Year: 2009

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Misc.

Newcastle and Thai PM Abhisit

Newcastle United have been relegated from the English Premier League after 16 years in the top flight. The side lost 1-0 at Aston Villa last night, meaning Newcastle will play in England’s second tier next season.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who was born in Newcastle and is a passionate fan of the club, ((Upon taking office, Abhisit received a Newcastle shirt from Britain’s ambassador to Thailand.)) is surely feeling down.

Nation: “Newcastle till I die: Abhisit.”

After watching his favourite football club, Newcastle United, lose their last Premier League game and get relegated in the process, Abhisit went to bed Sunday night with hope in his heart. And he wore a Newcastle necktie to work Monday morning to display his unwavering support for the club.

“Newcastle will be promoted back to the Premier League next year,” Abhisit told reporters Monday morning. “I’m still having strong faith in the club.”

Abhisit confirmed reports that he had intended to call Newcastle manager Alan Shearer. He hasn’t made such a call, though, probably because of Sunday’s heartbreaking result or because of uncertainties surrounding Shearer’s future.

And there’s this:

Meanwhile, Manchester City, which were owned briefly by his political rival, Thaksin Shinawatra, ended their League campaign right in the middle of the 20-team table, after beating Bolton Wanderers 1-0 on Sunday.

The AP also has a story: “Thai PM will still support Newcastle“:

Abhisit, sporting a tie bearing a Newcastle logo on Monday, says he watched the match and was not shocked by the result considering the team had so many injuries. He had planned to call the manager Shearer if the team won, but decided not to after the loss.

“I will continue to support the team and I believe they will make it back,” Abhisit said. “I still have faith in Newcastle.”

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Misc.

Thailand’s transsexual beauty pageant: my new AFP story

Here’s a story I wrote for AFP about a unique beauty pageant that took place in Pattaya on Friday night: “Tiaras at Thai transsexual beauty contest” (AFP/Yahoo News).

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Misc.

Ozomatli play Bangkok

Ozomatli in Bangkok
Ulises Bella (L) and Jiro Yamaguchi (R).

The Los Angeles-based Latin funk/hip hop outfit Ozomatli ((More info on Ozomatli can be found on Wikipedia and on Amazon.com)) is one of my favorite bands. But I’d never seen them live.

So I was surprised to learn, at the last minute, that Ozomatli were playing a free show here in Bangkok last night — a Sunday evening, no less.

Ozomatli, it turns out, are U.S. State Department cultural ambassadors, and the US embassy in Thailand put on the event to showcase American diversity and multiculturalism. (The band has also played in Myanmar and Vietnam on this trip.)

The show took place outside Bangkok’s glittering CentralWorld shopping mall — an incongruous setting — amid a light rain. Thai band Buddha Bless ((Warning: link to MySpace page.)) opened. There were just a few hundred people in attendance, so my pals and I were able to watch the show from the front row. Ozomatli were full of enthusiasm, humor, and positivity.

Embedded below is a 30-second mobile phone video I shot. (Click here to see it on YouTube, if you’re reading this via RSS.)

And here’re some cell phone pics:

Ozomatli in Bangkok
Justin “El Niño” Porée

Ozomatli in Bangkok
Asdru Sierra (L) and Wil-Dog Abers (R).

Ozomatli in Bangkok
US Ambassador Eric John joins in.

Well done, Ozomatli. Come back to Bangkok soon.

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Misc.

Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, and John Yettaw

Some news stories about Aung San Suu Kyi and John Yettaw:

Reuters: “Critics hit Myanmar on “trumped-up” Suu Kyi charges”

YANGON (Reuters) – Western critics slammed Myanmar’s military rulers for pressing “trumped-up” new charges against detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but the move drew only mild rebuke from Asian neighbors.

The United States and Britain — the loudest critics of the generals who have ruled the former Burma since 1962 — condemned the Nobel Peace laureate’s forthcoming trial on charges she broke the terms of her house arrest after an American intruder stayed in her home.

Human rights groups called on Myanmar’s neighbors China and India — which have strong economic ties to the resource-rich country — and the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to demand Suu Kyi’s immediate release.

“Burma’s military authorities have taken advantage of an intruder’s bizarre stunt to throw Aung San Suu Kyi into one of Burma’s most notorious and squalid jails on trumped-up charges,” said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch.

BBC (with images that are said to be of Yettaw and what appear to be improvised flippers): “Profile: Aung San Suu Kyi ‘intruder’”

The US man who allegedly broke into the home of detained Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been named by Burma as John Yettaw, 53.

Burmese state media said he was a psychology student living in the US state of Missouri.

They say Mr Yettaw, whose surname has also been spelled Yeattaw, entered the country on a tourist visa on 2 May.

His detention led to the arrest of Ms Suu Kyi, who is now awaiting trial in Burma’s Insein prison.

CNN: “Neighbors describe man at center of Myanmar political scandal”

Tucked away in the woods of central Missouri, obscured by tall trees and broken-down cars, is the mobile home of the U.S. citizen being detained in Myanmar.

Journalists have been flocking to John Yettaw’s modest residence in the unincorporated community of Falcon for insight into the man who allegedly swam across a lake and sneaked into the home of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi while she was under house arrest.

Yettaw was charged Thursday in Myanmar on two criminal counts: entering the country illegally and staying at a resident’s home without government permission, according to a spokesman for Suu Kyi’s political party.

AP: “Clinton: Myanmar should release opposition leader”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is urging Myanmar to immediately release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi (ahng sahn soo chee).

Clinton told reporters at the State Department on Thursday that she was deeply troubled by Myanmar’s “baseless charge” against the Nobel Peace laureate. She says the government is looking for a “pretext” to place further unjust restrictions on Suu Kyi (soo chee).

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Misc.

H1N1 in Thailand: two confirmed cases

Some news today about H1N1 (swine flu) in Thailand:

Reuters: “Thailand says two flu patients visited Mexico”

Two Thais who returned from Mexico have been confirmed with H1N1 flu but have recovered from the virus, Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said on Tuesday.

Eight other Thais who were in contact with the two infected people were released after being quarantined for a week and show no signs of the virus, he said.

“We have found two confirmed cases of the flu, which was contracted abroad. They have recovered,” Witthaya told a news conference.

He gave no details of the two patients and did not say when or where they had travelled in Mexico, the epicentre of the outbreak also known as swine flu.

Nation: “Thailand confirms first two swine flu cases” ((Add “Influenza 2009” to the Thailand swine flu nomenclature list.))

Thailand on Tuesday confirmed its first two cases of Influenza 2009 in patients who had returned from Mexico.

The country becomes the 31st country that was hit by the virus so far.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said tests carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States had confirmed the A(H1N1) virus in samples from the two Thai nationals.

“There are two confirmed cases of A(H1N1), both of them contracted from Mexico,” he said.

Bangkok Post: “PM confirms first swine flu case”

A laboratory test had confirmed that a Thai who returned from a trip overseas had swine flu, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Tuesday.

Mr Abhisit said the A(H1N1) virus was found in a sample taken from the patient.

“The patient has fully recovered and has returned home,” he said.

He did not name the country the patient visited, and refused to confirm if the patient had been treated at Chulalongkorn hospital.

(Previous post: “A conversation about H1N1 with a Bangkok taxi driver.”)

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Misc.

A conversation about H1N1 with a Bangkok taxi driver

I got into a taxi here in Bangkok on Sunday. When I looked at the driver’s face in the rear view mirror, I noticed he was wearing a protective facial mask. I didn’t think much of it.

I told him where I was going, and then he turned around and looked at me.

“Where are you from?” he said.

“I’m from America,” I said.

“Not Mexico?” he said.

“No,” I said. “I’m from America. But I live here in Bangkok.”

“Okay,” he said. ((We spoke in Thai, in case you’re wondering, though this was a very simple conversation.))

Then he took off his mask and explained that he was afraid of catching swine flu. And that he was glad I wasn’t a Mexican. He said he’d been asking all of the foreigners who got into his taxi if they were from Mexico.

I assured him that I was not Mexican, that I had not been infected with H1N1, and — despite the fact that it has nothing to do with swine flu — that I don’t eat pork. ((I do, in fact, eat pork, but he was quite nervous, and I wanted to put him at ease.))

He smiled and seemed relieved. ((The latest news on H1N1 and Thailand, for the record: There have still been no confirmed cases. A suspected case recently turned out to be the common flu.))

(Related post: “Thailand swine flu nomenclature update.”)

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Misc.

My TV story on ASEAN meeting to discuss H1N1

Here’s a TV story I did yesterday for Singapore’s Channel NewsAsia. The story is about a meeting of health ministers from the ASEAN +3 nations here in Bangkok. The officials discussed strategies to prevent the H1N1 virus from spreading.

Go to the link above and click on the video below the image on the right side of the page. You can select a low-res version of the video if it’s slow to load. The story should be viewable on the site for the next few days.

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Misc.

Thailand swine flu nomenclature update

A quick note on swine flu nomenclature: the CDC is now referring to the flu as “H1N1 flu.” And the WHO is calling it “influenza A(H1N1).”

As far as American newspapers are concerned, the WSJ prefers “A/H1N1 swine flu,” while the NY Times is sticking with “swine flu.” At the Washington Post, it’s still “swine flu,” as well. ((I’ve yet to conduct a survey of other media, such as TV and radio.))

As I noted last week, the Nation, one of Bangkok’s English-language newspapers, made the switch from “swine flu” to “Mexican human flu.” However, the paper is now using the term “A(H1N1) flu.” (From a story today: “14 Thais from Mexico test negative to A(H1N1) flu.”) ((Oh, and in case you’re wondering: there has not been an outbreak here.))

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Misc.

Thailand’s yellow shirt leader says military tried to kill him

WSJ:

“Thai Says Military Behind Murder Plot: Mogul’s Claim, Absolving Political Foe Thaksin, Puts New Twist on Nation’s Turmoil”

A Thai media baron who was instrumental in toppling two governments said an alliance of military officials and politicians bent on thwarting political change was behind an attempt to kill him last month.

Sondhi Limthongkul’s claim, while unproven, was notable in part because the businessman and protest leader absolved his political foe, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and said both men shared a common desire for change.

Mr. Sondhi made the allegation Sunday in his first public remarks since the murder attempt at dawn on April 17. Police say at least five men fired at least 84 rounds from military-grade assault rifles at Mr. Sondhi’s car as he traveled to his office in Bangkok’s historic old quarter.

Mr. Sondhi had to undergo surgery to remove shrapnel from his skull after the attack, which seriously wounded his driver. No arrests have been made.

The attack was a fresh twist in a continuing political struggle in Thailand over whether the nation should become a functioning, accountable democracy or a place where generals and politicians make deals to determine who wields power, as has been the case for much of Thailand’s history.

There’s more from the AP and Reuters.

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Misc.

Souse-Vide take on Korean french fry encrusted hot dog

John and My Brother with French Fry-Encrusted Corndogs
The image that launched a culinary meme

Austin explains:

Here in Bangkok were so taken by the inherent genius of the dish, not to mention Lees’s breathtaking reverse engineering feat, that we decided to attempt our own ‘modern’ interpretation of the French fry-coated hot dog on a stick.

Our contribution to the genre? The dish pictured above: sous-vide potato confit with panko crust and hot dog foam. Unlike Lees, Hock has a modern kitchen at his disposal, and he took full advantage of this to apply cooking techniques that would best highlight each of the dish’s individual ingredients while not losing sight of the dish’s street origins. I think you’ll agree that we succeeded in this.

Don’t miss the excellent images that accompany Austin’s post.

So there you have it: Culinary innovation and cultural diffusion in action.

(Thanks to SeriousEats.com for the links and summary.)