This weekend is some kind of holiday...Buddha's birthday maybe?...so alcohol sales are banned. Alcohol consumption is against Buddhist teaching...a prohibition that is observed primarily in the breach. However, in typical Thai fashion they don't want to interfere with commerce. So, if a customer orders a beer the waitress will pour the bottle into a plastic cup, not show the customer the bottle and that is OK. :) The prohibition is acknowledged, the sale is made and the customer gets the beer.
With the cessation of the cool winds blowing from China smog has returned to Thailand. Bangkok has been working hard to improve air quality. All taxis run on natural gas which is quite clean. Ubiquitous Baht Buses, so called because the basic fare is a Baht (about 3 cents), are slowly being converted from diesel to natural gas. All motorcycles now being sold are four cycle instead of the old two cycle. Two cycle mix oil with the fuel for lubrication creating much pollution. With 4 million motorcycles on the streets of Bangkok this change is huge. Most heavy trucks and the mini-buses I ride run on natural gas.
Among the jobs I wouldn't want is that of a Thai street sweeper. Super highway, highway, street, side street the sweepers are at work sweeping by hand....yes with a broom. All the sweepers appear to be women.
 |
| 5th graders Milk, Haawa and Meenha leading the schools opening exercises. |
 |
| 5th graders leading the "Word for Day"...the English word "Chili." |
 |
| The girls next door. Last year I tutored Fern (pink shirt) and Gad (white shirt) in English. |
No comments:
Post a Comment