Or, a vision in a dream. A Fragment.
looks like I’ll have to come back to 丽江. I got a bus yesterday morning out to Tiger Leaping Gorge, only to discover police at the entrance, barring anyone from entering. a huge landslide occurred in the past few days, killing a local–a young man who had just gotten married last year. word from an australian couple leaving the gorge … Read More
yesterday was spent wandering the alleys of old lijiang, examining the calligraphy and brush paintings outside of people’s homes, with their mix of local pictograms and chinese characters. coming here I’m elated not only about being able to speak to people, but also about being able to read signs–at least enough to get around. traveling is so much easier without … Read More
my last few weeks in bangkok have been a whirlwind, so I find myself confusedly and quite suddenly back in China. I’m both appalled and amazed to be conversing in putonghua again. amazed that despite disuse there is still a certain facility, and that these words spilling out of my mouth actually sound right, and yes, I am being understood. … Read More
fascinating and somewhat disturbing Economist briefing on the long-term political power held by security forces in russia. Despite their loyalty to old Soviet roots, today’s security bosses differ from their predecessors. They do not want a return to communist ideology or an end to capitalism, whose fruits they enjoy. They have none of the asceticism of their forebears. Nor do … Read More
in contemplating where to go for an extra long weekend, I thought about chiang mai, khanchanaburi, sukhothai, etc., but then realized I really just wanted to get away from as many farang as possible. so a place I had actually heard about just wouldn’t cut it. so I settled upon nakhon si thammarat. I of course referred to my hated … Read More
clip of the chao phraya river boat at dusk (off pier 13, phra athit):
a noticeable tourism initiative found in bangkok are these brown panels on practically every block, informing you in a terse & disjointed manner (at least the english translations) the historical significance of whatever street corner you happen to be standing on. though as a friend pointed out, sometimes if you actually read the whole thing it can be quite entertaining. … Read More
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Ousted Thai Prime Minister and new Manchester City proprietor Thaksin Shinawatra is unfit to own an English football club because of “serious human rights abuses” under his leadership, Human Rights Watch said. I’m kinda confused why HRW is doing this. I suppose it’s a way to capitalize on the publicity of a high-profile person, but it makes … Read More
monks, beggars, vendors, police, mothers, daughters, yellow shirts… all on my way to chinatown, on bus 53. [VIDEO]… Read More
A CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD on construction of the Golden Mount. In the Royal Chronicle of King Rama III, Chao Phraya Thiphakornwongse writes on record that a great Prang (Pagoda), 50 fathoms in dimension. Further, when the king went to offer Kathina Robes to the monks at this temple, he asked for donation of timber logs for laying down as its foundation … Read More