Thailand - Everyday Ups and Downs

Sorry for the gap between this new piece and the last one - a couple of factors have hindered me in writing the next ramblings from Bangkok : I have been mad busy at my new job, often feeling a) very tired or b) the need for a cold, crisp Heineken to unwind and ; I managed to fracture my toe at half time of England's ill-fated game against Portugal ( connecting crudely with a wall in my kitchen ).

SO, I've finally found the time to sit down and muse on this week's topic - The joys of listening to and watching sports in Thailand, specifically this week cricket but also of course the World Cup just concluded.

As I write I am tuned in to the calming tones of BBC's Test Match Special ( hereafter TMS ) via the internet. I can't tell you the pleasure this brings to one stranded so far away from the chance of a balmy afternoon, nicely sozzled, sittng at Lord's or Trent Bridge or Old Trafford, eating sandwiches, reading The Independent, watching the game unfold and occasionally clapping a glorious on-drive. These guys, such as Aggers ( Jonathan Agnew ), CMJ ( Christopher Martin-Jenkins ), Boycs, and the king of them all Henry Blofeld, transport the sounds and mood of an English summer right into my home - it's so nice !! I know it's almost a false slice of real England as it is today but, for me, it's a wonderful throwback to Blighty and I loves it !

It's one of the great things about living out here that you can dip into these areas of your old life and it somehow carries more resonance, more value. You can look forward to the treat that awaits you as you negotiate the traffic or people of Bangers en route to your destination.

There are a couple of bars that show the TV feed of these Test series too, so it is possible to sit there with a ploughman's or a pie and chips and totally indulge yourself in Englishness. I remember last summer, getting settled about 3.30pm, ordering an all-day English breakfast and a Guinness, and watching one of the Ashes Tests all day until we were turfed out about 1am, merry and with a connection to home firmly re-established.

Thailand does this very well, especially in Bangkok. English, Kiwi, South African, Aussie sports are available somewhere, somehow, and you can combine it with a good atmosphere, no bother like you may get in England itself, hearty food, and cold beer. It's a great combo and enables you to dip into the parts of home life you miss most - the click of leather on willow, the background buzz of a Test match crowd, or the camaraderie of a World Cup.

The best venue I found for this year's WC was a huge beer garden complete with retractable roof and half-time stage show. It was tremendous. We had waitress table service, a huge screen, and a good buzz about the place. After the game we were treated to a finale of leggy dancers doing all sorts of energetic stuff and a great singer belting out footy-themed tunes. Well impressive and an excellent way to watch sport in my opinion ! ( The only crimp on the evening was the 25 minute delay at the start of the match as detailed in a previous post ! ).

Yes, Bangkok is a great mix of Asia and The West, and you can sample both in equal measure, making it a surprisingly easy place to live ( and visit for those who've never been here before )in that regard. Comforts are everywhere if things get too much and thank the lord for TMS !

Now to a classic of ex-pat annoyance - the Thai pace of walking.

It's very amusing watching hot and bothered westerners attempting to do an overtaking manouvre on the narrow and uneven pavements of Bangkok as their fellow ( Thai ) pedestrians amble along, drifting this way and that, blocking their way.

It really is incredible, to me anyway, the lack of urgency shown to get from A to B by the average citizen here. I'm all for taking it easy and adopting a leisurely pace of life but this has to be seen to be believed. The theory is that the heat forces people to slow right down and so not sweat so much when you get to your destination, that it's a physiological must, but I reckon there's more to it than this. It seems to be a daydreamy style of movement so that, even if it was 18 degrees not 32, the same pace would occur. Or maybe you just get attuned to a certain pace year round, I don't know.

Again, as with a lot of these cultural differences, you have to say that the Thai way is better, it's just that I think I spent too long in my formative years in a more urgent culture. Taking it easy and not rushing around has to be better doesn't it ? You're less frantic, not so worried about time, and arrive cooler and calmer to work or meeting or a lunch date or whatever. BUT, I just don't seem able to lock in to it. If I try ( and I have ) to slow myself down I just get impatient to get where I'm meant to be and then do what I'm meant to be doing - meaning I once again have to weave in and out of those in less of a hurry. When I'm not on a schedule it's very funny seeing westerners who are, but when I am that westerner, my god it's frustrating ! Is this my UK conditioning ?

There also seems to be an innate sense of how best to move across your path at the precise moment you're looking to make 'the pass' - it's uncanny. Michael Schumacher would do well here.

I was talking with a friend the other night about the need, the absolute need, to come to terms with differences such as slow walking and tailor my behaviour to that of my host nation. If you don't, there are daily frustrations that will wear you down in this unbending, concession-less culture.

These type of things lead to another subject I will be writing about at a later date - 'The Guy Who's Been In Thailand Too Long', and I think I'll sign off this week with a classic quote on the Slow Walkers from an Australian I worked with briefly over here. It's gone down in folklore as he arrived flustered, red, and late into the office and said in his broad Aussie accent " F*** me Thais walk slow ! I've got mates back home with no legs who walk faster than your average Thai !! "

Yes, he'd been here too long but yes, he had a point.

Disbelief and frustration amongst the various ex-pat nationalities here in Thailand this week - the start of World Cup 2006 of course.

These are the events you really look forward to ; a chance to see your home nation while living on foreign soil ; cheering them on with other disenfranchised souls at funny hours of the day ; rekindling that scent of home !

Not here you can't. Unfortunately Thailand is celebrating ( in their eyes ) something vastly more important. So much so as to not even be worthy of mention in the same breath, sentence or day as the footy - The 60th anniversary of The King's accession to the throne.

It's entirely understandable as, I'm sure most people know, Thailand's monarch is worshipped to an almost religious level, and he does seem to be a true man of the people, instigating projects to aid the poor, a visible figure in times of need, and a steadying hand when constitutional crisis looms. He just looks like a really caring man, and I have developed a strange affection for him myself simply by absorbing the people's obvious feelings.

So, every night, for a LONG time all available Thai TV channels show montages and clips from the extended celebrations. Even Prince Andrew's here. Unfortunately the Thai TV channels are the only networks that have the rights to WC 2006 - cue scheduling clash with only one winner and many miffed footy fans !

This led to all sorts of baffled looks on Saturday night as we settled down to watch England's first WC finals match for four long years, then realised with horror what was going on and the fact that we couldn't say anything out of respect for The King. So, 25 agonising minutes passed ( and an England goal ) before the pictures flickered through to the big screen beer garden we were sat in. Since then every early kick-off has been replaced with these Royal homages, and sometimes an hour or so of the really late KO's too. Lots of countries' games with strong ex-pat bases out here have been affected - Australia, France, Switzerland, Holland, USA among others.

Again, one of the joys of Thai ways and it certainly makes you remember where you are !

I wanted to start a regular blog to put down some of my thoughts on the often difficult parts of living as an ex-pat here in Bangkok and Thailand, and then to also talk about the best parts of living here. There are both these experiences I find in equal measure and it doesn't half make life interesting !

Additionally I'll report on other areas of Thai life such as politics, sport, oddities and anything else I think is worthy of mention - there are so many stories to tell here it shouldn't be a problem finding something to talk about!

I have come to appreciate just how stark the differences can be between two cultures, and it is very informative living in the gap as I feel I do. Trying to fit in and respect the social norms of your adopted homeland while being really of too late an age to change radically my cultural instincts and reactions is hard at times.

You can be sauntering along one day in the sunshine, in your shorts and sandals thinking how ace it all is then 10 minutes later you've lost your temper because you can't get the same item you bought just last week and the shop is telling you they've never stocked it ! This is just an example of course but a good one of the ups and downs you face.

The underlying fact to all of this of course is that we are guests here and, as such, you feel you can't really moan. Unfortunately, we Brits like a good moan occasionally and don't mind doing it in public either - one of the biggest no-no's in Thai society !! This can make you look extremely foolish and only adds to the frustration.

So, I hope to detail here these various weekly experiences, some for humour, some for cultural reference, some to record my time here as it unfolds, and maybe some for other people to get an insight into what is a unique country with all its idiosyncracies, pleasures, and faults.