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Atlanta's Weekly E-Magazine
Oct 5th -Oct 12th, 2001
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THAILAND: Where the NEW is impresive
and the OLD is like a fairytale.
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For more Shots of China
World News
Market News
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GILBERT'S MEDITERRANEAN CAFE
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Gilbert's Mediterranean Cafe, in the corner of Piedmont and Tenth Street, has been open for business now for over a week. The conversion into a cafe has been successfully completed. In addition to a bar and some high-chairs facing Tenth Street, there are several two-some and four-some tables spread all over the floor.
Nisan (pronounced Nee-shan) and Gilbert, the two brothers, told me that they can accomodate up to 45 patrons at any given time.
The menu consists of truly Mediterranean dishes, prepared delicately and served with European finesse.
The prices are very reasonable, including some delicious desserts.
The atmosphere is very congenial and the service impeccable. When you walk in, you are bound to be greeted either by Nisan or Gilbert and guided to your table.
They are open for lunch and dinner. It is worth visiting. No reservations are necessary, however for weekend nights you may wish to call 404-872-8012 and reserve a table.
Bon appetit.
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Editor's Corner
B A N G K O K
We flew with Thai Airlines from Hong Kong to Bangkok and checked into the Bangkok Hilton, a first class luxurious hotel. Bangkok is probably the only city in the world that has the largest assembly of luxury hotels, in spite of the vast poverty, along the glittering shopping malls and modern high rises with stunning architectural designs. It has a population of at least nine million, some place it at ten million, which supports a kingdom. The Tai people adore their king and especially their queen. One cannot miss seeing large portraits of the queen in major intersections, plazas, and parks. The traffic is unbearably congested. Many locals use the boats in the canals for transportation, to avoid the staggering auto traffic.
Our first visit was to the Grand Palace, preceded by a visit to the flower market. Bangkok is known for its enormous supply of fresh flowers on a daily basis. It was a colorful and aromatic visit, to say the least. The construction of the Grand Palace began under the rule of King Rama I, and over the years it kept on growing with additions of more pavillions, more royal halls and more palaces for royal residences by subsequent reigns. One thing which is inescapably noticeable is the glittering gold which covers every rooftop, every ornament, every statue and every gate. The Grand Palace, as it stands today, was greatly influenced by Western architecture. Anna, the British tutor to the son of King Rama IV, the principal figure in the story, play and movie "The King and I" lived there in the 1860s. The visit was worth every minute of it, inspite of the brutal heat and humidity.
In the late afternoon, we were treated to a pleasant trip on board of a local boat which cruised up and down the Chao Phraya River. The view was majestic. We were served drinks and hors d'oeuvres while admiring the landscape of the towering modern skyscrapers. The light breeze rendered the evening quite comfortable. The Chao Phraya River is the backbone of a network of canals and floating markets. The next day morning, we were treated to another journey on small boats which took us through the canals to one huge floating market. One could find everything from silk, dresses, exquisite works of handcraft, paintings, jewelry, souvenirs, etc.
One cardinal rule when shopping. One needs to bargain. One needs to negociate. Never pay the asked price.
The following day, we left early in the morning on a train ride which took us to the "Bridge Over The River Kwai". It was an exhilarating experience walking over the bridge. Alice and I crossed it from one end to the other. Hundreds of tourists from numerous nations marching along. Some of them whistling the famous song.
My excitement and enthusiasm turned into sudden depression when I visited the nearby museum and saw, in absolute horror, the despicable and inhumane atrocities the Japanese had committed to the prisoners of war, who incidentally were the ones who built the railroad, commonly known as "The Death Railroad". Over 200,000 Burmese prisoners of war died from starvation, illness and torture. Among them 17,000 from Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Great Britain and a handful of Americans. I ask myself why General MacArthur let the Japanese off the hook so easily, when they were signing the unconditional surrender?
The clause "unconditional" was for the Japanese. Not for us. General MacArthur could have imposed punitive measurements for the Japanese to pay for the atrocities they had committed. The Germans paid dearly for the atrocities committed by the Nazis. Why not the Japanese? It was a blunder and morally irresponsible on the part of General MacArthur to let them go unpunished.
This concludes our series on China and Thailand. It has been an exhilarating and informative experience. We had lots of fun and made lots of new friends. We will cherish the memories.
James C. Stathis
Associate Editor
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