Anyway, Bangkok
 |
Description
Book Introduction
Bangkok, the city of dark hotel rooms and tranquil pools
A very ordinary love story that takes place under the hot sun.
Anyway, this is the eleventh book in the series.
It contains the praise of Bangkok by young novelist Kim Byeong-un, a self-proclaimed 'Southeast Asian ideologue'.
For the writer, who visits Bangkok every year as if it were an annual event, this city is a travel destination with the best value for money that made him boldly abandon Portland, which is said to be the hippest these days, and is “like the king of kings who has maintained the throne for years and boasts an all-time winning percentage.”
The biggest charm of this book is that it has a 'lover' who bickers with you throughout the journey.
So, while there are no "travel essay-like" events like falling in love with someone you met at a guesthouse or losing the camera with all your travel photos, it is full of moments that are all the more impressive because they are ordinary and everyday.
The author believes that the joy of travel lies in its continuity, not its one-time occurrence, and feels affection for the small and trivial things that happen in Bangkok.
According to him, Bangkok, travel, and love are “something that is furthest from all those moments of difference and rift, from all those boring and destructive moments.”
A very ordinary love story that takes place under the hot sun.
Anyway, this is the eleventh book in the series.
It contains the praise of Bangkok by young novelist Kim Byeong-un, a self-proclaimed 'Southeast Asian ideologue'.
For the writer, who visits Bangkok every year as if it were an annual event, this city is a travel destination with the best value for money that made him boldly abandon Portland, which is said to be the hippest these days, and is “like the king of kings who has maintained the throne for years and boasts an all-time winning percentage.”
The biggest charm of this book is that it has a 'lover' who bickers with you throughout the journey.
So, while there are no "travel essay-like" events like falling in love with someone you met at a guesthouse or losing the camera with all your travel photos, it is full of moments that are all the more impressive because they are ordinary and everyday.
The author believes that the joy of travel lies in its continuity, not its one-time occurrence, and feels affection for the small and trivial things that happen in Bangkok.
According to him, Bangkok, travel, and love are “something that is furthest from all those moments of difference and rift, from all those boring and destructive moments.”
- You can preview some of the book's contents.
Preview
index
Maybe the most tiring taxi
Our Mission: Health for Ourselves
Luxury and leisure are here
Some conversations 1
The pool is full of
A suitable summer
Bangrak's deliciously spicy
Some conversations 2
What can't be a novel
On the Thanon Silom
Somehow room service
Some conversations 3
Every time I come, there is terrorism
This isn't the last one
Until we can be ourselves
Our Mission: Health for Ourselves
Luxury and leisure are here
Some conversations 1
The pool is full of
A suitable summer
Bangrak's deliciously spicy
Some conversations 2
What can't be a novel
On the Thanon Silom
Somehow room service
Some conversations 3
Every time I come, there is terrorism
This isn't the last one
Until we can be ourselves
Into the book
I've never seen a travel destination that offers as much value for money as Bangkok, so when exploring and choosing a new destination, it's inevitable that we'll have to compete with Bangkok.
I don't know if this analogy is appropriate, but to me, Bangkok is like the king of kings, having held the throne for years and boasting an all-time winning percentage.
Different challengers, such as Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco, appear each time, each with its own unique appeal, threatening Bangkok, but Bangkok is never easy going.
--- p.11
The taxi assigned to us stops at the parking area.
I was secretly hoping for pink, but unfortunately it's green.
Every time I see how a taxi can be pink, I find it fascinating and amusing - a sight I can't even imagine in my country - so I try to divine my travel luck by the color of the taxi I take from the airport to the city.
It's a game where you think if you take a pink taxi, it's nice, and if you don't, it's so-so.
I was lowering my expectations, thinking that it would probably be so-so this time, but then an old man came out of the driver's seat as if to warn me that it would be better if it was so-so.
--- p.16
While my lover sits on the sofa by the window and flips through the hotel brochure, I lie down on the bed and look out the window.
From where I lie now, all I can see is a calm sky dotted with thin clouds and the simple skyline of high-rise buildings across the river, but to me, even that insignificant scenery feels so much like Bangkok.
It wasn't until my lover suddenly asked me why I was laughing that I realized I was giggling to myself and that I was feeling that good.
The bed sheets, which had been so cold that they made my shoulders hunched, had now warmed up to my body temperature.
The luxury and leisure we can and should enjoy are within this room.
--- p.38~39
I guess I secretly hoped this pool would be my escape.
I think I hoped this place would be completely unrelated to my country, where I rise and fall according to the standards set by others, or my life, where I am constantly shaken by other people's evaluations and expectations, or my daily life, where I am constantly happy and unhappy by comparing myself to others, or my life, where I am stressed out by being tied down by other people's gaze and thoughts.
I guess I was hoping that while I was here I could be free from it all, that I could leave it all behind and heal my tired body and broken mind.
--- p.54~55
I like Bangkok in summer better than in winter, and Bangkok's rainy season better than Bangkok's dry season.
The dry season is not that different from our country's summers these days, or even hotter, so it's a bit of a burden for me, but the rainy season is the most ideal summer I can hope for because it's a summer where everything is just right.
A summer that I can endure and am willing to endure.
--- p.63
But we went to Bangkok anyway.
And as usual, I walked around downtown Bangkok.
He even went out of his way to visit the scene of the abyss where a bomb exploded a few days ago, where there were many half-dismembered corpses and people who had lost limbs, and held a moment of silence to pay his respects.
It was possible because we felt safer thanks to the police and soldiers everywhere, but it was also possible because we had a vague confidence that terrorism would not happen to us.
--- p.117
“We have something in common: liking Bangkok.” My lover turns completely toward me, and I look straight at him.
“We have almost nothing in common.
I like seafood, but you hate fishy things. I like makgeolli, but you avoid it because it gives you a bad hangover.
What else is there, oh yeah, I like reading history books but you're not interested in that at all, I like rewatching old dramas but you say it's childish and a waste of time.
But we both like Bangkok.
This is really rare.
So it's special.
Isn't that right?
I don't know if this analogy is appropriate, but to me, Bangkok is like the king of kings, having held the throne for years and boasting an all-time winning percentage.
Different challengers, such as Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco, appear each time, each with its own unique appeal, threatening Bangkok, but Bangkok is never easy going.
--- p.11
The taxi assigned to us stops at the parking area.
I was secretly hoping for pink, but unfortunately it's green.
Every time I see how a taxi can be pink, I find it fascinating and amusing - a sight I can't even imagine in my country - so I try to divine my travel luck by the color of the taxi I take from the airport to the city.
It's a game where you think if you take a pink taxi, it's nice, and if you don't, it's so-so.
I was lowering my expectations, thinking that it would probably be so-so this time, but then an old man came out of the driver's seat as if to warn me that it would be better if it was so-so.
--- p.16
While my lover sits on the sofa by the window and flips through the hotel brochure, I lie down on the bed and look out the window.
From where I lie now, all I can see is a calm sky dotted with thin clouds and the simple skyline of high-rise buildings across the river, but to me, even that insignificant scenery feels so much like Bangkok.
It wasn't until my lover suddenly asked me why I was laughing that I realized I was giggling to myself and that I was feeling that good.
The bed sheets, which had been so cold that they made my shoulders hunched, had now warmed up to my body temperature.
The luxury and leisure we can and should enjoy are within this room.
--- p.38~39
I guess I secretly hoped this pool would be my escape.
I think I hoped this place would be completely unrelated to my country, where I rise and fall according to the standards set by others, or my life, where I am constantly shaken by other people's evaluations and expectations, or my daily life, where I am constantly happy and unhappy by comparing myself to others, or my life, where I am stressed out by being tied down by other people's gaze and thoughts.
I guess I was hoping that while I was here I could be free from it all, that I could leave it all behind and heal my tired body and broken mind.
--- p.54~55
I like Bangkok in summer better than in winter, and Bangkok's rainy season better than Bangkok's dry season.
The dry season is not that different from our country's summers these days, or even hotter, so it's a bit of a burden for me, but the rainy season is the most ideal summer I can hope for because it's a summer where everything is just right.
A summer that I can endure and am willing to endure.
--- p.63
But we went to Bangkok anyway.
And as usual, I walked around downtown Bangkok.
He even went out of his way to visit the scene of the abyss where a bomb exploded a few days ago, where there were many half-dismembered corpses and people who had lost limbs, and held a moment of silence to pay his respects.
It was possible because we felt safer thanks to the police and soldiers everywhere, but it was also possible because we had a vague confidence that terrorism would not happen to us.
--- p.117
“We have something in common: liking Bangkok.” My lover turns completely toward me, and I look straight at him.
“We have almost nothing in common.
I like seafood, but you hate fishy things. I like makgeolli, but you avoid it because it gives you a bad hangover.
What else is there, oh yeah, I like reading history books but you're not interested in that at all, I like rewatching old dramas but you say it's childish and a waste of time.
But we both like Bangkok.
This is really rare.
So it's special.
Isn't that right?
--- p.136~137
Publisher's Review
'The world that created me, the world that I created' Anyway, ○○
'Is there one thing that makes you happy, that makes you excited, that gives you refuge just by thinking about it?' Anyway, the series started with this question.
These people, who have written unique pieces while working in various fields such as poets, novelists, activists, carpenters, and pharmacists, have put the worlds they have built into books.
It is made in a small size with a short length, providing an experience of accompanying that world without any burden.
In particular, this series is the first experiment and delightful collaboration between three publishers: Hugo, Jecheolso, and Conan Books, to create a single series.
A colorful publisher, unique authors, and engaging topics combine to broaden the horizons of essay writing and provide readers with a restful reading experience.
Eleventh Story, Bangkok
Life no no, travel okay!
1
Kim Byeong-un was born in 1986, so he is a young novelist who has just entered his early thirties.
Since he has not yet published a collection of short stories under his own name, “Anyway, Bangkok” is his first book.
I first became aware of author Kim Byeong-un last year while working on an anthology of short stories by young writers called “Body Fiction.”
While reading his short story, "It Doesn't Even Make Sense," I thought to myself, "He's really good at writing even a seemingly trivial story that seems plausible."
A storyteller is someone who makes sense of a story that doesn't even make sense.
I saw in him the side of a good storyteller.
After that, while I was spying on personal SNS, I came across a post with a picture of a hotel in Bangkok and the tag ‘Southeast Asian preference’.
He was a true 'Bangkok-lover', literally visiting Bangkok every year as if it were an annual event.
Anyway, that's how "Anyway, Bangkok" started.
2
Last winter, after a reading of "Anyway, Sweater" at a bookstore in Sinchon, I was late for a small after-party, so I took a taxi.
As the car entered Jayuro, the cell phone alarm went off.
He sent me the first draft of "Anyway, Bangkok" by email.
A Bangkok story set in sweater season! "This is so cool," I exclaimed, as I began to read the manuscript.
I sat up straight as I read the first chapter, which began with a story about a man who boldly gave up Portland, a popular tourist destination these days, and then, as if possessed by something, bought a ticket back to Bangkok.
After reading the second chapter, where I was waiting for a taxi with my lover at Suvarnabhumi Airport, where I arrived at dawn, I realized that the Han River Call taxi that had been running excitedly on Jayu-ro had already turned into a pink taxi heading into downtown Bangkok.
3
I have a place like that too.
It is my own, or rather, our own travel destination that I visit every year during a similar season.
(I have no intention of revealing where it is!) A place where you can leave without any plans and have no worries at all, just snorkeling gear, an old swimsuit, and a light book.
For writers, Bangkok is that kind of place.
Bangkok is a place where you can just sit in your hotel room and do nothing, and when you get hungry, you can wander around under the hot sun and fill your stomach with delicious food anywhere.
4
Ah! Perhaps "Anyway, Bangkok" is the only Bangkok book that doesn't feature Khao San Road.
Bangkok without Khao San Road? It might seem a bit boring, right? Don't worry.
This book is a travelogue of Bangkok, but it is also a lovely love story between two lovers whose only commonality is their love for Bangkok.
Bickering throughout their trip, the two enjoy dark hotel rooms and quiet pools instead of ornate temples or famous night markets, and discover the hidden charms of Bangkok as they stroll through the bustling Thanon Silom.
I thought I knew Bangkok well, but at some point, it felt like the side profile of a lover, and it felt incredibly unfamiliar.
'Is there one thing that makes you happy, that makes you excited, that gives you refuge just by thinking about it?' Anyway, the series started with this question.
These people, who have written unique pieces while working in various fields such as poets, novelists, activists, carpenters, and pharmacists, have put the worlds they have built into books.
It is made in a small size with a short length, providing an experience of accompanying that world without any burden.
In particular, this series is the first experiment and delightful collaboration between three publishers: Hugo, Jecheolso, and Conan Books, to create a single series.
A colorful publisher, unique authors, and engaging topics combine to broaden the horizons of essay writing and provide readers with a restful reading experience.
Eleventh Story, Bangkok
Life no no, travel okay!
1
Kim Byeong-un was born in 1986, so he is a young novelist who has just entered his early thirties.
Since he has not yet published a collection of short stories under his own name, “Anyway, Bangkok” is his first book.
I first became aware of author Kim Byeong-un last year while working on an anthology of short stories by young writers called “Body Fiction.”
While reading his short story, "It Doesn't Even Make Sense," I thought to myself, "He's really good at writing even a seemingly trivial story that seems plausible."
A storyteller is someone who makes sense of a story that doesn't even make sense.
I saw in him the side of a good storyteller.
After that, while I was spying on personal SNS, I came across a post with a picture of a hotel in Bangkok and the tag ‘Southeast Asian preference’.
He was a true 'Bangkok-lover', literally visiting Bangkok every year as if it were an annual event.
Anyway, that's how "Anyway, Bangkok" started.
2
Last winter, after a reading of "Anyway, Sweater" at a bookstore in Sinchon, I was late for a small after-party, so I took a taxi.
As the car entered Jayuro, the cell phone alarm went off.
He sent me the first draft of "Anyway, Bangkok" by email.
A Bangkok story set in sweater season! "This is so cool," I exclaimed, as I began to read the manuscript.
I sat up straight as I read the first chapter, which began with a story about a man who boldly gave up Portland, a popular tourist destination these days, and then, as if possessed by something, bought a ticket back to Bangkok.
After reading the second chapter, where I was waiting for a taxi with my lover at Suvarnabhumi Airport, where I arrived at dawn, I realized that the Han River Call taxi that had been running excitedly on Jayu-ro had already turned into a pink taxi heading into downtown Bangkok.
3
I have a place like that too.
It is my own, or rather, our own travel destination that I visit every year during a similar season.
(I have no intention of revealing where it is!) A place where you can leave without any plans and have no worries at all, just snorkeling gear, an old swimsuit, and a light book.
For writers, Bangkok is that kind of place.
Bangkok is a place where you can just sit in your hotel room and do nothing, and when you get hungry, you can wander around under the hot sun and fill your stomach with delicious food anywhere.
4
Ah! Perhaps "Anyway, Bangkok" is the only Bangkok book that doesn't feature Khao San Road.
Bangkok without Khao San Road? It might seem a bit boring, right? Don't worry.
This book is a travelogue of Bangkok, but it is also a lovely love story between two lovers whose only commonality is their love for Bangkok.
Bickering throughout their trip, the two enjoy dark hotel rooms and quiet pools instead of ornate temples or famous night markets, and discover the hidden charms of Bangkok as they stroll through the bustling Thanon Silom.
I thought I knew Bangkok well, but at some point, it felt like the side profile of a lover, and it felt incredibly unfamiliar.
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Date of issue: April 19, 2018
- Page count, weight, size: 140 pages | 160g | 110*178*20mm
- ISBN13: 9791188343072
- ISBN10: 1188343076
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