Moments in 2007

30 Dec 2007 'Pong 1 Comment

I cannot leave this 2007 without looking back through out the year:

Thailand Trip. Five weeks was not enough to make up for over six years I had been away my homeland. However, the important parts are done. It helped me gaining back self-confidence and I got a chance to show Stil where I came from.
Depression. Everything seemed to crash in the late 2006. The camera was dropped, old PowerMac was dead and the mental health went rock bottom. Although it is getting better and I have learnt to love myself more, there are some issues that need to be dealt with.
Mardi Gras. The grand photographic theme of the year is to reflect Sydney’s multiculturalism. It kicked off with Sydney’s Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras that led to Mardi Gras: the Slide Show and won a prize.
Sydney Songlines. Another on-going project is documenting abandoned chairs and dumped stuff on the streets of Sydney. This project of Metro Screen guided me to produce Anywhere Chairs.
New MacBook Pro and blog. It is such an excellent machine. And Out to Space has expanded from a photoblog to a blog about my relationship to the world.

It is still a long way to go to archive the goals I have in mind. Thank you for all the supports and let your strengths lead you, your friends and family glide to the shiny 2008.

Politics

The Unstoppable Samak

25 Dec 2007 'Pong 1 Comment

This is post 19 of 38 in the series “Thailand Trip 2007”

This trip was the first time I visited Thailand since I moved to Sydney in 2001. That was a very long time for an ex-pat to return to homeland.
My view to the country changed around the use of the medium of that time–photography. And I also started to use it as video projects.
Bangkok, I still love this fucking city.

Samak Sundaravej

I have to say I am almost shattered with the unofficial result of the latest Thai General Election. It is likely to be in the favour of pro-Thaksin People’s Power Party (PPP). That means its leader, Samak Sundarave j (สมัคร สุนทรเวช), could get the first choice to be the next Thai Prime Minister and form the government. EEEWWWW!!!

He had been ministers many times and the hi-light would be the Minister of Transport while Thailand was in rise of bubble economy in the 80s where he could grant big projects under his authority. However, the long time in politics had taught him that he would never get to the top of the mountain because his strong base and supporters would never expand beyond Bangkok. So he’d rather be the big fish in a small pond and demote himself by going for local politics, which won him the Bangkok Governor title in 2000. But would that be enough for him? It could be until the big opportunity for him to grab the country’s strong hold of dissolved Thai Rak Thai voters and lead the party.

No one knows how long he would govern the country for, maybe until he lets Thaksin back in without any trials as promised or until another protest against his allies to lead to another coup. Have we learn something from the past at all? Here are some reminders:

1976: Samak was appointed as the Interior Minister under the military coup right after 6 October massacre in Thammasat University.
1992: He was a Deputy Minister in a military government and supported the Black May troops, even had a go with the furious media about the violence.
2000: As the Bangkok Governor, he suspended Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre project, just because he could and wanted to commercialise the space.

I honestly cannot trust this low-rent doormat. Mind you! I did not go to vote and have not voted for almost a decade since I moved to Sydney. I have just got a new Thai ID card but it was too late to register for overseas voting this election. But I have a feeling I am not going have to wait for another four years to vote in the next election.

Personal

Happy Holiday 2007

Image 20 Dec 2007 'Pong Leave a comment

Wish you all and your family have the very best this holiday season and the bright future in 2008.

Photography, Travel

Grand Palace

Gallery 14 Dec 2007 'Pong Leave a comment

This is post 18 of 38 in the series “Thailand Trip 2007”

Gold Drop

My aim of the visit to the Grand Palace or Wat Phra Kaew (วัดพระแก้ว) was mainly to explore the complex with the photographic eyes and see how I could get away from typical postcard pictures. That was the only once there in this trip. The time I spent in the compound was only 2 hours, no where near a whole day as intended. We did not get a chance to go back when Stil was in Bangkok.

Late in the afternoon, all the visitors were herded outside the main temple for a monarch representative to commit a ceremony. One tourist asked if the King was coming. Oh, if he was there, we would not be standing around. It was good to see the space was used for everyday ceremonial purpose, not just for foreigners walking around and taking snap shots.

Moreover, the last quarter of the shots was unexpectedly lost when transferring the files from the memory card. It might be the flat battery. The lost the images when the bored officers waiting for the job to be done, workers maintaining the details of the temple and the anxious tourists who had paid a fee to see the Palace. Nevertheless, I am very satisfied with the results.

Photography, Travel

Trading Buddhas

Gallery 13 Dec 2007 'Pong Leave a comment

This is post 17 of 38 in the series “Thailand Trip 2007”

In the network of alleys in Bangkok’s Old City, not too far from the Grand Palace, there is a cluster of Buddha image business. This is the place they supply the physical body before those statues are put on in the middle of temples for worship so that the Buddhists can fill hearts and souls into them.

Internet

The Whale Hunt

Link 13 Dec 2007 'Pong Leave a comment

Jonathan Harris spent 9 days, photographing Inupiat Eskimos annual whale hunt in Barrow, Alaska. 3214 shots were taken in 5-minute interval, even when sleeping. And he does not waste any of them by lining them up as an interactive interface. It beautifully tell the experience he witnessed this old tradition of the tribe.

Caution: Rainbow-dolphin lovers may fine some of the images disturbing.

Music

Step – Stylish Nonsense

12 Dec 2007 'Pong 2 Comments

This is post 16 of 38 in the series “Thailand Trip 2007”

One of the most exciting finds during Thailand visit was the independent music scene. As I went to FAT Festival with the curiosity, the concert blew me away with its energy so the hunt for the Thai Indies began. The sources I could think of are only DJ Siam in Siam Square and Nong Taprachan, by Thammasat University. The first batch of three from DJ Siam is:

Stylish Nonsense: UseYour Professor!, electronic with witty beats
Talkless: dot dot dot, beautiful downbeat ambient
David Futon: Siam Soul, UK producer playing with Thai instruments

Step by Stylish Nonsense is one of my favourite tracks. It is about a boy politely excusing himself to a girl whom steps on his foot. Very Thai.And the more I dig out the connection within the scene, the more it fascinates me. Well done guys.

Thoughts

Cats in a Hot Thin Stadium

10 Dec 2007 'Pong Leave a comment

2007 SEA Games Mascot: CAN

I don’t know why I go through the Opening Ceremony of 24th SEA Games almost the whole show, maybe because of my old profession when we did 13th Asian Games Opening and Closing Ceremony 9 years ago or just the unquestionable patriotism. It takes such a patience to download badly encoded videos from the official website. Since no one has put it on YouTube yet, giving the fact that Thailand has just recently unblocked the entire site.

2007 SEA Games Opening Ceremony

Moreover, it takes quite a thick skin to watch it through with a number of points that severely embarrass me as a Thai. You know, every time while I am watching this kind of performances, I always want to smother the commentators from the network who try to give every details of every movements on the screen as if we could not see the things. Luckily, these videos have no commentator to annoy me. However, this ceremony, there are two presenters explaining the concept before each segment and the other two voice over narrators describing in between all through the show, both in Thai and English. Now we are not just blind but also dumb.

The show tries very hard to tell the world how amazing Thailand is by beginning every segment with Amazing with capital A. Hey, that is a tourist pamphlet and it is an old one that has been used up for over a decade. I am not going to complaint about the oversaturated loyalty to the King in the opening segment, The Amazing Great King. The narration tells it all and it goes on and on and on and on. At last, girls in silver cat suits come out in the final segment, The Amazing Celebrations. Those baby cat dolls bring the joy to His Majesty the King’s 80th Birthday Anniversary, 5th December 2007 Sports Complex with their playful chreography and seems to fulfil the night perfectly.

SEA Games is a biannual Olympic-like of South East Asian countries. This year the Game is held mainly in the north-eastern city of Thailand, Nakorn Ratchasima or Korat. It is clearly an indulgence that the host shamelessly uses the event to inflate nationalism rather than celebrate the sportsmanship of the nations. Of course, with no giants like USA, Russia and China, it is much easier to compete amongst ourselves and win, at any causes.

Photography, Travel

Paul’s Birthday

Gallery 09 Dec 2007 'Pong Leave a comment

This is post 15 of 38 in the series “Thailand Trip 2007”

I decide to make photo essays in this blog look more presentable. WP-SimpleViewer plugin is the best answer for it tonight. It is just simple.

(Updated-July 2017: Since we have moved on and iOS doesn’t support Flash, the photos in SimpleViewer cannot be viewed on Apple mobile devices. Back then the plugin would be the choice but ten years on, it isn’t anymore. So I just simply move them by hand.)

Paul is Stilgherrian’s friend back in Adelaide, now living, working and having a relationship with his beautiful girlfriend in Bangkok. He celebrated his first birthday in Thailand at Tapas Bar, Silom Soi 4 on the first Saturday I was in Thailand. Furthermore, the current partner of Stil’s ex was also there at the party. Small world, eh? It was a great night with lots of alcohol and I ended up voluntarily being dragged to Khao Sarn Road with his mates.

Unfortunately, we do not get a chance to catch up with him again while Stil is in town. Next time!