Bangkok Rumble

   Bangkok is huge. As soon as you step foot out of any one of its two airports you'll soon be engulfed in a sea of concrete that overwhelms your senses as quickly as a few blinks. You'll feel the difference and you'll be left with wide open jaws. I don't care where you're from or where you've traveled to before. Bangkok will leave a lasting impression on you that either makes you feel frustrated on the brink of never returning or you'll keep coming back for more and more. I have a love hate relationship with big cities. Sometimes I feel so small and a part of the whole machine as a spinning cogwheel in such a crowded sprawl, while other times I feel out of place having been a suburban kind of a guy growing up.
     The skyscrapers adorn the skyline in every direction. They are everywhere and they are high. Simply f'n high. So high that your neck hurts from looking up. The suburbs are far from the city's center. The affluent nature of the homes in addition to the masses of rising steel from the grounds remind us that there's money abound here. Then we see the ghetto areas that adore every major city and this reveals that the working class is definitely working in Bangkok. There are rich people in their expensive modified slammed cars, and then there are poor people panhandling in the streets. The most impressive thing however, is that there appears to be a middle class. Plenty of people drive moderate  or beat up cars here. They obviously make enough to fill the gas tank. Taxi drivers here spend money souping up their cars with ricey mufflers and park bench spoilers. Originality inspires the economic levels. Tuk Tuk drivers seem to be pretty low on the totem pole, but they still offer a specific niche to fit in. There are motorbike taxi drivers too with their bright colored vests and helmets that actually would offer some sort of brain damage protection. Everyone has a place, no matter the economic separation.
    The subway and metro systems parallel any in its class. It's efficient and it works. Walking to and from stations make me feel as if I'm a local. I blend in seemingly. But that's not that the best thing about Bangkok. No, no no, not the lady boys. There's a phenomenon in Bangkok. There's a loud rumble all around whenever you're in the city. The swooshing noises of the metros and the construction hammers going around in the background creates this orchestra of urban sounds. This reminds you that you're either far from home or Asia is developing at impressive rates. The sounds aren't annoying. These noises will drown the minimal car honking here. The vibrant booms and bangs are uplifting. Trust me. They touch your heart, but only if you pay attention. No matter how many videos you watch or see pictures, it isn't the same. I implore you to get out there and do it for yourself. Go and experience it because there are many things that photography can't capture. Bangkok's rumble is one of them. The rumble is essential to modernity, and it makes me feel alive.

    I'll be back with more routine updates next week. As for now, Yangon has been fabulous. Internet here hasn't been very reliable. I haven't had time largely to sit down and write. I've been so preoccupied from sunrise to sunset trying to absorb my limited stay here. Boy, have I got a lot to write about. Keep checking back for daily videos on YouTube. They'll be released sporadically until next week.

Took my whip out for a cruise around town this morning. Lots of Burmese babes wantin in, yo. That's how I roll in the streets of Yangon, yo.