Climbing Wall, Rock Music, & Fat Cat

My main events in the last two weeks involved several separate days of long travel on public transport into the city.  Our LP meet-up was, as always, a stimulating delight.  I stopped late at the Rock Pub to hear Mundee, who played “Rock and Roll” by Zeppelin, and a week later I got to hear the full evening set of Munson, who played that same favorite song.  I got a much-needed haircut and visited a gym to check out their climbing wall and facilities. 

Movies are few and mediocre, but they fill in wait time while avoiding rush hour; they are air conditioned and have comfortable lounge areas, and I get cheap senior rate half-prices.  The refusal of Thais to stand up in theaters while the Royal Anthem is being played to honor the King is a definite new and shocking occurrence.  By my very rough count most recently, there were 30 of us in the theater (I was the only farang and almost everyone I could see was a Thai adult), and only 10 of us stood up while 20 remained seated.  A year ago: unimaginable!  The times they are a’ changing. 

I joined a downtown gym for a one-month trial, and the climbing wall is excellent.  I haven’t climbed in 15 years, so it was rough, and add to that the fact that climbing standards of difficulty have evolved tremendously.  The “easiest” climbs on their walls are at the limits of my (onetime) abilities when I climbed in the 70s and 90s, and they are face-climbs, not the crack or friction climbs I was most familiar with.  My forearms have been aching for days after. 

I hire a certified belayer for an hour, and the staff there are great.  When I go back this next week, I will resist trying to do “pure” graded routes – which are of such difficulty for me that it risks injury and only limits my climbing time – and I will instead just climb randomly on the wall, mixing holds from any nearby (and separately graded) routes to make it much easier so I can just stretch out this old body and regain the feel of climbing again in a more relaxed and meditative manner.  

That is similar to my old routines at Rimrock and Jakes Rocks after the thaw in springtime, when I had to slowly regain my feel on rock after a long winter.  I will also try to do more down-climbing while on belay after reaching the top, instead of being lowered on tension – because I’ve always thought down-climbing was essential practice (especially for free solo climbers and lead climbers), and it adds immeasurably to one’s psychological and physical technique.  It’s re-training time for me!  Ooh rah! 

After a long day in the city, and coming home late to avoid rush hour and to catch some evening Rock music, there I see Fat Cat waiting at the gate to greet me after midnight as I approach. 

-Zenwind. 

.

Rooster Crow; Taxi Ride

Today I took a taxi to the provincial Immigration Office for my routine 90-Day Report of Address.  It was not crowded, so it went smoothly and quickly.  I will go again in February, and then the big visit in March for my Extension of Stay based on retirement (the red tape nightmare of the year). 

The return taxi driver took an alternative route home, part of it through areas of the greater Bangkok “suburbs” that I’d never seen.  He drove fast through tightly-cornered narrow streets, taking his hands off the wheel momentarily to give a respectful wai whenever coming to a temple and monastery.  And there were a lot of temples on this route, many smaller old ones in poorer areas.  It was a scenic, and thrilling, ride, but I was glad to have a good seatbelt fastened. 

The rains have ended, but the river is still high from upcountry runoff.  The humidity and dewpoints are lower and more comfortable, although the direct sunlight is hot.  In the shade, the breezes are wonderful relief. 

Someone in the neighborhood now has a rooster that crows, and I just realized that there hasn’t been one around here for years.  During my first years here, there were always one or two around.  I have always enjoyed hearing them, as it reminds me of fond childhood memories on the farm. 

-Zenwind. 

.

Routines, Protests, Theaters

It is mid-October, and I do miss the autumn leaves in NW Pennsylvania at this time of year.  Here, we are still in the Rainy Season, which makes it a bit cooler than usual. 

The political protests here in Thailand of the younger generation are significant.  As I had written earlier, below, the young demonstrators have taken the unheard-of radical position of criticizing the Thai monarchy itself, which in itself can put you in prison for years.  The protests have been peaceful thus far, but I see two very powerful cultural forces heading on a direct collision course someday soon.  I was in the city yesterday – for a haircut, movie, and meet up with farang friends – and the mass transit was not very crowded, and yet I saw street vehicle traffic blocked up far more than normal in mid-afternoon, indicating there was action in the streets somewhere.  Sure enough, news reports say there were thousands protesting. 

My daily routines: I awake, open my tablet and first check my daily to-do list on my Evernote account (which is synced with my laptop and phone).  Then I check my Gmail Calendar, then my favorite weather forecast site for the day’s weather, and only then can I check my email and daily local news, and then fine-tune my plans for the day.  Then I mix some whey protein with skim milk, and wash down some daily morning meds with it.  Half an hour later I have a light breakfast, followed up by a daily multi-vitamin/ multi-mineral tablet. 

On any given day, I may do local food shopping and walking, or stay home and exercise.  Sometimes I go further afield to grocery stores with a more complete selection, and maybe a movie.  Movie selection is very thin, with old films showing as well as the very few newer releases.  Movie attendance is still incredibly low, with only three or so other folks spread out in the big empty theaters (during weekday afternoons, when I have always attended to avoid crowds). 

One striking new development I’ve just noticed in movie theaters is that a few Thai people are refusing to stand up when the King’s anthem is played before the film.  I’ve never seen this happen in all my years here.  Just before any film starts, a notice always appears on the screen in Thai and in English, asking everyone to stand up out of respect for the King while they show some clips of the current king’s life and play the royal anthem.  For the late King Rama IX (d. 2016), everyone stood because he was so highly respected.  But his son, now the reigning Rama X, never had as much respect and recognition as his father.  I just noticed about two weeks ago in a theater that only half of us were standing, which astounded me.  Yesterday, only two of us out of about half a dozen in the theater were standing.  A sign of things to come?  Wow!  

-Zenwind. 

.

Last Farang in Town

In this time of Covid, I am not seeing any other farangs anywhere in my wanderings (except for my once-a-month libertarian meet up with Western friends deep into Bangkok).  We have become an endangered species. 

In my own home neighborhood’s two-kilometer radius, I am usually the only farang around, although throughout my years here it had not been uncommon to see a farang once or twice a month on the local sidewalks.  But I never see them now. 

When I go to the nearest big shopping mall, seven klicks away, I never see farangs at all.  I’m the only one.  Although I don’t speak Thai, I do occasionally pick up a comment mentioning “farang” as I walk by.  I hope they are not buying into the stereotype of the “dirty farang” who is a public health hazard and menace.  I wear a mask, use hand sanitizer at every opportunity, and follow all protocols.  But I feel like I’m viewed as a leper in their midst. 

Alien.  Stranger in a strange land. 

-Zenwind. 

.

New Thai Protests

 

We are in yet another cycle of massive Thai political protests, this time involving a much younger generation, one that has some surprisingly radical demands. 

In the most recent elections, the party that was favored by a lot of young people, the FFP, had won third place in number of parliamentary seats.  But the courts disqualified its leader and then dissolved the party itself – under legal reasoning and motives that many young Thais think are suspect. 

The most radical turn during these new protests is that there is criticism of certain aspects of the Thai monarchy and its relation to power – and such criticism can put you in prison for years.  This has turned off a lot of older Thais who revere the monarchy.  The protesters also want a new constitution and the resignation of the military men who wrote the last one and who now still dominate the government even after the post-coup election. 

Same old, same old.  Military coup; election; coup; election; coup; election; etc., etc.  F.A. Hayek would say that there is simply too much power available to whomever seizes (democratically or not) the reins of government, so the contest for that power will always be vicious. 

“Meet the new boss.  Same as the old boss.”  (Pete Townshend)

-Zenwind. 

.

Songkran Holiday Substitution

This coming weekend will be a four-day one to make up for April’s Songkran (traditional Thai New Year) holiday being canceled because of the Covid-19 lockdown.  So, they have officially substituted next Friday and Monday as holidays.  Thais do love their holidays, and there will be a mass exit of people out of the city on Thursday, going back to their home provinces to see relatives.  They will start trickling back Monday or Tuesday.  Or whenever. 

I’m recovering from a bout of FMS that has made it difficult to walk my normal distances.  But I’m now On The Road Again (as in the title of a couple of old Blues songs from my youth). 

-Zenwind.  

Rainy Normal

 

Not much news to report here.  It rains a bit every day, but it’s not a heavy monsoon this year so far.  The clouds are a blessing when they do block the sun, and we do often get unexpected breezes that are a brief relief. 

 

I went into the city last week for a movie and then my libertarian meetup group.  It is always great to talk with my friends there, and we had a great discussion with a couple of new members.  Because tourism in Thailand is basically stopped these days, I am usually always the only farang around in most places I go.  I will admit that it is nice to have public venues and transport thus so uncrowded. 

 

I faithfully wear a mask outside and follow all public sanitary guidelines, since I fear that Thais look at us westerners as “dirty farangs” because of the horrific virus toll in Europe and America.  I believe that they now perceive us as reckless, uncaring of our neighbors and dirty, so I try to show my respect and politeness to an extreme.  As a stranger in a strange land, I tread carefully. 

 

I relish the peace and quiet I have here.  It fits my solitary nature and lets me meditate at ease on samsara and the dharma. 

-Zenwind. 

.

New Normal in Bangkok

Beyond my immediate neighborhood, I ventured into the city again on Thursday last week to meet my libertarian friends, one of the events I most look forward to.  I time my travel on such adventures to avoid all rush hours on public transit and any crowds in movie theaters.  (I don’t ever do weekend crowds if I can help it; I’m a lifelong misanthrope of sorts, a loner.)  The trains were not packed, and, in the theaters, there were at most two other people in the entire room.  Restaurants and pubs follow our New Normal safety rules during this Plague Era, as do all the above services.  Masks; track and trace registration, etc. 

And live music at The Rock Pub, once again.  This last Thursday I could only arrive late on my way home before closing, and I hoped to hear at least some music.  I sure did!  Mundee was the closing act.  The crowd was small – as it quite often has been on Thursday nights in the past – but the band was hot and I really wanted to hear as much as possible from this favorite band of mine. 

Recognizing me as I came in the door, they played one they knew was a personal favorite of mine: “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake (a power-ballad from the 1980s).  This song was on the radio at a time when I had my first hope of escape from the bondage of an unbearable relationship.  It helped give me the courage to eventually strike out into freedom: 

“Here I go again on my own,

  Goin’ down the only road I’ve ever known,

  Like a drifter I was born to walk alone. 

  I’ve made up my mind,

  I ain’t wasting no more time.” 

Next, they played an excellent Led Zeppelin favorite from the very early 1970s.  Then, they asked for requests from the small crowd, and, not wanting to hog the show with a Zeppelin monopoly, I shouted, “AC/DC.”  They played “Highway to Hell”, in a great rocking rendition.  Then they played Zeppelin again with “The Immigrant Song” (“Valhalla, I am coming!”).  Next to last was “Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream, a great favorite from my teenage years.  They finished the night with Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll”, which everyone at the Rock Pub knows is my all-time favorite since the song encompasses the entire span of historical Rock experience – “It’s been a long time since I Rock and Rolled....” 

It was one of the greatest live sets I’ve ever heard – worthy of Valhalla. 

-Zenwind. 

.

Live Rock n Roll Once Again!

As Led Zeppelin famously observed:

“It's been a long time since I Rock and Rolled, . . . 

"It's been a long time, been a long time,
Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time.
Yes it has.” 

Oh, Yeah!  The Rock Pub is finally open again!  I attended the first opening night gig there on 2 July.  As I was the first customer in the door to this long-delayed re-opening gig, proprietor Luke Tao took my photo and posted it on the Facebook page of The Rock Pub, Bangkok’s House of Rock, for 2 July.  Jimmy Revolt played the song they know I like, “Rock and Roll” (above).  I attended again on 9 July and Mundee played Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song”; and because I’ve always felt like an immigrant – an eternal wandering exile – it thrilled me to the core:  “Valhalla, I am coming!” 

In the cinema, I saw Mr. Jones (2019), an outstanding low-budget biopic depicting the true story of journalist Gareth Jones discovering the massive horror of the man-made famine/ genocide of millions of Ukrainians/ Russians in the early 1930s by official policy of the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics.  Integral to this history is how the genocide was systematically covered up by the New York Times man-in-Moscow, Walter Duranty, the apologist for Stalin.  Duranty’s lies persuaded Western governments (e.g., FDR) to think that Marxian socialism was benign.  To be humane, this film should be more widely known. 

Theaters and pubs have strict social distancing.  Mass transit now is back to normal while masks are still mandatory – yet I found traditional rush hour to be far from the crowded mad crush of the past, maybe because all incoming tourism has long been shut off.  Come to think of it, now I see that I am almost the only farang on the trains, an immigrant, in exile. 

-Zenwind. 

.

Asalha Puja

This past extended full-Moon weekend has marked Asalha Puja, commemorating the Buddha’s First Discourse, in which he laid out his most basic recommendations:  the Four Tasks and the Eightfold Path.  This day is followed by the start of the Rains Retreat in Theravada countries, where, traditionally, the Rainy Season forces monks to stay in one place and contemplate. 

I hold the Buddha’s First Discourse to be one of the most important pieces of wisdom to me personally – in a lifetime of study in philosophy, psychology, comparative religion, history, etc. – and now I re-read it again along with commentary, learning its deep psychological insights anew.  As a secular Buddhist, I find Stephen Batchelor’s work on this to be most significant.  His 20-page essay, “A Secular Buddhism” (2012) opened up healing possibilities that I wish I had had 50 years ago.  I am happy to now finally be reading his major work expanding on these insights, After Buddhism:  Re-thinking the dharma in a secular age (2015).  It’s a new world, and I am refreshed.  Blessed coolness, Zen delight! 

-Zenwind. 

.