Monitor Lizard in Bangkok

I never go to Lumphini park without seeing one of these guys. On this day I saw seven of them, and I didn't even go into the park, I was just jogging along the fence outside to catch a bus to work (and stopping to take photos for my blog, obviously). For pictures of these guys, go the same Flickr set as the photos on yesterday's post.
I'm off to work.
Love,
Matthew

Sunday Mornings

Every Sunday I do two things: go to church and go to work. These are some photos from the first part of my Sunday. The photo above was taken from my balcony. The street to the right of the building under construction is Rama IV. Right down that way lies Sathorn road, and the Bangkok Christian Science Society.

I walk out my apartment, round the corner and wait by the 7-eleven. 7-elevens in Thailand really deserve their own post. They're everywhere.

This is the 71. I don't tke the 71. I don't know where it goes, either. I take the 22, the 45, the 46, the 115 or the 116. Today, on the other hand, I had made myself late by dawdling with picture-taking, so I had to take a taxi and I was late for church anyway.

Left to Right: Anchalee, Markee and Mayurie. They're basically half the congregation right there. It's a cozy little group, as you might have guessed.

A wealthy Chinese resident of Bangkok was asked by the King at the time to build this canal. He did it, and so the canal was named after him. Not after his Chinese name, though, but after an honorary name which the King gave him after he'd built it: Luang Sathon Racha Yuk (หลวงสาทรราชายุกต์)

Sathon Canal. And Sathon Road. It's a busy road, a famous road, and gives its name to an expensive business district, but it's not the most awesome place just to hang out. Still, there are good things nearby, like Lumpini park (see below). If you for some reason need to know more specifially where on Sathon the Christian Science Society is, you can click the photo to take you to my Flickr set where it's explained.

Bus stop by the Rama IV gate to Lumpini Park. This is how I get to work after church. The route takes me right by my apartment building, but I never have time to stop off there. For awesome monsters of Lumpini park, see tomorrow's post. And that's my Sunday morning in photos.

Projects!

I'm about to post my two 282nd entry on my Rise Up Singing music blog (riseupsingingproject.blogspot.com) which I began about 282 days ago. By contrast, I haven't posted on this blog for months now. What I'm learning from this is that projects motivate me. So here's a small project to get this blog going again.
Picture-a-day.
For the next week, I'm going to post one picture daily of something in my life. It could be anything, but it'll definitely be a little piece of my life here in Bangkok, rather than some random scenic photo. I'll write about it a little, too. You know, for context.

Why only one week? Because one week from today I'll be on a plane from Bangkok to New York City via Kuwait, of all places. I'll be spending two weeks at my favourite place in the world (camp), and one more week in my second-favourite place (Montreal). All with my favourite people in the world (various). I'm sure to get lots of post material from that, but I also don't want to be under a daily obligation while I'm on my whirlwind North America visit. So: a week of Bangkok dailies, then we'll see.
This starts tomorrow. For now, I have to finish the post on my Rise Up Singing blog. So goodnight, guys.

Perfect Temperature in Bangkok

I just walked out on the balcony in my swimsuit and it was the perfect temperature. There was a room-temperature wind blowing, and it was just warm enough to be nice for sleeping outside and not to wake up sweaty. Or so I imagine; I didn't go to sleep. A minute later it began to rain. Ten minutes later, it stopped. Bangkok weather is pretty great.

My New Favourite YouTube Channel

I am loving watching the daily White House press briefings coming out on YouTube. I'm not going to go on at length about them, because politics might bore you, and this isn't a political blog. Nevertheless, it's such a great little peek into the world of political reporting. You can watch them bantering, bickering, laughing... it's just fun. And I think the same thing I used to think watching Tony Snow, which is that being the U.S. press secretary is a staggeringly difficult job for the amount of poise, good humour, eloquence and thickness of skin it requires. By the way, haters, I liked Tony Snow a lot. He seemed like a cool guy. I also like the new guy, Robert L. Gibbs. Check him out weaving and bobbing here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW37FyUZ11s

Sign up to the White House's YouTube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/whitehouse

The Dancing Dudes Commercial

This is my very favourite commercial in Thailand. It plays on the skytrain regularly now and I can't help but get pumped up when I see it. You'll be happy you watched it. Only 31 seconds.

Alone in Vientiane, April 2009

I was in Vientiane, Laos april 6th through 9th. I took a plane from Bangkok to Udon Thani (in Thailand) and then a 1hr bus to the border at Nongkhai (200THB), another bus (10 minutes) over the friendship bridge (20THB), and a minivan taxi into Vientiane (300THB split between two people).
I was there to get a non-immigrant B visa at the Thai Consulate, but apart from the 8 or so hours I spent waiting around there filling out a form or two and waiting for various numbers to be called, I got to spend most of my time in the Laotian capital studying Lao/Laotian and practicing it with whomever was around. It's really a short step over to Lao if you can speak a little Thai, so it was a sharp and fun learning curve for those few days. Now I'm back to Thailand. The video is pretty self-explanatory. Vientiane is a lovely town and - as you'll know if you've ever been there - really really quiet for a national capital. It's a great place to hang out, eat good food and learn Laotian. And really, what more could you want in a vacation*?

*Nothing, that's what.

A Songkran Message

I just got back from Songkran festivities. Happy Thai new year, everybody.

Bangkok Songkran and protests + a song

This is a relevant cross-post from my Rise Up Singing project blog.
First I talk about Songkran (Thai New Year's) and the state of emergency in Bangkok, then I play Amazing Grace. (Song begins at 2:37)

Words by John Newton (1725 - 1807); melody, traditional (appears in "Virginia Harmony")
Rise Up Singing chapter: Gospel, p.92
D - G D / - - A - / D D7 G D / Bm A G D
or the way I play it:
D - G D / - - A - / D D7 G D / D A G D

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
(That saved a soul like me)
I once was lost and now am found
Was blind but now I see

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come
'Tis grace that's brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we first begun

Allelujah (3x) Praise God (repeat)
(I didn't sing this verse)

Amazing grace has set me free
To touch, to taste, to feel
The wonders of accepting Love
Have made me whole and real