National Museum Volunteers Annual Lecture Series…

Last year was my first chance to attend the lectures about Thailand, Thai history, and culture arranged by the National Museum Volunteers. Along with many events, their Annual Lecture Series was postponed due to the Thai floods. But, now that the new year is upon us, the series has been rescheduled.

Lectures from Jan 19th through to Feb 9th, 2012…

The Thai Hybrid: 19 January 9.30am
Philip Cornwel-Smith
(author of bestseller ‘Very Thai’)

Thai popular culture brims with quirky hybrids of handmade and hi-tech, indigenous and import. Some traditionalists worry that today’s adoption of foreign novelty dilutes Thainess, yet Thai history has been distinguished throughout by cultural fusion. Appropriation seen in popular culture reveals Thainess as a process that is eclectic, creative and relentlessly hybrid.

Introduction to Thai Ceremonies & Observances: 19 January 11.00am
Venerable Kantasilo

A talk by American born Buddhist monk, Venerable Kantasilo, will aim to explain national Buddhist observances and ceremonies that take place over a one year period, providing answers to the many questions foreigners are likely to have pertaining to the significance of such practices in Thailand.

Contemporary Thai Politics: Six Realities We Cannot Duck: 26 January 9.30
Michael J. Montesano

Michael J. Montesano, a visiting research fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, will tell the audience how keeping track of Thailand’s confusing politics is easy as long as one remembers six basic truths. He will also talk about how these “truths” conceal paradoxes and ironies that must also be grasped if one really wants to make sense of where Thailand is heading.

On the Floral Road to Siam: 26 January, 11.00am
Sakul Intakul, floral artist

The talk will be given by renowned floral artist Sakul Intakul, an engineer turned floral artist who is well known for interpreting spiritual ideas through sculptural plant installations. His portfolio includes Royal commissions for the HM the Queen and total floral conceptual design for Bvlgari Hotels and Resorts in Bali; he is also the author of several books on floral art.

Royal Thai Cremation Ceremonies: 2 February, 9.30am
Mr Chakrarot Chitrabongs, NMV patron

This lecture will trace the origins of the royal cremation practice since the founding of Bangkok as a new capital city during the reign of King Rama I, whose mission was to revive the old Siamese traditions of the former capital city of Ayudhya that had been utterly devastated by warfare. In their turn, the Kings of Chakri have developed this ancient tradition, introducing changes and technological innovations until it appears as it does today. The purpose of the lecture is to describe to the audience the background information for a thorough understanding of the symbolism linked to traditional beliefs and practices, so that they can follow and understand the ongoing preparations of the ceremony in the various stages up to the actual event. The lecture will be illustrated with photographs that date back to the period that photography itself had been introduced into Siam.

Ramakien – Introduction: 2 February, 11.00am
Stephanie Strasser

Stephanie Strasser, an NMV member who spent her early childhood in Bangkok and who returned to Thailand recently, sought to find out more about the famous Wat Phra Kaew rubbings, eventually finding herself immersed in the world of the Ramakien. Her lecture is a summary of a wonderful story of love and war where gods are reborn on earth to battle demons and where flying monkeys have magical powers.

Let’s go Wat Hopping: 9 February, 9.30am
Joyce Meer & Bill Lipsey

NMV members Joyce Meer and Bill Lipsey will be going Wat Hopping, sharing with the audience their passion and insights on What’s a Wat after having explored more than 100 Buddhist temples throughout Thailand, some relatively unknown.

Invoking the Land Gods; Understanding the Thai Spirit House: 9 February, 11.00am
Marisa Cranfill

Marisa Cranfill, one of Thailand’s foremost (non-Thai) experts on Thai spirit houses will give a fascinating talk entitled Invoking the Land Gods; Understanding the Thai Spirit House. Cranfill will explain that the Thais’ relationship with the land god is a very personal one because it affects their daily life. “You give the land god what it likes and it will give back good things. It is like a bargain.”

Note: All lectures are to be held in the auditorium of the National Museum, Bangkok.

Bangkok National Museum
Na Phrathat Rd,
Phra Nakorn District,
Bangkok 10200

My schedule continues to be crazy but if I’m in Bangkok I’ll be attending a few talks listed in the National Museum Volunteers Annual Lecture Series.

Did you make it to the Charity Cat Party?…

I wasn’t in town for @freakingcat’s wonderful Charity Cat Party but I didn’t miss out. I watched the concert online via ustream.tv.

What talent! A huge round of applause goes to @freakingcat for arranging the party and to the fabulous performers: Trisdee, Somtow, Siam Sinfionetta and Paye.

If you missed the Charity Cat Party you can catch up via Facebook or YouTube:

Facebook: Charity Cat Party video
Facebook: Charity Cat Party photos
YouTube: Cat Charity Party with Trisdee, Somtow, Siam Sinfionetta and Paye

As mentioned in the invite post, donations collected at the Charity Cat Party went to support my favourite all-time Thai charity, the SET Foundation. Also included were the deserving soi dog and cat charity, SCAD Bangkok.

But if you weren’t able to donate at the party, it’s not too late. You can still go direct to your charity of choice.

The SET Foundation…

It’s no secret that the recent floods in Thailand hit already struggling Thai students hard. So please consider sending a donation to the SET Foundation this holiday. To see how little it takes, read through the itemized list at What does it cost to make the difference?

My Xmas donation went straight to the SET Foundation, as does all revenue from WLT. That’s right, it might look like I have paying ads in my sidebar but it isn’t technically so.

Benjawan and Chris (Paiboon Publishing), Achim and Busakorn (L-lingo), Jay and Jo (Learn Thai Podcast), all donate direct to the SET Foundation. Readers of WLT donate to the SET Foundation too. And I’m proud they do. Thanks all!

The SET Foundation on WLT…

The SET Foundation: A Season for Giving Back
Inciting Acts of Kindness: The SET Foundation
Feel Like Donating? Give to the SET Foundation Instead

Ho ho ho everyone! Happy holiday and I’ll see you next year :-)

Consider yourself invited to the Charity Cat Party…

Throughout the year @freakingcat throws parties notorious amongst the Thai twitter crowd. And while reading the party tweets can be totally entertaining, can you imagine what a great time you’d have actually attending a Cat Party?

The theme for the December Cat Party is the Thai flood. It’s no secret that Thailand seriously needs our help so @freakingcat has been working hard to put together an event to do just that. He’s done his magic with Bed Supperclub and roped in the talented Trisdee (@trisdee) and Siam Sinfionetta for a concert. Oh, and all profits from the cocktails go to charity, so drink up!

Donations collected at the Charity Cat Party will go to support my favourite all-time Thai charity, the SET Foundation. Also included is the soi dog and cat charity, SCAD Bangkok.

If you cannot attend then please consider sending donations direct to either the Set Foundation or SCAD’s. Ok?

The Cat Party venue:
8pm, Monday, 19 December, 2011
Bed Supperclub, 26 Soi Sukumvit 11, Bangkok

Bookings: 02 651 3537 or 088 525 0101

For more info:
Bed Supperclub
Cat Party Events
Facebook: Catparty

Twitter:
#CATPARTY
@Catpartyevents
@bedsupperclub
@freakingcat

The Thai floods just keep on coming…

Flood tourism is now a popular sport in Thailand. And even if an area isn’t flooded, you’ll come across people crowded around klongs, leaning over to check the water level.

And if I had the time and inclination, I’d drive around Thailand taking photos of people draped over bridges. But just their butts. Because from where I’m sitting, butts are about the only thing NOT being photographed during this latest Thai crisis.

There are plenty of photos of dogs, cats, cars, houses, but no butts. Think about it.

Anyway… whenever expats get together (and Thais for that matter) the first thing out of their mouths is, “are you flooded yet?” And after that’s out of the way, the comparison about who’s seen what starts in.

Well. I’ve seen a fair bit (and I have rotting feet to prove it). First I drove out to Ayutthaya (Ayutthaya Underwater), then all around the north of Bangkok. And then I took a boat to Kho Kret. I even drove out to the notorious planes sitting on the flooded runway in Don Maueng.

Ok. Except for Ayutthaya, why haven’t I written about these trips? Two reasons. One, I found it difficult to write without spitting fire or spilling tears. Not helpful. Two, on some of those outings I’ve chosen to help those in need in my own way. And that means privately (but kudos to those more public). And going for privacy sort of nixes the sharing.

I haven’t been to see the Big Bag Barriers and most likely won’t. There’s supposed to be a ton of water walking to do before you get there and my feet are already suffering from the bacteria laden mush. Bits are falling off. Seriously.

And truth is, I’m flooded out. Most of us are. That includes those under water, those still under the threat of being under water, and those suffering from fleeing Bangkokians drinking all their beer. And water.

But even so, on Sunday, when the “whatdoyouwannado” question came up, I mentioned the boats pushing water to the Gulf of Thailand. I was reminded again of the boats when they were shared on twitter by Wayne in this photo.

Yeah. The boats are old news and even after the Thai government took all that flack from the public, the boats are still going strong. Six of them anyway.

During the Sunday trip I also wanted to wave at the flood waters in Min Buri where Paul Garrigan’s house is sitting under water. So a detour was arranged.

Reaching the floods, a foul stench filled the taxi. With both of us thinking it was Khun Pissout, in the backseat we froze.

But going through the second stretch of flood water we put two and two together. We could hear the waters lapping at the undercarriage. We could actually feel the force of the water vibrate the taxi. And we could smell the rotting water.

My apologies to Khun Pissout. Heh.

When he’s not flooded out, Khun Pissout lives along a black mucky klong. So I mentioned the (to me) unbearable stinky funk. He replied that yes, it’s bad to live with. But your nose eventually gets used to it. Hmmmmmm.

Arriving in Bang Kapi we did what everyone else there was doing. We stared at the two boats, we checked out the water level, and we discussed the theory of water pushing.

Shortly after arrival another passenger boat came along. And at a fair clip.

So the docked passenger boats are pushing water back towards the Gulf of Thailand and the still operating passenger boats come along and undo their progress. That’s what I was seeing anyway. You?

Back when the 1000 boats started hitting the news, Plodprasop Surasawadi, Thailand’s Science and Technology Minister, admitted that 75,000 more water-driving boats are needed.

Ok, that’s for the huge Chao Praya River, not this little klong. But it does make you wonder what this exercise is all about.

From what I understood, on this klong there are three different groups with two boats each pushing water to the Gulf of Thailand. I’m not swift on maths, but in my thinking six boats just won’t cut it.

So this is more about the Thai government using the King’s idea (originally meant for a much smaller waterway) to show the people that they are doing something to help.

I mean, people have been flooded for months, losing homes and cars and stuff. And lives. So the chugging boats are meant to give Thais something else to think about.

That’s my take on it anyway.

What the sign says…

Watching passenger boats pushing water was a decent enough outing. But you know me. Once I see a Thai sign, I just have to… you know.

รัฐบาล ให้ มี การ ผันน้ำ ท่วม
rát-tà-baan hâi mee gaan-păn-náam tûam
The government is making a flood diversion…

เพื่อ บรรเทา ความเดือดร้อน ของ ประชาชน
pêua ban-tao kwaam-dèuat-rón kŏng bprà-chaa-chon
…in order to alleviate torment to residents.

ขอ ขอบคุณ บริษัท ครอบครัวขนส่ง จำกัด
kŏr kòp-kun bor-rí-sàt krôp-krua kŏn-sòng jam-gàt
Thank you Krop-krua Kon-song Company, Limited.

Thai Floods: 2011…

As much as I’ve resisted writing posts about the Thai flood crisis, I still have a decent number dealing with the floods:

Ayutthaya Underwater: Bangkok Now Bracing for Floods
Bangkok is STILL Bracing for the Thai Floods. Barely.
Thai Language Thai Culture: Primer on Thai Disaster Words
Thai Language Thai Culture: Basic Thai Flood Phrases
Bangkok Flood Info: Preparing for Floods in Bangkok
Thailand’s 50 Million Blue Whales Flood Bangkok
Karn.TV Cartoons: Flooding in Thailand
Thai Floods: FROC’s Highway to…

What else is on my flood agenda? The plan has always been to document Ayutthaya’s recovery. And regardless of what I said, I just might go for a Big Bag Barrier experience. Or take photos of butts. Shrug. But who knows for sure. I certainly don’t.

FROC’s highway to…

Both the Bangkok Post and the Nation covered, albeit briefly, complaints about FROC’s invasive ramp into the Energy Complex.

Bangkok Post: Froc’s ‘VIP pass’ irks residents

Residents living near the Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc) say a raised road built to allow access by VIPs is causing them flooding problems.

The special driveway is a road off the tollway exit in front of the Energy Complex building on Vibhavadi Rangsit road.

Nation: Community complains about access road to FROC HQ

A community yesterday cried foul over the construction of a special road for government leaders to access the Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC), saying it has blocked drainage of floodwater.

Thing is, I can’t find a mention of the special FROC highway being constructed on Vibhavadi Rangsit (Ding Daeng), all the way to the Don Muang Tollway.

The Don Muang Tollway eventually leads to the special FROC ramp (mentioned above).

So, has anyone read about this special FROC highway? Will it have FROC only access? Also, do FROC aim to use Vibhavadi as a water highway? Just asking…

Karn.TV Cartoons: Flooding in Thailand…

During the past few weeks, Thailand’s 50 Million Blue Whales Flooding Bangkok were a big YouTube hit for Thais and students of the Thai language. Today I found Karn.TV’s cartoon offer…

There are three more flood videos (just follow along on YouTube).

Note: To keep up with the flood news in Thailand, the easiest (although disturbing at times) channel of news is twitter.

For English: #ThaiFloodEng
For Thai: #ThaiFlood