Get it Now:
Here's how someone described this book I wrote about my year (2011-2012) living in Bangkok:
"A happy-go-lucky alcoholic doing the very least he can to stay afloat in SEA. Adventurous and social to a level most people aspire to and beyond. Adventures marked by a mix of camaraderie and under-shadowed -- but not mired -- by hedonism and judgementalism; a realistic portrayal of a young man.( IRL Jordan has a magnetic personality which is subtly captured in this memoir). He claims to be clueless with women, and yet has wild success with many of them. Coming to Asia after shaving his dreads, only a few dollars to his name, a breakup with the love of his life, Jordan has the intent to write and get a taste of the working ( "9 to 5" ) life. Yet his commitment and professionalism aren't there (though this may be a taste of normality in Thailand).
At times he seems to be living the life people dream about, but he seems to call his life and friends in Thailand into question especially toward the end. Jordan is developing, just as stated in the intro. Upset with the American oligarchy and the seemingly ridiculous enslavement of the common job, unsatisfied by most intimate encounters having experienced his female equal, Jordan experiments with a life most men would envy. Yet, even in this hedonic joyride, something remains unsatisfactory. The only conclusion I am left with is that Jordan's weariness of Thailand will point him to some inner transformation in a future memoir. Hooked by the pleasant writing and honest portray of a very relatable man, I want to know more. What happens next is for the next two volumes. A bit more could have been said about why Jordan was in Thailand: what sent him there and what he hoped to attain.
Kerouac meets Bukowski meets Thompson when a 20-something bohemian college grad moves to southeast Asia after breaking up with the love of his life. Doing the very least he can to stay afloat, his plans to develop a routine are challenged by sex and debauchery, natural disasters, and travel adventures.
This realistic portrayal of a young man attempting the '9-to-5' life explores his commitment (or lack thereof) to professionalism and the 'normal' way of society. Upset with the American oligarchy and the seemingly ridiculous enslavement of the common job, unsatisfied by most intimate encounters having experienced his female equal, the main character experiments with a life most men would envy.
Our hero’s adventures are marked by camaraderie and under-shadowed by hedonism, yet even this carnal joyride is not complex enough for this post-bohemian traveler in his prime. Join him in this first chronicle of deep self-exploration through bodily pleasures and a new way of life."
