observations, humor, nonsense
Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home. – Matsuo Basho I’ve done a lot of moving in my life in attempt to discover where I belong. I’ve moved from Portland, Oregon, down to Chico, California, then further still to Oceanside, California. And when we were fed up with the West Coast,…
Read More
I know. I know. You’re freaking out because you have a friend’s birthday to go to. It’s also that time of year again – the holidays! I understand. Shhhh. I’ve got some ideas and tips.
Read More
My friend, who is somewhat newly moved to Thailand, was reflecting on what it’s like to be an expat: the culture shock, and then the struggle of not wanting to complain and feel culture shocked. As I walked to work, I thought about how much I had changed since living abroad.
Read More
I’m regularly asked about moving to Thailand (and now I’m being asked about Cambodia). There was a point when I was emailed so often I considered creating a standard reply, but in the end laziness reigned supreme. Interestingly, I’ve made friends though these initial inquiries. I’ve met up with a few and one time I…
Read More
It started off with shoes, but then it became a bigger question. Does where you live change the way you dress? Yes. A resounding yes.
Read More
Eating as a kid – in the beginning, there was sugar. My brother and I pretty much had free range over the foods we wanted. But not in a “Do you want sushi or beef wellies?” kind of way, more like we rode the shopping cart down commissary food aisles with reckless joy throwing in…
Read More
1) Ever since we moved to Chiang Rai, I was concerned about the lack of access to English books, as there are not as many expats here as there is in Chiang Mai. So, I decided to buy a Kindle. They are more expensive in Thailand, so I had a friend who was visiting the…
Read More
A friend of mine posted this challenge and I thought, Yeah, I can do that, too. So, I announced on FB that I was going to stop liking things for 2 weeks and instead of liking things, I made more comments. But this didn’t last long. In fact, I think I only lasted a few…
Read MoreI remember in the sixth grade when this new kid came to class. He was one of the few black kids at our school, and on his first day he answered Mrs. K’s questions as best as he could. “Your name is Filet Mingon?” “Yes.” She said it louder and slower, “Your name is Filet…
Read More
So, I signed this petition (I’ve been signing petitions lately.). This one is by 18 Million Rising because American Girl® doll cancelled their only Asian American doll. 18MR basically wants American Girl® to create another doll that looks like us.
Read More
*Other Asians might apply: based on observations and real life experiences. 1. Keep the plastic on your furniture. My mom kept the plastic cover on our lampshades until I think we revolted or something. But maybe I’m remembering incorrectly, they could still be on…
Read More
I’ve been wanting to delete my fb account, but I realized it has become a second email box, and a good way to stay in contact with friends and family while overseas. Then I read Why I Stopped Using Facebook and it made me think about how I can scale back my time and usage…
Read More
Don’t assume travelers are smarter, more worldly or better than those who stay at home. Stupid people travel too. I know this is a bit unfair to say because I live in Thailand. I hear foreigners talk to Thais in broken English and I want to “go hit you” in the face for perpetuating bad…
Read More
I like American football. I have fond memories from childhood, when the rest of childhood was more complicated and slippery. People are often surprised to hear that I like American football. I suppose because I don’t announce this, I don’t seem like the type (???) and because after college, I’ve never dated a guy who…
Read More
I’ve been bullied – online and in person. In high school, a boy, let’s call him R, decided to start off class by giving us a speech. His theme, how flat I was. His insults rolled off like a rap sheet, how I had a flat face, flat nose, flat chest, flat ass, flat everything…
Read More
You mean they’re not? (*hit the gong*) Well, according to Vijay Pendakur’s Open Letter to Asian American parents, no, they are not. Really? First of all, I’m all for parents teaching their children to be proud of their race/ethnicity/culture/etc. Now, whether or not the child embraces their culture and parents’ teachings is entirely up to…
Read More
For some reason, when I write about the holidays, my posts feel fairly melancholic (surprise). So, this year I’m attempting to not be so melancholic, although, last Christmas I was – depressed (surprised?). Even though my mom was here, I felt lonely, and normally I like to be alone so this was unusual. But there…
Read More
Growing up in Hawaii offered many wonderful experiences that, as a child, I wasn’t even aware of. Sure, I didn’t see snow until I left, but I lived outside, in the sunshine, the warmth, the play that many children seem to be deprived of nowadays. We didn’t know seasons, really. And I never owned an…
Read More
I just read Vicki Pott’s (@ redheadedtravels) about me page which has inspired me to write this long overlooked and overdue post. Vicki’s first sentence is, “I can remember the exact moment I got the travel bug…”
Read MoreI was starting to freak out a bit. You see, for my 39th 29th birthday, I decided to cut my long locks short. Students would give me compliments. I went through a series of perm, straight, bangs, transformations and then students started to cut their hair short. A-lai-wah?
Read MoreI went to see a fortune teller with Mia, and he told me I have more bad luck than good luck in the area of romantic love, so I had to go tam boon, or make merit, you know, to help balance out the luck. Why not? Tamai la!
Read More
I wasn’t even aware that today was Thanksgiving until my friend told me. I’m not sure if this is sad or sublime. I have a Thai calendar and was mainly focused on Loy Kratong. Thanksgiving here is like Christmas in Hawaii, I’m not feeling it.
Read MoreI remember when Bush Light was President and my friends went on holiday to SE Asia. They told everyone they were Canadians. And I remember, seeing the Canadian flag sewed on to backpacks, bouncing on sweaty backs whenever I was in touristic quarters. Yes, Canadians are proud, and they also don’t want to be mistaken…
Read More
Thailand is like the American Wild West. This is my epiphany. Trying to explain why I like it here has been an exercise in watching, wondering and patience. Since I have spent many years contemplating the perfect place to live, I have discovered that the cost of living, the friendliness of the people, both the…
Read More
What can I say? I was lucky. I am lucky. To all those first generation American kids: yeah, our parents are different but they are such a gift. You’ll have to trust me on this one. Whatever perceived flaws you might find in their traditional ways, will probably be your allies and strengths in the…
Read More
A recent comment about tourists having shallow brushes with Thai culture made me wonder about my own experiences. Take Songkran for instance, this Thai New Year celebration of block party meets water fight probably doesn’t hold much religious significance to the passing tourist, expat or non-Buddhist Thais.
Read More
When I went to Vang Vieng Laos during a Christmas holiday, my friend and I saw something truly original, a row of street vendors selling the exact same thing. Four or five ladies with their carts very close together selling French baguette sandwiches on what appeared to be a darkish empty street devoid of anyone…
Read More
Celebrating diversity similarities Post TEDxDoiSuthep, my friends and I were discussing the overused bumper sticker of a phrase: Celebrate Diversity. And then it was brought up, Why don’t we celebrate similarities? Afterall, the news already does a nausating job of pointing out cultural differences and all the valid reasons why we have wars and conflicts.…
Read More
I am half Thai, lôok krêung, ลูกครึ่ง and I suspect there are many of us half-breeds running around. It’s a noncount noun thing. To the western mind this term is considered almost insulting, to the other half it’s considered insulting, almost. To my mind, it’s a curious splinter dividing my dance card with identity.
Read MoreWhat makes Thailand unique? In other words why is Thailand the Hail Mary pass of tourists and expat destinations? My last post on Should Thailand be like US? along with the frequent power outages at work, Bangkok Reality Smackdown’s smackdowns, and my own mother telling me via Skype that “the party is going to have…
Read MoreThe thing about anthropology, like economics, or any discipline for that matter, is it can be applied to anything. When I was searching for a college major, a family friend suggested I take an anthropology class, so I did. This coincided with a World Religion class I was also taking by an archaeologist turned community…
Read MoreRecently a friend of mine gave me Louis Theroux’s Weird Weekend episode: Thai Wives. (Highly recommend: hilarious, disturbing, riveting) and Bangkok Podcast just released a Thai Online Dating episode. This neatly coincided with my brother sending me a link to an article titled: Where Have the Good Men Gone? Maybe this is just the month…
Read More
If you’ve ever tried brushing your teeth with your non-dominate hand then you understand how weird it feels. You end up moving your head side to side to compensate for the lack of control and strength you have for this fine-motor skill.
Read MorePerhaps it had to do with visiting Thailand at six years of age. Or maybe it was that German woman who visited us when I was a child. She cooked potato pancakes that were mighty good. I remember flipping through her English/German language book with delight. I thought flugnummer (flight number) was so much fun…
Read More
Being back in Thailand means a lot of things. It means I’m eating amazing food again and seeing my friends that I missed when I was in Ecuador, and now missing my friends who are in Ecuador. It means putting Spanish on the shelf and taking down pasa Thai, dusting it off and playing with…
Read More
Life, the Universe, and Lani 
You must be logged in to post a comment.