What comes with the Flood?

 

These are pictures of different pages on Facebook, created by the individuals, to aid the flood victims as well as sharing the news to prevent the flood and current flooding situations. Regardless of inestimable damage, we still can witness kindness and care that Thai people still have for one another, despite of the differences in distance or difficulties. Also, these pictures also reveal how social networks are becoming one of the most powerful tool in this hours to be dealing with flood effectively and less time-consuming as people from different areas can post up their current flooding situations as well as report the members if people in the area are in need of help. Therefore, no matter what happens, it is still heartfelt to realize that Thai people are still there for one another as we are on the same land and are the citizens of this country.

My Self-Portrait2

 This is my self portrait done in microsoft words by using shapes. The picture is basically a girl with round face with a bright smile. Though I look stoic from the previous self portraits by my friends, I want reveal my real personality though this picture that I'm still a happy person who loves to smile, regardless of my outer nerd-like appearance due to a black glasses. Also, even though it is quite a contradiction with what I'm being perceived by others, this picture unveils my childlike characteristics of loving to smile and being cheerful which is being hidden behind my glasses and emotionless facial expressions.

Pub Peab Thailand

One phenomena that became a talk of the town over the night on social networks is "Pub Peab Thailand". In this trend, a person will sit in traditional Thai style as shown on the picture above. This trend actually derives after the prominent "planking" among Thai social networking users. Pub Peab Thailand claims that it is safer and more "traditional" than the original trend planking, which shows the sense of respect and nationalism through the posture, which becomes famous as soon as the page on Facebook was created. However, it is interesting to think whether this trend was created in order to show Thainess or just another trend that tries to imitate the foreign actions while resisting it or trying to make it more "original". 

Glocalization

This is the picture of the famous menu of the most prominent convenient store "Seven-Eleven", which is Laarb Moo Burger. This menu, though appears to be another fusion fast food, marks the significant influences due to globalization in Thai society. The adaptation of foreign culture to the local ones is called "glocalization". In this case Burger Laab Moo notes the prominence of American cultures in Thai society, in this case, food. However, the original American food has been adapted to suit the taste of local people to gain popularity by adding Thai taste by using glutinous rice and Thai fermented pork instead. Furthermore, this picture shows that Thai society is a society filled with foreign cultures from around the world due to many factors, in this case, media. As they are important means to transfer information, beliefs, and ideologies into our daily lives. In this way, the so-called American food that has been combined with Thai taste in order to convince local people and make them get used to American foods. Therefore, in this era, there are several competing cultures in order to be the dominant ones in Thai society, which many of them are not authentically Thai's due to the coming of foreign cultures in the period of globalization. 

My Self-Portrait from a Friend:)

Original Self Portrait

Exaggerated Self Portrait

My Self-Portrait's Face and Me:)

These are the pictures of my self-portrait and exaggerated one drawn by my friend during our Visual Culture class in order to elicit our very own self and identities. The first picture is being drawn realistically, according to what can be seen on my face. From my friend's drawing, it reveals my stoic face with think eyebrow, long hair, and glasses. However, in the second picture which she exaggerates, shows my very similar face with thinker and bigger mouth, again, with stoic face. From my portraits, it can be shown that I am being seen by my friend as a stoic and expressionless person, who looks serious and rarely smiles (T____T...I'm not that serious....) From this self-portrait, it is interesting to see what kind of impressions people have with ourselves, which can be revealed through the drawing and feelings that each person reflected upon us, similar to this self-portrait, which quite reveals how the drawer perceives me as a friend who is quite quiet and rarely expresses myself.

                                                   

The Almighty I-Phone

This is the picture of the event held by Dtac to sell the famous i-Phone in special promotion of buy 1 get 1 free, which was responded heatedly by the customers as there were around thousands of people waiting to buy the famous i-phone. From this picture, it reveals Thai society as the society of collectivism and docility, in which people can be persuaded and influenced easily by the media and people around them. Also, the fact that i-phone is foreign product also shows the frenzy of Thai people over foreign products or whatever that comes from overseas, since most of the people think that it will be better than our own product. Moreover, it also shows Thai society as materialistic, since people are being judged by the materials and appearance before other attributes. However, it also unveils the importance and advance of technology and communication as people viewed communication as one of the most important aspect of their lives, since one attribute of i-phone is to do face-time, which helps the users to communicate, regardless of time and distance. This also reveals how interaction and relationship, resulted from the advancement of technology, stimulate people to find more materials to soothe their desire and to be similar and equal to other people in society due to the impact of media and people around us. It is also interesting to see that people are so eager to be the owner of the i-phone, regardless of how arduous it may be, as a result of technological advancement in this era, which even spreads more i-phone frenzy to different part of the world. 

Sao Ching Cha (เสาชิงช้า)

This is the picture of Sao Ching Cha(เสาชิงช้า), which is located at the heart of Bangkok in front of  Bangkok Metropolitan Adminstration and Su Tad Temple. The architecture was build first in Rama 1 to celebrate and worship in Hindu ritual to worship Lord Shiva, the god of destruction, who is one of the greatest gods in Hinduism alongside Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu. However, the swing using real people was prohibited since Rama VI. This picture is culturally significant by it shows how Thai society receives strong influences from India and other countries. It reveals that there are options when it comes to religious beliefs. Also, it suggests that Thai people were influenced by other cultures since a long period of time as well as the belief in worshiping the gods is always mandatory, which influences every aspect of our life. Nowadays,  the architecture becomes one of Bangkok's signature in order to symbolize Thai people's faith towards Hinduism and the religion's prosperity in Thai society. 

Cover Dance and the Domination of Korean Culture

The Famous Super Junior Cover in Thailand: Pandora

Super Junior

The first picture shows one of Thai  famous cover dance bands "Pandora", which is imitating the album jacket of one of the most famous Korean boy bands "Super Junior". In Pandora's picture, the members stand juxtaposing to one another while posing the actions as if they are the boy band members themselves. The shade of the picture is black and white, the photo-shooting area, and the caption are similar to the original one as well. This picture is interesting in the way that it shows how Korean music and stars have  become world's domination, including in Thai society. The imitation of singers' character and dance moves become a new self-expression in Thai society, which reveals the popularity of Korean domination that Thai society embraces.Cover dance does not only concern with the imitation of dance moves or the appreciation of Korean music, but it also addresses how Thai society agrees to accept their cultures, ranging from language, food, fashion, or entertainment. In Thai society nowadays, the appreciation over Korean popular culture are conspicuous in which some Thai people even refuse to listen to Thai songs due to the thought that Korean music is better. The cover dance and its supporter then reveal how much Thai teenagers want to be like the Koreans. In this way, it might unveil the perception of Thai society that Korean influences are superior that we want to be similar to them.

                                                                              

"The Middle Way"

This fresco is presented at Sarnath, India. It depicts the picture of Suchada giving the rice to emaciated Prince Siddhartha Guatama before his enlightenment as the Bhudda. The fresco uses light colors, instead of the dark ones to portray the enlightenment and wisdom that are going to happen. The fresco focus on both Prince Siddhartha and the humble Suchada who is faithful and kind-hearted. In addition, the emanciated Siddharta is revealed to acquire light radiance around his head, which signals his upcoming realization that will be stimulated by the offering of this lady. This event is very significant in Bhuddhism, since it triggers the realization of Bhudda as everything will be successful and achieved only if the middle way is chosen. As a result, Prince Siddhartha stopped his fasting and meditated without tormenting himself. The fresco does not only become a historical memento, but also as a didactic artwork in order to remind the audience that instead of being to intense or lackadaisical, we should keep ourselves in balance and do our best. Similar to our commendable Bhudda, the middle way and consciousness from meditation are essential in order to live a meaningful and serene life.

Once in Thai Fashion History: The Revolution to Civilization

This poster was used during 1940s  to accommodate "Thai Cultural Revolution" in order to make Thailand more "civilized" as it was the national project of Field Marshal Phibun Sonkhram, the prime minister. As Phibun aimed to modernize and made Thai society progressive and civilized, he tried to change Thai people's way of life in every aspect in order to make it similar to Western countries, who were considered to be "progressed" and "civilized". Therefore, this poster became an evidence to show how the government during that time was trying to reformat people's dress code as the first step of becoming advanced. The poster's heading reads "Thai Culture", while there are two charts addressing what should and should not be worn. 

The first column "Don't" shows Thai traditional dress codes as most of the citizens, especially men will be bare chest and wearing traditional cloth or "jong-kra-ben", while the other column "Do" shows Western dress code as  men must wear shirt and a trouser, and women will wear a shirt and a skirt. The picture is interesting in a way that it conspicuously shows how the government tries to obtruding this new fashion to the citizens by using the phrase "Thai Culture" as the heading, which makes it automatically indisputable and sounded like it is already been accepted by everyone in the society. In this way, it also reveals how authoritative and powerful the government was during that time. Also, it unveils how Western cultures were being praised highly and regarded as prime example of the country. Moreover, it also tells the image of a good and civilized citizen should be during that time as it becomes the foundation of Western fashion of Thai society.