DEAR STRANGER: Sean Nelson's article on whether or not to press on with his vacation to tsunami-ravaged Thailand ["Wish You Were Here," Jan 6] was a welcome read, as many people I know right now are pondering the same question.
I'm currently living in South Korea, where I'm teaching English to the country's future capitalists. Thailand is the favored vacation destination of most of the English teachers over here, and I've talked to several who have decided to go ahead with their vacation plans, despite the horrific disaster.
Most, like Nelson, cite the hard-hit Thai tourist sector for their decisions to go. I couldn't do it. Perhaps I could visit unaffected areas, but to sunbathe on a beach that just two weeks before was littered with the bloated bodies of Swedish tourists would be a bit much for me to stomach.
Chris Tharp
GOOD TIMES
DEAR SEAN: My first reaction to reading your article was anger. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that, while I do think your decision to go to Thailand is wrong, I don't think it's fuzzy-headed. You understand the conflict, so I want to treat your predicament fairly and seriously.
In our working lives, vacations are an important deal--I understand that, and would never begrudge you your desire for getting away. But isn't that just it? Vacations allow us to indulge in the temporary fantasy that we have no obligations, responsibilities, or concerns in this world. For a little while all that matters is pleasure, leisure, and sun.
Lord knows, I feel that, compared to those who lost their homes or children or parents as a result of the tsunamis, I'm on vacation. I can barely bring myself to read about the devastation and just continue on with my life as if nothing really happened. I have to make myself a little callous to what's going on in Asia because I have to go on with my life. I'm not necessarily happy about the fact that I can't allow myself to care more about the victims of the disaster, but I have to maintain my callousness in order to carry out the demands of my day-to-day life. It sucks, but it's kind of essential. But by going to Thailand, you're daring yourself to maintain your callousness--and not just that, but also achieve a kind of bliss--among death, disease, suffering, and grief.
Are you prepared for that?
Jeff Reading
LISTEN UP
DEAR STRANGER STAFF: Your most recent issue talks a lot about the radio scene in Seattle ["Radio Gaga," Jennifer Maerz, Jan 6]. KEXP this, the End that. It's frustrating to see you overlook Seattle's one entirely community-run radio station, KBCS (91.3 FM). Like KEXP, KBCS is noncorporate, listener-supported, and focuses on music outside of the mainstream.
If you'd been paying attention you might have noticed that they've been making a lot of changes this year, and moving towards attracting a younger and more diverse audience. Their Saturday night lineup is a case in point. Where else in Seattle will you find six full hours of funk and soul? Uncle Meghabhuti Presents plays tons of local and new funk and soul music you probably won't hear anywhere else, and they've pulled in Seattle-based bands for CD release interviews.
Please don't ignore our community station just because it's not all about indie rock. There's more to life.
Robert Thoms
WORDS, WORDS, WORDS
DEAR MISS WAGNER: I take issue with the final sentence of the first paragraph of your "Several Months of Regrettable Theater" [Dec 30]: "But theater in this town is crusty, moribund, and dull, and somebody really ought to apologize." I have a particular problem with the chosen adjectives and the order in which they are used. Two of your adjectives, crusty and dull, imply texture and contradict each other.
As for the word order, I believe that the word "moribund" should have been used last. The word moribund carries a sense of finality, whereas the other two words, crusty and dull, do not. To place the word in the middle of the three lends an amount of unnecessary confusion to the entire sentence. Furthermore you could have left out all three of these words and just used "bad." "Theater in town is bad, and someone really ought to apologize."
Robert J. Aguilar
P.S. You're a big dumb bitch. Have a great day.
RE: THEATER/THEATRE
ANNIE: Your regrets article is right on. I, for one, have enjoyed your work as the new Stranger reviewer. And I would never spell theater "theatre." Even though my sign outside the Historic University Theater says it. That was the sign maker thinking it was proper. As soon as I can afford it, I am having it changed.
Andrew C. McMasters
Wing-It Productions
JUICES LIKE WHINE
TO THE EDITOR: As a longtime fan of Duran Duran, it was nice to see a review that had some good things to say about that band ["CDs That Sucked," Adam Bregman, Dec 23]. Nevertheless, your reviewer seems to be one of those people that liked the ex-Zappa guitarist rather than the one that actually knows how to play dance music and doesn't solo over the entire fucking band at live shows. Astronaut is the best album they have done since Rio. It sure as hell beats their '90s work.
