woodpile

It's cold in Bangkok, by which I mean I had to put on pants this morning, and the high will be 83 F this afternoon. The Thais literally think they might die. People who have to work outside are making bonfires. Last night Chris and I were walking down the street and a stranger stopped their car to ask if we were OK and did we need a ride somewhere because it was too cold to be outside. It was 68 degrees. I admit that I did look around for the heater this morning (there isn't one), and I cringed a bit, putting Theo's swimsuit into his school bag for PE. The Brittish, bless them, aren't having any of it. Quit your whining, kids, and get in the pool!

In other Bangkok news, the headline of the Bangkok Post last week: "Battle for Top Monk Begins!"

Also, Thai women are really into whitening their skin. There's skin-whitening powders, creams and ointments. There are ads for 'whiter-looking skin' everywhere. All the sunscreens also have a bleaching agent in them. And yesterday at work I noticed a can of deodorant on the bathroom counter, 'now with whitening action!' Because everyone needs lighter armpits, I guess.