The Lady in The Red Dress

My last day in Kandy, Sri Lanka. I wake up to a sunny day, and I really feel positive and optimistic about moving on. It just feels right. It´s not that I don´t like Sri Lanka but I really feel the moment has come to move on.

My next destination, Bangkok, is calling me.

It is the fifth time for me to be in Thailand, and having spent four months in 2023 and 2022, there is definitely an important connection I have developed to this country. I think I am drawn to Thailand because I love the spirituality and uniqueness of its culture, as well as its amazing range of foods, landscapes and nature.

The only real problem with connecting is the language barrier. I started to think about how to solve this problem when I noticed a pattern in how to connect on TikTok, but I had to talk to locals on camera.

Something I just found out very recently, which was actually a major discovery for me.

But most Thai people don’t speak English very well.

Which means what worked in Indonesia or Sri Lanka might not work in Thailand.

So I say good-bye to Nolan, the owner of my Airbnb and jump on a TukTuk to the train station in Kandy, from where I go to Colombo and then grab another TukTuk to the airport.

While I am standing there, a young lady in a red dress sitting next to me with her family offers me a tangerine with a big smile. Suprised by her random act of kindness, I accept and smile back, happy to have something to chew on since the train was 45 minutes delayed and is now leaving 1:45 pm

Then there is an announcement I don’t understand. Shortly after, the lady in red comes over to me and pulls me along with her. The train would arrive at another platform and she was making sure I got the message.

Nothing extraordinary, just small, random acts of kindness.

The train finally arrives and I manage to get seat-losing site of my new-found friends from the platform

Then I meet another lady in red. Just tinier; she is next to me but her smile is at least as charming as the prior one.

A little lady in red on the train

I have to admit that these small coincidences or, let’s call them syncronicites, completely went unnoticed as they were unfolding.

I consciously went back into my mind while writing my journal, remembering.

After a few hours on the train, I am getting sleepy and then while I am looking out the window during a stop, I see someone winking and smiling. The lady in the red dress is standing out again from among a crowd, saying good-bye

“Our last encounter?” Thinking to myself

Fast forward to Bangkok. At 4:30 am, I finally got to my hotel.

It is difficult to describe in words how vastly different the actual experience is. Those two locations could hardly be more distinct. One thing all large cities have in common is a sense of anonymity. The larger the city, the more you feel invisible and disappear

You just happen to be one out of millions, and no one seems to care. Everyone is just commuting and looking busy, going about their day. I am still thinking about how I can connect with these people. Sri Lankans, Indonesians, Filipinos and even Vietnamese people all have one thing in common: they all speak way better English than Thai people.

So I decided to take some street portrait photographs.

I love this practice because you literally create spontaneous situations out of thin air that can often lead to a memorable moment with a smile where you end up meeting a person and also allow me to connect through my photography; no words are needed. It just takes a little bit of courage to walk up to people, enough to pull you out of your comfort zone.

I mean, the comfort zone is a lovely place but nothing grows there.

So the next day, I grabbed my camera and the telephoto lens and hit the road. Let’s dive into the Bangkok Sukhumwit asphalt jungle and take some shots at beautiful people

There are many street photography-worthy places in Bangkok, but one that definitely stands out is Chinatown.

This bustling district offers a sensory overload with its vibrant streets, brimming with colorful shops and lively market scenes. The air is rich with the aromas of street food, from sizzling duck to sweet mango sticky rice, enticing photographers and food enthusiasts alike.

Yummi Thai Food ?

The narrow alleys, lined with traditional shophouses, provide a glimpse into the blend of Thai and Chinese cultures.

As the sun sets, the neon lights come to life, adding a dynamic backdrop to the already picturesque scene.

Chinatown in Bangkok is not just a place but an experience, offering endless opportunities for photographers to capture the essence of urban life and cultural fusion.

However, no more red ladies emerged,

But it’s been just five days since I left Kandy, and I’ve already shared loads of smiles. Plus, I’ve been spreading the lady in red’s cheerful vibes

I made new friends and took memorable photos.

We are connected to everything and everyone, all the time.

Perhaps the answer is not to look away, to engage in a never-ending negative news cycle, or to distract ourselves, but to pay attention to what is right in front of you and find meaning in the mundane human moments we all share that we can carry with us and achieve small wins.

As small as passing on a random act of kindness.

---

Need some inspiration ? Consider signing up to my newsletter

I call it The Uncharted Road Newsletter For Unapologetic Single Men Who Want True Freedom and Walk Away

Get tips and advice on building a Solo Business while traveling and doing photography every Friday for free into your inbox here