About a week ago, I ventured into the Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC) for the first time. I had seen the building around for a while and I had always wanted to go, but hadn’t gotten around to it, as is so often the case with attractions in the city you live in. So when a visitor expressed interest in the artwork there, I decided to tag along.

Little did I know that the sculpture of a giant trash can in front of the center was an apt symbol for what was awaiting us inside.

I really didn’t have high expectations. I’m not generally overly critical of art, and I’m very easily entertained. (I once paid cover to see a poor recreation of René Magritte’s “periode vache” exhibition, a series of intentionally bad paintings which Magritte specifically designed to be a slap in the face of the Parisian art scene. I thought it was money well spent.)

Inside, the BACC looked more like a shopping mall, with many small store-sized compartments spread over several levels. The upper level rooms actually were art-themed stores, but on the lower levels every compartment was like a mini-exhibition, and the works on display didn’t seem to be for sale. However, it would be a stretch to call the pieces art.

We saw some admittedly nice design studies for furniture and pottery, and a room where a fashion designer put some dresses on display. The few paintings we saw were such terribly uninspired, well-behaved arrangements of colored brush strokes, that they seemed like dull parodies of abstract art. Imagine a really bad soap opera where one of the characters is a painter, so the director tells the guy who usually holds the microphone to prepare some artsy-looking paintings as props. The result would be more interesting than the paintings at the BACC.

I could go on about what I didn’t like about the artwork, but tastes do differ and mine certainly isn’t refined enough to give you a comprehensive critique of the pieces based on their artistic merit. Instead, I want to argue that the BACC’s concept and its approach towards art is so fundamentally flawed that it is is difficult to imagine that the center’s management has any worthwhile education in the arts. Or taste, really.

The commercial aspect of art often sparks criticism from purists. Museums and galleries have to be financed somehow, and where public funding isn’t enough (is it ever?) we encounter annoying entrance fees, gift shops, or exhibitions with a sales pitch. But the BACC takes this commercialization to a whole new level. Here, the roles are reversed: commerce no longer sustains art, it is the art that sustains commerce. Art becomes a theme to a shopping mall, its role is simply to attract tourists. In retrospect, the BACC’s location between MBK and Discovery Center makes perfect sense.

A sad testament to the dominance of commerce over art can be witnessed at a stall rented out by a local NGO on the upper levels. Along with several feminist slogans, you can also read “BACC: art center, not shopping center” – a protest against the center’s commercial theme – itself printed on a t-shirt for sale at 200 Baht.

But commerce isn’t the only thing that stands between the BACC and, well, art. There is also a noticeable theme of political conformity throughout the center. On the wall of an exhibition room with some mediocre pottery that, quite honestly, I wouldn’t have been surprised to find at Chatuchak market, there was the slogan: ไทยแข็งแรง (“strong / healthy Thailand”) – a sound bite taken directly from a government campaign to restore faith in the Thai economy during the recent crisis.

On the upper levels, in between the gift shops, there are some guys in artists’ costumes who will draw tourists’ portraits for a few hundred Baht. They also paint pretty pictures of temples and Thai flags and other symbols of national unity (see photograph).

I’m not saying that art has to be political. But when it is, it has to be reflective, critical, and subversive. Instead, we get mindless repetition of government propaganda. Unsurprisingly, in the current political climate, government-sanctioned art in Thailand fails thoroughly on this level. So does the BACC.

On the upside, there is a designer ice cream shop that sells experimental ice cream flavors, like Wasabi and Global Warming.

Booking Roulette

When you check offers for a flight on an aggregator site like Momondo, they seem to change randomly, going up and down. This is because the airlines don’t know from the beginning how many people will want to fly on that day, so they adjust the prices as the date of the flight approaches and they get more exact estimates. (It’s admittedly a bit more involved, but that’s the gist of it.) So when should you book?

• As a general rule, if you’re not flexible on your dates, you should book early, because if demand turns out as expected prices will go up over time.
• If you’re somewhat flexible, it can be worth it to wait for special offers. Make sure to subscribe to the newsletters of the airlines that offer decent connections for your route; when they announce a good deal, those seats will fill quickly, so be ready to buy.
• While it’s generally cheaper to book online, I should mention that some travel agents really know what they’re doing and can save you a lot of hassle. And sometimes they even have access to special group deals that they’re not supposed to sell individually, but some do anyway.
• Most airlines allow you to book seats in advance. I usually book an aisle seat in the back of the plane, as it tends to be emptier. The seat that I really want, however, in an emergency exit row with lots of leg space, isn’t available for booking. More about this in the section about checking in.

Preparation Is Key

When packing for a long distance flight, my goal is to avoid having to pay for excess baggage, while at the same time checking in as much of my stuff as possible. I hate taking a trolley on board: if all I have is a small bag, I’m not in a hurry to get on the plane (because there’s always room for a small bag), and I have better mobility in transit. So if I have a lot of baggage, this is how I pack:

• A small carry-on bag that only contains the following items. I fully intend to use this in the future as a packing check-list:
  • My passport, a copy of my reservation, and any other important documents I’m taking with me.
  • Any valuable items (e.g. laptop, camera). I never check in anything that would be tempting to steal. It’s incredibly easy to open even a locked bag, customs does it routinely.
  • Chargers for all my electronics, and an adapter if necessary.
  • A sleeping mask, ear plugs, and extra socks. Sometimes they pass out little bags with some of these items, but you rarely find them all provided.
  • Sleeping pills.
  • My Toiletries (minus a nail clipper) with all fluids in containers less than 100 ml and enclosed in a large zip-lock bag. It’s nice to be able to freshen up during or in-between flights, and if they lose my checked-in bags, I will miss these items most.
  • A small bottle of water. You can’t take a full bottle past security these days, but you can take an empty bottle and fill it up at a water fountain. Some airlines also have water fountains on the plane.
  • Snacks. It’s nice to have peanuts on a plane, but they rarely pass them out in coach anymore, so I bring my own. It’s also nice to have a sandwich with you when you’re in transit and all the sandwiches cost 8 dollars.
  • A book. I also load a bunch of podcasts on my phone.
• A large bag that I will check in. Most airlines impose a limit of 20kg on checked-in baggage, but you can usually get away with 23-25kg before they make you pay extra.
• A cabin-sized trolley that I can check in. The weight limit for carry-ons is usually 8kg, but you can get away with 10-12kg.

I try to dress comfortably but not sloppy. I want to be able to sleep in the clothes I’m wearing, but just in case that they are handing out upgrades to Business or Economy Plus, I don’t want to be wearing sweatpants.

Check-in Etiquette

I used to work at check-in, so here’s a word of advice: Be very very friendly to the check-in agent. This person has a great deal of influence on your well-being for the next 20 hours or so. If they don’t like your face, they can and will choose a crappy seat for you, and make you pay for excess baggage. If they like you, however, you can get a great seat, a priority baggage tag, and you can get away with bags that are well over the weight limit. If the flight is rather empty, a nice check-in agent can block the seats next to you. If the flight is very full, an even nicer check-in agent can even upgrade you to business class (although this rarely happens anymore). So look them in the eyes, smile, and be polite and patient. Whatever you do, don’t just throw them your passport and talk on the phone while checking in.

• The earlier you get to the airport, the better the chance that you’ll get a great seat. I like to be there two hours early for long flights. The counters usually close one hour before take-off.
• I always politely ask for a seat with a little bit more leg room. More often than not, I’ll get a seat in the emergency exit row, where there is a lot more space. Don’t specifically ask your check-in agent to block seats, or for an upgrade. If you’re in a hurry to get somewhere on arrival, you can tell them and they might give you a priority baggage tag.
• If I packed an extra trolley, I tell them, “I can check this in, or I can take it as carry-on.” Since it’s going on the plane anyway, they will almost always gladly check it in, because room in the overhead compartments is sparse. This way, I can check in more than 30kg without paying for excess baggage.

In-flight

My goal on any long-haul flight is to sleep as much as possible. There is simply no better way to pass those boring hours, and it’s always easier to handle jet lag when you arrive rested.

• The air on planes is very dry, so you have to keep hydrated. Drink a lot of water (keep a filled bottle around) and order juice every time they come around with drinks. It’s okay to ask for two drinks, and when the crew doesn’t seem busy you can just go to the galley and ask for a drink.
• I also apply moisturizer every so often to keep my skin from drying out. I’m not sure if this actually helps against dehydration, but it definitely helps me get comfortable in order to sleep.
• Resist the urge to get drunk on free booze. It dehydrates you, and you’ll pass out rather than sleep. You’ll be tired and hungover when you arrive at your destination.
• Time your bathroom visits. If the flight is even halfway full, there will be queues after every meal as soon as they collect the trays. I try to beat the crowds by standing up before they collect the trays, another good reason for an aisle seat.
• Don’t waste your time watching censored movies on tiny little screens. Instead, get comfortable, put on your sleeping mask, plug your ears, pop a sleeping pill, and try to get some sleep.
• Some airlines have those little stickers: “Don’t wake me up” / “Wake me up for a meal” / “Wake me up for duty free shopping” (who the hell would choose that third option?) I always go with “don’t wake me up” because I figure, if I can sleep, let me. If they don’t have the stickers, sometimes I will tell the crew not to wake me up until landing. So what if I miss breakfast? I brought a sandwich.

Trapped in Transit

After an hour or so in transit, you’ve pretty much scouted the airport and done your duty free shopping. What else can you do to pass the time?

• There’s an upside to long transits: you’re pretty much guaranteed an emergency exit seat for your connecting flight. On arrival, just go to the transit desk and ask for one.
• Lounges are not just for platinum elite frequent travelers. Additional to the airlines’ lounges, most airports have their own lounge that is often quite affordable to get in. Sometimes you get a discount with a certain credit card. Services in the lounges differ, but most often you get free snacks and drinks, a comfortable place to sit or sleep, and WiFi. Even if you don’t think it’s worth it, it doesn’t hurt to ask, and more often than not you can take a quick look at the lounge for free.
• And again, there’s nothing better than sleeping to pass time. Afraid you’ll miss your flight? Find a place to sleep right in front of your gate, ground staff will usually wake you up and ask if they end up missing a passenger.
• If the transit is over 6 hours, you can try to catch a movie in whatever random city you’re in. Of course, this depends on immigration regulations. If you’re not sure, ask at the information desk.
• Some airports have visitor’s platforms (although they almost always require you to pass immigration). It can be nice to get some fresh air and watch planes take off  for a bit.

At the Destination

• At the baggage claim, there is really no need to grab a spot right next to the belt. You can just as easily wait in the second row, and when your bag comes out, just say “that’s my bag” and people will let you through. As a general rule, the longer your last transfer, the later your bag will come out.
• If you are ever in a real hurry to get somewhere, it is always an option to just not pick up your bags. They will be taken to lost at found, and you can pick them up at your convenience.
• If you have ever picked up a friend at the airport, you know how annoying it can be to wait at the door behind customs, never quite sure when the person is going to come out. If someone volunteers to pick me up, I always tell them to meet me at a cafe at the airport that is easy to find, about 40 minutes after the plane lands. This way, they don’t have to be there early, and whoever gets there first can just order a coffee and wait comfortably.

"This guy is obviously... he's a little bit sharper, ja?"

*** Contains minor spoilers ***

I watched District 9 again last night. In this entertaining science fiction movie, an alien space ship has broken down and is hovering over Johannesburg, while the aliens who arrived in the ship are living in a slum-like community beneath it, cut off from their civilization and exposed to human mistreatment.

While the film is entirely watchable as a well-made action flick, the parallels it draws between this fictional scenario and real-world racism in general – and South African apartheid in particular – are anything but subtle. This metaphor is developed as the central theme in the first half the movie, shot documentary-style, before the action plot and CGI robot battles take center stage. Critics are somewhat divided over how well this fusion between action and social commentary works on screen, but they almost unanimously attest to the film’s “intelligence” and “ambitious narrative”.

In the reviews that I have read however, the critics remain very vague in their analysis of the movie’s oh-so-intelligent social commentary. They seem to be undecided whether the film is a political satire or a metaphor with an anti-racist message, two similar but still somewhat different interpretations. I think the socio-political content of District 9 deserves a closer look.

If the scenario is metaphorical, what then is the movie’s precise message? Through the eyes of the main character – a naive white bureaucrat who suddenly finds himself at the center of the human-alien conflict, we come to see beyond the aliens’ insect-like appearance and discover that they are not that different from us humans after all. The Blackwater-esque private army MNU (“Multi National United”) in charge of moving the aliens from their ghetto into a concentration camp are revealed as the bad guys, and naturally our hero fights them alongside the aliens.

A very general political message can be interpreted: we shouldn’t hate what we don’t understand, we should respect everyone’s (even the aliens’) human rights, etc. This would have been a revolutionary message about 50 years ago. Or quite possibly it is still a visionary revelation for most white South Africans.

But the problems with this interpretation of the story as a parable of real-world racism and persecution go beyond the obsoleteness of the message. For example, the aliens in District 9 start out as foreign, and likely hostile intruders – any xenophobe will happily acknowledge parallels between this scenario and real-world ethnic conflict.

Moreover, the aliens in District 9 (derogatorily referred to as “prawns”) are – with a few exceptions – portrayed as animalistic, less-than-intelligent subhumans. They completely fulfill the stereotypes attributed to them by the movie’s “specieist” stand-ins for real-world racists. (One could argue that the aliens obviously stem from a far advanced civilization, and speculate that their behavior is merely prompted by the hostile environment they find themselves in – but this ham-fisted interpretation of subtleties has to take a backseat when, in the graphical final action scene of the movie, a group of aliens violently rip apart the main bad guy and devour his flesh on the spot.) In the film’s very intentional metaphor, these uncivilized beings stand for non-white South Africans under apartheid – not a flattering comparison, to say the very least.

The film also falls short of being satire. While District 9 is comical at times, its realism and the overall sincerity of its plot simply don’t allow for that interpretation. Too close to reality is the picture painted of South African society, where all positions of power are held by white people, and the seedy fast food joint “Günter’s” near the alien slum is frequented exclusively by black South Africans. The movie features only two powerful black men; one is the American CEO of MNU (the bad guys), the other is the leader of a Nigerian gang (the other bad guys).

In a full-on parody, surely humans of all ethnicities would unite against their common enemy in a post-racial society, and the aliens, not a private army, really would be the bad guys; a concept brilliantly executed by Paul Verhoeven’s “Starship Troopers”.

Instead, the movie works as a provocative piece. The parallels drawn between the violent subhuman alien intruders and real-world persecuted ethnicities are deeply troubling, intendedly so or not. The fact that in the film, an all-black Nigerian gang symbiotically co-exists with the aliens in their slum, complete with inter-species sex and cannibalistic rituals, is especially cringe-worthy. The conscious viewer has to acknowledge the movie’s racist undertones critically, and by extension the racism still widely in existence in the real world.

I was talking with a Thai friend, Weena, last night, and she reminded me of something: Protests are new to Thailand.

Protesting isn’t new to Thailand, but I guess protesting without being violently cracked down on by military and police is. This dark chapter in Thai history gets brushed aside way too often so I felt I had to make that correction.

At that time especially (but throughout history really), the Thai elite — in that case the military regime — has actively repressed intellectuals and critical thinkers. After the Thammasat massacre, a lot of them were driven towards the communist armed resistance, and were killed in the fighting or de facto silenced when granted amnesty.

That protests are new here is an important thing for me to consider when I wonder why so many people want the protests to stop with the issues remaining unresolved, for things to go back to sabai sabai.

When looking at Thailand today as outsiders, a surprisingly large part of the general public often seems strangely disinterested in politics (those who “just want the protests to go away” because they are causing traffic jams). It is easy to make the mistake of thinking that this is because Thailand is at the very beginning of some natural process towards a modern democracy, and Thais just don’t know how this whole democracy thing works yet. But we shouldn’t forget that only 30 years ago it was incredibly dangerous to show too much interest in politics or have an open exchange of opinions in a classroom. My perception is that privately Thais think more about politics than they let on, but of course where politics isn’t discussed in schools, among friends, or even in the family, there is also more genuine disinterest.

My main point is that the ongoing protests are just the latest chapter of a long struggle by the Thai people against the elite for more political freedom. Thais are not suddenly presented with political liberties, but they have fought very hard and shed blood (not just symbolically in protest) for them every step of the way.

For my generation in America, I would argue we think about protests as being indicative of free speech. And by extension, as being a healthy and necessary grass-roots check on democracy. And even if my generation isn’t taking to the streets as often, I think we’re protesting in other ways, in our blogs, in the comments we post, in the jobs we take, in the politicians’ campaigns we go work on.

I too feel that protests are vital to democracy. One of the big problems in our “advanced” democracies is that the electorate is passivised; the political class is not only in charge of working out the details as it were, but also relied on for ideas and direction. Then, every four years we vote for one of two increasingly indistinguishable candidates and feel like we’re in charge.

Actual grass-roots movements that take place outside the space that we as a society conventionally reserve for politics, like political protests, initiatives (and yes, strong unions) are not only signs of a healthy democracy, they are necessary parts of democracy. More than anything else, protests get people passionate about issues, and this passion is essential to really make the voice of the people heard.

So when lckelley says that our generation protests in “other ways” I think she is taking the easy way out. A blog post or career choice is a poor substitute for an angry mob. Actual protests have all but disappeared from political life in the west, and I think that is a problem we shouldn’t underestimate.

If I was one to write cheesy conclusions to posts on the Internet I could end with this: For getting passion back into politics, and for democracy beyond mere going through the motions, we could learn a lesson from Thai protesters.

Please let me know what you like / don’t like about it, I need everybody’s feedback to help me build better sites.

Oh and don’t be shy to ask me for the theme!! If there’s enough interest I will gladly publish it somewhere. It’s all open source

Leaflet

The text roughly translates as:

New work for teenagers

We are now recruiting the youngest team ever to use programs such as MSN, hi5 and Camfrog [webcam chat, also with "adult rooms"]. Work after studying for 1-2 hours, daily income is 500 THB on average. If interested, contact [phone number] urgently for an appointment.

Those are junior / high school kids (มัธยม) and 500 THB (~=10 EUR) is a lot of money. Depressing

I was very surprised when last week’s episode — after discussing the implications of Darwinian theory for modernization of man — turned towards a certain subject of grave importance that to date has been largely overlooked by serious media: ping pong shows.

In the second segment of the show, host Laurie Taylor interviews Nottingham PhD student Erin Sanders, who has been talking to women tourists attending sex shows in Thailand for her thesis titled: Women? What women? An exploration of western women’s voyeuristic encounters with the sex industry in Thailand

Here’s a short excerpt: (rough transcript by yours truly)

Taylor: When you asked them why they went, what sort of accounts did they give you?

Sanders: There are a variety of accounts. Most of them didn’t seem to have any very clear reason for why they went, except that they saw the ping pong show as a distinctly Thai cultural experience. And that’s really how they described it, some of them likened it to going to a ballet. Going to a ping pong show is the Thai version of going to a ballet. They said that, you now, friends had talked about it. It was something that was really part of the sort of tourist discourse about Thailand.

The whole segment is really well worth listening to, and not just because it’s a strangely scientific approach to the all too familiar seediness of sex tourism in Thailand. Among other things Sanders talks about the phenomenon of “dark tourism” and the role of white women tourists in promoting the Thai sex industry.

To me, hearing Brits talk about Thailand as a sex tourism destination is a reminder of what folks back home associate with Thailand: ping pong shows, ladyboys, and cheap prostitutes. I think this is especially true for Europe, and to a lesser extend for North America.

Living in Bangkok, it’s easy sometimes to forget about Thailand’s reputation abroad, both because you get so used to seeing the sex tourists in certain parts of the city that they start to seem like the most normal thing in the world, and because Thais rarely ever talk about what’s going on in those areas.

I’m sure that most of my Thai friends and acquaintances have a good hunch that beaches aren’t the only thing all these male tourists come to Thailand for. But many of them never set foot into Pat Pong, or Nana Plaza, or Soi Cowboy, and it’s not like sex tourism is ever discussed in Thai media, so the issue is all the easier to ignore. Most Thais would probably be shocked and embarrassed if they were fully aware of Thailand’s image overseas.

This morning, for the first time since I prematurely ended my soccer career at the age of 12, I got some exercise for the sake of exercise.

I ran about 2km on a treadmill, did 20 situps (against an incline!), and finally some upper body workout at some devil machine. At that point I was too busy panting to count how many times i pushed what lever and pulled what pulley. All in all it took about 30 minutes (or 7 songs of Nas’ 1994 album Illmatic.)

I knew it was going to be bad, but oh boy. I think I had stomach cramps at one point, and I almost threw up but that was probably because I drank too much water. I’m pretty beat right now but man, I know I’ll really feel it tomorrow.

Aren’t you supposed to feel good after a workout? Maybe I’m doing something wrong. For my next session I’ll have to check out some youtubes or something, like the pale flabby nerd that I am.

(03:38:15 PM) [Name withdrawn]: you think using Wireless Router will make internet speed slower
(03:38:16 PM) [Name withdrawn]: ?
(03:40:17 PM) till: no
(03:40:41 PM) till: not unless you have REALLY FAST internet lol
(03:41:30 PM) [Name withdrawn]: what do you mean?
(03:45:05 PM) till: nevermind. a wireless router will not slow down your internet
(03:45:20 PM) [Name withdrawn]: thanks!
(03:48:10 PM) [Name withdrawn]: btw, you’re such a nerd.

Owned o_O