Category: Misc.

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Misc.

The World Cup So Far

Day two of the World Cup has just commenced and we’ve already seen some sparkling matches. Given my love for the tiny Andean nation of Ecuador, I was delighted to see the boys from la mitad del mundo beat a favored Poland squad 2-0. And today, in the tournament’s most exciting match thus far, an Argentina squad that looks good enough to lift the trophy on July 9th beat the Ivory Coast 2-1. In other matches, Germany destroyed Costa Rica 4-2, Sweden and Trinidad & Tobago tied 0-0, and England beat Paraguay 1-0.

Some links for following the action:

— The New York Times has a good World Cup blog

— Soccernet is always a go-to resource

— The official FIFA World Cup 2006 site is amazingly comprehensive

— The complete World Cup TV schedule is good to have on hand (kickoff times are EST)

Other stuff:

— The World Bank has posted some interesting research regarding the World Cup and participating nations’ economies.

— There’s a great piece in the Guardian about the US national squad: “Get ready to dislike America…soon enough they’ll be boring world-beaters.” (Thanks to A for the link.)

And, finally, speaking of the US, they’re set to take on the Czech Republic on Monday at noon EST.

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Misc.

Back in the USSA

I arrived in SC late last night. Thanks to those of you who’ve emailed me welcome back notes. Initial reactions upon re-entry into the American imperium: everyone is big, loud, and friendly.

In other news, my family got a new dog today. (Arne, the long-serving and beloved familial canine, passed away at an advanced age a few months back.) Here’re some pics of the new pooch.

Say hi to Sammy, a seven-month-old Golden Retriever. In addition to his abundant good looks, he’s incredibly even-tempered and generally low-maintenance (for a puppy). Although on the downside he slobbers a lot when he drinks and he seems to be afraid of stairs. Pics are below.

And finally: Have you been watching the World Cup, which commenced today? I have some things to say on the subject. Which I shall do in my next post.

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Misc.

Blogging from 30,000 Feet

Snapped at 30 K feet: the Sky Outside My Window Right Now

I’m writing this from 30,000 feet in the air. Halfway between Seoul and Washington, DC. Perhaps somewhere over Alaska? Not sure. But here’s what I saw when I looked out of my window just a minute ago. Had to snap a pic of it. There’s wifi on my Korean Air flight; the connection speed is fast but it’s pricey ($10 per hour). But it’s way too cool to pass up.

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Misc.

I’m Heading to the US for Two Weeks

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I leave Bangkok late tonight for a two-week trip home to the US. I’ll be in Beaufort, SC as of late Thursday night; then it’s on to Boston/Cape Cod for a wedding. I plan to swing through DC on my way back to SC. Then it’s back here to Bangkok on June 23rd.

I still don’t have a precise itinerary, but I’m looking forward to seeing as many friends as possible on this quite brief sojourn.

For you long-haul flight junkies, here’re the dirty details: I’m flying Korean Air*** from BKK to Seoul to Dulles, where I connect to Savannah on Delta. On the way back it’s SAV to Atlanta to Seoul to BKK. The ATl to ICN leg is the longest of the bunch, lasting 14 hours and 25 minutes. Don’t worry ’bout little ole me, as in addition to a multitude of media to devour (mp3s; magazines; newspapers; both fiction and nonfiction books; an instructional Thai language book) I’ve got window seats, which are crucial for sacking out as I can lean up against the fuselage. Aisle seats, which you might think would be a logical choice for a 6’3″ guy like myself, is problematic as my size 12 1/2 U-boats are always meandering out from under the seat in front of me and getting smashed by the drink carts.

On an administrative note, newley.com has been buried under an avalanche of comment spam; I’ve disabled commenting while I try to find a solution. (Any of your gearheads out there have an suggestions for the best way to do this on WordPress?) I enjoy feedback from you, my dear readers; in the meantime, hit me up on email.

* No, I’m not flying Kazakstan Airlines, as much as I would love to support Borat‘s homeland.
** Korean Air: bring on the bibimbap, baby.

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Misc.

Stop Me if You’ve Heard This One

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An Ecuadorian, an American, a Thai, another American, a Nepali, and an Israeli walk into a bar in Bangkok…

Okay, so there’s no punchline, but there should be one. Regardless, here’s a pic from a recent night on the town. The nationalities I mentioned in my setup are accurate, from left to right.

Imagine my surprise, given my long and storied history with the tiny Andean nation of Ecuador, to bump into a guy from Guayaquil who’s on vacation here — after all, Ecuador has only 13 million people, and most of them do not travel to Asia. His name is Jose. Great guy. We talked for a while about everything from Ecuadorian cuisine to his country’s chances at World Cup 2006 Germany. It’s a cliche, but hey, it’s true: small world. Very small world.

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Misc.

The Thinking Fan’s Guide to the World Cup

A special person recently gave me a special gift: “The Thinking Fan’s Guide to the World Cup,” a collection of football-related writings that includes contributions from Nick Hornby, Eric Schlosser, James Surowiecki, Jorge Castaneda, Dave Eggers, and many other influential thinkers.

The book’s introduction, by co-editor Sean Wilsey, perfectly encapsulates the heady mix of anticipation, nervousness, and exuberance I feel as the opening match of World Cup 2006 Germany approaches (the tournament commences on Friday, June 9).

Here’re a couple of passages that I found especially poignant:

The world of the World Cup is the world I want to live in. I cannot resist the pageantry and high mindedness, the apolitical display of national characteristics, the revelation of human flaws and unexpected greatness, the fact that entire nations walk off the job or wake up at 3 a.m. to watch men kick a ball. There are countries that have truly multiracial squads – France, England, the United States – while other teams are entirely blonde or Asian or Latin American. There are irritating fans: ‘USA! USA! USA!’ (Blessedly few.) There are children who hold hands with each player as he walks onto the field. National anthems play. Men paint themselves their national colours and cry openly at opposing victories. An announcer shouts ‘GOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLL! GOL GOL GOL!’ on the Spanish language channel. A Slovakian tire salesman, an Italian cop, or a German concert pianist – having passed the official fitness tests and psychological examinations – will moonlight as referees.

And:

The joy of being one of the couple billion people watching thrity-two nations abide by seventeen rules fills me with the conviction, perhaps ignorant, but like many ignorant convictions, fiercely held, that soccer can unite the world.

Amen.

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Misc.

Around the World in 90 Days

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My buddy Matt Gross just began what is quite possibly the coolest travel writing gig imaginable: He’s traveling around the world in 90 days and blogging about his adventures for the New York Times. He’s on a budget, but luckily it’s not too restrictive. Here’s his first post, from Lisbon.

A few snips:

Every week, as I make my way eastward, I will be sharing travel tips, discussing the limits of ultra-discount airlines, exploring the concept of Slow Travel and, if I’m lucky, discovering a microscopic town or burgeoning metropolis with untapped vacation potential. I’ll seek stylish shoes in Barcelona and fine wines in Georgia, and delve into the logistics of yurt camping in Mongolia.

And:

Some guidelines first. Circling the globe presents an seemingly infinite number of travel options, and narrowing them down requires one to be patient, open-minded and occasionally arbitrary. I am beginning in the Mediterranean because it’s summer and I want to go to the beach. Odessa is also on my list, precisely because I had heard little about it except that it’s a hot party zone. And while I went to Shanghai last year, that city struck me as so fast-moving that I couldn’t wait to see how it’s changed in the intervening months.

Matt’s itinerary has him hitting “Lisbon, Istanbul, Tashkent, Beijing, Shanghai, Ulaan Baatar and San Francisco.”

Sweet.

Be sure to share your suggestions and travel tips by posting a comment.

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Misc.

My Story on Billy Cobham’s Thailand Debut

I’ve got a story in today’s International Herald Tribune/Thai Day (Thai Day is a Siam-specific IHT section) — it’s a review of drumming legend Billy Cobham‘s first-ever concert in Thailand. The story’s not (yet?) online, sadly. If you’re reading this from the Kingdom, pick up a copy of the paper; for those of you outside Thailand, well, you’re outta luck. But here’s my lede:

When the drummer for the opening act launched into his manic solo Tuesday night at the Thailand Cultural Center, he may well have felt intimidated by his proximity to greatness. That’s because not far away – lounging backstage, perhaps, or seated serenely in the wings — drumming legend Billy Cobham was in the house. When Cobham later took the stage and struck up his band for what would be his inaugural Thailand performance, he displayed not only his staggering percussive genius but also his subtle aptitude for marshaling disparate sounds from around the globe.

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Misc.

Mango with Sticky Rice

It just so happens that one of Bangkok’s most famous mango with sticky rice (Khao Niaow Ma Muang in Thai) stands is less than 100 meters from where I’m staying. I am a lucky man. Here’re some pics. You get your order to go and then mix up the ingredients — in addition to the mango, you’ve got your cream and some peanuts, all packaged up dainty-like. A dessert — nay, meal — like this will set you back about 80 Baht (roughly US $2), which is expensive for BKK street food. But oh it’s worth it. Take my word: it is worth it.

UPDATE: I sampled this fine dish yet again yesterday, and the price is actually 60 Baht (about $1.50). In addition, Bangkok expert John E. writes in pointing out that you don’t actually get peanuts to sprinkle on top. Instead, I looked closely at what comes in the package (see the far left of the second image below) and they appear to be — wait for it — Rice Crispies. Seriously. Some mango with sticky rice recipes make reference to topping the dish off with sesame seeds, but I like the idea of Rice Crispies much better.

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Misc.

Spotted in Bangkok: Collectible Lighters Featuring World Ethnicities

Spotted in Bangkok: World's Ethnicities Lighters

I saw these lighters for sale in a 7-11 here and I knew I simply had to have them all. Click on the photo to read the writing — they say, from left to right, “Thailand,” “Indian,” “Chinese,” and “African.” Collect ’em all! (At 15 Baht, or roughly US $.40 each, these remarkable artifacts are a bargain at twice the price.) Culturally insensitive? Yes.

A few things:

— I find it strange that the lighter for the Thai person says “Thailand,” as in the nation, and not “Thai,” as in the people, as the others do.
— The graphical representations of the stereotypes are rather interesting.
— How come there’s no lighter featuring a white dude? I totally feel left out.
— Because this is Asia, the illustrations are, more than anything else, CUTE!
— This latest acquisition, of course, comes on the heels of the “Brack Power” condoms I documented in Korea.