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Addicted to poppy-seed bagels

Clues to Telephone Blues...

Double Standard

Addicted to poppy-seed bagels

Dear Chiangmai Mail:

It is with regret, but also with a bit of amusement, that I wish to inform you about my recent discoveries - a bagel-ban has happened at my favorite department store, Rim Ping. I went there the other morning to do some regular shopping; there were no more bagels with poppy seeds.

I inquired with the friendly staff, only to receive the obligatory “mei mee”. Trying to get into it a bit deeper (yes, I do speak a bit of Thai, and yes, I really like those bagels), I was told that certain ‘authorities’ have prohibited the sale of these items, because of the poppy seeds, and possible drug-abuse.

Whilst I am by no means drug addicted (maybe bagel-addicted), I find that a bit confusing and frustrating. Do the ‘authorities’ really think that having an odd poppy-seed bagel for breakfast puts you on high-risk to become a drug addict? Do the ‘authorities’ think that the rest of the world is living in a permanent daze, at least those countries where poppy-seed bagels are available, such as the US, UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, just to name a few?

Will poppy-seed bagels from now on only be sold under the (bagel-) table? Could somebody please explain the danger, if any, from a medical point of view?

Many thanks,

M. Unchie

Clues to Telephone Blues...

Editor;

Upon reading Roberto Magnanini’s tale of woe I can’t help but wonder if the non-cooperation he encountered was at least partly self-induced. He states at first he was angry at his wife then later there was a lot of anger all round. What’s with all the anger?

Isn’t the first commandment taught to visitors about Thai culture “Thou shalt not show anger for any reason”? In Thailand doesn’t showing anger just make you look like a fool, resulting in whatever Thai you are dealing with being solely concerned with just getting rid of you?

It may be considered effective (if not pleasant) in the Western consumer culture that anger be displayed at all times to properly assert the fact that one is the almighty customer (and everyone else is dirt), but you have to realise this concept does not always export well.

I can’t help but wonder that if Roberto had encountered the same difficulties but kept hold of his temper, whether the outcome may have been more to his liking...

Cheers,

R Hardy

Brisbane - AU

Double Standard

Editor;

With regards to the high number of road fatalities over the 2003-03 holiday season; I would assume many of the attributed road deaths would be alcohol related, especially involving younger persons.

While UBC finds it appropriate to censor (blur) out scenes of a person smoking a cigarette on a TV show in the privacy of my own home, I am astounded and shocked that at an afternoon movie screening of “Harry Potter” a Singa beer commercial is played to a captive audience of mostly children. In the commercial it shows young adults acting less then mature, perhaps reckless.

Really, beer commercials to children in a movie theater, while censoring smoking on my TV! While I am a non-smoker; I fail to see understand this “double standard”.

Tom Brandt

Chiangmai

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