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Oct. 2006
I believe
Bangkok could be one of the top
places where the symbols of luck
can be seen everywhere at anytime
amidst the modern lifestyle.
The
symbol of luck is no different
from
food
in this city, it's everywhere
24/7.
These symbols clearly reflect
Bangkok's contradiction of the
two worlds, ancient and
modern. They can be seen as
a Buddha image, a cabalistic cloth
or string, and even a picture of
respected parents. (
Many
Thais adorn their parents as
monks.
) And people
who carry these things are living
in a Western lifestyle. They
shop in modern department stores,
read foreign books, wear designer
clothes, and jammed in Bangkok's
traffic.
The belief in luck inevitably
becomes
a part of the Thai
life.
Without
notice, all Thais are always
surrounded by these symbols.
Take an example of a Thai
businessman commuting to
work. At
home,
he has a
spirit house
to guard his house and
family. If
he drives to
work, his car may have a
cabalistic string or a mini
Buddhist altar for a Bon Voyage
trip. Arriving at the
office, his hi tech office
building has a shrine (quite
like the
Erawan Shrine
) to protect the
place.
In his company (if
Thai-owned), there is a Buddhist
altar for the employees
to perform a worship. During
lunch, the restaurant he goes to
has an altar for the Chinese
Gods.
On the way back home,
the
coffee shop he stops by has a
Japanese lucky cat,
ManekiNeko.
Even he himself could be wearing a
necklace with the Buddha image.
May there be luck or not, no
one really knows, but carrying the
lucky symbols is surely a moral
support. I once counted
these symbols on my way to work
and was surprise to find out that
there were dozens in a day.
These symbols are undoubtedly a
way of life in modern Bangkok, and
yet everywhere in Thailand.
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10
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11
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9.
This office building lacks
space on the ground and
establishes the
spirit house
on the top floor.
10. A Chinese lion head in
front of an office building.
11.
The Chinese
Feng Shui symbol
on Siam Discovery
building, near one of
Thailand's trendiest areas,
Siam Square
.
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2
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3
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Jan. 2007
1-2. Many
Thai home
owners
display the
mystic
symbols on
top of their
front
doors.
These
symbols act
as a
guardian to
keep the
home safe
and
peaceful.
Similar
symbols are
also
displayed in
the car
(3). The one
shown in
this taxi
was
performed by
a
monk. These
symbols are
a moral
support for
the both the
driver and
the
passenger
for a
"Bon
Voyage"
trip.
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