Paul's Diary (Part 2)
Paul van der Hijden climbed into the pen for the second time. About Paul's belly, Thai haircuts and the policeman doing his rounds.
Thais do not like stir
My Thai friends often show physical complaints at the changes of the seasons. Colds are the order of the day. The less strong even take a day off, which here means a day without income. Thais do not like rain. I sometimes suspect that they are made of newsprint.
A friend of mine said they don't like it because of their haircut. Indeed, you will see the most amazing hairstyles on Thai women and men of all ages up to the age of thirty. And they only arise after hours of blow-drying and cans of hairspray. But then you are really the imitation of that popular Korean singer(s). There's even a hairstyle that Tood Pet hot: duck butt and damn….
Cycling through Bangkok
Since a few years I have a bicycle here in Bangkok. Half the world thought I was crazy, but I laugh: I'm the only one who moves! All the can is stuck in the traffic jam. Stuck cars literally: rotten tit. My steel steed is a big yellow colored one. The color often evokes connections with the most honored man in this country in many Thais, but I assure you that this color just seemed the nicest to me when I bought it, without any ulterior motive.
Armed with a sturdy helmet (“You may only fall once with this”) I pedal the 1 gears through the sun, but preferably on the shady side of the road. In the meantime I have also experienced that it is very normal, even desirable, that you occasionally drive onto the sidewalk to continue your way parallel to the roadway. And all without doping.
Safety first
Every new building has in large letters (often white on green) Safety First stand at the entrance of the wharf as a recommendation for Western readers. It is hoped that it also applies to the employees in Thai. A large sign with pictograms teaches that, for example, helmets and closed shoes are required.
But what about the safety in my neighborhood? Fortunately, that has also been taken care of. Here and there in the streets, flat red letterboxes with an open door hang from concrete posts. It contains a notebook and every now and then a police officer drives his round and indicates in the booklet that he has visited this place.
Everthing allright! His superior can then check that this Thai security service has made its rounds and that everything is safe. It is reassuring to know that the Thais and I understand each other in this.
Am I going to be a decency guy?
In a not so long past, married ladies who already had a child walked around this country shirtless. That was common practice and only applied to this group of women. Partly due to the arrival of Western visitors at that time, the Thais learned that this behavior was considered offensive. To like Thailand To meet the Western standard of civilization, shirtless walking around for women was banned.
Today I often see Western people very scantily dressed walking through town and country, unconcerned about the customs or civility of the country where they are guests. Or am I becoming the decency guy I don't want to be?
Walk around in the Lumpini Park
My internist thinks a few pounds can be lost around the navel. So move a lot. Oof! When I first came here twenty years ago, a growing tummy was only a sign of prosperity. The Chinese Thais thought it resembled their religious foreman. So there is no reason to actively do something about it.
In the meantime, with advancing insight into healthcare, something can really be done about it. There are large fitness chains all over the city. So many, in fact, that they are going bankrupt again. Is that another reason not to do anything about it?
Fortunately, I live near the Lupini Park and have also walked my laps there for months. Not run, but walked briskly. It didn't do anything, neither in kilograms nor in size. And I know what it's about: Delicious cheeses, the good life and the wonderfully clear feeling that I'm enjoying them, a little too often.
Dear Thailand Bloggers,
Got a taste after reading Paul's Diary? Or do you write newsletters to your supporters, just like Gerrie (see Gerrie's Diary)? Thailandblog invites you (expats, tourists and potential tourists) to also climb into the pen. This can be in the form of a Diary with short stories or in the form of a Week Diary. Size approximately 700 words.
Overcome your hesitation and send your writings to the editorial address. We assess whether they are suitable for publication. But we are very lenient. It doesn't have to be prose that qualifies for the annual Libris Prize. As long as it's not gibberish.
Just like with the newspaper, we reserve the right to refuse or shorten your contribution (and we will remove any spelling errors free of charge).Who dares?
I know what cycling means in Bangkok. 1992 for the first time on holiday in Thailand with my own bicycle. First from don muang airport along the highway to Bangkok and then pass the intersections with fear. Arriving in Bangkok I did not know what I was experiencing. was once but never again. Am now 71, so I will never get on a bike in Thailand again, do everything on foot or on a honda wave.
When I emigrated to Thailand in October 2005 with my Thai wife
was the expectation after retirement that everything was the same as my many
visits and holidays in that country. Nothing could be further from the truth.
My wife, now accustomed to Dutch culture, had to get used to it again
to the neighbor and neighbor and the bus driver who every morning and later
greet on the day with good morning neighbor and good morning madam.
In the supermarket. Good morning and have a nice day.
Here you can get along well with your neighbors. If you have a very pleasant day before
party, they drive you here the next day or you never see them
to have. I have no problem with it. I live my own life. I have that Thai
never asked for a bite of rice. The culture here is just like that.
Often helped with their problems and yet it appears that there is some gratitude
consists. Other than that we are happy here. You just have to think you can do the best
adapt if you understand their culture. That means A- Social behavior.
We don't participate. We were not raised that way.
The sun shines a lot. The temperature is very nice.
Everything calm down. Lots of dust and environmental pollution.
Still calmly to the last phase of life.
You enjoy life, but you can't have everything.
For most expats there is no turning back.
J.jordan.
Very well written Paul, I enjoyed it!
(Error: Your response is too short. If you leave a response you must have something to say.) so long enough? 🙁
"Am I going to be a decency guy or will I be the decency guy I don't want to be?" Understand that it is meant rhetorically but it also sounds like it is so wrong to be that because keep finding it extremely indecent when farang are very scantily dressed walking through town and country disregarding customs or civility of the country where they are guests .
In short, let me be considered a decency rascal, so be it.
PS. Nice to read your diary. 🙂
That red mailbox is from the police in my own experience.
First you get a very bad case after which the police come up with a proposal like in my memory to keep an eye on things 6 times a day for 1000.-Thb you are the merchant.
They confirm that by signing that booklet at what time they have been.
Nice extra income right, tea with a biscuit.
Behind Uncle Agent who is having tea in the meantime, Linke Loetje comes and makes his move with something that is not allowed.
In the dark, the agent usually does not come to protect his mia noi from unwanted intruders whom he had tracked through a package of Durex size XXXL.
Nice stories, I always see the guards driving to power poles and doing something there, but even my wife didn't know what they were doing there.
The safety in terms of surveillance may be for each other, but the electricity to the street lighting is not at all. I also don't understand why Thais dare to cycle on the beautiful walking path here in the park while it is busy with walkers who want to exercise.
We used to have a haircut that was called chicken butt, that was a shaved back of the head. It strikes me that Thais start squeezing pimples as soon as they see a mirror, even in restaurants or behind the bar! I always have to bite my tongue to keep from making jokes about it. Also take a look at the skin clinics in the more expensive malls, there are also many Thai men to be treated while healthier food would be the solution.
Driving in the shade is something every Thai does, against the traffic it doesn't matter. There are no traffic rules it seems and with a police that does nothing you can get away with it. I also sometimes see buses that hang very crooked because everyone wants to sit in the shade. If you are standing in front of a red traffic light in the full sun between the exhaust fumes, many Thais simply drive through the red light. Imagine getting a tan! Of course that is not possible.
Tookie,
Isn't it a strong exaggeration to write that you sometimes see buses driving that
hanging very crooked, because everyone wants to sit in the shade. How am I supposed to imagine that? Then those people who should be sitting in the sun, crawl up with the others
shot?
Those are buses that are half full Tjamuk. Then everyone will sit in the shade, that's how you have to imagine it. They also do that with boats, by the way, and by that I mean small ferries like the ones that used to go to phi phi (20 years ago).
You are responding to Tjamuk, I assume that must be to me.
Tookie, all buses here in Thailand have curtains on the windows on both the left and right
so that all occupants are not bothered by the sun. Go regularly by bus from Thoeng
to Chiangrai, that's how I know. Public transport in Thailand is very cheap.
You can also get in and out anywhere, by putting your thumb on it.
Paul may climb the pen a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, etc. time as far as I'm concerned. (long enough like that? yes long enough like that)