Pornchai Sereemongkonpol
Guru section Editor
Guru section Editor
Email : pornchais@bangkokpost.co.th
Dealing With A Covid-19 Side Effect
One side effect of the Covid-19 pandemic that you may have overlooked (besides amassing a vast collection of hand sanitisers and exposing govt inefficiency -- kapow!) is more waste, especially plastic. Inevitably, it is exacerbated by our appetite for food delivery while we're WFH during this quasi-lockdown. The first wave saw an increase of plastic waste by 60% in Bangkok due to the higher demand for food delivery as estimated by Thailand Environment Institute in May last year. Thailand Research Development Insitute also claimed that one such order can contain up to seven pieces of plastic waste (so opt-out of utensils when you order please).
New Vocabs for 2021
We're only eight days into the year of Metal Ox or a mad one depending on what's to come (yes, I'm aware Chinese New Year isn't until Feb 12), and we already have new puzzling words to learn. If you understand them all without my explanation, then congratulations for being clued in.
What's in the Nickname?
It's a year-end tradition for Thai media to anoint figures in the political world with nicknames (with a varying degree of sarcasm). On Monday, their nicknames were revealed and -- in case you had been busy with the New Year celebration since Christmas -- I'm here to explain the idea behind some of them. g
The Year of ...
Let's face facts, people. 2020 hasn't been kind to us but is indeed eventful -- mostly for bad reasons. The pandemic cast a gloom over a big chunk of the calendar and, while we hoped for a reprieve during the year-end festivities after having things relatively under control and -- boom! -- it's back, ruining our jolly mood and forcing the cancellations of many NYE parties and events. I'm sure the last 359 days have us thinking and rethinking about a lot of things in our lives and what 2020 would go down as in our personal history. Here is what 2020 means to me (and hopefully you, too).
Before we go to the moon...
On Monday, Anek Laothamatas, the minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, revealed that, by the middle of next month, a plan to send a spacecraft into the moon's orbit in seven years from now will be announced. According to him, Thailand will be the fifth Asian country to achieve this extraterrestrial feat, following China, Japan, South Korea and India. Khun Anek added that taxpayers' money will be used to yield tangible results rather than just more research and teaching, at the launch of a project to crowdfund locally-made vaccines against Covid-19 led by Chulalongkorn University.
Himmapan Marshmallow
#HimmapanMarshmallow trended during the long weekend last week, showcasing kawaii rendition of Thai mythical creatures founded at Buddhist temples in the north and the northeastern regions of Thailand. Why the hashtag? I guess Himmapan (magical forest) is because these creatures are mythical and marshmallows because they have been rendered roundish and cuddly.
WOTY: Guru's Style
We have less than a month before 2020 comes to an end (this year has flown so fast). And one of the year-end traditions by famous dictionaries is to announce Word(s) of the Year, the most important and prevailing words or expressions of a specific year's zeitgeist. Called "Wort des Jahres", this German tradition began in 1971.
Get out of students' hair
Earlier this week, the debate over student hairstyle rules returned after Veera Khaengkasikarn, deputy permanent-secretary for education, uttered perhaps the most perplexing statement ever said in 2020 during an interview in Tham Throng Throng Kab Jomquan on Thairath TV.
World Kindness Day
To commemorate World Kindness Day, Nov 13, here are a few stories of generosity to restore your faith in humanity and hopefully inspire us all to be kinder to one another. Warning: you may go aww while reading these stories.