
Bridge Over The River Kwai
I bought this at World at the CornerWorld At The Corner. Because it takes place in Thailand, it seemed appropriate. Read more
‘The Four Loves’ By C.S. Lewis
World At The Corner
Wat Chulabhorn Wararam
Famous for this bamboo shaded path, it was very peaceful. The more so for being well outside of Bangkok.
And while I didn’t take a picture because it seemed disrespectful, I saw my first monk smoking a cigarette.
Things That Aren’t Creepy At All
Bangkok Wakes To Rain
I am inclined to want to like novels and about Thailand. And it is a good novel. It is a multi-generational novel that skips back and forth in time and is a perfect example of contemporary ‘world fiction.’ Read more
Before They Are Hanged
I don’t know why I chose to return to this series, having read the first volume a couple of years ago, while visiting the in-laws in Thailand (pre-fatherhood, I used to get a lot reading done in Thailand; not that it wasn’t constantly fascinating, but a time whenever around you is speaking a language you can’t understand is a pretty good time to read a book).
While my memory of the first book isn’t as sharp as it could be, I felt that several characters got some nice fleshing out, relative to their introduction in the earlier volume, and some interesting new characters were introduced.
But we also got some clunky exposition dumps and… was the major, continuing plot thread a snipe hunt?
But I reckon that I will finish this series, regardless.
Egg Temple
We were obliged to come here because we had promised five hundred eggs if our prayers were answered. Actually, I think my mother-in-law promised. Or my better half. Clearly, I’m not sure. But someone promised in such a way that also sort of obliged me, so we all went.
I didn’t take pictures because this was not a tourist location, but a place for legitimate Thai supplicants and for people like my in-laws, who were fulfilling their end of an asked for boon.
You got flowers and incense and a candle and lit the latter two and place the incense in a sand filled brazier and the candles seemed variously left around. The flowers were placed in a large clay jar.
Wrapped around them when you purchased the flower/incense/candle package was a paper prayer and square of thin gold foil. The foil was pressed onto a Buddha covered in them in a room just beyond the incense and candle room.
The eggs were placed on a shelf when you did all this and when we were done, my mother-in-law instructed me to get them again. She left one behind and we took the rest, which were now blessed.