Sunday, December 21, 2008

Big Ugly Fish

I may be a connoisseur of "high art", but I'm also a sucker for kitsch. Thailand certainly has its share of what some might label as "bad taste" or "tacky", but I can't help being drawn to it.  In the case of the hanging decoration in the taxi, it's over-the-top with too many colors, an over abundance of cheap plastic beads, and if that's a fish, then why does it have big chicken lips?  But, knowing that the driver's wife made it by hand makes it charming and homey. It's interesting that knowing the origin of something can affect our appreciation level so much.