But they’re ladies
Pattaya drag show, originally uploaded by 160507.
In Pattaya we took in a show at El Alcazar, a theatre featuring transvestite performers. The show was sold-out, the audience composed mainly of Indian and Russian tourists. The revue was brisk and professional—elaborate sets including a replica of a museum, fabulous costumes, and attractive performers. The choreography was on the conservative side, and as for the “girls”, they might as well have been natural-born females—very demure and lady-like. Not campy. The overall effect was not comic or racy, but genteel. Three performers lipsynched to “Dreamgirls”. In Manila, this would be a prelude to a duel in which each performer attempts the funniest, most outrageous version of “And I am Telling You I’m Not Going”. In Pattaya it is the show itself. El Alcazar sticks with impersonation; in Manila the showgirls are not merely playing, say, Diana Ross, but making fun of her, of themselves, and of the audience.
Then again, Manila is more postmodern than most cities.
Thailand. What’s not to like? in Emotional Weather Report, today in the Star.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
June 13th, 2008 at 01:33
I read it somewhere, and I wonder if its true: Bangkok’s name was given by American troops during the Vietnam War, who frequently stayed there for their, ah, carnal entertainment in between mortar shellings and carpet bombings in Hanoi. Bangkok, when hyphenated, goes like “Bang-kok”. American brats mispronounce “kok” as “kahk” and you get the idea. Confirm or deny. (Its like our own Sexmoan town in Pampanga. Hyphenated, it means… well, it means what it means….so they changed it recently to “Sasmuan”.)
June 13th, 2008 at 12:19
That sounds like one of those ubiquitous urban legends that just keeps getting repeated and repeated until it’s taken as gospel.
According to Lonely Planet, the official name of Thailand’s capital is a mouthful, shortened to Krung Thep. However, Bang Makok is the original name of the hundreds-year-old settlement; “foreign traders”from the beginning shortened that to Bangkok, and I guess it stuck among foreigners. Thais refer to it as Krung Thep, but outsiders stick with “Bangkok.” (Although, come to think of it, Bang Makok is actually even funnier and sounds nastier than Bangkok.)
So in other words, the old capital name predates the American arrival by several hundred years.
Cheers,
Marjorie
June 13th, 2008 at 13:59
Confucius say, Man going too fast through airport turnstile is going to Bangkok.
June 14th, 2008 at 13:31
What’s not to like about Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit? Um, that should be easy, limme think, here, tuktuk drivers who don’t speak English; if they do they’d manage monosyllabic words and say it twice like “same same”, “no cannot”…wait every Thai does it I think…
June 14th, 2008 at 21:15
Marjorie, that’s right, “Bang Makok” sounds even more pornographic than Bangkok, hehe. But that Sasmuan thing is genuine, it was in the news back in the 1990’s I think. The citizens of Sexmoan (I wonder if the residents were called “Sex Moaners”)were just tired of people making fun about their town’s name, hence they changed it.
Jeg, here’s a good one: when a dude rides the MRT on a rush hour, he’s sure to Bangkok. hehehe.