Kansas City restaurants. Aiden liked the bathroom sinks. I liked the
artwork. We all loved the food.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Great 5 days in Kansas with my family!
Kansas City restaurants. Aiden liked the bathroom sinks. I liked the
artwork. We all loved the food.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Kansas Salad Bar Fluff
bars. Yum?!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
On my way home to Kansas
Kansas. Looking forward to Moms homemade greenbean and dumplings soup
with Uncle Joe's smoked sausage on the side. Yum!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Great Chicago pizza
This was my first 20 years. And I am still coming back. So good!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Ahh Chicago. Good to see you again!
It has been so long since I have been here.
Of course, I will be eating my way through the city.
I am finishing up a presentation (lapttop wireless work) in a cool bar
called Bin 36. The have 49 wines by the glass and 45 different cheeses
you can taste for $3 a piece. I am in heaven!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
EATING MY WAY ACROSS KOREA
This week was spent in Korea. The Korean government and one of largest newspapers sponsor an event to bring top thinkers from HR from around the world to Korea for a 3-day conference. I joined one of my new business partners for a day of customer visits to LG Electronics and SK Telecom. We also did three speeches at the conference.
While there was work, there was also food. Korean food is one of my favorites. It is Germany meets Mexico! Much grilled meat and fermented cabbage, but then added with tons of spice, chili and garlic.
While there was work, there was also food. Korean food is one of my favorites. It is Germany meets Mexico! Much grilled meat and fermented cabbage, but then added with tons of spice, chili and garlic.
BIBIMBAP
My favorites include the bi bim bap (lower right corner in the picture), which is a a simple but popular dish. Bibimbap is a bowl of hot rice served in a bowl topped with a variety of vegetables (cooked and raw) arranged on top. Vegetables can be seasonal, with toraji, bell flower roots, gosari, bracken, bean sprouts, and spinach often served. Other ingredients can include chestnuts, jujubes, ginseng, and a small amount of seafood or meat. Usually a near raw egg is served on the top. Most restaurants prepare the dish with a big scoop of gochujang and red pepper paste placed with the vegetables. This dish comes in a large bowl with rice on the bottom and the other ingredients placed on top. I like it best when it is Dolsot Bibimbap - which means it is served in a red hot stone crock. As you eat, the rice on the bottom of the pot gets crispy - and adds great texture to the dish, and of course, keeps the dish very hot.
KIM CHI
Kim Chi, a pickled and fermented cabbage and vegetable dish (middle right picture) is really my favorite part of every Korean meal. Early kimchi dishes were relatively mild, spiced with fermented anchovies, ginger, garlic, and green onions. Koreans still use these ingredients today, but the spice most closely associated with modern kimchi is red pepper powder. Korea boasts more than two hundred types of kimchi, all rich in vitamins, minerals, and proteins created by the lactic acid fermentation of cabbage, radish, and other vegetables and seafood.
The kimchi served at a meal will vary according to region, season, and may differ according to the other dishes on the menu. A seaside region's kimchi will be saltier than that of a landlocked area, and summer cooks produce cooling water kimchis to contrast with the heartier cabbage kimchis of the autumn and winter. And a delicate cucumber kimchi sits better beside a bland noodle dish than beside a robust beef stew. To understand kimchi at its simplest, think of it is as divided into two kinds: seasonal kimchi (for short-term storage, made from vegetables that are fresh in the markets at any given time) and Kimjang kimchi (for long-term storage, made in quantity in late autumn).
GALBI-GUI or KALBI
Galbi-gui (Broiled Short Ribs) Kalbi is one of Korea's most famous grilled dishes. Beef short ribs are marinated overnight in a mixture of green onions, garlic, sugar, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Rice wine and oriental pear slices can be added for extra flavor. The marinade tenderizes the meat which is grilled over charcoal or gas right at the table. A variation, dwaeji kalbi-gui (broiled pork spareribs), uses pork seasoned with sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, sesame seeds, and boiled ginger juice before grilling.
I had this dish at the Myongwolgwan restaurant on Walker Hill, high above the city of Seoul. It was my "going away lunch" to myself. The setting is beautiful, as it overlooks the Hangang River. (Top 3 pictures). Myongwolgwan still preserves its charcoal-grill method for turning out delicious meat dishes. The SUPEX kimchi, made using 100% domestically produced ingredients, is the pride of the restaurant: it is prepared in the highest quality environment and fermented in a special kimchi ripening room. The result is kimchi with truly unforgettable flavor and texture. Myongwolgwan’s leading menu is marinated Hanu (Korean-bred beef) galbi.
In addition to the galbi-gui, they also served me a portion of grilled tongue. The tender beef rib meat was my favorite though.
Fortunately for me, there are also some pretty good Korean restaurants in the Bay Area - so I will continue my eating when I get home. And of course, visitors, it will be a choice on the "Rick Tour" of the Bay Area!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Eating a fish taco and so happy!
Finally!
Iam so excited. In February of 1992, a girlfriend of mine
introduced me to a little baha style fish taco place in San Diego.
taco I was a changed man. I had a new religion. I ate at that Rubios
every day while I was visiting. I couldn't get enough. Eventually I
had enough of the girl. She wanted me to be more into her religion.
But I did keep the religion of the Rubios fish taco! I used to seek
them out everytime I visited Southern California.
When I moved to San Francisco I have had to drive 30 minutes away on
the other side of the Bay to get a fish taco fix.
But today the angels arrived. They opened up a Rubios about 12 minutes
away near the campus of Stanford in Menlo Park. I came today and had a fish taco
plus their mushroom and roasted poblano taco. Delish!
Over the years, I have tried many fish tacos, including making my own. I still think that Rubio's does it best. Even better than another chain called Wahoo Tacos. They have the perfect mix of using a fresh corn tortilla, shredded cabbage (not lettuce. Very important), lightly battered fried fish and the "white sauce."
Read about Ralph Rubio here: HISTORY
Make your own fish tacos with this recipe from THE PAUPERED CHEF
And to add to the marvelousness, next door to Rubios they opened a
Peets coffee. My favorite taco and my favorite coffee next door to
each other? Can life get better?
(Hmmm. Perhaps! If I could have 10 restaurants in a row what
additional places would I add? Check back on my website www.fridayinthecity.Blogspot.com
to see my list. And tell me what your list would be!)
It is a great Friday!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
OUTDATED TOYS
In 1996, I cut out an advertisement from Inc. Magazine. And I placed it in my journal. I found it interesting in 1996. But I wondered in years to come – how the add would remain relevant, but with different answers.
So – I ask you – how would you replace the ad?
Here is the advertisement:
And so, how about if we look at the questions again for 2009!
1. What are the three things that kids don’t know about – that we know about from our childhood? Or our parents childhood?
2. What are his parents toys – in other words – OUR TOYS that one day, he will laugh at?
3. And what do you predict his toys as a grown up will be one day?
Before you read on to see my thoughts – take a moment to answer yourself! And either include them in the comment section at: http://www.fridayinthecity.blogspot.com/. Or drop me a note!
Here are my thoughts:
THREE THINGS kids doesn’t know about from our childhood: Walkmans, Netscape and a 35mm camera with “rolls of film.” Leaded gasoline.
OUR TOYS that they will laugh at? The IPhone, thumb drives and Flip Cameras. Perhaps even Sim cards or USB drives. Projection TVs, antennas and “dial up” connections. Flat screens.
OUR KIDS TOYS that one day his grandkids might laugh at? The Wii, cell phones, keys, coins, books and newspapers. Maybe gas stations. Keyboards. DVDs. MP3 players.
What do you think?
So – I ask you – how would you replace the ad?
Here is the advertisement:
And so, how about if we look at the questions again for 2009!
1. What are the three things that kids don’t know about – that we know about from our childhood? Or our parents childhood?
2. What are his parents toys – in other words – OUR TOYS that one day, he will laugh at?
3. And what do you predict his toys as a grown up will be one day?
Before you read on to see my thoughts – take a moment to answer yourself! And either include them in the comment section at: http://www.fridayinthecity.blogspot.com/. Or drop me a note!
Here are my thoughts:
THREE THINGS kids doesn’t know about from our childhood: Walkmans, Netscape and a 35mm camera with “rolls of film.” Leaded gasoline.
OUR TOYS that they will laugh at? The IPhone, thumb drives and Flip Cameras. Perhaps even Sim cards or USB drives. Projection TVs, antennas and “dial up” connections. Flat screens.
OUR KIDS TOYS that one day his grandkids might laugh at? The Wii, cell phones, keys, coins, books and newspapers. Maybe gas stations. Keyboards. DVDs. MP3 players.
What do you think?
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
What are you doing on 09/09/09?
Have special plans this 09/09/09?
09/09/09
It is described as a “calendrical anomaly. “
Did you do anything today to celebrate or commemorate?
Did you do anything at 09:09:09am? (I was sleeping. Perhaps I will make a toast tonight at 09:09:09pm)
Did you know…
09-09-09 is also the last of the single-digits dates for quite a while - 92 years to be precise
It is also the upside-down number of "the beast" - satan = 666, of course. Did that bother you or anyone you know?
The day itself falls on a Wednesday and both Wednesday & September have 9 letters
Wednesdays are not usually popular days to get married in China, but September 9 is special because it is the ninth day of the ninth month of the year 2009. So it is no surprise that a record number of couples are tying the knot throughout China on Wednesday. So far 7,728 couples have registeredThe number "9" in Chinese is pronounced "jiu", which sounds the same as the word "forever", and that is why hordes of couples wanted to get their marriage certificate on Wednesday, September 9.
Historically, ancient Chinese emperors associated themselves closely with the number nine, which appeared prominently in architecture and royal dress, often in the form of nine fearsome dragons. The imperial dynasties were so convinced of the power of the number nine that the palace complex at Beijing's Forbidden City is rumored to have been built with 9,999 rooms.
Japanese emperors would have never worn a robe with nine dragons, however.
In Japanese, the word for nine is a homophone for the word for suffering, so the number is considered highly unlucky - second only to four, which sounds like death.
Many Japanese will go so far as to avoid room numbers including nine at hotels or hospitals, if the building planners haven't already eliminated them altogether.
Modern numerologists - who operate outside the realm of real science - believe that mystical significance or vibrations can be assigned to each numeral one through nine, and different combinations of the digits produce tangible results in life depending on their application.
As the final numeral, the number nine holds special rank. It is associated with forgiveness, compassion and success on the positive side as well as arrogance and self-righteousness on the negative, according to numerologists.
Did you know that if you Multiply nine by any two, three or four-digit number and the sums of those will also break down to nine. For example: 9x62 = 558; 5+5+8=18; 1+8=9.
So, what will you do anything interesting?
Do something 9 times and tell us about it.
I think I will just focus on living to be 99. That would surely be a tribute to the number 99!
09/09/09
It is described as a “calendrical anomaly. “
Did you do anything today to celebrate or commemorate?
Did you do anything at 09:09:09am? (I was sleeping. Perhaps I will make a toast tonight at 09:09:09pm)
Did you know…
09-09-09 is also the last of the single-digits dates for quite a while - 92 years to be precise
It is also the upside-down number of "the beast" - satan = 666, of course. Did that bother you or anyone you know?
The day itself falls on a Wednesday and both Wednesday & September have 9 letters
Wednesdays are not usually popular days to get married in China, but September 9 is special because it is the ninth day of the ninth month of the year 2009. So it is no surprise that a record number of couples are tying the knot throughout China on Wednesday. So far 7,728 couples have registeredThe number "9" in Chinese is pronounced "jiu", which sounds the same as the word "forever", and that is why hordes of couples wanted to get their marriage certificate on Wednesday, September 9.
Historically, ancient Chinese emperors associated themselves closely with the number nine, which appeared prominently in architecture and royal dress, often in the form of nine fearsome dragons. The imperial dynasties were so convinced of the power of the number nine that the palace complex at Beijing's Forbidden City is rumored to have been built with 9,999 rooms.
Japanese emperors would have never worn a robe with nine dragons, however.
In Japanese, the word for nine is a homophone for the word for suffering, so the number is considered highly unlucky - second only to four, which sounds like death.
Many Japanese will go so far as to avoid room numbers including nine at hotels or hospitals, if the building planners haven't already eliminated them altogether.
Modern numerologists - who operate outside the realm of real science - believe that mystical significance or vibrations can be assigned to each numeral one through nine, and different combinations of the digits produce tangible results in life depending on their application.
As the final numeral, the number nine holds special rank. It is associated with forgiveness, compassion and success on the positive side as well as arrogance and self-righteousness on the negative, according to numerologists.
Did you know that if you Multiply nine by any two, three or four-digit number and the sums of those will also break down to nine. For example: 9x62 = 558; 5+5+8=18; 1+8=9.
So, what will you do anything interesting?
Do something 9 times and tell us about it.
I think I will just focus on living to be 99. That would surely be a tribute to the number 99!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
JAMES LIPTON QUESTIONS
One of the shows on television that most appeals to me is “Inside the Actor’s Studio.” Producer James Lipton, a performance instructor, historian and researcher invites the very best actors onto a live audience of Pace University students who are in New York City. During the one-on-one interview, he seeks to “discover the moments that have led to the actors success.” He chooses only the most accomplished actors. During the one hour show, which has been edited 
down from 2-3 hours of the live discussion, he brings up elements of the performer’s life that make many of them say, “I should be sitting here on a coach” – referencing the idea of being on the couch of a psychologist.
I partly like the show, because I have a fantasy of being an accomplish actor. I also like it because it is a show that singles out individuals who are beyond box office success. They are performers who are truly appreciated in the trade as some of the best performers.
I also like the show because it is a show about questions. I see myself sometimes in the tough persona of James Lipton – asking deep questions to the actors that are both right and revealing. I have wondered what it would be like to sit in that chair, opposite James Lipton as he asks about my life.
After walking the audience through pivotal moments of the actor’s career, there is a moment in the show in which James Lipton asks the performer ten questions – the same of which are asked to every interviewed guest.
I like the questions for their obscurity. For their ability to make the actors freeze and think. I wonder how many of them think about the questions in advance – and try to act as if they had not thought about them. And I wonder how many wait, and try to answer them spontaneously.
In my journals tonight, I have asked myself these same ten questions. I have recorded my answers. And every year, on this date of September 7, I will again, ask myself the same questions to see if I have changed or remained the same.
How do you think you would answer these questions?
I have a proposition for you. Sit down with a piece of paper. Answer these ten questions. Send your answers to me. And I will immediately send you my answers – and thoughts behind each one.
Want to try to be in the hot chair?
Advice in answering the questions:
1. Don’t think. Just answer the first thing that comes to mind – as if you are sitting in a live interview.
2. Be honest – regardless if your first answer sounds odd or not.
QUESTIONS
1. What is your favorite word?
2. What is your least favorite word?
3. What turns you on?
4. What turns you off?
5. What sound or noise do you love?
6. What sound or noise do you hate?
7. What is your favorite curse word?
8. What profession, other than the one that you have, would you like to attempt?
9. What profession would you not like to attempt under any circumstance?
10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say as you arrived at the Pearly Gates?
Tonight, while interviewing Justin Bateman, he asked three additional questions that I will add as bonus questions:
1. Who do you “riff” off of in life? (“Riff” means – who in your life to you turn to to “play of” or “receive inspiration or challenge from?”
2. What is the best and worst of what you do in your job today?
3. What are the three skills that have served you best in life so far?
down from 2-3 hours of the live discussion, he brings up elements of the performer’s life that make many of them say, “I should be sitting here on a coach” – referencing the idea of being on the couch of a psychologist.I partly like the show, because I have a fantasy of being an accomplish actor. I also like it because it is a show that singles out individuals who are beyond box office success. They are performers who are truly appreciated in the trade as some of the best performers.
I also like the show because it is a show about questions. I see myself sometimes in the tough persona of James Lipton – asking deep questions to the actors that are both right and revealing. I have wondered what it would be like to sit in that chair, opposite James Lipton as he asks about my life.
After walking the audience through pivotal moments of the actor’s career, there is a moment in the show in which James Lipton asks the performer ten questions – the same of which are asked to every interviewed guest.
I like the questions for their obscurity. For their ability to make the actors freeze and think. I wonder how many of them think about the questions in advance – and try to act as if they had not thought about them. And I wonder how many wait, and try to answer them spontaneously.
In my journals tonight, I have asked myself these same ten questions. I have recorded my answers. And every year, on this date of September 7, I will again, ask myself the same questions to see if I have changed or remained the same.
How do you think you would answer these questions?
I have a proposition for you. Sit down with a piece of paper. Answer these ten questions. Send your answers to me. And I will immediately send you my answers – and thoughts behind each one.
Want to try to be in the hot chair?
Advice in answering the questions:
1. Don’t think. Just answer the first thing that comes to mind – as if you are sitting in a live interview.
2. Be honest – regardless if your first answer sounds odd or not.
QUESTIONS
1. What is your favorite word?
2. What is your least favorite word?
3. What turns you on?
4. What turns you off?
5. What sound or noise do you love?
6. What sound or noise do you hate?
7. What is your favorite curse word?
8. What profession, other than the one that you have, would you like to attempt?
9. What profession would you not like to attempt under any circumstance?
10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say as you arrived at the Pearly Gates?
Tonight, while interviewing Justin Bateman, he asked three additional questions that I will add as bonus questions:
1. Who do you “riff” off of in life? (“Riff” means – who in your life to you turn to to “play of” or “receive inspiration or challenge from?”
2. What is the best and worst of what you do in your job today?
3. What are the three skills that have served you best in life so far?
Monday, September 7, 2009
YOUR FIRST CELL PHONE?
Do you remember when you purchased your first cell phone?
Today, I was reading my journals. In 1997, when I first moved to Austin, Texas, I marveled in my journal how I went the entire day of talking to no one. It took the phone company about three days to install my phone. And at that time, most people did not have cell phones. In fact, during my entire 2 ½ years in Austin, I didn’t have a cell phone. It was not until I moved to Singapore in 2000, and looked around and realized that everyone had cell phones. Back in the states, only a few sales people or “urgency” people had them.
Today, they are necessity for everyone. My IPhone provides me with bits of information all day long. It allows me to feel “connected” – both in the way people can find me – and the way I can find others.
It is amazing to see how much technology has made an impact on us.
I wonder what we will have in ten years that we don’t have today.
Anyone want to guess?
Could it be the “tablet PC?”
Or a “Kindle” like device for reading books instead of buying actual books?
How about a device that places all of your music wirelessly around your house?
Or computers onboard your auto that gives you the internet while you are driving?
Any guesses?
Today, I was reading my journals. In 1997, when I first moved to Austin, Texas, I marveled in my journal how I went the entire day of talking to no one. It took the phone company about three days to install my phone. And at that time, most people did not have cell phones. In fact, during my entire 2 ½ years in Austin, I didn’t have a cell phone. It was not until I moved to Singapore in 2000, and looked around and realized that everyone had cell phones. Back in the states, only a few sales people or “urgency” people had them.
Today, they are necessity for everyone. My IPhone provides me with bits of information all day long. It allows me to feel “connected” – both in the way people can find me – and the way I can find others.
It is amazing to see how much technology has made an impact on us.
I wonder what we will have in ten years that we don’t have today.
Anyone want to guess?
Could it be the “tablet PC?”
Or a “Kindle” like device for reading books instead of buying actual books?
How about a device that places all of your music wirelessly around your house?
Or computers onboard your auto that gives you the internet while you are driving?
Any guesses?
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
PATTAYA THAILAND - A few of my favorite foods
Pappaya, Bananas, Cashews and small soft shell crabs. What do they all have in common? They are all a part of my YOU TUBE video of my recent days in Pattaya / Jomtien Beach in Southern Thailand.
I finally uploaded a video of my recent days on the beach and food experiences and made my first YOU TUBE video. Come check it out. And leave a comment if you wish!
Rick
Friday, July 17, 2009
PATTAYA - UNDERSTANDING THE FACES
It is Friday. And indeed, today, I am moving into the city.
For the last 5 nights, I have stayed in the southern coastal Thai town of Pattaya and Jomtien. I am ready for some city.
If someone asked me to describe Thailand in one word, it would be very difficult. Here in Thailand, many people eat a daily ration of Tom Tam soup. It is described as a sweet and sour soup. It is incredibly complex, full of savory ingredients like fish parts, chilis, mashed herbs and limes and fish sauce. But it also gets hit with sweetness like sugar and tamarind and broths.
The culture is like Tom Yum soup. When you take the fist bite, your mouth both rebels and celebrates. It knows it likes the taste, but it is so surprised – almost offended at first in what it tastes that it quivers. But bite after bite, the soup becomes addictive. Each bite holds a different surprise. Sometimes you know what you are tasting. Other times, it is best to just chew and savor.
That is often my experience with Thailand. If you are here for only a few days – you get the rush of new taste of the soup. But you don’t have enough time to really settle down to savor the full symphony of tastes.
If Thailand is Tom Yum soup – then Pattaya is a bowl of the steaming broth without a recipe. If you establish a city to cater to people who are lonely, bored, adventurous, budgeting, odd or who like to write blogs, then this is your city. It is a match between the poor people of Thailand and people who have enough money to share it with those Thai people.
I sometimes hesitate when I tell people I am going to Thailand as a single alone man. It is even more extreme if I tell people that I am a single alone man going to Pattaya.
This seashore town is a magnet for single alone men. Because there are many single Thai women ready for the perfect match. Or even single alone men if that is your game. Each evening, literally thousands of women come to work. Many of them spend time in “beer bars.” These large indoor-outdoor rooms along most every street of Pattaya have 20 seat bar island scattered throughout the room. One beer bar might have as many as 20 different rectangular bars. Each bar will have 20-30 seats – and half or more of those seats will be filled by beautiful Thai women. The chairs next to each woman wait for a Farang – also known was white ghosts or white men.
Several years ago, those bars would be packed with hundreds of white men of all ages. Many of them would be from the U.K., Germany. The Netherlands and other northern European countries. While not as many, there are also adventurous Americans and Australians.
They are still here in Pattaya. But with the recession, there are many less than before. There used to be a balance of “one week visit” tourists as well as many of these white guys who sold their lives back home and moved here. Today, from what I could see, it is now mostly mid-60 and 70 year old men who have move here. The tourists are pretty much gone. However, it is summer. And while the temperatures are enjoyably in the 70s and 80s – the towns will also pick up in November to February when cold Europeans come here to escape the arctic colds.
SAD OR HAPPY
Night after night, when I see these chaps sitting in chairs, surrounded by the attention of 2 – 4 or 6 women, I am not sure what to think. At first, I am embarrassed for them. I feel sad that they have to come from so far away to have attention and affection.
But if you look into their faces, they don’t look sad. Or pathetic. In the rest of the world, divorced or lonely men sit at home, feeling sad about their lives – and realizing that they have little chance for companionship for the rest of their lives. There are also men out there who were never quite put in the category of “people people.” You know the type. They are called curmudgeons. Or grumpy. Perhaps shy. Or lust lost. Strong women in their countries didn’t know how to find them or in many cases would just not tolerate them. And so, many either were put out to pastures. Or found themselves waking up at 60 years old having not married. Or simply alone because of a spouse that prematurely left the earth.
Thailand gives them a new hope. They can come here – and get lavish attention and companionship. They will be teased by the girls. They can sit down at a bar, and for the price of a drink for themselves ($1.50 beer) and the cost of a drink for the girl ($4), they can have a conversation. They can be teased. Flirted with. Even tickled.
For aged grumpy old men around the globe, where else would they be able to get such attention.
And yes – for additional fees, they can get more companionship for the night. But many don’t. Many just enjoy having a place to go where people may even know their name, their favorite beer and what makes them happy.
MY CHRISTIAN and WESTERN moral up bringing encourages me to judge this behavior.
“It is wrong.”
“Well – why?”
“Because it just is. The Bible says so.”
“But the bible also talks about the oldest profession…”
SO, what makes something wrong. If two people consent to something, it makes it hard for me to believe that a book has the right to judge something to be wrong when it harms no one.
So – let’s talk about the CONSENT.
Thailand is a very poor country. It is improving, but like many central southeast Asian countries, there are still many people living in the country in dirt floor buildings and in villages with unpaved roads. They have no prospect to make a living in these small villages. And so, families either send off siblings to make money for the family. Or individuals, seeing glimpses of the good life on rabbit ear television sets go off themselves, aspiring to be more than the last generation.
They often have no skills, and start at the bottom of the service chain. Many quickly learn that they can work for ten cents an hour in a restaurant, or by pushing a food cart around the city streets for just a little more. Others realize that they can make 5 times that much by working in a clean air conditioned massage house. Hundreds of these massage houses exist here in Thailand. I go for a foot massage or Thai massage every other day. They are clean and legitimate businesses. They earn half their money from the shop that pays them. And at least another half from the tips they receive from their clients. I usually give anywhere from $1.50 to $3 per massage. If they do 5 massages a day – that again can be five or ten times more than if they worked in a McDonalds, pushed a food cart or worked as a waitress.
And so – you can see why many folks from the country side flock to these towns for work. And when you have massages for $10 per hour, you can see why many tourists flock to Thailand. Or at least, once the sun, weather, beaches, food and kind people attract you here – why tourists also spend their $10 on a foot massage.
The next progression gets more complicated.
Moving from foot massage therapist or body massage therapist to “beer girl” or “companion” or “escort” often become motivated beyond money. True, they can again earn 5 times more than being a foot massager. One tip from one person for one night is more than they can make in one month or even two back in their villages. And for many, much of this money goes back home to villages to help support the rest of the family, siblings or even families of their own.
But for many of these top level service girls, one of their ultimate dreams is a husband. All over, you see many white guys with a dedicated girl in their arms. Maybe they are dedicated for the day – month or forever. But they are taken, taken care of, and the envy of all their colleagues.
You can see it when a white guy walks up to a bar with a local girl in his arm. They look for how attached she is (ring?) but always give her an envious look at Wai (Thai version of a greeting). To many – they live in a dream of hoping to be meet and be scooped up by a man who will take them away to a new life and new world. They all know a friend who was lucky and they all talk about it amongst themselves as a dream.
A MOMENT OF EXPLANATION
Knowing that my mother, family members or even strangers might be reading this – I probably need to explain a few things. First of all – I have never known one of these ladies intimately to know this information. Over the last days, I did not spend my nights sitting at beer bar after beer bar looking to get tickled or talked to. Participating in this sort of extraverted culture is not my thing. However, my first awareness of this culture came when I saw “Miss Saigon” for the first time. And over the years since I have been visiting Thailand, I have read books that either describe the cultures of Thailand or fictional novels set in Thailand that give you insights into the culture.
But even if I don’t visit the beer bars, I have not choice but to run into the these hopeful girls.
Two nights ago, after my food massage, I went to a beer garden. I had hoped that a beer garden was more of a place for beer, and a less of a local girl bar. Mostly it was. The waitress tried to leave me alone while I kept my head down and read my book. But eventually, she could not help herself.
“Where is your girl?” she asked.
“I am alone,” I told her.
“What?” she asked suspiciously. “Why you are so good looking and no have girl?”
I didn’t know the words in Thai for introverted, “alone time” or retreat. And I was certain such terms were seldom used by other white men in this town. And so I simply smiled.
But the outdoor bar perched out on a peer was relatively empty as the rest of the white guys were in the real beer bars. And she either just wanted to talk or saw me as an opportunity.
She said her name was “Meo.” I looked down at her name tag and the word “M-E-O-W” was spelled out.
“Is that really your name? Meow?” I asked.
She said her name was Meo – but Farang could not say it right so this was better. Plus she liked the idea of being called a kitty.
I was not really desiring a conversation, but most men in Pattaya are. And one would assume that waitresses at bars like this also enjoying talking. True to profile, Meo comes from a small village in the north near Chang Mai. She was single, and working to raise money for her family. I was hesitant to ask her more questions as questions about her goals and life are often interpreted as having an interest in helping to make them come true.
Meo’s birthday was to follow in two days. She asked me to come back and wish her a happy birthday. But instead, I found a new bar to go to last night.
WALKING AROUND
I spent the last nights walking around the “walking street” of Pattaya. By nine o’clock in the evening, the streets are filled with roving men, many drunk on cheap beer and becoming aggressive. I can only take those walk arounds for 15 minutes before I become overwhelmed, embarrassed and slight disgusted.
But I do it in hopes of trying to understand what is going on in the culture here – and why the majority of men are here doing what they do.
A NEW FACE TO PATTAYA
While I have not been to Pattaya in over 20 years, there are similarities to Phuket and Koh Samui – other islands and coastal towns I have visited often in Thailand. These other cities have a much better balance of general tourists vs “Farang Tourists.” But they have their beer bars none-the-less.
What has surprised me the most so far in this whole visit are the new faces in town. As I walked around the streets, and listened to voices in chairs near me at the beach, it was rare to find English being spoken. And if it was English – it was even more rare to hear the voice of an American.
The recession has hit hard here in Thailand. And given the fact that there has been civil unrest and government over throws lately, plus added to the fact that Bangkok for example, shut down all of their schools next week because of the H1N1 epedemic, tourists are not exactly flocking here from the West.
Hotels are 50-70% lower in rates. And even with such savings, occupancy rates at nice hotels may be 30% - and rates in 2-star and 3-star hotels are nearly non-existant.
With such low prices, Thailand has been looking to market itself to cultures which are used to a little more uncertainty in their culture – and may be willing to settle for a little more instability.
The streets are now flooded with Russians and families from the Middle East. Every where I turned last night, either loud and brash Russians were talking and flaunting. Or full families of head covered Muslims from the middle east were visiting. For the first time, the new tourists can find responsibly priced trips to this exotic land called Thailand.
But it also provides some interesting culture clashes.
For example, it must be amazingly chocking for these Middle Eastern families, complete with several wives, kids and parents all traveling together, to land in Bangkok, be driven to a beach two hours away, and find themselves deposited into a town that is sunny beach by day – but a den of inequity by night. None-the-less, they are here. And they also walk up and down the walking streets, in a clan, and see all of these women surrounding one or two white men in the bars. How do they explain it to the kids? How can the men be in a place with such women, while walking side by side with wives and mothers who have to completely cover their heads?
In parts of Pattaya, whole blocks are also starting to transform themselves into small Muslim enclaves for middle eastern visitors. You hear the music of the middle east. All of the shop signs are in middle eastern languages. And you even find “hosts” at these bars, but clad completely different, at least in clothes that publically are not so objectionable.
It is absolutely fascinating to see.
And then you have the Russians. Larger than life – pushy – demanding and culturally unaware. I saw example after example of how this culture creates demanding expectations based upon their own home cultures.
Thailand has to thrive. Without visitors from Europe, Australia or America – they have no jobs. But I cannot tell you how many time locals volunteered to tell me to please send more Americas to Thailand – that they did not like the Muslims or the Russians. They are frustrated by their leaders for the fighting because it has hurt the economy so badly. But business is business – and Russian or Muslim business is better than no business.
But it also makes for an interesting transition for Pattaya. They are having to ask themselves what additional business and services they can provide for these new types of businesses and families. And perhaps in the end, that is good.
THESE OBSERVATIONS that I have written about today are not new to me. Every visit I make to Thailand, I see the same things. But in the past, my visits have been long weekend breaks from Singapore – and I simply lived in the moment rather than recorded what I saw.
Part of my reason to write it down is also to try to reconcile – or perhaps just acknowledge that there are two sides of the equation. Thailand is a wonderful country, full of wonderful caring people. They don’t judge. They accept. They prey to Buddha and hope he keeps them safe. They wonder about Karma – and what they did to deserve today – and what they can do to deserve a better tomorrow.
They are a hopeful people.
Well, I have arrived after my 1.5 hour taxi ride from the coast to central Bangkok. Now comes the hectic world of the big city for three days. I am going from staying in a beach side villa for $60 to a modern hip hotel called “Dream.” They have booked me in a junior suite – that normally goes for over $300. Today – it will cost me only $75. There may not be many of us Americans here. And I will plan to use a lot of hand cleaner each day. But I am sure to enjoy and have more adventure.
There is more I could say about todays topic. There are more thoughts in my head. But rather than write it over and over - at least you have a few thoughts. I would love to hear personally any of your questions, confusions, opinions or thoughts. What do you think about what is happening here?
Have a good Friday.
For the last 5 nights, I have stayed in the southern coastal Thai town of Pattaya and Jomtien. I am ready for some city.
If someone asked me to describe Thailand in one word, it would be very difficult. Here in Thailand, many people eat a daily ration of Tom Tam soup. It is described as a sweet and sour soup. It is incredibly complex, full of savory ingredients like fish parts, chilis, mashed herbs and limes and fish sauce. But it also gets hit with sweetness like sugar and tamarind and broths.
The culture is like Tom Yum soup. When you take the fist bite, your mouth both rebels and celebrates. It knows it likes the taste, but it is so surprised – almost offended at first in what it tastes that it quivers. But bite after bite, the soup becomes addictive. Each bite holds a different surprise. Sometimes you know what you are tasting. Other times, it is best to just chew and savor.
That is often my experience with Thailand. If you are here for only a few days – you get the rush of new taste of the soup. But you don’t have enough time to really settle down to savor the full symphony of tastes.
If Thailand is Tom Yum soup – then Pattaya is a bowl of the steaming broth without a recipe. If you establish a city to cater to people who are lonely, bored, adventurous, budgeting, odd or who like to write blogs, then this is your city. It is a match between the poor people of Thailand and people who have enough money to share it with those Thai people.
I sometimes hesitate when I tell people I am going to Thailand as a single alone man. It is even more extreme if I tell people that I am a single alone man going to Pattaya.
This seashore town is a magnet for single alone men. Because there are many single Thai women ready for the perfect match. Or even single alone men if that is your game. Each evening, literally thousands of women come to work. Many of them spend time in “beer bars.” These large indoor-outdoor rooms along most every street of Pattaya have 20 seat bar island scattered throughout the room. One beer bar might have as many as 20 different rectangular bars. Each bar will have 20-30 seats – and half or more of those seats will be filled by beautiful Thai women. The chairs next to each woman wait for a Farang – also known was white ghosts or white men.
Several years ago, those bars would be packed with hundreds of white men of all ages. Many of them would be from the U.K., Germany. The Netherlands and other northern European countries. While not as many, there are also adventurous Americans and Australians.
They are still here in Pattaya. But with the recession, there are many less than before. There used to be a balance of “one week visit” tourists as well as many of these white guys who sold their lives back home and moved here. Today, from what I could see, it is now mostly mid-60 and 70 year old men who have move here. The tourists are pretty much gone. However, it is summer. And while the temperatures are enjoyably in the 70s and 80s – the towns will also pick up in November to February when cold Europeans come here to escape the arctic colds.
SAD OR HAPPY
Night after night, when I see these chaps sitting in chairs, surrounded by the attention of 2 – 4 or 6 women, I am not sure what to think. At first, I am embarrassed for them. I feel sad that they have to come from so far away to have attention and affection.
But if you look into their faces, they don’t look sad. Or pathetic. In the rest of the world, divorced or lonely men sit at home, feeling sad about their lives – and realizing that they have little chance for companionship for the rest of their lives. There are also men out there who were never quite put in the category of “people people.” You know the type. They are called curmudgeons. Or grumpy. Perhaps shy. Or lust lost. Strong women in their countries didn’t know how to find them or in many cases would just not tolerate them. And so, many either were put out to pastures. Or found themselves waking up at 60 years old having not married. Or simply alone because of a spouse that prematurely left the earth.
Thailand gives them a new hope. They can come here – and get lavish attention and companionship. They will be teased by the girls. They can sit down at a bar, and for the price of a drink for themselves ($1.50 beer) and the cost of a drink for the girl ($4), they can have a conversation. They can be teased. Flirted with. Even tickled.
For aged grumpy old men around the globe, where else would they be able to get such attention.
And yes – for additional fees, they can get more companionship for the night. But many don’t. Many just enjoy having a place to go where people may even know their name, their favorite beer and what makes them happy.
MY CHRISTIAN and WESTERN moral up bringing encourages me to judge this behavior.
“It is wrong.”
“Well – why?”
“Because it just is. The Bible says so.”
“But the bible also talks about the oldest profession…”
SO, what makes something wrong. If two people consent to something, it makes it hard for me to believe that a book has the right to judge something to be wrong when it harms no one.
So – let’s talk about the CONSENT.
Thailand is a very poor country. It is improving, but like many central southeast Asian countries, there are still many people living in the country in dirt floor buildings and in villages with unpaved roads. They have no prospect to make a living in these small villages. And so, families either send off siblings to make money for the family. Or individuals, seeing glimpses of the good life on rabbit ear television sets go off themselves, aspiring to be more than the last generation.
They often have no skills, and start at the bottom of the service chain. Many quickly learn that they can work for ten cents an hour in a restaurant, or by pushing a food cart around the city streets for just a little more. Others realize that they can make 5 times that much by working in a clean air conditioned massage house. Hundreds of these massage houses exist here in Thailand. I go for a foot massage or Thai massage every other day. They are clean and legitimate businesses. They earn half their money from the shop that pays them. And at least another half from the tips they receive from their clients. I usually give anywhere from $1.50 to $3 per massage. If they do 5 massages a day – that again can be five or ten times more than if they worked in a McDonalds, pushed a food cart or worked as a waitress.
And so – you can see why many folks from the country side flock to these towns for work. And when you have massages for $10 per hour, you can see why many tourists flock to Thailand. Or at least, once the sun, weather, beaches, food and kind people attract you here – why tourists also spend their $10 on a foot massage.
The next progression gets more complicated.
Moving from foot massage therapist or body massage therapist to “beer girl” or “companion” or “escort” often become motivated beyond money. True, they can again earn 5 times more than being a foot massager. One tip from one person for one night is more than they can make in one month or even two back in their villages. And for many, much of this money goes back home to villages to help support the rest of the family, siblings or even families of their own.
But for many of these top level service girls, one of their ultimate dreams is a husband. All over, you see many white guys with a dedicated girl in their arms. Maybe they are dedicated for the day – month or forever. But they are taken, taken care of, and the envy of all their colleagues.
You can see it when a white guy walks up to a bar with a local girl in his arm. They look for how attached she is (ring?) but always give her an envious look at Wai (Thai version of a greeting). To many – they live in a dream of hoping to be meet and be scooped up by a man who will take them away to a new life and new world. They all know a friend who was lucky and they all talk about it amongst themselves as a dream.
A MOMENT OF EXPLANATION
Knowing that my mother, family members or even strangers might be reading this – I probably need to explain a few things. First of all – I have never known one of these ladies intimately to know this information. Over the last days, I did not spend my nights sitting at beer bar after beer bar looking to get tickled or talked to. Participating in this sort of extraverted culture is not my thing. However, my first awareness of this culture came when I saw “Miss Saigon” for the first time. And over the years since I have been visiting Thailand, I have read books that either describe the cultures of Thailand or fictional novels set in Thailand that give you insights into the culture.
But even if I don’t visit the beer bars, I have not choice but to run into the these hopeful girls.
Two nights ago, after my food massage, I went to a beer garden. I had hoped that a beer garden was more of a place for beer, and a less of a local girl bar. Mostly it was. The waitress tried to leave me alone while I kept my head down and read my book. But eventually, she could not help herself.
“Where is your girl?” she asked.
“I am alone,” I told her.
“What?” she asked suspiciously. “Why you are so good looking and no have girl?”
I didn’t know the words in Thai for introverted, “alone time” or retreat. And I was certain such terms were seldom used by other white men in this town. And so I simply smiled.
But the outdoor bar perched out on a peer was relatively empty as the rest of the white guys were in the real beer bars. And she either just wanted to talk or saw me as an opportunity.
She said her name was “Meo.” I looked down at her name tag and the word “M-E-O-W” was spelled out.
“Is that really your name? Meow?” I asked.
She said her name was Meo – but Farang could not say it right so this was better. Plus she liked the idea of being called a kitty.
I was not really desiring a conversation, but most men in Pattaya are. And one would assume that waitresses at bars like this also enjoying talking. True to profile, Meo comes from a small village in the north near Chang Mai. She was single, and working to raise money for her family. I was hesitant to ask her more questions as questions about her goals and life are often interpreted as having an interest in helping to make them come true.
Meo’s birthday was to follow in two days. She asked me to come back and wish her a happy birthday. But instead, I found a new bar to go to last night.
WALKING AROUND
I spent the last nights walking around the “walking street” of Pattaya. By nine o’clock in the evening, the streets are filled with roving men, many drunk on cheap beer and becoming aggressive. I can only take those walk arounds for 15 minutes before I become overwhelmed, embarrassed and slight disgusted.
But I do it in hopes of trying to understand what is going on in the culture here – and why the majority of men are here doing what they do.
A NEW FACE TO PATTAYA
While I have not been to Pattaya in over 20 years, there are similarities to Phuket and Koh Samui – other islands and coastal towns I have visited often in Thailand. These other cities have a much better balance of general tourists vs “Farang Tourists.” But they have their beer bars none-the-less.
What has surprised me the most so far in this whole visit are the new faces in town. As I walked around the streets, and listened to voices in chairs near me at the beach, it was rare to find English being spoken. And if it was English – it was even more rare to hear the voice of an American.
The recession has hit hard here in Thailand. And given the fact that there has been civil unrest and government over throws lately, plus added to the fact that Bangkok for example, shut down all of their schools next week because of the H1N1 epedemic, tourists are not exactly flocking here from the West.
Hotels are 50-70% lower in rates. And even with such savings, occupancy rates at nice hotels may be 30% - and rates in 2-star and 3-star hotels are nearly non-existant.
With such low prices, Thailand has been looking to market itself to cultures which are used to a little more uncertainty in their culture – and may be willing to settle for a little more instability.
The streets are now flooded with Russians and families from the Middle East. Every where I turned last night, either loud and brash Russians were talking and flaunting. Or full families of head covered Muslims from the middle east were visiting. For the first time, the new tourists can find responsibly priced trips to this exotic land called Thailand.
But it also provides some interesting culture clashes.
For example, it must be amazingly chocking for these Middle Eastern families, complete with several wives, kids and parents all traveling together, to land in Bangkok, be driven to a beach two hours away, and find themselves deposited into a town that is sunny beach by day – but a den of inequity by night. None-the-less, they are here. And they also walk up and down the walking streets, in a clan, and see all of these women surrounding one or two white men in the bars. How do they explain it to the kids? How can the men be in a place with such women, while walking side by side with wives and mothers who have to completely cover their heads?
In parts of Pattaya, whole blocks are also starting to transform themselves into small Muslim enclaves for middle eastern visitors. You hear the music of the middle east. All of the shop signs are in middle eastern languages. And you even find “hosts” at these bars, but clad completely different, at least in clothes that publically are not so objectionable.
It is absolutely fascinating to see.
And then you have the Russians. Larger than life – pushy – demanding and culturally unaware. I saw example after example of how this culture creates demanding expectations based upon their own home cultures.
Thailand has to thrive. Without visitors from Europe, Australia or America – they have no jobs. But I cannot tell you how many time locals volunteered to tell me to please send more Americas to Thailand – that they did not like the Muslims or the Russians. They are frustrated by their leaders for the fighting because it has hurt the economy so badly. But business is business – and Russian or Muslim business is better than no business.
But it also makes for an interesting transition for Pattaya. They are having to ask themselves what additional business and services they can provide for these new types of businesses and families. And perhaps in the end, that is good.
THESE OBSERVATIONS that I have written about today are not new to me. Every visit I make to Thailand, I see the same things. But in the past, my visits have been long weekend breaks from Singapore – and I simply lived in the moment rather than recorded what I saw.
Part of my reason to write it down is also to try to reconcile – or perhaps just acknowledge that there are two sides of the equation. Thailand is a wonderful country, full of wonderful caring people. They don’t judge. They accept. They prey to Buddha and hope he keeps them safe. They wonder about Karma – and what they did to deserve today – and what they can do to deserve a better tomorrow.
They are a hopeful people.
Well, I have arrived after my 1.5 hour taxi ride from the coast to central Bangkok. Now comes the hectic world of the big city for three days. I am going from staying in a beach side villa for $60 to a modern hip hotel called “Dream.” They have booked me in a junior suite – that normally goes for over $300. Today – it will cost me only $75. There may not be many of us Americans here. And I will plan to use a lot of hand cleaner each day. But I am sure to enjoy and have more adventure.
There is more I could say about todays topic. There are more thoughts in my head. But rather than write it over and over - at least you have a few thoughts. I would love to hear personally any of your questions, confusions, opinions or thoughts. What do you think about what is happening here?
Have a good Friday.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
BREAKFAST: CROISSANTS OR SPICY THAI SOUP?
Imagine a beach. Completely deserted. The strong sound of waves are nearly equaled by the sound of frogs. It is an odd to hear frongs so close to a beach. But the frogs are happy happy happy. We just had a large thunderstorm. And all of the surroundings have been drenched. Puddles are everywhere. Little ponds are now big ponds. They are either shouting out sounds of excitement. Or maybe even sounds of passion. Do frogs like to mate just after large thunderstorms?
Maybe they are all freaking out at the sudden burst of water all around them. What I hear as exuberating calls may be sounds of distress.
I am on the south beaches of Thailand. Really. On the beach. Today, after a couple of days in middle of things of the town of Pattaya, I decided to change my scenery. I went online, and booked a room at one of the highest rated places on the beaches of Pattaya. At noon, I checked out of the big multi-story hotel in the center of things, and headed south. I asked about a taxi. The best I could get was a “bhat taxi.” This is the prime transportation down here in south Thailand. Hundreds of pick up trucks have been decked out with a canvas roof and two benches. They patrol the streets, and honk at you as you go by. A nod or a small wave gets them to pull over and roll down their window. With your finger, you flash one finger, two fingers or three. One finger means that you are really just going down the street – and that will cost you about 10 bhat (35 cents). If you flash two fingers – you are going somewhere between downtown and one of the beaches 20 minutes away. You might also try it during the middle of the afternoon, when desperate for customers, they trucks will agree to a 20 bhat fare (seventy cents) to go 20 minutes to the better beaches. In peak time, three fingers is the long haul distance.
I had to pay more. I had commodored the entire pick up for my journey. Normally – the driver had the right to stop along the way – and others could jump on to the back of the pick up with you. Small door bell like buttons adorned to the top of the canvas topping allows you to literally ring your stopping point along the route. But this time, I and my luggage went alone. That cost me a whopping 150 bhat (after I negotiated down along side the bellman, who probably was also getting a little on the side from his cousin). My $4 pick up taxi took me about twenty minutes south of the main town of Pattaya to a place known for wider and quieter beaches. After two days of the town life, I really needed time to chill out.
I have a Thai house here. Well – I have the lower level. It is mid week – and no one is living upstairs. There are 47 little cabin like places here. I had to negotiate the price. We finally settled on $67. The front desk clerk told me that was the best mid week price he could give me. He agreed actually to give it to me for $61 – but I would not get breakfast. I asked him what breakfast would be, and he told me, “Whatever I want.” Normally, in peak times, there would be a buffet. But in today’s economic situation – and in “low season” (as most Europeans come here in August – March), and because of H1N1, there are not many guests here. And so – they give you a menu of all of the items they have for breakfast – and for the extra $6 to my bill – they said I could order as many items as many times as I want. I just have to be here no later than 10:15 in the morning to get my unlimited fill of cholesterol.
The waves continue to roll in. The sound rushing in and out. But now – the frogs have stopped. I turned to my waiter here in this beach side café. I tried to ask him about why the sounds of the frogs have stopped. But he didn’t quite understand me – even though I tried to make the sound of a frog. I need to work on my impersonations.
Something is swirling around my legs. It isn’t frogs. It is dusk – and it is time for the animal that lives near the frogs that live in the grassy bushes near the ocean. I don’t like them. But they love me. “Fresh western blood,” they cry out. “This farung taste so exotic,” the mosquitoes must say to each other. I signal the waiter to bring me one of the floor smokers. Small ashtray like devices are loaded with a kind of incense that are lit and then placed on the ground. It is now just at the base of my feet. Smoke swirls around me. It adds an interesting “oaky” flavor to the glass of Chilean Chardonnay I am having while sitting here. (Oh yeah. “farung” is a name here in Asia that basically means “white ghost.” It is the name affectionately given to us white visitors here in southeast asia.)
My service here is excellent. It is 7:12 pm – and I am still the only one at the open air bar and restaurant at my hotel. If I throw hard, I could toss a baseball into the ocean from where I sit. It is the nicest bar on the restaurant. And yet – I am the only one. No Americans. No Australians. Only Russians, middle easterners and a few odd Swiss or Swedes. This place deserves more. But for now, I feel lucky.
CROISSANTS OR SPICY THAI SOUP?
I didn’t know what to choose. My morning routine over the last couple of days has given me difficult choices. Despite me trying to convince you that things are more “simple” and less “western” here in Thailand, my stories may be deceiving. Each morning, when I wake at 9am or 10 am – which is wonderfully common here in the beach areas of southeast Thailand (shops don’t even open until 11am!), I have been able to walk outside my hotel and make a big decision. Do I go left to the Starbucks a half block away? Or do I go right – to the large beach front shopping mall featuring at least 200 stores, and go to that Starbucks?
Over the last several mornings, I have been going right. Because they have food. This large shopping central, simply known as “Central” was completed in the last years. It is an amazing oasis in a city of little tiny stalls of life. It is as much shocking and overwhelming as it is a refuge to visitors who want to have an organized way of purchasing. The mall has a food court. You can buy everything – from Mister Donuts to Dairy Queen freezes to a huge range of stalls featuring local Thai food. And there is a large grocery market that features the best of the west from around the world – including rind wash cheeses, 4 kinds of smoked Norwegian salmon, and a French bakery. The bakery states they are authentic because their croissants are at least 40% butter. I have tasted them. I agree. I would have to drive 15 miles to get such wonderful croissants from my home in California. Not so here in southern Thailand. And so each morning, I have walked to “Central” – with the intention of buying the croissants to go with my Starbucks coffee. And then I walk by the Thai food stalls. And I see the locals getting their large bowls of steaming noodles soups for breakfast (which is around 11:00 here!). And I can’t resist! I have to have some of that.
But first I have to charge up my “food cash card.” They really don’t want the food stalls handling money – and so, similar to China, they ask you to buy a food card. You go and get a bar coded card and “charge up” a few dollars and then go to the food stalls.
I looked at the locals in line, and ordered “what they were eating.” In English, it was described as a “spicy Tom Yum soup with pork pieces.” I love Asian soups. And each one is unique in flavor and taste. While Vietnamese soup is singular in approach with a broth of star anise and rice noodles, Thai soup is best described as a symphony.
All around the street of Thailand, “soup men” tool around on bicycles and push carts to sell their salad or soup. The soup people have a boiling broth of liquid in their soup to which they add ingredients depending upon the kind of soup you have ordered.
I call it a symphony of soup. In my morning breakfast today, there were no less than 15 ingredients. The broth really becomes an overnight stew of bones from probably pigs and chickens. But it also takes on the various flavors of the items tossed in at the last minute as the soup is made for you.
The soup man first takes a netted strainer, and tosses in a mixture of greens and fresh pork pieces. He tosses it up and down in the boiling liquid and then tosses it into to your bowl. Next, he takes a handful of rice noodles, and again, with his strainer, submerses them into the caldron of liquid. It only takes a minute and your noodles are tossed into your “build a soup” bowl. Then the symphony begins. In the push carts or the bicycles, they may have only 5-10 ingredient bowls. But today, there must have been at least 20-30 bowls of ingredients. Depending upon the soup you choose, the soup man dips a spoon into each bowl, and in a flurry, continues to build your soup bowl. My bowl was tossed with chutes of a vegetable, crumbled pork, pork balls, sliced pork and fried pork. I had chilies, onions, sugar, peanuts and dried shrimp added. The bowl was piling up. The final step was to add a large ladle of the original broth from the soup bin by which all soups originated.
It was a symphony.
Maybe they are all freaking out at the sudden burst of water all around them. What I hear as exuberating calls may be sounds of distress.
I am on the south beaches of Thailand. Really. On the beach. Today, after a couple of days in middle of things of the town of Pattaya, I decided to change my scenery. I went online, and booked a room at one of the highest rated places on the beaches of Pattaya. At noon, I checked out of the big multi-story hotel in the center of things, and headed south. I asked about a taxi. The best I could get was a “bhat taxi.” This is the prime transportation down here in south Thailand. Hundreds of pick up trucks have been decked out with a canvas roof and two benches. They patrol the streets, and honk at you as you go by. A nod or a small wave gets them to pull over and roll down their window. With your finger, you flash one finger, two fingers or three. One finger means that you are really just going down the street – and that will cost you about 10 bhat (35 cents). If you flash two fingers – you are going somewhere between downtown and one of the beaches 20 minutes away. You might also try it during the middle of the afternoon, when desperate for customers, they trucks will agree to a 20 bhat fare (seventy cents) to go 20 minutes to the better beaches. In peak time, three fingers is the long haul distance.
I had to pay more. I had commodored the entire pick up for my journey. Normally – the driver had the right to stop along the way – and others could jump on to the back of the pick up with you. Small door bell like buttons adorned to the top of the canvas topping allows you to literally ring your stopping point along the route. But this time, I and my luggage went alone. That cost me a whopping 150 bhat (after I negotiated down along side the bellman, who probably was also getting a little on the side from his cousin). My $4 pick up taxi took me about twenty minutes south of the main town of Pattaya to a place known for wider and quieter beaches. After two days of the town life, I really needed time to chill out.
I have a Thai house here. Well – I have the lower level. It is mid week – and no one is living upstairs. There are 47 little cabin like places here. I had to negotiate the price. We finally settled on $67. The front desk clerk told me that was the best mid week price he could give me. He agreed actually to give it to me for $61 – but I would not get breakfast. I asked him what breakfast would be, and he told me, “Whatever I want.” Normally, in peak times, there would be a buffet. But in today’s economic situation – and in “low season” (as most Europeans come here in August – March), and because of H1N1, there are not many guests here. And so – they give you a menu of all of the items they have for breakfast – and for the extra $6 to my bill – they said I could order as many items as many times as I want. I just have to be here no later than 10:15 in the morning to get my unlimited fill of cholesterol.
The waves continue to roll in. The sound rushing in and out. But now – the frogs have stopped. I turned to my waiter here in this beach side café. I tried to ask him about why the sounds of the frogs have stopped. But he didn’t quite understand me – even though I tried to make the sound of a frog. I need to work on my impersonations.
Something is swirling around my legs. It isn’t frogs. It is dusk – and it is time for the animal that lives near the frogs that live in the grassy bushes near the ocean. I don’t like them. But they love me. “Fresh western blood,” they cry out. “This farung taste so exotic,” the mosquitoes must say to each other. I signal the waiter to bring me one of the floor smokers. Small ashtray like devices are loaded with a kind of incense that are lit and then placed on the ground. It is now just at the base of my feet. Smoke swirls around me. It adds an interesting “oaky” flavor to the glass of Chilean Chardonnay I am having while sitting here. (Oh yeah. “farung” is a name here in Asia that basically means “white ghost.” It is the name affectionately given to us white visitors here in southeast asia.)
My service here is excellent. It is 7:12 pm – and I am still the only one at the open air bar and restaurant at my hotel. If I throw hard, I could toss a baseball into the ocean from where I sit. It is the nicest bar on the restaurant. And yet – I am the only one. No Americans. No Australians. Only Russians, middle easterners and a few odd Swiss or Swedes. This place deserves more. But for now, I feel lucky.
CROISSANTS OR SPICY THAI SOUP?
I didn’t know what to choose. My morning routine over the last couple of days has given me difficult choices. Despite me trying to convince you that things are more “simple” and less “western” here in Thailand, my stories may be deceiving. Each morning, when I wake at 9am or 10 am – which is wonderfully common here in the beach areas of southeast Thailand (shops don’t even open until 11am!), I have been able to walk outside my hotel and make a big decision. Do I go left to the Starbucks a half block away? Or do I go right – to the large beach front shopping mall featuring at least 200 stores, and go to that Starbucks?
Over the last several mornings, I have been going right. Because they have food. This large shopping central, simply known as “Central” was completed in the last years. It is an amazing oasis in a city of little tiny stalls of life. It is as much shocking and overwhelming as it is a refuge to visitors who want to have an organized way of purchasing. The mall has a food court. You can buy everything – from Mister Donuts to Dairy Queen freezes to a huge range of stalls featuring local Thai food. And there is a large grocery market that features the best of the west from around the world – including rind wash cheeses, 4 kinds of smoked Norwegian salmon, and a French bakery. The bakery states they are authentic because their croissants are at least 40% butter. I have tasted them. I agree. I would have to drive 15 miles to get such wonderful croissants from my home in California. Not so here in southern Thailand. And so each morning, I have walked to “Central” – with the intention of buying the croissants to go with my Starbucks coffee. And then I walk by the Thai food stalls. And I see the locals getting their large bowls of steaming noodles soups for breakfast (which is around 11:00 here!). And I can’t resist! I have to have some of that.
But first I have to charge up my “food cash card.” They really don’t want the food stalls handling money – and so, similar to China, they ask you to buy a food card. You go and get a bar coded card and “charge up” a few dollars and then go to the food stalls.
I looked at the locals in line, and ordered “what they were eating.” In English, it was described as a “spicy Tom Yum soup with pork pieces.” I love Asian soups. And each one is unique in flavor and taste. While Vietnamese soup is singular in approach with a broth of star anise and rice noodles, Thai soup is best described as a symphony.
All around the street of Thailand, “soup men” tool around on bicycles and push carts to sell their salad or soup. The soup people have a boiling broth of liquid in their soup to which they add ingredients depending upon the kind of soup you have ordered.
I call it a symphony of soup. In my morning breakfast today, there were no less than 15 ingredients. The broth really becomes an overnight stew of bones from probably pigs and chickens. But it also takes on the various flavors of the items tossed in at the last minute as the soup is made for you.
The soup man first takes a netted strainer, and tosses in a mixture of greens and fresh pork pieces. He tosses it up and down in the boiling liquid and then tosses it into to your bowl. Next, he takes a handful of rice noodles, and again, with his strainer, submerses them into the caldron of liquid. It only takes a minute and your noodles are tossed into your “build a soup” bowl. Then the symphony begins. In the push carts or the bicycles, they may have only 5-10 ingredient bowls. But today, there must have been at least 20-30 bowls of ingredients. Depending upon the soup you choose, the soup man dips a spoon into each bowl, and in a flurry, continues to build your soup bowl. My bowl was tossed with chutes of a vegetable, crumbled pork, pork balls, sliced pork and fried pork. I had chilies, onions, sugar, peanuts and dried shrimp added. The bowl was piling up. The final step was to add a large ladle of the original broth from the soup bin by which all soups originated.
It was a symphony.
Compared to the two butter croissants recently purchased and now in my backpack, how could I resist?The croissants are still in my backpack. The have deflated to the 60% non butter stage by now – struck by the outdoor humidity. Maybe I will try to toast them for a late night snack.
So – this is all the light side of my life over the last several days.
But I have been noticing much. Seeing much. And have more thoughts on my mind.
One of my friends wrote to me yesterday and said, “Remind me to tell you one night a piece of advice the head of security at Lockheed Martin gave me about people who travel to Thailand ...”
I am certain to know what she will tell me. This place is not for the faint hearted. It is both a place I love and a place that shocks me. It is a place the more people will not like instead of love. It is a place for adventurers. And it is also a place for people who don’t fit in. It is on the edge of the world.
In my blog tomorrow, I will tell you more about my observations, perspectives and feelings. If you have gotten this far, and you actually want to read my more serious blog entry – come check it out in 24-48 hours on my blog at http://www.fridayinthecity.blogspot.com/
Now, I need to go back to my villa, clean up, and determine what sort of new experience I can create for myself tonight. Or not.
Here is a picture of me typing this journal entry – taken by one of the four waiters I have all to myself tonight! The beachside bar here has wireless internet and provide a perfect place with atmosphere to write! Cheers!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
FRIDAY IN TH CITY: THAILAND
I am speeding down the highway in Southern Thailand. Just as soon as we start the trip, the clouds give up their afternoon laze and pour water out to clean the streets of Bangkok.
My private driver speaks little English. We were both hesitant in meeting just a few minutes ago. He didn’t know if I would show up. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I spent a few minute yesterday looking for sedans that could drive me the 2 hours to the beaches of Southern Thailand. I shopped around. In the end, I found a dive shop in the town where I am going that also offered to help set up airport pickups. I filled out an internet form. Submitted it. And two hours later, received an email that “Gow” would pick me up at their airport. For $45, he would drive me down to Pattaya along the new toll road highway. Tolls would be included.
They didn’t ask for a deposit. They assumed I would be there. And I assumed they would be there. And now I am off on this two hour drive.
I am in the middle of my three week visit to Singapore and Thailand. I gave myself a little extra time in the middle of the trip just in case I needed to visit a client up in Shanghai. We postponed that trip until September, and so I had an extra week to spare. What to do? Go to Thailand of course.
Over the last 9 years, since my move to Asia, I have come to Thailand at least 20 times. It is a place that, for me, has the perfect blend of what I like in an exotic vacation. There are beautiful beaches. The food is simple, flavorful and interesting. The people are always kind and warm regardless of who you are. It is modern enough that I have some of the basics. Yet it is also exotic enough that I can feel like I am in a place far away from the USA. Every now and then, that is nice.
Since I only had a week, I was torn between a trip to the vibrant and exciting big city of Bangkok – full of restaurants and food stalls and amazing people watching. But I also wanted beach time. I decided on a compromise by going for 4 days to the southern beach town of Pattaya. And sometime in the middle of the week, when I have had enough sun, I will grab a car and head back up to the city. Since tourism has really been hurt by the financial crisis, by the H1N1 scare and by upheavals here in Thailand, they are pretty desperate to have guests at hotels – and for great prices. For a nice 4-star hotel, I won’t need to pay over $65 a night. And less if I wanted the basics.
I have not been to Pattaya in the last 9 years. As an expat, it is usually advised to avoid Pattaya . The place is pretty commercial and has been rather dicey in the past. But they have been cleaning up their beaches and modernizing. And a beach is a beach.
The highway we are on is modern. Build in the last five years, the 8 lane road now connects the brand new airport to the south coast. There is a chain link fence on both sides, mostly to stop people from the local villages nearby from trying to run across the highway to the other side. It is easy to see that the highway split farms and towns nearly in half on both sides. Along both sides, rice fields lay connected in ponds of water and small dikes. Banana and coconut trees dot the small banks and dikes of the rice fields.
The gas gauge on the Honda sedan shows “E.” Below “E.” It is a new car, but I very much hope that he either knows is auto well or that it is broken. Every few kilometers, two white dots the side of a hula hoop show up on the highway. To the side, a side proclaims, “Keep two dots apart.” It seems to be that one dot is more the standard.
The highway here in Thailand does not give distance. Instead, it points out various cities that are ahead. One sign just pointed out a tiger zoo ahead. One sign pointed out a place called “deer park.” It is hard to say if it is a housing development or a park full of deer. I am not thinking that it is too good of an idea to have a tiger park near either. I guess we will get there when we get there.
It is amazing to see how much technology has helped Thailand catch up with the rest of the world. As an example, when I arrived to the airport, at least ten phone companies lined up to tell me I needed a cheap pre-paid sim card. It appears that talking is a big and competitive business here. I handed over my unlocked phone (acquired from my old Singapore days). They fitted it with a new sim card. It required only $3 to activate the card. And I now have a Thai phone number – allowing me to call globally for fifteen cents a minute and it give me free incoming calls from anywhere in the world. It is a pretty good deal. And it is easy to see why no one owns a home phone here. The technology and cost simply jumped over land lines in the last years. Now, if only they can get the wireless communication figured out.
My last five days spent in Singapore have been wonderful. I am being hosted by my friend Narelle. Narelle is on her last days of being an expat in Singapore before returning to Melbourne, and so I wanted to visit her in the last days, since way back when, I was partly for responsible for talking her in to coming to Asia. It also means that in the future, I will just have to make trips to Australia to visit her.
I have been walking around my old neighborhoods from my years of living in Singapore. Somethings are the same, but not many. Singapore continues to constantly reinvent itself – with new buildings and resorts and shopping plazas. And friends also have continued on with their lives. Peter and Tiffany, two additional close friends now have kids. As do others. The rhythm of life moves along, whether I want them to stay the same or not. I started with a check off list of all my favorite Singapore foods. Each lunch and dinner, I tick another off. This morning, I went to my favorite hawker center to have morning congee. I usually have only eaten congee at two times in the day – either as a late breakfast, such as today. Or as a 2am snack after being out with friends – also in the morning. So either way, it counts as morning gongee.
Congee is a rice porridge. It is cooked with some marinated pork strips and served very hot with a raw egg cracked over the top. As you stir the congee, the eggs warms – not exactly cooking it, but at least making the white a little more palatable. The bowl is then topped with diced onions, carmelized onions, pepper and a salty vinegar. It is one of my top five favorite things to eat here in Asia. Comfort food to the max.
Sometimes, when I tell friends that I am going to Thailand, they ask, “Who with?” I tell them “alone” and they look at me like I am crazy. Of course, my closest of friends know that this is pretty typical for me. But it is still puzzling. But after spending lots of time with people lately, I am do for some solitude time. I will have no schedule. The only expectation will come from the small voices in my head. And while I love hanging out with friends, for me, I also have to have it balanced with this spells of quiet contemplative time. I will sleep in. Lie on beaches in the day. Sip afternoon beers while watching the sunset. I will explore new restaurants. I will read. I will walk around the towns and people watch. And if I get tired of the hustle, I will come home, and watch taped television shows on my computer. I am equipped with a bag of ground Starbucks coffee from the Singapore airport. I bought a $10 hot water boiler at the market a few days ago. I am all set!
I will take a few videos and pics over the next couple of days to share with you.
Until then, I wish you a great week!
Rick
My private driver speaks little English. We were both hesitant in meeting just a few minutes ago. He didn’t know if I would show up. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I spent a few minute yesterday looking for sedans that could drive me the 2 hours to the beaches of Southern Thailand. I shopped around. In the end, I found a dive shop in the town where I am going that also offered to help set up airport pickups. I filled out an internet form. Submitted it. And two hours later, received an email that “Gow” would pick me up at their airport. For $45, he would drive me down to Pattaya along the new toll road highway. Tolls would be included.
They didn’t ask for a deposit. They assumed I would be there. And I assumed they would be there. And now I am off on this two hour drive.
I am in the middle of my three week visit to Singapore and Thailand. I gave myself a little extra time in the middle of the trip just in case I needed to visit a client up in Shanghai. We postponed that trip until September, and so I had an extra week to spare. What to do? Go to Thailand of course.
Over the last 9 years, since my move to Asia, I have come to Thailand at least 20 times. It is a place that, for me, has the perfect blend of what I like in an exotic vacation. There are beautiful beaches. The food is simple, flavorful and interesting. The people are always kind and warm regardless of who you are. It is modern enough that I have some of the basics. Yet it is also exotic enough that I can feel like I am in a place far away from the USA. Every now and then, that is nice.
Since I only had a week, I was torn between a trip to the vibrant and exciting big city of Bangkok – full of restaurants and food stalls and amazing people watching. But I also wanted beach time. I decided on a compromise by going for 4 days to the southern beach town of Pattaya. And sometime in the middle of the week, when I have had enough sun, I will grab a car and head back up to the city. Since tourism has really been hurt by the financial crisis, by the H1N1 scare and by upheavals here in Thailand, they are pretty desperate to have guests at hotels – and for great prices. For a nice 4-star hotel, I won’t need to pay over $65 a night. And less if I wanted the basics.
I have not been to Pattaya in the last 9 years. As an expat, it is usually advised to avoid Pattaya . The place is pretty commercial and has been rather dicey in the past. But they have been cleaning up their beaches and modernizing. And a beach is a beach.
The highway we are on is modern. Build in the last five years, the 8 lane road now connects the brand new airport to the south coast. There is a chain link fence on both sides, mostly to stop people from the local villages nearby from trying to run across the highway to the other side. It is easy to see that the highway split farms and towns nearly in half on both sides. Along both sides, rice fields lay connected in ponds of water and small dikes. Banana and coconut trees dot the small banks and dikes of the rice fields.
The gas gauge on the Honda sedan shows “E.” Below “E.” It is a new car, but I very much hope that he either knows is auto well or that it is broken. Every few kilometers, two white dots the side of a hula hoop show up on the highway. To the side, a side proclaims, “Keep two dots apart.” It seems to be that one dot is more the standard.
The highway here in Thailand does not give distance. Instead, it points out various cities that are ahead. One sign just pointed out a tiger zoo ahead. One sign pointed out a place called “deer park.” It is hard to say if it is a housing development or a park full of deer. I am not thinking that it is too good of an idea to have a tiger park near either. I guess we will get there when we get there.
It is amazing to see how much technology has helped Thailand catch up with the rest of the world. As an example, when I arrived to the airport, at least ten phone companies lined up to tell me I needed a cheap pre-paid sim card. It appears that talking is a big and competitive business here. I handed over my unlocked phone (acquired from my old Singapore days). They fitted it with a new sim card. It required only $3 to activate the card. And I now have a Thai phone number – allowing me to call globally for fifteen cents a minute and it give me free incoming calls from anywhere in the world. It is a pretty good deal. And it is easy to see why no one owns a home phone here. The technology and cost simply jumped over land lines in the last years. Now, if only they can get the wireless communication figured out.
My last five days spent in Singapore have been wonderful. I am being hosted by my friend Narelle. Narelle is on her last days of being an expat in Singapore before returning to Melbourne, and so I wanted to visit her in the last days, since way back when, I was partly for responsible for talking her in to coming to Asia. It also means that in the future, I will just have to make trips to Australia to visit her.
I have been walking around my old neighborhoods from my years of living in Singapore. Somethings are the same, but not many. Singapore continues to constantly reinvent itself – with new buildings and resorts and shopping plazas. And friends also have continued on with their lives. Peter and Tiffany, two additional close friends now have kids. As do others. The rhythm of life moves along, whether I want them to stay the same or not. I started with a check off list of all my favorite Singapore foods. Each lunch and dinner, I tick another off. This morning, I went to my favorite hawker center to have morning congee. I usually have only eaten congee at two times in the day – either as a late breakfast, such as today. Or as a 2am snack after being out with friends – also in the morning. So either way, it counts as morning gongee.
Congee is a rice porridge. It is cooked with some marinated pork strips and served very hot with a raw egg cracked over the top. As you stir the congee, the eggs warms – not exactly cooking it, but at least making the white a little more palatable. The bowl is then topped with diced onions, carmelized onions, pepper and a salty vinegar. It is one of my top five favorite things to eat here in Asia. Comfort food to the max.
Sometimes, when I tell friends that I am going to Thailand, they ask, “Who with?” I tell them “alone” and they look at me like I am crazy. Of course, my closest of friends know that this is pretty typical for me. But it is still puzzling. But after spending lots of time with people lately, I am do for some solitude time. I will have no schedule. The only expectation will come from the small voices in my head. And while I love hanging out with friends, for me, I also have to have it balanced with this spells of quiet contemplative time. I will sleep in. Lie on beaches in the day. Sip afternoon beers while watching the sunset. I will explore new restaurants. I will read. I will walk around the towns and people watch. And if I get tired of the hustle, I will come home, and watch taped television shows on my computer. I am equipped with a bag of ground Starbucks coffee from the Singapore airport. I bought a $10 hot water boiler at the market a few days ago. I am all set!
I will take a few videos and pics over the next couple of days to share with you.
Until then, I wish you a great week!
Rick
Monday, June 29, 2009
Kansas city BBQ
At home in Kansas enjoying good things!
Gates bbq
One of the best in kansas city !
-- Post From My iPhone
Gates bbq
One of the best in kansas city !
-- Post From My iPhone
Monday, June 22, 2009
FRIDAY IN THE CITY: Kansas
Friday in the city this week is coming from more of a town – my home town that is. I am taking my annual trip to Kansas to visit family and friends. I will be spending the next week driving up and down I-70 highway – that connects the Von Feldt Family in the towns of Kansas City, Lawrence and Topeka.
As a way to celebrate Father’s Day and have the chance to spend time with my six nieces and nephews, we decided to make dessert. I chose the activity of making rustic French fruit tarts as a great way for all of us to work together and at the same time, have some originality.
We all worked on the French butter dough. But then each kid had the chance to work on create fruit fillings for their series of tarts. Jake went out and picked fresh mulberries. Haley made fresh blueberry while her sister Megan chose traditional French apple with Mexican caramel sauce. Sophia made bananas. We ended up with a few great mixes as well, including banana chocolate, strawberry banana and apple caramel.
It was a great opportunity to make dessert. But for me, it gives me a real snapshot on social skills of each kid and the changes from the last time I saw them. It was a wonderful afternoon of cooking. We finally sat down to our great barbeque ribs meal which was followed by a family drooling over delicious tarts.
As a way to celebrate Father’s Day and have the chance to spend time with my six nieces and nephews, we decided to make dessert. I chose the activity of making rustic French fruit tarts as a great way for all of us to work together and at the same time, have some originality.
We all worked on the French butter dough. But then each kid had the chance to work on create fruit fillings for their series of tarts. Jake went out and picked fresh mulberries. Haley made fresh blueberry while her sister Megan chose traditional French apple with Mexican caramel sauce. Sophia made bananas. We ended up with a few great mixes as well, including banana chocolate, strawberry banana and apple caramel.
It was a great opportunity to make dessert. But for me, it gives me a real snapshot on social skills of each kid and the changes from the last time I saw them. It was a wonderful afternoon of cooking. We finally sat down to our great barbeque ribs meal which was followed by a family drooling over delicious tarts.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Shanghai Transrapid Train Ride
Shanghai Transrapid Train Ride
Originally uploaded by rickvonfeldt
In the meantime, I wanted to share with you a trip I have been wanting to take for over five years now – a trip on the world’s fastest train.
On Monday of this week, I traveled from Shanghai to Guangzhou in the south of China. The culmination of my project here in China is in this southern industrial city with 1,000 people for my client.
The Shanghai Pudong airport can take 45 – 90 minutes to get to – depending upon where you live in Shanghai. I have been living in Pudong, so my trip would be about 45 minutes. But why spend 45 minutes in a taxi on the highway, when you can get there in 7 minutes and 40 seconds?
I asked my colleague if we could take Shanghai’s maglev – a train that traveled magnetically “above” rails. Well – there aren’t rails. It floats on air. The train can reach up to 250 mph – although, they have slowed it down these days and my trip only reach 186 mph (300 km per hour).
I have always loved trains – and so the journey was exciting, easy to do – and another “first” in my set of life experiences.
I filmed the event, and tried to put together a video. Since uploads still only allow me 90 seconds, it is hard to put together a real picture of the ride in only 90 seconds, but I tried.
Mine's Faster Than Yours
Riding Shanghai's maglev, the world's fastest train.
By Henry Blodget
http://www.slate.com/id/2115114/
A taxi or the world's fastest train? For me, that's an easy choice.
In a drive to reclaim its historical place in the cosmos—biggest and best—China is notching one superlative after another (biggest dam, highest hotel, etc.). In an effort to climb the industrial food chain, meanwhile, it is also acquiring technology from anyone willing to share it. So, in 2001, with Germany's Transrapid International seeking a place to demonstrate its magnetic levitation train—and apparently willing to give the technology away in the process—China killed two birds with one stone. Shanghai's maglev began full operation in March, 2004, covering the 20 miles from Pudong to the outskirts of the city in a blistering 7 minutes and 20 seconds.
The train floated in. And "float" is the word. Thanks to its electromagnetic levitation system, the train hovers a half-inch above the track. It floats like a cigarette boat gliding into a slip, the surprisingly blunt nose emitting a marvelous, rumbling growl. With maglevs, the propulsion system resides in the guideway instead of the train, allowing for less weight and faster acceleration.
Inside the car, you expect to see seat belts and shoulder harnesses (for all the good they would do in a derailment or collision at one-third the speed of sound), but, instead, find only normal seats. The doors shut, and the train accelerates like a skyscraper elevator, silently, smoothly, and rapidly, and by the time the last car leaves the station you already seem to be going 50 miles per hour.
Four minutes of gravity-simulator-style acceleration later, in which the taxis on the parallel highway lose ground slowly, then quickly, then disappear as fast as if they were parked and you were whipping by at 220 miles per hour, you reach the peak speed of 270 miles per hour for the tiny 20-mile run.
Transrapid claims that the maglev is quiet and glassy smooth, but, on the contrary, when the speedometer at the end of the cabin reaches its apex, you are distinctly aware that you are speeding. The car jerks from side-to-side like a jet in turbulence, the air outside whistles in protest, and the growl beneath the floor becomes a full-bodied roar. Just after the speedometer tops out, there is a pop and blur as the maglev headed in the other direction blasts past at an aggregate speed of 534 miles per hour, approaching that of a 747 at 35,000 feet. Then, with about seven miles to go, it's time to hit the brakes, and a few miles later, when you've slowed to a mere 150 miles an hour, you feel as though you are strolling.
For gawkers and other one-time users, the maglev is the equivalent of an adult theme-park ride: cheap, thrilling, and fodder for cocktail parties. For those who just want to get to or from the airport, however, it leaves much to be desired.
First, there's the problem that the maglev doesn't really run from Pudong to Shanghai, but from Pudong to the end of one of Shanghai's subway lines, aka the burbs. So, to get to Shanghai proper, you have to schlep your bags again, either into the subway or into a taxi like the one you could have grabbed at the airport.
Then, there's cost. Thanks to China's polarized pricing system—one price for goods and services sold to foreigners and other rich folks, and another for everything else—the $6 one-way ticket is not a deal. When you throw in the added schlepping at both ends, the maglev loses in cost, convenience, and possibly even time.
Losing money at the speed of sound.
These are two of the reasons the train is running at less than half of capacity, and, probably, hemorrhaging money. The maglev cost $1.2 billion or more to build, which means the system chews through north of $60 million a year in capital costs alone. Assuming 12,000 passengers per day (my estimate), the maglev generates about $27 million of revenue per year, or less than half its capital costs, much less its total costs. It is not clear who is absorbing these losses, China or Transrapid, but, either way, someone's taking a bath.
If it's China, of course, the investment may prove worth it. There is much to be said for the branding impact of cool technology: I, for one, was eager to board the maglev the moment I heard about it, and the ride helped jolt me out of my preconception of China as a land of sock-and-toy factories. Also, China is now the proud parent of a "National Research and Development Center for Maglev Transportation Technology," which presumably builds on know-how that was once the property of Transrapid.
If it's Transrapid, the company now has a live demonstration model with which to try to sell real intercity systems. But one reason Transrapid handed China the keys to its technology kingdom, presumably, was to earn the pole position in the bidding for a planned Shanghai-Beijing maglev. But alas, China dropped that plan—the Beijing-Shanghai maglev would have cost almost $50 billion, three times as much as a traditional fast train—while keeping the snazzy technology. So, it's not clear how much Transrapid really got out of the deal.
The Pudong line may eventually turn out to be a decent deal for airport users. If Shanghai keeps expanding at its present rate, traffic will soon clog the airport highway and choke off the taxi option, and the maglev terminal will soon be in the heart of the city.
Thanks to Slate readers Bharad Ramesh and Heinz Klostermann for sharing their maglev thoughts. For numerous maglev pictures, click here.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
FRIDAY IN THE CITY: Taiakang Lu in SHANGHAI CHINA
Taiakang Lu
Originally uploaded by rickvonfeldt
It is the weekend here in Shanghai. With work mostly put to rest, I am taking time to enjoy the city. Shanghai continues to surprise and amaze. In all of the cities I have visited in my life, I have never witness the change of a city as fast – as bold – as exciting as Shanghai. You will see a great description of Shanghai below by a writer from National Geographic Traveler.
Part of my weekend jaunt took me today to a place called Taikang Lu. This is a fascinating place where the modernization of Shanghai was challenged by artists and nostalgia. In one of the thousands of neighborhoods of Shanghai, this few square blocks of lane house has transformed itself into a wonderful twisted place of shops and restaurants.
Imagine two streets – that – well – are not streets. They are lanes. Only large enough for the local bicycle pulling a block of ice or for walking people, the lanes served as entrances to hundreds of small two room apartments. Most of the kitchens were outside the front door where running water could wash away whatever items were cut up for that nights dinner.
Somehow, a group of artists started to convert these small one or two room apartments into artists shops, cafes and shops. What has emerged is a compact of twisting small alley’s of hundreds of shops, cafes and restaurants.
This afternoon, I spent hours walking through the tiny alley’s, stopping for coffee or having a bite of Vietnamese food or stopping to watch an old couple chop garlic chives and some vegetables for their evening dinner.
It is a marvelous place. But as the article below suggests – I see it today. And it might be gone tomorrow. Therefore, I just walked around and enjoyed the moments!
Take a look at a stream of videos I took of the place. This 90 second clips was compiled from 37 small video clips I shot today. The music comes from the recording of five minutes of the stringed instrument player you see in the last scene. I hope you enjoy!
VIDEO LINK: http://www.flickr.com/photos/29563531@N04/3579564186/
ABOUT SHANGHAI
This is no place for the weary. Shanghai—ever frenetic, always evolving, perpetually on the make—calls for energy and agility. Nothing here ever stands still. Buildings rise and fall as abruptly as the stock market. Yesterday’s quaint traditional neighborhood is today’s throbbing-neon skyscraper district. Don’t even try to find that odd little tea shop you discovered in a secluded alleyway last year. It’s gone, replaced by a stylish Internet café where you can get 34 types of noodles while you listen to chest-thumping Asian trance music. Tomorrow the café might be replaced by a tattoo parlor or a little boutique selling next-generation iPhone knockoffs. You either adapt or get left behind.
Attitudes change just as quickly as the skyline does. Shanghai’s entire recent history, in fact, has been a saga of ideological U-turns. Nowhere is this clearer than in People’s Square, the city’s central park. Back in the 1930s, when Shanghai was a licentious international enclave, this was the site of a racetrack, a center for gambling and other demimonde diversions. But once the prudish Communists took over, Shanghai morals made a quick about-face. The racetrack was replaced by a bleak, concrete parade ground, where Red Army troops could march, and where dissidents and intellectuals could be ridiculed for their decadent Western views. Nowadays, with wealth and worldliness no longer anathema, People’s Square has been reborn as a cultural/shopping center, an urban showplace of ultramodern museum buildings, the flamboyant Shanghai Grand Theater, and a tangled underground mall.
Of course, such swift changes in ethos are typically engineered by the powers that be, and the Shanghainese are not always so willing to go along. Take for example, the glittering new magnetic-levitation train from the airport: The government wants this technological wonder to be a symbol of the brave new Shanghai, the state-of-the-art city that will soon play host to the 2010 World Expo. But locals won’t cooperate. Despite the maglev’s breathtaking speed (trains travel at up to 430 kph), it’s regarded as too inconvenient and expensive; few besides tourists can be persuaded to use it. These days the city government can’t even get its obstinate citizens to cross streets at the corner—despite the constant pleas of numerous uniformed crossing guards tasked with maintaining order.
Such rebelliousness is actually Shanghai’s most endearing trait. Party bosses may try to play the stern father here, but their unruly charges defy parental controls. Limits are being tested everywhere—in business, in politics, on the Internet. Even the physical city seems to be undergoing a kind of defiant adolescence. Shanghai today has the gangliness of a teenager growing too fast and too recklessly. Its infrastructure groans; its streets reek of sweat, prawns, and chalk dust. The city’s new aesthetic, meanwhile, seems absolutely pubescent: The futuristic style of those wild, overdone skyscrapers sprouting up everywhere might appeal most to 13-year-old boys weaned on sci-fi computer games.
Still, behind the brash exhibitionism and the pretense of Western sophistication—away from the boho galleries of Moganshan Road and the high-end boutiques and restaurants of Xintiandi—an older Shanghai still lurks, a world of quiet gardens, laundry-draped hutongs, fortune-tellers, and backstreet vegetable markets. Despite the constant renovation, tradition somehow persists here. Those elders practicing tai chi on the Bund, after all, seem blissfully indifferent to the nearby offerings of Giorgio Armani, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and their ilk. They apparently realize that the opulent internationalism that now holds sway in Shanghai will also prove to be a passing phenomenon—just another fleeting stage in the city’s never ending metamorphosis.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Saturday dinner in Wujiaochang
Saturday dinner in Wujiaochang
Originally uploaded by rickvonfeldt
See the video at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/29563531@N04/3556504775/
See the blog at:
www.fridayinthecity.blogspot.com
Saturday night, May 23.
A friend is coming to visit me from Hong Kong in a week. In preparation for the visit, he is planning out his morning, afternoon and night.
But as most of my friends who have traveled with me know – I approach new places a little differently.
I usually attack a new city by first picking out a restaurant – and the centering everything else around that adventure.
Tonight, I went to an area of Shanghai called Wujiaochang. The chaps at the front desk recommended it because of the food and massive shopping malls. Locals may know it for this reason – but it is also famous because the main intersection of this area is a convergence of 15 different roads. To mitigate the sight, they created four levels of roads in a massive intersection, and then covered the whole thing with a colorful sound blocking shell that is like a nightly light show.
At night, it becomes an intersection for thousands of people to come for shopping, food and even dancing. (But that will be another blog entry!).
In typical Rick fashion, I arrived at about 8:30 at night. I knew it was a pretty local place, as I was the only Caucasians among the thousands of people around. I use a strategy of walking around until my stomach is finally growling. I search for the restaurant that has the most people – and looks like it is the happening place.
Tonight – that restaurant was a Hong Kong style restaurant called Bi Feng Tang. Fortunately, they had one English menu. I am not sure that anyone there spoke English – but pointing at pictures seemed to work pretty good.
The menu was a mix of some things that I have eaten before. But there were also a few things that even if I had heard of them – even I would not readily order them. Are you interested in trying items like:
Marinated Goose Head
Spicy Bull Frog
Spicy Pigs Intestine
Spicy Jews ear (not sure what that is!)
Poached Pigs stomach
Steamed Chicken feat with black bean sauce
Double boiled Snakehead fish with watercress, sweet and bitter apricot kernels
In the end, I tried a few dishes, including the restaurant signature dish of Cage Free Duck with Chili oil. It was basically a half of a duck chopped up and simmered in chili oil and a few vegetables. It amounts to a bunch of chunks of bones with some meat attached. By now, I am getting used to popping a bone with meat in my mouth, eating around the bone and spitting it out like the locals.
I ate around the duck feet that was simmering on top. But by the time I got to the bottom, and half of the ducks head and face floated to the top, I was pretty much ready to move on. A few fried dumplings revived my appetite.
It was an adventurous and tasty meal!
Late night Shanghai - SMALLER BANDWITH version
Late night Shanghai - SMALLER BANDWITH version
Originally uploaded by rickvonfeldt
Friday, May 22, 2009
FRIDAY IN THE CITY: Puxi - Shanghai China
Late night in Shanghai
Originally uploaded by rickvonfeldt
Since most of my work started early each day and did not end until 7:00 or 8:00 at night – I most traveled the 20 minutes back and forth from work to my “service apartment” (short term living.)
The work early in the week culminated with the first of large 2-day facilitation/training sessions on Thursday and Friday.
But the end of the week, I was mentally and physically exhausted – something I have not felt for many months since leaving HP. Like running a race, it is a good feeling to give it your all for an extended amount of time and then finally cross the finish line. But this is a triathalon – with several more races to complete before I depart this beautiful and exciting country in several weeks.
At the end of yesterday’s race, my hosts took me to dinner to celebrate our first finish line. I had the chance to go in to the central part of Shanghai, and eat dinner in an area called Puxi. This area is known as Shanghai's cultural, residential and commercial centre. It is home to about 35% of the people.
We were all in the mood for something with full flavor and spice. My hosts decided on Korean – which is one of my favorite foods. It is a combinations of picked vegetables, spicy pickled cabbages and meat that is grilled at your table. Standard for all Korean restaurants are complimentary small dishes (banchan) like various forms of kimchee and soy-sauce beans.
After the dinner, my hosts went in varying directions home. Most of them live in the Puxi area. They trade living in the centre of action in exchange for what can be a 1-2 hour commute each day. I said goodbye to them, as I had to travel back to Pudong for my commute back home. At that time of night, it might be a 30-40 minute taxi ride or a combination of subway and taxi. I decided to take the subway for part of the distance, and a taxi for the remaining 15 minutes. But before I did, I wanted to walk around for a bit to see late night life. Despite lugging a briefcase, backpack, and clad in dress shoes and tie, I walked around back streets breathing in late night life and food.
I put together a few video clips for you to look at. And this time, I skilled up and incorporated some audio to my video. Come along with me!
(You can either look at the small embedded video here – or go to see a better sized video here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/29563531@N04/3556158190/)
PUXI Shanghai China
Believe it or not - this is only 35% of the city of Shanghai - at least its population. Shanghai is an amazing, large, exciting city!
PUXI SHANGHAI CHINA VIADUCT and Hiway system
Driving through this maze of highway is an amazing experience!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Morning Calisthenic Music in Shanghai
MORNING SONG
Originally uploaded by rickvonfeldt
Each morning, at 7:30, the music in the neighborhood begins. A peppy Chinese ballad blairs from the loud speakers four buildings away, outside my balcony.
It is morning revelry at the Pinghe Bilingual School and blue jumper kids file out the doors from the dorms and line up on the playground for morning calisthenics. (Listen to the song and see the school site here: http://www.shphschool.com/)
It begins with some man shouting over loud speakers, and everyone chanting in unison after him. A second song then comes on, and hundreds of kids, in unison, do windmills and stretches.
Ahh – the morning life of Chinese kids.
I asked my colleague about it today. She says that all kids do this – and she was surprised that we don’t do it in the USA. I told her that some schools do “pledge of allegiance” which I am sure would be equally odd to a non-US person. I do also remember that our sixth grade teach back in Kansas also tried to get us to do exercises in the morning. But it didn’t go over well. Perhaps it was his ex-military style of drill sergeantry that put a damper on things.
Here is a video outside my balcony. If you listen closely, you can here the music. And see the kids doing their stuff.
This also gives you a view of Pudong – an area that was all country side on the “other side of the river from Shanghai.” Fifteen years ago, the government woke up one day and decided this was going to get developed. And they never looked back!
You can also go here to see a larger view of the video: http://www.flickr.com/photos/29563531@N04/3544460602/
Saturday, May 16, 2009
FOLLOWING THE RULES
While here in China, I live in an expat area. It is green and modern and full of enclaves of housing that are created to house people coming to Shanghai from around the world. Many affluent locals are moving in to the area, but you can tell that it is full of many Expats - likely families with fathers that work here in the high tech or manufacturing companies of China. And with them, they bring their families. On Saturday, there is an green field where many of the families come to watch organized soccer games. This field is attached to a shopping center with a sport club. The field is reserved for organized sports play - and is green, well kept and a small oasis in a city where undeveloped green land is rare and prized.
As I was walking by a corner of the field on Saturday afternoon, I saw that there were a group of "international" kids in the corner of the field, kicking around a soccer ball in to an empty net in the corner. No one was using the field, but they obviously were not part of league play for the day. Surrounding the 8-10 kids were two service blue dressed security guards from the local shopping center (that also patrols the open field). By observing the interaction, you could tell the young guards were attempting to tell the kids to get off the field. Instead of complying, they kids simply ran around the guards, like little six year old kids intent on disobeying. The guards were at a loss as to what to do - either because they were 2 against 10 and what were they going to do? But the kids were obviously out of things to do on a Saturday afternoon. And with the saavy you get from being an expat kid, living in China, they had enough attitude that they were testing the situation.
I found myself watching, both to see how the whole situation would be resolved, but at the same time, trying to decide what my own opinion was of the situation. On one hand, they weren't causing harm. It was a Saturday afternoon. And I am sure there can be limited places for kids to "go and play."
On the other hand, the guards were entrusted with keeping order. If they didn't keep these kids off the nice manicured lawn, then others would eventually follow - droves of "locals" would come and begin to wear the field down.
I remembered when I was in Singapore that the emphasis on following rules began to get tiring. When your personal desires and logic or principals were out ruled by local laws or customs, you had to choose to appreciate the local situation. But sometimes, you just wanted to rebel. I didn't do that often. For me, my little "rise against the man" was riding my bike on the sidewalk under bridges along the river. You were supposed to get off your bike and walk it or face the potential of a $1,000 fine.
I suppose this was the same situation. From the perspective of these kids, they were not doing anything "wrong." But they were not thinking of the larger pictures.
A few of the kids started to encourage the rest to leave. A few others, who decided to buck the system just kept running around the guards and kicking the ball in to the net. One of them tried to reason with the two guards, which was funny to watch. The kid had picked up a little mandarin and was trying to use it, but with little success.
The guards looked at a loss as to what to do - and finally just stood in front of the net - like a goalie - trying to keep the ball from being kicked in. The two belligerent boys considered them a fine challenge to get past - and tried several times.
Finally, the greater majority, led by one kid who seemed to be a little more mature, encouraged the group to finally go away - that it "wasn't worth it…"
I found myself both frustrated with the kids. I have an inner conviction that when you are visiting another country - you are guests and you should appreciate the local rules. Yet, having been an expat, I also realize that you also get personally frustrated by rules that don't seem to make sense or simply may be contrary to your own values and principles. I both wanted to smack them and tell them to grow up. And at the same time, I could sympathize with them. When you are growing up in the West, adolescence is a time to test rules and establish identity. It would be more difficult when you are going to school with a lot of over confident worldly kids who are trying to out do each other, while at the same time also trying to learn to appreciate the local cultures.
I am fortunate not to be living in a hotel for these 25 days of being in China. Living in a neighborhood, albeit still an affluent expat world, I will get a little more time to see the rhythm of life and have a chance to see and understand.
I am glad to be back in Asia.
(Note: While I am committing to writing this blog every Friday, I may post a little more often if I am far away from home - like China. I hope you won't mind!)
As I was walking by a corner of the field on Saturday afternoon, I saw that there were a group of "international" kids in the corner of the field, kicking around a soccer ball in to an empty net in the corner. No one was using the field, but they obviously were not part of league play for the day. Surrounding the 8-10 kids were two service blue dressed security guards from the local shopping center (that also patrols the open field). By observing the interaction, you could tell the young guards were attempting to tell the kids to get off the field. Instead of complying, they kids simply ran around the guards, like little six year old kids intent on disobeying. The guards were at a loss as to what to do - either because they were 2 against 10 and what were they going to do? But the kids were obviously out of things to do on a Saturday afternoon. And with the saavy you get from being an expat kid, living in China, they had enough attitude that they were testing the situation.
I found myself watching, both to see how the whole situation would be resolved, but at the same time, trying to decide what my own opinion was of the situation. On one hand, they weren't causing harm. It was a Saturday afternoon. And I am sure there can be limited places for kids to "go and play."
On the other hand, the guards were entrusted with keeping order. If they didn't keep these kids off the nice manicured lawn, then others would eventually follow - droves of "locals" would come and begin to wear the field down.
I remembered when I was in Singapore that the emphasis on following rules began to get tiring. When your personal desires and logic or principals were out ruled by local laws or customs, you had to choose to appreciate the local situation. But sometimes, you just wanted to rebel. I didn't do that often. For me, my little "rise against the man" was riding my bike on the sidewalk under bridges along the river. You were supposed to get off your bike and walk it or face the potential of a $1,000 fine.
I suppose this was the same situation. From the perspective of these kids, they were not doing anything "wrong." But they were not thinking of the larger pictures.
A few of the kids started to encourage the rest to leave. A few others, who decided to buck the system just kept running around the guards and kicking the ball in to the net. One of them tried to reason with the two guards, which was funny to watch. The kid had picked up a little mandarin and was trying to use it, but with little success.
The guards looked at a loss as to what to do - and finally just stood in front of the net - like a goalie - trying to keep the ball from being kicked in. The two belligerent boys considered them a fine challenge to get past - and tried several times.
Finally, the greater majority, led by one kid who seemed to be a little more mature, encouraged the group to finally go away - that it "wasn't worth it…"
I found myself both frustrated with the kids. I have an inner conviction that when you are visiting another country - you are guests and you should appreciate the local rules. Yet, having been an expat, I also realize that you also get personally frustrated by rules that don't seem to make sense or simply may be contrary to your own values and principles. I both wanted to smack them and tell them to grow up. And at the same time, I could sympathize with them. When you are growing up in the West, adolescence is a time to test rules and establish identity. It would be more difficult when you are going to school with a lot of over confident worldly kids who are trying to out do each other, while at the same time also trying to learn to appreciate the local cultures.
I am fortunate not to be living in a hotel for these 25 days of being in China. Living in a neighborhood, albeit still an affluent expat world, I will get a little more time to see the rhythm of life and have a chance to see and understand.
I am glad to be back in Asia.
(Note: While I am committing to writing this blog every Friday, I may post a little more often if I am far away from home - like China. I hope you won't mind!)
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