Little Asian clichés

09 March, 2024

We decided that we didn't want to do anything special that day. We both had work to do on our projects and so our only stop was the local supermarket around the corner.

We were less concerned with our shopping and more with examining the Thai food. Aisle after aisle was filled with instant noodle soups [Image 1] . I had to smile because this was clearly one of the clichés I had in my head about Asians and their eating habits.

Noodle soups of all shapes and sizes, oodles of hygiene products, whole squid, seafood and chilled chicken feet filled the shelves. Natural or even organic products were nowhere to be seen. From this, it was possible to deduce a lot about the people with relative certainty, or to conclude where people focused their attention, what was important to them in their everyday lives and what was not.

On the way home, Bangkok served us a wonderful and colorful sky as we walked along our usual canal route [Picture 2-4] .

When I got home, I worked on more tattoo designs [pictures 5 and 6] and then booked our next stay on the island of Koh Phangan. We had already heard good things about the island, but were surprised at how expensive the accommodation was compared to Bangkok. I realized that this also gave a good indication of how touristy these places could be.

We decided on Koh Phangan after doing some research on the coastal regions. Each small island seemed to have its own "character". For example, Koh Tao was more remote and very suitable for slowing down, Phuket was ideal for tourists who wanted to experience more activities and things to do, and Koh Phangan was known for its alternative and spiritual scene.
“Let’s give it a chance,” we thought to ourselves.