city of angels

My plan was never to live in Bangkok.

I didn’t know much when I made the move to Thailand – I hadn’t even cracked open a guidebook. All I knew is that I had a friend I could stay with in Bangkok as I got settled and I could find a job teaching. What I knew of Chiang Mai sounded “like me.” A big city like Bangkok held little appeal, so Chiang Mai was my semblance of a plan.

But, as the universe keeps reminding me, plans change without my consent.

It’s been eight months in Bangkok – sure, sometimes it smells bad and it’s always busy and polluted and I look outside and I see concrete buildings and grey instead of forested hills and green…but what it lacks in nature, it has made up in art and culture and food and inspiring friendships. Bangkok is full of obscure little art galleries, aesthetically-pleasing bars, and a lot of Thais and expats who are pursuing some really cool art projects and business ventures. I may still make a move to Chiang Mai, but for now I am savoring my current home. I’m still working on an actual portrait project (and just generally shooting more people) and I often leave my DSLR at home due to its bulkiness, so here’s only a very small photographic sampling of some of the things I enjoy about Bangkok.