The brightly coloured duck hangs from a piece of twine that is tied tightly to a thin wooden stick. The duck has a little red head and a bright yellow body.

It is woven out of hard plastic or maybe straw. I bought it from a little old lady sitting at the side of the street; sitting in a small, dusty corner of the street, her few wares spread out on a thin straw mat.

Her face and eyes, like the skin of a crocodile, has seen many years of toil and hardship, as well as watched the landscape of Thailand change without her being able to catch up with it. Her teeth have all but fallen out, with a few remaining, already black and yellow with decay. Her lips were like faded rose petals. Once, they must have been the desire of many men and envy of many women, but now they have faded, washed out, crumbled into the cracked tiles of the country.

To her, I was probably just another source of income. And to me, she was just another person on the streets.

It is often such in developing countries like Thailand and China. In both places, one will find large slums and squatter settlements, normally on the outskirts of the city, so as to be out of the way of larger establishments. Foreign companies have moved in from America and Europe like a silent predator. For some, this represents doom, and for others, hope.

Those who are caught up in the flight have probably secured their future, yet others, like that old lady, have been left behind and have to eke out a living on the streets.

While there aren't many beggars in either Thailand or China, both countries have their fair share of illegal hawkers or conmen. There are also many homeless children who have no choice but to either work for someone, or spend their time in the streets doing nothing. Many will probably end up in slavery or prostitution.

It's rather sad really, to see what globalisation has done to a country.

Don't get me wrong; Thailand is a wonderful country, and it's people are incredibly friendly.

Just that, while globalisation can bring business to a country and boost its economy, sometimes people get left behind. Sometimes, able young people turn to begging or prostitution because they had come to the city in the hopes of finding a better job, but in the end, found that there were too many people vying for that one spot. Also, many villagers who come to the city end up doing illegal activities such as hawking food or fake wares.

It's always been rather painful for me to walk through or drive through such places. I mean, I've always felt as if a piece of glass has been placed between us, and a sign that reads 'Look, but do not touch' has been plastered onto the glass. I've always felt like one of those expensive cars with plush upholstery crusing through dirt trails without a care in the world, with the children outside staring, wide-eyed at this new foreign matter entering their territory.

But I don't want to be like that, I don't want to feel like that.

I want to get to know them, these people who get left behind, I want to know what it's like living in the plume of dust foreigners left behind, I want the polished smooth car to stop.

Men in Armani suits and fat paychecks waltz through the streets, and the dust that their steps kick up settles on an old blue truck that is held together only by the will of its driver..

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