Chao Phraya River.

Another day and another venture out on the public transport system, today in search of the Prahip Plaza. Travelling with a laptop and spending some of my time learning a new web animation program the track point mouse was murdering the muscle between my shoulders after many hours delicately push the button this way and that I decided to splash out and buy a mouse. I asked one of the locals and he said, ‘you must go Prahip Plaza’. So with the help of No. 60 bus Prahip Plaza I went. When it comes to shopping malls and plazas there is a Thai saying, ‘same, same’ that describes my general feeling towards these places yet this one was a little different from what I’d seen before. An eight story building with nothing but computers and computer accessories, not too mention more pirated cd’s, games, movies and programs than you could use in a lifetime. I hate to admit it being an anti consumer but I did find myself walking around the complex after I had bought my humble mouse just marvelling at the size and scale of the enterprise.

The novelty soon wore off and I found myself back on the grimy streets of Bangkok and back to Khoasan Road. As interesting as a trip to the Siam Square area of the city might be I felt I had to venture out again in the afternoon and headed off on foot to the Chao Phraya River a couple of blocks away. Twenty three years ago the tourist strip began and ended with Khoasan Road yet now it overflows for streets and blocks. In fact much of the accommodation and restaurants are far better when you get away from the carnival atmosphere of Khoasan Road which without exaggeration is akin to staying in side show alley with a tide of people, loud music, neon lights and snake oil salesman. So it was pleasant to find myself walking down a few leafy streets with only a relative few tourists and locals ambling about. I made a mental note to keep this area in mind and was soon by the Chao Phraya. It is a fairly large river around the size of the Brisbane River at South Bank yet it is murky, has some floating weed that congests much of the shoreline and a treacherous current that keeps even the locals well away.

I found my way to a large grassy park at one end of riverside walkway and I sat down to watch the passing traffic on the river. Finding a place to sit in Bangkok is a real treat. There is simply no public seating anywhere. Zip. When you walk the streets as much as I do you notice quickly that there is nowhere to park the posterior when you need a break. Maybe it’s a ploy to get people into cafes and other places or perhaps just as likely it reflects the hectic pace of life in a city that moves at a frantic pace where people are either at work or at home or going from one to the other. At the Chao Phraya I had only just sat down and two people, rather youngish, started walking my way and I immediately thought, here we go again what are they trying to sell. I don’t like being so guarded and presumptive yet it is a reality that you are targeted from morning till night here and you do need to get a bit of a thick skin or you wouldn’t make it to the end of the street. A bit of selective deafness is certainly helpful when you here someone calling, Hey Mister, from a distance. Well, this time it was all rather innocent. Two school students studying English and armed with an mp3 player wanting to ask me a few questions and record my answers as part of an assignment. Sure, no problem with that. The rest of this blog is that interview as best I can remember it from a few hours ago and are quick off the cuff one line type replies, nothing too profound here.

Q. Do you have any hero’s
A. What do you mean, like super hero’s
Q. No, like people you respect
A. Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, An Sun So Chi(forgive the spelling)
Q. Who? [surprised]
A. An Sun So Chi from Burma, do you know her?
[yes, I know her]
Q. What is the most important thing in life for you.
A. Family
Q. Do you have disappointment in your life
A. Nothing in the world is perfect so there will always be disappointment. I suppose my philosophy is a bit buddist, being in Thailand you might understand, disappointment often comes from others and events outside your control and you really need to focus on the self and realise the things you can and can't control.
Q. If you could have one wish come true what would it be?
A. World Peace, no more blood and killing.
[funny, everyone is saying that answer]
Q. If the world was to end tonight what would you like to do
A. Well, it would be difficult from here in Thailand but I’d wish to be with my family.
Q. [impromptu] Family seems very important to you.
A. Well, when you strip everything else back there is much left but family is there?
Q. What is your main ambition in life
A. I don’t have a huge ambition other than to know when the time comes that I have had a good time and given life a good shake and chased the crack.
Q. If you could speak to yourself as a ten year old child what would you say to him.
A. Hum, don’t waste time. Work early to get the rewards early.
Q. Do you believe in god?
A. It is possible. I believe humans are naturally driven by good rather than evil. If there is a god then he goes by many names.
Q. Do you believe in live after death
A. That is the huge question of our existence and I am too small an entity to know the answer.

Transavante out.