC, a private lounge that ANA uses for its premium customers. The Club is the only lounge at SJC, where the only dominant airline is Southwest.
Located upstairs from the departure gate, the lounge offers limited views of the tarmac but has two large seating areas, workspaces, and a decent selection of food and beverage. They also have a single shower room, so I freshened up before the flight.
It was nearing time to board. ANA operates the San Jose service with a 787 in a very low density configuration, only 158 passengers in a plane that can easily seat more than 220. Because of this, the gate area was not crowded.
After the highest level members of ANA’s frequent flyer program were boarded, Star Alliance Gold members were invited. A single jetway is used at this gate but with so few passengers boarding, it isn’t a problem. I was welcomed aboard warmly and directed towards my seat.
Business class, divided into two cabins, seats 46 people in alternating rows of 1-1-1 and 1-2-1 seating. All seats have direct aisle access and a lot of privacy. The problem with this arrangement is that it isn’t very friendly for couples traveling together. I know that privacy is something that a lot of premium customers value highly, but I prefer arrangements that are a little less cubicle-like.
A small economy class cabin of just three rows sits behind business class and the mid-cabin lavatories. In another configuration, this area has premium economy seating with 38” legroom and only seven seats across. I can understand why they made that choice: there is nearly a foot of empty floor behind the last row in this cabin. Even without installing premium economy, they could have added a few more inches to each of these three rows.
The design of the overhead bins offers plenty of room to store roll-aboard bags placed on their side. The bins also pivot into the ceiling, making for a very open cabin when they are closed. This being a low-density seating configuration, lots of storage space remained even after everyone had boarded.
ANA uses fixed-shell seats in economy, where instead of reclining back into the row behind you, your seat slides forward. I like this arrangement because my personal space remains fixed. With 33 to 34 inches of seat pitch, ANA’s Dreamliner offers several more inches of legroom than most competitors including joint-venture partner United Airlines. My one complaint with these seats is that the headrest doesn’t move up and down and, perhaps because it is designed for Japanese customers, it manages to fall at my neck rather than the back of my head.
The inflight entertainment system is an “on-demand” system with touch screen controls. The selection of movies, TV shows, games, and music is extensive – plenty to keep you occupied on your flight. The system was also one of the more responsive that I have used. When you touch the screen, it reacts promptly. The overhead passenger service unit features a new design and it was nice to be on a wide-body airplane with personal air vents.
Boarding was complete in about fifteen minutes and soon enough we had pushed back and the safety demo was finished. As the engines spooled up – a higher pitch whine than I’ve heard before – the ANA ground staff lined up to send us off with a wave. Being a small airport, we reached the departure end of runway 30 R in just a few minutes. Number one for takeoff, we pulled onto the runway and launched into our roll without a stop.
Our departure followed an interesting path, indicated in green on the map. We leveled off at 5,000 feet and maintained that altitude across the south end of the bay, towards Woodside.
Meanwhile, aircraft were circling wide on our left (yellow on the map), cutting behind us to line up for arrival on runways 28 L and R at San Francisco. While I am confident the air traffic controllers were keeping a close watch on us, the other aircraft came a lot closer than you usually see from your window. It was nice to have such a good view! As we approached Half Moon Bay, we resumed our climb, joining the westbound route across the Pacific.
About forty minutes after departure, inflight service began with hot towels – real cloth towels – followed by a beverage service with snacks.
The snacks were simple – rice crackers – and the selection of beverages included complimentary wine, beer, and spirits. The crew was friendly and helpful and there were no difficulties in communicating with them in English.
An in-seat menu card described the general service while the specific meal choices for today’s flight could be read on the inflight entertainment system and also on laminated cards the flight attendants had on their carts.
For dinner, I chose the Japanese option – a chicken teriyaki dish served with cold soba – buckwheat noodles. The portion was generous and the food was tasty. The dinner also included miso soup served from a pitcher.
Afterwards, flight attendants distributed Häagen-Dazs ice cream – a simple and satisfying dessert. Since the meal was served with metal cutlery, I could use an actual spoon to scoop the rock-hard ice cream instead of the flimsy plastic one contained inside the ice cream container’s lid.
After lunch, I walked around the mostly-full cabin. You can see the windows, which are about thirty percent larger than conventional airplane windows. Truthfully, this didn’t make as big an impression on me as I thought they would. Sure, the windows were large, but the biggest effect was that it made the cabin look narrower. I’m not sure if that makes sense, but because I am used to a standard-size window, as I looked across the width of the cabin and mentally estimated the width, the wall looked closer to me than it really was. Instead of shades, the windows use LCD controls for different levels of shading. Above, you can see two of the windows at the maximum-dark setting.
The rear cabin has eleven additional rows of economy class seats. As you can see, the cabin has a spacious feel and the 2-4-2 arrangement is quite pleasant. Unfortunately, ANA is moving towards a 3-3-3 arrangement like most operators so the comfortably wide seats will be a thing of the past. I can understand the economics but will say that as a customer, I will go out of my way to fly an 8-abreast 787 instead of a 9-abreast configuration.
The other thing I noticed is that the screens on the entertainment system are coated in such a way that they are not visible unless viewed almost straight-on. For example, I couldn’t tell if the person seated next to me had his screen on until I leaned over to look. This would seem to be a good thing, minimizing extraneous light and also giving greater (although not complete) privacy in what you are viewing.
The galley and entrance to the crew rest area are at the rear of the cabin. This arrangement is nice because it gives the crew plenty of space to work and minimizes the number of passengers congregating in this area. Instead, the congregate mid-cabin by the lavatories.
Three lavatories are in the middle of the economy class cabin, located by doors 3 left and 3 right. I didn’t get a picture or video of them, but the doors are hinged in an interesting way. Instead of pivoting on a hinge at one side of the door or folding in half, the door slides and pivots into the toilet, lying flat against the side wall. This improves the accessibility of the lavatory although isn’t intuitive. I noticed several people pushing and pulling the door before they figured out how it moved.
The lavatories are high-tech on ANA featuring lots of buttons, including for the automated bidet, in case you need to wash your bum afterwards. When you press the flush button, the toilet seat cover is automatically lowered. Oddly, though, the flush happens while the cover is still lowering. Lavatories were kept clean with flight attendants tidying them throughout the flight.
The LCD shading for the windows is interesting. Instead of having physical shades that you pull shut, there are two buttons that allow you to increase the tinting along five settings from nearly transparent to nearly opaque. It seems that the most transparent setting still seems to have a light tint to it, or at least that was my impression.
At its darkest, you can still see through the window although little light passes through. That may not make sense when I write it, but when you look at the windows from the side, they appear to be completely opaque. When you look at the windows straight-on, you can see through them as if they were very dark sunglasses. Mid-flight, which was still full daylight outside, the cabin was dark although not as dark as with physical window shades. If I’m not mistaken, I think the flight attendants were able to master set the windows to the darkest setting although individual passengers could modify the settings for their own windows, making them more transparent as they wished.
Snacks and beverages were available in the galley throughout the flight. The selection was basic – some crisps and crackers along with bananas.
About two and a half hours before landing – just a little early, in my estimation – a second meal service was offered. Unlike lunch/dinner, which had clear “Japanese” and “Western” options, the choices for the breakfast were less distinct.
I had the chicken cacciatore, which was pretty tasty. The portion size was smaller than the previous meal, but considering that we had eaten just five hours ago, that was okay.
One feature of the Dreamliner is that its cabin is pressurized to the equivalent of a 6000 foot elevation instead of at 8000 feet, as found in most airliners. Also, humidity levels are slightly higher, about 15% versus less than 5% normally. My impression was that the cabin was a bit more comfortable than normal. I travel frequently across the Pacific and find I get very dried out. The effect could just be psychological but on this flight, I felt less dehydrated.
The rest of the flight was smooth as we descended into an overcast northern Japan and landed on-time in Narita. As we approached the airport, there was a lot of other traffic and on our turns there was always a good view of other planes. The rice paddies were also vibrant green and just starting to turn golden yellow.
Again, thanks to the low-density configuration, it took just a few minutes to deplane. My nine hour, forty-five minute flight aboard the ANA Dreamliner left me with a positive impression of both the airplane and the airline. All things considered, I would go out of my way to fly ANA in general and the Dreamliner in particular on future trips. Additionally, flying out of San Jose was a very convenient option so I will keep that in mind for future trips to and from the Bay Area.
So it seems the migration to Xanga 2.0 is for real. I received my email from John. Because I ended up pledging enough for eleven one-year memberships, I have at least a few to share with folks who want to migrate but didn’t feel they could afford to pay for the blogging.
If you would like to have your blog migrated along with a one-year membership, please send me a private message and I will include your blog name in the list I send to John. Your privacy will be respected and I will not share your name on this blog.
Tuesday evening, I returned to Bangkok after a twelve-day trip to the United States to renew my Thai visa. This trip, like ever other trip I make by myself, always finds me a bit awash in melancholy. This time, the waves came while eating noodles in the lounge at Narita Airport in Tokyo.
I have been traveling by air since I was a month old. Over the years, I have come to associate air travel with so many things: adventure, family, friends, romance, and escape. On each trip, the moment comes when I feel like I am in transit, literally suspended between points in my life. The idea that I am part of a larger network, knowing friends and family around the globe, excites me. At the same time, I feel disconnected and not at home anywhere in particular.
It is an interesting sensation and one that, the more I experience it, the more inviting it becomes. Maybe there is a point where I cease to be grounded at all and am forever flitting about the globe.
While visiting family in suburban Johnson County, Kansas, I decided to put my jet lag caused early awakening to good use and go buy some donuts. A few minutes of internet research later, I settled on John’s Space Age Donuts. Located in downtown Overland Park, John’s looks exactly as you would expect for a shop that’s been in business since 1967.
The dining room has a U-shaped counter with seating on the two legs and display cases across the front. With a large door between the kitchen and dining areas, the place reeks (in a good way) of oil and deep-fried dough. Service is brisk but friendly and the selection is broad, although they didn’t have the blueberry donuts that niece number two requested, so we settled for raspberry.
The donuts were still a warm and very surprisingly tasty. They are dense donuts, but neither soggy with oil nor undercooked and doughy. The apple fritter, pictured above, is a masterpiece with a crispy exterior, moist interior, and plenty of apples.
The cake donuts are nice, too, and the dough itself was flavorful. Even unglazed, these donuts would be a pleasure to eat. Unlike some donuts (think Krispy Kreme) that seem to expire within a few hours of baking, these were still fresh when we finished the remaining ones the next day. Must be some of that space age technology!
While I am not the biggest donut fan in the world, it is a sure bet that I will be back to John’s Space Age Donuts next time I am in Kansas City.
A fourteen hour layover in Seattle was my first stop in the United States. Arriving about 9:30 in the morning, I took the convenient light rail into downtown and conducted my most important business: drawing a money order and then mailing it, and my inch-thick Thailand visa application, to the Thai consulate. After a long wait, a surprisingly helpful postal employee walked me through the steps of buying the money order, properly addressing the express mail envelopes, and then packing everything correctly.
After a browse around the Pike Place Public Market and lunch at a cute French restaurant nearby, I visited the Seattle Art Museum to see “Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion“. This exhibit, which runs through Labor Day weekend, has more than 100 dresses from Japanese designers such as Issey Miyake, Kenzo Takada, and Rei Kawakubo. These designers revolutionized the way we think of fashion. I only wish Tawn could have attended the exhibit, which he would have found fascinating.
In the afternoon, I went to my aunt and uncle’s house and spent time with them and my cousins. Their daughter is about a year old and I last saw her in March at my grandparents’ 75th wedding anniversary, so it was nice to see how much she has grown since then. My uncle prepared some excellent wild salmon on the grill, so I was well-fed.
My red eye flight departed Seattle about midnight, heading east to a rainy Cleveland. A two-hour connection allowed me time for breakfast and a shoe shine before I caught my flight into Kansas City.
The next several days in Kansas City were spent visiting family members, attending football (soccer) games and gymnastics lessons, and the like. Four and a half days was enough time to see everyone, catch up, and then move one before wearing out my welcome. Unfortunately, no time for a side trip to Omaha or Quincy, though.
Last Thursday I made a last-minute trip back to the United States to renew my Thai visa. Searching online, I was able to find a combination of dates and routes that were reasonably affordable.
The trip was booked on United Airlines through Tokyo. While I consider most Asian airlines to be a better experience than US-based airlines, I have to say that United’s revamped economy class product was acceptable, better than it used to be. Sadly, their Boeing 747s have not had the revamp. The Boeing 777 fleet, though, has audio-video on-demand and power outlets at every set of seats. The flight attendants are still kind of surly, though.
In Tokyo, I was joined by a group of thirty or so Korean primary school children on their way to a Tae Kwan Do competition in San Francisco. One of the group, 11-year old Jun, was seated between me on the aisle and another guy in the window seat. It made for an interesting flight. He was more outgoing than I would expect, talking with both of us throughout the flight and asking lots of questions. Even when I put on my eye shades and tried to sleep.
My fellow traveler and I looked out for Jun, getting snacks for him from the galley and sharing some snacks we had brought on board. An interesting thing that I assume is a cultural trait, when I offered him some granola bars that I had just opened, he declined to break off a section for himself. Instead, I figured out that he was waiting for me to break off a piece and offer it to him. He then broke a piece from that one and offered it to the guy sitting in the window seat.
After about seven hours of flying, awake the whole time, Jun’s energy ran out and he crashed hard asleep. Contorted in his seat in a strange position, I managed to wake him up for the second meal service since he had complained of being hungry. He was so bleary he could scarcely decide what entree to eat. He fell back asleep and didn’t wake up until we pulled into the gate and I shook his shoulder. Poor kid – hope he didn’t have to complete the following day!
I will be in the United States for ten days. Have already gathered some good food pictures and will share them in the next few days.
For nearly eight years living in Bangkok, I have lamented how few good breakfast and brunch restaurants we have. This has started to change recently and Rocket Coffeebar on Sathorn Soi 12 is a welcome addition to the breakfast scene.
Opened by several of the people behind Hyde & Seek on Soi Ruamradee, Rocket Coffeebar’s vibe would fit in well in Stockholm, Sydney, or San Francisco. The interior is small – seating perhaps sixteen people – and is done up in stylish marble counters and tiles.
Since this picture was taken, an awning and fans have been added in the alley to the left of the building and a few more tables are now placed there. It makes for a really nice setting and is comfortable in the mornings.
Not surprisingly, coffee is a primary focus. A variety of methods from French press to pour over to espresso are available and the resulting beverages are tasty. The earthenware was specially made by the Royal Project in Northern Thailand.
As of my last visit, the restaurant is still using a “soft opening” menu offering a more limited range of selections. What I had was impressive, though, including this chilled melon soup with prosciutto. Very refreshing and perfect for a summer’s day.
I tried one of the sandwiches, a pulled pork on semolina bread. The baked goods are made in-house. The sandwich was tasty although a leafy green salad would have been a welcome addition on the side.
Within just a few weeks of opening, Rocket Coffeebar has already made a splash and fills quickly. It is worth checking out, though, especially on a weekday when there are fewer crowds. They also are open through dinner most days.
One of my little pleasures in life is watching America’s Test Kitchen. While goofy and geeky (perhaps that’s why I like it), the team behind the show delivers interesting and informative recipes that make it easy to improve your cooking. Recently, I tried recreating their recipe for nut-crusted chicken cutlets and was very happy with the results.
The recipe tackles the common pitfalls of nut-crusted chicken: flavorless chicken and bland, burnt, soggy, or oily crust. There are several tricks they suggest. One of the most interesting is to use panko (Japanese style breadcrumbs) which do a better job of remaining crisp. They also suggest browning the butter in a skillet and then toasting the nuts and breadcrumbs so they begin to caramelize before you ever bread the chicken cutlets.
They further suggest salting the chicken and letting it rest for about thirty minutes before preparing the dish. This creates a dry brine, sealing in the chicken’s moisture. Finally, instead of frying in oil, you bake the breaded cutlets on a wire rack set above a baking sheet. This allows hot air to circulate, cooking and crisping the chicken on all sides without adding any more oil to the dish.
The end result was fantastic – one of the first times I’ve had a breaded chicken cutlet that was actually moist and flavorful. The crust was crisp and buttery but not greasy or heavy. Definitely a good technique and one I will repeat!
The show is produced by the publishers of Cooks Illustrated magazine. They don’t accept advertising so all their evaluations of recipes, ingredients, and equipment are made based on quality alone. Their approach to recipes is to figure out how to achieve great results consistently, eliminating the pitfalls that plague some dishes.
The thing I like best about the show is that it is one of the few cooking shows on television that is actually about cooking. So much of what we see these days is about food and eating but not that much about the technique of preparing the food. It is a refreshing return to how cooking shows started out.
One of my favorite Thai dishes is khao soi, the curried noodles that hail from Northern Thailand. With a variety of textures and loads of rich broth, it makes a perfect, satisfying meal. Recently, my Bangkok Glutton friend Chow arranged for her aunt to share their family’s recipe for khao soi with us.
We returned to Chow’s kitchen to try our hand at recreating the recipe. While the results were good, it is safe to say that we are going to need a lot more practice before Chow’s aunt has anything to fear from our competition!
Khao soi is made with egg noodles. There are a variety of types, but if you have an Asian market in your city, any fresh egg noodles will do. The noodles are split into two batches: one that is blanched in boiling water and the other that is fried to make a crunchy garnish.
The fried noodles are easier to make than I expected, not requiring much oil at all. The resulting crispy noodles are addictive. Hard to not eat them before finishing the rest of the cooking!
The base of the khao soi is a yellow curry combined with a fried mixture of ginger and shallots. You can use any yellow curry paste available at your local Asian market. The better the quality paste, the better the flavor, of course.
Like many curries, coconut milk is added to create richness. You can use a “lite” coconut milk or add some broth to thin it out. For the meat, you can use any type of meat you like. Beef and chicken are more traditional but pork or firm tofu would be fine. The flavor of the curry might overwhelm shellfish, though.
Like all noodle dishes in Thailand, proper khao soi is served with a variety of condiments. Here, you have dried chili flakes, chopped green onions and coriander, fresh shallots, chili oil, minced pickled cabbage (rinse off some sauerkraut as an easy substitute), and fresh lime.
The end result looked fantastic and tasted good. Getting the proper balance of flavors – fish sauce and sugar need to be added to taste – is where the secret of a true khao soi master lies. Again, Chow’s aunt has nothing to worry about!
Surprisingly enough, even some non-Xangans want to see Xanga survive. An Indonesian friend who was visiting two weeks ago gave me $50 and asked me to make a contribution to the Xanga Relaunch on his behalf. He enjoys reading my blog entries and while he could read my entries regardless of where I post them, sees the value of the Xanga community.
We are now down to just $17,494 left with the deadline ten days away. Will we make it? #WeAreXanga
Last weekend, I traveled to Mae Sot, the largest town in Tak Province, Thailand. Situated on the border with Myanmar, Mae Sot is home to an estimated 100,000 Burmese refugees and immigrants – a number equal to the official local population. The purpose of the trip was to visit an orphanage and secondary school supported by some of my Singaporean friends.
The trip had a powerful impact on me and in the week since, I have spent a lot of time pondering how I can best contribute to improve the lives of these children. Perhaps the best way to share this experience with you is to post some pictures and write some explanatory thoughts.
Mae Sot is not a particularly large town. Nestled next to the border, it is common to see Burmese script on many signs and plenty of people are dressed in traditional Burmese outfits. The mountains of Myanmar are on the horizon and the gathering storm clouds seem to speak to the challenges that people on that side of the border face.
The orphanage is located in a residential neighborhood on one side of town. It is a typical Thai-style wooden house, built on stilts and with open windows for lots of ventilation. It cannot be much larger than 100 square meters (about 1000 square feet). The upstairs includes the kitchen, a small dining area, and two large rooms that are used as a multipurpose area and the girls’ dormitory. Downstairs, part of the area below the house has been bricked in and serves as the boys’ dormitory.
Approximately 60 children live in the orphanage, ranging from just under one year old to about thirteen. Technically, children could stay until age eighteen but they currently have no children that old. The orphanage is run in a very organized manner. Here, the children neatly line up their flip-flops on the concrete pad at the base of the stairs. As with all houses in Thailand, you do not enter with your shoes on.
The orphanage is run by a Chinese-Burmese couple who spent many years living in Singapore, which is the connection with my Singaporean friends. Perhaps their sense of organization comes from having lived in Singapore! With no children of their own, the couple and four hired helpers take care of the orphans. While there are chores to be done, there is also time for fun. “Papa” plays the guitar and leads the children in songs and dancing.
Extra effort is required for some of the children including the four youngest (all at just around one year old), two children who have polio, and a few children who have some developmental disabilities. While the amount of work may seem daunting, the systems in place allow the orphanage to operate efficiently and all of the children seem satisfied, cared for, and know they are loved.
The details of the systems and processes intrigued me. Here, a row of toothbrushes are laid out in preparation for the after-lunch tooth brushing. While they are a bit worn out, each child has his or her own brush (names are written on them) and good hygiene is stressed.
An important part of the process is that the older children help with chores and take care of the younger children. Two of the boys – brothers who are nine and ten years old – are responsible for ensuring that each child brushes his or her teeth and they help the younger children who have not yet learned how to brush. Time and time again, I saw children who were only six or seven stepping up to care for a crying younger child without anyone having to ask them. It made me realize that children in higher socio-economic situations are generally spoiled and not asked to contribute very much to the family in comparison.
The children do have a play area, protected from the sun and with a good breeze. Many toys have been donated so there are plenty to choose from. Interestingly, I did not see many arguments or disagreements about toys. The children seemed to share pretty well.
One macabre sight was the rows of stuffed animals hanging from the ceiling, like the victims of political violence by the Cartoon Network. The couple explained that while there are more stuffed animals than there are children, the stuffed animals resulted in possessiveness with children fighting over them. Instead, they are now suspended from the ceiling so everyone can see and enjoy them but nobody can claim them as their own.
While the older children (starting around age five) attend the local Thai public school, the younger children remain home all day. After their afternoon nap, they received a snack of crisps. They were generally quiet and reserved without the loud volume you might expect from a group of toddlers.
The second afternoon there, we rode in the back of the orphanage’s covered pickup truck to collect the children at school. This is done in two batches since there isn’t enough room for everyone in a single batch. This two-batch method works okay because the younger children finish school about thirty minutes before the older children. This young boy with the two lunch boxes was especially cheerful, a constant giggler. While almost all the children were friendly, they were also a bit shy and some would sit in the corner and hesitate to play. My impression is that their life experiences may have led to some emotional damage and they may hesitate to connect with others for fear of abandonment. Perhaps I am over-psychoanalyzing, though.
We also attended what could best be described as a day care. The couple responsible for the orphanage also set up a small outpost (a house and covered porch) on the other side of town, designed as a place to teach Burmese migrants to be community teachers. Most of the lessons they teach are Biblically-based but also include general life skills such as budgeting, parenting, etc. What they noticed was that children from the nearby families (all of whom are migrant laborers) would hang out at the covered porch and use it as a play space. So they engaged some volunteers to work as teachers and try to educate and feed the children every day.
Since one of my Singaporean friends is a comic artist, he conducted a class for about forty children, teaching them to draw cartoon rabbits. The children enjoyed drawing and the instruction went well. All of these children speak only Burmese, so we had a few communication challenges. Since their parents are mostly undocumented and are itinerant laborers, the children have no opportunity to attend school and, as such, will likely face a life of labor themselves. Not realizing at first that they didn’t have any formal schooling, I tried speaking to them in Thai but that wasn’t any more helpful than speaking to them in English.
The third place we visited is a secondary school or, more accurately, an official “learning center”. The school serves about 100 students, all of them the children of refugees or migrants. While licensed by the Thailand Ministry of Education, it isn’t an official school because they teach outside the proscribed curricula. Classes are conducted by five teachers in English and Burmese. A series of volunteer teachers also visit for month-long stints from universities in Hong Kong and elsewhere.
The school boards all of its students. It is located on the outskirts of the city, past an immigration and police inspection checkpoint. Most of the students are undocumented so it is not practical for them to come to school each day so, instead, they just live there. The teachers prepare food for three meals a day. Here is a large batch of fried rice, a very simple lunch. Most weeks, there is the budget to only have meat – chicken bones, for example – about once a week.
The school, along with the orphanage and day care, runs on a very tight budget. This picture is of an enameled metal bowl that is used in the school kitchen. It has been used so long that it has literally worn through in spots. Speaking with the schools’ volunteer director, a young European woman who has been there three years, the list of “nice to haves” include things like new bowls, plastic hangars, and sponges, but that they generally only have the money for necessities.
On the afternoon of our departure, several of the older children from the orphanage rode with us to the airport, a chance for them to see an airplane and wave goodbye. As for me, I think it is not “goodbye” but “until next time” because I plan on returning soon.
More importantly, I am going to look for ways to help, whether that is by gathering funds and supplies or by raising awareness. Yes, the world is full of people who need help. These three places seem to be very well-run, doing good work with minimal (maybe even non-existent) overhead, and strike me as a good place to try to make a difference.
Last Sunday, I traveled to Mae Sot in Tak province with a Singaporean couple. Mae Sot is the main land gateway on the Thai-Myanmar border and is home to an estimated 100,000 refugees and migrants from Myanmar including 30,000 children. We traveled to visit an orphanage, day care, and boarding school that cater to children of these refugees and migrants. Another Singaporean friend has raised funds for these institutions and the couple has sponsored one of the children.
This trip left me swimming in an ocean of thoughts and feelings. I have been looking to volunteer here in Thailand again, helping those who are in need. I think this trio of organizations is worth supporting and I want to think about how best to do that. Over the next few days, I will share some more pictures and more stories as a way to process my thoughts.
The picture above seems to capture the entire experience, though. The boy, just over a year old, was sitting in front of a wall at the orphanage that is decorated with painted pictures and a few bible verses. He is sitting in front of the words “God Bless” but it wasn’t until after I took the picture that I noticed that he was blocking the “B”.
“God Less” seems almost fitting, given how forsaken these children are. Lacking legal standing in Thailand, most also lack documentation from Myanmar, making them stateless. In a place where the poor are already largely uncared for, the children of these refugees and migrants are ineligible for the already-scarce government resources. They rely instead on the ingenuity, efforts, and resources of volunteers, caregivers, and non-government organizations.
The latest trend in Bangkok seems to be dog fighting. Not the cruel sport pitting canine against canine, mind you, but the culinary sport pitting hot dog vendor against hot dog vendor. Thankfully, the winner of this contest is the frankfurter-hungry consumer. Two hot dog companies have opened recently: Superbdog and Corn Dog Dude. Their promise is true American style hot dogs. Accompanied by my Floridian friend John, we set out on a recent evening armed with antacid tablets, ready to try both companies’ offerings.
Superbdog
Our first stop was Superbdog. The name doesn’t roll smoothly off the tongue, but that is a minor complaint. Superbdog is the brainchild of an American named James, who has spent several years perfecting the recipe for a quality all-beef dog, locally made to his specifications. Good cuts of meat are used instead of castoffs and trimmings. In addition to a beef dog, an all-pork dog is available.
Currently, the only fixed Superbdog location is a cart in the Nana Skytrain station, just outside the east ticket gates. In the evenings, additional carts can be found roaming the streets in the neighborhood, helping meet pub-crawlers’ less carnal hunger pangs. There is no seating other than a pair of plastic stools off to the side of the cart. Additional locations are planned.
The cart is spotless and the vendor was tidy and paid attention to the details. Notice how the ketchup is squirted on with wide strokes, providing good coverage. Dogs are simmered in water and a choice of traditional toppings (onions, sauerkraut, etc.) are available. There are about five basic options so we chose the chili cheese dog as the stick by which to measure both shops.
The hot dog itself has a bright pink color, a bit brighter than you might think it should be. James assured me that there are no preservatives or artificial ingredients, and the flavor of the link was fantastic: nice and beefy with a smooth texture and a solid, crisp “snap” when you take a bite. The other components all meet expectations: solid bun, basic bean-less chili, fresh onions, and real Wisconsin cheddar cheese. Now, I will say that chili is a contentious dish. I prefer mine with tomato paste and tomato chunks in it, moderately spicy with a distinct flavor of dried chilies. The Superbdog chili is a bland brown and while it tastes fine, it looks a bit unappetizing. All in all, though, the chili dog is a good value for 85 baht (less than US$3) and if I am in the area, I would seek it out.
Corn Dog Dude
Located in the K-Village shopping center at the end of Sukhumvit Soi 26, Corn Dog Dude is run by a French Californian named Pascal. The shop has been open the better part of a year and is suffering from the slow traffic that is left now that the shine has faded from this previously trendy community mall.
The spotless shop has an ample dining area with additional outdoor seating. The menu is much more extensive than at Superbdog but, unfortunately, there is no all-beef hot dog. There are, however, all-pork and all-chicken options, both of which are locally made to Pascal’s specific recipe.
Corn Dog Dude’s chili dog offers a different meat to bun ratio, which John and I both preferred. The buns are specially made in small batches by a local baker who delivers daily. They are a softer bun with sesame seeds and are interesting in their own right. The hot dogs have a nice flavor and good texture, although the lack of an all-beef dog is a disappointment. The chili at Corn Dog Dude is about the same as Superbdog’s. If I were in the kitchen, I would modify the recipe to make the chili more notable. The big winning point: melted cheddar cheese. Because Corn Dog Dude has a proper indoor kitchen, they have access to a salamander, so melted cheese is easy. This makes a difference.
As you might expect from the name, Corn Dog Dude’s menu also includes corn dogs. I had a spicy dog that has chilies in the batter. These are well-made and the batter comes out flavorful and crisp without being oily. On a subsequent visit, I also tried the nacho dog, which is a hot dog with all the makings you would find for nachos, including chips.
An unexpected treat was the deep-fried dessert items. The Oreos and marshmallows didn’t do much for me but the deep-fried Snickers were fantastic. I know this has become a thing at county fairs in the US recently and I had always dismissed the idea as obscene. But I gave into temptation and tried a deep-fried Snickers and while I wouldn’t eat one every day (heaven forbid!), I found them surprisingly, guiltily tasty.
Conclusion
Anytime this city gets greater variety and higher quality food, I think we have reason to be pleased. In this case, both vendors provide very good hot dogs. I really like Superbdog’s all-beef hot dog, although the chili and lack of melted cheese left me less excited. I really like Corn Dog Dude’s buns and corn dogs, although wish there was an all-beef option. Recognizing that taste is personal, I think you should try them both and see what you prefer. Let me know what you think.
Each year, the Thailand American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) hosts an Independence Day celebration in Bangkok. This year it was Saturday, July 6 and was again hosted by the KIS International School. Each year, I volunteer at the raffle ticket sales booth. Proceeds go to help Thai public schools upcountry and it is a fun time to sit and chat with other volunteers, engage with the varied crowd, and soak in some Americana.
When the Marines post the colors and the American national anthem is sung (preceded by the Thai national anthem, as they are our host country), it is hard not to get emotional. For all the failures of American policy makers, especially on the international stage, the principles on which America is founded and the people themselves, are very decent and worth being proud of.
Of course, being a July 4th celebration (albeit two days late!), I couldn’t resist some tastes of home. A friend and I participated in the Chili Tasting Contest, trying eight different bowls of red. We both voted for what turned out to be the third-place chili. I also had a slice of apple pie, which was surprisingly good. Flaky crust, not cloyingly sweet, with lots of crisp but tender apple slices. The Dairy Queen booth (DQ is big in Thailand) offered free servings of “ice cream” to go with your pie.
Can you get more American than that? Only if Mom was standing there, too!
While I still hold out hope that we will find sufficient funding in the next eight days to prevent the demise of Xanga, I am also pragmatically planning my next step, probably a move to WordPress. I could use your input on a username/website address.
My username is christao408 and I pay for the www.christao408.com URL through Xanga. Unfortunately, there is no news on how I could recover this URL from Xanga so am uncertain if I will be able to continue to use it.
One option is to retain the christao408 username at wordpress, with an address like christao408.wordpress.com.
Another option is to use the URL www.christao.net, which I have already registered but have not activated.
A third option is to come up with a new username and URL, perhaps one more memorable. Possible ideas are alifeinbangkok.com or lifeinthebigmango.com or something like that.
What do you think? There are pros and cons to each option.
Facebook exposes you to the most interesting memes, some of which make me think that people don’t take the time to read them before clicking “like” or sharing them with friends and family. Case in point, this “patriotic” post asking people to support the saying of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools.
At first glance, who could be against the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in schools? It was the standard when I was a student and, other than the “under God” phrase (added in 1954 during the Cold War) which some could construe as state promotion of religion, it seems relatively harmless. In fact, when I was in high school, my drafting teacher, a devout Catholic and believer in separation of church and state, told students that they could omit the words “under God” if they chose to.
My real concern with this internet meme is the way it stifles freedom of speech. Notice that if you like the idea of saying the Pledge in school each day, you simply click the “like” button. But if you leave any comment (even a comment of support), that is tantamount to saying you don’t support the recitation of the Pledge in classrooms.
This mindset, that there is no room for discussion or dissent (even though such dissent is Constitutionally protected), is anathema to the concept of democratic freedoms. Think of the authoritarian regimes around the world – China, Iran, North Korea, and plenty of others – where those who speak out against the government are imprisoned, tortured, or even executed. The freedoms and values the United States flag represents include protecting those who choose to speak up against the government and those very same freedoms and values!
It strikes me as very unpatriotic to demand unquestioning obedience and very dangerous as well. The founders of the nation recognized the dangers of blind obedience. We should, too.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
These words begin the preamble of the Declaration of Independence, in which 237 years ago this day, the thirteen American colonies announced that they considered themselves states independent of Britain. This long experiment with democracy has had its ups and downs. The downs have always coincided with efforts to limit the rights of members of society. The ups have always coincided with the triumph of these rights over attempts to limit, stifle, or deny them.
As has been said, the United States is a great nation. Definitely not as great as we sometimes think we are, but still a great nation. Let us use this Independence Day as an opportunity to appreciate the many positive attributes of our democracy and to rededicate ourselves to the self-evident truth that all men are created equal and that we are only equal when our unalienable rights are available to all.
Turning away from the politics, the Xanga fundraiser, and all that serious stuff, I just wanted to share with you two pictures of Bangkok taken the past few days. This isn’t a particularly pretty city, but these two pictures do manage to capture the city’s nicer side.
Taken by visiting Singaporean friend David Chein (follow him on Instagram at davidchein), this is a view of Lumphini Park taken from the Dusit Thani Hotel. On the left side you see the Silom Skytrain line running past the headquarters of the Thai Red Cross. In the distance are the upscale hotels and offices in the Ratchadamri neighborhood. In the foreground is the statue of King Rama VI, which sits at the corner of Rama IV and Ratchadamri Roads. We have had strong winds the past few days so very little haze.
Late yesterday afternoon, I took this picture of Terminal 21, a mall, office tower, and service apartment complex located at the corner of Asoke and Sukhumvit Roads. With the setting sun behind it, the building took on a glow that looks just like a computer illustration. It was a real photo, though!
Pictures like this remind me that while Bangkok can be a bit scruffy sometimes, there is still beauty to be found.
Recent Comments