Ten minutes apart and much stronger now. We’re packed and ready to go to the hospital.
In Case of Earthquake,
Please move away from the center of the street.
If I were ever to live in Thailand, I would avoid becoming an electrician or telephone repair person.
Seems awfully risky.
Still Waiting for the Baby
Increased frequency of contractions, but no regularity. They’re getting longer too, but not a lot of pain.
In the meantime, my honey is finding ways to send me things to watch that are not on youtube, like this Hairspray preview. As he said, he watched the preview thinking “I thought John Travolta was in this movie…” I loved the John Waters original in 1988 with Ricki Lake, and Divine – but who knows, I love John Travolta too.
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The Thais Love Their King
So much so that every Monday is dedicated as “National Wear Yellow If You Love Your King Day,” and they do. Every Monday, you can find whole bright yellow crowds of people coming and going in the streets. In fact Thais wear their yellow shirts every day of the week – and whole shops are dedicated to selling just yellow shirts.
They are also very defensive about their king: ten years in prison for defacing an image of the king. Ten years.
Last december, a drunk expat, a Swiss guy, in Chaing Mai unwisely defaced an image of the king and then even more idiotically, videotaped himself and posted the movie on youtube. Ten years. Luckily for Swiss guy, the king pardoned him. See how benevolent the king is?
Unluckily for the rest of Thailand, some other wise guy posted a copycat movie on youtube defacing another public image of the king. Result? No more youtube for Thailand.
That’s right: no youtube for the entire country of Thailand.
Difficult Decision
I don’t know why this decision was so difficult to make: it’s one of those cliche deathbed moments, where you know that being with your sister is more important than work or money. Under what circumstances will I wish that I hadn’t stayed for the birth? None that I can think of.
I’ve extended my visit by another week, so I am not flying home until next Sunday, May 13, 2007. It’s taken the better part of today to get all those plans worked out – hope a week is all we need!
The hardest part was hearing (my admittedly dramatic) daughter weep on the phone when she heard that I wasn’t coming back for another week. But she’s in good hands and so is the puppy. And work will certainly survive without me.
The best part was hearing my sister cheer, when she heard that I was staying. The hospital and doctor are NOT inclined towards natural birth, and Joss and I will need to help her stand her ground.
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Thai Flora and Fauna
Still no baby – so we are hunkered down at the house, venturing out only on short trips for food. If there is no baby in the next 12 hours, I will call and see about extending my trip for another week. But, repetition not withstanding, Sue thinks we’ll be going to the hospital tonight! If so, I may still make my 1 am flight back to the States tomorrow night.
The rain has been wonderful; not only cooling things off, but cleaning them off as well. The other night we spent some time (and surprisingly little money) in the Flower Market. There were a dizzying number of orchids, chrysanthamums, roses, and other exotic varieties for sale – in big, organized heaps along the sidewalk.
Bags and bags of chrysanthamums to string together with jasmine to give as offerings to Buddha.
Street vendors selling these fragrant yellow and white garlands are on every street corner – so there is always the heady scent of jasmine floating about.
We bought orchids and pink roses (which come in bunches of 30 for less than a dollar) and nice greenery too.
There is one unpleasant thing that the rain brings: big centipedes. Yup – 6 inches long and as thick as my thumb – just walking along the sidewalk same as me.
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No Baby Yet
This is unlike any trip I have ever taken.
It’s like a tough-love intervention, only I am not being rehabilitated for drugs, but for stress.
The first day I woke up all springy and did Bikram yoga and spent several hours doing work and wedding related things on the computer before Sue and Joss had even stirred out of bed. But now that the jetlag is mostly worn off (hardcore man, the jetlag has been hardcore), I am settling into a slower, more relaxed pace.
I sleep 9-10 hours every night; it’s like my body was completely sleep-deprived, and now it just wants to sleep and sleep. I wake up without an alarm and go for a swim. I eat a bagel and egg for breakfast. Joss usually makes some version of a mango shake for all of us. Then we all spend several hours with our respective computers or books (I’m thoroughly engrossed in Monica Ali’s Brick Lane) – before we make our afternoon plans.
Afternoon plans usually involve food – which will be another post in itself – and one Bangkok activity. Like yesterday we went to the flower market, and the day before we went to the aquarium. Each of these activities involve walking very slowly down to the BTS station (sky train). Sue insists that even her slow pregnant walking pace is faster than most Thais, and I’ve come to realize that she is telling the truth. People do not hurry and bustle about here. They walk slowly and leisurely – and they don’t work up a sweat, like I do. Besides which, the sidewalks are not wide, even, or friendly for strolling, but require serious agility and navigational skills. Each afternoon adventure also involves trying a new snack off the soi (coconut custard! coconut with sweet rice roasted inside a banana leaf!) and also, it involves investigating any market that touches our path, even tangentially.
Evenings mean another swim and more food. And then a nice long settle in front of the TV for an episode of Lost, or a tennis match; like last night’s charity match in Spain between Federera and Nadal – goofy match, btw, as each is a master on his own turf (grass and clay, respectively), the charity match was played on a court that was half grass and half clay. Very silly, but still entertaining to watch.
Did I forget to mention the massages? Massage parlors on every corner – I have had two great ones so far. The last one was two hours and cost me only $10.
I am going to be one seriously relaxed auntie by the time this baby arrives….
Bella is Doing Fine As Well
Of course if I post a picture of Giselle, I have to post a picture of Bella – only fair.
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Art in Bangkok
Last time I was in Asia (three years ago), Bella and I got to see lots of contemporary art in Seoul and Tokyo, but consistently got lost trying to find galleries in Bangkok. This time I was armed with a Time Out Bangkok, Nancy Chandler’s map, and a local. Two of the larger, more established galleries were closed for April (100 Tonson Gallery and H Gallery). I think perhaps that this is a down time for the local art scene, being the hot-almost-rainy-season, but we were able to find a few galleries open nonetheless.
We first visited the Surapon Gallery in the Tisco Tower: all Thai work, painting and some sculptures. The work that interested me most, however, was in the lobby outside (but under the gallery direction) in the main building. There were no labels identifying the work or artist, but somebody at the gallery promised to email me the artist’s name soon [the artist is Piumchan Buntrai]. All I know is that she is a recent MFA graduate from Silpakorn University, one of the most prestigious art schools in Bangkok and the work was from her master’s show.
I liked the work because my mind kept flicking back and forth between different perceptions – like the vase that becomes two profiles – except that it was not the visual image changing, but the mood. The first work we saw looked like a bronze of a mother swinging her child into the air. The child looked so happy, with uplifted pigtails and pointed toes. Then I noticed the mother’s strange bowling pin head and the fact that the little girl seemed to be sucking on the mother’s third breast. I kept walking by, a little perturbed and curious.
The next work clarified things a bit, because it was so clearly two boys blowing up balloons. But not two regular boys, but boys from some happy balloon world, putting all their concentration and balance into blowing these two balloons up.
Then I could go back and see that in the first sculpture the child was actually blowing her balloon mother into shape. The static, semi-formed mother does not have her head, but she is able to hold her daughter up in the air. The child is blowing life into the life-giver; she is sustaining the woman who sustains her. The sculpture didn’t appear so creepy anymore, but poetic — and my mind keeps returning to the strength and stability of the headless mother’s arms – and how joyful the little girl is as her mother gains full figure. Still, it is strange image and not entirely explained – and it makes me wonder what person or object the two boys are blowing up?
I like too, that the works are done in pretend-bronze, which gives them authority and presence in this office building foyer. Thai artists seem to do that a lot to get attention; use materials and content reflecting traditional art to try and insert themselves into an art-historical context. At another gallery, Tang Gallery, we saw a group show of self-portraits. At least a good half of the paintings represented the artist as a guru or spiritual leader – not surprising since so much of the art work here is related to depicting and revering Buddha.
Both Tang Gallery and Thavibu Gallery were located in an upscale, but practically empty mall called Silom Galleria. Clearly the way to market and sell contemporary art is not through posh, elitist galleries, but through posh, elitist parties, like I have been hearing described. The Bed Supperclub has splashy art openings which include dinner in bed, and being served by waiters who have the menu printed on their bodies.
