Bangkok - Suratthani
Campbell had to leave for the airport at five in the morning so it was an early start to see him off. Some might have had reservations sharing with the descendent of a convict, but I shared no such prejudices and I'm happy to report nothing untoward happened upon my person over the entire time I shared his company.
I think I must've still been in a bit of a daze what with the place, the heat, and the enormity of what I was doing (I mean in a personal way; this travelling was perhaps the first 'real' choice I'd made in my life) because I don't have too many clear memories of these first few days. I know a lot of my awareness was directed inwards at the time; I thought a lot about life in England continuing and how I was like the missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle, far away from its familiar home.
I was finding myself.
It's a tired cliche, but does have a kernel of truth. Most of the time we live in social structures which are pretty rigid. With friends, family, and work colleagues we follow familiar patterns of behavior. Hopefully they're happy, healthy patterns for most of us. But even then, as well as providing comfort, they constrain us from what we might become. Putting yourself in a alien situation provides a way of finding out what makes YOU tick. Obviously this is an idealistic scenario: going round-the-world still involves plenty of things we're used to. It's hard to get away from all your social and human and cultural references, but I do believe the further you go from these 'safe places' the more you let your own natural personality out.
I think the dazed feeling I had was the unconscious realization--and fear--I was going to be as free as I'd ever been. And I was looking inwards and towards home as a means of ignoring this. Fortunately I snapped out of this mode after the first couple of weeks.
Anyway, to end my life-guru rant, do something different. You might even enjoy it.
The big cultural event of the day was a boat trip over the river to the Temple of Arun (Dawn) - photo below. If there's one thing I'd have liked to done differently with the whole travels, it would've been to read some history before I'd left. Without knowing the significance of a place to the people who built the place and the people who used the place afterwards all you're really looking at is architecture--not that architecture's not a damn fine subject (which I don't know much about again). Seeing edifices such as these does help to convey how important religion was though; everything must have been appreciated through such a conceptual-prism for almost everyone.
We left Bangkok by train in the late afternoon, and not so long after boarding the carriage transformed into its night incarnation--bunk beds lining both sides. I sometimes think I'd prefer this to be the default arrangement for all trains so a crafty sleep is always possible! Outside Bangkok packs of kids boarded the train as it trundled dead slow through the night--I thought they were cute until I realized they were just trying to rob tourists. I'd probably do the same in their position.
Didn't fall asleep for a long time thinking about the past, future, dreams, and where the safest place to put my valuables was (down my pants--pretty rare visitors there--but there are comfort issues!).
I think I must've still been in a bit of a daze what with the place, the heat, and the enormity of what I was doing (I mean in a personal way; this travelling was perhaps the first 'real' choice I'd made in my life) because I don't have too many clear memories of these first few days. I know a lot of my awareness was directed inwards at the time; I thought a lot about life in England continuing and how I was like the missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle, far away from its familiar home.
I was finding myself.
It's a tired cliche, but does have a kernel of truth. Most of the time we live in social structures which are pretty rigid. With friends, family, and work colleagues we follow familiar patterns of behavior. Hopefully they're happy, healthy patterns for most of us. But even then, as well as providing comfort, they constrain us from what we might become. Putting yourself in a alien situation provides a way of finding out what makes YOU tick. Obviously this is an idealistic scenario: going round-the-world still involves plenty of things we're used to. It's hard to get away from all your social and human and cultural references, but I do believe the further you go from these 'safe places' the more you let your own natural personality out.
I think the dazed feeling I had was the unconscious realization--and fear--I was going to be as free as I'd ever been. And I was looking inwards and towards home as a means of ignoring this. Fortunately I snapped out of this mode after the first couple of weeks.
Anyway, to end my life-guru rant, do something different. You might even enjoy it.
The big cultural event of the day was a boat trip over the river to the Temple of Arun (Dawn) - photo below. If there's one thing I'd have liked to done differently with the whole travels, it would've been to read some history before I'd left. Without knowing the significance of a place to the people who built the place and the people who used the place afterwards all you're really looking at is architecture--not that architecture's not a damn fine subject (which I don't know much about again). Seeing edifices such as these does help to convey how important religion was though; everything must have been appreciated through such a conceptual-prism for almost everyone.
We left Bangkok by train in the late afternoon, and not so long after boarding the carriage transformed into its night incarnation--bunk beds lining both sides. I sometimes think I'd prefer this to be the default arrangement for all trains so a crafty sleep is always possible! Outside Bangkok packs of kids boarded the train as it trundled dead slow through the night--I thought they were cute until I realized they were just trying to rob tourists. I'd probably do the same in their position.
Didn't fall asleep for a long time thinking about the past, future, dreams, and where the safest place to put my valuables was (down my pants--pretty rare visitors there--but there are comfort issues!).
posted by Steve at 2:14 PM
4 Comments:
So what is the significance of the temple? You've got to put that in Sarong boy. Having just said how much more you'd have gained from the experience if you'd known a little of the history of the place, you then went on to tell us cock-all about it. Frankly negligent Steve. Otherwise, high marks, most enjoyable.
That's an excercise for homework....Davey Boy? Now behave or I'll put a photo of you before you're due. That would be negligent to my readers....
Davey? Now i'm racking my brains for any reason why a boobed and pink-wearing old bird like me might be treated to Davey Boy. i can see i'll need to reveal my secret identity.
nutters!
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