Kelake

Hiking in Northern Thailand (close to Burma I believe) almost 20 years ago we finally came upon the village where we would stay the night. The rivers were swollen and the ground wet and muddy. It was this trip I think that I ventured into a fast moving canoe that almost capsized as we were trying to get to our destination. I don’t swim and there were no life jackets. There were a couple similar occasions during our many trips to Thailand that I would have, with only a slight change in luck, have met a different fate.

You haven’t had Thai food until you have had it prepared fresh right in front of you, with freshly culled chicken, and just picked herbs and spices.

Here I am about 18 years ago with my new drunk friend, drunk because the village was having a party, and also likely due to having to perform some ceremony for the benefit of backpackers.

Taken somewhere in the wilds of Northern Thailand. I remember being nervous about our over night accommodations. All the men in the village seemed to be getting drunk, and at the same time were taking an unhealthy interest in Sheryl. Luckily it was just paranoia.

Tip: don’t buy fancy leather hiking boots with glued on soles while hiking in hot humid SE Asia. My feet were a mess and the soles came off a couple years later.

The room that we shared with pigs and chickens below us while hiking somewhere in Northern Thailand. While the accommodations might not have been luxurious, the food that was cooked for us was amazing (poor chickens).

4 years ago we were taking a break from work in a far warmer locale than where we are at the moment. I flew to Thailand from China, stayed overnight in Bangkok, before taking a small plane, ferry and bus to join family who had already rented a little cabin near the beach. Lot’s of memories on this trip, the food, the motorcycles, and the motorcycle accident. Camren rode on the back of my motorcycle and when hitting a rut on an unpaved road, we promptly skid and crashed. We were largely unharmed – I was bruised, scrapped and shook up a bit. Camren came away fine as I served as his airbag when he landed on top of me. Something we still joke about.

Later, our world would change as I flew to Canada to be with my mother in palliative care, accompanying her on her final journey.

Hopefully someday we will be able to throw a change of clothes in a bag, hop on a plane, and visit some interesting place far away from our daily routines.

This obscure image is a photo taken from my mobile phone at a bar in Bangkok called ‘Radio City’. I think I have somewhat of a dud of mobile phone camera as no matter what the effort the pictures all suck. I suppose though it could be me(likely), since the venerable Heather Champ seems to enjoy success with hers.
Radio City is located in the entertainment area, or more accurately a small soi, in Bangkok called Patpong. An enormously famous area known and visited by just about every visitor to Bangkok – or so I assume judging by the crowds of people wading through the famous market. The area has the good fortune to be labelled an entertainment zone as part of the local governments off and on again policy of policing morality. Unless you are the ultraconservative type who is sensitive to the selling of overpriced artefacts, illegal dvds, and the selling of various views of strange sex shows, it is an experience one should have once. More than once the experience becomes a bore and walking through the night market is really an experience best not repeated. It’s hot, very crowded, and the constant touting of ‘dvd sex’ tends to wear you down.
I’m not sure if this makes me a miscreant or not but despite the obvious reputation the area has and the fact that I dislike the experience of prodding through the masses of people and touts, I find myself continuously coming back to Radio City. The appeal has nothing to do with the young ladies sitting at the bar waiting for a ‘date’, it has nothing to do with the smiles of the bar staff who by now know me, and it really has nothing to do with the inevitable thong throwing by drunken maidens. It’s all about getting my fix of live Tom Jones and Elvis impersonators. Radio City has featured the live performance of the classics of Tom Jones and Elvis for as long as I can remember (which I guess really isn’t that long). The band is not so good. The impersonation not even close. The singing passable. But it usually proves to be a pretty good time. If nothing else it’s worthy to drop by have a couple beers and see an interesting mix of people singing and swaying to the likes of ‘My Delilah’ and ‘Sexbomb’.
The bar brings me back to the days I used to help pay the rent by touring all over Northern Ontario in a horn section that was backing up an old time Elvis impersonator. It wasn’t a gig I wanted to tell my high brow orchestral brethren about but it instilled in me a little respect for that old time groove. Of course we didn’t have beautiful young Thai. women moving to the music but the old gray haired type reliving their youth. There were the Elvis fanatics as well. A weird bunch who worship the church Elvis and followed this particular impersonator all across Ontario. I much prefer the young Thai. girls. Maybe it’s time to stop being a spectator, dust off my horn and relive the experience for myself. Imagine what my high brow friends back home would think then when they asked what I was doing to make a living and I told them I was playing back up to a Thai Tom Jones impersonator amongst the flurry of ping pong shows and short time hotels. Might be worth it to just see the look on their face.
I’ll be back to Bangkok soon and I’ll likely take the time to drop in again.

aka Sleazy, who “has played a large part in the invention and definition of electroclash, industrial music, Nine Inch Nails (they

offers hope to the people of Thailand’s southern region during a visit to Krue Se mosque. A region which recently suffered the massacre of 100 machete carrying bandits/separatists/militia/gangs by heavily armed government troops. Mr Thaksin spent 10 minutes sitting on a marble floor talking to villagers where he offered his solution to poverty in the region. Birth control. “Mr Thaksin asked a local woman why southern people had so many children and suggested they opt for birth control to fight poverty” (Source).

Thailand certainly doesn’t have a monopoly on leaders with suspect skill in dealing with a populace far removed from the economies of those in power but this guys policies show the compassion one would expect from a greedy monopolist not a leader of a countries people. But then look at the USA.

is a bit of advice best suited to a few weeks ago, giving enough time to practice before last weeks Songkran festival. I guess I could get started early but somehow I think the people of Hsinchu would not get the relevance of such an action nor do I think they would care much about Thai. culture. Here’s a snipit of advice: “Water throwing is one of the most humorous and enjoyable parts of the Songkran festival. It can happen anywhere, and while you’re here during Songkran you can enjoy it as much as everyone else. If you’re coming into Chiangmai by train you might want to dress appropriately; that is, you might want to dress for fun. The passenger, sitting comfortably in a railway car, can receive an accidental splash through the window from the frolicking festivities outside.” Not everyone is keen to join in on the fun as David at Mangosauce leaves us with no doubt by saying I fucking hate Songkran. Despite his misgivings, hopefully next year I’ll be able to take part and with my camera in hand voyeuristic tendencies I’ll no doubt be following some of Yoonki’s useful tips for photographers.