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Bookazine Book Review: Mai Pen Rai means Never Mind

by Lang Reid

Written by the late Carol Hollinger this book was the result of her stay in this country almost 40 years ago. An American who was not backward in describing her fellow Americans, warts and all, she has written one of the most enduring books on life in Thailand. This latest printing was in 2000 and is from Asia Books.

The first chapter begins with Carol Hollinger and her petulant seven year old daughter dumped on the doorstep of their new house in Bangkok and wondering from where they were ever going to get domestic help - this was after she had said she was not going to employ servants, as she was a capable American woman who could keep house by herself. As we all know, this was not a clever or even vaguely workable idea! That the Hollingers eventually joined the servants “family” rather than vice versa, is something that all long stay residents will relate to. My maid, who considers herself to be my “mama” would also agree, having only taken one month to bring me under her control.

The book is made up of individual chapters that do not need to flow on from one to another. In this way, the separate vignettes can be picked up and put down with ease. This is not a book that needs to be read at one sitting, though I found it interesting enough that I happily read on from chapter to chapter.

Her pen sketches of living in Thailand as an alien are remarkable and every farang reader will see himself or herself or a personally vexatious scenario described in this book. How many times have you tried your faltering attempts at communicating in Thai to be met with the following, “The head clerk had given me reason to believe that he considered me demented when I attempted to communicate with him in Thai. He never relinquished the tiniest encouraging sign that he recognized his own language in my mangled Thai.”

The descriptions of life within the cloistered halls of Thai academia is of interest to anyone who has experienced the similar corridors in the Western world. Not the similarity - but the differences.

Available from Bookazine stores, the review copy was obtained at the Royal Garden Plaza branch (1st floor, next to Black Canyon and Boots) and costs 385 baht. After a span of more than three decades, would this book stand the test of time, or had “progress” made it antediluvian? The answer is an unqualified No. What was relevant then is relevant now. The book is discussing national traits and mores, things that do not change dramatically in 30 years. Certainly we have now made space travel synonymous with everyday living, but the maid from Nakhon Ratchasima is still the same, and the expats still carry out the same blunders. You did, I did, we all did. This should be compulsory reading for all alien immigrants, given when applying for a visa. If you have not read it then get a copy, or rather two copies - one to give to your holiday guests.

Movie Review By Poppy: Hart’s War

Lieutenant Tommy Hart (Colin Farrell), due to his father’s political pull, is enlisted as an officer’s aide in World War II. He is a regular Mr. Nice guy and a patriotic American soldier.

It is December 1944 in Belgium and he is captured by the Nazis. After a period of intense interrogation under torturous conditions, he is sent to a POW camp. The camp is unofficially run by Col. William McNamara (Bruce Willis) who is not impressed by Hart, knowing that he broke under interrogation, and he assigns him to defend Lt. Lincoln Scott (Terrence Howard), a black POW accused of murdering a fellow white prisoner. Lt. Hart does not take long to realize that the Col’s real reason for setting up the investigation and trial is only a smoke screen to distract the diligent German Col. Visser (Marcel Iures) from discovering an imminent escape and sabotage operation. This means Lt. Hart must find a way to do the right thing for Lieutenant Scott, to save his own conscience, without jeopardizing the plans of his fellow countrymen.

As well as dealing with the problems of surviving in a Nazi prison camp during World War II, the film confronts racism in the armed forces.

I am strong fan of Bruce Willis and would find it difficult to say anything bad about his films. You will not see much of his beguiling smile in this film though; he plays a cool, hard character. Romanian actor Marcel Iures plays a good commandant and newcomer Colin Farrell more than pulls his weight.

Directed by Gregory Hoblit

Cast:

Col. William A. McNamara: Bruce Willis
Lt. Thomas W. Hart: Colin Farrell
Lt. Lincoln A. Scott: Terrence Howard
Staff Sgt. Vic W. Bedford: Cole Hauser
Col. Werner Visser: Marcel Iures
Capt. Peter A. Ross: Linus Roache
Lt. Lamar T. Archer: Vicellous Shannon

Mott’s CD review: 

Scorpions - Acoustica

by Mott the Dog

This is a very sad collection of songs put together, but what was a second rate band in their heyday is a total disaster today. Haven’t they heard that the unplugged rage was over ten years ago? Acoustica just reeks of desperation.

So, what do you actually get for your buck here? Well, firstly there’s Klaus Meine on vocals who’s voice has seen better days. To hide this fact every rotten song is smothered in lush backing female vocals which might sound O.K on a Barry Mannilow album. But remember, the Scorpions were supposed to be a rock band not a lounge act. On lead guitar you have Matthias Jabs who, at best, was brought into the Scorpions’ line up to duplicate the solos from previous guitarists in the band, and could easily be blown off the stage by our own Lam Morrison.

Then also on guitar is the less talented brother of previous lead guitarist Michael Schenker, Rudolf, who looks and plays more like a bank manager than a bank robber these days, and a non-descript journey man bassist, Ralph Riechermann. The previous drummer, the marvelously monickered Herman Rareball, had to be replaced as he became to old and fat to actually hit the skins, so young James Katak got the job. Hopefully for him, he will soon move on to greener pastures.

There are also a motley collection of other musicians that have been pulled in to try and keep some life in the shell, but actually just help to crush it all further down.

The songs themselves are all done, as the title suggests, acoustically, and what you get is just a rerun of some of the kitschier moments of the band’s back catalogue with obvious emphasis on the ballads, which the band seem to be concentrating on these days. The playing is so lackluster that the music no more than dribbles out of the speakers.

New song and new single “When Love Kills Love” is one of the worst offenders. You would definitely take the stairs to avoid this in elevators. The title alone, “I wanted to cry (but the tears wouldn’t come)”, should tell you enough to warn you to stay well clear.

The Scorpions have certainly lost their sting. If this is the best they can produce, they should be laid to rest. Not one of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s finer moments, in fact, not Rock ‘n’ Roll at all.

Musicians

Klaus Meine - Croacker
Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs - Sleepy Guitars
Ralph Rieckermann - Bass
James Kottak - Tub Thumper

Track Listing

1. The Zoo
2. Always Somewhere
3. Life Is Too Short
4. Holiday
5. You & I
6. When Love Kills Love
7. Dust In The Wind
8. Send Me An Angel
9. Catch Your Train
10. I Wanted To Cry (But The Tears Wouldn’t Come)
11. Wind Of Change
12. Love Of My Life
13. Drive
14. Still Loving You
15. Hurricane 2001

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