Friday, October 3, 2008

Cabbages and Condoms

I didn't get a great picture of the pool at the Four Seasons Bangkok, so you'll just have to take my word for it that it's the cleanest pool in the world (or at least the cleanest pool I've ever had a swim in).










This is where you take your pre-swim shower. The water comes out of the top of the rock formation in the center of the wall.










Went to the Linden Fall 2008 Asia Tour official welcome dinner Thursday night (which was Thursday morning for you in the States) at an interesting little place called, "Cabbages and Condoms," a colorful open-air restaurant serving yummy Thai food and donating a portion of their profits to AIDS research and prevention. They really work the theme, with mannequins dressed in outfits festooned with condoms and multitudes of AIDS-themed posters on the walls.





















Jayson eats a whole sea bass, while Matt and Jason (left to right) look on.











This morning we did our first school visits, heading out to International School Bangkok on the bus. Heavy rains the night before left deep water on the streets, which didn't seem to phase anybody.











This is the courtyard at ISB (not flooded, though it kind of looks that way, just a pond).











After we got back to the hotel I went for a walk, and came across this shrine on the sidewalk just as it was getting dark. It was a very busy place on a Friday evening.











Ronald McDonald gives passersby the traditional Thai greeting.












This is my favorite shot of the trip so far, an image I got by accident when Monika walked in front of the shot I was taking as we entered Cabbages and Condoms.









Tomorrow we have our first big IIE Fair (Institute of International Education), after which we head straight to the airport and fly to Singapore.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I blew up the "New Sex Test Roulette" photo and spent some time studying the English and Thai labels.

Assuming that the length of a word is inversely related to its frequency of use, the Thai have a great deal of occasion to talk about scabies (2 characters) and pediculosis (3). (Admittedly, "lice" is a pretty short word in English.) On the other end of the spectrum, "petting" is 13 characters long, and "No sex, please" has 17, suggesting that the notions didn't exist in Siam until forced on the locals by British opium-traders. Who, of course, were saving themselves for marriage.

Stephanie, it's obviously your task to come back with a Thai translation of "Paradise By The Dashboard Light". Ideally, accompanied by a video in which the lyrics are dramatized by traditional Thai dancers.

BrianY said...

So was the school courtyard at ISB also flooded, or is that just a reflecting pool?

And I like the hair shot.

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed all the photos from the last month. You and Brian seem having a good time and liking CA. Berkeley looks to be good fun.

Glad you had a good trip over and good first few days.

Stephanie said...

To BrianY: it's a pond, the courtyard was not flooded. I knew you would appreciate the hair shot.

To Chris: Berkeley is a trip, just as much as what I'm doing right now!

To Anonymous: I'm on it!