It is our goal to be known for something That looks like the field of bureaucracy. You thought the other countries were tiring, But come to our corner of the city, And you will find that you will never leave, Not because you now desire to stay. Our staff has been trained in how to deceive You that you’ll accomplish your task today. All the required forms have been hidden, And when you ask for more information, The nature that employees are bidden Is to point you in the wrong direction. It’s become the source of our greatest pride To take the farang on a day long ride.
It is easier to believe the lie Than to admit that I could have been wrong. To uphold this truth, I’m willing to die As a refrain in my seditious song. I have left behind my patriotic heart, So no one will tell me, I am not right, And I will continue to do my part To raise his flag in this perilous fight. He may hide in the walls of his tower And will only remember his own name, But I wish to give him back the power, So he can go back to playing his game. I know that the pages of history Will not mention the sacrifice of me.
They have told me not to pay attention To the importance that they give a name, For it does not matter the intention As the identity will be the same. Ownership comes with specification To the ones who had first called it as so, No longer belonging to that nation, Letting the imperialism grow. When you go off to the celebration, Discuss why you go to dance and sing. Does it matter that the iteration Of a country is part of the ringing? So I would like to raise my glass in cheer To this great holiday, Lunar New Year.
I am probably making a bigger deal about this than I should, but there is something about Chinese New Year that bugs me. It is a day that is celebrated all over the world, and it is based upon the waxing and waning of the moon. It is so popular that people in Thailand even celebrate the Chinese New Year, and I am sure that there are other countries in Southeast Asia that celebrate it as well. But South Korea does not celebrate the Chinese New Year. They have their own celebration on the same day that focuses also on the waxing and waning of the moon, but they call it Lunar New Year instead.
All of these countries get excited about this day, and it is often considered one of the biggest holidays of the year. They decorate the malls, and have many places where you can get your picture taken to prove that you were alive when it became the Year of the Bull. So my problem comes from the fact that it is called Chinese New Year in countries that are not even China. I get the fact that some holidays are specific to certain countries, and the celebration of them should hold the title of the country that they come from. But this is a holiday that is based upon legends that are shared by many of the countries of this region and is based upon a single day in February that changes with the moon. I agree with Korea that the title of the day should be Lunar New Year and not Chinese New Year.
I am pretty sure that it is a big party in China every year on this holiday. Though I have not experienced the same level of excitement associated with it in Thailand, I think part of my experience might be because the current state of the world which has probably toned down the celebrations in China as well. The point being is that there is no one holiday that is celebrated around the world that has the same kind of association with it. We don’t call it America’s Christmas even though there might be a few people who think that this is a more appropriate name. It isn’t the Celtic Halloween even though this is the place where it originated. We don’t even call it the Vatican’s Easter even though the history of this event has been distorted throughout the years and does not look like what it did when they first celebrated it.
I have no qualms with China continuing to call the day Chinese New Year either. I am just surprised that countries that wish to retain the autonomy and their own culture are so willing to give into the pressure of calling it the same thing even though that has nothing to do with the way they celebrate it. When it comes down to it, I believe it is a great holiday to celebrate, and I enjoy seeing people come together to ring in the New Year. I just hope in the future they look towards the day and recognize it as a part of their own culture and not some import from a different part of the world.
Sorry about the rant, but I hope you had a wonderful Lunar New Year, and that you find luck and happiness in the Year of the Bull.
One of my favorite things about getting out of the house and traveling is trying amazing food from all around the world. There are some really great places to eat in my neighborhood, but there is something special about trying places in other neighborhoods and countries. Heading to downtown Bangkok gives me this opportunity to try other worldly cuisine. Of course, there are many Thai restaurants downtown, but I probably have the better examples in my neighborhood that is not toned down to meet the tastebuds of millions of tourists who visit this city every year. Rather, I like to look for the other world cuisines that are not as present in my neighborhood, and one of the types of foods I always look for is a good sushi restaurant.
This is something that is harder to find in Southeast Asia than you would think. There are a couple of places I have found outside of Japan that are able to do this dish well, and one of the better ones happens to be off of the Phrom Phong BTS station down Soi 39. It is a small place with only six tables, but it does a great job of getting fresh fish and creating artistic bites to eat. It is by far the best sushi restaurant I have found in Bangkok so far. It does not rival the places that fill up during lunch time in Japan, but it would do really well in that country and hold its own against the people that created this cuisine in the first place.
My favorite part of eating sushi, besides the taste, is the presentation. I am not one of those people that take pictures of their food very often, and maybe I should be better at doing that considering I write a blog about my travels around the world. I know that people want to see those pictures, but usually when I go out to a restaurant, I am so excited to eat that when my food comes, I forget to pull out my phone and take a picture. But when I ate at Masu Maki, it was really easy to remember that this was something that I should do. They did such a beautiful job of presentation that I had to take a picture in order to remember it. I won’t give you the picture of what it looks like after I have finished because it isn’t as pretty, but when this gets placed in front of you, it is easy to get excited by what you are about to eat.
It is a great place to eat sushi in Bangkok, and if you have any other suggestions, please let me know because I love to find hidden gems like Masu Maki, especially when it comes to sushi.
I dreamt last night of the River Jordan, And being there I’d finally found peace. Being on its banks went against the plan, But when time is something we only lease, We have to make the most of what’s given. If we have been sold on a new future, But the lie is what we have been livin’, We should not give into the indenture. I may have to cross over the border, Embracing the life of a refugee, To live in a land free of disorder That allows the chance for me to be me. I will sink my toes deeper in the mud Waiting to engage in this river’s flood.
There are problems and possibilities. When I take a look at the world today, I have to think about which one I see, And how I wish to proceed on my way. When I see a problem, it needs solving. We must overcome this impediment If we want to continue evolving, But another will come when that one’s spent. Possibilities can say the same thing, But I should be eager to conquer these Because each one is something worth gaining, Making the next to be bested with ease. It makes me wonder which one is present, It’s just the perspective that’s different.
We will just wait until the day grows dim, Then turn our heads towards the horizon, And watch the hanging clouds of the prism That we have not witnesses the other nights.
There have been many storms we have weathered That have hidden the evening sun’s lights, And to our front porch we have been tethered, Not allowing a chase after the view.
We can only take what has been given, And those little enjoyments have been few.
In a time when the downpours are driven, We will appreciate it even more When all the sunsets come back like before.
It’s nice to know that we have reached the end, Looking towards what the New Year will bring. Though the tribulations forced us to bend, We would never give into the breaking. There are still other trials yet to come. Because of what we’ve already been through, We will face them with a certain aplomb, And build upon the way that we all grew. This year may be one we wish to forget Because of the pain we had to endure. We should thank it for being in its debt, Allowing us to build a world more pure. It may have been a long and bitter fight, But we learn a lot when we use hindsight.
The announcement by us is being made To let you know that another will come. We know that right now many are afraid, And are unaware of where the threat’s from. But we need time to prepare what we’ll say In a very important announcement That we are announcing about today. Please hold on to that trust in government. That is all we have to say for right now, And we ask that you come back tomorrow When we will give you the why, what and how, But give us the time for our plan to grow. We do appreciate that you’re present For our announcement for our announcement.
John Collings 