A day of shooting in Bangkok
In Bangkok, the possibilities to spend a nice day are endless. Today I'm going out armed with my camera to hopefully be able to take some nice pictures.
You have to do it on your own for a few hours walking around to photograph. Because all that fumbling to find the right time and place is downright annoying and boring for a non-photographing companion.
Hualampong train station
Start on my own and take the MRT (subway) to Hualampong train station. This is also a piece of cake for those who know Bangkok less well because it is also the terminus of the line; so you can't miss it. From experience I know that with a little bit of luck you can often shoot some nice pictures there.
Approach
With the camera around my neck, I start by strolling around looking for funny figures or nice scenes. If you look a little friendly and gesticulate with the camera in the direction of a certain person to be allowed to photograph him or her, you almost always succeed in Thailand. Consciously say Thailand because there are also many countries where people think they are being bewitched if you photograph them.
I prefer to photograph unnoticed, because otherwise the person in question will pose quickly. Lucky for you today because on one of the steps is a photogenic clochard-like man with a beard. He has absolutely no problem with me immortalizing him digitally. Show him the result on the screen of my camera, after which a satisfied smile appears on his face. Put some money in his hand because I have the impression that the man needs it badly. Incidentally, I do this of my own accord and never, if ever, if I have to pay for photographing someone.
If you let your imagination run wild and try to look at seemingly insignificant little things a little differently, that can also produce a nice picture. Looking that way, I also take a picture of three telephones hanging against one of the walls in the hall of the station. Thinking back to the old rolls of film with a maximum of 36 exposures, you no longer have to be so frugal in the digital age.
Chinatown
An advantage of the main station is that Chinatown is nearby. Just cross the road in front of the station and walk over the bridge. Then turn left and cross two adjacent roads again and then walk to the right. Chinatown is at your feet. I'm not going to elaborate on the possibilities of that large Chinese enclave because you just have to whirl around there at your leisure. I have spent quite a few hours there and today I enjoyed it to the fullest again. For taking nice pictures you will find a lot of nice scenes there. Of course there is also a bit of luck involved.
massage
My legs are a bit stiff from all the running around and before I go to my hotel I let my tired limbs be treated for an hour. The masseuse, who is no longer so young, makes me a royal offer. The foot massage costs 250 baht for one hour, but for the sum of 400 baht she wants to take care of me for 1 ½ hours. Arithmetic is not the strongest side of many Thai people and I let the formidable offer go and have little need to explain her arithmetic ability.
When a big smile appears on my face during the massage, the lady asks why I'm having fun. Get rid of me with the well-known Jantje van Leiden and tell her that my subjects enjoy her very good massage.
In reality, I have to think back to an incident that I experienced more than forty years ago in the Netherlands. Didn't have a writing utensil handy and desperately needed a ballpoint pen to jot down a few notes. So walked into a small bazaar and took from the relevant compartment a ballpoint pen priced for 15 cents with an inscription with the offer: 6 pieces for one guilder. Couldn't help commenting on that to the young shop clerk who laughed and replied, "Ha ha, you're the first to spot that."