Boredom

I watched many people today, talked to them, photographed them and said my goodbyes. There is a real boredom in the slum, each day slides into the next without much change, the hours pass by, the people mostly stay the same, the things they do never really change.

I said my goodbyes and will go on to do different things in a different part of the world, my life has change, a bit of excitement and adventure to it. What will Khun Dang do tomorrow? Khun Ot? They will wake up try to find a way to get money for liquor, they will get drunk, joke with each other, look at life as it passes them by. The people in the gym have it better, the young boxers can train and work at their craft, go to school try to improve there lives. The trainers will continue to train, their love of the sport is obvious but their lives will not change, they will get older and will be doing the same thing 10 year from now that they did today only a bit slower and with greyer hair.

When I said and waied (putting your hands are put together at the face, a greeting used by Thais) my goodbyes today, I saw the boredom in their eyes, I saw the limited future they faced.

I keep thinking of when I said goodbye to Khun Bong (a trainer at the gym, a good decent hard working man), he had a look of quiet resignation, a look of acceptance. He waied me, stared straight into my eyes with a solemn expression and said "chock dee" (good luck).