• LIFE

  The 2020 Guru awards

  Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 31/01/2020

  » We know it's the last day of January -- and if you weren't aware, it's February tomorrow -- but as a tweet said, we'll consider January the free-trial period and start 2020 properly on the first day of February. A bunch of stuff has already happened, not all of them good, but before we move ahead and put the past behind us, Guru would like to take one last look at the year that was. "The Guru Awards" have been held for the past two years but so much has happened that we decided it would be best to do a full feature in 2019 instead of just a few paragraphs in the Editor's Note. Seeing that the Academy Awards are also coming up, we couldn't think of a better time to give out our snarky, passive-aggressive accolades. So, ladies and gentlemen, we'd like to welcome you the 2020 Guru Awards -- no monologues, no opening numbers from Neil Patrick Harris. Just pure unadulterated cynicism.

• LIFE

  The new gold

  Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 21/06/2019

  » Ah, Bangkok -- the city of traffic, dangerous sidewalks, delicious street food, scammy taxi drivers and jumping-on-the-bandwagoners. Bangkokians love getting on the latest trend and craze, so when the salted egg phenomenon hit, it was only a matter of time before we were swimming with all things kai khem. Lo and behold, we are now living in the age of the salted egg. Everywhere you look, there seems to be a special salted egg dish or snack that you can try. If you're feeling overwhelmed, I get you. If you're wondering how the heck salted egg is a thing, I get you, too. I wasn't entirely sure myself. But in the spirit of top-notch investigative journalism that we are known for at Guru (wot?!), I decided to embark on a salty journey. For the sake of you, dear readers, and so that you don't have to gorge yourselves on everything salted egg, we present salted egg delicacies the city has to offer, with the real question answered: Yay, Nay or Meh.

• LIFE

  Easy living

  Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 16/08/2019

  » Living in Bangkok has its share of ups and downs. Then again, what city doesn't? We know we complain about living in the city in every issue we publish (we have plenty more) but that doesn't mean there are people who share the same grievances, but unlike us who just whine, have decided to do something about it. Sure, there are plenty of things to be improved upon or done away within Bangkok and we're pretty sure we all can write a long list. But we're sincerely glad to see that there are services like these that make not just living in Bangkok a little easier, but also living a greener, more-eco friendly life in the city more viable. And who's going to refuse a greener and easier lifestyle? Here are a few services to try out.

• LIFE

  Lesser known celebrations

  Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 22/09/2017

  » Did you know that there's a nationwide celebration coming up soon? Thai National Flag Day is to be celebrated this coming September 28. If you weren't aware of that, we don't blame you. This is the first time Thailand is going to be celebrating it to commemorate 100 years since King Rama VI declared the design we know today as the country's official flag. Sure, it might not be a legit holiday, but hey, it's all about being patriotic.

• LIFE

  Taxi tales

  Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 23/02/2018

  » Ah, taxis. Can't live with them, can't live without them. Unless you live along the skytrain or subway station or you have the capacity and willpower to survive riding a bus, then taxis are the vein of your existence in terms of transportation. Sure, there are alternatives now like Grab and Uber (legality undetermined but hey, this is Bangkok), but for the longest time before those apps came to save us, we depended on good ol' taxis. Knowing that, we thought that each of us probably had a few interesting taxi rides and we decided to ask you to send us some of yours. You didn't disappoint. Here are some of our favourite Taxi Tales sent in by you.

• LIFE

  Expectations vs Reality

  Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 06/09/2019

  » It's always a challenge to be in a new country because things may be done differently from where you come from. There are a few things you may think are universally accepted only to have your thinking completely blown into smithereens once you're in a new country. It's pretty much the same with living in Thailand.

• LIFE

  Monsoon tales

  Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 13/07/2018

  » While the scorching heat of Thailand will always be around, we're now into the season where that would be alleviated with a "bit" of rainfall. Yes, it's rainy season in Thailand, which means an increase in picky taxi drivers, wet floors on the BTS and Minesweeper-like pavements that could spew dirty water on you when you step on them. Despite the great inconvenience it causes, it also results in great stories that shouldn't just be kept to ourselves. Having said that, we asked you, our dear readers, what experiences you've had in the torrential downpour season, and as always, you didn't disappoint. Here are our faves.

• LIFE

  Logic in the time of Covid

  Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 18/06/2021

  » As vaccinations start all around the country, we seem to be heading towards the light at the end of the tunnel. Though that doesn't mean we're out of the woods yet. As of the writing of this article, four new clusters have been found in Bangkok and more than 2,000 cases are being reported each day. After 1.5 years, it's time to see how much the pandemic has affected our lives, our work, our relationships and at times, even our sanity. But there's also one aspect that seems to have affected some people: logic. Here's a look at some of the greatest bouts of logic.

• LIFE

  Green thumb

  Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 17/05/2019

  » Maybe a few of us have forgotten the smog that engulfed us in the beginning of the year, making leaving the house a game of "to choke or not to choke". Now it is the scorching heat that seems to be worse than before. While short-term solutions do a little to elevate, we know that the root of the problem is climate change. If we don't take action now, it's going to get worse later. Bangkok has its share of eco-problems whether it's pollution or waste, but instead of listing them, we can figure out ways of how we can help, even in small doses. And technology has made this easier. Guru has listed a few of the best apps in the climate change business to help you help the environment.

• LIFE

  Team Thailand

  Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 12/10/2018

  » Us living in Bangkok may be accustomed to complaining about the various things we experience on a daily basis, whether it be heavy traffic, the absence of law-abiding drivers, taxi rejections or the crowded streets and trains. And while these grumblings are founded and you have the right to complain (because we do too), there are things that we should be proud of in the Big Mango and Thailand. As evidenced by this list, plenty of accolades have been lavished to Bangkok or Thailand, and sometimes we have to put aside our jadedness to realise that we're living in a pretty great place. Just recently, Bangkok was named one of the top destinations in the world by Mastercard and was also named "the least unhappy country" by the Bloomberg Misery Index. So this week, we've done what we thought was impossible: we're putting aside the snarkiness and sarcasm -- OK, maybe we're just lessening it a tad -- and listing the awards that have been bestowed upon Thailand. This is just so we learn to do what Eric Idle from Monty Python has been singing all these years: Always look on the bright side of life. That's wishful thinking though, we'll probably be back to our usual sarcastic selves in the next issue.

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