Posts from Theo

15th of December, 2015

Bangkok Is Comfortable

Bangkok is comfortable. Sure, it doesn’t seem like it should be on the surface and when I describe it out loud to myself, it sounds rather miserable.

Instead of describing what we’ve done here in Bangkok, I thought I’d just give my overall impression.

It’s humid here, and it’s warm. I think that if the trip were just beginning I would think this is miserably hot. We’ve been out and about for many long hours and we’re soaked with our own sweat. The pollution from the cars is a bit grotesque as it puffs up into your head space. The grime from the city (which is fantastically clean compared to Indian standards) clings to you in that sand-grit sort of way. Things chafe. At no point do I feel I need to sit down or take a break, nor do I feel I will get sick from the heat. Granted, it’s December and only 33C or so. I think it could be 37 or 38 before I would feel at risk. The idea of feeling this way would sound disgusting before I started this trip, but right here and right now… I could get used to this.

It’s been unusually foggy here so the long sights are insipid from where I sit on the 21st floor of the Royal Orchid Sheraton. While disappointing for our short stay, it reminds me of other cities we’ve visited. We seem to have a bit of bad luck when it comes to seeing cityscapes as we travel be it from fog or rain.

Everyone here is nice. I find it fascinating that when I walk down the street, I see so few people smiling; they aren’t frowning, they are just flat. Open your mouth to say hi or ask direction, a pleasant answer comes out of a mouth that is smiling. The people we have seen here are content in a way that is so deeply honest that it places me at a loss for malcontent.

I like Bangkok. I feel at ease here. It is comfortable.

5th of December, 2015

A Smudge on the Lens

As I return to Mumbai and actually explore the city more, I have been dealt a healthy dose of perspective as unique as it is appreciated. Mumbai is progressive… as progressive as any city in India. To provide contrast, we flew via Delhi where it is unsafe for women (even in groups) to venture out at night (as such it was quite low on our list of places to visit in India). As progressive as Mumbai is, it pales in comparison to most major metropolitan cities in the United States. While this is not surprising, reflecting on this now from first-hand experience is more emotional.

I’ll admit that India has been a bit overwhelming. Twenty action-packed days have passed us by and we’ve seen but a sliver of this expansive country. We’ve seen the inside of five-star hotels and men taking unabashed shits on the side of the road. Through both filth and wonder, it has been a spectacular experience.

I’ll set the stage by saying that India’s geography and landscapes are beautiful; it’s architecture and marvelous cities are awesome; and, most importantly, the human beings that occupy it are humble, optimistic, hard-working and kind. I enjoyed almost every personal interaction I had while here and it is absolutely wonderful to be reminded that there is a humanitarian hidden in almost every human on the planet. It also reminds me how environment and community allows that intention to be expressed.

The part that will stay with me is the mental disconnect I have with much of India. There is an idea here that home is inside the walls of what you own and that your home should be cherished and kept clean. And while I agree with how a home should be kept, I realize that my home is where my heart is and I take that wherever I go; I always try to leave a place cleaner and better than I found it - wherever I go. I am a bit broken by a sadness after weeks of witnessing people dump garbage everywhere outside their homes and then proceed to walk by it or through it, even wading at times.

I’m told by the young in the cities that Indian culture is very slowly changing, but if it continues at its current pace I may never live to see an India as beautiful as it deserves to be. As I listen to a young man living and working in Mumbai tell me about all of the good that is coming, I see a beach touching untouchable water. I appreciate his optimism, but the only word that comes to mind is desecration.

I suppose I am a prisoner-by-choice to my own sensibilities. Throughout our trip I have again and again visited places in which I was surrounded by marvelous buildings, art and landscape. In the places where I was also surrounded by mistreatment of the people based on gender, race and other inconsequential differences I felt as if I was viewing these marvels through an oily lens.

As I stay connected with home, I’m remotely aware of the classic political discourse (a word far too elegant for such a vile performance). The last few years mark a peak in my 37 years on Earth where the exclusion of others has been paraded vocally, openly and incessantly by a group of my own countrymen that is both widely distributed and terrifyingly large.

I always say that hope is not a strategy, but as I’ve committed to travel the world with my family, my actions in my nation are limited to just that. I hope that when I return that this sentiment is quelled and I do not see my beloved United States through a lens smudged by the same oil of the more afflicted places we’ve visited.

30th of November, 2015

Agra In Pictures.

Elephant Tomb

A Moghul ruler loved his pet elephant so much he entombed him.

Red sandstone

Three wives and a symphony of religions

The palace of a Moghul ruler that wanted to combine the best parts of many religions. He had a Christian wife, a Muslim wife and a Hindu wife; and apparently a great many concubines.

The Taj Mahal

A truly majestic structure full of marvel.

Surreal Taj

The Taj Obscured

The fog of December comes early on the ground of the Taj and mixes with smoke. Clearly obscured, the perfection of the Taj insists upon visual clarity.

Marble Work