Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Sleeping, Part 3

It’s been a month since the last “Sleeping” post so let’s take another look at that today, shall we? For anyone wanting to catch up, the first batch is here and the second is here; but in a nutshell, the Thai are blessed with a gift for being able to sleep almost any time, anywhere. It’s a gift I’ve envied any number of times.

I had an ideal vantage point along a heavily traveled commute route one morning when the “start and stop” traffic was far more “stop” than “start” and I was allowed the luxury of time to make use of my zoom lens from my perch on the 11th floor.

The young man at the top must have been a little uncomfortable being wedged where he was; his head on a water cooler pillow and his back resting on the wheel well... but he seemed sound asleep. The Che Guevara belt buckle he’s sporting and the two stickers on the pickup’s windows are indicative of how far-reaching an idea can be over time; and a reminder of Thai politics still being an unsettled mess today.

The six guys in the photo below don’t look all that comfy, either, but they’re a nice example of how relaxed people can be about casual physical contact there. Note the legs over the belly, the head on the shoulder and another in the co-worker’s lap. I suspect most guys here would be far too “macho” to allow any such camaraderie, but that’s their loss.

One last image from that morning’s commute and an idea for a sleep mask I just might try sometime. I suspect the man modeling it is striking a familiar pose to some readers, too, but it would be indelicate to mention names.

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