I didn't run after the two #75 buses (airconditioned) that drove by the bus-stop without stopping. Perhaps my graceful waving needs to be refined. The third #75 bus did stop, it wasn't airconditioned, but it was the Free Red Bus. I'm Chinese so anything free sounds good for me.
I hopped on the bus and noticed that I, along with another youngish boy, were the only youths on board. Everyone else was aged. I initially had a seat to myself, but, being the good boy that I am, I offered my seat to an old lady (and in the process of offering, I stepped on an old man's foot). I scanned around the bus for empty seats and found none. There were four other old people standing up as the bus raced through Suksawad road. The other young boy though, was still seated with an old man standing precariously next to him. Perhaps the old man was hinting that the boy needs to give up his seat? I don't know. Here is a picture of his back. If you recognize him maybe you should give him a talk on respecting the elderly on Bangkok's public transportation.
I got off at Saphan Thaksin BTS and made my way to Elite Bookstore at Phrom Phong. I recently rediscovered the joy of reading non-academic materials, thanks to James Bowen's A Street Cat Named Bob. Even though it took me about a month to finish that book, I appreciated the escapes it provided when I'm overwhelmed with my PhD readings.
When I got to Elite Bookstore, I was disappointed. They had discarded all their English books. They now sell Japanese books only. Bleh. I wasn't in the mood to go do Dasa Bookstore down at Sukhumvit 26, so I went to Kinokuniya at Paragon.
Arriving at Kino, I wasn't really in the mood for reading-for-pleasure books. I went to the SEA literature section, hoping to find some local works to be included in my critical reading course next semester. I found a few potentials but nothing really sealed the deal. I went and checked out Kerouac and Kafka and they were both ridiculously priced. I'm sure there are second hand copies somewhere in BKK. The Chinese kicking in again.
Having given up hope on SEA current issues and literature, I headed to the language/linguistic section. There, I saw the most appalling sight EVER! What I saw literally made my eyes pop. This is what I saw:
Omigosh how could you ever put a 1 Direction book next to research books?! That 1 Direction book has no positive impact on society! All it does is make young girls ________________. It was so traumatizing that I instinctively took hold of the book and threw it into a nearby trolley. Then, I thought I should take a picture of this so I put it back on the shelf, took a picture, then threw it into the trolley again (really, this really happened). Seriously, whoever did this needs to be stoned by none other than 1 Direction. How could the group be reduced to the lower rankings of academia?
I had no other "what the..." moments throughout the rest of the morning, until I drove my Mom to TESCO in Saraburi later that day. This is what I saw:
In Thailand, nobody knows how to park. Moreover, in Thailand, even a trolley needs a parking.
I hopped on the bus and noticed that I, along with another youngish boy, were the only youths on board. Everyone else was aged. I initially had a seat to myself, but, being the good boy that I am, I offered my seat to an old lady (and in the process of offering, I stepped on an old man's foot). I scanned around the bus for empty seats and found none. There were four other old people standing up as the bus raced through Suksawad road. The other young boy though, was still seated with an old man standing precariously next to him. Perhaps the old man was hinting that the boy needs to give up his seat? I don't know. Here is a picture of his back. If you recognize him maybe you should give him a talk on respecting the elderly on Bangkok's public transportation.
I got off at Saphan Thaksin BTS and made my way to Elite Bookstore at Phrom Phong. I recently rediscovered the joy of reading non-academic materials, thanks to James Bowen's A Street Cat Named Bob. Even though it took me about a month to finish that book, I appreciated the escapes it provided when I'm overwhelmed with my PhD readings.
When I got to Elite Bookstore, I was disappointed. They had discarded all their English books. They now sell Japanese books only. Bleh. I wasn't in the mood to go do Dasa Bookstore down at Sukhumvit 26, so I went to Kinokuniya at Paragon.
Arriving at Kino, I wasn't really in the mood for reading-for-pleasure books. I went to the SEA literature section, hoping to find some local works to be included in my critical reading course next semester. I found a few potentials but nothing really sealed the deal. I went and checked out Kerouac and Kafka and they were both ridiculously priced. I'm sure there are second hand copies somewhere in BKK. The Chinese kicking in again.
Having given up hope on SEA current issues and literature, I headed to the language/linguistic section. There, I saw the most appalling sight EVER! What I saw literally made my eyes pop. This is what I saw:
Omigosh how could you ever put a 1 Direction book next to research books?! That 1 Direction book has no positive impact on society! All it does is make young girls ________________. It was so traumatizing that I instinctively took hold of the book and threw it into a nearby trolley. Then, I thought I should take a picture of this so I put it back on the shelf, took a picture, then threw it into the trolley again (really, this really happened). Seriously, whoever did this needs to be stoned by none other than 1 Direction. How could the group be reduced to the lower rankings of academia?
I had no other "what the..." moments throughout the rest of the morning, until I drove my Mom to TESCO in Saraburi later that day. This is what I saw:
In Thailand, nobody knows how to park. Moreover, in Thailand, even a trolley needs a parking.
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