two10eleven | Brook Sarver » CNN

Thai protesters, taking sides

Brook — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 10:28:40 +0000

I’m sure most of you have heard at least something about the political turmoil brewing in the past month or so here in Thailand. What started as a peaceful, large gathering turned violent–leaving police, protesters, army men dead and injured. It’s a sad state that Thailand finds itself in. Now more and more people are gathering in the nation’s captial of Bangkok to protest other redshirt protesters, defend their political parties and show support in numbers either for or against the current government. This video clip by CNN does a good job to give a bit of the background of these protesters and images from Bangkok in recent weeks.

(RSS readers, click through to see the video)

If you’d like to read more about the details of the clashes, the bombs going off in and around Bangkok, or stay up to date on what’s currently happening here in Thailand, check out a few of the links below…

CNN news stories on Thailand
The Bangkok Post – Thailand’s main English newspaper

Twitter – the best way for up-to-the minute updates
@bangkokpundit
@terryfrd
@veen_NT
@tulsathit

And of course, you can always find up-to-date info from my twitter feed @two10eleven or Facebook page.

Thanks for all your prayers for us and the Thai people. This nation could sure use them about now…

Magic Thai Tattoos?

Brook — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:26:08 +0000

More and more people are flocking to Thailand to experience and receive a famous form of tattooing. Recently CNN did a short video on why Yan tattoos are gaining popularity.

(RSS readers click through to the website to watch the video)

I’ve seen videos of the possession that can come from these tattoos, the chants the Buddhist monks give during the process and the willing people lined up to receive these tattoos.

Thailand can be such a dark place. Please pray!

The Story of Thai Rice

Brook — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:08:12 +0000

Below is an article originally posted in CNN.com’s Bangkok section. Rice is a MUST for Thai diets and a HUGE part of the Thai economy, both in exports and daily usage. This should help shed some light on the process from planting to shipping and eating!

The Story of Thai Rice

As the world’s largest exporter of rice in the world, Thailand is famous for its top quality, long-grain jasmine white rice, prized over the lower grades that are grown in other regions of Asia — and even the United States.

CNNGo headed into the ‘rice bowl’ of central Thailand to a farm outside the town of Khiri Mat in Sukhothai province to see how rice is cultivated, harvested and then shipped to Bangkok and beyond.

From the fields to the warehouses, it’s backbreaking work.

In Central Thailand, pre-germinated seedlings are grown in wet soils and then transplanted to irrigated rice paddies.

Rice Farmers in their bare feet pull out each seedling.

Central Thailand rice farmers grow varieties of rice that yield three crops a year.

Urban sprawl poses an ongoing environmental as well as geographical threat to rice farming.

A rice farmer readies fertilizer for distribution in her field.

After transplanting seedlings into the rice paddy, fertilizers are spread by hand.

A rice farmer proudly shows off her rice seedlings that are ready to be transplanted.

A shop worker bags rice for sale.

Warehouse workers carry 50KG sacks of rice to waiting trucks that will deliver rice to restaurants and canteens.

Rice wholesale workers take a rest between hauling bags to trucks.

The rice will be sold at lower prices to local Sukhothai customers due to the lower quality of the rice and simple packaging.

Higher quality rice is put in nicer bags and sent to the bigger cities like Bangkok and also exported abroad.

The simplest way to serve rice is steamed. This plate of rice at a Bangkok restaurant is served with stir-fried eggplant, seabass, chili and basil.

Rice is also used to make flat noodles, such as those in this dish stir-fried with Chinese broccoli and eggs.