Editorial: August 2014
Growing up, what I knew about Buddhism went along these lines: walking the middle path, humility, compassion, attainment of wisdom, respecting the robe and not necessarily the man in it, aiming for the cessation of desires which leads to the alleviation of suffering, and finding peace and understanding. When I prayed, I was told to pray for compassion for all living beings, not to pray for personal favours. These were the basics which I grasped.
Up In The Air
I strap on my helmet and adjust the microphone before stepping into the tiny aircraft. It’s early in the morning but the day is just starting to heat up, and my pilot, Prayote Chaimongkol, who also happens to be the owner and builder of the Microlight plane we’ll be flying in, says we’d better get a move on before the air gets too hot and the ride gets choppy. I feel a strange, zen-like calm as I strap on my seatbelt and plug in my mic. I have faith in this flying machine…and plus, the wings look big enough to carry us down at least semi-gently should anything go wrong.
Breaking Through Buddhism: Beyond the Dogma and Patriarchy
Ouyporn Khuankaew’s life began as many do here in northern Thailand, in a poor rice-farming family of devout Buddhists. But despite the regular temple visits and dutiful merit-making, Ouyporn’s father was a violent man who regularly beat his family, even threatening them with an axe in the middle of the night. No one in the close-knit neighbourhood ever stepped in to help, and the monks and abbots … Continued
Big Fish, Little Fish: Why Thailand’s Drug Laws Just Don’t Work
The latest infamous victim of Thailand’s draconian drug laws is a Thai ex-model who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for carrying a small amount of cocaine through a Bangkok airport. Since then, she has attracted thousands of supporters and the attention of the international media, with many calling Thailand’s notorious drug penalties unreasonably harsh and outdated.
Ice Skating In The Tropics
An orange penguin and four children sashay with sincere enthusiasm onto a red carpet that has been rolled through the centre of the Central Festival’s Sub-Zero Ice Skate Club. Hot on the bladed heels of the cavorting waterfowl comes Spiderman (an accomplished skater – who knew?), a gliding ballerina and a keen young pop performer.
Food Trails… Kuala Lumpur
Vibrant, bustling and far too hot, Malaysia’s most populous city is growing at a rapid pace. With its sky scraping towers, luxurious leanings and fast-paced business sector, Kuala Lumpur can be an overwhelming place to visit, and many may argue that its old charms have been all but lost. Yet behind every supermall, you’ll find serpentine alleys and lively courtyards packed with street vendors – primarily Malay, Chinese and Indian – selling truly fantastic fare of all kinds. Meanwhile, a number of excellent fine dining options have sprung up to meet the demand of an increasingly international community, and many are worth the splurge.
The Adventures of Tom: August 2014
The laziest way to write is to choose a subject and then spend 800 words slagging it off. This sort of text is the stuff that pays the mortgages of tabloid journalists, and it’s abhorrent. Unfortunately, my dear reader, it’s exactly what I am choosing to do in this month’s column. I don’t want to. I’d like to be writing about motorbikes and mountain roads, iced coffee and sunsets over Doi Suthep, my imaginary cat named Puddles or that adorable snowman thing whose head keeps falling off in Disney’s Frozen.