By: Grant Haxton
Amidst the bustle of Bangkok’s morning rush hour, I learned that the Los Angelos Rams had advanced to the Super Bowl. A controversial, overtime victory against the Saints in the NFC championship was enough to get them into their first title game since 2001. Reading the news on my phone, I smirked, satisfied that a decade of mediocrity had just been burst. My Rams were headed to the Super Bowl.
I felt obliged to celebrate the win silently from my park bench. A more boisterous celebration – my preferred reaction – surely would have been inappropriate to whoop and holler in Bangkok so early, particularly for a football game. I reckoned the Thais either did not know or did not care that the game had occurred, like most people outside America. Though I had some qualms with how I celebrated (where I’m from, obnoxiousness and loudness are encouraged following any sort of triumph) I decided it was best to respect Bangkok’s indifference with silence.
My thumbs supplanted the silence with a bevy of texting. I had to share my excitement with someone. I sent texts to family and friends, padding messages with screams and shouts through an inordinate amount of exclamation marks. It was an absurd display of fandom. I thought I was being raucous but I noticed I had not disturbed Bangkok with my revelry. I was still silent.
Cover photo by Laura McGlynn