Making Thai Subtitles: Culture, Slang & Curse Words [S7.E72] (Classic ReCast)

Living overseas can often caust a bit of separation anxiety. You miss your family, you miss your friends, and pretty soon work, social life and time zones get in your way. As little as 5 or 6 years ago you were pretty limited to email, but over the past half-decade, the tools and technology available to expats for staying in touch with your peeps back home has exploded. In this episode, Tony and Greg chew the fat on which methods they use to stay in touch with their families around the world, and how these various methods can serve not only as a powerful took to keep you from getting lonely, but also a powerful tool to keep you close to your culture, as well as help you integrate further into your adopted society. From videoclips of newborns sent from cellphone to cellphone to funerals that are live-streamed around the world, current technology is something that can be used to make your life overseas richer and more rewarding than ever before.

21 Nov 201032min

On this week's show, continue our interview with Mr. Jerry Hopkins. You may not know his name right away but Jerry is a legend in the music and publishing industries. Before he retired to Thailand, Jerry was a journalist - and not just any journalist - a Rock n' Roll Journalist! As a former editor of Rolling Stone Magazine (when it was just a wee start-up trying to sell ads), Jerry got to know some of the biggest up-and-coming names in rock n' roll, from Jimi Hendrix to The Doors to Elvis Presley. It was through these friendships that Jerry was able to write several of the most influential rock biographies in history, most notably the seminal work on The Doors 'No One Here Gets Out Alive', which was TWICE a New York Times best seller, and was used extensively by Oliver Stone when he made The Doors. In the second part of our interview, Jerry talks about his adventures with everyone from Yoko Ono to Raquel Welch, the future of journalism, why he chose Thailand to retire in, and gives some advice to any budding writers out there. Tony also tells us about a football (aka soccer) game that he went to recently where the fans were very well behaved... until the game finished, that is!

13 Nov 201047min

If you like real music then you are in for a treat with this weeks guest as we're very lucky to interview Mr. Jerry Hopkins. You may not know his name right away but Jerry is a legend in the music and publishing industries. Before he retired to Thailand, Jerry was a journalist - and not just any journalist - a Rock n' Roll Journalist! As a former editor of Rolling Stone Magazine (when it was just a wee start-up trying to sell ads), Jerry got to know some of the biggest names in rock n' roll, from Jimi Hendrix to The Doors to Elvis Presley. It was through these friendships that Jerry was able to write several of the most influential rock biographies in history, most notably his seminal work on The Doors 'No One Here Gets Out Alive', which was TWICE a New York Times best seller, and was used extensively by Oliver Stone on his movie about The Doors. In the first part of our interview, Jerry talks about his days following bands around, how music culture now is different from music culture then, and shares a few choice stories about hanging out with some of the biggest names in music history. Greg and Tony also complain about the weather and how it's given them colds and allergies, respectively, and why Bangkok just won't let them get better.

7 Nov 201040min

For the final show of October, we invited some friends of Bangkok Podcast down to the Bangkok Podcast Intergallactic HQ to join us in a creepy crawly Halloween-themed episode - eating bugs! Insects have long been a part of the Thai diet, especially in the northern Isaan region, and while a good number of Thais in Bangkok don't indulge, many still do and you can often see bug vendors plying their wares in various locations around the city. We assembled 9 big bags full of creepy-crawlies: red ants, giant grasshoppers, pregnant crickets, swolen grubs, deep-fried frogs and stir-fried bamboo worms, all delicacies in their own way. Tony and Greg were the first to indulge, but we soon had our intrepid group of friends digging in with us and crunching loudly away.  We go over what each type of bug looks like, tastes like, and talk about how the same horrified looks that we were giving these things are also applied by many Thais at some of the snacks that we foreigners consider quite delicious.

31 Okt 201032min

In our continuing series on the mysteries of the Thai language, linguistic lion tamer Rikker Dockum talks about the complexities of the vowels. With around 33 (depending on who you ask) vowel sounds, which can come before, after, above, below, or around the consonant that they modify, it's no wonder that Tony and Greg (and many others) are left scratching their heads. We also announce a special episode of Bangkok Podcast on October 30 - the last one for our Halloween month - where you - yes, you! - can come down the BP Intergalactic HQ to see us record an episode, and take part in a creepy crawly event that's part of Thai culture, but something that often causes many foreigners to break out in a sweat.

24 Okt 201029min

Bangkok is a big and fast-paced city, and you need a significant amount of street smarts to avoid the many pitfalls that are present. One thing that many people find - despite the well-publicized 'Land of Smiles' image - is that Thailand has jerks and scam artists just like any other city around the world. Often these hosers weave incredibly intricate and cunning schemes to get some money out of unwitting tourists; the variety is incredible and people often lose anywhere from hundreds of baht to thousands of dollars. In this episode, Greg and Tony talk about some of the more common scams they've heard of and/or experienced, and share a few inside tips on what to look for, how to react, what to avoid, and - most importantly - what to do if you somehow find yourself a victim. Greg and Tony also wax lyrical about the delightfully cool weather this week; talk about a great giveaway from one of our former guests; and Tony gives everyone a pro tip on avoiding the rain.

17 Okt 201037min

Bangkok is a city of many vices and more than a few temptations. If you're not careful, it can be frighteningly easy to let these things go from a sometime-hobby to a full-blown addiction, and the end result is usually not pretty. But every once in a while you hear a story about someone who sank to the bottom and then, against all odds, pulled themsevles back up. Continuing our Halloween theme in the guise of discussing inner demons, our guest today is author Paul Garrigan. His book 'Dead Drunk' recounts his harrowing tale of alcoholism that saw him travel the world trying to escape a problem that was part of who he was. It was only in Thailand, near the end of his rope, that Paul ended up at Wat Thamkrabok, whose well known detox program showed him the way out of the darkness. Paul gives a very personal, open book account of the challenges he faced, and what it was like when he finally emerged clean and sober on the other side. Greg and Tony also welcome guest Scotty "Hockey" Murray, one of the organizers of the upcoming 2010 Land Of Smiles Ice Hockey Classic. Ice hockey in Thailand? That's right, and the tournamet will be pretty badass. Make sure to check it out!

10 Okt 201042min

For many westerners, fortune tellers - more often referred to as psychics - are generally seen as dwelling in the fringes of legitimacy. However, 'mor doo' ('seeing doctors') in Thailand play a much larger role. From Prime Ministers to street sweepers, seeing a fortune teller is something that many Thais do regularly and with quite a bit of conviction, and as any long-term expat can tell you, making fun of their craft or trying to disprove a session with a cold dose of reality will only earn you scorn. In the first Halloween themed episode, Tony and Greg take a visit to a fortune teller to see what it's all about. Greg consults a tarot card deck, while Tony gets his palms read, and both are subjected to the power of the crystal pendulum. What did the fortune teller say? Is the future so bright they need to wear shades? Greg and Tony also get off on a tangent discussing scams of the heart, armed thugs taking over a part of the airport (again!), and how to know you've been in Thailand too long.

3 Okt 201037min