Daily Dose of Arsenic

That's right, TTM takes self medication to a whole new level by using arsenic in its recipes. Traditional Thai pottery has to be coated in an arsenic solution before painting. When the bowl is boiled with various herbs the arsenic begins to leach out. TTM recipes take advantage of this, by timing how long the bowl remains in the pot before removing. After the designated time the bowl is removed leaving trace amounts of arsenic behind. The trick is to leave the bowl in long enough to get the required amount without exceeding it.

It seems a rather risky business to me. There is no way to judge how fast the arsenic is leaching out. And what if the bowl is cracked or chipped? Either way, I think I'll pass.

Lion of Love

A long time ago a Thai king was barging two Singha lion statues up the river to line his palace gates. But huge wave came and the barge broke and the two lions sunk to the bottom of the river. Some time later, one lion was recovered and placed near the river facing away from the water.

The next day when the men returned they were shocked to find that the Singha had flipped around and was facing the river. They had no idea how it had managed to move. So with much effort they turned the lion around again and left him.

Another night passed and when they returned, the lion was once again facing the water...and they came to realize that he was looking for his mate, who is still lost.

To this day, hopeful Thai boys and girls leave offerings of gold leaf, food, marbles and statues to this heartbroken lion in hopes that he can help them find their mates. When he is successful they return bearing gifts of disco balls to hang above his head.

Blood Play in BKK

Eight months ago when I stepped off the plane I knew I wasn't in Kansas anymore. But after a short period of starvation and a monsoon season I adapted and the differences between East and West didn't seem so big. But every now and then a sucker-punch out of left field reminds me that they're still worlds apart.

The ritualistic bloodletting that has swept through Bangkok and Chiang Mai this last week and a half has been a vivid reminder that there is still a strong belief in the darker arts. I'm not an expert on Thai politics, actually if I'm honest, I'll admit that I don't know squat, but when the UDD (red shirts) decided to start pouring, and tossing, blood all I could think of was "eewwww."

So far over 500,000 ccs's of blood has been spilt, tossed and painted with in Bangkok alone. The UDD has not commented on the blood that has been spilt in Chiang Mai.

Photos from the Bangkok Post:

Oops...

It's been a while since I last posted, sorry about that. I'm beginning to realize that having a blog is a lot like journaling, you always start with the best of intentions but you always get side tracked...

Life here in the big city continues on much as it always does, humid and hot. Mid-terms have kept me up late the last couple of weeks studying for subjects that I'll probably never think about again after I leave here. I mean it's not like there's much opportunity to use Thai in little ole E-burg. (Even if I could my teachers tell me that my accent is horrid :D )

I hate mid-terms, and it's not just the studying. It's all the time that's required to prep to go, ironing uniform skirts and shirts, attaching huge silver buttons, dusting off those uncomfortable shiny shoes (which you have to kick off as soon as you go into the exam room anyways), and digging out various forms of ID. It seems like a lot of pomp and circumstance for a two hour test. Kind of reminds me of the SAT actually.

Luckily, there almost over just one more tomorrow morning at the Rangsit campus. Coincidentally enough it's for the once class that I may actually end up using, Introduction to Advertising and Public Relations.

So wish me luck!!