After reading The Hunger Games, I felt the need to read something that more closely aligned itself within the category of literature. (Yes, The Hunger Games was an entertaining read, but it won’t be winning a Newbery or Pulitzer.) Before coming to Bangkok, I made a rather long list of books that I wanted to read [...]]]>

After reading The Hunger Games, I felt the need to read something that more closely aligned itself within the category of literature. (Yes, The Hunger Games was an entertaining read, but it won’t be winning a Newbery or Pulitzer.) Before coming to Bangkok, I made a rather long list of books that I wanted to read on the flight over, and, thanks to a wonderfully large, beautiful dose of Dramamine, I barely did any in-flight reading. FYI, for those who haven’t made that leg, the best way to cross the Pacific is asleep. In the last few months, I’ve slowly been working my way through that original list.

The Sense of an Ending is by no means a lengthy book, barely managing to straddle the novel/novella line, but what it lacks in quantity of content it makes up for in quality and substance. Julian Barnes does a wonderful job helping the reader understand the protagonist’s misgivings towards certain critical choices in his past as his curiosity compels him to reevaluate the events surrounding them. While the novel isn’t completely linear, it does not rely so heavily on flashbacks that the plot becomes incoherently garbled or diluted by context. I can’t write much more without spoiling the novel, but I will say that this novel will definitely make you reexamine the decisions you’ve made in your own life from a more cautious perspective.

The Sense of an Ending on Amazon (Kindle, Paperback, Hardcover, Audio CD)

As you can see, I did learn something from those Saturday cleaning chores you gave me as a child.

Love, Your son

Update: Added a picture of the guest room, as it appeared before I put my empty suitcases on the bed and stuck an ironing board in there.

One of the cool things about Bangkok is the sheer number of Buddhist temples throughout [...]]]> The CFO of the company was in town over the weekend, and since we both had some time to kill on Saturday, we decided to check out one of the more famous temples in the city, Wat Arun.

One of the cool things about Bangkok is the sheer number of Buddhist temples throughout the city. As little infrastructure existed when many of the older temples were constructed, they were built along the rivers and canals, which were reliable during both the dry and wet seasons, and the city’s early layout reflects that. From the upper levels of Wat Arun, you can see a Wat Pho and the Grand Palace in the distance.

Each of the spires are topped with dozens of golden bells, which made an absolutely amazing sound in the light breeze.

The apartment I’m leasing is a two-bedroom corner unit on the 27th floor of the building, which means:

Fortunately, my bilingual coworkers offered their assistance, and, after 7 weeks in Thailand, I finally have my own apartment. I’ve been [...]]]> It’s a lot less intriguing once you actually have to go through the process yourself. Mainly because it involves combing through apartment listings in Thai, which will give you a headache faster than anything.

Fortunately, my bilingual coworkers offered their assistance, and, after 7 weeks in Thailand, I finally have my own apartment. I’ve been fortunate to have very gracious hosts for these last two months, but it will be nice to have a place of my own where I can keep my own schedule. The building is right off of the downtown subway line and just two stops away from the office, which will make my morning and evening commutes considerably shorter. I’ll be moving in over the weekend, so I’ll try to post some pics ASAP.

Like many developing countries, Thailand exhibits a large economic separation between its upper and lower classes but little physical separation, with multimillion-dollar high-rises sprouting up right next [...]]]> I realize that I haven’t been posting very much yet. Until I get into my own apartment, my routine is somewhat constricted, but that will hopefully change soon.

Like many developing countries, Thailand exhibits a large economic separation between its upper and lower classes but little physical separation, with multimillion-dollar high-rises sprouting up right next to slums. It’s somewhat depressing to see these giant towers and malls go up so quickly when so much of the population will only see them from the exterior. Developer countries certainly have class problems of their own, so don’t think that we are blameless either.

Compare the street market near the office building where I work to the shopping mall downtown. They both sell Hermes and Prada, just at very different price levels.