Visakha Bucha Day

This past Friday was Visakha Bucha, the day which marks the birth, the enlightenment, and the passing of Buddha. Devout Buddhists observe the day by walking around a temple three times, carrying a lighted candle, incense sticks, and lotus flowers. Those who don't go to the temple walk around the mall or the beach until they get tired.   

Lucky Ganesh?

I wonder what it would feel like to be Ganesh, the elephant-headed deity. Apparently the job involves reclining on a chaise lounge and being shrouded in gold. Not a bad life, with the exception of having to hang out with a rat and potentially spending eternity stuck in a taxi.  

Dessert and Main Course

I don't care much for Thai jelly desserts, but the other day I was hungry in the taxi and the green gelatinous-looking jade Buddha in the silver dish made me think about how tasty one of those desserts would be.  Later on, I stopped at a local market and bought a few traditional Thai sweets along with a few things for dinner.  For the main course:  grilled pork neck.               

Buddha Trio

The three most revered Buddha statues in Thailand can sometimes be found together as miniatures under a glass dome in Bangkok taxis. The images include the Emerald Buddha, the Buddha whose legend involves mysteriously floating downriver to a temple, and the bronze Buddha with the flame-like halo from Phitsanulok, one of Thailand's oldest cities. If the statuettes were based on their real proportions in relation to each other, the Emerald Buddha would be tiny compared to the Phitsanulok Buddha. But then they wouldn't look very good together under the dome as a three-piece set. 

Turn it up!

Bangkok taxi drivers and Thais, in general, have two settings on their volume control: inaudible and ear-splitting. This must be cultural as Thais are usually soft-spoken, but at the same time, associate loud noise with having fun. The other day, the cabby cranked the volume so loud I thought the glass on Buddha's dome was going to shatter into pieces. And the music wasn't even opera.   

Green Aura

I've noticed lately that Buddha is often depicted with a green light or aura around his head. It's obvious that the illumination represents his enlightenment. But I've been curious about the significance of the green color, so I did some research and discovered that Buddha's green aura indicates that he's balanced, harmonious, and peaceful. Do you know the color of your aura?

Wise Words

"In a controversy, the instant we feel anger

 we have already ceased striving for the truth, 

and have begun striving for ourselves."  

- Buddha

Happy New Year!

It's Songkran Festival in Thailand, the traditional Thai New Year and the biggest holiday of the year, when many people who live in Bangkok return to their homes in other provinces or head out of town on vacation.  Those that stay in the city will grab a squirt gun and take to the streets for one giant celebratory water fight.  If you want to stay dry longer, I suggest hopping in a cab.  But even the taxi will be "blessed" with water as you drive through the streets. 

Hello Kitty

In addition to the Thai goddess, Nang Gwak, who lures customers with her gesturing hand, Bangkok taxi drivers love the Japanese waving cat named Maneki Neko. Based on a real historical feline pet that lured a wealthy patron to a poor temple, this happy cat beckons customers with one paw and holds a gold coin to represent prosperity with the other paw. You might have seen this feline if you eat out at Asian restaurants. Or you might be familiar with the pink and white version of this cat known around the world as Hello Kitty.  

Plastic Monk

Welcome to the city of knock-offs. Here you can buy fake designer sunglasses for a fraction of the cost of real ones. You can even get cheap imitation plastic statues of Buddhist monks for your dashboard. Never mind that the religious icons don't seem as sacred and precious as the ones carved from wood or cast in metal. And the best part is that they're non-biodegradable and will last hundreds of years (that is, unless your statue melts in the sun first). 

Inner Peace

Buddha said, "Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without."  But sometimes it's difficult to maintain a sense of well-being and tranquility when you're encountering difficulties or annoyances.  It's especially challenging when you're stuck in a traffic jam for hours on end.    

Modern Monk

The Buddhist monk who blessed this taxi with the drawings on the ceiling either studied modern art or got bored. Normally, the dots that monks add to the ceilings of Bangkok taxis are neatly applied, but in this case, the monk splattered the milky powder to achieve the look of an Abstract Expressionist painting.  The painter Jackson Pollock, AKA "Jack the Dripper", would be proud.     

Golden Peanuts

Apparently my taxi driver has the Midas touch. His peanuts have turned to (fake) gold. When I asked him about them, he told me they're from Bangkok's Chinatown and that they're supposed to help him make lots of money. I think I'm going to keep a bowl of artificial golden peanuts at home just to see if they really work.  

Red Light and Goldfish

I'm dying to know who sets the timing on the traffic lights in Bangkok. Sometimes a red light won't change for at least ten minutes. I've heard of people in this city who get out of their car at a red light to buy a snack from a street vendor and when they return the light still hasn't turned green. Fortunately, the last time I was stuck at a red light in a taxi there was a school of woven fish to entertain me.  It almost felt like I was watching goldfish in a bowl.      

Slow, But Not So Sure

In Thailand and other parts of Asia, turtles are a symbol of longevity. It makes sense as turtles typically live a long time. But I'm not sure if the decorative turtles inside Bangkok taxis are appropriate mascots for the cabs. After all, turtles are some of the slowest creatures in the animal kingdom.  

Freaky Taxi

As I rode through the streets of Bangkok in a taxi with an alien ghost, a Japanese manga character with no legs, a couple of sun-tanned islanders with money bags, a bright yellow frog, and a photograph of the driver packing heat, I felt like I was on some kind of psychedelic trip.  If this were in a movie, a UFO would have touched down and Bigfoot would have jumped out from behind the trees.

Enlightenment in a Taxi

Light has always been associated with religion and the gods.  In ancient times, many cultures had their own sun gods, including Ra in Egypt, Shamash in the Near East, Apollo in Greece and Rome, Liza in West Africa, and Amaterasu in Japan.  In Christianity, Jesus is depicted with a halo of light around his head.  And images of Buddha often include a flame above him to represent his enlightenment.  The other day, when I stepped into this taxi with a green Buddha, I was struck by the beauty of the light coming through the translucent glass.  Staring at the enlightened Buddha, the ride turned out to be one of the most sublime experiences I've had in a long time.  

Coin Collection

Coin collecting is a popular hobby for many Bangkok taxi drivers. When the coins are glued to surfaces inside the cabs, interesting shiny patterns are created. The coins also give customers something to look at, and I imagine they are an effective conversation starter between the driver and people riding in the taxi. For the cabby, the coins play another role. They are meant to attract more money.  It certainly worked on me. When I saw the different coins, I dug into my pockets looking for loose change that he could add to his collection. After all, there's  a little more space left on the steering wheel.    

Hot and Cold

Bangkok is one of the consistently hottest cities on earth.  You can practically fry pad thai noodles on the sidewalk. For a little relief from the heat, you can always hop into a cab.  Bangkok taxi drivers love to set the air conditioning at temperatures that only Siberians normally experience.  In fact, today I could have used a scarf and a knit hat in the taxi.  But at least you don't need skis to get around this city.             

Trapped

Most of the time I don't want to get out of Bangkok taxis because I haven't finished taking photos or I'm enjoying the conversation with the driver. However, the other day, a noxious odor was emanating from the front seat of the taxi and I couldn't wait to escape. I'm not sure if it was the driver himself or something in the car, but I had to hold my nose the entire time.  I felt a like a bird in a cage or a fish stuck in a Thai fish trap. When I finally got out of the cab there wasn't much relief either. As I stepped out of the taxi, a city bus drove by and belched out a big puff of black toxic fumes in my face.       

Bangkok Taxi Museum

Who needs to take a trip to a dusty, old museum housed in a crumbling neo-classical building when you can see artifacts encased in glass and storage boxes in Bangkok taxis?  Sure, there are some decent museums here, such as the Siam Museum and the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, and our city of fakes even has a Museum of Counterfeit Goods. But, the only people who seem to go to those places are foreigners, like myself.  For most Thais, real art is something that lives on the streets, in the temples, and even inside the taxis. 

The Bridge

In our quest for completion, our desire to be somewhere else we think we want to be, we sometimes forget about the current time, place, and situation.  Much of our life is spent in a transitional state; we spend a lot of time doing what we need to do to get to the next level, phase, or goal.  But, if we stop and think about the "here and now", we might realize that we have already arrived at the right location.

Out of your Gourd

All I wanted to know from the taxi driver was what the gourd represented and why he had one hanging from his rearview mirror. But, the cabby was reluctant to explain, so, when I arrived back home, I did a little research and discovered that gourds are Buddhist symbols of longevity and they're supposed to ward off evil spirits. They're are also a Daoist symbol associated with Li Tie-guay, one of the Eight Immortals, and represents the power to free his soul from his body. Apparently, being "out of your gourd" not only means you're out of your mind, it also means you're having an out of body experience.               

Mr. Money Bags

If you're a Bangkok taxi driver and you're wishing for money, there are multiple superstitious activities that are supposed to bring prosperity.  I've mentioned some of the "get rich quick" schemes before, but today I discovered yet another way to pray for cold hard cash.  The driver had placed coins inside six bags printed with lucky Thai, Chinese, and Khmer script as a way to multiply his profits.  I asked the cabby if the number of bags had any significance, and he told me that each bag represents one million baht.  He added that he would be satisfied if he had six million in the bank.  I suggested he hang up a few more bags.  After all, the cost of living is going up.           

Still Life in Moving Bus

As I was standing and waiting for a taxi, the big blue non-air con bus #124 pulled up with my destination as big as life printed on the side of the bus.  I decided to hop on for a mere eight baht, as opposed to the one-hundred and fifty baht it would cost for a taxi.  To my delight, the bus was decked out with a shimmering banner wishing passengers, "Sawatdee Bee Mai" (Happy New Year!), along with wreaths of yellow carnations, a picture of the King, decorative and registration stickers on the windshield, and tinkly wind chimes.  As the ceiling fans whirred and as Luk Thung music blared, I thought to myself, I should be taking this bus home everyday.  

But, after forty-five minutes, we suddenly made a U-turn which seemed very strange. I decided to ask the driver what was going on, and he told me he wasn't proceeding today because I was the only passenger en route to that place. I was very annoyed, to say the least, but I jumped out and got into a cab to go the rest of the way. I guess I'm just destined to take taxis.

Monk Drawings II

In the past, I've written about sacred drawings that Buddhist monks make in businesses and cabs, but the drawings on the ceiling of this taxi have to be the most elaborate I've seen.  Most of the ceiling is covered in white dots and swirl patterns. If the drawings are intended to protect the car, the driver, and the passengers from harm, then this must be the safest taxi in Bangkok.

Art on Wheels

For most Bangkok taxi drivers, the interior of a cab is like a blank canvas.  Like artists, the cabbies fill up their compositions with color, shape, and texture. This particular cab reminds me of a collage with all of the "cut and paste" images and stickers arranged on the ceiling and windows. The taxi driver couldn't wait to create his masterpiece; the car is only one week old.    

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. 

Sunny-Side Up

The egg is an important symbol in many religions.  It often represents life, hope, eternity, fertility, and the universe, among other things. For example, in Hinduism, Brahma formed heaven and earth out of an egg split in two, and, in Christianity, the egg is a symbol of new life.  When I asked the taxi driver about his wooden egg, he pointed out the ancient Khmer writing on it, and he told me that it helps protect him.  Later on, when we passed through a local night market, we started talking about eggs again.  However, this time we we talked about Thai-style omelets served over rice with chili sauce, fried eggs on top of fried rice, omelets stuffed with "Woonsen" noodles, and omelets with minced pork. At that point, all I wanted to do was to eat eggs. I wonder if the wooden egg can protect me from overeating? 

Monks, Dogs, and Elephants

In Thailand, one can pick from an array of gods, goddesses, and deities to worship.  In Bangkok taxis, the combinations of these talisman and icons often seem completely random.  But, if you talk to the drivers, you realize each object has been carefully chosen to correspond to the beliefs and wishes of the cabby.  When I asked the driver some questions about his menagerie of statues, he told me that he's wishing for peace. I wonder if that was his polite Thai way of telling me to stop bothering him with questions?   

Taxi Art

Today, when I got into the taxi, I was immediately struck by the beauty of a pair of jade objets d'art. At first sight, I thought they were Singha, the Thai mythological lions, or perhaps foo dogs, those lucky Chinese dog statues in front of buildings throughout Asia. But, upon closer inspection, I realized they're neither Singha nor foo dogs with their wings and stylized swirly fur. I decided to ask the driver about them and he told me he shares the taxi with another driver, and they're not his. The only thing he could tell me about them is that they're made out of plastic and that he thinks his co-worker bought them at a "buy one, get one" sale.  So much for thinking about the green statues as one-of-a-kind art pieces.                  

We Need a Hero

I usually steer clear of politics on this blog, but the way the current political situation stands in Thailand, I think this country needs a hero.  How about someone like Guan Yu, the Chinese General who lived during the period of the Eastern Han Dynasty?  Some Bangkok taxi drivers seem to really admire him.  With his red face and long flowing beard, he's known for his loyalty and righteousness.  But, maybe Guan Yu isn't the best choice if his blood red skin also represents anger. The last thing this place needs right now is another hot-head.