This little story and the photographs were previously published in the Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Weekend Travel Section in 2001.
Our luggage was being taken by someone we didn’t know. Four of us strung out in single file in a sweating procession along the hot and sleepy main street of Fang. Our Lonely Planet guide to Thailand told of the bus from Chaing Mai to Fang, the taxi from Fang to Tha Ton, and the boat from Tha Ton to Chaing Rai…but not about Mr Phing and his tricycle.
His initiative was admirable. At the bus stop he’d came up to us and said “Tha Ton” and when we nodded, he picked up our bags threw them on his trike and headed off.
He pedaled just fast enough to prevent us from catching up unless we broke into a trot. Over his shoulder he conversed in English that was better than our Thai…..
“which cunree you fhom”?
“australia”
“ahhh astaya nice…how many kangaroo astaya”?
“millions”?
“ahhh meeons…he your husban”?
“Yes”
“you vehy lucky….vehy hansome man?
Our new friends’ judgment was thrown into further doubt when he assured out of the blue
“John Howard nice man, I…love…John Howard”
On the edge of town the trike turned down a dusty side road, stopping only because we did.
“maybe you have some eat,…cool jink, some rets,….feewl better”
“No you said you take luggage…Fang Hotel, we follow…we wait Fang Hotel
..get taxi Tha Ton”
“yeh yeh first you feewl better…hod day…jink, eat”
“where?”
“my pace!”
Just in time the taxi pulled up beside us and the driver glared at Mr Phing who finally surrendered.
His eyebrows lifted as if he finally understood “oh you go Tha ton taxi ?!”
I liked his style.
Photo documentary, Photojournalism, Brisbane Photographer
(Wednesday, 10 March 2010)
I confess I love Moby Dick without being able to understand it. It’s sea yarn of a man’s quest for revenge which destroys him and everything around. It’s worthy of great book status for the way it tells that warning alone.
Best though are the chapters in between the narrative on different aspects of whaling. Somehow Herman Melville manages to make each essay relevant to the common experience of existing.
The photograph below was selected for exhibition in last years Schubert Ulrich. It’s a "street" photograph and I submitted the quote from the chapter called “The Fountain” as my artist’s statement. I think it’s sayingthat seeing is not knowing, and there's a mystery to things that our senses and our reasoning can't explain.
Two people talking, and one asks the other to describe the whales' spout.
“But why pester one with all this reasoning on the subject? Speak out! You have seen him spout; then declare what the spout is; can you not tell air from water?
My dear sir, in this world it is not so easy to settle these plain things. I have found your plain things the knottiest of all. And as for this whale spout, you might almost stand in it, and yet be undecided as to what it is precisely.”
Art Photography, Street Photography, Was Herman Melville the first Post Modernist without knowing it?
(Wednesday, 10 March 2010)
Phillip Adams often jokes on Late Night Live that he only has one listener and she’s called Gladys. I used to think it was just Gladys and me with this website. Ten weeks ago the site traffic began to be monitored.
I’m not sure what is usual but it was a surprise because I didn’t think you cared at all Gladys. So thanks but would be nice though if the relationship developed into a two way thing. I won’t get my hopes up, let’s just wait and see.
(Wednesday, 10 March 2010)