An Old, Albeit Random Post
Everyday at 6pm, the Thai royal anthem is broadcast throughout every Skytrain and Metro station. And everyday at 6pm, Bangkok comes to a halt. I was walking through the turnstyle yesterday at 6, the song came on, and everyone froze. It was as if someone had hit the pause button. Talking ceased. Walking ceased. Cell phones stopped ringing. It felt like a musical come to life, choreographed and precise.
And then the song ended, and the walking, yapping, and cell-phoning continued. Does that moment cause people to pause, slow down, and relax? Or is it another programmed part of the day, one that earns no further mind-activity than applying deodorant? I’m not sure if this moment of National solitude would fly in the US. Asking someone in an El station in Chicago to stop for a moment for the National Anthem might get you punched in the face, or at least a dirty look and an expletive. (or a “F*#! George Bush man”, which is a valiant point)
But Thailand is full of idiosyncrasies that wouldn’t fly in the US. A few weeks ago I saw a man walking down the street selling sponges. Not Elaine-sponges, just the regular kitchen variety. The odd thing was, he was carrying two enormous garbage bags full of them, in the event a customer was interested in buying 6,000 sponges. At first I didn’t even think twice, then I realized, “Wait. That is freaking bizarre.” Imagine walking down the street in Anytown USA with 6,000 sponges in tow.
The other night an 80-year old man at McDonalds struck up a conversation and asked for our phone number so we can go out for dinner. When is the last time an 80-year old scored your digits amidst quarterpounders and McChickens?
I’m trying to think of other weird things. Hmm. Well I just hung up the phone with a tarot card reader specializing in predicting the futures of gay men, that’s sorta weird. And I ate a delicious dish today which had fermented pork as an ingredient.
p.s. I wrote this post a month ago…but never clicked publish. Oops. More updates to follow soon…we’re leaving Bangkok on a jet plane in 27 minutes…tear. Tear.
Tags: Bangkok, Thailand, Travel
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