Never pass up a chance to talk with strangers and always be generous

I flew into Bangkok Tuesday evening, December 21, not knowing a single person in the whole city – what was I thinking? I had read somewhere that Bangkok was an easy city to see by bicycle. That may have been true once upon a time, but I did not see a single bicycle in the two days I was there and I cannot imagine trying to navigate the streets in such a way. I did however see a bike rental stand in one of the quieter areas that I visited.

This is my first visit to a third world nation and it is rather difficult knowing where to begin. I am not sure of the official definition of a third world nation, but I am going to go with two criteria: drinking the tap water and breathing the air can make you sick and there is evidence everywhere of neocolonialism. I define neocolonialism as a system of economic warfare that subjugates a large and growing number of people to a life of poverty and indebtedness from which they have hardly any chance of ever escaping. However, they are fed a steady stream of information that promises a better future either in the afterlife, through incarnation, or simply by working harder and spending less. Bangkok strikes me as a place where both the best and the worst of religion and capitalism are readily apparent.

This leads me to share the story of four people I met in Bangkok who touched me deeply and made the smog, humidity, and crowded sidewalks all secondary experiences. The first person was the guy in the picture here. I had just bought a ticket to visit Wat Pho, a Buddhist temple with a famous statue of a reclining Buddha. I cannot remember his name exactly, but it is close enough to “Chuck” that I am giving him the name for this posting. Chuck asked me if I would like to have a personal guided tour of the Temple. I thought the price was a little too high, but he was very persuasive so I agreed and am glad that I did. I learned much more about the temple and Thai culture than I ever would have without him. Sure, he tried to twist my arm into buying some overpriced souvenirs from a woman that I suspect was his mother, but that is to be expected most anywhere. I am not sure how many guides like Chuck were there to cater to the large number of tourists, but I am a believer in serendipity and I am going to make it a point to always look for Chuck whenever I am a stranger in a strange land.

Later that evening I went to eat at a sidewalk café that I had discovered the night before. No one spoke English, but I was hoping someone could tell me just a little about a particular dish on the menu. An American couple at the next table told me they had never had the dish in question, but that everything was good. We struck up a conversation and it turned out they were flight attendants staying at the same hotel as mine. They were regular customers of this café and complimented me on my courage to give it a try since most people they knew who stayed at the hotel never ventured outside for a meal. They were married, based in South Korea, and flew into Bangkok at least once a month so they were a perfect and willing resource to ask questions regarding all that I had observed and experienced that day. We quickly learned that we were kindred spirits in many ways including a shared sense of helplessness at the systemic poverty that was all around us and anger with the unbridled capitalism that was also all around us and which exacerbated the systemic poverty. I believe their names were Tina and Tom, but I cannot be sure since I was enjoying a liter of Leo with my dinner, but I told him that I thought he looked like Anthony Bourdain and he took that as a compliment.

Finally, I met a young man the next morning on my last little expedition before leaving for India. I was walking down a random street filled with jewelry stores and guys on the corners trying to steer me towards one store or another. The jewelry in the windows was beautiful, but not anything that interested me. I was getting anxious to get back to my hotel, finish packing, shower, check out, and get to the airport, when I nearly stumbled over a young man who was selling rings and bracelets made from an organic material woven into fairly simple geometric designs. I am not sure if this young man did the weaving or not because he had only one good arm and hand. The other looked to be malformed from a birth defect and he was missing both legs. He was not like other people I had encountered on the sidewalks. He did not call out to me or rattle a coin cup, but simply used his good hand to call my attention to his wares. I took a few moments to admire his handiwork and bought a couple of rings and a bracelet for less than $2. This ring will be my daily reminder of Bangkok, its beauty, its poverty, and its people.