{"id":3205,"date":"2012-05-15T12:52:18","date_gmt":"2012-05-15T05:52:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/?p=3205"},"modified":"2012-05-15T23:41:12","modified_gmt":"2012-05-15T16:41:12","slug":"i-will-have-to-slim-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/2012\/05\/15\/i-will-have-to-slim-down\/","title":{"rendered":"I Will Have To Slim Down"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Bad news: Chanthaburi World Durian Festival 2012 is at its end. Good news: I can now feel free to moderate my Durian consumption; and hopefully lose this frickin\u2019 gut I got on me! Uh, by the way, Buddha\u2019s big round belly? Eating Durian; being a Fat\/Lazy Fuck. No other explanation.<\/p>\n

\"Durian<\/a>

Fat\/Lazy Fuck?<\/p><\/div>\n

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Back in Bangkok now, Monday afternoon. The Japanese used-clothesters have returned from Chiang Mai and want to \u201cplay bowling\u201d. I had (to my mind casually) asked them, before, whether they put any English in their rolls? Simple question\u2019s been haunting them ever since, \u2018cause they thought that anybody who would ask such a question must be some kind of a ringer.<\/p>\n

To-day I reassured them that, no, not only is my roll straight as a arrow; but I haven\u2019t even bowled in twenty years (or what). But now I\u2019m<\/em> wondering why they were so worried about it? Will there be stakes? We\u2019ll see!<\/p>\n

As far as the last days in Chanthaburi went: it breaks down like this.<\/p>\n

Saturday morning, I was to it to pay for a coupla more nights at the hotel, and noticed this pricelist. Another use of the term \u201cwashing powder\u201d. Love it! What is\/are Kongtip vs. LM\/LM cigarettes? Got me!<\/p>\n

\"pricelist\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I wanted to go visit this exhibition whose posters I\u2019d seen around town. At the DERM Gallery, if you\u2019re keeping track of these things. In typical Thailand fashion, the locals I asked for directions were only-too-willing to help out\u2026and also <\/em>typically Thailand, their directions were opposed to the tune of one hundred eighty degrees.<\/p>\n

Luckily, they all agreed upon the road<\/em> on which the gallery is sited; so it was just a matter of walking its length in both directions. Turns out, I\u2019d already seen this exhibition during a previous walk down there along the river road, had made a mental note to come check it out, then forgotten about it. Turns out they were one and the same; though I didn\u2019t see any signs to the effect of \u201cDERM Gallery\u201d.<\/p>\n

Visited a temple while heading in the wrong direction. Not too fond of the temples in Chanthaburi, to be honest. They\u2019re mostly these gaudy\/cartoon-y Chinese constructions. This one, I thought it funny that the sign tells in English what the sign is regarding<\/em>, but everything else is in Thai.<\/p>\n

\"templesign\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I guess we can figure that the temple was either built or begun in 2368 (N.B., in the Buddhist calendar, it\u2019s currently 2555).<\/p>\n

The art show was quite good. Scenes from Chanthaburi, mostly centering on the river area. Here\u2019re a few of my faves. Photos of photos: lame as; but at least photos of photos were permitted<\/em> here, so, strike while the iron\u2019s hot and all.<\/p>\n

\"artshow1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"artshow2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"artshow3\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Also took a stroll down \u201cGems Street\u201d, in session Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Not really floating my boat, I\u2019m afraid.<\/p>\n

\"gems\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In some more scenes from the wonderful Namphu Market, we see the freakiest\/coolest vendor in Chanthaburi (probably can\u2019t tell, but she\u2019s always got her face all dolled up with white makeup)\u2026<\/p>\n

\"vendor1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"vendor2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"vendor3\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2026some beautiful storm-clouds rolling in\u2026<\/p>\n

\"clouds\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2026lady slicing up a jakfruit\u2026<\/p>\n

\"jakfruit\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2026lady on a bicycle (one of the very few bicyclists in town)\u2026<\/p>\n

\"bicycle\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2026a trio of ladies vending kebab (\u201cThai BBQ!\u201d they kept trying to entice me)\u2026<\/p>\n

\"kebabs\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2026and a hamming-it-up moto-taxi driver.<\/p>\n

\"motodirver\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Also at the market\u2026well, one is continually reading about the dire situation<\/a> of global fish populations. In this light, it\u2019s sobering and depressing, but also pretty amazing to see the quantities offered up for sale at just two small stalls in one Market in one small-ish town in one small-ish country in the World.<\/p>\n

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