Prubangboy

The prob with other people's bucket lists is that in an attempt to seem well-rounded, they will have a lot of stuff on it that will hold no interest to you.

I respect hip hop, I guess. I never want to hear it again. EDM, the same. New Latin music, ditto. No point in forcing myself to endure it.

I love reggae. The 2-3 reggae records on such a list will be too mainstream for me. Jazz is an ocean. They will just tell you to listen to Kinda Blue. If that's as far you're going to go into jazz, that's a good one. But if you're not a jazzer or a brit popper, or Metal-head, why bother?

When I was young, music critics served a purpose. They might occasionally survey something like African music or minimalism, give you a context, and let you know where you might want to dip in to the genre. These books do the same thing, but much less well. It's shifted from you probably will like it, to you certainly should like it.

I read a book called The Long Tail, about how now that every last bit of music is available, that people would have incredibly diverse tastes. But that didn't happen.

95% of all reggae searches are still for Bob Marley. When I look on YouTube for reggae minor great, Sylford Walker, he's only up to about 600 views, world-wide.

Taste is a funneling process, and by definition, funnels narrow things. Taste is also a distilling process, and when you distill something, you get less of it. As your taste evolves you like less stuff, not more stuff.

You already comically threatened to meet me on some street corner an assault me.

Twice. I will someday leave you swinging impotently at the air while I laughingly ghost you.

What gets into you? Is this just more pretending to be nuts? Or are you truly nuts for real? 

13 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

Yeah, and you are apparently allowed to troll every single thread on this forum.

Although he's a passive-aggressive crybaby liar, he def should be allowed to troll whenever he wants. 

It amuses me.

Don't make fun of him because he's poor. He can't help it.

How rich to you really need to be to have a HiSo dentist GF?

Apparently, not hardly rich at all. Any JoeBlow can entice them with a little bogan banter. He likes to "make them laugh".  Like a clown.

Back to the market topic:

I used to collect Thai Nang Kwak Statues and old Buddhist graphics. I no longer do. The indoor flea market near the Chatachuk was a goldmine.

Even as a non-collector, I still graze it like its a museum. I'll pop down from Chiang Mai, stay in Ari for fusion-ish meals, and stay at the Craftsman for $100 a night. That's a $200 room for $100 and no need to get on a train or deal with traffic.

If only there was someone who would OCD-toss up a picture of a The Craftsman Hotel to remind us of his futile existence.

41 minutes ago, susanlea said:

 No need to start a topic before you go shopping. Just go.

I am sorry you're frustrated. I hope you have a good day.

It's a good place to get essential oils, incense etc. Prob 20% off of Chinatown, which is also good.

It's also the only place in Thailand where I found Lao Coffee, and at a reasonable price.

But you do eventually get marketed out. You've seen one hanging duck, you've seen them all. You age out of tee shirts with pictures on them.

When I was in Oman and Borneo this year, the visit to the market was a tour highlight for most people. But I live near the Chiang Mai Uni Market and I never bother to go anymore.

Another gloriously ugly Ubon hotel, this time in the brutalist-revival style

23 minutes ago, RSD1 said:

Here is a photo. Should help. 
 

To be fair, those faux-Deco chairs would fetch $2K apiece in a Manhattan vintage furniture store.

Ubon Hotel. A brutalist masterpiece.

ha an all-concrete karaoke bar that looks like Hitler's bunker. 

Just now, RSD1 said:

Definitely a true gem. Text from the Nana Hotel website:

 

Tailor Shop 
The highly skilled tailors.

Those highly skilled tailors could not sew a button on a shirt, it's all sent out to a sweatshop.

May as well answer Walker 88:

'Can't speak to any jihadi cells at the The Grace Hotel, but I recall Osama tee shirts being sold on Suk right after 9/11, with the slogan, ANTHRAX WAR NOW! Eventually, they were withdrawn from sale.

10 people wanted me to get them one. One suggested I wear it on the plane.

1 minute ago, RSD1 said:

Sorry, don't know that person. 

The artist formerly known as SusanLea.

I'm making fun of Bignok.

The conversation thing -it seems to elude him. We talk about The Nana Hotel, then we talk about the tailor shop there, then we talk about other tailor shops in other old hotels. To him, this is akin to splitting the atom. 

"What about when I go to a gym for 40 baht?". "Huh?'.

9 minutes ago, RSD1 said:

How is that in any way relevant to the subject of the atmosphere of the Nana Hotel lobby 30-40 years ago?

  
 

 

He doesn't love Thailand for its super-unique, layered, lost in time mashed up against crass modernity-vibe.

He's here for a cheap breakfast and to have someone sit on his bogan face.

Not that that's a bad thing.

I stayed at The Grace Hotel recently. Verdict: a full letter grade up from the Nana, a letter grade down from The Ambassador.

Again, truly zany tailor shop windows. I may do a photo essay. Circa '98, I recall that a lot of mongers were wearing over-tailored shirts. It's sad those peacocks have passed on. 

Bignok alert: All of the milk you wanted at breakfast. Feel free to fill up a whole glass to save money on lunch. Passable gym too.

Save your much-bragged about 40 baht gym admissions to buy your not-really-a-dentist pretend-girlfriend a second meat on a stick.

'Can't fault The Miami: on a great corner, big room, retro pool area.

I have fond memories of the Nana Hotel tailor shop. Truly demented shirts with Nehru collars.

I would pay $100 to meet someone who says, "I only trust my luxury tailoring to The Nana Hotel".

And yet, somewhere, that sartorial mad man exists.

Circa 2,000, My sister adopted a Vietnamese orphan. I was skeptical, since it cost 25,000 then-dollars. Supposedly, it was a catholic charity. 

They put her up in The Nana Hotel. She was agog. Her new trafficked baby was quite a hit among the freelancers.

37 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

I'm surprised you don't have a fake girlfriend, got to be better than moping around on your own like you usually do

I'm a huge fan of The Kramer Guy. He's made his peace, he likes his life.

He's sort of my role model for the future.

13 minutes ago, RSD1 said:

Sadly the same can't be said for the lobby. 

There will come a day when the old Bangkok luxury-style of grey marble and dark brown wood will have a heyday. But probably not in our lifetime. 

Asia Hotel is the best kept-up example, The Ambassador isn't bad. Stayed there recently. Costs the same as The Nana -poor, not laughable breakfast

Have a great day, Elon.