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Celtic Twilight, Vol. 1
By Various Artists


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So.  This whole APEC thing has Bangkok running around like mad. 

I know, I know, the officials are trying their best to make a good impression since this is a big international event and the God of all gods (pfft, Bush) is here, but really, c'mon, I had to draw the line at this and this.



"Nobody told us about the huge canvas," said Su, a restaurant owner at Tha Tien pier. "But it's okay to cover the slums. If foreigners take photos of the slums, it would lead to a loss of face when people say there's a slum in the middle of Bangkok."
"This is good. It's good for our image abroad. We're such an insignificant people that we wouldn't mind cooperating," said Somsak Chusap, 54, who rents a tiny plywood room from the Crown Property Bureau for Bt20 a day.

Thai people are SO tolerant and so, so humble, you really have to admire and love them for it.  If this were any other country in the world, I bet there would be full-fledged protests and riots going on.  I can't believe that guy actually said that he's insignificant.  When I first heard about the canvas thing, I couldn't believe it.  It's almost comical, really... I can't believe they really think a big ass canvas almost 4 stories high will really be able to block out the slum district along the Chao Praya.  I mean, hello, it's no secret that poverty exists in Bangkok.

As for all that money they're dishing out for the big 'facelift', I can point out so many other ways that that money could be put to better use. I mean, wow, $20 million.  All of a sudden there's more benches than butts along the streets, golden swans everywhere along Royal Plaza, and big stampedes of green elephants along Rajdomnoen avenue.  They shouldn't have to wait for APEC to beautify the city, Bangkok should be a pleasant place to live all the time.

But even so, the little flaws are what give BKK its character.  The government officials and APEC organizers don't understand that it is the occasional street dweller peacefully snoozing in the afternoon sun upon a street bench that adds to the charm of this great big wonderful multi-faceted city. Bangkok's a place where day in and day out, the new and the old, and the east and the west sit side by side in harmony; a place where the glittering colors of ancient wats reflect off the sprawling windows of nearby skyscrapers; a place where a khun ying decked out in diamond rings, a classy Versace suit and a big hairspray-laden hairdo will sit down on the side of the road and slurp 20 baht kuay thiew reua noodles next to a raggedly dressed old man who sells garlands at traffic intersections.  They have to realize that Bangkok isn't Paris, or London, or any other posh European city for that matter, but is rather a completely different city with its own allure, quirks and charm. I don't see the 10 million tourists who visit Thailand each year complaining.  Dude, whatever happened to pride in one's city and country?

On the plus side, the APEC thing has helped put Bangkok on the map.  I still have to give props to the APEC organizers for pulling together one heck of a show.  My mom went to the practice rehearsal of the Royal Barge Ceremony the other night and said it was absolutely stunning.  The lights were ablaze, and as the barges came gliding by along the Chao Praya river, she said that it was like something out of the historical Thai stories you hear about the golden days of royal grandeur.  The tix were fuckin expensive (front row seats costed something like 100,000 baht), but my mom was fortunate to get in for free because she knew some peeps who were offered extra seats.

To add to the APEC hype, they've even added an APEC channel to UBC (my TV cable provider) where they have APEC updates every 30 minutes and show live coverage of the conferences and talks.  Documentaries about the various regions of Thailand have been airing 24/7 for the past week and I've found myself learning so much more about Thailand's history and heritage.  It's embarrassing, I've lived here for nearly 10 years and my historical Thai knowledge is yae mak mak.    While watching this show about the Vimanmek mansion today, I realized that I've never even been there; nor have I been to the ruins in Ayuttaya.  I guess that because I live here, I never got around to doing some of the essential touristy things most people do when they visit Thailand. 

A little more ranting about all the APEC frenzy:  I was stuck in traffic for 3 hours yesterday because they closed off all the roads around Rajdamri and Ploenchit.  I eventually gave up and parked my car and hopped onto the skytrain because I was running out of gas and patience.
But what's really got me ticked off is that Craig David concert's been canceled because they're concerned about congestion on the night of the concert... and God forbid if Bush gets stuck in a little traffic.
Geeeez.  I know I must sound like a real bitch and a half right now.  I'm sorry, but it's just that I was SO looking forward to the Craig David concert.  I can't go to the C21 concert on the 26th either because I'll be in Pattaya, but I'm definitely catching the Santana gig on the 3rd.  That I definitely can't miss.  Oh yeah, black magic woman, woohoo.



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