Sunday, February 28, 2016

Magical Taxi

When you buy a new car in Thailand, the first thing you need to do is have a Buddhist monk bless the vehicle. This involves a ceremony where the monk creates a yantra, or yan as it's known in Thai, by drawing lines and dots, as well as adding squares of gold leaf on the ceiling or other surfaces in the car. Each yantra contains certain magical spells that protect the driver and the car, and each design is unique. I don't mean to sound blasphemous, but this one in the taxi today reminds me of the famous Disney castle with fireworks going off above it. 

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Cabby Cushion

Tonight in the taxi, my driver was wearing one of those neck cushion thingys that some passengers like to wear on airplanes. I've never seen another Bangkok cabby wear one before. Did he just arrive back in Bangkok after a long flight? Was he planning on taking a nap during his shift? Maybe it was a gift from one of his regular customers. Or perhaps, as a result of his poor driving skills which I experienced first hand, he was suffering from a serious case of whiplash.    

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Chinese New Year

谨祝新年快乐幸福,大吉大利。
Wishing you a Happy and Prosperous Chinese New Year!