Introducing Marco the Intellectual

Marco is a 5 year old white dog who doesn't bathe often, but still manages to maintain a large circle of close friendships with other street dogs in Bangkok. The secret to his popularity is the fact that he's a tough guy, a real bruiser, but also a bit of an intellectual as well.

This unique combination of brains and brawn means that Marco can hold his own in a variety of settings. He's just as comfortable taking part in a snarling junkyard dogfight as he is dropping by the local library for a Kafka reading. Marco's views on postmodernism have landed him in many a debate with local canine thought leaders, but somehow he always emerges from these discussions as the clear winner, leaving other pseudo-intellectual dogs to lick their wounds, so to speak.

Whenever I talk to Marco, I'm amazed by how he's able to get right to the truth that underlies all things. That's a tough thing to do when you're a street dog in Bangkok, and life's realities are mostly harsh. Most dogs prefer not to think too much, and we mostly live in the moment. Which isn't a bad way to get through the day, I guess.

But Marco's an old soul -- he sees that his predicament as a stray dog in a large city isn't as bad as it seems. Marco's friendships, and the knowledge he's built up over the years, prevent him from ever getting lonely out there on the dusty streets of the Thai capital.