Worn Pads in the City of Angels -- Dog Tired!

"Left a good job in the city,
Working for The Man every night and day,
And I never lost one minute of sleeping,
Worrying 'bout the way things might have been."

I used to party with John Fogerty and Creedence when I was a just a young pup of 10 years. Little did I know that the words to Proud Mary would reverberate for me some 40 years later.

Rollin', rollin'...rollin' on the Chao Phraya River...

Hanging out and partyin' in Bangkok is the epitome of not worrying 'bout the way things might have been...the time to be is now! And now moves in mysterious ways...

Hot, steamy, smoggy, smelly...the sky always lookin' like the proverbial nuclear winter is about to begin...ah yeah...Bangkok...full of surprises, desires, hopes and occasional disappointments.

Getting around is easy...right? Despite an innovative public transportation system -- the BTS & MRT -- going "green" is just the colour of basil here, and not much more...besides, a dog has gotta walk to take in all the smells & sights!!

Was that a person pancaked under the back wheel of that dump truck? Please, Please! Sawasdee khup! Beam me up, Somchai!!

As I pad my way down the various side sois of Sukhumvit and Silom Roads, I drool wildly at the street food choices. I mean, where can you get fresh cooked sausages of undetermined, but very tasty, ingredients for less than the price of a stale anachronistic newspaper in the e-savvy western world...huh, huh...grrrr...mister, what are you doing with that rolled up newspaper????

...or, maybe I'll skype the meat(?) and try out a big slice of sweet, juicy, melt on your tongue, fresh from the farm mango or pineapple for 10 baht (the equivalent of $0.30us)...wait a minute...the weakening dollar dropped again...make that 33 cents! That's OK...there's an ATM on every corner! And those big rascals at Bush & co. will save us all and give more money away...yeah, yeah, yeah!

A mean lean fruit-eatin' dog...you betcha!...in my dreams...BBQ gai is more my style...doggie style!

I like the looks of my local counterparts...the wily and wizened Bangkok dogs that lie around oblivious to the chaotic mayhem that passes for everyday movement in a city of 10 million souls and maybe 40 million pads. Those dogs don't lose no sleep...no sir-eee! They are Buddhist dogs...chow put. We are special, too, in the eyes of the ever-present Lord Buddha.

Please, Please!...yes, yes...take me home with you! Please, Please! I'm a good dog, even for a farang! Just a little chubby (poom pooie)...but well trained!

English not spoken here...mai pen rai! No problem! Oh my Buddha! she sighs. Me? I just don't know what to say but......oowwhoooooo!!!!

Time for a lie down..to be continued....

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