Is it intimidating to step onto the court with players who have reputations for being tough?
I take every match as it comes, do the very best that I can do and hope it is good enough. I don’t worry much about the opponent.
How do you prepare for a match?
For each match, I hope to be fit, rested, injury-free and motivated to win.
What was going through your head directly after your accident with the steel post?
I was initially terrified and very concerned about how bad I might have hurt myself. I couldn’t breathe. I had to just hope for the best. I learned from the doctors that I came very close to being paralyzed.
How did life change for you after that incident?
I learned to appreciate everything more. We take so many things for granted but when you are confronted with how much worse things could be it forces you to slow down and appreciate what you have.
What’s been the greatest moment of your career so far?
Representing my country in the Davis Cup for the first time and winning my first tournament in Washington DC would have to go down as two memorable moments in my career.
When did you know that tennis was going to be a career for you?
When I got to a point where I didn’t feel like I could improve much more at the collegiate level and there was a strong enough sponsor interest that I could leave college and be in a position financially to return.
Which type of court do you prefer and why?
Hard courts are my favorite surface. Growing up in America, this is the surface of the US Open and almost all the major US tournaments.
How do you get other people to believe and support you?
I treat people with respect, whether I win or lose; I work hard, play hard and remember that this is a sport.
What do you do to relax?
I read, play online poker and spend time with my friends.
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Why did you develop the video editing/mixing software, VJamm?
We developed VJamm because we wanted to be able to jam with visual samples in the same way we jam with audio. Pure and simple. We needed an instrument; it didn’t exist, so we built it ourselves.
How do you see music and image merging in the future?
Sound and image…they’ve always been merged, humans are audio/visual animals. Sound and vision naturally go together, and there are lots of examples of that in the past. We’re just coming at that with a different set of techniques and a different aesthetic—more drawn from hip-hop than from Hollywood.
What was the impetus behind the name of your most recent album, Sound Mirrors?
Sound Mirrors refers to the idea that sound and music are intimately connected to human feeling and memory, and I think that’s a big part of the appeal of music and why it’s an import part of the human experience. You could almost say music is software for manipulating your moods.
Tell us about the performance at Astra.
We’ll be doing the full Coldcut live audio/visual meltdown spectacular with our MC. We’ll be performing some old and new stuff, as well as the audio/visual scratch-tastical widescreen show, which I don’t think you’ve seen before.
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We played our first show in 1998 and we were terrible, but it was an enjoyable thing for us. We all grew up together, we went to school together and we got into music together.
The “no-guitar” sound just sort of happened. We had a guitarist for a long time, but basically he just gave up, and then we didn’t have a guitarist, and that’s why we still don’t have one today.
When we play live, it’s just the three of us. Tim plays bass on the records, and keyboard bass. We’ve sort of embraced technology to help Tim out because he doesn’t have enough hands.
Being on the road over the past couple of years has really educated us musically.
We were surprised when re-listening to Hopes and Fears how polite it sounded because we had basically been on the road rocking out for two and a half years and we played louder and harder and we wanted to get that energy onto this new album.
The songs on Under the Iron Sea are definitely a progression from Hopes and Fears. These songs are a lot tougher and much darker and ask more difficult questions.
On this record we wanted to talk about a lot of the things you don’t normally talk about, the things you pretend aren’t there or aren’t bothering you.
Under the Iron Sea is sort of a metaphor for there being stuff buried away somewhere. It’s sort of something you use to protect yourself from each other.
The first song, “Atlantic”, is basically about the fear of losing your friends and dying alone. It’s kind of like, “I hope we can all get through this and get a record out…”
We weren’t getting on too well while “Crystal Ball” was being written. It’s just a metaphor for sweeping something under the carpet.
We signed to a major label because we wanted to go to places like Bangkok and travel the world and get to play in Japan. If you want to do that, it’s very expensive, so you need someone to help pay for the flight.
I think illegal downloading is a bad thing. While it may not harm bands as big as Metallica or Keane, it does harm other people. If there are artists that aren’t selling that many records, downloading is going to hurt them.
I think the concept of record companies being these huge evil people that don’t deserve all the money they get… it’s probably a lot more complicated than that.
However, we also know that we benefit enormously from the Internet. We definitely benefited a lot in the early days from word of mouth in Internet forums and discussions.
If the only way someone has access to one of our songs is by illegally downloading it, then to be honest, that’s OK with me because I’d rather they hear it than not hear it.
If someone had the choice to download it legally or illegally, I’d rather they do it legally of course…
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From the blown-out phone booth you’re huddled in pretending to make a phone call, the sign above the darkened shophouse across the street can just about be read. Yeah, this is the same place you came to about a year ago. A figure behind the plate glass window inside the shophouse can barely be made out, nervously pacing back and forth. Well, it’s now or never.
“Buut mai?” Are you open?
“Buut, khap.” Yep.
Stepping in, the metal grate clanks down behind you with finality, as if to say, “You’re here now, and you are not leaving anytime soon.” The silhouettes of chairs and tables leaning at queer angles confirm your suspicions that this place is not open for business during normal working hours. You make your way towards a dim light at the back of the shop, then follow a set of stairs to a second floor that looks something like a flophouse. A single lamp with a bare bulb harshly illuminates a room crowded with overturned furniture and clothing racks like an abandoned warehouse. Two girls in various states of undress lie uncomfortably on black pleather couches amid trashy celeb magazines and garbage. Some guy who looked like he was sleeping sits up suddenly and moves to the other side of the room. Oh shit, you think, has this place turned into a dodgy massage parlor since I was last here? A heavy woman who could easily be a mamasan sits at a disheveled-looking desk, looking you up and down while your mind races…
“Two hundred baht,” she says suddenly, and in a trance you hand over the money, assuming this is an entrance fee. She shoves a pale green ticket in your hand and points to a door leading upstairs.
Reaching the landing, you surprise the sleeping staff and the DJ robotically puts on 50 Cent’s “In da Club.” You sit at the bar and redeem your drink. Before long, a big, sleazy looking guy in a disheveled suit from some cheap Nana tailor comes into the room and puts his arms around the shoulders of two girls you hadn’t noticed standing at a nearby table. One girl is wearing cut-off jeans and a tank top from Bebe, while the other, inexplicably, has on a baby blue chamois gown from God knows where. The three appear to know each other, and the guy intones deeply, “Yo soy Americano,” in a ridiculous accent, and then, “So who’s driving the car tonight?” The girls laugh endearingly at him, and they exit. Over the next 45 minutes it’s a contest to see which is worse—the music or the clientele. The place is so depressing you’re on the verge of tears. When you stand to leave, the bartender wakes up and asks if you’d like another drink, but you just keep going out the door, pretending you didn’t hear him.
“Welcome, sir. Sit down, please.”
Street people litter the sidewalks, plying their trade like nightcrawlers: fruit vendors and flower boys, whisky slingers and sad song singers, working girls, werewolves, trannies, tourists, the deformed, defamed and dispossessed of every shape and variety. The sidewalk buzzes like a cheap electric toy hooked up to a nuclear reactor. Here, the wash of the Earth collects, the catchall filter before the dirty water flows back into the ocean.
You can’t help thinking that these are the people representing Thailand to the world. Some tourists come here and this is all they see. These people, these streets. The poor street urchins who have to deal with drunk and disorderly weirdos from all over the globe night after night after night…and they look it. Some of them have faces so young, but their eyes are so old, like they’ve seen every depravity known to man, every sin, every vice—because they have.
You get to the second floor of some muti-level bar complex at about 3:15am and are immediately met by an overanxious lady boy dragging you into a club. The music is really loud and it’s going like this: “boom boom boom boom, I want you in my room…,” which is a bit nauseating, especially considering there is almost no one here. You sit and talk to a crew of three ladyboys and two gay dudes for a while. They tell you this bar is popular with Thai people who get out of work late but still want to party. This one dude, “Bank,” makes handbags and sells them at Chatuchak on the weekends, apparently, but when times are tight he comes down here for “freelance” work. In the corner are a couple of middle-aged losers in desperate need of gym memberships. They dance like spastics with their dates.
“Oh really?” you suddenly find yourself saying aloud, completely disinterested. You haven’t paid attention to a word these people have said for the last 15 minutes. Is that how much time has passed? You dig through your pockets for your phone and suddenly realize that Celine Dion is blasting on the stereo like it’s fucking AC/DC. “Once more, you open the door…” Uggh…now you think you might actually be sick…
“Listen…you… people,” you say, racking your brain for a single one of their names and failing, “I’ve got to be going now. But you take care and I’ll see you around real soon.” They look at you like you’ve got a set of antennae coming from the back of your head, but you couldn’t care less. Outside you merge into the wave of human traffic—one huge, seething mass of flesh on the go—and mentally debate the virtues of the 24-hour food options within walking distance—Soi Mogadishu? Villa Market? Subway? Hmmm…
You’re sitting at a booth with Jun and Blake—who just passed out—along with some model and her boyfriend. The model is wearing a stunning little black dress by Miu Miu with an Yves Saint Laurent handbag, which is overkill for a Friday night but apparently they were out on a date or something.
A band that was playing Radiohead covers all night is cleaning up, but the guitarist continues to try to work out the lead riff of a Stone Roses track, which you are now dying to hear. You excuse yourself to use the bathroom before the taxi ride home, and when you come back to the booth, the model and her boyfriend are gone but a DJ has come on and the windows of the joint are closed over with heavy curtains, so that from the street it would appear that the place was closed. Sweet…
At the bar, you order a flask of Sang Som. Before you can pay for it, this drunk American girl opens it and starts pouring it into her glass, as if you just bought it for her. She downs what looks like a couple shots without flinching, then puts her arm around you like you are old friends. Finally, you say “Hello” just to be nice, and she just looks at you with an expression like, “I’m so hot,” which is laughable because she’s practically cross-eyed drunk and so not. Then as suddenly as she appeared, she stumbles away in a stupor. You notice that she dropped some money, so you pick it up and give it to her friend, who looks equally drunk but seems not nearly as clueless.
When you get back to the booth, Blake is lying on the ground and Jun is talking to some random guy you’ve never seen before. He’s wearing slim, black pinstriped Kenneth Cole trousers, black leather shoes from Jaspal and a weird asymmetrical shirt from Topshop. “So I just left the club with those two male models and we tried to pick up some girls,” he says, “but no one wanted to get naughty with us. We ended up driving around Khao San at about 6am. All we could find were a few trannies that wanted to give us blowjobs. It was a pretty boring night, really…” He lights a cigarette and launches into another story, during which time you are reminded of how much he looks like that guy Z-Man from Russ Meyer’s Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.
Minutes or hours later (you’re not sure), you turn around and see two boys in brown at the door. The words “URINE TEST” flash through your mind in bold, florescent letters, and suddenly you are frantically trying to remember any illegal substances you’ve taken in the past six months. Do vitamins count? How about flu medication? Oh shoot, you remember you were taking antibiotics about a month ago—how long does that stuff stay in your system? Luckily, the police are just here to break up the party—no wee wee test this time. It is 4:30am.
The hiso fashion show you just walked out of was typical—lots of beautiful people with personalities like wet cardboard. All you can think of is going home at this point, but a friend from out of town is here and it’s her last night in Bangkok.
“Come on,” she whines, “you can’t go to bed yet, it’s only 1:45! This is my last night here and you’re going to go home just because you have to work tomorrow?!” Ten minutes later you’re telling a taxi driver how to get to this place your friends once told you about that’s not too far away. At least you think it’s not too far away.
There’s a pack of queeny guys outside who discreetly lead you and your friend down an alley to a set of stairs that open into the back door of some bar. Apparently the place is a gay go-go joint by day, and it looks like some of the dancers are still hanging around, boogying in the crowd topless. This in turn prompts some of the more “excited” clientele to take off their shirts, too. After a couple drinks, you finally get it: Shirts off means you’re horny! If only scoring was always this easy…
Here’s a change: The music here is fantastic. The DJ is playing some house remix of a Fleetwood Mac tune that you never would have imagined could sound so groovy. You get a drink from the bartender, who is far more friendly and accommodating than the one at the hiso fashion show, and return to your table to overhear a foreign man hitting on a Thai girl nearby.
“Hey, you know Brad Pitt?” he asks.
“The actor? Yes…” she replies apprehensively.
“Yeah, he’s my brother,” he says lightly. She responds with a polite laugh while walking away slowly. He follows her across the dance floor. “You know that guy Tom Cruise? Yeah, that’s my sister…”
At about 3, some guy you barely know comes up to you and says, “I go home with you tonight.” You mumble, “Err…no, um, you see…” and then as if answering some unspoken prayer, the lights come on. You ditch the weirdo and make your way to your friend, but it seems she doesn’t want to go home just yet. “Come on, there’s another place downstairs!” she yells, following some Japanese guys.
You walk down a foul-smelling hallway where discarded foam food containers lie abandoned in dim corners. Some guy can be heard telling a story to someone two or three flights up in a thick Russian accent. “No one in the history of the world has ever died of pain,” he bellows.
Down another flight you arrive in a hallway. It’s totally silent and you assume your friend must have been misinformed. There’s no party down here. The Japanese guys are walking back up the stairs when suddenly one of the horny shirtless dudes with bleached blonde hair and nipple piercings appears. He flashes a crooked smile and stumbles past you, leaning into one of the unmarked doors. Suddenly the hallway is an explosion of noise and light. A girl sitting on the inside of the door beckons you to come in quickly, then slams the door shut behind you.
This club is jumping with a more mixed crowd, and full sound and lighting system. In fact, if you didn’t know what time it was, you could easily have thought this was just a regular club. They are playing some cool hip-hop you are unfamiliar with, which blends samples of luk thung into the mix. It’s fresh, exciting, and you think to yourself, “why isn’t this kind of music played in hip-hop clubs all the time?”
As you make your way through the crowd, you are surprised how happy and upbeat the people seem. There’s no posing or pretentiousness. It’s like a house party scene in some 80s movie where people from all different scenes come together and have a good time. Every 15 minutes or so, the lights and the music suddenly get dimmer and people freeze on the dance floor, apparently because the police are rolling by. After this happens a few times, you and your friend decide it’s time to make your way home. This will be one joint to remember…that is, if you ever make it out this late again
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Your photos suggest a certain intimacy with your subjects. As a photographer, how important is it to establish a relationship with the people you are shooting?
For me, emotions and feelings are the key to good photographs. It moves you (as a photographer) and your images (vision) to the next level. If an image does not communicate, provoke and make you wonder, then it is simply another picture. Images must be a result of your thoughts and must communicate to the wide audience, whether or not they understand it. It is always important to establish somewhat of a relationship with your subjects, make them trust you, and make them be a part of it.
The filmmaker Stanley Kubrick was fiercely close with the actors and technicians he worked with while making a film, but after the filmmaking was over, he often would never speak to the people he worked with again. Do you feel the need to distance yourself from your subjects after shooting them?
I think people in the art fields are good at manipulating people and surroundings to get what we want. This doesn’t necessarily mean that we really have to continue our relationship with them afterwards, but at the moment of creation, we must make them believe that they are everything and without them, the result would not occur.
Who are more beautiful to you—men or women?
That’s like comparing salmon and steak—both are equally healthy and delicious. Depends what you are craving at the moment...
Was it difficult getting your book Rare Views published?
Not really. I have been working and shooting in America for quite a long time and people know me. Getting a book published just came naturally. It is just another step in the process—after stock images and greeting cards, what was left to do but a book?
You have had some of your poetry published here in Thailand. Have you ever thought about incorporating text or poetry—either Thai or English—into your photographs?
I am actually doing it now. I am publishing a book with RS Promotion. It is a photo book with poetry and short pieces (in both Thai and English) incorporated with my images. It should be out in the fall.
Are men traditionally your subject matter or is that just the theme for this book?
Well, yes and no. I photograph both men and women, but I feel the need of promoting men because books of women are practically everywhere. I want to share my vision that men can be beautiful and intimate, too.
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New York City-based saxophonist Michael Blake is coming to Hua Hin this weekend to play in two different groups at the Jazz Festival: the fire breathing Ibrahim Electric and his own spacy, free jazz quartet, Blake Tartare. His discography includes stints with some of the brightest luminaries in music, both inside and outside the jazz world: Medeski, Martin and Wood, Ben E. King, Tricky, DJ Logic, and John Lurie and the Lounge Lizards (the leader of which appeared in Jim Jarmusch’s cult classic films, Down by Law and Stranger Than Paradise).
Have you played much outside the U.S.?
I have performed at almost every major jazz festival in the world: Montreal, San Francisco, JVC New York, Berlin, Vienna, Tokyo, Copenhagen, Paris, etc...
How do music festivals on a Thai beach differ from other music festivals?
I won’t be able to answer that until after I perform there. I expect there to be a lot of very relaxed and friendly people.
Do people usually recognize you or your music at these sorts of events?
I wouldn’t say usually. There are some loyal and serious music fans who pay attention to my particular brand of jazz. I am always happy to meet my fans and make new ones.
Do you usually find jazz festivals filled with more music aficionados or clueless wanderers that happened to be in the area?
Both.
What’s John Lurie like in real life? Anything like that dude in Down by Law?
He’s like that dude in Down by Law.
Is there any one person or group you can point to as being responsible for “lite” jazz? And what’s up with that stuff anyway?
Any artist who betrays his personal relationship with his art is faking it. So if someone believes that “lite” is good music and they really are sincere and they don’t think “lite” is bad, well to them it’s a wonderful and hip way of expressing themselves. If they know they are wasting their talent playing insipid music then they have to live with that. An artist like Grover Washingon Jr.—who may have been one of the originators of “lite” jazz—was really soulful and sincere. So don’t blame him. It’s the radio stations who will only play that style that are provoking it. Musicians are always just trying to make a living and some choose to play “lite” music so they can connect to a wider audience. Plus, I think the performances and production have just gotten worse over the years. I don’t listen, perform or pay attention to “lite” jazz or most “mainstream” jazz either.
What city has the most interesting jazz scene right now, in your opinion?
New York City is the jazz mecca. But these days a musician doesn’t have to live in NYC to be part of an interesting jazz scene. Chicago, Vancouver, Copenhagen, Barcelona, etc…they are all thriving!
What’s the scene like backstage at a Jazz Festival? Groupie city?
I hope it is at Hua Hin! Seriously, the vibe is usually warm, inviting and family friendly.
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It’s that time of the year again—let the splashing begin. Break out the powder, the water cannons, the buckets, the garden hoses, the ice cubes…. What’s that you say? You don’t like getting wet? Well, that’s OK, too. This year, we’re going to prepare you for every eventuality. Whether you fully embrace the squirting, would like to celebrate the holiday in an unusual way, want to find a last minute escape from the madness or hate the water but can’t be asked (or can’t afford) to leave town, there are a host of activities to keep you happy this Songkran.
A lot of Bangkokians start getting anxious around this time of year, but not everyone has the time or means to leave the city. Luckily there are a plethora of things you can do in the Capital where you don’t have to get wet. In fact, seeing as some people have as much as 11 days off (lucky jerks…), Songkran can be a great opportunity to really devote yourself to something meaningful, get something big accomplished or take on that project you’ve been putting off for ages.
Sharpen Your Palatte
Just because you’re out of school doesn’t mean your can’t learn something new. Impress your boy/girlfriend by whipping up something special that you learned how to make at the adorable Vanilla Industry (B3,500 per person for half day course, B2,500 per person for groups of 3-6 people. 422/2 Siam Square Soi 11, 02-658-4720). To ensure a spot, make sure you call and make a reservation a week ahead of time. Kuppa@Playground (B1,500-2,500 per menu. 3/F, Playground, 818 Soi Thonglor, 02-714-9517-8. Open daily 10:30am-11:30pm) also teaches how to cook their wonderful dishes, though here again you should call ahead to ensure a space. Instruction on creating delectable kanom and international fare in small, intimate classes is available at ABC Cooking Studio (B2,900-4,900 per person, learn 3-6 menus. 208-210 Siam Square Soi 1, 02-251-3448. Open 10am-5pm; www.abccookingstudio.com). If you are itching to make your own sushi, you’ll have to wait until after Songkran, but it may be worth it. Chef Aki’s Real Traditional Japanese Cooking Workshop at Tsu & Nami Japanese Restaurant (B1,900 per person, JW Marriot Bangkok, 4 Sukhumvit Soi 2, 02-656-7700 ext. 4359. Open 8:50am-1:30pm every first Sunday of the month) teaches you how to do everything from appetizers to desserts from the Far East.
Those looking to unlock the secrets of Thai cuisine can go to the renowned Blue Elephant Cooking School (B2,900 per person. 233 South Sathorn Rd., Kwaeng Yannawa, 02-673-9353; www.blueelephant.com) or to the Thai cooking school at the Oriental Hotel (US$190 per person, 48 Oriental Ave, 02-659-9000. Open Mon-Sat, 9am-12:30pm; www.mandarinoriental.com/bangkok).
Clear Your Mind
The New Year is of course a time of spiritual renewal and re-birth and the perfect opportunity to do some mental “spring cleaning” by taking a meditation class. The International Buddhist Meditation Center (Dhamma Vicaya Hall, Wat Mahathat, Na Phra Lan Rd, 02-222-6011. Classes held daily 7am-10am, 1pm-4pm, 6pm-9pm; www.mcu.ac.th/mcu/eng) provides instruction throughout the day in Thai and holds a special class in English on Saturdays. Other options are House of Dhamma (26/9 Chompol Lane, Lad Phrao Soi 15, Chatuchak, 02-511-0439. Open evenings and weekends only) and the seven-acre haven of peace and serenity, Sathira-Dhammasathan (24/5 Watcharaphol, Ram Inthra Soi 55, Bang Khen, 02-510-6697. Open daily 8am-5pm; www.sathira-dhammasathan.org), which offers meditation workshops as well as other forms of spiritual development. Alternately, relax your mind and heal your body simultaneously at Yoga Elements Studio (23/ F, 29 Vanissa Building, Soi Chitlom, 02-655-5671. Open 9:30am-7:30pm, closed Sat, Apr 15; www.yogaelements.com) or try Wat Pho Traditional Thai Medical School (B7,000 for 30-hour course. 2 Sanamchai Rd, 02-221-3686. Open daily 8am-4pm; www.watpomassage.com) to put the magic of traditional healing and relaxation at your fingertips.
Now that you have a little time off, why not explore some of those cool places you’ve been reading about but have never had the chance to visit? Thailand Knowledge Park (TK Park) (6/F Central World Plaza, Ratchaprasong Rd., 02-392-5951; www.tkpark.or.th) has thousands of books and magazines to flip through (and maybe even read!), both in Thai and foreign languages. If reading is not your thing, TK Park is also a clearinghouse for all sorts of multimedia: They regularly hold film screenings (including 3D movies), have thousands of songs from all over the world to listen to, information on musical instruments from Thailand and abroad and offer free internet access. Alternately, the Thailand Creative and Design Center (TCDC) (6/F The Emporium, 622 Sukhumvit 24, 02-664-8448; open daily 10:30am-10pm, closed Mon; www.tcdc.or.th) offers similar services in an ultracool 2001: A Space Odyssey kind of atmosphere. Unfortunately, their services are not free; however, you can check them out once without paying, plus students get special a discount. In addition, they have free art exhibitions every month and a cool shop with unique, arty gifts for sale.
Nice, dry, air-conditioned art galleries may be just the place to spend a Songkran afternoon. The following galleries are all having some interesting exhibits going on over the holiday: 100 Tonson Gallery (100 Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Rd., 02-684-1527. Open Thu-Sun 11am-7pm. www.100tonsongallery.com) and Hu’u Gallery (OK, it’s a restaurant, but you’re allowed to just look. The Ascott, 1-2/F, 187 South Sathorn Rd., 02-676-6673. Open daily 5pm-1am. www.huuinasia.com). For exhibition descriptions and more suggestions, check out our +art listings in BK+.
Gliding on ice may be a faraway dream on a hot summer day, but believe or not you can do it right here in Bangkok. The rink at Central World Plaza has closed for renovation, but you can still go ice-skating at Imperial World Samrong (B150 plus B100 skate deposit. 999 Sukhumvit Rd, 02-380-4230-32, www.imperialplaza.co.th. Open daily 10am–2:45pm and 3pm-8pm, Sundays until 7:30pm). You can even sign up for figure skating lessons, or just watch for B20.
If that seems like it requires more energy than you are willing to spend, a massage right in the comfort of your own home could be a good idea. Call Kangsadan Home Spa (12/26 Thesabarnsongkrao Rd., Ladyao, Chatuchak, 02-954-3401) and they’ll send a professional spa therapist to your home with all the essentials, including a clean mattress, robes, oil and even some soothing music.
Lastly, for the truly lazy or just the computer-addicted who would like to celebrate a traditional Songkran ceremony but can’t bother getting up from their desk, simply surf on over to www.songkran.net. This site offers you the chance to do it all online including Song Nam Phra (bathe the Buddha), Rod Nam Dam Hua (apologize to older people for all the bad deeds you did to them), free birds and fish (via Flash animation) and “e-splash” friends via email. The site also has information on events and the history of the festival.
Songkran doesn’t have to be celebrated in water-drenched streets or temples. Here are a couple ideas for people who’d like to stay with the water theme, but in a non-traditional, out-of-the-box sort of way.
Why waste your precious time in Koh Tao when you can get certified to scuba dive before you even leave town? Planet Scuba (666 Sukhumvit Road near the top of Soi 24, 02-261-4413; www.planetscuba.net) is just one of many dive shops throughout the city that offers training in a swimming pool followed by an overnight trip to Pattaya for open water certification, so that you’ll be ready to go when you get to that tropical paradise.
Spend a day at the water’s edge without leaving the city wakeboarding at Club Taco (B200/hr, B300/2 hrs, B500/day. Bang Na Trad Highway Km 13, 02-316-7810. Open Mon-Fri noon-6 pm, Sat-Sun 10am-6pm). If you can get the hang of it, this fun activity that resembles water-skiing can be addictive. Instead of a boat, at Camp Taco a mechanical cable pulls you around a manmade lake—bizarre but entertaining nonetheless. A tip: Pass on the free equipment and rent the better stuff. It makes a big difference.
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