Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Handmade Invocation

When it comes to sacred religious objects, one tends to think of meticulously designed articles made of precious materials. Of course, this isn't always the case. Holy items can be made of anything as long as the person who possesses the object believes that it holds some divine power. Even copy paper containing script written with a normal 2B pencil can become a holy artifact when it involves sacred Sanskrit text created by a Buddhist monk.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Lucky Car Windows

When you buy a new car in Thailand, one of the first things you do is invite a Buddhist monk to bless the vehicle with mystical yan drawings. The monks typically create them on car ceilings, but in this taxi the sacred symbols and calligraphic text are on the windows. I wonder if the driver of this cab will ever be able to wash the glass. All it would take is a few spritzes of window cleaner and all of the good luck would be gone.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Taxi Window Stickers


Many Bangkok cabbies are sticker happy. Who can blame them when phone companies, radio stations, and other organizations provide free decals to taxi drivers. And in Bangkok, stickers are easy to come by as there are vendors roaming the streets with huge carts selling every kind of design with an adhesive backing imaginable. The colorful graphics on the decals add an element of fun to the taxis, and there's a practical side to them, too: they help keep cab interiors cool as they block out the blazing hot Thai sun. Never mind that these cabbies can barely see out their windows to drive.