Sunday, October 10, 2010

Butterflies (No, REAL Butterflies)

No, I'm not "back" to regular posting yet, but since I had the opportunity to be online and had set aside a few pre-prepared images I thought I'd upload a short post for the faithful (and I do appreciate those who regularly read my stuff here) - so, with that out of the way:

I've usually heard the term "butterfly" used by Thai to describe a farang who either have a problem being faithful to any one partner or who choose to flit from flower to flower rather like a... well, a butterfly. Without going into detail let's just say neither are particularly complimentary labels to have in the eye of many Thai, in or out of regular relationships of any stripe or type.

However, if you venture away from the concrete, asphalt and nasty air of the city surroundings you're liable to see quite a variety of actual butterflies. You don't have to go too far, and you're going to see a generous amount of them in parks around the kingdom; Lumpini park in Bangkok being a nice one - Benjasiri Park by the Phrom Pong BTS station is, also (and in the afternoon you're liable to see the young men playing takraw, there, too).

Naturally, butterflies being butterflies they don't stick with any one blossom very long and aren't easy to catch for photographs. It takes a good zoom, very good lighting and exceptionally good luck with timing. Those are unlikely to have all at the same time, but I've been fortunate while out on walks and have a lot of butterfly pictures to share with you all as we go along.

I'll see you again on Wednesday the 13th. Thanks again for stopping in.

3 comments:

krobbie said...

I knew you were attending to family matters but thought I would look anyway.

Bao Bao, it just goes to show how little attention I pay or maybe I just haven't been in the gardens.

I told my partner the other day that I had never been to Lumpini Park the entire time I have been coming to Thailand.

Time to take time out and smell the flowers and just have a good look at this beautiful green space within a very crowded city.

Thanks for taking the time,
Krobbie

jaafar said...

Butterfly? How about "helicopter?" Supposedly, that's a man who flies from one flower to another, but pauses at each flower to truly savor it before moving on! :-)

khunbaobao said...

I've heard the "helicopter" moniker awarded to Industrial Strength "butterflies" - read: as many partners as possible - but that's even less complimentary than just saying someone's a butterfly! LOL