O-Negative (the apple doesn't fall far from the tree)

Flowers and a portrait of Prim's mom displayed in front of her casket

Episode 19 of the Thai TV show O-Negative (Episode 18) starts with a montage at Prim's darkened home. We see all the spots where we had seen Prim's mom before. Curiously, at her favorite spot on the back deck, next to her empty chair is a wine bottle, a glass partly filled with wine and a lit cigarette in the ashtray.

We cut to the second day of Prim's mom's funeral. Because Prim has no relatives, Peun's mom and dad are acting as the hosts. Prim is not at the funeral, nor was she at the funeral the previous day. Since her mother's death she has isolated herself. This has everybody concerned. Chompoo is worried that Prim might even be suicidal.

After the funeral O Group heads over to Prim's house. It is dark. Chompoo wants to just go in, but Foon stops her and says use the doorbell. They ring several times before a light finally comes on. When Prim comes out she has an odd half smile on her face. She asks them why they all came so late. They're confused by her question. Foon tells her they hadn't seen her at the temple for a few days and so they came to check up on her.

She stops smiling and just looks at them and says nothing for a long, uncomfortable pause. Finally, Art asks her what she's been doing and she says sketching. Art then asks her if she's eaten and she says she doesn't remember. Peun offers to buy food from her favorite noodle shop. Still smiling her odd smile, she says she isn't hungry.

Apparently Prim is now tuned to a different frequency

Chompoo says they'll stay with her to keep her company. Prim tells her there is no need for that, because she's with her mom. The four stand there shocked as Prim cheerfully waves bye-bye and goes back into her house. We again see a shot of Prim's mom's favorite chair, with wine and a lit cigarette on the table next to it. Whelp, it looks like Prim has stripped a couple of gears because of  her mom's death.

We cut to later that night at Go's bar. The four are all depressed by Prim's earlier lunatic behavior. Chompoo wonders out loud if Prim is insane. They debate that question, with Peun thinking she is just in denial. Foon pipes up that she understands how Prim feels, that its what happens when you love somebody so much you don't want to lose them. For that comment Peun gives her a hilarious side eyed look that's a cross between 'oh, shut up' and guilt.

They're wondering how to handle the situation. Should they tell her that her mom died or not? If your money is on Art predictably advising that they do nothing, you win. He says he thinks that Prim knows her mom is pushing up daises and she just needs time to work through it.

They decide they'll not mention her mom and they will watch her carefully, particularly on the campus where one of her classmates may touch her off by mentioning her mom's death.

Pakwan sneaks by Peun to hug Prim

The next day they go to campus early to watch for Prim. Peun is stationed at the front to intercept her as she enters so nobody gets to her and mentions her mom. Well, this is Peun we're talking about, so it takes about 10 seconds for Pakwan, who isn't exactly the most petite Thai on the show, to evade Peun's eagle eyes and go up to and hug Prim.

She asks what he is doing, and he tells her he just wanted to hug her. She's puzzled by that answer, but thanks him. Peun then comes up and she wonders why he is there in the morning when he has an afternoon class.

He's just is wondering if you still have bats in your belfry

They hook up with the rest of O Group and all escort her to the library. She goes to get a book and Peun accompanies her. Suddenly Professor Buddy pops out of the book racks and asks her how she is doing. They're all worried he'll ask her about her mom, but, luckily, since she doesn't start running around the library screaming and crying, that doesn't seem to be the case.

When she rejoins them it turns out he was only asking her about her pre-thesis. She's barely started hers and complains about all the pressure she's been under. Well Prim, being well off the deep end will do that to you.

We cut to Prim in a drawing class. She is sketching with ear buds in as she listens to music. Two girls are gossiping about Prim's reaction to her losing her mom when Art comes to the door and hears them. They notice Art is glaring at them. I imagine they thought to themselves, "crap, that's the guy who slapped around coeds in the early episodes of this show!" Whatever they thought, they quickly stop gossiping.

We then cut to a walkway where Art and Peun are wondering if they should ask her to go to the temple that night for her mom's funeral. Art says he doesn't think it is a good idea and adds that they had all agreed no to talk to Prim about her mother's death.

Peun suggests they could use and excuse to get Prim to the temple. When he asks Prim to go with them that night she asks where they are going. Before Peun can use a ruse, Art jumps in and says they are going to Go's bar. Prim declines, saying she is too busy.

Monks praying on the 3rd day of Prim's mom's funeral

At the funeral people continue to be concerned over Prim's absence. Via a conversation between Professor Buddy and the painting teacher we discover that O Group has came up with the idea of getting the entire student body and staff of the art department to play along with not mentioning her mom's death to Prim. Only Ms. Duang, who we met last episode in the yoga studio, seems to think this is a whackadoodle plan. I've got to say I'm with Ms. Duang on this one.

After the funeral Peun suggests going to Prim's house. Art disagrees, saying Prim wanted to be alone. Art lays into Peun a little and Peun asks him why he's mad. Art says he just doesn't want Peun messing things up. The girls don't know why Art is being so snappy, but we know that Art has had his fill of Peun making things worse with his social blundering.

We join Prim the next morning on the deck of her house. She's put out a cup of coffee for her mom and is starting to light a cigarette for her when her doorbell rings. It's Foon and Chompoo. They came up with the excuse that they need to work at her house because it is so quiet.

Ghost mom must be having a nicotine fit

She takes them to the back deck  and, as they're admiring the view of the river, she lights the cigarette and puts it in the ash tray next to the seat her mother used to sit in. Chompoo and Foon both see this and look deeply concerned. Prim sees their looks, but just stands there saying nothing. Finally, to dispel the awkward moment Chompoo suggests they go to a new stall near her house to get some grilled chicken to eat.

We see a montage of O Group as they worry about Prim's nuttiness. Peun calls Dr. Ben the psychologist, the girls work so hard to keep Prim occupied that their shoulders get sore (thank God for Tiger Balm Neck & Shoulder Rub Boost) and Art makes offerings at the Foundation's temple.

Flowers in front of Prim's mom's casket

Prim still has not come to the temple for the final day of her mother's funeral. Ms. Duang, Prim's mom's friend from the yoga class, says she can keep Prim for 100 days. She hopes Prim will have recovered enough by then to face her mother's death.

They have a procession to carry the casket from the temple.

Later that night at Prim's house Chompoo is on the phone to her father. He's yelling at her for being gone so long. Apparently she hadn't told him she was staying with a daft friend to keep an eye on her. I don't think he would much like that idea anyway. Foon tells her to go home, that she'll stay and watch Prim. Prim has been observing this all from the shadows. Prim comes out and tells them both that they should go home. She says she'll be OK.

The next morning we see Prim eating breakfast in the school cafeteria. She is lost in thought. We she is joined by the rest of O Group they discuss their upcoming internships. Art is interning in Kwan's photo studio. Peun wants to intern with  a film company and naturally Foon wants to join him. Prim says she has an internship at her mom's friend's publishing house. Wait -- I thought she was interning with Ms. Duang, the yoga instructor? Whatever. Chompoo wants to intern with Prim.

We jump to the office of Ms. Duang where she is interviewing Prim and Chompoo for the intern positions. Huh? She's the CEO of a publishing house and not of a yoga studio? I guess I missed something. Anyway, she's telling the two she doesn't like having a pair of interns that are friends because they tend to stick together instead of blending in with the group.

Chompoo says that won't be a problem, that they're very sociable and that they even talk to crazy people. Considering the fact that she's sitting next to Prim when she says that, it might not be the best way to word things. However, for some reason that does convince Ms. Duang to hire them.

Yea, this guy is the perfect choice to supervise young female interns

Ms. Duang takes them back to meet their supervisor Kit. He's watching something on his computer and tries to cover it up when he sees Ms. Duang. However, she gets over fast enough to see that he was... ah... shall we say conducting research on adult entertainment. As she yells at him as she introduces him to Prim and Chompoo as a pervert, douche, jerk and womanizer, but she adds that he is also a genius. Sounds like just the kind of guy you want to supervising Chompoo and Prim.

When he introduces himself he tells him he's not a jerk, that he just likes flirting. Chompoo says she doesn't mind, she can fight back. Looking directly at Prim he says, "I don't like people who fight. I like the soft ones." For that he gets whacked by Ms. Duang who tells him that Prim is her niece. Niece? Now Ms. Duang is an publisher Aunt instead of a yoga teaching family friend? Oh, I give up trying to figure it out.

To that revelation he just says, "That's great! Now, it's easier for me to get promoted." The girls, and for that matter Ms. Duang, just seem amused by this. Oh Kit, you lovable scamp.

On their bus ride after meeting Ms. Duang and Kit, Chompoo is gushing on group chat about how good looking Kit was and that he obviously liked Prim. Art and Peun are reading the chat and, needless to say, both are distressed at that bit of news. This is followed by a montage of Prim, over period of a couple of days, text messaging her mom, who she continues to bring coffee to and light cigarettes for, through out the day.

Time for Prim to face reality

Later, again on group chat, Chompoo decides the need to spend some time together because they've all been busy. They all end up agreeing to meet at Prim's house at 6 a.m. the next day. When they arrive they're holding offerings for the temple. As gently as they can, they tell her 100 days is up and it is time for her to face her mother's death. Art asks her to go to the temple with them.

Prim starts to slowly disintegrate. She starts crying harder as she tells them she knew all along that her mother was dead, but she couldn't face it. She couldn't face  being left alone in the world. The kids tell her that she is not alone, that she still has them as they all hug her.

Although Prim snapping back to sanity was a bit abrupt, it was an effective scene. Earlier I've wondered about Violette Wautier's acting. She has seemed passive at times, but it is hard to say, when watching a foreign movie, how a character would act. Also, I think a fair amount of the scenes are improvisational. Regardless, Violette did a fine job in this episode. She had Prim smile only with her mouth and not her eyes which worked well. Plus she got the breathing right when she was crying. Prim's timbre changed as she gasped for breath while sobbing. Nicely done.

We next see them at the temple. Apparently this is still part of the funeral because Prim is carrying her mother's picture in the procession. They're also still hauling Prim's mom's casket around. Is her body in that or is it ceremonial?

Prim starts crying and Peun comforts her. When she says she's alone he says she has him, and he promises to always be there for her. A Peun promise -- that, and $3.25, will get you a frappuccino at Starbucks. We also find out that Foon's parents have invited Prim to stay with them. Prim and Foon with Peun hovering around? I can't imagine that causing any problems at all.

That night Prim sets her mom's portrait in her favorite chair on the deck. She pours wine into the glass and lights a cigarette. She tells her mother she'll be living at Foon's house.

[Episode 20]

What could possibly go wrong?

Lipstick and leather

Click any image to enlarge

Just a short picture post of some old-timey girls on motorcycles. I wonder how much tsk-tsking they caused back in the day? They're from the Vintage News post Girls and Their Rides: Photo Collection of Women on Motorcycles.

1000 Tears of a Tarantula

Get ready for an arachnophobic weekend with Dengue Fever. 

O-Negative (one of our cast doesn't make it)

Art and Ong-art have a strange macho battle

Episode 18 of the Thai TV show O-Negative (Episode 17) starts with Ong-art bringing Foon to the college for the new school year. Art, Chompoo, Prim and Peun are all pretty disgusted seeing the two back together. Art seems particularly annoyed by the sight of Ong-art. He gets up and shoves his camera into Ong-art's face as he takes pictures. The two verbally spar, with Prim trying to calm Art down while Foon intervenes with Ong-art.

Once that's over Chompoo asks Foon where she was and why she dropped O Group chat. Foon answers with her usual nonsensically cheerful BS about everything being OK and she was just teasing them. I've got to say, Peun is a ridiculous skirt-chasing weasel, but Foon probably out does him in the nut-bag department with her wildly at odds public and private personas.

At any rate, we're more or less back to square one with Chompoo suspicious, Peun with a guilty look on his face, Art disgusted by it all and Prim puzzled.

The scene ends with Ong-art arranging the time for him to pick up Foon at the end of the school day. When Ong-art leaves he insults Art some more, making fun of his cheap camera. After he is gone the rest of O Group expresses their dislike of him and their confusion over why he's back with Foon.

They go their different classes. Foon rejoins O Group chat and they all promptly begin to goof off on the chat instead of paying attention to their teachers. Chompoo grills Foon as to whether Ong-art is her boy friend or not. After playing coy for a short time Foon says that yes, she and Ong-art are back together.

Chompoo and Foon have different reactions upon seeing Ong-art

Later Chompoo is sitting with Foon who is waiting for Ong-art to pick her up at the end of the school day. Chompoo is mystified as to why Foon would go back to dating Ong-art. Well Chompoo, from what we've seen of Foon's taste in men she likes complete jerks. Anyway, Ong-art comes late and profusely apologizes, telling Foon he'll buy her a designer handbag to make up for it.

Hmm... expensive purses, fancy restaurants, private jets... I think I'm beginning to see some of Ong-art's many charms.

Foon gets a designer purse, Prim gets a slurpy

Meanwhile Prim is buying a drink at a food stand. Peun runs up and buys it for her. She isn't really happy about that, offering a perfunctory 'thank you' before trying to walk away. Peun calls after her and asks her if she wants to go to a movie. She says no and he continues by asking a series of questions about where she is going.

Aside from once again demonstrating what a jerk Peun can be, it is an expository dialog dump that sets up the next scene -- Prim and her mom going to a yoga class. After the class Prim and her mom talk to Ms. Duang, the owner of the yoga studio. When she finds out Prim is in her 3rd year at the college she realizes Prim will need an internship and offers one at her studio. Prim is interested so they decide they'll get together later to talk about what would be involved.

Later that night Prim is at home working on a project for class. Her and her mom share a bit of mother/daughter bonding, then -- after her mom leaves -- she gets a call from Peun. He is at Go's and is completely plastered. To Prim's annoyance he drunkenly sings to her over the phone. Then he slurs out that he loves her. She tells him to sober up. Finally she's had enough of his babbling and hangs up. He tries to call her back, but she turns her phone off and ignores him.

Since when did Chompoo get ambitious and reliable?

We cut to the next day where Chompoo is front of a group of students in a classroom. She's discussing what they need to do to organize the year's Silpakorn Gift Festival (so they must be students at Silpakorn University which actually does hold such an event). Chompoo is telling them who is in charge of what facet of the festival.

When she gets to the fashion show she says she wants to use her friends Foon, Prim and Peun as her models, with Art as the photographer. We then have a montage of them getting ready for the festival, including shots of Prim, Foon and Peun walking around with books on their heads for model training. I wonder if the had to sing the Rain in Spain as well, or am I mixing up my training montages?

I know what I'm adding to my shopping list

We cut to their final preparations for the festival. Go, after bringing in a heavy cooler, complains that his leg hurts. Luckily for him his friend has a Tiger Balm Pain Relieving Patch he can loan him. As we all know:

"Combining Tiger Balm’s blend of herbal ingredients with the cleanliness of a patch, Tiger Balm Pain Relieving Patches provide strong and convenient pain relief for hours with minimal odor. They’re not messy or greasy, and will not stain clothing. The ventilated hydrogel patch contours to your body to deliver optimal comfort and relief, and the pull-and-peel protective film makes it easy to apply and painless to remove."

Not that I'm doing product placement in my recap or anything like that.

I'm sure that dress will fly off the racks

We finally get to see the fashion show. The fashions are adequately goofy in a faux haute couture sort of a way. Throughout it all we see Ong-art in the audience. He looks disgusted that he has to be in the midst of such peasants. When the show is over, much to the puzzlement of the festival's audience, Ong-art rushes up to the stage to give Foon flowers. The audience sits open mouthed at his foolishness, while Foon looks mortified by it. Then again, maybe Foon is just embarrassed by the dress she's wearing.

With the fashion show over people can wander around the shops and buy gifts. Art is drawing portraits. Ong-art stomps up to him with Foon and belligerently says he wants a couple portrait. Art offers a special Ong-art only price of 1,000 baht (~$32). Ong-art, ever one to be humble about his wealth, whips out 5,000 baht (~$160) and orders Art to start drawing.

Before we find out what Art's response is we cut to Peun, who is following Prim around and pestering her in an attempt to get back in her good graces. He gives her a ring that he bought for her. She gives it back and tells him to knock it off if he wants to remain on at least lukewarm terms with her.

We cut to the stage where a band is playing. Chompoo is of course doing a wild Chompoo dance. We then get one of the classic, and to me mystifying, Asian drama tropes. Go stops her from dancing, bends down and ties her shoe laces. Chompoo looks ecstatic. Variations of the scene -- tying a girl's  shoe laces, putting shoes on her feet or tending to a girl's injured bare foot happen again and again in Asian shows. It has obviously powerful romantic significance, but I'll be damned if I know why.

Looks like a waste of 160 bucks to me

We jump back to Art who is giving Foon the drawing. She has sent Ong-art off to wait for her elsewhere because he is so annoying. Art tells Foon that he would like to see Ong-art's expression when he sees it. She unrolls it and breaks out laughing. Yikes, Ong-art got took. From looking at it, and remembering that Ong-art paid nearly $160 for it, if that's Ong-art's sense of fiscal responsibility I'm guessing Ong-art is going to squander the family fortune before he's 30.

The next morning Art gets called to Professor Buddy's office. It's nothing bad, the Professor offers him a lead to an intern job with  Kwanruedee Dena Damrongwisetlerd. Thankfully, we can call her Kwan for short. Kwan is a fashion photographer and Art would be interning in her studio. The next day Art goes to her studio and introduces himself. Art gets the intern position.

We jump to that afternoon where Prim is getting ready to leave her house. She stops by to say good bye to her mom. I'm very relieved there is no broken glass any where. She tells her mom she is going to Foon's birthday party? What? Foon's birthday again, don't any of the other kids ever get to have a birthday party?

Go closes his bar for a private party for Foon. Sadly, from the view point of our amusement, Ong-art is missing. However, the rest of the group is there. They all make excuses for why they didn't get Foon a present, but she isn't bothered by that at all. Art and Chompoo go to the back storeroom to get some more booze. Meanwhile Peun asks Foon if she got her internship yet. She says her parents are setting one up. She asks Peun about his and he says he sent several applications out, but has gotten no replies. Color me shocked.

Princess Foon

There is a crash in the storeroom!!! Foon and the rest rush to the dark storage room. Foon is yelling for Chompoo and Art when they turn on the lights and yell "surprise." Prim puts a crown of flowers on Foon's head, and then Chompoo gives her a bouquet.

There's an actual turntable in the room. Art puts on a record and asks Foon for a dance. They do a sort of Tango. They all end up dancing, switching partners from time to time and all have a good time. After the dancing they gather around Foon's birthday cake and Chompoo reads a poem about friendship. Then Prim says she would like to have this room as a gallery with poetry readings every week. I'm sensing a plot point here.

As they're leaving the party the Foundation emergency vehicle roars up with its sirens flashing. Tum tells Art there is a terrible car accident and asks him to come along. He starts to say no, but Foon wants to do a good deed on her birthday so all of O Group piles into the back of the truck.

When they get to the accident the car is flipped upside down and they are using Jaws of Life to pry the wreckage open to extract the driver. Art runs over and starts photographing them pulling the woman from the car. Then he stops and looks completely horrified. Peun and Foon walk up and look horrified as well.

In back are Chompoo and Prim. Chompoo is a bit drunk and she points to the car and says, "Hey Prim, this looks like your mom's car. It's black. That one that your mom likes to drive."

When Prim steps far enough forward she sees that it is her mom laying on the pavement . She pleads first to Art, and then to anybody there, to help her mom. However, they can do nothing. They can only stand there and witness her grief.

[Episode 19]

Oh no

Crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a DC3

These 4 videos are rather long, but they are an interesting look at the flight of an old DC3 from Manassas, Virginia to Duxford England via Montreal, Goose Bay, Greenland, Iceland and Scotland for the 75th Anniversary of D-Day.

If you're into these sort of aviation videos, Matt Guthmiller has a lot more of them at his YouTube account.

Pre WWI Russian posters

Click any image to enlarge

This is an interesting period in Russian poster design. It is nestled between the florid and highly decorative style of the late 19th Century and the heroic realism of the Soviet era. A lot of graphic experimentation is taking place, you can see the gradual evolution towards the cleaner and bolder style of the later 20th Century. There are more examples after the jump.

O-Negative (after much blubbering Foon leaves O Group's chat)

Foon ups the ante

Episode 17 of the Thai TV show O-Negative (Episode 16) starts where episode 16 left off. Peun had arranged for an appointment for Prim's mom with Dr. Ben, the psychologist. He had told Prim he would go to it with her and her mom. In the meanwhile he and Foon had gone out to shop and eat. When Prim called Peun to remind him about the appointment, Foon turned on her sad, puppy dog eyes and asked him to stay with her instead.

Peun puts up a feeble resistance, but soon caves and calls Prim to cancel going with her. He comes up with some BS excuse of something suddenly coming up. Prim, as an excuse to get her mom to the appointment, had told her mother they were going to go for dinner. After Peun's call she cancels that, and then calls Art.

Prim must have noticed Peun's lips were moving

Prim meets Art at the college. She asks him about Peun's behavior. She explains how he cancelled the appointment and she bluntly says she thinks Peun is lying about the reason. Art is trying to duck her questions about Peun and sort of cover for him when she points out that, while she knows he's Peun's friend, Art is also her friend.

It is an effective tactic. Art doesn't like lying, and he has told Peun he doesn't want to cover for him. Art suggests they just go to Peun's house, where he is supposed to be having a family dinner, and see if he is lying or not. Art tells Prim he'll go with her.

We jump to a montage of Peun and Foon at a park. They're on a bike, paddling a goofy looking, foot powered swan boat, laying in the grass taking selfies and in general having a lovey-dovey time. Little does happy-go-lucky Peun realize that Art and Prim are in a taxi headed to his house as he frolics with Foon.

Luckily for him Prim changes her mind about going to Peun's house. She reasons that if she goes there and he's at a family dinner she'll feel bad for doubting him, and if he isn't there she'll feel bad because he lied to her. She decides she just wants to avoid it all and spend time alone to think.

We cut to later that night when Peun is getting out of a taxi at his home. Out of the shadows pops Prim. Ro-oh, she decided to check on him after all. Naturally, Peun being Peun, he starts to try to lie his way out of this situation. She cuts him off and tells him that she had liked him and was starting to have feelings for him, but that's all over now.

He tries to grovel his way out of his predicament, but she's having none of it. He then confesses to her that he likes her, but she tells him it is too late, that her feelings towards him have changed. She leaves him standing at his gate.

Peun at the start of a bender

We jump to later that night. Peun is in a bar sadly knocking back a mixed drink. We notice that even in his sorrow he remembers to have pack of Dentyne on the bar in front of him for product placement purposes. He gets a call from Foon but doesn't answer. Sorry Peun, but it is a little late to keep your zipper zipped.

Art arrives and Peun tells him he ruined it with Prim. That she was waiting at his house when he came home and caught him in his lie. Art is surprised that she actually went there, but he doesn't let on that he suggested to Prim that she do that. When asked, Peun tells Art that he was with Foon. Curiously, there are a couple of lines of dialog dropped. Not only is there no captioning, but there is also no sound. I wonder what it was that made the producers cut it?

He then tells Art, as he's wailing that it is all ruined, that she said she had liked Peun, and that he had confessed to her that he liked her. Art is shocked when he hears that. In fact, he hardly gives any of his usual 'just wait' advice. Instead, has asks Peun "what about Foon?" Peun just weakly replies that she treats him well and that completely disgusts Art. He lays into Peun over how thoughtless he's been.

That night Peun can't sleep. At 3:00 am he messages Foon. Kind of an obnoxious thing to do to say the least. He tells her he feels uneasy and wants to meet with her. They meet at a café. She's feeling frisky, but he shuts her down quickly. He tells her they should stop seeing each other. She protests, but he tells her they were never really in a relationship. She counters by pointing out they had been honking each other, which is the kind of thing people in relationships do. He doesn't answer that, so she directly asks him if he is choosing Prim over her. Further burnishing his dick credentials, he tells her that he doesn't know. He then plays the 'can we still be friends' card.

Foon nukes O Groups chat

She puts on a brave face, but is in tears as she leaves with a sad song blaring in the sound track. She blubbers the rest of the night away in her parked car. She only makes it home at dawn. She sits in her driveway for a while and then tearfully deletes O Group's chat from her phone.

Bare feet and broken glass again

We cut to Prim's house where she hears a glass shattering in the other room. Gah, not glass shards around bare feet again. She runs into the room and finds her mom standing and looking at the broken glass. She tells Prim she intentionally broke it. That she decided she didn't want to drink anymore. Needless to say Prim is delighted by the news.

Their celebration is interrupted by the door bell. It is Peun, standing in front of her gate looking stupid as always. He's going to try to weasel his way back into Prim's good graces, but before he can get far Prim gets a call from Chompoo who tells her about Foon leaving the O Group chat.

Chompoo, Prim and Peun meet to try to contact Foon. Chompoo wonders if either of them did something to upset Foon. Naturally Peun lies through his teeth and says he has no idea what could be bothering her.

Later they get together with Art who had gone to Foon's house and discovered she left quickly to go on a trip to the United States. Chompoo is still puzzling over what upset Foon so much that she quit the group chat. Peun continues to fake that he has no idea what it may have been which disgusts Art.

Chompoo then raises the idea of them going to Art's house during the break. Peun is ready to go, but Prim is still angry with him and clearly doesn't want to spend any time with him. Art reads the situation and says they should all just go their separate ways during the break. Chompoo can sense that Art, Prim and Peun are having some sort of an issue, but she doesn't know what it is.

Chompoo and her family communing with their ancestors

We cut to Chompoo and her family out side of their store (I think it is a Chinese style pharmacy). They have a table of offerings to their ancestors and they are burning incense sticks. Chompoo tries to hurry through the ceremony so she can leave, but her father makes her stay until they burn joss paper for their ancestors' well being in the afterlife.

The family heads inside the shop where some other relatives drop by for a visit. Chompoo looks bored to tears. They ask what grades Chompoo and her sister Som O are in, and then ask if the girls have boyfriends. Chompoo's dad says no, because he wants them to study. Chompoo wisely stays silent.

Prim ghosts Peun

Meanwhile Peun has shown up at Prim's house. He tries calling her, but she doesn't answer, so he rings the doorbell. Her mom answers and says that Prim is out. She doesn't know where Prim went nor when she'll be back. Peun asks if he can wait for her. Prim's mom says sure and leads him to the back deck.

Later she comes out and says she has to run an errand. When Peun leaves she goes into the house where Prim has been hiding from Peun. She asks Prim if Peun likes her. Prim says she doesn't know and, when asked if she likes Peun, she tells her mom she thinks he's nice to her, but can't be sure.

Prim's mom thinks back to when she caught Foon and Peun together and choses her words carefully. As subtly as she can she warns Prim to be careful not to get hurt. That perhaps staying friends would be better.

Art has return to his mom's house at Kanchanaburi for the break. She wonders where his friends are and he tells her they're too busy to come. At dinner she's made a lot of dishes that Peun and Prim liked and tells him to take them back to give to them. He, unhappy at the thought of Prim and Peun being together, isn't too enthused by that idea.

Later we see him at his mom's school. She's advising parents while he is in his goody-two-shoes mode and is lettering signs for the classrooms. Beyond that. he doesn't do much on his trip.

Finally the new school year starts again. Art, Peun, Chompoo and Prim gather in front of the school. The coldness between Prim and Peun continues and Chompoo notices it. As they're wondering where Foon is a car, which is obnoxiously beeping its horn, pulls up. To the amazement of the four, Ong-art gets out, opens the passenger door and out steps Foon.

[Episode 18]

Once again Foon demonstrates her impeccable taste in men

The mystery of flirtation

Private Conversation - Félix Vallotton
(click image to enlarge)

Was Mrs. Wilcox one of the unsatisfactory people- there are many of them- who dangle intimacy and then withdraw it? They evoke our interests and affections, and keep the life of the spirit dawdling around them. Then they withdraw. When physical passion is involved, there is a definite name for such behavior- flirting- and if carried far enough, it is punishable by law. But no law- not public opinion, even- punishes those who coquette with friendship, though the dull ache that they inflict, the sense of misdirected effort and exhaustion, may be as intolerable. Was she one of these? ― E.M. Forster 

 

Shake Rattle And Roll

Get ready for an energetic weekend with Jerry Lee Lewis.

O-Negative (Foon tries to corner the Peun market)

Ong-art is not one to give up easily

Episode 16 of the Thai TV show O-Negative (Episode 15) returns to Foon's birthday party at the moment when Ong-art has arrived. Ong-art calls Peun a beanpole one too many times and Art and Peun start moving towards him. Foon has to restrain them. She tells them to go inside and that she'll handle Ong-art.

She tells Ong-art that she didn't invite him to her party and doesn't want him there. He's puzzled, wondering if she's still mad at him. She tells him she has broke up with him. He's still puzzled how she could reject somebody as wonderful as him. She points out the list of reasons is endless, that he is obnoxious, rude and annoying just to name a few. She reminds him again that she broke up with him and tells him to grow up and accept it. She turns and leaves him.

When the party breaks up Peun takes Prim home. As soon as he drops her off he gets a message from Foon asking him to meet her. He tells Prim he is going home and will message her when he gets there, but of course the immediately zips off to meet Foon.

While Prim is in her bed with a happy little smile on her face as she thinks about Peun, he's in Foon's car driving around. Foon is making it very clear to him that she's broken up with Ong-art. Peun says he knows that because they all listened to her comments to Ong-art at the party. She then reminds him that she was going to tell him what present she wanted him to give her. He asks what it was, and she says she wants him.

Foon comes prepared

They go to his house where they start kissing and pawing each other. Peun stops her and asks her if she's taken the pill. She pulls a condom out of her back pocket, so they tear their clothes off and land in bed for another naked anatomy lesson.

The next morning Art sees Foon dropping Peun off at the college. Later that same day Peun comes across the three girls sitting in a commons area. After some brief small talk he tells them he has to go to class. Prim tells him she'll see him after class. Foon gives her the side eye while Chompoo just files that fact away.

We cut to later in the day where Prim is in the same commons area waiting for Peun. While she's doing that we have scenes of Peun and Foon happily eating in a sushi restaurant. Prim waits until it is dark and then goes home. As she is sadly sitting at home wondering what became of Peun, Foon and Peun hopping into the sack at his place.

Prim must have an inkling what is going on, because as she waits for word from Peun she gets more and more upset and starts to try to scratch off the temporary Tattoo she got at Foon's party (they both got the same star shaped tattoo). Poor Prim, could this day get any worse for her?

I'm guessing Prim's mom has had one too many

Well, of course it could. This is a soap opera after all. She hears a crash in the other room and runs out to find her mom laying on the floor with an empty wine bottle and a broken glass laying next to her.

Prim is frantic. First she tries to call Foon to get help. I've got to say Foon wouldn't be my first choice, but whatever. Unfortunately for Prim, Foon is in Peun's bed and has just discovered the picture of Prim that Art drew. When she gets the call from Prim she ignores it.

We cut to a shot of the Foundation ambulance racing down a road. In the back is Prim's mom, as well as Art and Prim. They rush Prim's mom to a hospital. Later, as Prim and Art are in the hospital waiting to hear news of Prim's mom's condition, Art tries to call Peun. Foon and Peun are sleeping. Foon rolls over, sees the call is from Art and ignores it.

Eventually Prim's mom gets rolled out in a wheelchair. She is physically alright, except for an injured ankle. She does seem to be embarrassed that Art, Tum and Bo have seen her in this state, but she invites them back to her house to thank them.

Bare feet and broken glass

As an aside, Asians take their shoes off when entering a house. Chinese and Koreans then usually wear house slippers, but O-Negative has shown Thais to either wear only their socks, or more commonly, they go barefooted. I mention that because, as anybody who has cleaned up after a broken glass can imagine, the scenes of Prim and Art sweeping up the glass shards in their bare feet are a bit nerve wracking.

At any rate, back at her home Prim's mom is a gracious hostess. She thanks them and talks about the ambulance ride. She has Prim serve them water as they give her advice about tending to her injured ankle. Art, rather than bossing Prim around, helps with her cleanup of the broken glass. There is also a scene where he drinks the same type of flavored water from a bowl as he did at his mother's house, they even flashback to make the connection obvious for the viewers.

I think the writer's intent is to contrast Prim and Art's more natural friendship and its evolution with Foon and Peun's far more venal relationship. However, I could be just over-thinking the hijinks of a soap opera's overwrought plot.

When Art leaves he tells Prim to call him if she ever has problems. They message each other when he gets home to make sure each other are OK. Meanwhile, Peun is saying goodbye to Foon as she gets into her car to leave his place. He checks his phone and notices Art has called him several times.

Peun calls Art and claims he missed his earlier calls because he was sleeping. I suppose that is technically, sort of, kind of, somewhat accurate. Art tells him about Prim's mom's fall, Peun is mortified when he finds out Prim had tried to call him for help, but didn't get an answer, because he was busy banging Foon at the time.

Flowers for Prim

The next morning Peun shows up early at Prim's house. He brings Prim an offering of flowers as an apology for not answering her calls last night. If only she knew why he was apologizing so profusely. He also brings a couple of bags of food and milk for Prim's mom.

Peun joins Prim's mom and really lays it on thick. He gives her the food he brought and dispenses all sorts of advice to her as to how to tend to her ankle. Prim joins them and tells her mom she's to have no coffee, no smoking and no alcohol until she recovers. She tells her mom that it is lucky Art came, because she doesn't know how she would have gotten her to the hospital otherwise. Needless to say Peun feels like a heel when he hears that.

Prim and Peun go to school. They're late for their art appreciation class and Foon is not pleased when she sees Peun entering late with Prim. After the class the girls decide to visit Prim's mom. When Peun is asked if he wants to also go he's a bit panic struck because Prim and Foon will be there together, but he agrees to go. Foon suggests stopping to buy some food for her, but Prim says that is unnecessary because Peun brought so much in the morning. Foon looks even more distressed over that news.

Foon and Prim's mom pondering the dishwashers

O Group and Prim's mom eat dinner. After the dinner Peun and Prim horse around as they wash the dishes. First Foon observes the pair, then Prim's mom takes in all three of them. We know what Foon thinks about the couple, but Prim's mom has kept her opinions to herself. Throughout the show she has silently observed Art and Peun orbiting her daughter, she also saw Foon pouncing on Peun earlier. However, it is still not clear what she thinks about it all.

Chompoo has to leave before it gets too late so Foon drives her home. Of all things Art has brought a couple of six packs of beer. Prim's mom, not wanting to be tempted by alcohol, excuses herself and goes upstairs. Art decides he doesn't want to be a third wheel around Peun and Prim so he leaves as well. Finally, when Peun leaves Prim asks him to set up an appointment for her mom with Dr. Ben, the psychologist. They decide to have the appointment after sophomore projects and Peun says he'll go with them.

We now have a montage of them working on and then presenting their final projects. Chompoo makes some sort of wild looking dress, Foon drapes fabric on a portrait, Prim does a model house layout and Art designs a logo. Peun also does a logo, but it is the world's most cliché looking restaurant logo. Entertainingly they show the class looking bored during his presentation with shots of Professor Buddy yawning while he's looking at it.

Dinner at Go's Bar & Grill

When their final projects are done they all gather at Go's place. Art is going back to his mom's home in Kanchanaburi during the break. Chompoo, who missed the trip last year would like to go there this year. However, because of the goofy secret Foon/Peun liaison it is less likely that those two will go this time. Prim says she can't go until she takes her mom to see the psychologist Peun's parents recommended. Further, she says that Peun offered to go with Prim ands her mom to that appointment. As you might expect, Foon looks distraught at that news.

The next morning Peun calls Prim to tell her he has set up an appointment that night with Dr. Ben. His parents must have pretty good pull with her to get night office hours with a psychologist. Prim is thrilled. As a ruse she tells her mom that she's taking her to dinner that night. I can't imagine her mom is going to like that trick.

Two crazy kids being cute

Soon afterwards Foon calls Peun and asks him if he is free. This leads to a montage of the two of them having fun trying on different hats, yukking it up as they eating lunch and eventually shopping in an art supply store.

Their fun is interrupted when Prim calls to remind him he was going to go to the appointment with her and her mom. Peun tells her he'll pick them up at their house. When he hangs up the episode ends with Foon turning on her puppy dog eyes and asking him to stay with her.

[Episode 17]

Starting a WWI tank

A 1917 Renault FT. In its day it was probably the best tank built. The video give a good look at its details. I love the hand crank to start it.

In remembrance this Memorial Day

Buttermilk Hill

Here I sit on Buttermilk Hill
Who can blame me, cryin' my fill
And ev'ry tear would turn a mill,
Johnny has gone for a soldier.

Me, oh my, I loved him so,
Broke my heart to see him go,
And only time will heal my woe,
Johnny has gone for a soldier.

I'll sell my rod, I'll sell my reel,
Likewise I'll sell my spinning wheel,
And buy my love a sword of steel,
Johnny has gone for a soldier.

I'll dye my dress, I'll dye it red,
And through the streets I'll beg for bread,
For the lad that I love from me has fled,
Johnny has gone for a soldier.

1940s war movie posters

Click any image to enlarge

As WWII raged, war movies that were made captured the zeitgeist of the era. This is a small sampling of the posters made for those films. The style of the posters is striking -- they are full of angles, angry or determined faces, explosions and the color red.

They are from 100 Years of Movie Posters article War Movies 1930-1949. There are more examples at that link.

O-Negative (Ong-art makes a grand entrance at Foon's birthday party)

That depends on whether you consider the beach a bed or not

Episode 15 of the Thai TV show O-Negative (Episode 14) starts with Foon and Peun on the beach, back in their clothes and holding hands. Apparently their love making occurred between episodes 14 and 15. She tells him it was her first time, and he says it was his first time as well. Considering the amount of lies these two have told so far I wouldn't bet the farm on that.

Foon tries to act lovey-dovey with him, but Peun, in his usual dickish manner, starts waffling. Foon guesses it is because of Prim and assures him she'll keep their tryst secret. Yea Foon, secrecy has worked so well for you so far, hasn't it?

At this point Prim shows up looking for them. A few minutes earlier and she would have gotten an eyeful, instead the two are lucky and she doesn't suspect anything. They decide to head out and get some food to eat. They get to a street lined with shops and when Prim goes to buy some corn Foon asks Peun to buy her the pill. Since Peun's a dunce he wonders what pill she's talking about. She has to whisper in his ear that it's the morning after contraceptive pill.  

The pharmacist has to explain to Peun that men don't get pregnant

The pharmacist on duty is a woman. Peun is embarrassed and nervous as he deals with her. He hems and haws a bit before asking her for the emergency contraceptive pill. She asks him "pregnant?" Hilariously he tells her that no, he isn't pregnant. She's professional enough not to break out laughing as she tells him she's asking about the girl. That she can't be pregnant and use this type of pill. She then explains that the dosage is two pills, and that Foon needs to take them 12 hours apart.

Peun sneaks the pills to Foon. Foon and Prim return to their room. While there Chompoo joins them. Chompoo catches Foon taking the first pill, but Foon claims it is just pill for acne.

Meanwhile Peun joins Art on the beach where he initiates one of his annoying man-to-man chats with Art. He asks Art if he should go for the girl he likes, or the girl who likes him. Art knows exactly what Peun is talking about so he tells him to go for the one he likes, because he thinks both girls like Peun.

Peun, being Peun, naturally equivocates and says he feels sorry for Prim. This disgusts Art who asks him, "what the hell is wrong with you?" We all want to know the answer to that one. He reminds Peun he had  tried to tell him to slow down. Peun says he knows that, but then tries to make himself out to be a sensitive hero by saying he doesn't want to break anybody's heart. Art looks like he is considering clocking Peun, but sadly he doesn't.

The next morning Art, Prim and Chompoo are at breakfast. Peun supposedly slept in and Foon is feeling dizzy. Foon is actually throwing up as a side effect of the pill and Peun is with her. Prim brings some apples for Foon to eat and catches the two of them together. For the first time the perpetually oblivious Prim has a glimmer that something odd is going on.

Apparently Peun and Foon had an audience

Eventually they all gather for breakfast. As they are sitting at the table talking Pakwan runs up and tells them there is a scandal brewing. The night before some Freshman saw a couple on the beach. From his hand gestures the couple was engaged in some horizontal hula action. The kids are already running around trying to figure out who the couple was.

Needless to say, Peun and Foon look horrified. Surprisingly, oblivious Prim picks up on their reaction. You can see the wheels turning in her head as she watches their reactions and remembers that she met them together on the beach last night. She asks Peun, who looks like he is about to faint, if he is alright. She doesn't look convinced when he says that he is fine.

At the last second Peun and Foon are saved from disgrace by Chompoo. She blurts out that the couple must have been her and Go, who were doing a bit of necking on the beach the night before.

On the bus home Peun has boarded first. Prim joins him, wondering why he didn't wait for her. Art and Foon sit elsewhere while Chompoo, as is her wont, is doing some wild Chompoo dancing in the aisle. Foon goes to take her second pill and manages to drop it on the floor. I think we can all take a wild guess where that storyline is going.

That night Peun calls Foon. He's worried about the pill she missed because she dropped it. She's worried about it as well. However, the two of them try to convince themselves that, even though they're living in a soap opera universe, nothing bad can possibly come of it.

Isn't young love grand?

The next day they have a photography class. Foon skips it because she is sick. They get an assignment to take 10 pictures with different shutter speeds and F-stop settings. Art, Peun and Prim head out to field to take pictures of wild flowers. Well, Art takes pictures, Prim and Peun fool around with Prim drawing a picture that starts on his arm and moves to hers.

Having drawn it, she gets around to taking a picture of it which she posts to O Group's chat with the caption "I can go on because you are by my side. Babbling." Of course Foon is on her phone looking at the picture and is not happy that Peun is still spending time with Prim.

Prim and Peun then get in a conversation about tattoos. Peun considers them tramp stamps, but Prim argues they are pieces of art with the body as the canvas. Still, she says she is too timid to get one. I think this just may be a "kids, whatever you think about 'em, don't get tats" message added to the show.

We cut to Go's bar that night where Peun comes out of the bathroom to join Art, Prim and Chompoo. Prim noticed that Peun washed his part of her drawing off. She mentions it and he givers a rather feeble reason why. Prim looks like she is increasingly sensing something is wrong.

They then start talking about Foon's upcoming birthday. They decide not to have a surprise party, but to buy her something. Instead of directly asking Foon what she wants, they think the question needs to be subtly asked. Peun volunteers to do the asking and that really catches Prim's attention. I do believe our oblivious one is slowly starting to add two and two together.

Foon is not a happy camper

We cut to Foon at her house. She gets a call from Peun and, considering all the time he's recently spent with Prim, she isn't too happy to hear from him. He says he is outside and has medicine for her. She goes out, but is still snapping at him. Then she notices that he washed Prim's drawing off his arm. She chastises him a bit for washing off Prim's artwork, but you can tell she's not that bothered.

He then just blabs all their birthday plans to her. I guess that is what passes for subtle with Peun. She makes fun  of him for doing that and he asks for her to pretend to be surprised by what they get her. However, she never actually tells him what she wants. Instead she tells him anything they get her will because it will come from her friends. She adds that she'll tell Peun what she wants, but only on her birthday.

The next morning they all message Foon to wish her happy birthday. She is turning 19. She invites them all to her house that night where she'll provide the food and drinks. When the messaging is over Prim calls Peun and tells him to come to her house because she has an idea for Foon's present.

Crib? Stroller? Bassinet? Haha, I kid, I kid. I'm sure a soap opera would never, ever go down the Foon is preggers storyline.

Peun gives it his all while working on Foon's present

Anyway, when Peun arrives at Prim's house she is folding a piece of cloth to prepare it for tie dyeing. Peun is basically doing nothing but flirting with Prim. Does it even cross this idiot's mind what Foon is going to think when she finds out about this?

We cut to that afternoon at Foon's house. Art arrives first and Foon joins him on the patio. The maid comes and, unlike Ong-art, she serves him coffee. Foon asks him where Peun is and he tells her he's with Prim. Foon pulls the ol' "sooo… you and Peun share everything" card on Art and starts pumping him for information about where she and Prim stand with Peun. He, not wanting to get in the middle of that lunacy, dodges her questions.

Finally Chompoo arrives. Art thinks he's off the hook, but Chompoo soon starts babbling about all the time Peun and Prim are spending together. That gets Foon going again. She directly asks Art if Peun and Prim are dating. He says he doesn't know, to ask them that instead of him. At that point Prim and Peun arrive. Prim gives Foon her present as Chompoo observes two people came together with one present. Foon has noticed that too and doesn't look thrilled.

They all move inside where the sing Happy Birthday, in English, to her. Foon starts opening presents. She opens Art's first. It is a drawing of Foon. Chompoo's is next. It is a gift certificate for 1,000 baht (~$30) to Go's bar for food and drinks, but not alcoholic drinks. I'm not sure what that joke was, but they all thought it was funny. Last is Prim and Peun's joint gift of a tie dyed shawl. The 'joint gift' part has the expected effect of dismaying both Foon and Art.

Fake tattoos isn't the only thing these two have in common

Then Chompoo brings out some temporary tattoos she bought. Prim and Foon each put one on and are delighted that they both have the same star pattern. Feh, what's a mere tattoo? You've got the same boyfriend as well ladies.

How to win friends and influence people

They are soon interrupted by the noise of a motorcycle revving outside her house. They all go outside and see somebody burning rubber on Foon's driveway. It's Ong-art, who gets off his bike and swaggers up to Foon and tries to hug her. She pushes him away.

She tells O Group he is her ex-boyfriend and she tells him that he is annoying. He's burned a heart into her driveway. I'm sure her parents will enjoy paying to get that eyesore removed. He tells her he flew all the way from London to do that, and he seems puzzled that she's still mad at him.

Then he notices Art and Peun. Art has an absolutely murderous look on his face while Peun is just standing there looking stupid as usual. Ong-art latches onto Peun and, as the episode ends, he asks "does Mr. Beanpole here have a problem with me?"

[Episode 16]

Ong-art's masterpiece of true love