Category Archives: Traditions

Thai Mai Thai

June 1, 2020 – 7:18 pm

My family first came to Thailand in the 19th Century. Great Grand-Aunt Bert arrived in Bangkok on a clipper ship. Her father was the captain. The year was probably 1879, but on her 100th birthday she recounted seeing a city of golden temples surrounded by a jungle. “And all the women had black teeth from […]

By Peter | Also posted in farangs, revolution, semi-fiction, Thailand, War | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

The That That Was

January 4, 2020 – 12:47 pm

I left my native Boston for New York at the age of 24. Much of my life has been spent overseas in Europe, Latin America, and Asia. When I returned to the States in 2008, friends asked, “Don’t you miss anything about the United States?” “I miss Warmuth’s Restaurant and Hi-Hat Lounge in Boston, the […]

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To Forgive and Forget by Peter Nolan Smith

December 1, 2019 – 6:25 am

After my youngest brother died of AIDS in 1995, I traveled to the holiest shrines in Asia. The ancient temples salved little of my grief and I switched to worshipping the high heels of the go-go girls. Vee danced at the Baby A Go-Go in Pattaya. She had one eye. We had an affair. The […]

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07-07-07

November 10, 2019 – 9:47 pm

The Great Powers singed the Armistice of Versailles to end WWI on the 11th minute of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. Soldiers continued to fire artillery rounds after the deadline, but soon ceased the final bombardment. The repetitive numerology of 111 was most effective in stilling the […]

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Like Father Like Son

June 16, 2019 – 1:06 am

Fenway took a fall in the bathroom. Lots of blood. 8 stitches. No longer perfect. Everyone says his mother beat him. Mam would never touch him. Me maybe, but like father like son. My black eye is from a street fight in Pattaya. “It was a good fight, ma, but I lost.” In fact I […]

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