Realms of Memory

Victory monument is probably Bangkok's second most important landmark. Construction began on two months after Thailand's 'victory' over the French in their 1941 border war, and the site was dedicated on National Day (June 24) 1942. It is meant to represent the triumph of Thailand's modern army over a European nation (France was occupied by the Germans at the time) and symbolize Thailand's arrival as an emerging power in Asia. Most importantly, it celebrates the 1941 recovery of four provinces that France had taken away from Thailand years earlier to make part of French Indochina. Because of its important connections to nationalism and Thailand's confrontation with imperialism, it is an important part of my research.

Everything about the monument glorifies the military. The obelisk-like central pillar is actually five bayonets placed together. There are five bronze status surrounding the obelisk, representing the army, navy (the seaman pictured above is cradling his torpedo like a baby - odd) airforce, police, and civilian corps. The names of the servicemen who died during the conflict are written on the outside, and their bones are interred in small safety-deposit boxes within the monument.

As part of its reparations for joing the Axis during WWII, the Allies forced Thailand to give the four provinces back to French Indochina (they remain part of Laos and Cambodia to this day). The new government made every effort to denounce the fascist militarism of the war years, and Victory Monument became an embarassment to a nation trying to reconstruct a democracy.

Part of my dissertation will try to understand how perceptions of this monument have changed since the end of the war. Once Japan was defeated and the territories returned to France, the monument celebrated a hollow 'victory'. It became an uncomfortable and divisive reminder of a extreme era. In the late sixties there was even some talk of relocating the monument or tearing it down altogether. In my dissertation I will argue that the monument now functions solely as a memorial to the war dead - similar to the 'Tomb of the Unknown Soldier' in western nations. It can not be undone because it honours soldiers who gave their lives in an otherwise meaningless conflict. A monument originally intended to commemorate the nation's greatest victory has evolved into a constant reminder of its greatest defeat.

What is to be done?

It seems strange perhaps, to think of Thailand as the land of milk, honey, and freedom, but not if you remember that the countries surrounding Thailand are Burma, Laos, and Cambodia. Like the Hmong, tens of thousands of Cambodians have sought refuge here, and many are no longer confined to the refugee camps that dot the country's borders. Cambodias have become a part of the growing illegal work force responsible for building highways, irrigation canals, and other building projects. The regional United Nations office is here in Bangkok, and many have applied for refugee status. For most it is their only hope to avoid being rounded up by the police, imprisoned, and eventually sent back to Cambodia.

Since Phnom Penh opened to missionary work in the late nineties, the Church has also begun calling Cambodian-speaking missionaries to proselyte here in Bangkok. When we arrived in October we were amazed to see the international branch here included some 60-80 Cambodian members as well. About a month ago, this section was organized as Thailand's first Cambodian-speaking branch, whose attendance regularly equals and sometimes surpasses that of the Thai ward that meets in the same building. But the branch is not without its challenges. It is very difficult to integrate the branch into the larger stake. Very few people here speak Cambodian as a second language, which makes translations more difficult. Not surpringly for a community of illegal immigrants, the church welfare system has been a huge catalyst in bringing people into the church. I estimate that three out of four Cambodian members are receiving some form of church assistance, probably more.

Last week the Thai police raided a collection of shanties where large numbers illegal immigrants live. Many church members were caught in the dragnet, and being unable to provide proper identification, taken off to prison. Entire families, with children as young as two and three years old are now living in the prison here in Pak Kret - including one of the children who use to come play in our nursery. And this is not the standard INS detention centers from the California or Texas borders. These are average, Thai, cement-block, guard-tower, 'Brokedown-Palace', prisons. Church leaders are now scrambling to find out who has been taken and visit them in prison to provide them with basic necessities and determine their status. Even worse, many families have been separated, since only those who were at home during the raid have been taken off to prison. One of the members in our ward is now sheltering two girls, ages 9 and 12, who had been living alone for over a week. They had been washing dishes all day at a noodle stand in order to have enough money to eat.

All of this presents the church with a very real moral dilemma. It goes without saying that, as fellow-Christians, we have a charitable responsibility to our brethren. But there is a great deal of debate over whether providing sustenance to 'undocumented workers' constitutes a breach of civic responsibility. Many members fear that harboring Cambodians, if discovered, could jeopardize their standing with the Thai government, their works visas, and consequently their jobs. This is especially sensitive for those members who are employees of American or Canadian embassies or who are associated with the US government in other ways. Moreover, there is considerable concern over how having such a large illegal membership will affect the overal standing and reputation of the Church vis-a-vis the Thai government. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is still not recognized as an official sect by the Department of Religion in Thailand. If the Thai authorities see our church as subverting their immigration policy, it will undermine efforts achieve the good relations and recognition vital to church stability and growth.

So far, church policy has supported providing assistance to Cambodian members who are 'in-proces' of applying for refugee status through the UN. Once they've been rejected by the UN three times they can not re-apply, and the Church leaders advise them to return to Cambodia. Many remembers refuse to do this, maintaining that they are political refugees and that if they return to their villages they will be killed. The Khmer Rouge are no longer a factor in Cambodia, but their civil war and genocide have left a legacy of violence and blood-feuds that continue to this day in parts of Cambodia. It's difficult to know what is really going on there. The question thus remains: should you offer refuge and assistance to an individual even at the risk of jeopardizing the standing of the larger congregation?

Bikes, Parks, and Squatters

In Bangkok there is very little open space, very few parks, and even fewer places for kids to go out and play. That's why we were very excited to hear there was a bike park nearby. You can rent bikes and ride around and remember what the world looks like outside the concrete jungle.




Kaddi and the kids went there with their best friends the Nielsons. They moved out to Pak Kret recently and Jake and Meg couldn't be happier. Now they aren't the only kids in the area that are homeschooled instead of going to ISB.



Somehow Jake managed to get through the day without injuring himself by falling off his bike. He's crash his bike so many times both pedals broke off and the handle bars were completely twisted around the wrong way. This was also the day that Meg heard nature's call and had only a squatter with which to respond. She came through in fine fashion, however, with only a slightly splattered shoe to show for it.

The March Mailbag

Dear 301NIB,

Nice work with the fantasy league. What were you thinking picking Texas to go all the way? Next year you'd better ask advice from someone who knows more than you about college basketball - like your wife.

Coop's Crew
Madison, WI

Dear Crew,

From the very beginning I knew I should have picked Florida to win it all again, but I just thought (and this is where I made my mistake) that a re-peat would be too much to ask, especially after they won the football national championship. And there's a good chance my wife could do better than me in one these leagues, which is why I would never let her enter. Can you imagine how humiliating that would be? To have your wife leading you in a fantasy league? That's like getting an ego-historectomy.



301 nights in Bangkok,

Will you give us a small break with the thumb-sucking already? "Oh, my wife makes me watch Grey's Anatomy....sniff...I don't get to watch any of the NCAA tournament....sob,sob...the first season of 24 isn't exciting enough." Good grief man, instead of Prickly Heat sounds like you need a little Desitin in your diaper. Get ahold of yourself and start posting something other than whining.

Wes Mantooth
San Diego

Dear Wes,

That seemed unnecessarily harsh. You must still be upset because I took your mother, Dorothy Mantooth, out for a nice seafood dinner...and never called her again!



Dear 301nights,

What did you and Kaddi do to celebrate Valentine's day? I'll bet there were all sorts of romantic options, being in Bangkok and all.

Best Wishes,

Hallmark Corp.
Kansas City, MO.

Dear Hallmark,

I'm not a big fan of purchasing flowers or trite greeting cards. Instead, I decided to write a poem that would express to Kaddi my feelings of appreciation for coming to Thailand with me. I wanted to convey to her my sense of devotion, and so I sat down and penned the following stanza:

"I'll be there for you
These five words I swear to you
When you breathe, I want to be the air for you
I'll be there for you
I'd live and I'd die for you
I'd steal the sun from the sky for you
Words can't say what love can do
I'll be there for you..."

After that she went upstairs to watch Grey's Anatomy while I sat at the kitchen table and ate an entire box of Choco-pie. Mmmmmm....romantic.



301nib,

You don't include enough information about how your kids are doing on the blog. What an incredible experience this must be for them. They must see and do all sorts of things they'd never get at home.

Sincerely,

Grandma
Magrath, Alberta

Dear Grandma,

You don't know how right you are. The kids are truly having experiences they will never forget. The other day Jake puked in a taxi (again) while on his way to violin lessons. Kaddi, Meg, and Jake all got to enjoy that pungent aroma for another traffic-filled twenty minutes until they could get back home. I hope they tipped the driver.

The other day I walked through the door and heard the following announcement from Meg:

"Dad! We went to the bike park today and I had to use a yucky-bucky squatter and I didn't even care but some of it got on my shoe."

Forget about the glimmering temples, white sand beaches, bridge on the River Kwai...its not memorable unless it involves body fluids.

The Jack Bauer Glower Hour

Yes, we've started watching 24. We gather each night 'round the laptop to watch Keifer as he violates the rights of countless ordinary citizens in pursuit of the bad guys. Watching Jack face-plant a hospital visitor who he suspects of being a co-conspirator is truly an enjoyable romp.

I get the impression, however, that they're still working on the chemistry here in Season one. The storyline, characters, and delivery and not quite as tight as they could be. There are lots of questions. Will Nina and Jack get back together? Will Tony shave that horrible soul-patch? Will Keifer's gang of vampires use their powers for good or evil?

Although I continue to hang on, I have a few... observations...that I hope will be rectified before I get to Season two.

1) CIA or WWE?
Season 1 storyline involves a conspiracy with the CIA to help assasinate an African-American presidential candidate. Plus, Jack's family has been kidnapped as well. Isn't that enough excitement for one day? Do we really need the entire law enforcement community chasing Jack at the same time that he's chasing the shooter and trying to figure out which agents are dirty?

So far he's escaped from both the CIA and the Secret Service. Now he just needs to breakout of custody from the FBI and LAPD and he'll have hit for the fugitive cycle.

2) The story-telling can be a little s-l-o-w.

Okay, I realize that events happen in real time. I realize that this is the first season and they're establishing characters and relationship dynamics within families and work places. But maybe showing tenty minutes of burying a dead body, or mom and daughter desperately sitting on a hay bale, or Jack falling asleep in a construction office isn't the best way to advance the plot. If they wanted events to happen in real time, they probably should have just called the first season: 12.

3) "Need to know basis"

Now I'm no intelligence expert, but isn't the CIA supposed to be a secretive organization? So why does Jack Bauer share his life story with a supermarket clerk (who he just kidnapped)? Why does Tony run around headquarters like he's going to wet his pants if someone doesn't let him into Annie's secret circle? Best of all, why do we get exchanges like the following:

Nina: Hi, is Jack there?

Jack's Wife: No, I can't find him, his cel phone must be turned off.

Nina: Well, I have some top-secret information for him, but I'm too busy pottytraining Tony to keep calling him. When you see him at dinner tonight will you just tell him the corpse has been ID'ed as Alan York.

Jack's wife: (thinks) But...if Alan York is dead, then who's sitting next to me driving the car?!

4) Tales of Ribaldry

An airplane bathroom, a furniture store, and some sort of barn stall - all before 9 AM. If this is how the morning goes, I'm going to need a chaperone to watch the evening episodes. No wonder this show is on FOX.

March is quite mad, you know

I realize that many of you are busy going places and doing stuff. But during this festive season shouldn't we also take time to think of those less fortunate than us? People who might be separated from friends, loved ones, and cable tv. People who have little more than Season three episodes of Ally McBeal: Surgical Intern to amuse and distract them. Let's all take ten minutes and enter a fantasy Tourney Challenge team...do it for them.

Click here to do your part

Group: 301NIBasketball

Password: Nichada

How is Kaddi doing?

Her hot-dog has a first name, it's N-I-N-E....

Her hot-dog has a second-name it's D-O-L-L-A-R-S...

In the thousands of letters I get from fans all over the world, the most common question asked is:

"How is Kaddi doing?"

I think it's best to let Kaddi answer that question in her own words....

"So I did something very implusive and expensive. The other day at the store the employees were unloading a new shipment. It was oscar meyer products. The store does not always carry oscar meyer and when they do they are very expensive. I was very hungry at the time and really tired of the same old things to eat. We eat a lot of soup and sandwiches. So I saw the hot dog packages and impulsively bought one.

Normally this would not be a big deal but the package of 10 cost me almost $9.00 . I definitely splurged on that one. But they looked so good to me. The last hot dog I had was when we first got here. So this morning when I got up I was so excited to eat my treasured hot dogs that I ate one for breakfast. Let me tell you it was probably the best hot dog I have ever had. It tasted sooooooo good. I'm a big breakfast person and love french toast, pancakes, eggs, popovers etc. but all I could think about when I got up this morning was oscar meyer.

I don't usually splurge on food like that here because I feel too guilty but after eating that yummy scrumptious all beef dog I had no guilt what-so-ever. The kids also informed me that they were fine eating the thai hot dogs that I have been buying them. I won't touch them. After boiling them you have to peel like this layer of skin or something off. Gross. So I was double excited because now I don't have to feel guilty about not sharing my prescious hot dogs with my kids.

So that's my tale. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did."

"You're such a tasty little hot dog! Aren't you? Yes, you are....YES YOU ARE!!!"

SIDENOTE

Monday was another of Thailand's 37 official government holidays. Since the archives were closed we decided to take the kids to see Charlotte's Web. But going to the movies is slightly different for families here in Thailand. You stand for the King's Anthem, of course. But unlike the US, Thai theaters do not concern themselves with making sure the previews are suitable for the movies target audience. That is, you don't go to see Finding Nemo in Madison and spend the first fifteen minutes watching trailers for Basic Instinct II and The Departed. Here in Bangkok that could very well happen. We had to cover both Jake and Meg's eyes during several minutes of movies featuring ghost-zombies, pole-dancing, men in drag, and people getting shot at point-blank range. Thai movies seem genuinely bizarre to me.

Thankfully, we have up-and-coming filmakers who are producing stories the whole family can enjoy. For example, the Aspend 3rd ward youth program and their production entitled The Date? If you have ten minutes and a hankering for some nostalgia, I suggest you check it out.

The film contains many powerful images of high-school life we can all identify with...sitting on a marble staircase playing guitar, the beautiful mahogany doors opening into a graffiti-less bathroom, falling alseep on the couch after school while reading the "For the Strength of Youth pamphlet...

It's like they took my teenage years and put them up on the silver screen.

A Day at the Yard

Baseball the way it was never meant to be played...

Welcome to the North Bangkok Baseball League: where we're just trying to pass the time before soccer starts again. In this league, every hit gets at least two bases on the overthrow and if there wasn't a maximum of six runs per inning, the games would never end.

Jake stars on the Coca-Cola Red Sox and has played very well so far. He routinely hits the ball all the way to the fence (we're still waiting for the big home-run), and he's made great defensive plays in the field, He would do even better if we got him a baseball glove that was manufactured after WWII.

Here's a video of one of this great hits. Unfortunately, the players on the other actually can catch the ball and he's tagged out at second.

"Willpower is a renewable resource"

Lately the political strife, religious fanaticism, and natural disasters I see featured on the nightly news bother me more than usual. In these troubled times, it becomes more and more difficult to rely on the sunday-school cliches and family wisdom that provided so much comfort in my youth. I feel there must be more out there, some greater truth that would explain how to maintain our inner peace in the chaos that surrounds us. I feel in need of serious self-evaluation, like making real changes in my lifestyle. That's why Kaddi and I are considering a conversion to Environmenatlism.

As we've been learning over the past few weeks, Environmentalism involves devotion to Earth, the giver of life, the mother of us all. There was a time when man lived in communion with Earth, before the Industrial Revolution. Since then, mankind has fallen out of harmony with the earth, due to the fact that each of us has carbon out-put. Environmentalist spokesman (and Oscar-winner) Alberta A. Gore teaches us that we can find temporal happiness and re-establish harmony with Earth through a process of 'lowering our carbon-footprint.'

We've been studying Environmentalism for several weeks now and I feel we're almost ready to to get Bio-dieseled. There's only one thing holding me back - I'm not sure I have a testimony of Global Warming. I mean, no one can see it - how do we know that it actually exists? Other Environmentalists tell me that signs of Global Warming are everywhere, we just have to look. Its in the hurricane patterns, and the changing ocean currents, and African Savannah drought. But I'm not a climate scientist - I can't just pretend something's real because I want it to be. I won't just take this on faith...I need actual data, evidence, proof that something is real before I'll believe in it. If Global warming actually exists then why is Wisconsin still so damn cold?

So even though I'm not ready to become a member, there I still lots of things I do while preparing myself to be an environmentalist. Like installing solar panels on my roof to provide some of th electricity for my Olympic-sized swimming pool, hot tubs, and personal fitness center. Or ensuring that one of my 7 vehicles is a hybrid. Or flying around in a private jet to political rallies and major awards ceremonies where I criticize parents who drive their kids to soccer pratice in an SUV. And of course, every night we get together to study Earth in the Balance as a family. I can still help spread the gospel of environmental harmony with those lost souls who still celebrate the combustible engine as a triumph of human engineering.

Which reminds me, I've got a pamphlet that I think each of you would be interested in...