Hot and Cold Cabbie

After a brisk winter season here in Thailand, things are starting to heat up. If you need to cool down, make like this Bangkok cabbie and bring along a cooler filled with an icy beverage as big as your body, wrap a cold wet towel around your neck, and blast the air-con on high.     

Ultra Violet Taxi 2018

According to the Pantone Institute, the organization that forecasts global color trends and advises companies on color in brand identity and product development, the Color of the Year 2018 is ultra violet. On Pantone's website they explain how ultra violet relates to ideas of "originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us toward the future" and they mention how this color has long symbolized mystery and mysticism. I doubt that the driver of this taxi was considering any of this when he customized the interior of his cab with ultra violet vinyl seats, but I can tell you that this color definitely creates a distinct mood in the taxi.    

May all your taxi rides 
be magical in 2018!

Happy New Year from SLIMV

Apparently, the driver of this taxi in Bangkok took the expression about "getting all your ducks in a row" literally.

Farewell Beloved King

Today, Thais and admirers of Thailand's late monarch are bidding a final farewell to the beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej. After one year of mourning his passing, the funeral processional is today with the cremation ceremony being held tonight. Over a quarter million people are surrounding the area in Bangkok where the rituals are being held, while many others are either making their way to temples to pray or staying home to watch the rites of passage on television or through live streaming.        

Handicrafts in a Taxi

Considering Thailand's long tradition involving the creation of handicrafts, it's great to see that the practice of making things by hand continues. The driver of this taxi told me that the seat covers were crocheted by his teenage daughter. That might explain why they're bright pink and green with a few little flowers applied here and there.

Thai Taxi Mullet

It's been a while since I've spotted a mullet in Bangkok, but today my taxi driver had his own version of one. As the saying goes, it's "business in the front and party in the back". Maybe that's a good combination for cabbies as they need to maintain a certain level of professionalism, but can still have fun on the job.  

"We will develop and cultivate the liberation of mind by lovingkindness, 
make it our vehicle, make it our basis, stabilize it, 
exercise ourselves in it, and fully perfect it." 

- The Buddha

Sacred Kitsch

 

These days, little plastic animal characters seem to be as popular among Thai taxi drivers as statues of the Buddha and images of revered Thai monks. It's apparently a new form of worship that involves cutesy creatures whose heads bob from side to side.       

Paris from the Passenger Seat

I just returned from Paris where I mostly took the Metro and walked, but there was one day I decided to take a "Taxi Parisien". I was curious how cabs in the City of Light differ from those in the City of Angels. Similar to the taxis in Bangkok, the cab had some trinkets hanging from the rearview mirror, including some wooden prayer beads, a small panda character, and a little green eiffel tower. However, the overall experience was unlike riding in a Thai taxi. First of all, the cabby in Paris did not need to ask me for directions like the drivers in Bangkok typically do. The other thing is that the Parisian cabby could speak perfect English as opposed to Thai taxi drivers who usually only know how to say, "Where you go?".

Toyota Toyota Toyota

Move over Gucci and Louis Vuitton. Patterns of Toyota emblems are the hot new thing. Well, at least that's what the driver of this Bangkok taxi wants to believe.                       

Speed Limit Monk Statue

What's the solution to the problem of all the car accidents in Thailand? A talking Buddha statue, of course. Distributed under the name Phra Rod 2.0, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation with the help of one of Thailand's venerated monks, Phra Payom, created the speed limit monk statue to remind drivers to be mindful and cautious. Using a GPS tracker and speed detector, the good luck charm can detect different legal speed limits on most roads. If the driver puts the pedal to the metal, a short sermon from the monk will automatically play. Will it help to reduce the amount of car accidents here? I'm not sure. But who is going to want a regular Buddha statue when you can have one of these? 

Old School Air-Con

In hot and tropical Thailand, the locals can get pretty creative when it comes to finding ways to cool off. In the case of this taxi, the driver has rigged up a metal fan to keep the inside of his cab from overheating. Not only does the fan provide a breezy atmosphere in the back of the taxi, it helps create a nostalgic ambience that reminds passengers of an era before air-conditioners even existed.        

A Buddha's View

The world is full of busy people

well-versed in countless views

blind to their true natures

they get farther from the Way

if they could see what's real

they wouldn't talk about empty dreams

one thought answers your prayers

revealing a Buddha's view

- Cold Mountain (Han-shan), Tang Dynasty Poet 

You and Me

One English word every Thai taxi driver knows regardless of their level of fluency is "you". Cabbies here use this pronoun to get the attention of foreigners and to address anyone who doesn't look Thai. I've been called "you" so many times by taxi drivers in Thailand that I feel like it's become my nickname.  

80's Flashback

Upon entering a Bangkok taxi as a foreigner, the driver will inevitably switch on an English language music station. While you might occasionally hear international songs that are currently popular, chances are you will be taking a walk down memory lane as you listen to golden oldies. Today, the music on the radio in the taxi included a lineup of the greatest hits from the 80's. As I sat in the back seat staring at wolves on the sunshades, I had a feeling that we would soon be hearing Duran Duran's Hungry Like The Wolf. 

A Useful Tip

Is your job making you a little hot under the collar? Do your shirts have unsightly rings? If so, try this trick from one of Bangkok's finest cab drivers. First, take a scrap of light cotton cloth and cut it into a long rectangular piece. It can be any color and have a pattern as long as it coordinates with your shirt. Next, carefully fold the cloth over your collar. Finally, secure it with paper clips (4 or 5 should work). When the cloth gets sweaty, simply remove it and replace with a dry one. Repeat as many times during your shift as necessary.   

Incredible Cabby

Considering that many talismans in Bangkok taxis are put there for the purpose of warding off evil spirits, I couldn't help but think that this Hulk figure on the dashboard is intended to be a warning of sorts. So, I was extra careful to be nice to this cabby. I didn't want him to turn into a raging green monster with bulging muscles behind the wheel. I had a feeling I wouldn't like him when he's angry.  

Pure Mind

"If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts,

happiness follows them like a never-departing shadow."

- The Buddha

Cabbie Fashion Faux Pas

Let me start by saying that I'm all for people expressing their individuality and I often appreciate those daring enough to break the rules of fashion. But this hat, this hat, is the weirdest thing I've ever laid my eyes on. It's as if someone took a pink bathroom rug and molded it into the shape of a mushroom cap. What was the driver thinking when he put this on his head? How can he even look at himself in the mirror without feeling completely ridiculous? The look is so out of place, especially considering that he paired it with a normal shirt and jeans. The only way this hat might be passible is if he wore it with a shiny pink leopard-print suit and white patent leather boots.

Santa Taxi

Merry Christmas

 & Happy New Year 

from Bangkok!

May all your taxi rides be merry and bright!

Goddess of Rubber Duckies

From a Western perspective, placing three rubber duckies next to the image of a religious figure might seem inappropriate, blasphemous, or just downright funny. Some might even view this as the result of globalization or postmodernism. I decided to ask the taxi driver about his unconventional display on the dashboard and he explained that the celestial being in white is Guan Yim, the Goddess of Mercy, known for her compassion toward all creatures. Apparently, that includes duckies, too.    

Rest in Peace

Thailand's Beloved King
HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej
5 December 1927 - 13 October 2016

Sticky Rice Taxi

In Thailand, sticky rice is the equivalent of bread and butter. It's comforting, nourishing, and packed with carbohydrates, albeit plain and simple. Even the idea of an occupation being your "bread and butter" is translatable to Thai culture. If you see a kratip basket in a Bangkok taxi normally used for holding sticky rice, you'll know it's there to offer good luck on the job and to symbolize prosperity.

“Conquer anger with non-anger. 

Conquer badness with goodness. 

Conquer meanness with generosity. 

Conquer dishonesty with truth.”

- The Buddha

Hello, Again.

 

Hello Kitty, the kawaii feline character, has long made a guest appearance in Bangkok cabs. In the past week alone, I spotted this Sanrio-brand cat in seven different taxis. Why is this character so popular among Thai cabbies you ask? Considering that Hello Kitty has no mouth and is expressionless, maybe the drivers are hinting to their passengers that they should keep quiet and remain calm while riding in their vehicles.        

It is better to conquer yourself
 than to win a thousand battles. 
Then the victory is yours. 
It cannot be taken from you, 
not by angels or by demons, 
heaven or hell.

 - The Buddha

Bugging Out in a Bangkok Cab

You never know what you're going to find in a Bangkok cab. It most often involves a pleasant surprise, but occasionally it turns out to be a disturbing affair. When I hopped into this taxi, the first thing I noticed were the exoskeletons from a certain kind of critter affixed to the ceiling in a marching formation. After the driver told me what kind of insects they were in Thai, I did a bit of searching on my smartphone and figured out that they were cicadas, the type of bug that makes loud buzzing noises. I've definitely heard them at certain times of the year here in Thailand, but I had never been so close to them before. Despite a long conversation with this cabby about bugs, I'm still not clear why he collects and displays them in his cab. All I know is that it made my skin crawl for the rest of the day.

Santa on Holiday

Season's Greetings from Thailand where old Santa Claus loves to spend the off-season. Here you'll find Father Christmas water skiing, surfing, swimming, chilling out at the beach, and riding orca whales. How does he get here, you ask? Well, he flies to Thailand in his UFO, of course.  

Because He's Happy

Have you ever noticed how some people resemble cartoon characters? Today, my Bangkok taxi driver had all the hallmarks of the Minions. He was sporting bright yellow and blue along with "goggles", and he seemed very happy just like Bob the Minion hanging in his cab. But unlike the animated characters, he is in service to regular people, like me, not commanding super villains. 

Thai Summertime

We're in the midst of the hot season here in Thailand. There are two ways one can deal with it. You can either complain incessantly about the flaming heat as sweat drips down your back, or if you're in Bangkok, you can hop in a taxi with air-conditioning on full blast. In either case, it's important to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, and it's better to wear loose, cotton garments. For a little summer fun, pop on a flowered Hawaiian shirt like the cabbie in the picture below and embrace the hot, tropical setting. 

Hong Kong Taxis

 

I just returned from a trip to Hong Kong where getting around is easy. They have quite a range of public transportation options available, including the subway, ferries, trams, double decker buses, cable cars, and taxis. The cabs in Hong Kong remind me of those in Tokyo as they also use older Toyotas and as the doors open automatically, too. Not surprisingly, the starting fares are higher than in Bangkok, but the meters don't increase as rapidly, so when all is said and done, the fares are pretty comparable to those in Thailand. Some Hong Kong taxis also have Buddhist amulets and other decorations on their dashboards. This, of course, makes me feel right at home.