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Oh Bangkok. You are loud, crazy, over-crowded, but full of culture. You may intimidate some, but once fully discovered, you are up there with other major metropolises around the world.  With you being great for all things city dwellers love, it would only make sense that you also boast some great parks for running and exercise. Below is a list of some great places for runners to stay on track while visiting, or living in, Bangkok.

Benjakitti Park: Benjakitti Park may not be large, but it boasts some of the most beautiful views of the Downtown Bangkok skyline. The park is opposite the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, and is set on Lake Ratchada. Runners can follow a loop that encircles the lake, making a charming little run.

Chatuchak Park: Located in Northern Bangkok, Chatuchak Park is a haven for health nuts. Joggers, runners and any sort of exercising individual will find themselves in good company while working out here. The park has beautiful, unpaved paths, as well as a Thai Literature and Herb Garden. There is a small pond in the middle, as well as an adjacent golf course. After your run, you can even visit the Train Museum and Youth Traffic Garden!

Rot Fai Park: Though somewhat out of the city, Rot Fai is the park that boasts the second most space of any of the parks in the city. Rot Fai has shaded biking and running trials, as well as cross country style obstacles that are still remaining from the golf course that used to grace the space. The park is always filled with families, as well as soccer and Frisbee enthusiasts. Definitely make the trip out here for the flat, beautiful trails.

Lumpini Park: It wasn’t a mistake that I held Lumpini Park for last. Lumpini is by far the best running and exercise park in the city. Located directly on the MRT underground, Lumpini Park is the oldest and largest park in the city. There are loops that line the outside walls of the park, as well as smaller inner loops that circle the small pond. Locals come to dine on homemade picnics, and regardless of the heat, runners are always in abundance. Be weary of weekend running though, due to the largest market in Bangkok located directly on the south end of the park, causing lots of traffic.  

Enjoy your runs in Bangkok, and make sure to look both ways at road crossings; Bangkok drivers aren’t known for stopping!

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I recently came across a bit of news that pissed me off to no end.  Some Persian cat breeder in the city of Springfield, Oregon was busted for stuffing two of her cats into a bag and throwing them into the river to drown.  Luckily, the bag caught on a tree branch and some city workers were able to find and rescue them.  But despite the fact that the cats came out unharmed, I have to wonder at what kind of person you have to be to think it’s okay to drown an animal?

It’s not even like kicking them out of the house, abandoning them to live on the streets.  Although less than savory, at least they have a chance on their own, no matter how pampered they were in their domestic life.  But to breed an animal (which is in-and-of-itself a screwed up thing, giving them horrible genes that make them prone to sickness) and then toss it into the river when it’s no longer wanted?

Unfortunately, the news articles I looked at didn’t say anything about why the woman decided to do this.  What was her excuse for killing, in a very cruel way, a couple of cats that were guilty of nothing other than being under her care?  She’s a breeder, so maybe these animals were defective in some way?  Perhaps they had bad attitudes that made them unsalable and thus unprofitable?  Or maybe she just decided that she had too many and that drowning a few wasn’t going to hurt anyone?

Whatever her reasons, it’s complete crap.  If you can’t take responsibility for something that you’ve brought into the world and then put into a position where it has to rely on you, you should avoid getting involved in that responsibility.  This sort of behavior is nothing short of borderline sociopathic.  I wonder what said lady would have done if she had too many children.  Would they have ended up in the river as well?  Or perhaps a nice, cozy dumpster?

What makes it personal for me is that I’ve seen similar things during my time volunteering for the humane society.  People get animals and then later decide they don’t want them, so they bring them to the pound to be adopted or, as is more common, put to sleep.  A lot of times this has little to do with their ability to care for the animal and more to do with the fact that the critter was cute and tiny as a baby but since it’s grown up they find it to be more of a pain in their ass.  Fkn’ people.

Human beings need to stop looking at animals as disposable things and stop acting like children when it comes to taking care of them.  Actually, children are usually better at that responsibility and more loving than adults are, so I guess that statement is wrong.  Every time I hear about someone doing something like this, it just reminds me of how many lazy, self-centered idiots there are in the world.  No wonder crap’s so messed up.  How are people supposed to care for their fellow human beings if they can’t even figure out how to care for a pet?

The capital of Sweden, Stockholm has the honor of being home to one of the world’s largest and most prestigious drink-oriented events.  It’s the Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival, a celebration of Sweden’s growing passion with the two drinks.  Many don’t know, but Sweden is quickly increasing their numbers of distilleries and breweries and is likely to be taking the beer and whisky world by storm in the near future.  This festival gives one the opportunity to check out all these drinks early and in one location.

The festival takes place in two giant halls over the course of two weekends.  Tens-of-thousands of people show up each year to sample an average of more than 15,000 different types of beer, whisky and other spirits.  Though whisky and beer are certainly the highlight of the event, there is also the opportunity to sample many offerings of cognac, champagne, cider and more.

The beer selection is like a dream come true.  There are craft beers from all over the world, many of which most people have never even heard of but plenty that are widely known.  There are fine whiskies of both local and international origins.  The best of the best is brought together under two roofs and one would find themselves hard-pressed to sample everything that the festival has on tap, even if attending every day of both weekends.  These masterpieces of alcohol are served up by experts in their respective fields.  They can let a visitor know anything they would want to about the brand and about the industry in general.  They’re also usually willing to talk the trade with you if you have the time to listen.

In addition, the festival has all the other offerings one would expect from an event of this type.  There are tasting events for both experts and beginners, seminars to teach more about the many aspects of these drinks, live music throughout the festival and lots of food from all over the world.

Both experts trying to deepen their knowledge and beginners just starting their journey will find something to learn here.  Unfortunately, next year’s festival is still a ways away, being held during the weekends of September 29^th to October 8^th.  For those looking to expand their knowledge of beer, whisky and other alcohols, this festival is a must.