Kornography

Repeatedly being told about things that “you must do” in Chiang Mai, as well as learning about that which is quintessentially Thai, has resulted in my keeping of an ever-growing checklist in the back of my mind. Every guidebook and Buddhism tract discusses the daily morning rituals of monks, yet my body has vetoed the pre-dawn wake-up that is a prerequisite for witnessing this event. So this morning, frustrated with the relentlessness of work—precluding me from ticking anything off of my mental list for longer than a week—I set the alarm, and more importantly, mobilized myself to get out of bed. (more…)

The party, if you could even call it that, was a relaxingly casual affair—a table of food next to a pot of boiling water to make your own food, a few bottles of whiskey, clusters of people grouped around the stone walls that surrounded the flagstone driveway—with a man playing the guitar as if no one was listening. (more…)

The same wanton disregard for the safety of themselves and others that is readily evident in their traffic etiquette seems to be the implied theme of Loi Kratong for most Thais. In actuality, Loi means “to float” and Kratong is an offering usually made of flowers and banana leaves that is “Loi”-ed down the river to appease the river spirits. (more…)