I’m finally over the jet lag and I have my life sorted back in some type of order. I’ve gone through all the receipts, bills, mail, and whatnot and feel a bit empty, bank and all. I miss being on the road but it sure is nice to be back home.
I shot loads of film and hundreds of files of digital and I didn’t feel like I shot enough. I’ve learned I have to really just go out and be alone, I can’t play tourist and shoot and I just have to shoot and do nothing else. I had a few days in Bangkok and Tokyo to do so but it wasn’t enough. I have some images I am happy with but I coulda shoulda woulda…
I did find out something very interesting about shooting digital (Canon) and film (Leica)…In many ways digital is like shooting video. Its like a never ending flow of images, a complete stream of consciousness, images just coming. I really feel like that is me, my thoughts, thinking, moving, flowing. The film, is well, for lack of a better word, or words, is photography. Its that decisive moment. That snap click rewind. That 1/500 of a sec click. Its photography at its best. Doing both is like thinking in two different worlds.
I carried a film camera around most of Bangkok and the only digital I shot was from my point and shoot. But I just couldn’t lug around a heavy slr in that damn heat and humidity! Its so damn hot and the pollution…oh…fuggitaboutit. My lungs were gonna burst. It amazes me how Tokyo’s population is double that of Bangkok yet Bangkok’s pollution is 10x worse than Tokyo. My friend Cheksant blamed it on Honda’s double stroke motorbikes as everyone rode around on scooters. I didn’t understand why but I took his belief in stride.
Cheksant, who was once Sant in high school, was the exchange student at my high school, our Long Duck Dong but way cooler and was much more fun. He was the best guy to hang out with. He was older than me but never though much of our age and we were pals for a good long time til he left back to Bangkok for mysterious reasons I now know. I found him on facebook recently and I made plans to meet him for dinner and drinks. Ended up being drinks dinner and drinks. I fell apart as the jet lag killed me and I could barely keep my eyes open. I felt bad and tried to keep it together but it was tough. I think he had a good time hanging out with us but again, it was sad to see him go.
I did though snap off lots of images and video of our fun-ness together. I should get a newer digi-cam but screw it. They are too expensive for what they really are…
I did shoot loads in Japan with Diego’s Canon G10. I must say…as a point and shoot, it wasn’t bad. As the pro alternative the marketers try to make out of this tool, well…I am glad I shot the Leica and did not become dependent on that camera. Nice and way too easy to use but it lacked something.
So back to Bangkok. Hot, polluted, great tourism, too many ways for males to get into trouble, etc…
Our taxi ride to the hotel had us pass down a street with long legged beauties in skimpy skits for a cost. I though I was on Kukui St minus the mahoos…wait well, I couldn’t tell…too dark…to fast, and too hot with Yukako sitting next to me. See, Bangkok is bad. Well, so is Tokyo…
Anyway, I’ve edited some film from Bangkok and wanted to post an image or two…
I shot image of this girl but don’t know what the story was…was she hot? Was she upset? Was she laughing? The thoughts in my mind didn’t matter as I snapped away. I just found this images to be a bit interesting. Does anyone know what the signs say?
Above is Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn. It was full of farang, including us. Europeans, Americans, Chinese, etc…and amazingly enough, we Westerners are upset with each other as we won’t acknowledge each other in a very Asian place like Bangkok or Tokyo. I know what these other foreign travelers are thinking (not the Chinese mind you…) as they feel…”Hell, I traveled all the way from Idaho to talk to another American? Screw that! This is my foreign holiday! I am going to speak bad Thai, eat hot food, and pretend I am multicultural although I went to Starbucks this morning and had McDonald’s for lunch. I am the first farang to Thailand and this temple today! Thanks Travel Channel and Samantha Brown for making the world just a bit smaller.
I must admit the food in Thailand was good. Really good. I mean super good and cheap. Sadly, the food at Bangkok Chef down the street is just as good, better, and cleaner…variety wise, well, not so good. I had some fried shrimp from a street vendor for about .60 US cents that rivaled most US restaurants. I mean they ROCKED. Maybe it was the batter or the dirty oil but damn they were good.
Sadly, globalization has made most foods from most cultures available around the world. You can eat Mexican in Tokyo…its a bit Japanized but its Mexican. The Asian food in Hawaii is pretty good…not LA or NYC good but better than Idaho. Way better than Boise.
That brings me back to our angry farang tourist who wouldn’t look me/us in the eyes. We’d brush each other’s shoulders as we’d pass. I’d look desperately in their direction, hoping for a connection, a brief hello, aloha, howdy, something but all I got was nothings. Not even a simple Guten Tag. Nothing. Maybe it was the shame many of those foreigners experienced as they walked on the subway with their paid whores or their weekly escorts…alas, who am I to judge. The Thais though Yukako was my paid Asian angel for the week. Who knows. Either way, foreign tourist, be nice. You are not the first to leave your silly state or country for that exotic location. Nothing is unknown now. Everyone has been everywhere. Put down your Starbucks and wave next time you see me.
you bastards….
