Kawin Kaentrakool’s blog

Political turmoil is nothing new to Thailand.  Hell, there was a coup barely two years ago - I just wrote a long paper on that too!

After hoping that things would have stabilized, bad politics have taken its toll once again.  The Pantamit (People's Alliance for Democracy) have done it the hard way and taken over government buildings and threat to force the government to seize to function unless Mr. Samak (the current Prime Minister) resigned.

Thats the whole story in a box, of course the whole situation is a lot more detailed but its probably better to read it from an official news source I am really not trying to write a political article on this.

What I think the problem between the two groups are is that they forget what politics should be aiming at (well in a hypothetical idealistic uber-utopian world) is to aim at improving the country's status, compete with others internationally, develop internally, improve the economy, look out for the welfare of the population and in the end make people happy.  Thai politics disregard about 90% of this base on my judgement.  Alot of people are unhappy, and politicians make alot of money they wouldnt have otherwise being one.  This is something every Thai people know, and are powerless to fix.  The rule is very top-down not bottom-up (yes, that for a country thats been democratic for a long time).  But please consider this, the fix to this turmoil is absolutely simple.  Have dual party system, alternate rule, have a clear long plan agenda, and stick to it.  Having frog face as a PM that bitches at the news reporter all the time is a no no to begin with, do whatever else I have said, stop fighting, and maybe the country will even take on a developing roll much like Japan did about 60 years ago.  Are we really that far behind Japan?

Curent PM Samak

PAD: People's Alliance for Democracy

あきよししてますか？　あきよしはレストラんです、プラカノングにあります。　このレストランは日本のしゃぶしゃぶとすきやきたべほうだいです。　たいのためにはたかいです、　四百バツです。　でも、このレストランのたべものはちょおおおいしい！　こべのにっくもあります、たべってのことは全部日本のストイです。　このレストランは毎年いきました、でも享年はいそがしいいました。　

このレストランはドウトオウンにありますので、bts　のでんしゃあもちかいです。　　いくたいなら、あきよしはプラカノングのえきはちかいです。　　くるまもだいじょうぶです、でもbtsのでんしゃあのほうがべんりです。

あきよしたべませんなら、いくます　どおぞおねがいします。

ばんこくにたのしそうね。　ここは日本人のすきところみたい。　ここにわ日本人たくさんいます、みんななにしますか？　タイ人いますから、バンコクはすまないみたい。　へんですよね！　私のために　日本はいつもすごくたのしでした。　がいじんがなってできますともってます。　がいじんなりますなら、私のきもちがちがういます。　なにもたのしそう、なにもおいしそう。　それはたいへんですね。　べんりので、　今つくりません。　でも　それはいいきもちですね。　

バンコクのことおしえてくだいさい！　ありがとうございました！

これは日本ごのれしゅうです。　日本ごしゃべたいけど、　日本人の友達はいません。　チアトルにいった　日本人のともどあちはたくさんいました。　それなつかしだよね。　三年まえにほんごははじめました。　日本ごはできません、　日本ごしゃべればの時ははずかしでした。　いつも”かのじょうさん。。たつけて！”　ｗｗｗ。　今にほんごはじょうずいませんけど、日本ごもっとじょうずなれました。　そして、　にほんごはここにかきます。　日本ごのれんしゅうはしてればだね！　日本人さんこのブログよみました　コメントおねがいします。

あ、　わすれた。　日本ごのクラスがありません、日本ごはともだちからとかのじょうです。　
なまえはけいです。　よるしくおねがいします。

Reposting from my facebook note a while ago.

To be honest, Japan wasnt cheap. Although i considered it more of an investment to find jobs (which i did do by the way) there was alot of things they dont teach you in text book, and your Japanese friends wont tell you.......

1) Never follow a girl home - the logic is simple, theres a good chance you will go home with her and not score. As simple as that. The question is, then what? since you are not a local, the best you can do walking out of her house somewhat tipsy in the morning, pissed, tired, and broke, is asking some old lady thats watering her front yard "ano....koko wa doko desuka" -> Excuse me, where is this place? It a weird question that will surprise any old lady at about 6 30 in the morning, and with her answer, you can somewhat try to go home, IF and only IF you can find the train station.

2) Do not let girls get too close to you around the bar - Ok, dancefloor is totally fine. NO BAR. I stress this point because they can fool the bartender that they are your girlfriend, and then if you are stupid enough to put the drinks on tab, its game over mate.

3) Never think there will be another train leaving after 12 - Because there simply isnt one. Now, to be frank, it is fun to go out and it does suck to think that you have to leave at about 11 30 to go home. Well, it is early, and you know what there will be another train no worry. Wait till you are drunk, at the train station realizing there is no train home and have absolutely no idea where to go. If this ever happen - Please refer to my note "Japanese people can sleep anywhere".

4) Taxi is a no no - Well its kind of a lie, theres multiple situation deemed necessary for taxi. Going to roppongi from shibuya is an example, nobody goes clubbing at 10pm. However, if you are drinking in Chiba (prefecture next to tokyo) and decides that you want to go home for whatever reason, expect your wallet completely flat and oweing your friends money for wanting to go home. Again unless you have much money to spare - please refer to my note "Japanese people can sleep anywhere"

5) Dont leave your fridge unattended with Akira - He will devour your food, whether it has growing fungus on it or not. Wait, this has nothing to do with Japan. Oh wait, Akira is japanese, there you go.

6) If you have absolutely no money in Japan go to the police station - No, it is not so you can go to jail and thinking that its over because someone somehow somewhere will feed you. They will lend you some money for you to go home (probably like 5$) and you should give it back. They wont run after you if you dont though, so go to a few stations and theres your money for tonights drink.

7) Drinking on the street?? totally cool.... - Now considering this is illegal in the US it is not in almost every country in the world and yes that includes Japan. Grab some beers with some pals, get a pack of cigarettes, sit infront of the convenient store and call it a day. Its that good.

8) Akira will fight you when hes drunk - "IM DRUNK AND I CAN KILL YOU IN 3 SECONDS" a famous phrase by Akira. He wont kill you, he might even pass out soon.

9) Train rides are cheap if you are a foreigner - This trick is soooo simple. Buy the cheapest ticket from where ever your starting location is. Now remember the name of a few stops before you reach your destination, and go tell the ticket guy you lost your ticket. Speak in english, but speak slowly. They will ask you where you came from, you stay the station name and WALLA! its like 1/3 the original price. Ive gone from Narita city to Shinjuku saying i was at shibuya so its only 150 yen.

10) All you can drink (nomihoudai) its not a way to score a girl - 2 hours of all you can drink for like 2000 yen. There is no way in hell you will stay sober enough to barely even function. Usually the girl is the same way. The luckiest you will get however, is to be able to take the girl home, then pass out next to her.
In my case, i made out with a girl on the train with a load of Japanese people staring at me, in which i later tell them to fuck off, got lost in tokyo, met up with Jacob and miraculously made it to his home somehow. Thats lucky my friend, lucky.

So theres 10 - Be sure you know these rules before you go to Japan, they will not tell you in text books nor will your friends tell you... well I just did so nevermind.

A more fun part about reading blogs are that most of them are basically as much of people's personal life and opinion as they see fit to be published in public.  Hard to draw the line sometimes but it must be done.  This will be an interesting way to talk about some shades of my life that doesnt get touched upon daily. 

Topic 1 for today: Jobs

I am in somewhat of a dilemma with jobs.  As a recent graduate, I think most of us feel that our first job is our first step into the real world and thus it better be a good one.  I hear monstrous stories of how it takes people months and years to find their first job.  I dont have neither the money nor the time for that.

After one month I am left with two options.  One is to work for a famous Japanese architecture firm (they have built stuff are that considered the trademark of Japan and Tokyo today) and the new Thailand international airport.  I am waiting to hear back, but it sounded very positive - and what it would allow me to do is train very heavily in a Japanese working environment, learn more Japanese, and probably be stuck here for a while.

Another option is a job offer as a Designer for a local high-end furniture import company.  I dont design furniture as alot of my friends seemed to have imagined, but I do interior design with other architects and clients that want their home remodeled with these super high-end furniture.

The first is a tough job, no change of salary, general benefits, and the latter is a chill job, decent pay, raise easily, but is not directly related to structural design.  Even with the offer from these two places, its hard to decide what I would want to be doing exactly for the next few years.  I dont know the answer yet, but I feel many of us out there faces the same dilemma.  I say follow the heart, it got me this far wouldnt hurt to trust it one more time ;)

"Its all small in the spectrum of everything else" is a phrase that simply meant that we are insignificant in comparison to everything else.  Its an interesting concept, in which us humans struggle to live with. 

I am working to be a professional architect and an MC.  I use to write on alot of blogs and thought would try it out on vox also to see how I like it.  Its been a while since I wrote anything, so we'll see how this goes.