Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Life in Bangkok

There are some things about living overseas I’m still not used to.

When I’m on the skytrain, underground or a bus, I’m expected to give up my seat to the usual folk: the elderly and pregnant women; those in need of a seat? Yup that’s eminently reasonable. Buddhist monks are highly revered here so that seems acceptable too.

The weird one, the thing I simply cannot get my head around, is that I am expected to give my seat up to a child. Not big kids, like mine, but sort of toddler through to somewhere around finishing primary school age. I mean it’s not set in stone, and a wibbly wobbly toddler is in danger if the parent can’t keep it still, so I sort of understand that. But a five, six, seven… blah year old? I’m sorry kiddo, but my need is greater than yours.

The other thing I haven’t quite got used to is that while minding my own business walking/being driven along the street, I might just chance upon an elephant. That doesn’t really compute either.


Sadly they're here for the tourists. These guys, on seeing me taking a picture, wanted me to buy a bag of food.

We've been told there are laws forbidding them from being in the city, but, if there are, they aren't adhered to. (We've also been told that if they're in the city, they should have lights on their tails at night! It puts a new spin on 'tail lights' doesn't it?)

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Tail ights - brilliant :-)
lx

Rachel Green said...

I so want to put an elephant in laverstone now!

Jenny Beattie said...

Liz, I know!

Rachel, I think you should! You see somewhere, in some world, it's completely normal.

Lane Mathias said...

Giving up your seat to children is just ...weird?

And the elephants? Wow!

Karen said...

Never see elephants where we live, that's for sure! Or give our seats up to children - that's just weird!!

Jenny Beattie said...

Lane, it IS, isn't it?

Karen, which one do you think is more weird?

Chris Stovell said...

Pah! I am SO with you on the kiddy seat thing!!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

You'll have to give your seat up for an elephant next.

Jon M said...

Curious seat customs...are there elephant lanes on the roads?

Michelle Fluttering Butterflies said...

Wow, that would be rather bizarre to see. Love 'tail lights' though!