O-Negative (Professor Buddy plays the hero)

Peun keeps after Prim

Episode 12 of the Thai TV show O-Negative (Episode 11) starts with Prim tossing and turning after the night of star gazing. She's worried about her mom being alone and drinking herself into her delusional state.  Geez Prim, why so worried? Once your mom drinks a bottle of wine or two her dead husband will be there to keep her company (rimshot).

Peun messages Prim wishing her goodnight and they start messaging back and forth. It may be badly translated captions, but there is a point where it sounds like she is mixing up Art and Peun when she compares her mother to Art's mom's independence.  However, like I said in the last episode's recap, Prim is a very difficult character to get a read on. She can be amazingly oblivious at times.

Anyway, Prim and Peun decide to go outside and talk for a bit. She's so worried about her mom that she decides to cut her trip short and go back. Peun takes the opportunity to say he'll go back with her so she doesn't have to travel alone. He also says he'll explain to Art why they are leaving early.

The next morning, in a bit of an odd scene, Art and Prim brush their teeth together. Then she goes and playfully wakes Peun up. Art watches them, unhappy as usual by the situation. However, later in the morning she comes out and helps Art wash a scooter. They are playful as well as they wash the bike, spraying each other with water as they screw around.

Words of wisdom from Go

We cut to Chompoo's place. She is leaving for the exams. Her dad cheerfully wishes her luck on them, but she looks dejected over the prospect of taking, and worse, passing them. She goes around a corner where Go is waiting to take her to school. She complains about having to take the test and he advises her to just flunk it. She says her father would just get angrier. She's very unhappy at the thought of having to study to be a pharmacist. He ends by giving her the Art-like advice of going where life takes you.

We cut to downtown Kanchanaburi where Art, Prim and Peun are in a montage where they are touring the sights and taking a ton of pictures of each other. They rent scooters. Art sadly notes that Prim decides to ride on the back of Peun's scooter. They visit  a gigantic tree where Peun and Prim continue to pay more attention to each other and render Art more and more of a third wheel in the process.

In the next scene Art is setting up his camera on a tripod for a shot of the landscape. Peun wanders off. Prim says it is beautiful and serene. Art, not knowing she is already planning to leave sooner, tells her to stay longer if she wants. She doesn't answer. After an uncomfortable pause she tries to change the topic by asking where Peun is. Art says he doesn't know, and then asks her "why, you guys can't stay apart?" Again, there is an awkward silence.

Peun continues to lay it on thickly

Art asks Prim to check the framing of his shot. As she looks through the camera Peun appears in front of her holding a handful of wild flowers. Her face lights up with a smile. Art's doesn't. Peun teases her that he didn't bring them for her, that he just wanted to show the flowers to the two of them. He says there is a field full of them and asks if they want to go see them. Prim does, but a despondent Art declines the invitation.  

While they're looking at the flowers Prim gets a mote in her eye. Peun comes close and helps her get it out. They are standing close when Art walks up. Not his day at all, is it? Prim asks him to look at the view, but he just turns and walks away.

Art's back at his camera and the two rejoin him. Peun asks for a picture, and as Art lines it up he says wait and brings Prim into the shot as well. They're doing a cute pose when they notice Art looks unhappy over it all. Another awkward silence and then Peun takes this opportunity to say he's going back early. Art asks about Prim, and she says she can go back with Peun.

As oblivious as she normally is, even Prim realizes that Art is upset. She tells him the truth that she misses her mom and is worried about her. Art lays into the two, saying that they are friends and can at least be honest with each other. Peun is fidgeting around and tries to turn it around on Art. Saying he told the white lie because Prim was worried Art would be mad at her when he heard she was leaving early.

Art then goes into the house to talk with his mom. She can tell something is bothering him and asks him what it is. he tells her that Prim and Peun are going back to Bangkok soon. She assumed he is going back with them, but he tells her no, that he'll stay with her.

She looks at him like she is surprised by that and then bluntly tells him that she can tell he likes Prim. He denies it, but she's not buying that. The mystery of Art bossing Prim around is revealed when she says that is the same way his dad tried to flirt with her. She tells him she knows he is just too shy to confess to Prim what his feelings are. She reiterates that he should just go back with the two and then ups the ante by warning him that she can tell Peun likes Prim as well. Art sticks to his notions of the importance friendship and the passage of time untangling things, but at the same time he seems to sadly give up on Prim.

I will say that Kao Jirayu La-ongmanee, the actor who plays Art, does a fine job with these scenes. Throughout the show his character has seemed a bit cardboard as he preached the need to accept that what will be will be, but in these scenes he underlays Art's stoicism with an increasing sadness and anger that's bubbling just beneath the surface.

Peun experiences a brainstorm

Peun and Prim leave for Bangkok the next day. On the train a postcard vendor comes down the aisle. Prim isn't interested in buying one because she has no idea who she would send it to. Peun gets the bright idea that they should each get one, write a message on it, and send them to each other. This being a soap opera, I can't imagine anything bad could possibly come from that plan.

On the train ride back they both get tired. We have repeat of the 'sleeping head flopped onto a shoulder' trope we saw earlier, but this time it is with Peun. Oh Prim, you little shoulder sleeping strumpet.

When they get home Art group messages the two asking if they got home alright. Foon is in the chat making note of the fact that Peun and Prim came back together. Foon butts in to remind Peun she has something to tell him. He asks what it is, but she tells him to come over because she wants to tell him in person. He makes a snide remark about her boyfriend. She tells him OK, she'll wait until later and he says OK as well, and then returns to chatting with Prim. Dark clouds gather over Foon's head.

Chompoo prays for failure

 The next morning Chompoo and her sister Som O are waiting to get the results of their exams. Chompoo is praying to her ancestors to fail, while downstairs her parents are lighting incense at their shrine and praying for her success. Chompoo and Som O work up the nerve to look at their results. we cut to downstairs where her parents hear both of the sisters scream when they see the test result.

That night the group is at Go's bar. Chompoo is down because she passed her exam for pharmacy school. Adding further weirdness to the group is Peun desperately trying to ignore Foon as she looks at him puzzled. Chompoo, after trying to put on a brave face, eventually breaks down sobbing that she doesn't want to study to be a pharmacist.

In a voice over Chompoo then quotes Eleanor Roosevelt saying "the future belongs to the beauty of those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." We see Chompoo's parents sending her off to school as her voice over reflects that, along with her dreams, she has a family with their own good wishes towards her. We then see Foon text messaging Peun as he waits for Prim at the gate of her house. Meanwhile Art messages Prim and gets no response. Throughout these scenes of the growing divide in the O Group Chompoo's voice over has been babbling about the good friends she's made.

After this reminder of the show's themes of unity and friendship we cut to Art and Foon at a picnic table at the college. In the background we see Prim and Peun arriving. Foon looks surprised. Prim gives Foon a bag of sun-dried mushrooms from the trip. Foon hold out her hand to Peun and asks him what he got her. He points to the mushrooms and says they are a gift from him and Prim. Prim takes it as a joke and corrects him that she bought them. Foon looks distraught. Art can see this situation is going south fast so he interrupts them and gets them all headed off to class.

Peun tells Art the obvious

Later we see Peun and Art on their way to watch the Freshman hazing. An odd thing about this show is how little these friends know about each other. Supposedly they've been friends for a year, but none of them know who the others like. Apparently in this soap opera universe boys don't discuss girls amongst themselves and girls don't discuss boys with each other. Strange, but I guess it is needed to drive the goofy romantic angst this group is mired in.

Anyway. that's about to change a bit.

Art and Peun decide to get something to drink on the way to the hazing. Peun has a not so secret secret to tell Art -- that he likes Prim. When asked he tells Art they aren't in a relationship (dating) yet. Art again warns Peun that he is risking his friendship with Prim if she rejects his advances. He also reminds Peun that he does this with virtually every girl he runs across. Peun scoffs and says this time things will be different.

As usual Chompoo screws up in the hazing

The kids are in an auditorium. Art, Peun, Prim and Foon are in the seats. Chompoo is on the stage with the rest of the Freshman. She is getting the bejeezus hazed out of her. Merkin, the senior  in charge, ends up dragging her out of the group and screams in her face about what a dunce she is.

Meanwhile Peun and Prim are amused by all of this. They are taking pictures of Chompoo and laughing at her expression. They are sitting in the middle, with Art and Foon on both sides. Art and Foon are both giving the two of them dirty looks. I suspect the looks are because Peun and Prim seem so chummy, not because they're amused at their friend Chompoo getting tormented.

Merkin has the other Freshman file out of the auditorium. When they do Chompoo runs up to him and starts hitting him and yelling at him for spitting in her face when he was screaming at her. Wait, what?

Professor Buddy saves Chompoo from the horrors of pharmacy

We jump to Go's later that night where they are all toasting Chompoo's role as a phony Freshman. They asked her to repeat the story about how Professor Buddy convinced her dad to let her stay in art school, so she flashes back to her house. Her parents are drinking tea when Professor Buddy arrives with Chompoo. Like anybody who is sane would be they are puzzled by him until he introduces himself as Chompoo's advisor and a university lecturer.  They are impressed by that.

Bringing up them catching her smoking, he points out that every major will have good and bad people. He then asks them why they are against her majoring in art. Her dad basically says it is a nonsensical major that offers very little chance to make money down the road when she graduates. It's hard to argue that, but Professor Buddy counters that every major has lazy bums in them that won't succeed. Considering what we've seen so far of Chompoo's work ethics I'm not sure that's the line I would use, but Professor Buddy forges on with it.

He then starts spewing some BS about art being necessary because it causes people to look at the bright side of things. Chompoo smiles at that, and her dad starts yelling at her for smiling. That causes her mom to finally explode at her dad, she grabs him by the ear and starts yelling at him for always berating Chompoo. I guess it all worked, because Chompoo is back in art school.

Chompoo looks out the window and sees a squid vendor. She starts to go to get some, but Foon says that she and Peun will. She then drags Peun off so she can finally tell him she broke up with Ong-art. When she does finally tell him she's single and ready to date him he blows her off by saying he's not ready yet.

[Episode 13]

Disaster at the squid cart

RIP Little Richard

Strawberry Fields Forever

Get ready for a stray weekend with La Santa Cecilia.

“The Miraculous Journey” By Damien Hirst

Click any image to enlarge

The Miraculous Journey by Damien Hirst is a series of 14 sculptures showing the development of a foetus. They series starts with conception and ends with a baby boy. The sculptures are located at the Sidra Medical and Research Center in Qatar.

The pictures are from Opening the Sky. There are more pictures of the set at the link.

O-Negative (Art might want to reconsider his courting rituals)

It looks like Art has some competition

Episode 11 of the Thai TV show O-Negative (Episode 10) starts with Art and Prim on the train. They are having a pleasant conversation and are soon joined by Peun. Peun has bought bottles water for them. He has also noticed that the wind from the open window is blowing Prim's hair into her eyes so he has bought a bandana to tie her hair back. Of course Art is bothered by Peun's sudden solicitous attitude towards Prim.

Prim asks Art to take her picture and as he does Peun leans in to horn in on the shot. Prim sends the picture to the group chat for Foon and Chompoo.

Art isn't the only one bothered by Peun's interest in Prim

Ong-art's coffee looks a little weak

Foon is in her room getting ready when she gets the message with the picture. She is obviously bothered by it. The nerve of that cad Peun! How dare he show interest in another woman just because Foon hasn't dumped her boyfriend yet?

Speaking of her boyfriend, Ong-art is waiting for her in her kitchen. The maid enters and he imperiously orders her to get him a latte. Hilariously, she returns with a glass of water instead. All he can do to save face is instruct her to bring the right drink next time.

When Foon greets him she doesn't exactly look thrilled. Later, in his car, she continues to look at the messages with pictures of Peun and Prim. She is growing increasingly unhappy looking. Ong-art is trying to flirt with her, but she is lukewarm to him.

Meanwhile Chompoo is also looking at the messages. She is supposedly studying for the entrance exam, but she admits to mainly watch a Korean drama she's got addicted to. I wonder if she is writing goofy recaps of it and posting them to her blog?

Eventually her mom enters with some lunch. Throughout the family fights is has been apparent, although she doesn't always take Chompoo's side, that she is bothered by her husband's treatment of Chompoo. The lunch she brings looks pretty tasty and generous. I'm guessing her mom will eventually help Chompoo get back to her art studies. We shall see.

Art mooches chicken from Prim

We then have a long sequence of the three on the train. They've ordered chicken on a stick and, as they eat it, we have a long expository dialog dump of Art talking about his past. In an odd interplay Art asks Prim to tear off some chicken for him, he claims he doesn't want to get his fingers oily. She serves him bits of chicken.

Art was an only child and his parents, both of whom were artists, were teachers to make a living. They were poor, so they also worked on the weekend by painting cutouts for movie lobbies and posters for fairs and temples. Art went along with them and that's how he started drawing and painting. He didn't have toys, so he picked up their brushes and started using them by first playing with them. His dad died when he was 12.

He met Peun in a drawing class. The class was for rich kids, so Art had to apply for a scholarship to be able to join it. For Art's sake, I hope this class wasn't the one he had to drop after Peun noodled the teacher.

When he first went to Bangkok he originally stayed with Tum, his friend from the Foundation. He knew Tum from high school. One early reason Art like the Foundation was because it provided him with free food which helped with his living expenses. He eventually started to make money by drawing portraits in places like Railway Park and Ratchayothin.

Enjoy it while you can Art

It is a long train ride. Eventually Peun and Prim both fall asleep. This leads to the scene, so beloved by romantic drama writers, of Prim's head flopping over so she is sleeping with it on Art's shoulder. Is such a posture even possible? Regardless, Art enjoys this little interlude.

Finally, after a long trip they arrive at Art's house. His mom greets them, invites them in for dinnr and does a bit of Utaitip water product placement.

We then have the start of a weird sequence. Art's mom goes into the kitchen to prepare the dinner. Prim follows her and asks his mom if she needs any help. Art then shows up and starts instructing Prim what to do next, first cut cucumbers and then scoop rice. The whole time his mom is looking at him kind of weird, but she seems amused. There is some sort of subtext to Art ordering Prim around, but I don't know what it is.

The weirdness continues when they are seated for dinner. Art instructs Prim to get the water. Then he instructs he to make sure there is ice and to serve the water. Both Peun and Art's mom are noticing this. Peun looks amused and Art's mom asks him why he can't do this by himself. Why does he always order Prim around? Meanwhile, I'm thinking that a Western woman would have emptied the pitcher of water over Art's head by now.

We jump to Chompoo's house where she is on her phone screwing around. Som O, her sister, comes in to tell her it is dinner time. Chompoo isn't interested until she finds out dinner is salt-pickled vegetables and pork bones. Yummy, who could resist that?

At dinner it is obvious that Chompoo's mom made it primarily for Chompoo. Her sister is goofing off on the phone as she eats, behavior which her father excuses. At the same time he yells at Chompoo for being a glutton and eating too loudly. Chompoo's mom doesn't look at all happy with him, and she is obviously getting angry at Som O who's still on the phone. We do learn that Chompoo is going to take the entrance exam for pharmacy.

We cut back to Art's mom's house where Prim is offering to wash the dishes. Art tells her he'll do it or his mom will accuse him of bossing her around again. When Prim leaves to take a shower Art's mom comments that Prim is a hard worker. Art agrees, and adds that Prim likes to help people. Art's mom asks him if he likes having somebody help him. I think Art's bossing Prim is supposed to mean he likes her, but I could be completely wrong.

The waiter can kiss his tip from Ong-art goodbye

We cut to Foon who is eating dinner with Ong-art in a fancy restaurant. As they wait for the main dish he invites Foon and her family to a vacation home his family owns. They reminisce about times they spent there in the past. She remembers picking grapes and his father letting them taste wine. At the time she thought it was bitter, but now she prefers wine to any other alcohol.

Ong-art invites her to fly to Paris on his private jet where they can tour wineries and learn more about wine. She likes the idea of a vacation in Paris, and all seems well with the couple.

However, then their meals arrive. He immediately starts bitching that his steak is too tough. She tastes it and says it seems tender to her. He calls the waiter, and eventually the manager, to his table where he creates a scene ranting and raving about the steak. They offer to replace it with another. He insists on going to the kitchen to supervise the master chef as he cooks it.

Foon is mortified by his loutish behavior. When he's left she apologizes to the waiter, telling him Ong-art usually acts like a jerk. She then picks up her phone and messages Peun that she has a surprise that he'll like when he gets back from his trip.

Back in Kanchanaburi Peun, Prim and Art are sitting on a bench outside looking at the night sky. Art's mom brings them some sticky rice and mango for desert. Art's mom and Peun then both tease Art for bossing Prim around. Seesh, we're entering beating a dead horse territory with that joke you two.

Prim is admiring the stars when Peun says it's beautiful. Prim fishes for a compliment by asking him if he means the stars or her. Peun says that of course he meant her. Poor Art looks like a whipped puppy while Peun looks happily smug over this development. Prim soon brings an end to that by saying she misses Chompoo and Foon. At the mention of Foon Peun starts squirming around and looking ill at ease.

Prim starts group chatting to Chompoo and Foon. We cut to Ong-art driving Foon home from the restaurant. He knows she's mad and is trying to grovel his way back into her good graces. Foon is pretty much ignoring him as she reads the group chat.

Art as the odd man out

As Prim texts Chompoo, Peun tries the ol' lean back, do a stretch and casually put you arm around a girl move on Prim. He pinches her hair so the move fails, but they both lay their hands on the bench next to each other. They both twitch their fingers around to touch each other.

Peun says that Chompoo's dad was probably worried about her getting a job in fashion design, and that's why he pulled her from the school. Prim says she's lucky that both her parents supported her, and that it is too bad her father didn't live to see her in school. Peun takes that opportunity to discretely hold her hand to comfort her.

Art comments that his college entry story was similar to Prim's. He too followed his dad's passion for drawing until it became his passion as well. Peun reflects that all his other friends knew what they wanted from the start except for him. He never knew what he wanted until he met Art. It was Art who inspired him to take up drawing.

Prim then zeros in to the essence of Peun by asking him, "so you like anybody you get close to?" I've got to be honest, Prim is an extremely difficult character to read. At this point in the story you know what every other character in it is angling for except her. Chompoo wants freedom, Art wants Prim, Foon wants Peun and Peun wants anybody in the vicinity that's wearing a skirt. So far Prim is a bit of a cipher.

Finally we cut to Foon in the car with Ong-art. When he gets her home, before she gets out of the car, she tells him she wants to breaks up.

[Episode 12]

Ong-art gets dumped

Walking in Nakano

It's been a while since I've done a walking video. It seems like an activity from the distant past these days, but we are social beings and soon enough we will return to the pleasures of strolling. In the mean time here is a rather long video of a walk through the Nakano district of Tokyo.

It starts in alleys and side streets crowded with people, bars, restaurants and small shops. It then threads through a large indoor mall and eventually returns to the streets -- now darkened as it gets later.

The ambient sound cuts out for one short segment, but it does return. Enjoy.
 

A talking cup of coffee

A cup of coffee instructs Jim on how to identify and cultivate prospects that he can sell insurance to. I guess the video proves that not only are there good cups of coffee, there are Eeeeevil ones as well.
 

O-Negative (the group begins to fracture)

Prim's mom is feeling no pain

Episode 10 of the Thai TV show O-Negative (Episode 9) starts with Prim returning home after telling her friends about her father's death and her mother's drinking problem. She finds her mom passed out in a chair on the deck, with an empty wine bottle and an ashtray full of cigarette butts next to her. Prim gently wakes her mom up and helps her go inside to sleep.

Peun's father is a doctor and his mother is a dentist. The next morning at breakfast Peun asks if Mrs. Ben is available. They're concerned he asked because Mrs. Ben is a psychologist. He explains it is for a friend and tells them about Prim's mom and how she is handling the death of her husband so poorly. His parents are concerned that Prim's mom's mental condition could worsen, so they agree to help.

Meanwhile Chompoo is headed to school when her dad stops her. He had gone through her bag and found a Bic lighter. He starts yelling at her and accusing her of taking up smoking. She denies smoking and says that one of her friends who smoke must have put it in the bag. Her dad then declares that her cigarette smoking friends are going to get her hooked on drugs. Chompoo says that's an insane thing to say, reiterates that she doesn't smoke and storms off.

Prim suggests a trip during their school break

That same morning Art surprises Prim by dropping by her house to give her a ride to school on his scooter. On the way there he takes her to the Kor-Nom-Pang (eggs-milk-bread) café. One review of the place said there were a lot of students there, so I guess it is near their school. By the way, in the unlikely event that you're reading my silly recaps from Bangkok during  the pandemic lockdown, the café is doing take out and delivery at the moment.

It is near the end of the school year. Prim asks Art what he is going to do during the break. He's going to return to his home in Kanchanaburi. She wonders what's there to do and he tells her the Bridge over the River Kwai, the Death Railway, a reservoir and some temples. She suggests that O Group should take a trip there during their break.

She then asks Art to take a picture of her. As you can imagine, she doesn't exactly have to twist his arm to get him to do that. She poses on his scooter and then asks him to show her how to operate the scooter. They have a pleasant morning together.

When they get to the college she has to hop off the bike and run to the bathroom. He waits for her, and when she comes back Peun is with her. Her good mood from earlier has dissipated as Peun tells her about the psychologist and promises to give Prim her number.

She leaves and Art is furious with Peun. Art is angry that Peun has upset Prim by insinuating her mother is crazy. Well, not to take Peun's side in this, but thinking your dead husband is in the next room is a little bit around the bend. However, Art seems to think she is just grieving and, consistent with his approach to things, feels that she will heal naturally. Peun counters that therapy can be just to help a person heal.

To be honest, I think there was a cultural dimension to that scene that made it difficult for me to unpack. To go back to the coffin donation scene -- that act gained merit for the person doing it. Acts of charity in general gain merit for the person. Prim's father had been acting charitably, Prim's mother on the other hand was desiring money. That's what their argument was over. Could Art view her present sorrow as an outgrowth of that desire? Did Art view Peun's approach as being too secular? I don't know, maybe somebody who knows Thailand and Buddhism better could give me a more accurate read in the comments.

The final little bit of  that scene is Foon standing in the background and looking wistfully at Peun. Seesh, an entire school year and these two knuckleheads are still acting goofier than middle schoolers with a bad case of puppy love.

Chompoo's friends chastise her for goofing off on her final project

We join Chompoo at school. She is with two other students we've never seen before, Pakwan and a woman who's name isn't given. Chompoo is trying to claim she had to work hard to make the final project's deadline, but the other two are having none of that. They're teasing her that she's just lazy and a procrastinator, which is consistent with what we've seen of Chompoo.

Go joins them. He's miffed that she hasn't answered his texts about lunch, but she changes the topic by telling him the lighter he left in her bag got her in trouble with her dad.

We cut to a brief interlude of Foon confronting Peun. She asks him if he's not talking to her any more. He doesn't answer and just walks past her. She asks him why he's acting like he is. I dunno Foon, just spit balling here, but it might have something to do with your boyfriend Ong-art. Peun just ends up standing there without saying anything and she eventually tells him to suit himself and storms off.

We return to Chompoo and her friends who are at the freshman workshop building. Chompoo is still whining about having to do so much work on the final project when her mom calls. She asks Chompoo where she is and Chompoo lies and says at the apartment. I assume the captioning means the mythical dorms.

Chompoo taking her first step on the way to crack addiction

Chompoo's mom and dad are in there car driving to Chompoo's apartment to check on her. They're having trouble finding it and, as luck would have it, they stop at the Freshman workshop to ask for directions. The student they ask for directions finds out they are looking for Chompoo. He calls to her on the roof to tell her that her parents are here. As they all look up they see Chompoo yukking it up and smoking a cigarette.
 
Needless to say, her dad blows a gasket and starts yelling at her. He tells her she needs to quit art college and take the entrance exam to get a better major. The fight quickly escalates until Chompoo's  mom ends up slapping her. She  is told to pack up her stuff and come home.

Art calls Chompoo that night to see if she is alright and Prim stops by her house to help with her final project. When Chompoo comes out to greet Prim she is sobbing. However, apparently they do finish Chompoo's final exam because the next day at school, as Prim is undecided about calling the psychologist, Chompoo is telling Foon that the professor gave her a hard time over her project.

Prim suggests they celebrate the end of the semester at Go's bar. Chompoo has to go home and Foon offers to drive her there, begging off the rest of the night because she is supposed to be having a family reunion. The other three go to the bar and Prim suggests the trip during their school vacation. Peun is nervous about how to act if Foon goes as well.

You and me both brother

When Art leaves to call his mother Peun follows him out to talk to him. It is just the usual Peun whining and Art gives him the same advice -- to relax and take it slowly. Art also gives him a richly deserved 'I told you so'. Hilariously, after ignoring her when she tried to talk to him earlier, Peun is now indignant that she's not answering his text messages.

Finally, Art gets fed up with Peun and tells him to either be patient and wait or to give up on Foon. Instead Peun decides that he's going to confront Foon at her house and settle this matter for once and all. Yea, I don't think that's going to work Peun. Neither does Art, who tells him he is only going to make things worse.

Looks like a date to me  Foon

Peun arrives at Foon's house just as a car is leaving. Peun hides behind the gate and the car conveniently stops where he can see what's going on inside it. He sees Ong-art pointing out a good restaurant on the GPS and asks her if she wants to go there to eat. She does.

Peun ends back on the roof top and poor Art is stuck consoling him again. By this point Art doesn't have a lot of sympathy for Peun. He bluntly tells him that Foon is two-timing him, but then reprimands Peun for screwing up their friendship. Art tells Peun that, aside from the whole two-timing business, he still considers Foon to be a good friend. The look Peun gives him his pretty funny.

The next day it turns out that only Art, Peun and Prim are taking the school break trip to Art's home. Before leaving Prim has tells her mom not to drink while she's gone. When the three board the train Peun makes sure to sit in the seat next to Prim. Art notes it and doesn't look too happy over that development.

[Episode 11]

The start of the school break trip

Smells Like Teen Spirit

Get ready for a cliquish weekend with Think Up Anger featuring Malia J.

Waiting for the end of the World

Simulating the apocalypse

(click image to enlarge

Every time a meteor comes close to the earth, we all think about the end of the world - but our internal soundtrack doesn't turn off. We're also thinking about pizza or passing a slow tractor or making a turn, and for a magical instant, our lives seem to be in conversation with the stars. - Elif Batuman

 

O-Negative (we discover that somebody is bonkers)

Peun tries to drown his sorrows

Episode 9 of the Thai TV show O-Negative (Episode 8) continues in the aftermath of Foon's birthday party. Art has driven Prim home. When he checks his phone after dropping her off he sees that there were 3 missed calls from Peun.

They meet at Go's bar where Peun tells him about Foon's request that he wait until she breaks up with Ong-art. Art says it sounds fine, and then gives his usual advice that Peun just needs to be himself and wait. He then reminds Peun that he told him to take it easy and just stay friends with Foon at first. Peun just keeps drinking and feeling sorry for himself.

Meanwhile Foon is in her room looking a pictures of Peun from her party. She looks like she is deep in thought, pondering what the solution to her problem might be.

Chompoo gets scolded at breakfast

The next morning breakfast at the Chompoo residence is a bit tense. It starts with her dad angry at her for staying out late. Things don't improve when her sister Som O comes to the table. Unlike his reaction to Chompoo, her dad is solicitous to her sister. Som O says she's been studying for her college entrance exam. she says she wants to go into Hotel Management so she can be a concierge and meet a rich guys. Chompoo rolls her eyes at that notion.

However, her father latches onto the idea of the entrance exam and says he wants Chompoo to take it again so she can study something besides her current major -- fashion design. She points out that she's already put a year into her studies, he replies that he would rather her waste a year than her life.

Chompoo tries to counter with an example to show him Fashion Design is a viable major. Unfortunately, for some reason she picks designing bikinis for Victoria's Secret as an example. Really Chompoo? You think a fancy lingerie retailer is going to sway your dad's opinion?

He scoffs at that example, pointing out that the woman who makes her mom's underwear didn't need a college degree. Her mom is aghast at the thought that Chompoo is studying to just design bikinis. The scene ends with Chompoo's dad yelling at her that he isn't going to give up until she drops out of Fashion Design. Chompoo is upset and her bratty sister is happily smirking over it all.

As an aside, speaking of fashion, I do like the dad's shirts. I wonder where he shops?

We have brief interlude where Art and Peun are sitting on a roof. Foon messages Peun asking him if he wants to go to a movie with her. He doesn't text back. We then cut to a shot of Foon sitting on her couch looking perplexed. She tries to call Peun but he doesn't pick up.

Prim gets caught gawking at a picture of Art

The next scene shows Prim sketching on her porch. She stops, picks up her phone and zooms in on her and Art in a picture. As she is sitting there gawking at Art her mom comes up behind her and wonders if he is Prim's boyfriend. She says no, and then zooms the picture out to show the entire group. Her mom then suggests she invite the group over. We also learn that Prim's dad is an artist.

We cut to the next morning. The kids are sorting out how they're getting to school. Foon is dropping hints that she'll pick up Peun, but he ignores them and says he'll go with Art.

And now a word from our sponsor

We are shown a dramatic close-up shot of Dentyne gum on Chompoo's night stand. Above is a screencap of that bit of product placement. The kids have been getting sticks of gum out of those green packages repeatedly.

Asian product placement can be jarringly obvious, with dialog sometimes written around it that sounds like ad copy. There's a Chinese drama that again and again extolls the virtue of McDonalds for breakfast, and the Korean TV show Because This Is My First Life does an entertaining job lampooning product placements when the female lead starts as an assistant script writer who's only job is to write them. Her ridiculous scenarios to do so nicely capture the absurdity of it all.

Anyway, back to the story. Chompoo has gone to visit Go. Prim and Foon head out to a restaurant. They try to get the boys to join them, but Peun is avoiding Foon. Prim then invites all of them to her house on Saturday to work on their projects. Peun tells Art he'll go if he does, so Art accepts and the five of them are set to meet at Prim's house.

Pardon me while I slobber over Prim's house

When Peun arrives at the gate Art calls and says he can't make it. Peun starts whining so Art hangs up and texts him a mocking message that he can go home if he's a coward. Before he can leave Foon comes out and so he decides to go in.

Chompoo has not brought any of her work and is just goofing off, but the other two girls have spread their stuff out. Foon invites Peun to sit next to her, but he uses the excuse of needing more room to lay his stuff out, so he sits as far away from her as possible. He tries his best to ignore Foon.

We cut to Art who is painting a banner at the Poh Teck Tung Foundation. He's wearing the t-shirt Prim gave him, but takes it off when he splashes a little paint on it. Tum looks that banner and mentions that Art's hand writing looks like the mysterious Ms Sirilak's. Art replies jokingly (at least I think it is a joke) that it's because they are related by blood. Who knows what that's all about.

Tum then manages to spill some paint on his hand. He starts to pick up Art's t-shirt to clean up, but Art is bothered by that and quickly stops him.

Foon makes her move

Prim and Chompoo go to get some noodles for lunch leaving Foon and Peun alone. Peun is trying his best to ignore Foon, so she finally gets up and walks over to him and asks him why he's acting that way. He gives his usual answer about being confused by her, and then says he should leave.

She stands on his papers so he can't leave. She then starts unbuttoning her blouse. She kneels down in front of him asks if he is going to keep avoiding her now as she moves in to kiss Peun.

At that point Prim's mother arrives. She discreetly coughs to let the two know somebody else is there. They both practically jump out of their skins in surprise and embarrassment. Foon has to turn her back to button her blouse. An akward conversation follows as Prim's mother acts as if she saw nothing. We do find out that she was an art student in her youth.

We see a brief scene of Art at the Foundation cleaning up after painting the banner and later one of Prim's mom drinking wine and smoking cigarettes on the deck. She eventually joins the kids who are eating lunch and invites them to dinner. When she tells Prim she'll also invite her dad Prim declines, giving the excuse that the kids had plans to meet with a Senior that night.

When she leaves the kids are a bit puzzled by that, wondering which Senior she was talking about. She says Go at his bar. They still seem puzzled by her reaction.

Peun rubs it in

When the get to the bar it is empty. Peun, demonstrating his usual mastery of social skills, points out that there are no customers. Sadly Go resists the urge to smack Peun upside his head, instead they launch into a conversation about different ways of marketing the bar.

They call Art to come meet them, but he is in the back of the Foundation's truck on the way to a traffic accident. He arrives at the accident, takes several pictures and then is assigned to task of directing traffic around the accident scene. As he is doing that we see several shots of a driver, who is fighting falling asleep, nearing the accident scene.

The car and Prim both bear down on Art

Some how the rest of O Group manages to arrive at the scene of the accident. Prim gets out of the car and notices the sleeping driver bearing down on Art. She screams in abject terror and then sprints to Art and jumps into his arms to push him back from the car's path. She then starts sobbing uncontrollably and gets so hysterical that she can't even stand. As she collapses to her knees Art, and the rest of the group, are frozen in shock over her reaction.

We jump back into Prim's flashback. It is at the point where her mother gets out of the car and storms off. Her dad tells Prim not to worry, that her mom will get over being angry soon. They're driving down a road when there is a hit and run accident in front of them. A motorcyclist is laying on the road injured. Prim's dad gets out of the care to tend to him. As he is bent over the inquired biker another car careens down the road and slams into him. He is killed as Prim looks on in horror.

When we return to the present they are all in Foon's car. Prim is still crying and upset as she tells them the story. She adds that her father's death haunts her mother, and that whenever she's been drinking her mom acts as if her husband is still alive. That's why she had to hurry them out that afternoon, so her mother could drink alone.

The kids are try to comfort her. Art is sitting behind her, unsure what to do as the others console her. Finally he reaches forward and tenderly squeezes her shoulder. It is the one comforting touch she responds to as she reaches up and gently grasps his hand.

Thoughts on the show so far

First, I should make it clear that when I call it a soap opera that's not entirely accurate. Asian dramas are more like Latin American novellas, in that they have a beginning, and end and a set number of episodes. So, this show is presumably headed somewhere.

Also, this show is not unfolding under the template a Korean or Chinese drama would use so some of my early comments and expectations were way off base.  For example, I had thought the show was going to set up the usual Love Quadrilateral, where the primary  pair both have secondary love interests complicating things. Instead, although I assume their will still be much soap opera hijinks, I think they are contrasting two couples: Peun/Foon and Prim/Art.

Thailand is a Buddhist country and so the show must be steeped in Buddhist sensibilities. I think the two couples are examples of how to, or how not to, handle desire. Peun and Foon have left their desires run out of control and so misery is sure to follow. Meanwhile Art and Prim are being much more circumspect in how they are handling their attraction to each other.

Friendship and charity are two other themes that are heavily touched upon. Art repeatedly stresses to Peun that he should place his friendship with the group above chasing after Foon. He clearly considers Peun's aggressive pursuit of Foon to be wrong because it will endanger the group's friendship.

Finally, I'll end with the caveat that all my ramblings are based on a very imperfect reading of a Thai TV show that is probably aimed at young adults. What I am doing is likely as silly as a Thai trying to make sense out of things while watching episodes of Saved by the Bell. Eh, on the other hand, since when did I leave not knowing what I'm talking about get in the way of being a know-it-all blowhard?

[Episode 10]

Victorian burlesque dancers

Click any image to enlarge

Victorian burlesque were comedies of the day that relied on caricaturing more serious works. Shakespeare was a common target. Of course there was a bit of titillations involved as well. These are pictures of some of the burlesque actresses of the day. Tastes change, and that is most obvious in some of the painfully corseted waists on display.

These pictures, and those after the jump are from the Vintage News post Victorian burlesque dancers and their flamboyant costumes. There are more pictures and information at the link.

A Sunday breakfast from the Great Depression

In the above video Clara remembers the Sunday breakfast of sugar cookies and coffee her mother used to make during the Great Depression. Below are a few more of her videos. Hopefully these recipes will remain as nostalgia and not turn into a how-to for our post quarantine lives.

If you're interested in the recipes and stories she has a book Clara's Kitchen: Wisdom, Memories, and Recipes from the Great Depression.

O-Negative (Chompoo gets an offer she can't refuse)

The return of the candy lady

Domestic bliss

Episode 8 of the Thai TV show O-Negative (Episode 7) starts where the previous episode ended. The girls have gone out to buy food while the two boys are still at Go's bar painting the mural. Meanwhile, Go is off buying fried breadsticks for Chompoo.

The girls are at a food stand. Chompoo is whining because it is out of her favorite fried bread sticks. The girls are trying to decide what to do when it occurs to me the food stand looks familiar. It looks like the food stand from Prim's last flashback and sure enough the old lady selling candy soon appears.

This triggers a continuation of Prim's flashback. The family is in the car after getting their food. Prim is in the backseat watching her two parents fight in the front seat. Her mother is furious that her dad bought so much candy from the old lady. He defends his action, saying the lady was very poor and the money will be a great help to her.

The fight escalates as Prim's mom accuses her dad of being a soft touch who is wasting their family's money. There is a bitter back and forth about some friend of his he is helping through a rough stretch. Her parents really start tearing into each other with low blows. Prim has been growing increasingly distressed through all of this. Eventually, at a stop light, Prim's mom gets out of the car and storms off.

We cut to Peun and Art working on the mural. Art asks why Peun didn't go with Foon and Peun responds with his usual complaints about Foon's confusing behavior. Art mocks him for being a bit of a crybaby. Amen to that. Granted, Foon would be a completely nutty girlfriend with her secrecy, but she is pretty obviously throwing herself at Peun and he needs to take his whimpering down a notch.

Unspoken Prim to Peun -- cool your jets

At that point Prim comes in with the food. Peun starts laying it on a little think with his compliments to her. She seems a bit taken aback and plays the friend zone card as a reminder just in case. Art makes note of the exchange.

Meanwhile the rest of the kids meet on the street in front of the bar. Chompoo gets an angry call from her dad who insists she come home right away. Go offers to take her there and tells the rest of them to call it a night.

Foon heads up with the drinks Go had bought and the four of them debate what to do. Foon convinces them to leave, but Art says he is going to stay and work some more. Prim tells Foon and Peun to go ahead and go home and says she'll stay with Art and help him finish up. Foon teases the two about finally being able to have quality time with each other.

Will Peun take the hint?

As Foon and Peun walk to her car I'm sure you can guess what happens. Yup, he starts whining to her that he thinks she's trying to avoid him. What? Are we watching the same show? She tells him that he's overthinking things and that he shouldn't be so sensitive. She then kisses him on his cheek to reassurre him. He's pleased, but from what we've gathered so far from watching the dunce in action I'm sure he'll be back to fretting about her intentions in a scene or two.

Meanwhile Prim and Art are having a pleasant time with each other. He starts singing, she asks him what song and he says it is by Ploychompoo and is the one that has the handsome guy in the video. Amazingly, and as a demonstration that I need a life, I actually found the music video. It is called ปลิว (Away). The joke is that Tor Thanapob Leeluttanakajorn, the actor who plays Peun, is the handsome guy in the video. The song is about a girl who has a secret crush and that is played upon as Art wistfully sneaks peeks at Prim.

Soon they are interrupted by Peun who shows up after seeing Foon home. Is that boob Peun capable of interpreting any social signals? The two obviously just wanted to be together for a bit. To say Art looks unhappy is an understatement.

I want one of them beautiful Thai zoomer murals painted on my wall

Through the miracle of time-lapse photography the days pass and the mural gets completed. The kids pose in front of it and then it is time for the grand opening of the Upstairs Bar & Bistro. The place is crowded, even Professor Buddy and the attractive painting teacher are there.

O Group reflects on how they used to hate Go in the hazing days, but now they like him. There are then a bunch of crowd scenes and shots of the kids dancing.

Chompoo is put on the spot

We next see Go standing on top of the bar with an announcement. Not only is this the bar's first night of business, but it is also a couple's first day as a couple. He is going to reveal the couple. He gets off the bar and directs everybody's attention to O Group. Art, Foon, Prim and Peun all nervously look at each other wondering who the couple is. However, Go points to Chompoo and says it is her.

She, along with everybody else in the bar, is mystified until Go confesses he likes Chompoo and then drops to his knees and asks her to be his girlfriend. Chompoo doesn't quite know whether to take Go seriously or not, but soon the crowd is chanting "say yes" and she does excitedly accept. The crowd then chants "kiss, kiss, kiss" but Go shyly chickens out and just asks her to dance. It doesn't matter to Chompoo because she is ecstatic and so she happily does some wild Chompoo dancing.

Prim confronts a mystery she cannot solve

Art is sitting outside getting some air and Prim comes out to join him. Art is fiddling around with  his camera and she asks him if she can see the pictures on it. She starts at the pictures of Go asking Chompoo to be his girlfriend, but as she continues to scroll she notices he has about a bazillion pictures of her on his phone. She asks him why. Hmmm... when he's not taking photos of her he is drawing pictures of her... whatever could that mean?

Meanwhile Peun is inside with Foon and Chompoo. Foon is going on about how wonderful Go was to Chompoo and how jealous she is that Chompoo got a man to go down on his knees to ask her to go out. Foon says she would love it if a man would do something like that for her. Peun is taking this all in.

Beavis and Butthead used to do a funny thing where when they got an idea, because they were so stupid, instead of a bright lightbulb turning on over their head a lightbulb that barely flickered appeared instead. I picture Peun with one of those barely flickering lightbulbs over his head.

We cut back to Art and Prim. Art asks Prim if she has a boyfriend. She says no and asks Art if he has a girlfriend. He says no, that he doesn't think girls would be interested in him. He adds that he's too timid to talk to girls and that he doesn't know how to approach them. She points out that she's a girl and wonders if maybe he doesn't see her as one. Realizing the corner he's painted himself into he flounders around, unable to explain what he meant.

She then edges a bit closer to him and asks him if there is a girl he likes. He says yes, but says he is too shy to tell  her, and besides -- he doesn't know if the feeling is mutual.

We join Art and Peun the next morning. Peun is asking Art whether he should ask Foon to be his girlfriend or not. Art's response is to quit bugging him about it and just ask her. After some bromance comedy about Peun creeping out Art by pretending he's Foon and practicing asking on him, Peun decides to surprise Foon on her birthday.

I sense a disturbance in the Force

On Foon's birthday Peun brings up her Facebook page and is typing Happy Birthday wishes to her when he notices a video, with some heart emojis, from a fellow called Ong-art. Peun watches the video. Ong-art sings happy birthday, teases Foon about looking too  thin and blows a kiss her way at the end. On her timeline he's also listed the two of them in a relationship. Needless to say, Peun is stricken.

Foon has also watched the video. she almost deletes it, but doesn't.

Later Chompoo, Prim, Art and Peun are at a picnic table discussing Ong-art's video. Chompoo has dug through Foon's old Facebook posts and has seen a lot of pictures of the two so she deduces that he is her boyfriend. Peun is looking miserable. When Foon arrives Chompoo starts grilling her about him. Foon says he is her ex-boyfriend. She points out she didn't like or comment on his post, and in fact that she almost deleted it. Peun looks relieved.

Later, after a class, Foon invites them all to Go's bar where she'll treat on her birthday. One by one they beg off, claiming they are busy. By the time Foon gets to the bar Peun is the only one still with her. She's upset they all ditched her on her birthday, so Go tells her to go up and drink all the beer she wants. It dark when she gets up there, but then the lights all turn on, out comes a cake and it turns out that they've thrown her a surprise party.

What could possibly go wrong?

When the party is over Peun walks Foon back to her car. When they get there he points her towards the trunk of her car and tells her he has a surprise. He uses the key to open the trunk. When it does balloons pop out and there is a sign saying "be my girlfriend" in it.

So... I'm wondering... how did he manage to decorate the inside of the trunk of her car?

At any rate, Peun asks Foon if she'll be his girlfriend and she hems and haws a bit and then says that she likes him a lot but that she can't go out with him. He wonders why and she says that Ong-art is still her boyfriend. She's wanted to break up with Ong-art, but hasn't had a reason to until Peun came along. She asks him to wait for a little longer. What?

Now I'm even more puzzled than I was by her decorated car truck. Can't she just do the ol' "you're a great guy, but I've met somebody else, can we still be friends" schtick that has broken so many a heart? Do you need to do some sort of a more formal breakup in Thailand?

[Episode 9]

When I Get Low I Get High

Get ready for a mood adjustment weekend with The Hot Sardines and Alan Cumming 

The Space Age kitchen

Even more amazing than the refrigerator that rolls around on a cushion of air is the teen dance party at the end.