Less is More

As I was preparing to write a long post today, I recalled this statement from the Buddha: "Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace".

Aluminum Talisman

It seems that a large amount of trash in Thailand is reused, recycled or renewed. Take this plaa tapean fish talisman made out of an apple juice aluminum can, for example. It's an artistic and inexpensive solution for creating something decorative and of service. Granted, a fish made from a tuna can would have been more appropriate. Nevertheless, this scrap of metal that could have ironically ended up in a canal has instead become a lucky charm in the form of a fish.     

The Bees Knees

In Thailand we have crocodile and snake farms, monkey schools, and butterfly parks for tourists, not to mention regular zoos and a night safari, so it should come as no surprise that there are bee farms here as a type of attraction, too. I've never been to one, but according to the information posted on the back of the taxi driver's seat, the Highland Bee Farm in Chonburi is "the place to witness bees in action". It also mentions on the laminated flyer that the farm sells royal jelly, bee pollen, and organic honey. I wonder if the driver gets a kickback for advertising this farm in his cab and for bringing customers there. I truly hope he makes some extra cash on the side, or at the very least, gets some free honey.   

Tokyo Taxis Part III

I just returned from my third trip to Tokyo and to be honest, I missed the taxis in Bangkok. Compared to the cabs here, they're much more expensive and Japanese cabbies rarely decorate the interiors of their taxis, with the exception of the occasional sticker and a few lace accessories. The most distinctive feature on Tokyo taxis are the decorative lights on top of the cabs. They come in an unbelievable range of shapes and forms and many of them have their own individual symbols and graphics. Take, for example, this number one taxi. Apparently, it's OK.  

Holy Water!

Water has a central place in the practices and beliefs of many faiths as it often symbolizes devotion and purification. For Hindus, bathing in the Ganges River is a means to cleanse the soul. Before Muslims pray at the Mosque, they clean themselves with water. Jews ritualistically wash their hands before meals. Christians pour water over the head during the initiation rite of Baptism. And in Buddhism, water is blessed by monks during weddings and other festivities. In the coming week, water will play a huge role in Thailand's Songkran Festival, the celebration of Thai New Year. Traditionally, water is poured over statues of the Buddha, and these days many Thais and some foreigners in this country go crazy running around splashing and spraying each other with buckets of water, water hoses, and squirt guns.              

Taxi Window Coverings

The sun in Thailand can be extremely hot, especially at this time of year, so it's a good thing that some Bangkok taxi drivers plaster their windows with decals and other coverings to shield their passengers and themselves from the intense rays. Some organizations and businesses, including hotels, distribute free decals to cabbies as marketing tools. Other drivers purchase their own complete with images of cartoon characters such as Garfield. For those cabbies without any window coverings at all who are desperate to protect themselves from the harsh sun, a brochure or flyer from the newspaper will suffice.     

Rabbit Mascot

Rabbits are not a prominent symbol in Thailand, and when you do see images of them here, they're often related to Chinese astrology. This particular rabbit, however, doesn't appear to be Thai or Chinese at all. It looks more like the Easter bunny wearing a fancy necklace and playing a pink drum. 

Be Not Afraid

Stickers with the slogan, No Fear, are still popular among some Bangkok taxi drivers. Could this be the mantra of these cabbies? After all, it must take a certain amount of courage to drive a taxi in this city. Some of the other motorists on the road are insane and one can only imagine what it must be like to deal with some of the passengers. Another theory behind these stickers is that these cabbies want to communicate to their customers to have confidence in them and their driving skills. Either that, or the cabbies simply have an appreciation for this corny style left over from the 1990s.   
   

Golden Boy

Gumonthong is a Thai spirit in the form of a baby boy who is believed to bring good luck to his animist followers. His name basically means, "golden boy", hence the fake gold that adorns his upper body and traditional Siamese top knot hairdo. Worshippers, including the driver of this taxi, like to make offerings of red Fanta soda to him (in this case, in a yogurt cup). And apparently, he likes to ride motorcycles, too.   

Lotus Quotation

Today, the blue lotus in the taxi reminded me of a wonderful quote from the Buddha:  "As a lotus flower is born in water, grows in water and rises out of water to stand above it unsoiled, so I, born in the world, raised in the world, having overcome the world, live unsoiled by the world".                       

Clever Cabby

Thais can be extremely resourceful. They can often take something very basic and turn it into something extraordinary. The driver of this taxi was even able to transform his Toyota Corolla Altis into a fancy car when he added some bling to the logo on the steering wheel.    

Cowpoke Cabby

Sawasdee buckaroos. In this land, West meets East for a certain subgroup of Thais into Western cowboy culture. Some of these Asian cowpokes dress up in cowboy hats, jeans, and boots, or alternatively in feathers, silver and turquoise jewelry, and beaded suede moccasins. In Northeastern Thailand, there's a dude ranch that caters to folks like these, and at JJ weekend market in Bangkok, there's a clique of cowhands who hang out and pick their banjos. The driver of this taxi is a broncobuster wannabe, too. As we drove along, he sang Glen Campbell's Rhinestone Cowboy, a popular tune in these here parts.       

Guys and Dolls

They say that real men don't play with dolls, but in Thailand it doesn't seem to be taboo for macho guys to have toys and posable figures that normally appeal to girls. I've been in quite a few taxis here where butch cabbies display their collections of dollies. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that some Thais aren't overly obsessed with gender roles. Either that or a lot of Bangkok cabbies secretly want to be girls and dress up with long wigs and frilly dresses.      

Flower Offering

Bangkokkians appreciate convenience and as a result, this city has droves of sellers peddling their goods on the streets. Some of the most popular items hawked at stoplights are fried bananas and fresh flower offerings known in Thai as phuang malai. Today, my cabby rolled down his window and bought a garland of marigolds and jasmine tied up with red ribbons for his vehicle. It's an offering to the gods and it's supposed to keep the car safe, not to mention the fact that his purchase helps keep sellers on the streets in business.    

80's Flashback

It looks like 80's fashion is back in full swing. Today, even my taxi driver was wearing neon green arm warmers. I truly had a flashback when he popped in a cassette tape and played The Best of Wham!. 

Mini Taxi

Parked on the dashboard of the cab that I rode in today was a miniature version of a Bangkok taxi. Every detail had been reproduced to perfection down to the paint job. When I leaned in and closely inspected the little taxi, I swear that I saw a tiny representation of the cabby sitting in the driver seat with a big smile on his face. 

Well-heeled and Happy

Happy Chinese New Year 2013

I'd wish you a Happy Year of the Snake, 

but I'm not such a big fan of ophidians. 
Instead, I'll wish you a year filled with good fortune and happy times. 

Convenient Cab

"So, what do you keep in those plastic bins?", I asked the taxi driver in Thai. "Snacks and miscellaneous goods", the cabby responded. "It looks like you won't need to go shopping for a while", I joked. At that point, he handed me an extensive list of various types of food and essential items with prices. "You have all of these things in there?", I asked with a bewildered tone of voice. "No, but if there's anything you want that I don't have in stock, we can stop at 7-11 along the way", he said.            

The Buddha's Footprints

Images of the Buddha's footprints, or Buddhapada, are a symbol commonly found inside Bangkok taxis. According to Buddhist legend, his footsteps created impressions in stone after his enlightenment. Another story contends that the Buddha took seven steps when he was an infant to represent his spiritual power. This emblem also reminds followers, including Thai cabbys, that the Buddha entered nirvana and is no longer present in the physical world. And according to this taxi driver, the design on his sticker symbolizes his taxi moving forward despite traffic jams and road construction.      

Passenger No. 1

When I got into the taxi the other day it had an overpowering new car smell, so I asked the driver about his cab and as it turns out, I was his very first passenger ever. He had just picked up the taxi from the company and a monk had just blessed his vehicle with a yan drawing on the ceiling. At one point during the ride, the cabby commented that we were both lucky. Indeed I felt that it was truly a remarkable occurrance. It's not everyday that you get to be the first customer in a brand new taxi.  

Thai Flower Power

The red sticker on the taxi window makes me think about roselle juice, a traditional Thai herbal tea made from hibiscus flowers. It's delicious and it has many health benefits. It can be used as a natural diuretic and it contains vitamin C and minerals. Some say that it can even lower blood pressure, and the way the cabby was driving, I could have used a few cups.     

Young at Heart

Today is National Children's Day, or Wan Dek as it is known in Thai. It's a day to celebrate youthfulness and to appreciate children. Today, there are many special activities for kids and for those who are young at heart. Some Thai adults just can't help delighting in things for tykes, including this taxi driver who collects stuffed knit characters with googly eyes.  

Buggy Buggy

In Thailand, we grow our insects big. We have dragonflies as large as small birds and certain types of butterflies here are the size of a not-so-mini iPad. This grasshopper in the taxi made out of painted palm leaves is no exception. It's huge. According to the driver, it's supposed to bring good luck, but for me, all I think about are the times when annoying gargantuan bugs flew inside my car and couldn't get out.      

Dragon Driver

After I wished my Chinese-Thai taxi driver Happy 2013, he reminded me that Chinese New Year is February 10th and that this is still Dragon year. He also mentioned that he was born under this sign which explains the handblown glass knickknack in the form of a dragon on his dashboard. Then he proceeded to describe in detail all of his personality traits that he attributes to the year in which he was born. Considering that Dragons tend to have a big ego and like to be the center of attention, I shouldn't have been surprised that he wanted to talk about himself the entire time I was in his cab.   

Something Fishy

When I hopped in the taxi today, I was immediately bombarded with a funky odor emanating from the front seat. Was the smell left over from the last passenger's groceries or hadn't the driver showered in days? After chatting with the cabby for a while, however, I learned that he had just eaten somtum plaa-ra (green papaya salad with fermented fish) in his taxi. Granted, this is a staple in the diet of many taxi drivers, including this one, who hail from Isaan, the northeastern region of Thailand. But does he really need to eat it in his cab?     

Phuket Electronic Music and Dance Festival 2012

If you're tired of the same old luk thung Thai country songs and pop music played over and over in Thai taxis and happen to be in the "Land of Smiles" on December 30th and 31st, you should head down to Phuket to hear some fresh tunes at the superfly Phuket Electronic Music and Dance Festival. The two day event will be held on Karon Beach and will feature over 30 International and Thai DJs. The best part is that it's totally free! For more information, check out their facebook fan page or website.     

Taxi Holidays

Happy Holidays from Still Life in Moving Vehicles.

May all your taxi rides be merry and bright!

Flip Flap Taxi

At first, when the taxi driver was making comments about his flip flaps, I thought he was referring to the shoes on his feet. A few minutes into the conversation, however, I realized that he was actually talking about his collection of solar powered "flip flap" toys on the dashboard. He was rather proud of his plastic car decorations in the form of various animals, some cartoon characters, a plant, and Santa Claus. As he rattled on and on about his assortment of flip flaps, I felt like one of the characters with my head nodding up and down in accord. 

Father Figure

Today is the 85th birthday of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. As the King is considered to be the patriarch of the country, father's day is celebrated today and December 5th has also become a national holiday. Many Thais spend the day with their fathers and it is traditional to give a canna flower, or dok Buddha ruksa as it is called in Thai, to dads and granddads on this day to show respect. Happy Father's Day and Long Live the King!

Museum of Taxi Art

Riding in Bangkok taxis is almost like taking some trips to the art museum. In the cabs you can view drawings by monks, sculptures of religious and mythological figures, and decorative relief carvings on metal. Of course, you should also visit the more established museums in this city, including the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC). But if you're short on time, simply take some cabs around town, sit back, and appreciate the aesthetics of Thai taxi drivers.     

Thai Police Tchotchkes

When I saw these ceramic knickknacks that resemble cops in a taxi, I knew right away that the driver was somehow associated with the Royal Thai Police. As it turns out, he had just retired from the force last year and was driving a taxi to stay out of trouble and to make some extra cash. Then he mentioned that I can give him a call if I ever get into any trouble myself, so I took his phone number. You never know when you might need some help from short guys with little round spectacles and no necks.  

iTaxi

It seems like everyone in Bangkok has an iPhone these days. Even the taxi driver who drove me to work today has one. The entire time I was in his cab, he was checking his messages and taking a peek at various phone apps. At one point, I noticed that he was looking at Google Maps and then he confessed that he hadn't been driving a taxi very long and wasn't sure where he was going. When I asked him about his previous job, it all made sense when he told me that he used to sell iPhones.