Author: T. C. Huo
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0452281857
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 225
Book Description
Set in the 1970s, in the era of the Vietnam War and its volatile aftermath, Land of Smiles tells the story of a young Southeast Asian man's journey from a refugee camp in Thailand to a housing project in Oakland, California. The novel opens with a Laotian boy, Boontakone, who swims across the Mekong River, leaving his old life behind, and losing his mother and sister in the process. In a refugee camp in Thailand, Boontakone struggles to decipher the secret codes of his new life. Huo offers a glimpse into a world as highly ordered and dependent on proper observance of social customs and manners as any created by Jane Austen. Eventually Boontakone and his father make their way to America, where the young man will have to sort out impressions as dazzling and puzzling as the American high school, Superman, and Saturday Night Fever. Balancing a moving account of dislocation and loss with gentle comedy, Land of Smiles is a new classic in the literature of the immigrant experience.
Land of Smiles
Author: T. C. Huo
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0452281857
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 225
Book Description
Set in the 1970s, in the era of the Vietnam War and its volatile aftermath, Land of Smiles tells the story of a young Southeast Asian man's journey from a refugee camp in Thailand to a housing project in Oakland, California. The novel opens with a Laotian boy, Boontakone, who swims across the Mekong River, leaving his old life behind, and losing his mother and sister in the process. In a refugee camp in Thailand, Boontakone struggles to decipher the secret codes of his new life. Huo offers a glimpse into a world as highly ordered and dependent on proper observance of social customs and manners as any created by Jane Austen. Eventually Boontakone and his father make their way to America, where the young man will have to sort out impressions as dazzling and puzzling as the American high school, Superman, and Saturday Night Fever. Balancing a moving account of dislocation and loss with gentle comedy, Land of Smiles is a new classic in the literature of the immigrant experience.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0452281857
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 225
Book Description
Set in the 1970s, in the era of the Vietnam War and its volatile aftermath, Land of Smiles tells the story of a young Southeast Asian man's journey from a refugee camp in Thailand to a housing project in Oakland, California. The novel opens with a Laotian boy, Boontakone, who swims across the Mekong River, leaving his old life behind, and losing his mother and sister in the process. In a refugee camp in Thailand, Boontakone struggles to decipher the secret codes of his new life. Huo offers a glimpse into a world as highly ordered and dependent on proper observance of social customs and manners as any created by Jane Austen. Eventually Boontakone and his father make their way to America, where the young man will have to sort out impressions as dazzling and puzzling as the American high school, Superman, and Saturday Night Fever. Balancing a moving account of dislocation and loss with gentle comedy, Land of Smiles is a new classic in the literature of the immigrant experience.
Land of Smiles
Author: Jess Kroll
Publisher: Monsoon Books
ISBN: 9814423319
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 273
Book Description
Ethan Torrini always knew where his life would lead, but doesn’t know if he wants to end up there. Needing an escape from a stagnant year before re-applying to law schools, Ethan follows his lifelong friend Ken to the small town of Chanthaburi, Thailand, to assist with his online gem selling business and find freedom from the inevitable march to forever. An artist at heart, Ethan is drawn to Chanthaburi’s many beauties, from the river that meanders through town to the glimmering gemstones in the nearby market and to a local woman with coconut-scented hair. For the first time, anything feels possible. Yet as a farang in a town of few foreigners, Ethan can’t comprehend the impact of his every action. A drive through town, a friendly drink with a rival seller, a dinner with a visiting English tutor, a simple pencil sketch … all have consequences that reach beyond Ethan and into the cultural, familial, traditional and financial obligations that dictate the lives around him. Even halfway around the world, there is no such thing as escape.
Publisher: Monsoon Books
ISBN: 9814423319
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 273
Book Description
Ethan Torrini always knew where his life would lead, but doesn’t know if he wants to end up there. Needing an escape from a stagnant year before re-applying to law schools, Ethan follows his lifelong friend Ken to the small town of Chanthaburi, Thailand, to assist with his online gem selling business and find freedom from the inevitable march to forever. An artist at heart, Ethan is drawn to Chanthaburi’s many beauties, from the river that meanders through town to the glimmering gemstones in the nearby market and to a local woman with coconut-scented hair. For the first time, anything feels possible. Yet as a farang in a town of few foreigners, Ethan can’t comprehend the impact of his every action. A drive through town, a friendly drink with a rival seller, a dinner with a visiting English tutor, a simple pencil sketch … all have consequences that reach beyond Ethan and into the cultural, familial, traditional and financial obligations that dictate the lives around him. Even halfway around the world, there is no such thing as escape.
Love on the Rocks
Author: Simon Los
Publisher: Monsoon Books
ISBN: 1912049775
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 143
Book Description
Cold-blooded Thai bargirls, naïve tourists and sordid scams – it was all in a night's work for Pattaya bar manager Simon Los. Pouring their hearts out at the bar are a tourist who reclaims his masculinity with the help of a ladyboy, a retired financier who invests thousands in a business with a woman he meets on the streets of Pattaya, a desperate Irishman who breaks the law in his pursuit of love, a high-net-worth visitor who is traded between bargirls, and many others whose heart strings are pulled to the point of breaking. For years, British expat Simon Los worked the bars of Pattaya. Befriending Thai staff as well as western and local customers, he was privy to the dating despair – and occasional joy – of countless couples. That bargirls would go to such lengths to deceive their farang boyfriends, out of poverty or greed, was not unexpected, but Simon was also surprised to see some of his customers find true love in the Land of Smiles.
Publisher: Monsoon Books
ISBN: 1912049775
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 143
Book Description
Cold-blooded Thai bargirls, naïve tourists and sordid scams – it was all in a night's work for Pattaya bar manager Simon Los. Pouring their hearts out at the bar are a tourist who reclaims his masculinity with the help of a ladyboy, a retired financier who invests thousands in a business with a woman he meets on the streets of Pattaya, a desperate Irishman who breaks the law in his pursuit of love, a high-net-worth visitor who is traded between bargirls, and many others whose heart strings are pulled to the point of breaking. For years, British expat Simon Los worked the bars of Pattaya. Befriending Thai staff as well as western and local customers, he was privy to the dating despair – and occasional joy – of countless couples. That bargirls would go to such lengths to deceive their farang boyfriends, out of poverty or greed, was not unexpected, but Simon was also surprised to see some of his customers find true love in the Land of Smiles.
The King Never Smiles
Author: Paul M. Handley
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300130597
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 512
Book Description
Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej, the only king ever born in the United States, came to the throne of his country in 1946 and is now the world's longest-serving monarch. This book tells the unexpected story of his life and 60-year rule: how a Western-raised boy came to be seen by his people as a living Buddha; and how a king widely seen as beneficent and apolitical could in fact be so deeply political, autocratic, and even brutal. Paul Handley provides an extensively researched, factual account of the king's youth and personal development, ascent to the throne, skilful political maneuverings, and attempt to shape Thailand as a Buddhist kingdom. Blasting apart the widely accepted image of the king as egalitarian and virtuous, Handley convincingly portrays an anti-democratic monarch who, together with allies in big business and the corrupt Thai military, has protected a centuries-old, barely-modified feudal dynasty. When at nineteen Bhumibol assumed the throne after the still-unsolved shooting of his brother, the Thai monarchy had been stripped of power and prestige. Over the ensuing decades, Bhumibol became the paramount political actor in the kingdom, crushing critics while attaining high status among his people. The book details this process and depicts Thailand's unique constitutional monarch in the full light of the facts.
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300130597
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 512
Book Description
Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej, the only king ever born in the United States, came to the throne of his country in 1946 and is now the world's longest-serving monarch. This book tells the unexpected story of his life and 60-year rule: how a Western-raised boy came to be seen by his people as a living Buddha; and how a king widely seen as beneficent and apolitical could in fact be so deeply political, autocratic, and even brutal. Paul Handley provides an extensively researched, factual account of the king's youth and personal development, ascent to the throne, skilful political maneuverings, and attempt to shape Thailand as a Buddhist kingdom. Blasting apart the widely accepted image of the king as egalitarian and virtuous, Handley convincingly portrays an anti-democratic monarch who, together with allies in big business and the corrupt Thai military, has protected a centuries-old, barely-modified feudal dynasty. When at nineteen Bhumibol assumed the throne after the still-unsolved shooting of his brother, the Thai monarchy had been stripped of power and prestige. Over the ensuing decades, Bhumibol became the paramount political actor in the kingdom, crushing critics while attaining high status among his people. The book details this process and depicts Thailand's unique constitutional monarch in the full light of the facts.
Amazing Thailand
Author: Brad Walker
Publisher:
ISBN: 9786167841021
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 276
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN: 9786167841021
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 276
Book Description
The Long Winding Road to Nakhon Nowhere
Author: Roger Crutchley
Publisher: Proglen Trading Co., Ltd.
ISBN: 6167817995
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 279
Book Description
Publisher: Proglen Trading Co., Ltd.
ISBN: 6167817995
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 279
Book Description
The 38 Million Dollar Smile
Author: Richard Stevenson
Publisher: ManLove Romance Press
ISBN: 1608200132
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 287
Book Description
Gary Griswold goes missing, and his ex-wife wants to know what's happened to him and his $38 million in cash. Religious dilettante Gary and his money have disappeared into Thailand. Gay P.I. Don Strachey is out of his element, and his lover Timmy is way out of his comfort zone as they comb the Land of Smiles for a man with an unerring weakness for the poorest choice possible.
Publisher: ManLove Romance Press
ISBN: 1608200132
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 287
Book Description
Gary Griswold goes missing, and his ex-wife wants to know what's happened to him and his $38 million in cash. Religious dilettante Gary and his money have disappeared into Thailand. Gay P.I. Don Strachey is out of his element, and his lover Timmy is way out of his comfort zone as they comb the Land of Smiles for a man with an unerring weakness for the poorest choice possible.
Behind the Smile
Author: Sanitsudā ʻĒkkachai
Publisher: Unknown International ISBN Prefixes
ISBN:
Category : Rural development
Languages : en
Pages : 208
Book Description
Collection of articles on difficulties and hardships faced by Thai villagers and suggestions about how to tackle them; previously published in Bangkok post, 1988-1990.
Publisher: Unknown International ISBN Prefixes
ISBN:
Category : Rural development
Languages : en
Pages : 208
Book Description
Collection of articles on difficulties and hardships faced by Thai villagers and suggestions about how to tackle them; previously published in Bangkok post, 1988-1990.
Inside Thai Society
Author: Niels Mulder
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Conduct of life
Languages : en
Pages : 200
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Conduct of life
Languages : en
Pages : 200
Book Description
Thailand Confidential
Author: Jerry Hopkins
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN: 1462900240
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 260
Book Description
"Wanna stand in the face of a charging elephant, get hit by a motorcycle, eat giant water bugs, blowtorch your mouth on some of the hottest chili peppers on earth, then go watch a sex change operation? Of course you don't, but, happily, Jerry Hopkins has done all that and more--lots more--in this darkly humorous, deeply affectionate, clear-eyed but never patronizing portrait of Thailand, his adopted home. Highly recommended." --Tim Cahill, author of Lost in My Own Backyard, Hold the Enlightenment and Jaguars Ripped My Flesh "After over a decade in the country, Hopkins knows and loves his subject dearly--that much is obvious--and his vivid portrait projects that love from every page." --Jann Wenner, editor and founder of Rolling Stone Magazine "A loving expose of everything that's wonderful about Thailand, and much that isn't. Should be required reading for all newcomers." --Joe Cummings, author of the Lonely Planet Thailand Guide Writer Jerry Hopkins came to Thailand for a visit in the 1980s, and ended up a permanent resident with a temporary visa--a big, white farang haunting the bars and back alleys of Bangkok. His essays explore the mystery and mayhem of "The Land of Smiles" to hilarious--and sometimes disturbing--effect. Travel with him to a place where whisky is rum, water buffaloes are gay, insects are dinner, dildos are lucky charms, and your wildest adolescent fantasies can come true (for a nominal fee).
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN: 1462900240
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 260
Book Description
"Wanna stand in the face of a charging elephant, get hit by a motorcycle, eat giant water bugs, blowtorch your mouth on some of the hottest chili peppers on earth, then go watch a sex change operation? Of course you don't, but, happily, Jerry Hopkins has done all that and more--lots more--in this darkly humorous, deeply affectionate, clear-eyed but never patronizing portrait of Thailand, his adopted home. Highly recommended." --Tim Cahill, author of Lost in My Own Backyard, Hold the Enlightenment and Jaguars Ripped My Flesh "After over a decade in the country, Hopkins knows and loves his subject dearly--that much is obvious--and his vivid portrait projects that love from every page." --Jann Wenner, editor and founder of Rolling Stone Magazine "A loving expose of everything that's wonderful about Thailand, and much that isn't. Should be required reading for all newcomers." --Joe Cummings, author of the Lonely Planet Thailand Guide Writer Jerry Hopkins came to Thailand for a visit in the 1980s, and ended up a permanent resident with a temporary visa--a big, white farang haunting the bars and back alleys of Bangkok. His essays explore the mystery and mayhem of "The Land of Smiles" to hilarious--and sometimes disturbing--effect. Travel with him to a place where whisky is rum, water buffaloes are gay, insects are dinner, dildos are lucky charms, and your wildest adolescent fantasies can come true (for a nominal fee).