You'll find this candy more or less disturbing depending on your mastery of contemporary English slang.
Crunky, the preferred chocolate bar of Lil' Jon
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Product Engrish: Candy
Today on Product Engrish, things from the candy aisle.
You'll find this candy more or less disturbing depending on your mastery of contemporary English slang.
Crunky, the preferred chocolate bar of Lil' Jon
You'll find this candy more or less disturbing depending on your mastery of contemporary English slang.Crunky, the preferred chocolate bar of Lil' Jon
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Stop Speciesism - Support Elepehant Suffrage
Today we went to Bangkok's Chinatown. With the sole exception of seeing a vendor selling shots of Johnnie Walker Red next to fancy crossbows, it was a total bust. Save yourself the airfare and go to San Francisco.
Instead of spending more time on Chinatown, I'd like to do my part to raise awareness of a cause close to my heart. You may not be aware that in Thailand it is illegal for elephants to vote. These backwards practices are reminiscent of our country's own dark history of disenfranchisement. I'd like to ask that each and every one of you take five minutes out of your day to write your local congressman a letter explaining the importance of elephant suffrage in Thailand. Lets end this thing, together.
Translation: No taxation without representation and/or peanuts.
Instead of spending more time on Chinatown, I'd like to do my part to raise awareness of a cause close to my heart. You may not be aware that in Thailand it is illegal for elephants to vote. These backwards practices are reminiscent of our country's own dark history of disenfranchisement. I'd like to ask that each and every one of you take five minutes out of your day to write your local congressman a letter explaining the importance of elephant suffrage in Thailand. Lets end this thing, together.
Translation: No taxation without representation and/or peanuts. No standing triumphatly on wall.
This is actually an old picture, we took it about a week ago at the place with all the temples. I forget the name, you can look it up in our blog. Anyhow, here's the picture:
While the sign is very clear about the appropriateness of standing and/or sitting triumphantly on walls, it does not explicitly cover the giant stone chicken case. I ferreted out this loophole and used it to bring you the following photo:
Observe the proud stance, the perfect angles of the arms against hips, the knock-off Ray Bans. Where there's a will, there's a way.
While the sign is very clear about the appropriateness of standing and/or sitting triumphantly on walls, it does not explicitly cover the giant stone chicken case. I ferreted out this loophole and used it to bring you the following photo:
Observe the proud stance, the perfect angles of the arms against hips, the knock-off Ray Bans. Where there's a will, there's a way.
Apartment Photos
Here are the photos of our little studio, as promised. They're not great pictures as there aren't many good angles in a tiny apartment, but you'll get the general idea:
We had been looking at two-person studios with queen-sized beds, but this one-person studio was much quieter and better sealed than the doubles we saw. So, the management put two twin mattresses side by side for us.
This is a dark photo, but look....
...pretty, carved cabinets!
Clean bathroom with hot water.
The apartment also has a fridge and a TV with some basic channels (we are able to watch US presidential debate coverage - yay!). We were thrilled when we found this place. We were ready to jump as soon as we saw it, but decided to take a walk in the park across the street from the building before signing, just to make sure we were on the same page about it. The park was lovely, and featured nice grassy areas, a playground, exercise equipment, and a lagoon. When we approached the lagoon, it erupted into a fountain, which misted and shot synchronized blasts of many differing heights and intensities, all choreographed to music. This was a sign, we knew. It was like the Bellagio, only way more awesome. So, now we're settled in and our very happy in our new place.
We had been looking at two-person studios with queen-sized beds, but this one-person studio was much quieter and better sealed than the doubles we saw. So, the management put two twin mattresses side by side for us.
This is a dark photo, but look....
...pretty, carved cabinets!
Clean bathroom with hot water.The apartment also has a fridge and a TV with some basic channels (we are able to watch US presidential debate coverage - yay!). We were thrilled when we found this place. We were ready to jump as soon as we saw it, but decided to take a walk in the park across the street from the building before signing, just to make sure we were on the same page about it. The park was lovely, and featured nice grassy areas, a playground, exercise equipment, and a lagoon. When we approached the lagoon, it erupted into a fountain, which misted and shot synchronized blasts of many differing heights and intensities, all choreographed to music. This was a sign, we knew. It was like the Bellagio, only way more awesome. So, now we're settled in and our very happy in our new place.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Product Engrish: Dog Products
The pet section at the supermarket proved particularly ripe for Engrish:
I think this could catch on as new "street" slang. e.g. "Fresh up your lovely dog yo, 'fore I pop a cap in ya'"
When I hear "bursting with meatiness" the first thing that comes to my mind is Chuck Norris. Maybe that's just me.
I think this could catch on as new "street" slang. e.g. "Fresh up your lovely dog yo, 'fore I pop a cap in ya'"
When I hear "bursting with meatiness" the first thing that comes to my mind is Chuck Norris. Maybe that's just me.
Siam Paragon: Impressions
We went to the Siam Paragon mall today, a 300,000 square meter monstrosity (~ 50 football fields). Since I forgot the camera, our good readers will need content themselves with the following observations:
- Threadless shirts were on the rack at several different stores. It's officially over hipsters, time to find a new rag vendor. I suggest shirt.woot.com
- BMWs look frumpy when they are being sold next door to Lamborghinis.
- Thai people really know how to watch a movie.
- Remember in the 80s when everyone said the Japanese were going to take over? This time it's for real - they've invented the scratch and sniff stuffed doll. Words fail me on this one - try to picture cute anthropomorphized ice cream cones in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry and you'll get an approximation.
Friday, September 26, 2008
New Apartment!
We have an apartment in Bangkok! After seeing some real doozies, we found a great, clean, cute studio in a great part of the city. The best part: free wifi. We'll be here until October 25, so come visit!
Pictures to follow soon.
Pictures to follow soon.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Things you can get for 10 Baht #2: Pad Thai
There are a lot of neat things you can get for 10 baht (~US $0.30). I've retroactively inaugurated this blog feature with the corn waffle (also 10 baht), but todays post is Pad Thai:
Also included (not pictured) mixed packet of sugar and chili flakes, chili oil.
For a Homely Time, Call 66-02-618-6777
From a guest house we're looking at:
L.K.N INN offers you with a warm and homely atmosphere with our fish pond and fountain at the entrance.
L.K.N INN offers you with a warm and homely atmosphere with our fish pond and fountain at the entrance.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Moving
Today we left our backpacker-friendly ghetto of Banglamphu in favor of the outskirts of Bangkok, where there are fewer tourists and fewer English translations. The major reason for our move was to be closer to a metro line, so we could more easily visit different neighborhoods in the city. Tonight we'll probably be taking the metro to the night bazaar in the financial center.
Banglamphu was a great place to spend our first week. It was a pleasant mix of familiar and exotic, and we were able to gorge on banana roti and tangerine juice while we recovered from jet lag. Our new digs are actually classier than our last place - free wi-fi and a pool. When we had lunch in our new neighborhood today, we realized that for the last week we've been eating farang food. We were actually starting to believe that Thai food in Thailand was not as spicy as we had been told it would be. Now we know better, and now our mouths are burning.
The smells here are a lot more pungent, too. There's an awesome outdoor market by our guest house (which, buy the way, is called the K.T. Guest House - I hoped it stood for Katie, but I'm pretty sure it's Krung Thep, aka Bangkok). The market had fresh fruits, octopus, squid, and curries in plastic baggies, but it also had lungs, intestines, frog hearts, and plenty of other offal meats. I know that any self-respecting foodie should learn to embrace the innards, but my feeling has always been offal = awful.
Then there's durian. I was excited about durian long before this trip. I've already seen lots of durian in markets here and, aside from looking like a medieval weapon, it didn't seem to harmful. Today, I smelled it. At least, I think that's what I smelled, and, if it was, it didn't seem that bad. I'll have to go back soon to investigate and take that much-anticipated first taste. Stay tuned and see if my verdict is Durian-Delicious or Durian-Disgusting.
Banglamphu was a great place to spend our first week. It was a pleasant mix of familiar and exotic, and we were able to gorge on banana roti and tangerine juice while we recovered from jet lag. Our new digs are actually classier than our last place - free wi-fi and a pool. When we had lunch in our new neighborhood today, we realized that for the last week we've been eating farang food. We were actually starting to believe that Thai food in Thailand was not as spicy as we had been told it would be. Now we know better, and now our mouths are burning.
The smells here are a lot more pungent, too. There's an awesome outdoor market by our guest house (which, buy the way, is called the K.T. Guest House - I hoped it stood for Katie, but I'm pretty sure it's Krung Thep, aka Bangkok). The market had fresh fruits, octopus, squid, and curries in plastic baggies, but it also had lungs, intestines, frog hearts, and plenty of other offal meats. I know that any self-respecting foodie should learn to embrace the innards, but my feeling has always been offal = awful.
Then there's durian. I was excited about durian long before this trip. I've already seen lots of durian in markets here and, aside from looking like a medieval weapon, it didn't seem to harmful. Today, I smelled it. At least, I think that's what I smelled, and, if it was, it didn't seem that bad. I'll have to go back soon to investigate and take that much-anticipated first taste. Stay tuned and see if my verdict is Durian-Delicious or Durian-Disgusting.
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