Ok, picture time and explanation. First, I apologize for not sharing more pictures on here. The internet at my previous apartment was very slow and took forever to upload pictures, hence the reason there are not many.

So, I needed to have some alterations done on some clothes of mine. A tie was coming apart on the small end, the cuff on a pair of my slacks was losing thread and I have some holes in the pockets of some of my shorts. I asked a few people at school where I should go and they said that you can go people on the street who have sewing machines. They will fix it for cheap right then and there. Well, I was riding my bike to the store today and I just happened to pass on such sewing machine person. When I got back home, I decided to take the clothes down there and have him fix them.

From what I saw, he did a bang up job. Didn't take long and it only cost me 40Baht for all three items, which is a little over $1, about $1.30 or so. I had a camera with me so I figured I'd take a picture. He said it was alright and here is what he looks like. I'm not sure who the guy in the background is. He was giving me a dirty look the whole time like I was some crazy, dumb tourist or something. Little does he know that I live here. So I am a crazy, dumb local. The sewing guys was really interested in the camera and picture. I think I may print it out, frame it and give it to him. He did such a good job and I'm sure that he would appreciate it. I would doubt if this guy has any pictures of himself at all.

As the title suggests, the other two pictures show the Dichotomy of Rich and Poor in Bangkok. In the foreground is an abandond lot that is currently being occupied by who I would guess were construction workers. Yes, people live in those make-shift houses that are nothing more than metal siding nailed to posts. I'm not even sure the posts are stuck in the ground or not. The wind here is not that bad, so it may be that they are simply standing on the ground. But, if they are construction workers, I'm sure they probably know how to build a structurally sound building. At least I would hope.

In the background, you see several of the thousands of condo buildings in Bangkok. Very plush, very extravagent and probably too expensive for even me to live in. However, someone is living there, overlooking the poor people below them. Like I said, tin houses and high society right next to each other. And everyone seems to accept their place.

So you know, the construction workers probably make about 7,000-8,000 Baht per month. Also, so you know, I make more than that in 4 days. They are forced to live in places like this because they can't afford anything else. To me its rather sad. Also, wait staff make about the same amount of money. If you give a 20 Baht tip (60 cents or so), they are so grateful because that will probably feed them for a meal, maybe two if they know where to go. I am starting to see how many of these girls end up in the sex industry.

They may be young and working at a legit place and maybe going to school. A server (not a bar girl), 7-11 or a fast food place (which are considered good jobs for someone out of high school, high school kids never work at these places). But they see their friends with a new cell phone (or something else like that) and being taken to nice restaurants and treated nicely by some white man who has the money to spend, and these girls want that too, but at their current job they can't afford it. They can barely afford to survive, let alone treat themselves to nice amenaties of the world.

So they quit their legit job and school and then go to work at one of these places as a bar girl (so you know, bar girls probably make more money than most college graduates). She's making good money and having a lot of sex.

Its funny how the sociology of the culture over here is actually forcing the hand of girls entering the sex industry. You may not agree with the fact that these girls are forced into the industry, but 7,000 Baht is $200, for one month. Even though its cheap to live over here, its not that cheap. These girls are trying to improve their lives and the lives of their family, but at what cost???


Aaron