William Blake's blog on Ajarn.com
The taking of responsibility 1-2-3
An alternative look at Thai culture
Much has been written about the Thai culture, some of it well researched and gleaned from many years of experience. This article is unashamedly neither.
The voyage
William Blake waxes lyrical
My boat is older now than before. And has seen more days than oceans. It is no longer crisp and new, nor agile and spright.
Rocky but real relationships
thoughts on western entertainment
Western entertainment, when viewed from the perspective of living in the East, is unintentionally hilarious and makes me feel more than a little sad for Westerners. Asia, due to various cultural differences, has a far more fluid attitude to the sharing of pleasures.
A Burmese tragedy
A tradegy in one billion parts
Monks and the Godless join and march to the beat of revolution! Most have no shoes on their feet.
Repetition and stuffing up
an offbeat look at expressions and pronunciation
Many native English speakers have inherited poor pronunciation which follows into their written language. Internet forums and blogs are rife with phrases such as “would of” and “could of” as opposed to “would have” and “could have.”
Death rides pillion
Death and mayhem on Thailand's roads
The driver has pulled over so his ghost-hungry Thai passengers can disembark and stare at the unfolding drama. Stare at the bodies of ‘the others’. The ones who are no longer ‘us’.
What do women want?
A view of relationships
A commonly heard expression in Thailand regarding the local lovelies is: “You can tell when they’re lying- their lips are moving.” And I have found this to be true in more than a few cases.
An artists portrait
A portrait of the artist as a young ajarn
Make eyes with the hot one who’s there selling som-tum. She’s thin with a hot bum and smiles at me long-taam!
peeling back the layers
Things are not always as they seem
No, my friends, there is much about this country that is not obvious to the mere casual observer. It takes time for the many layers of the glorious lotus to fold back to reveal the secrets held so darkly within.
New year best seller's list
A list from my beloved Isaan
All of these titles are available in hardback, paperback, or 7-11 plastic bag (straw optional).
Blake’s theory of unnatural selection
Our unpredictable choices of mate
Give me the girl in braids, or cornrows, or secretary glasses, or a tight military uniform. Give me the girl with a cool personalised tattoo that suggests a spark of originality, or the girl who’s so confident about some part of her body that she’ll deliberately dress to show it off.
Abandon all logic
Thailand's unfathomable logic
One of the great joys of travel is to experience the exotic; to find oneself immersed in a culture which holds little or any resemblance to that which we call home.
Out and about
Madame Loneliness and I hit the streets
For the farang, who has most often left family and friends behind to pursue his (for it is usually ‘his’) life-plan of adventure in exotic climes, Loneliness is often a dormitory room with a fridge, a bed, a TV, and if he’s lucky, an Internet connection.
Homage to bad English
Som-Tam is better than Moo-Yor. Discuss.
I would like to share with you a ‘composite essay’ of imaginary student’s responses which will give you a clearer picture of the coal from which I struggle to produce diamonds.
The isaan spirit
Isaan images
And what about the Isaan people themselves? When was the last time you went out in a western economy, err sorry, country, and had a table of strangers ‘cheers’ you, and ask your name?
A dark and cliched night
A motorcyclist with no particular place to go
Moto-sighing around my recently adopted Isaan homeland, armed only with a camera and a smile, I have seen some wondrous sights and been privileged to meet some of the most beautiful people imaginable.
