Words cannot express the epicness of this pictogram.
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DAY 02 in the field and my mind is ablaze.
The apartment is great. Clean, good location, nice people. It took a 20 minute stroll to get to the National Stadium and I started realizing how much my head was still in Vienna, all the while walking the streets of Bangkok.
Hesitation and self-awareness are constantly second guessing my sense of orientation. The changing faces, the changing odors, the changing mind of the observer ... the smog, the gases, the stench of garbage, the sweet scent of phuang malai, ... a fascinating cocktail for the senses to take in. I closely observe a fruit vendor who's pushing his cart along the sidewalk - seemingly relentless and stopping wherever his customers request. Under a highway piles of junk are steadily growing. Mobile street restaurants are popping up everywhere and cater to Tuk Tuk and Taxi drivers. There's too much to see, too much to discover and too many questions waiting to be posed.Skip - I didn't fall into any sewers, I wasn't electrocuted by random wires hanging over my head, I didn't even get run over by motorcycles speeding on the sidewalk ... pfft! All jokes aside - I reckon some sidewalks in Bangkok aren't made for walking. It's amazing how alert you have to be to arrive at your destination in one piece. Walking the city like Michel de Certeau proves challenging when you're not familiar with the path yet. But I'll get there.
I arrived safely at Siam, the heart of mass tourism and mass consumption ... where tourists mingle with locals, (male) securities are wearing skinny jeans and giant rainbow-colored plastic jelly fish are gleaming religiously.I'm falling in love with this city all over again.
Today's main tasks: finding underwear, finding bed sheets and buying toilet tissue.
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Arriving ... home ... giving my mom a hearty hug, taking the dogs for a walk along an emerald green creek, sitting back on the balcony ... enjoying a peachy sunset ...
Sounds out of the world serene, peaceful and cheesy?
It sure does, but there is nothing more KICK ASS than having a mango tree right in front of your living room window ... clustered with fruits ... almost ripe and ready to consume. Before embarking on my field experience in the concrete jungle of Bangkok City I needed some time out. Recharching batteries. Getting back in touch with myself ... my thesis ... my goals in life? It really doesn't matter, everything falls into place here. And did i mention the mangos? :-)Tomorrow: Off to Bangkok. Found myself a nice apartment there. Let's see if the quest for answers will live up to my expectations.
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Strolling through Bangkok really makes you wonder: Where else can you find an Indian Shopping Mall next to a Chinese Shrine and a Sikh Temple?
Walking has become my favorite pastime here. I'm still trying to train my senses to capture the sights, the sounds - and to a lesser extent - the smell of the city.
I got off at Hua Lamphong and made my way through Yaowarat (aka Chinatown) and Pahurat (aka Little India). Some streets were deserted, whereas others were crowded with people. Most of them were looking for bargains or simply a good place to lunch. It was pouring at first, then out of nowhere midday sun hit the concrete and I started feeling like a turkey being roasted in the oven.
Speaking of food: Did I mention that I love the topic of my thesis? Food is everywhere in Bangkok. If you don't go looking for it, it'll probably come and visit you. I've spent the whole day walking around, observing, sweating and smiling. I'm satisfied with the city walks so far. It's a challenge to explore the familiar and to scratch the surface of everyday life in a metropolitan city. A city I was actually born in. Does that classify as "anthropology at home"? I don't think so. Unless I can come up with a definition of home that encompasses living in another country for 20 years.
Getting back on topic: I was impressed with the stewed gooses and Punjab sweets on display, but I couldn't decide what to eat. After a couple of hours in the streets of Yaowarat and Pahurat I went "home". I'm staying at a place right behind a restaurant called "Indian Hut" - and it's not even located in Pahurat!
The BMA has done a tremendous job segregating the spaces and places of consumption in Bangkok. There's no comparing when it comes to the squeaky clean shopping areas of Ratchaprasong and the humble but somewhat distressed sois of Chinatown. Latter has been part of Bangkok's history for over a century now. Bangkok is home to many "dichotomies" we see in urban life, but one has to be cautious not to fall prey to the binary set of thinking ...
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What I learned today:
1. Thou shalt not cross a river wearing thy flip flops
2. Thou shalt not cross a river wearing thy boxer shorts3. Thou shalt not cross a river while taking pictures on thy mobile phoneOMFG LOOK!!!!! A caterpillar wearing a red cape, riding on a plum ... and the background is PINK.
The fact that the caterpillar looks kind of stoned makes this even more hilarious.
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