Getting back into taking photos with film is part returning to a passionate love that I haven't seen for many years and part facing all of my fears of why putting the camera down was easier than working through the resistance. Polaroids fit much more neatly into my life, which has been convenient and a wonderful toy to make photos with during schooling and working the last two years. But when I hold this manual camera in my hands it brings up all of the joy and weakness that love motivates.
My first exploration taking photos was a morning trip to Wat Umong last weekend. It is located on the outside of Old Town closer to the mountains. To get there I follow the inner road of Old Town which goes one way around the moat and then exit out of one of the main gates to cross the road which goes the opposite way. The hard part is crossing to continue West. This gate spills out onto a highway (like the FDR, 501, or 80) with five lanes no traffic light.
There is a big island between me and the road I need so obviously crossing is not encouraged. But I am on bike and like the scooters here, you do what you need to do. I wait for five minutes hoping for a break and then give up and start walking against traffic towards a pedestrian bridge high over the highway. It would mean carrying my heavy bike up two flights of stairs and then down again. When I get to the bridge there is another person wanting to cross too. This skill is best accomplished in duets I've learned. We cross within a minute staggering ourselves. (When I left I teamed up with a scooter who literally blocked traffic for me).
I took a few photos along the way, but mostly just enjoyed being in a new neigborhood with it's intricate and very narrow roads.
The Wat.
Wat Umong stands in a forrest and was built in the 1300s, abandoned shortly after and reopened in the 1960s. It's an incredibly peaceful place to go and sit for a few hours. And the beauty is both in the nature surrounding and the tunnels with faded murals lining most of the ceilings. The tunnels are low and narrow and dimly lit but if you stand close enough to the light you can see some the paintings.
While wandering the tunnels a monk stopped me to chat. The usual beginning of most conversations is "Where are you from?" America got a "that's very good" response. And then "What is your name?" Renee does not roll off of the tongue easily here, but neither do most Thai names for me so I just try to remember the phoenetic and hope it sticks.
He saw my camera and wanted me to take a picture of the murals. I didn't know how to explain the low light factor so I set it to B and hoped that if I hold still something would come out. He was standing close and after I the took the first photo he reached out and touched my earing and held it and my earlobe in his hand long enough that I wondered if I should move away.
I thought it was a little quarky, but didn't really think about it again until I ended up in the same tunnels by accident. As usual I got a little lost. I was above ground at the Stuppa and thought it would be fun to wander along a path in the forrest. The path didn't go far and ended up right at the tunnel of the monk who was very happy to see me again.
The French family and I exchanged smiles and then the monk ignored them and waved me to follow back in the tunnels. He proceeded to take my photo with his nokia green glow phone. My only thought at that point was, 'he's a monk, what harm will it do to be part of his tourist photo album?' Then it got more strange. He got me to take more photos and then gestured to follow through another tunnel. As we were going down the stairs he moved even closer and wrapped his hand around my arm for just a moment. I swear I thought the monk wanted to kiss me. At that point I did what any smart girl knows to do, I smiled nicely and made my exit.
Having been to a couple of other Wats since that trip I defnitely know that monks and women do not come into close contact. But I actually loved that my first interaction with a monk was so inappropriate because it reminded me that they are people too and the robe is just a marker for where they are in their life at this moment.
I did consider taking advantage of the situation and getting a portrait, but using myself as bait for the photo was undesirable so I just let it go. Sometimes it's just not worth it.
