Aladdin's adventure during Songkran in FUNKY TOWN/ Bangkok

Songkrang 2010

Songkran

The Songkran festival is celebrated in Thailand as the traditional New Year's Day from 13 to 15 April. It coincides with the New Year of many calendars of South and Southeast Asia.

The date of the festival was originally set by astrological calculation, but it is now fixed. If these days fall on a weekend, the missed days off are taken on the weekdays immediately following. If they fall in the middle of the week, many Thai take off from the previous Friday until the following Monday.

Songkran falls in the hottest time of the year in Thailand, at the end of the dry season. Until 1888 the Thai New Year was the beginning of the year in Thailand; thereafter 1 April was used until 1940. 1 January is now the beginning of the year. The traditional Thai New Year has been a national holiday since then.

Songkran originally was celebrated only in the north of Thailand, and was probably brought there by the Burmese, who adapted it from the Indian Holy festival. It spread across Thailand in the mid 20th century and is now observed even in the far south.

However, the most famous Songkran celebrations are still in the northern city of Chiang Mai, where it continues for six days and even longer. It has also become a party for foreigners and an additional reason for many to visit Thailand for immersion in another culture.

The most obvious celebration of Songkran is the throwing of water. Thais roam the streets with containers of water or water guns (sometimes mixed with mentholated talc), or post themselves at the side of roads with a garden hose and drench each other and passersby. This, however, was not always the main activity of this festival. Songkran was traditionally a time to visit and pay respects to elders, including family members, friends and neighbours.

Besides the throwing of water, people celebrating Songkran may also go to a wat (Buddhist monastery) to ..... yeah-yeah blah-blah enough already.

From http://en.wikipedia.org

Monday 12 ^th of April 2010 and when we finished our morning school we took a taxi to Soi 11. Amazing, hardly any cars on Sukhumvit and I think we can than the red shirt for that. So it took us 2 minutes to get to the restaurant and they were closed for Songkran and we had to take the Italian restaurant next door.

Italian food and my diet, not 2 things that works well together. Yesterday on my way to Foodland to buy salmon I stopped at an Italian restaurant, but there was a wee bit too much people. I had a hangover and I really didn't need any company.

Lucky on my way to Foodland and unlucky on my way back home. I passed an almost empty Italian restaurant and I stopped for a pizza.
For sure, that didn't do any good for my “Best looking guy in town '10” diet.

First time for me on this restaurant and the pizza was OK. I started with a tomatoes and mozzarellasalad and when I finished I went outside for a quick coffin nail.

And of course, while out there I ran in to a guy trying to sell me a water gun.
- There is no f@cking Songkran at Khaosan due to the red shirts.
- There is in Chiang Mai
- What the??!! Should I go all the way to Chiang Mai just to use one of your stupid water guns?
- Pattaya, they celebrate Songkran!
- Do you expect me to bring one of your guns to Pattaya?
He refused to give up so I threw my cancer stick and I went back in to my friend and the Teachers. Well, my pizza had arrived when I returned.

Well, going to Manila for school with a 2 days stopover in Subic to meet my Brother and his children. And of course, they expect toys. Remote controlled helicopters and cars. So I took a taxi to a shopping centre. Red shirts all over town and the whole area around World Trade Centre were closed. Ratchadamri, Phloen Chit and Rama 1 So, well, I had a red shirt and cap on so they were quite friendly when I came walking down Ratchadamri with my remote controlled helicopters and shit.

I was walking down Ratchadamri and all the red shirts stopped to talk. It was more like a festivity than a demonstration. People were very friendly and not a Police or military in sight.

The redshirts had security at the entrance to the streets so only red shirts were allowed to enter with their cars. I asked around for the Songkran festivities. Some people told me that Khaosan would be open and someone told me it would be closed.

Someone even told me that the Songkran festivities would be right here outside World Trade Centre.
- Do you think I can handle the excitement?
- Yeah, why not? It will be fun. Come down here and join us.

Well, when I came down to Phloen Chit I turned left and I was start looking for a taxi. But I had to walk all the way to Chit Lom.

The entrance to Phloen Chit was blocked by trucks and some of the red shirt heavy guys made sure no cars entered, except, of course red shirt supporters.

Well, I made it home with my toys and Put on a kettle and I had some salmon before starting to pack my bag for Manila. Better of be ready if I'm off to Pattaya to celebrate Songkran. 9 o'clock flight Friday morning and I guess there won't be much time to pack my school stuff if I disappear to Pattaya for a few days. And yes, the battery to my watertight camera is fully charged by now.
Well, the battery to my watertight camera is fully charged by now so we can as well declare thestart of Songkran. And we remember Songkran last year and if It wouldn't have been for my watertight camera I would have no pictures at all. But we see what's happening this year.

One option is of course, after a few bottles of beer are to go down to Ratchadamri to celebrate Songkran with the red shirts.

My friends are doing f@ck all all day long, waking up 7 o'clock in the night. Calling me:
- I just woke up so I can't sleep tonight.
- Of course you can't!
- Let's drink a beer or something??!!
- What the??!! I have school tomor.... No, it's holiday.

But Pattaya and the fire trucks passing is unbeatable. Your sitting on your bar stool and you need to go to the bathroom. Just wait until the fire truck is passing hosing down everyone and everything. Just piss your pants and your ready to order a new beer.

Well, anyway, I had just updated my web page with the above:
My friends are doing f@ck all all day long, waking up 7 o'clock in the night. Calling me:
- I just woke up so I can't sleep tonight.
- Of course you can't!
- Let's drink a beer or something??!!
- What the??!! I have school tomor.... No, it's holiday.
3 minutes later my other friend call.
- I read on your web page that you're going to drink a beer
- Yeah, hop in to a 4 wheel and get your arse over here.

Yes, www.aladdin.st is much better than facebook and HI5 and other web pages. But serious, dothey trying to get me in to an alcoholic, drinking myself retarded? Did I mention that it will be so very nice to get off to Manila and my a school? AndI got e-mail today confirming that they will send a car to my hotel everyday to bring me to my school. TAKE ME OUT OF HERE!

F@ck me slowly, just a few minutes after that yet another guy called and he wanted to go for a drink as well. OK, come over!

The plan was to drink a bottle of wine before leaving for some FUN SPOT for Songkran. But more and more people came over and we never got away. Well, not until very late.
And what's the story with the elephant that I got from my friend the other day? When the girlcame to give water to my potted plants she waiedthe elephant.

When my friend's girl friend arrived she waiedthe elephant as well.
- You have to put flowers and bananas and stuff on it, she said.
- What, it's not a pet!

One of the guys were a DJ from Spain,working in Thailand and Australia. Of course, he had never heard German, Polish, Dutch or Danish Hip Hop. So he turned bananas when the music came on. So of course our departure was delayed by several hours.

Time turned to midnight and now we wanted to leave, but first one more song and we would beready to leave. Of course, we had to finish our drinks and then it was yet another Hip Hop song blasting highon the Richter scale.

Well, finally we realised that everything would be closed if we didn't left my place. But where to go celebrate Songkran. Rumours had it that there was some celebration on Silom. It was 01:30 before we left my place so not much more time to celebrate before they close.

The taxi driver told us that there was some celebration going on at Silom so we went to Patpong 2. What a sad place, I could as well have stayed home or been going to RCA.

Well, I was soon getting bored and, anyway, everything was about to close.

We went to have a beer at Tapas on Soi 4 before going back to Patpong. Amazing, I have been atTapas 2 times the last 5 years and the DJ still recognises me.
- ALADDIN!
It must have been 134 years ago or so he was at my place drinking beer. Well, sometimes I just wish people could forget me.

We had a few beers at Tapas before returning to Patpong and a place called...
- F@ck, I forgot.
But it was so boring I didn't finish my beer before going home. A new day tomorrow.
+++++++++++++++
Tuesday 13 ^th of April 2010 and I woke up, luckily enough I stopped at 7 Eleven on my way homethis morning so I had 8 bottles of hangover milk. I stayed in bed most of the day watching a movie drinking hangover milk.

Honestly, I didn't understood much of the movie and I felt asleep again waking up at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.

Yes, I remembered buying hangover milk, but I forgot to buy diet drinks, DARN!

Of course, I was soaking wet and white from powerfrom yesterday so I spent the afternoon doing my laundry while I finished the movie. And honestly,I never quite understood the movie. Never mind, at least I could stay in bed. Well, I never finished the movie, my phone rang.
- Jaak gin lao mai?
- What the ? OK, I'm pretty fluent in Thai when I'm drunk but now I had a hangover force 9,7, never mind all the hangover milk.
- Jaak kin lao. Len Songkran, SANOOK SANOOK!
- OK, Thii nay
- Phom rap khun.
- OK, Kii mong? I understood f@ck all, but an hour later my friend knocked on the door. My friend was hereto pick me up with his motorcycle. Well, e just did it around the corner when he was about to run over an old lady with his motorcycle. And this is the Asoke Pasanmit intersection where they have got red and green light for pedestrians.

First I ever seen in FUNKY TOWN and I will try to get a picture of it one of those days. Been in progress for a while but I never have me camera with me when crossing the Asoke. We were plunging down Asoke towards Asoke and my friend stopped at every place where they threw water so I was soaked after less than 2 minutes,

Not only did he stop at every water throwing place, he was honking his horn well in time before arrival so they were ready with water when we came.

We arrived to Din Daeng and I had a beer in my hand after just a few seconds.

I got to meet my friend's friends and the Thais are really nice people. A little annoying to be the

Jesus,
du känner ju igen dina gammla kvarter.

only foreigner. Everyone wanted to know where you came from and to have a drink with you. Well, I was soon drunk and we had the time of our life. We threw water like there was no tomorrow.

The children were scared when I came, yeah, I even think I saw someone crying. But as soon as they discovered that the Swedish barbarian was a nice guy it was all:
- Aladdin!! Aladdin!! Motorcycle is coming, be ready to throw water.

We were soon moving on, I took my beer glass and my friend took the beer bottle and we hopped up on his motorbike to go see some of his other friends.

We ended up in something looking like a red shirt road block. We stopped and joined the people for the Songkran festivities. They had a huge entertainment centre and when I asked for Pbhong Lang they all went crazy and I was the man of the day.

And if I was the man of the day for wanting to listen to Pbhong Lang that's nothing compared to when 4 Thai guys was trying to move a road block. I moved it by myself and they could not believe their eyes. I had my friend with me, we call him our body guard. Not a guy you want to make trouble with. But after watching me lifting this road block there was no one even thinking about making trouble with me.
- Where do you want it?
- Pak Soi! (About 2 km away)
- Klang Soi khodai?

We were soon back where we started and my friend filled a bucket of water and now he wanted me to go throw water at everyone in the food stalls.

And around here it doesn't work in Pattaya where people are hosing down each other from fire trucks. You approach and wai.
- Happy New Year! Then you pour a little water over them.
Then they waiyou back and say thank you.

We went home to my friend for a few beers and I was in for a chock. When we're at my place it'sall Disarm music and Pbhong Lang, now it was slow love songs.
- I like this kind of music.
He asked me to translate the music for him and his

Jesus,
här kommer man till dina gammla kvarter och förväntar sig Rågsveds soundet.

wife. What the??!!

I took a taxi back home and luckily enough I have a back up valet. Everything was soaking wet, I was a wee bit drunk when I arrived to Soi 23 and it was not easy to locate myself.

But I managed to find my local 7 Eleven and the taxi waited while I bought hangover milk and diet drinks.The taxi took me home and I changed clothes and valet and I was ready to get out on town again.

But now I will try to avoid the water. I took a taxi to Ratchadapisek to meet my Italian friendand we went to the place we were the other day. Of course, outside there was a concert and trucks spraying water over all the people.

My Italian friend is one of the guys with a very slow internet and I received an e-mail from him and I quote:
“ps: thx to make new page, I wanted to ask u indeed”
Well, he also complained on how I had spelt his name. OK, I'm sorry for that!

We managed to dodge the water war outside and we were, well, almost dry when we came inside.Almost, but my snus was dry and that's themost important.

It didn't take us long before we had a few Heineken in front of us. And of course, Mummin trollet.

I was already drunk, but when I started to talk Swedish with my Italian friend it was time to go home.

And yet again, we managed to pass the water throwing party without getting wet. So I was dry when I came home. What time? I have no clue.

+++++++++++++++
Wednesday 14 ^th of April 2010 and I woke up, luckily enough I stopped at 7 Eleven on my wayhome this morning so I had 8 bottles of hangover milk. This morning I didn't forget to buy diet drinks. I was in bed trying to see the movie I started yesterday (Well, didn't made much more sense today) when my friend called. AT 11:30!!
- Happy New Year! Jaak len Songkran at Din Daeng!- Give me 3 or 4 hours, I'm sleeping.

Well, this day feels like a day to spend in bed. Butwho knows how it feels after a few bottles of hangover milk. Maybe I will be back to my normal “The 2 ton Superman” and I will be ready to take on any party they are throwing my way.

But until then I will stay in bed trying my best to alleviate myhangover. I can always take a few Imodium, but I don't think it's so very healthy to eat Imodium every day.

Later on in the afternoon my friend pooped by for a glass of STROH rum and that helped a little. My hangover was not a goner, but I felt a wee bit more handsome. This STROH rum is the best in the world. But I only have the 60%, when I was young we drank the 80% but that would most likely have caused a cerebral haemorrhage today. Well, 60% is good enough and it tastes the same.

- Hmm, maybe lucky it was only the 60% STROH rum, just enough to bring out the Charisma Man. If it would have been the 80% STROH rum? Yes I'm pretty sure it would have been the Obnoxious Man who would have came around the corner.

And this is the guy we try to avoid by all means even though it proves to be hard.

My Italian friend called and asked if I wanted to come over to eat pizza with them tonight.
- Who do you want? The Charisma Man or the Obnoxious Man.

My Italian friend told me that I had been so drunk that I had been speaking Swedish with him.And my Swedish friend told me that I had only spoken Thai with him. For sure, and believe me, it will be so nice to get to Manila and my school. 2 weeks away from FUNKY TOWN andall the party. They want me to get back on the ship ASAP so that will be nice to get out there doing some hard work again.

Well, Pizza at 7 and from there is just a few minutes to Ratchadapisek Soi 4 so who knows what will happen. But this will be my last day on town. (And I still hope that I will manage to go home sleep after the pizza) Tomorrow I will pack my bag and 6 o'clock Friday morning I'm off to the airport.

And the, well, not the best thing. But one of the perks flying business class is that you have your own immigration and security control so formalities are handled in a jiff. So I can sleep a little bit longer before going to the airport.

I took a taxi to my friend at Ratchadapisek. He lives on the 9th floor so I stopped at the 8thfloor to check out if another of my friend was home. Of course, I knocked on the wrong door. But there was a girl getting in to another apartment.
- ALADDIN! How are you
- Who theare you?
Then I recognised her as my French friend's girlfriend, so I told he that I didn't recognised her at first.
- You look very beautiful today!

I had a few beers and a pizza at my friends place when we saw that Khaosan Road was open for Songkran. I finished my beer and said good bye. I threw myself in to a taxi and I was at Khaosan Road 20 to 30 minutes later.

I had been at Khaosan Road for a few minutes, bought my first Tiger beer when a girl camerunning down Khaosan Road after me screaming.
- ALADDIN! ALADDIN!
- What the??!! Second time today.
- Don't you recognise me?
No, I didn't, but she was very beautiful.
- I use to meet you at GLOW!
GLOW, I'm better of threading carefully here. Yeah we know how much they like me at GLOW. Yes, like a pain in the arse.
- Sorry! But this is my first time in Thailand. Actually arrived just today so you must mistake me for someone else. Sorry for that.

I wanted to take her picture, yes, this is my new plan to remember people. But I didn't dare. It would have been a clear give away. So I said good bye and left.

Well, the beers disappeared like an aspirin and I was soon stopping to buy another beer. The trancemusic was blasting high so seemed like a place where you could enjoy a beer.
- A Tiger please,
- Aladdin! I have not seen you in a long time.
- What the??!!
Third time today and now I had enough. But she was beautiful so I asked if she had a boyfriend.
Well, anyway, I asked for a Tiger beer.
- We only have Singha and Beer Chang
- What the??!! The 2 worst beers inThailand. OK, Leo is not very good either, but when you're a wee bit tipsy it's never mind.
- OK, one Singha.
I finished my Singha and I asked for yet another Singha beer.
- They are finished. We only have beer Chang.
I was a wee bit drunk so I thought what the heck. So I bought the first Beer Chang in my life.

Well, this time I could take her picture so I will remember her next time. But of course, I forgot her name less than 5 minutes after she told me her name

I ended up outside old Bangkok Bar, yet another place where I'm not welcome. But they have moved and now it's a new place. So no problem, and they had Tiger beer. I ended up with a bunch of Thai people and suddenly it was 3 o'clock and, yes, Aladdin was a wee bit tired.

Well, that's one of the perks with growing old. You know when it's time to go home.3 o'clock isgood enough for me. There is a day tomorrow aswell, and I have plenty to do.

And what' s made me most proud over myself was that we passed LITTLE ITALY without stopping onthe way home. The only stop we made was at 7 Eleven to buy some hangover milk.
My guess is that I will need plenty of the hangover milk when I wake up. Now it's time to get serious. And so far this holiday had been nothing buta disaster. School, yeah, a few days.

Party, yes, plenty, almost every day. But it has been fun. But, well, coming back from Manila and I will start go to school every day again and play badminton with my Teacher. Andhopefully it will soon be time to join the ship again. Holiday doesn't come cheap.
+++++++++++++++
Thursday 15 ^th of April 2010 and I woke up at 11:30 when my phone rang.
- Aladdin! It's your Tailor. You called me 4 o'clock in the morning.
Thinking, thinking and finally remember missed calls and SMS “Your cap is ready” and from a

Jesus,
här lägger man ner miljoner med timmar på sin hemsida och ändå skickar du SMS från Las Vegas och undrar vad man gör??!!

Har fan funnits WIFI på alla hotel jag bott på i USA! Nu hoppas jag att det inte är hotel 27 standard på ditt hotel.

number starting with a + so I thought it was a message that my Captain was ready.
But it was from my tailor and my baseball caps are ready. Of course he was happy when I called him 4 o'clock in the morning.
- Sorry for that but I thought it was important that's why I called ASAP.
- Your baseball caps are ready! I will deliver them to your room tonight.
- Thank you!

I went back to bed and no, I didn't watch the movie I started 2 days ago. Simpson and this I could understand, at least half of it because I was sleeping half the time.
Well, at least for me the Songkran is over. I hanged my watertight camera on the wall and it willbe hanging there until next year. Songkran is over and I spent the whole day doing laundry. My bed sheets are full of baby powder and all the other stuff they throw at you during Songkran.
And of course, I packed my weekend bag. And my “MAGIC HAIR STUFF” is coming with me to Manila. Even though I have second thoughts about it. I asked the girl at Khaosan Road if she liked bald guys or guys with long hair.
- I like bald guys. Long hair gets so dirty!
- I think I love you!

Will also be good for my potted plants when I leave for Manila. My curtains have been closed the last few weeks due to me be in bed with hangover. So they need some sunlight.
+++++++++++++++
Friday 16 ^th of April 2010 and I got out of bed at 05:30, my pre ordered car is here to pick meup at 06:30 so I have time to enjoy a cup of tea before it's time to leave.

Well, I'm out of here and I'm sure that the guys at Ratchadapisek with the slow internet will appreciate the new page and less down loading time.

Tweet

OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens at my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.

Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.

So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? NJET PROBLEMA! Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

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