Joseph in Asia

Yesterday I arrived in Bangkok and I had a somewhat restless sleep when I woke up this morning. Just keep dozing for a while and take a heroic shower just after nine and be wide awake right away.

Breakfast, cup of coffee and Joseph is the man again.

Take it easy for a while and drink another mango smoothie outside on the terrace and think about what could be on the program today because I like life from day to day. I pick up an old well-known trip and walk armed with my photo camera to the Metro station to travel from there to Hua Lamphong, the main train station of Bangkok, where there is always something nice to photograph and the interesting China Town is just around the corner.

For saying and writing 14 baht -the Senior rate- I travel there, but unfortunately do not find any special scenes.

However, three young girls, wearing headscarves, approach me and ask if I want to participate in a school project.mAnd why shouldn't I? Mr Geert Wilders will detest my point of view, but apart from the head rags, as GW calls it, they are neat young girls.

The eldest of the three asks the questions in English and she does so very neatly. In her hand she holds a truly magnificent large rose that the conversation revolves around. The two other girls record the conversation with their phone camera, but first asked nicely if I wanted to allow it. Well, all life is acting and drama so why should you refuse it? I'm going to have language lessons and have to repeat the name of the flower - the rose - in Thai. Get applause but to be honest I already forgot the Thai name. Then follows the discussion about the pronunciation of a 'rose' versus a 'rose' and the degree of difficulty regarding the Thai language with the sound differences. At the end of the session I am offered the flower, which I very kindly and gratefully decline because I still have a long walk ahead of me. And of course the three young ladies want to take a picture with this young man. Then I take another picture of them to brighten up this story.

Leave the train station behind me and continue down the road to China Town where if you let your eyes wander there is much to see.

Not shocking things, but everyday strange things for Westerners. Stroll through a neighborhood where many hardware stores are located close to each other who sell the - to me at least - strangest things. Profiles in all kinds of designs and sizes, hoists to kiss and to approve; in short, too much to describe it all. Funny how many people just want to have a chat with you to show off the few words of English they know. In a tiny, very narrow alley, I am amazed at the way people live here. On one side of the narrow alley there is even a cooking pot hanging above a real fire. A little further colorful doors, in short, very special according to our Western standards. Finally I end up in Yaowarat street, the main street of China Town. Many restaurants where you can eat bird's nests and real shark fin soup and of course the gold shops are not missing either. It is a lot busier than in the streets where I strolled around almost alone.

Walked the necessary kilometers this day and look for the Metro in the direction of Sukhumvit. As always, it was a nice walk because China Town never gets boring.

This evening I will visit the basement of The Landmark Hotel for the first time, where a Filipino band is playing. Nice music and fortunately no exaggerated amplifiers and screaming female singers where hearing and seeing perish. There is a cozy atmosphere and order a glass of red wine and enjoy the band and singing. After my second glass it is already close to twelve o'clock so time to go to the hotel. From the bill for two glasses I look at my nose because more than 400 baht, converted 12 euros per glass, is a price that you don't put on the table every day. It will not surprise me that Thailand will price itself out of the market.

And that this conclusion will come true is already obvious because it is noticeably less busy in Bangkok than in previous years.