One
of my favorite things to do when I travel is read books set in the country I’m
visiting. It adds a whole layer of
richness to the experience with deeper appreciation for the what’s going on
around me; the quirks, idiosyncrasies and history that influenced why I'm seeing what I'm seeing. If I pick carefully, it can be more insightful than any guidebook. (Top tip: if you're on your way to Australia, be sure to bring Bill Bryson's In a Sun-Burnt County.)
I recently
downloaded Bangkok Babylon after hearing Anthony Bourdain mention it on No Reservations. It's a collection of stories by Jerry Hopkins about some of Thailand's most
colorful and less-savory expats. Hopkins has lived here for close to twenty years and has a knack for meeting them all. His advice? To do exactly what your mother told you not to do - talk to strangers. I’m on
the fence about how much I like the book. The people are interesting and it gives great insight, but the writing style doesn't keep me glued. It's missing something. I can't say what, although I do keep reading.
Anyway,
the most recent story starts out with a great line; “It was my belief that
Bernard Trink was not only boring, but dangerous.” How’s that for attention
grabbing? It turns out the guy’s a
popular expat columnist for the Bangkok Post. (Former journalist/English
speaking paper.) According to Hopkins he wrote weekly about about go-go
girls and his troubles in finding size 40 waist-band pants. Hopkins complains about the ‘banality’ of the articles
and as he’s giving more and more examples, like Trink's need to report on the increasing cost of beef stew and his fav bar changing the times of happy hour, I suddenly realize I’ve just
done the exact same thing. I've just devoted half a blog post to my quest for sheets and then
posted a picture of my bed. Ouch. Sorry
guys.
As
for why Bernard is so dangerous, I’m not sure yet. I think it’s because he’s held in such
high-regard by his readership that he can single-handedly make or break any
establishment he reviews, but who knows, I need to finish the story and that’s
not really my point anyhow. My point is that
while he can at least have the privilege of being boring and dangerous, I’m at
risk of just being plain boring… and I don’t want to alienate that growing Russian readership.
So, from now on, no more stories about the fascinating availability of bedding and peanut butter. Gripping, I know, but lesson
learned. I promise.
As for Bangkok Babylon and Bernard Trink? Let's just wait and see.
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