City Sport
[right][/right] The softball league is now looking for new players. The Chiang Mai Softball League plays every Sunday afternoon at 13:30 at Payap University. They have gloves, bats, balls . . . and occasionally, beer. The games are pick-up, and all ages and levels of ability are welcome. They have been around for almost four years and it’s been a great success, so if you have a spare afternoon, go … Continued
Your Say
Ground Control to Major Roy An outstanding biographical note on Major Roy Hudson. Beautifully crafted and conveys the essence of the lovely man whom I first got to know when Features Editor of the Bangkok Post from 1967-69. Roy’s literary contributions and feature articles showed his deep knowledge of, and abiding interest in, his adopted homeland. I salute you, Roy, as the doyen of Thailand’s exp … Continued
A Retiring Attitude
When one of my friends from back home asked me what the biggest difference living in a tropical climate was, I answered that in the tropics every living organism is either doing one of two things. They are looking for stuff to eat or they are trying to avoid being eaten. I sometimes feel like I am losing that second battle. One of the things that newcomers to the tropics will have to deal with, th … Continued
City Vibes
Artist: Drake Album: Thank Me Later Rating: “All the world’s a stage…” is one of my favourite quotes from literary talent Thongchai McIntyre (Bird). But even the Bird couldn’t match the intricate lyricisms of twee Tempest ‘Drake’ and his heartfelt odes to hip hop and R&B. Niminy piminy rap may be a rare animal, but it has been tamed by Drake in his quest to bring refinery to the brash, chauvi … Continued
Chiang Mai on the WWW
www.glassonion-chiangmai.com The Glass Onion, no doubt one of Chiang Mai’s funkiest night spots, invites you to their world on the web. You can find out what events they’ll be putting on and view photos of local patrons and the stylishly designed interior. If you have not yet been to the Glass Onion then we recommend you do. The design of the pub alone is worth a few drinks, with its chic sofas, a … Continued
An Odd Job for Oddjob
I have a problem. “Only one?” says a voice over my left shoulder as Mrs. D walks past the computer. OK – so maybe I have several but there is one in particular that has got worse over the last few years. I can’t open things any more. I don’t mean things like bank accounts and wallets (although a lack of funds makes both pointless right now) but just the stuff that we buy. For example, this morning … Continued
This is Thailand
For those of you with any questions regarding Thailand, Thai culture, history, tourism, laws, rules, food, nightlife, sub-cultures, dating; generally anything as long as it is relevant, we have a panel of three experts who will respond to your enquiries. Email: james@chiangmaicitylife.com. 1. Why is there a wall around the moat in Chiang Mai? Is that the original wall? If not, how did it look in t … Continued
Russian Shaman
In 1996, less than a decade after the fall of Communism, shaman from more than 100 countries gathered on the shores of Lake Baikal in southern Siberia for an unusual symposium. Formed by a massive earthquake some 25 to 30 million years ago, Lake Baikal is the world’s oldest and deepest freshwater lake. It is also revered by mystics the world over as a site of tremendous spiritual power. Organisers … Continued
Odd Jobs
FROG CATCHER In a small village called Om Meng, not far from San Patong, each night 47 year old Duang Ta Khamjaroen plies his trade as master frog catcher. Amongst the natural beauty of the rice fields, once dusk has settled on the quiet village, Duang goes to work: “I can catch about 10-20 frogs a night,” says Duang, adding that for every kilo he can get about 120 baht down the local market where … Continued
The Love Doctor
Having been told that there still exists in Thailand men who make love potions for a living, we put the word out that we were looking for one of these magical blokes. Our mor sanae (literally ‘charm doctor’) was not easy to find, after weeks of asking all and sundry if they knew of a love doctor, our search finally took us to a soi, off a soi, down a road, through a collection of gardens and into … Continued
Gangnani: Himalayan Hot Springs
In the North Indian state of Uttarakhand, 400 kilometres north of the nation’s capital at New Delhi, there is a narrow valley that Hindu pilgrims have visited for centuries. At the top of the valley lies the glacier known as Gaumukh that marks the source of India’s holiest river, the Ganges. Further down sits the town of Gangotri, an auspicious pilgrimage spot where hundreds of thousands of touris … Continued
Elvis Lives!
Elvis was an American icon, beloved by millions worldwide. Admirers have spent thousands on Elvis memorabilia, collectables and relics. He is the best selling musical artist of all time and is said to still have fans numbering up to 50,000,000. In his day he was swarmed by adoring fans and heaped with praise for his singing and acting as well as his charisma and charm. Some of music’s most renowne … Continued
Romancing the Elephant
Collecting elephant semen is a very sticky business. Manual Collection, as this complex procedure is known, involves forceful stimulation of the elephant’s rectum and a small team of scientists to collect, store and analyse the semen. These guys deserve medals for their dedication to species preservation. The collection and analyses happens at the Elephant Hospital Project (EHP), which is a part o … Continued
Love/Pain
On the front of a glossy brochure for a ‘Female Supremacy’ studio, services listed include: Whipping, Caning, Kicking, Isolation/Incarceration, Spanking, Punching and NEW: Electro Torture. Not what most people would do for fun – or necessarily fantasy for that matter. But, says Goddess Rakcham (Love/Pain), a dominatrix employed by the studio, there is a niche market that will pay good money for al … Continued
Chiang Mai Private Eye
Impeccably turned out in a tight-fitting charcoal suit, reminiscent of the cockney gangsters of the seventies prone to dandyism, and replete with prepossessing scar down left cheek befitting a James Bond villain, Chiang Mai’s most renowned – if not underground – bodyguard, private investigator and general ‘security’ enforcer couldn’t have looked more the part if he had been cast for the interview. … Continued
Liquid Gold: Civet Poo Coffee
The drive is breathtaking at this time of the year and a picturesque hour and a half later, we arrived at Suan Lahu, a coffee plantation on the side of a mountain overlooking the Lahu village below. Jakatae and Manop Jayo, the two brothers who own the plantation, greet us with a grin and invite us into their traditional hut for a chat. As Jakatae bustles around, stoking the fire, pouring water int … Continued
Editorial
Wow! A huge thank you to the hundreds of readers who filled in our online survey over the past months as well as to the 200 who kindly left comments and suggestions for improvement. I will try to address some of your concerns and advice here (I shan’t bore you with the compliments, though they certainly have given us an impetus to continue to evolve). The overwhelming feedback was that it was hard … Continued
The Life of Wine
Sifting through mountains of wine paraphernalia the other day, I discovered a few old wine lists from various establishments around the world. Wow – how things have changed in the world of white wines! We’ve gone from drinking sweet table wines knife and fork, so big you can carve it Chardonnay and then on to annoyingly fruity, one-dimensional Sauvignon Blanc. Nothing against the poor thing, but I … Continued