Category Archives: superstitions

Thai White Elephant

April 26, 2024 – 4:12 am

Many Asian cultures regarded fatness as a sign of wealth, however with the advent of 7/11 consumerism in the Orient obesity is fast becoming a health issue for the region. The Thais like to joke about fat people, whom they call ‘chang-nois’ or little elephants. “Why are farangs so fat?” An old rice farmer asked […]

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Lightning Strike More Than Once 2008

April 14, 2024 – 11:45 am

Songkran signals the approach of the rainy season. The collision of wet warm fronts with hot dry fronts stimulate epic lightning storms. My girlfriend always insisted on shutting off every electrical device in the house other than the fans. Thais shiver in fear of a lightning strike with good reason. Everyone knew someone who had […]

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Maundy Thursday

March 28, 2024 – 9:49 am

In 1977 I lived in Park Slope with James Spicer. The silver-haired jazz impressario representing several jazz stars only charged me $120 for a room in the spacious townhouse. We drank up the street at the Gaslight Pub. James thrived on the streetwise clientele and I sparred with a Frenchman for pinball supremacy. Michel the […]

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The Roam of Ghosts

November 21, 2023 – 1:08 pm

My youngest son talks about phee or ghosts. Fenway is not scared of these spirits, but he doesn’t want to go to certain houses on our soi in Sri Racha, since the four-year-old sees birds with voices. His mother thinks that he has the 6th sense. Mam says that she is not frightened by ghosts. […]

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Shannon the Easter Bunny

October 30, 2023 – 6:49 pm

Several Halloweens ago I was sitting in front of Mekong restaurant on Prince Street. It was a warm night. My friends and I watched the parade of costumes. We were having a good time, until a Batman sat next to our lady friend. The Caped Crusader aggressively kissed Jane and then he stole my beer. […]

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