Good morning, afternoon, evening or night depending on where and when this finds you in the world.  Happy Tuesday to one and all and I hope your Tuesday is/was more exhilarating and eventful than mine.  What is it about Tuesdays?  It’s just really that day of the week that sort of drifts by in a haze of routine and we seldom notice it as moves by in passing.  I bet you can’t remember what you did Last Tuesday, right?  We think about Mondays cause most hate it, and when I was young back home Wednesdays were always church night.  Thursday is the early start to the weekend for some, and Friday, Saturday, and Sunday can bring along any number of social or personal experiences depending on how social one might be.

Anyway, I’m getting away from the topic on my mind that i wanted to share with you so I’ll stop my ramblings.  I actually sat down last night and recorded a videoblog about this same topic, but it ended up going 12 minutes long and youtube said the file was to large to upload.  Any ideas from you tech savy readers out there?  I tried several times with no success to upload it so I thought I’d better to just go ahead and write it out before the details of the situation left me.

So, there we were, my partner and I, last Friday night having a bit of dinner at the Greyhound Cafe near our condo when the disturbing event took place.  We went right into the restaurant and were seated immediately at the table next to this group of 3 Thais looking slightly bored of each other’s company.  We ordered our appetizer, meals and drinks and then sort of settled into relax as you do after your dinner orders are placed.  It was about this time that this tall, scantily clad Thai woman comes breezing into the restaurant out of no where and pauses in a model like stance before the table next to ours to receive compliments before she joined them.  This tall glamazon was dressed in a black blouse and tiny matching skirt with heels high enough to make a drag queen dizzy.  However, it was her traveling companion that caught my attention more, surprisingly enough.  This tall woman who had seen way to many episodes of “Sex in the City,” had arrived for dinner with her maid/servant in tow.  This little woman with her comes rushing in behind, with her head lowered carrying the shopping and the evenings wine selection.  She deposited the wine on the table and proceeds to kneel down in the floor next to the chair to receive some orders from the glamazon and off she went again on some errand.  Then she returned moments later with parking tickets stamped in hand, where she bowed her head and kneeled down yet again and was thusly shooed away on yet another errand.   She returned about five or so minutes later with a new fresh bottle of red wine and proceeded to take her place next to her mistress, kneeling on the floor head down.  It was at this point the self important woman leans over, tells her servant how cute she is in Thai and pats her on the head like a good dog.  Yes…you are imaging correctly!  Not only that, but the other woman dining at the table leans over and does the same pat on the head and gives the servant her best condescending smile that made my blood run cold.  Then the maid was dismissed with a wave of the hand, sent off to find her own food elsewhere for dinnner.  I kept making subtle gestures at my partner to see if he was watching this scene unfold, but I didn’t want to be obvious that I was gawking at them.  We got outside later and I asked him if he noticed what had unfolded.  The servant thing hadn’t seemed odd to him, but he did comment that every time the glamazon threw her head back and laughed that her face didn’t move at all.  Seems someone had been dipping into the botox fountain a little to heavily, huh?

This scene from “Gone With the Wind,” got me thinking about the social strata or class structure that still exists here in Thailand and how the social hierarchy is accepted and a part of every day life in Thai culture.  There is such a large sub-class of people in this country that seem to simply accept their lot in life, or perhaps it is because they have never been taught the values of self-worth we adhere to so deeply in most western countries.  The upper class here in Thailand rule with absolute authority and go about their haughty lives without question.  It saddens me really, but this mentality is so ingrained in their culture that I dare not share all my thoughts on the subject on how this mentality is perpetuated.  Some things are just not legal to say.  Anyways, just my little 2 cents and hope you found my little story entertaining and somewhat thought provoking.  If not, please stop by again often and hopefully my writings and ramblings can oblige.
Oh, and before I close out this post, I’m sure you’ve already noticed the new little icon I’ve added to my blog in the upper right.  I’d like to say a very special “thank you” to Pizzababe for inviting me to join the Freak Network.  I’ve been a big fan of so many of the blogs and podcasts over there for so long, and when the invitation came along to join them I jumped at it.  Thanks so much again and make sure you guys go over there and check them out.  Have a great week ahead and see ya soon!

Happy Mother’s Day to one and all! It has been quite a week for me over the past 7 days, but I’m just simply not going to go into it today. I’ve something much, much more important to talk about.

What is in this person we call “Mom?” How do they go from being that girl next door that all the boys chase to that person we so lovingly call our Mom. I’ve grown up and had the chance to see motherhood dramatically change a woman for the good, and I’ve seen mothers who couldn’t care less about their unfortunate offspring. I mean look at Brittany Spear’s poor kids, right?

Anyways, I just want to say today how very lucky I am to have had the Mom or mother that i did. There are so very many vivid memories both positive and negative, but then we all have those i suppose.  I remember those special times when she would keep driving in the morning past my school, to take me on surprise shopping trips to Birmingham.  I remember one summer my mother wanted to take us on a surprise trip to the zoo.  I was so sick that day, but I didn’t want to make her feel disappointed so i went along anyway.  Also, that sad morning Mom was there for me when the school bus driver came to knock at our door, crying to tell us she’d run over my little dalmation and her hugs helped to dry my tears.  A steady hand on my shoulder when i stepped out into a school yard full of hundreds of teenagers for my first day of junior high.  And finally a good argument for the sake of healthy arguing.  She has always always been there for me, and I still to this day strive for her approval in every important aspect of my life.

So to my very special mother, I wish her a happy lazy day surrounded by those that love her.  Furthermore, to all the mothers I know out there…make sure you enjoy your day, and remember how much you do for those lives you create and affect.  Much much love from Thailand to you all!

So, I was thinking about a comment I got the other day from the dearest reader I have and thought I’d use the comment as a jumping off point for my post for you tonight.  This particular reader knows me perhaps better than anyone else in this world, and so I sit here now trying to connect the dots from my past to my hear and now.  I was a very fragile child growing up in some ways and one thing I never ever went without was my night light.  I was always absolutely petrified of the dark growing up and slept with a night light of some sort throughout the duration of my childhood.  A room with nothing but total darkness used to bring a feeling of absolute panic to me, and I guess I find it ironic that I grew up to be the kind of person to prefer the night.

My first real sort of full-time job I had in my late teens into my early twenties was one working 3rd shift or all night long.  I worked from early evening until morning for about 6 years straight and slept the day away 5 days a week.  I found that my senses awaken more and more as the evening progresses and I do my best thinking the later I stay up.  Even now, whenever I am on extended holiday from work I find that my sleep cycles always roll over to that same old pattern of staying awake all night and sleeping the day away.  I still do love the night, and that goes especially for the night time in big cities.  I love the humming glow of neon lights, and the atmosphere the night brings to a city.  I used to wait and work all week for the weekend to come along because I knew that I could go out partying and mix with others willing to dance the night away under flashing lights and the drumming sound of base against metal.

The lights of the city never go off.  Especially monster sized cities like Bangkok, New York, or London.  I find much comfort in that even as an adult and the desire to stay awake until the wee hours is still quite strong.  Perhaps that is one of the reasons why I’m drawn to big cities because I know that no matter where I live within the city that I’ll always have a night light.  Anyways, enough ramblings from me right?  I sincerely hope everyone is having a pleasant weekend and thank you so much for stopping by.  Talk to you soon!

Happy Labor Day to you guys out there, one and all across the globe.  I got such good response to the vidcast I did, and i really really want to thank you guys that posted such nice comments in response.  I honestly thought I looked terrible, but happy to know it turned out ok.  Sooooo…..I will definitely be putting up more video blogs soon, and will even make them a regular part of the blog since I got such good feedback.  You really know how to make a guy blush!

Anyways, Did you enjoy your Labor day for those of you outside the US?  I know at home we celebrate in September, but Thailand and many other countries around the world have theirs today.  I learned today, while reading a message board i frequent daily, that the British spell the word L-A-B-O-U-R.  Doesn’t really make sense phonetically to me, but then again I am an American and they do spell color as C-O-L-O-U-R.  Interesting isn’t it?  However, I’m not one for being petty about the different ways we spell words on opposite sides of the Atlantic, so let’s just move on.  I also did not realize that Labor Day was an International holiday.  I know, I know….just call me naive, but then again I usually ignore holidays I don’t get off work.

I am curious to find out what defines “Labor” to you?  I often wonder why so many professions are not regarded as being “labor” intensive kids of work.  Teachers, nurses, doctors, accountants, or even journalists are not regarded as being individuals that “labor” for their hard earned money.  Therefore, this narrow definition of the word would imply that because i don’t sweat carrying bricks or digging ditches that my profession is not labor intensive.  However, I don’t think this is a fair definition of labor.  I work very hard at what I do, and I can assure you that I do “labor,” though I do not toil for hours hanging dry wall.  My profession requires a huge amount of thinking, planning, and massive amounts of brain exercise that can and does elicit a sweat on the odd occasion.

Now, before you judge, I must point out that I have worked as a “laborer” in the traditional sense eons ago.  I had the extreme misfortune of being employed at Wal-mart in the warehouse division.  Further, to compound the unpleasant job, I worked the third shift for many years prior to attending University.  I’ve tossed endless amounts of freight from the back of 18 wheeler vehicles, so I’ve been on both sides of the ‘labor’ issue.   I remember working really hard for my money back in those days, but guess what I never had to do much of?   Think….I never had to plan anything and the minimal amount of responsibility I had was nothing compared to my career duties now.  So, In my opinion I did labor then but I also do now.  I labor for hours over my responsibilities and my partner is a doctor and i need not tell you the amount of time he puts in to his profession.  We both work hard, and though I didn’t get today off…I think we deserved it.

Soooo….I think I’ll close here for today.  I’ll get off my little soap box now and put it away under the sofa.  As always, thanks so much for stopping by and will get a new vidcast up again for you soon!  Have a great end of your week, where ever this finds you in the world morning, noon, or night.  Talk to you again over the weekend!

Happy Tuesday to one and all wherever in the world this finds you, whether it be morning, noon, or night. I thought i’d take a stab at doing a video blog just as a little creative experiment. I realized after I got it recorded that i look terrible, and I’m always reminded just how very “gay” I really am when i see myself on video. However, I’m going to go out on a limb and show you guys anyways just to see if anyone is interested. So without any further ramblings please go ahead and have a watch if you feel so inclined. Much much thanks for stopping by as always,and talk to you again soon!

Happy Saturday to all my readers where ever you may be and where ever this finds you. I think no matter how old I get or where I work I will always look forward to the weekends. I have noticed that my co-workers and I measure the work week by ’sleeps’ leading up to the weekend. Are we the only ones in the world that do this? I highly doubt it, but anyways it is Saturday here and I’m feeling quite content sitting here in my laziness feeling like a sloth.

Anyways, I saw something yesterday at the gym that I wanted to talk to you guys about today. I was on the stair machine sweating one out, watching the rows of flat screen televisions mounted in front of the cardio equipment. Keep in mind that I’m just that gay, so naturally my eyes migrated to the one tuned to the ‘fashion’ television station where various emaciated teenage girls was stomping down various runways. Now, the things I am about to express are probably going to get me in trouble with the pink mafia.  However, I can’t help but call it like i see it sometimes because I noticed more often than not, the clothes being paraded were nothing short of hideous.  One girl in particular I noted was wearing a dress made entirely of bright red overlapping curtain ruffles and had half the skeleton of a basket perched atop her head. I wondered who would spend thousands on a dress like this and then actually be seen in public? Who buys dresses like this and where do they wear them? I just don’t understand why anyone would want to parade around wearing something cut from a brothel’s curtains or look like the play clothes in the Sound of Music. How many people really know what Haute Couture means? It is a french word that literally means high sewing or high dressmaking. In the fashion world it refers to the making of exclusive custom fitted fashions for the elite of the world.   However, doesn’t this remind you of the childhood story called “the Emperor’s New Clothes“?

Now, before I go on let me confess that my glasses are Versace, and that I have lingered in front of the Hugo Boss window more than once in my adult life. So I’m not exactly an ignorant uninitiated observer on the issue. I think it is important to look good and we live in a world that definitely judges us on how we present ourselves. So, all you would be Miranda Priestly types can just back off. However, I think it is time someone has to be the little boy from the Emperor’s New Clothes and say what everyone is really thinking. Have a great weekend ahead and thank you so much as always for stopping by! Don’t be afraid to comment!

So, I’m sitting here after a long day at work watching the Martha Stewart show (again, right I know! but i like her so get over it).  It is of course an older episode, since western television programs take a year or two after they release to make their way across the Pacific.  Anyways, I’m sitting here watching and I swear I’m sitting here seeing Martha flirt with this guest on the show.  Let me set it up for you.  There is a Hawaiian Tiki theme to the show today, and she is working with this blond headed carpenter guy to build a backyard ‘Tiki Bar.’  Ok fine, so if you wanted to have a Hawaiian Luau party then it would be cute, borderline tacky I guess.  However, what is more interesting to see is that this guy is just dumb, dumb, DUMB!  Granted, he’s tall, blond, and looks a bit muscular but do straight women really go for that?  I just can’t see it myself, because I can’t get past his obvious low intellect and cave man sense of humor.  Then again, I have seen some well educated men here in Bangkok with partners obviously not chosen for their powers of conversation.  This applies to males, females, gay, straight, and whatever.  I just need some intellectual stimulation to go along with a pretty face but I guess some people settle for what they can get.  Must be something I’m missing because Martha seems pretty ‘ga ga’ over this male blond bimbo, but then again to each his own.

Finally, and in a totally different subject direction!  I came across something really interesting I wanted to share with you guys before i close off this totally random post.  I read an article today online that was in a very recent published issue of “The Economist,” magazine.  It is a very very interesting read directly related to the post I did recently on the absolute corruption of the police force here in Thailand.  It seems someone has done their research, so please take the time and have a read of this interesting article.  You will see a very descriptive and much more detailed look at what I wrote about before.  So make sure you take the time and go have a read.  Much love to you guys and as always, thanks for stopping by.  See ya again really soon!

Howdy folks! Well, I haven’t written to you guys in a few days, so i thought i should sit down and bang out a few words for my loyal readers. It is late on a lazy Sunday afternoon here in the “Big Mango,” and it is the last day of vacation for yours truly. Gosh, Isn’t that just the most depressing feeling in the world? Those last few hours slipping by after you’ve been away from work for a while. Time always seems to speed up on such days doesn’t it? Well, this one has been no exception.

In case your curious, I managed to survive “Songkran 2008″ high and dry once again this year. Thanks so much for visiting and commenting on the previous 2 posts i made on the subject. I had some really good responses and want you to know i really appreciate your input. The hot Thai summer sun is still baking away outside, but I’ve had the delight of sitting here under my air conditioner for the entire duration of my last day of freedom this afternoon. I’ve been working on my lesson plans for the better part of the last five hours as tomorrow is the first day of the last term this year at work. I honestly think that the worst part about being a professional educator is the planning we have to do, as in most cases it takes up a good deal of our time outside of the classroom. However, I must admit that it will be nice to fall back into the old routine tomorrow.

Anyways, I’ve been thinking about something over the past few days that I wanted to share with you guys. I want to talk a little bit about ’scoffing.’ Have you ever been scoffed at? I think it is one of my biggest pet peaves in life when someone chuckles at another’s thoughts and ideas with contempt and dismissal. I recently had the misfortune of working with a person that would scoff at anything or any idea from someone else. this person thought that their ideas were the only ones in the world with merit and if you disagreed then you would simply be scoffed at regardless of what you or anyone thought. Why do we scoff at one another? I watched a little bit of Fox news over the break, and the “so called” journalists laughed and scoffed at others that didn’t share their point of view. I don’t care if you don’t agree with me on an issue, but just because you don’t agree doesn’t mean i’m wrong. You can see people on both sides of mos issues laughing, mocking, and scoffing at one another but really what does such behavior accomplish? I or you could even possibly wrong about something but if someone scoffs at us how are you going to react? Are you going to listen to them and eat humble pie? No, of course not. You are simply going to turn off and it may even push you further away from issue at hand than before. I don’t know, but i wish people could be better than that and more sympathetic to their fellow men or women. A wise person once told me to never be to proud as there will “always” be someone some where that is bigger, better, and brighter than you.

Well, I think that is enough rambling for today, so i’m going to close this one here. Thanks for stopping by and will talk to you soon for sure!

Hello to you my wonderful readers. Well, I was finally able to find a good video to sum up the Songkran holiday after much anticipation on your part I’m sure. The opening goes on for a bit with some explanations, but trust me as it will give you some idea of the ‘festivities’ going on in every city across Thailand at the moment.  Take a little time if you have it and watch as you will understand why one cannot simply opt out of the merry making.  It is about 10:30 at night as i sit here writing for you guys and we’ve just returned home from dinner where I noted people ’still’ out and about randomly dunking bucket loads of water on every and anyone that happens by. I had said in an earlier post that the festivities were supposed to end at sundown, but it seems this year that this rule has been ignored. Also, I had said that the holiday is only supposed to last for 3 days, but the madness has been extended to 4 days since the first day of Songkran fell on a Sunday this year. I guess the politicians thought everyone needed an extra day of drunken soakings before returning to normal daily activities on Thursday. I would also like to note before I close this post that the official death toll due to alcohol related accidents thus far has reached 180 and 1,103 traffic related injuries with only 2 days and 2 more left to go. I dare say for these unfortunate people affected by the holiday related tragedies thus far the ‘fun’ of it all is well behind them.

Hey folks!  Well, i’ve been sitting here and have tried for the better part of the afternoon again and again to get onto the youtube website without any success at all.  I know I had promised you guys a video clip of the insane holiday madness that is called ‘Songkran’ here in Thailand, and I’ll just have to try again later.   As you are already aware, I’ve no wish to participate in the 3 or 4 day holiday event going on right now when the whole country descends into an anarchy of drunkenness and  water gun fights filled with stagnant klong water.  However, I cannot simply chose to abstain from the festivities going on around me if i venture out in public.  Those of us wishing not to partake in water fights must bunker up in our homes till Sundown when the water fights and festivities end each day.  After that most revelers are to drunk to accost anything but a porcelain throne, but not that I’m bitter old queen or anything.  Do i sound bitter? 

No, I actually don’t mind staying in as I can quite happily keep myself occupied inside all day with writing blogs for you wonderful people, watching movies, or playing WOW.  It is EXTREMELY hot here since April is the height of summer, so you are sweating within seconds of merely walking out the door.  Speaking of movies…I’m sitting here writing and passively watching the movie “Castaway,” with Tom Hanks simultaneously.   I actually watched the tail end of the movie last night  and thanks to the repetitive  nature of movie channels it is on again.  It is ok though, as I really enjoy this film.  I relate to the main character in a way much the same as i relate to Bill Murray’s character in “Lost in Translation.”  I live out my life here in Thailand isolated from the world around me and thousands of miles from my loved ones at home.  Now i know what some of my readers are thinking, and especially one reader in particular.  You would say, “but Tom! remember you choose your life” and “you choose to live in Thailand” and that’s true to some extent.  However, life isn’t that cut and dried.  Do you really think we choose all the important things in our lives such as who we love?  Do you make the conscious decision at some point in time to say to yourself…”Hey, I think I will love this person starting now, at this point in time.”  No of course not.  What would you do if i shrugged my shoulders and said you had to between love and geography?  You should ask yourself how good are your empathy skills? 

So…I sit here in my semi-self imposed exile somewhat by choice and somewhat by fate.  I do miss my home with all my heart, but I also love my partner very very much.  So what choices do I have then?  The U.S. isn’t going to welcome me home with partner in hand anytime soon, despite the progressive nature of laws in other western countries like Australia, Holland, or the U.K. that do treat ‘all’ their citizens equally.  So, until my country reaches a place that grants me equal rights like heterosexual citizens, I will do my best to live positively in the country here that I’ve adopted as a second home.  There will always be things about Thailand that i don’t like or find annoying but who’s to say it wouldn’t be the same anywhere.  Gosh, where did all that come from, huh?  Anyways, much much love to you and thank you so much for stopping through to have a read.  I appreciate the little bit of time you’ve spared and please please don’t be afraid to comment.  Till next time I hope this finds you well, wherever this finds you!