News Update: Folks, I am safe. Those of you with mutual friends, we are all safe. It is indeed getting tense and scary at times and the action feels like it is often too close for comfort but we are all safe and sound and very alert of what's going on around us. (2300 hrs, 22 April 2010 local time)
I am happy to report I made great progress in my Thai. In addition to having mastered "Taxi Thai" I now can say:
- Red Shirts,
- pink,
- black,
- yellow,
- protest,
- Suvarnabhumi airport,
- Ratchaparasong intersection,
- closed
flawlessly, to the point of almost perfecting the tonal nuances enough for people to think I'm Thai.
In all seriousnes, I do not make light of the events going on in Bangkok. There's little I can say that you won't already read in the news. Like many Bangkok residents, I, we, are attempting to maintain some semblance of routine life, only in areas away from the protest and conflict activities. It's easy to get sucked into the sense of frustration but I find maintaining a sense of humor, a healthy Thai dosage of mai pen rai, and resisting the urge to judge is crucial to remain calm and objective as a non-participant. As I am no professional reporter or international affairs analyst, there's little I can contribute on this blog about the events surrounding me. I offer instead to continue catching up sharing observations, experiences from my time in this region.
Showing posts with label current events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label current events. Show all posts
22 April 2010
19 April 2010
To build a village
..within a city is apparently easy as long as you have the numbers. The red shirts are digging in, stubbornly.
I was greeted upon my commute by the sight of an entire red village built up on the streets of Bangkok. Some sights to share:
Food giveaway line:
The kitchen behind it:
Interestingly, monks are set up behind it.
Makeshift shower stalls:
Paraphernalia store:
Tent city residences:
Restaurants for those willing to pay despite the availability of free food:
As much as I want to say "I told you so" because I had been the contrarian of my group, convinced that the protesters would not disperse during the Songkran holiday, but build up instead. I predicted they would remain and grow over last week while many suspected the government would attempt to clean house by the holiday. Both predictions turned out to be partially correct.
Instead of earning bragging rights for my astute gauge of the Thai mentality, I now have a growing sense of foreboding that comes with the realisation that my next prediction is this stand-off will not end well for anyone as the red shirts dig themselves more and more into this.
I was greeted upon my commute by the sight of an entire red village built up on the streets of Bangkok. Some sights to share:
Food giveaway line:
The kitchen behind it:
Interestingly, monks are set up behind it.Makeshift shower stalls:
Paraphernalia store:
Tent city residences:
Restaurants for those willing to pay despite the availability of free food:
As much as I want to say "I told you so" because I had been the contrarian of my group, convinced that the protesters would not disperse during the Songkran holiday, but build up instead. I predicted they would remain and grow over last week while many suspected the government would attempt to clean house by the holiday. Both predictions turned out to be partially correct.
Instead of earning bragging rights for my astute gauge of the Thai mentality, I now have a growing sense of foreboding that comes with the realisation that my next prediction is this stand-off will not end well for anyone as the red shirts dig themselves more and more into this.
13 April 2010
Snapshot in time
Seriously, I've been silent during the protests not because I have nothing to say. Au contraire, a couple of us normally apolitical folks are analyzing our surroundings by the hour. I as it happens have been on the road a lot, as usual, but for personal travel, missing every exciting weekend since the protests started. I don't feel I've missed much. I get enough of an idea in my weekdays. Including an afternoon off when the office was worried that the protesters were going to advance towards us, effectively blocking off traffic.
Instead, I offer an earlier snapshot I took before the mess got bloody. They've created their own little society in the corner, selling food, red shirts for potential converts, souvenirs, heart-shaped clappers (valentine overstock that just happened to be the right colour?), you name it.
The gathering was entirely peaceful. Mule-headed but peaceful. I don't condone the fact that they are likely behind some bomb and grenade attacks and definitely the blood dumping, but it wasn't the type of behaviour I saw in their sit-down protest. Their biggest overwhelming factor was number, not arms. Which, to me, renders the speculation of a third party instigating the shooting this weekend (yellow-shirters, perhaps?) entirely plausible.
Instead, I offer an earlier snapshot I took before the mess got bloody. They've created their own little society in the corner, selling food, red shirts for potential converts, souvenirs, heart-shaped clappers (valentine overstock that just happened to be the right colour?), you name it.
The gathering was entirely peaceful. Mule-headed but peaceful. I don't condone the fact that they are likely behind some bomb and grenade attacks and definitely the blood dumping, but it wasn't the type of behaviour I saw in their sit-down protest. Their biggest overwhelming factor was number, not arms. Which, to me, renders the speculation of a third party instigating the shooting this weekend (yellow-shirters, perhaps?) entirely plausible.
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