Status Quo
I had a day off on Friday. The productive ones would have holed up in their rooms, headphones popping out like two bulbous eyes at the side of their heads while their fingers played Tigger the Tiger on their keyboard. Evidently, I'm not "a productive one" because I went into town for books, hamburgers and sweet new Transformers. But sometimes goofing off can be productive in its own right: I beheld, firsthand, what the Bangkok riots had done to the town.
The good news is that, like the Trey Anastasio song, it's "Alive Again." People are out and about the Siam area, doing their shopping thing, mobbing the entrances and exits, and buying, buying, buying. I spent such a comfortable ride on the BTS sky train that my nose was in a book the whole time. Not that that means much: I could easily be walking down a street and assume that the "pop pop" of gunfire was just some fireworks or else some vague thing that MIGHT warrant a "Huh. Look at that..."
The bad news is that I did gape offensively at several charred husks of rent metal and scorched concrete that were commercial buildings. The sight angered me. Not because burnt metal is annoying or that Cajun-served concrete isn't tasty either for the eyes or the palate (the latter being knowledge coming from an interview with an industrial grinder that wanted to become a Transformer), but that it was a rude desecration of the hard work of hundreds - perhaps thousands - of people who built the places or worked in them or shopped in them. (For those who think that shopping takes no effort, try driving into BKK center in less than 3 hours. Then tell me how well you managed to keep your cool in the traffic) On a personal affront to me, the yummy custard pie place that I had wanted to stop as a gift for Bia had been scorched (along with the other block of the building it was in), leaving me pulling an upraised arm Willem DaFoe from "Platoon".
On another note, there are still giant guavas walking around the place. I joke.The word "Foreigner" comes across in Thai as "Farang" which is the same as their word for "Guava." So just as a bear can bear all sorts of bearings, we whities (or "Crackers!" as Chris Rock would call us) are guavas. As for the more practical elements of this, it means that while the tourism industry has had its "Family jewels" kicked into their nostrils by the Red Shirts' attempt to "Help" the country, it is not dead. It has battered several small businesses, however. One of the three toy shops that actually carry the rare Japanese Transformers that make up the bulk of my current collection interests has practically emptied shop. Whether this is just a temporary clean or a sign of its impending closure remains to be seen.
More surprisingly, Prime Minister Abhisit has received Royal Permission to dissolve Parliament and erect a new Democratic government. So it seems that in spite of the Red Shirts' defeat, their pleas have not fallen on deaf ears. What this shows me is that Abhisit's actions during this whole fiasco - his willingness to negotiate, his patience, his use of the military ONLY as means of ending a siege that has severely crippled the country's economy - have entirely been justified. Good work, man. Yet still, one of my Farang colleagues insists that he will come to be known as the "Butcher of Bangkok." Sorry, chum, but I couldn't DISagree more. The man has done good things. And, while I utterly REFUSE to partake in the mockery of Democracy that Americans call "Voting", if I could, I would actively go out and vote for the guy again. He's a politician, so on general principal, I see him as an Angel who has to act like a Demon to get anything accomplished, but still, I respect his decisions in this difficult time. From the very beginning, I knew that the only solution to this would be bloodshed - both sides were WAY too damn stubborn to give an inch - but the steps PM Abhisit has taken to ensure that the bloodshed was minimal, and now his willingness to FOLLOW THROUGH with plans he had made during the crisis, is admirable.
In closing, I'd like to send out an invitation to you. While the country has suffered some trials, it is still Thailand. Yes. THAT Thailand. So do yourself a favor. When next you have a holiday, add a couple more days to your time and come on over for a visit. Come what may, this is The Land of Smiles, and its people are very protective of that reputation. So take advantage of their hospitality.
The good news is that, like the Trey Anastasio song, it's "Alive Again." People are out and about the Siam area, doing their shopping thing, mobbing the entrances and exits, and buying, buying, buying. I spent such a comfortable ride on the BTS sky train that my nose was in a book the whole time. Not that that means much: I could easily be walking down a street and assume that the "pop pop" of gunfire was just some fireworks or else some vague thing that MIGHT warrant a "Huh. Look at that..."
The bad news is that I did gape offensively at several charred husks of rent metal and scorched concrete that were commercial buildings. The sight angered me. Not because burnt metal is annoying or that Cajun-served concrete isn't tasty either for the eyes or the palate (the latter being knowledge coming from an interview with an industrial grinder that wanted to become a Transformer), but that it was a rude desecration of the hard work of hundreds - perhaps thousands - of people who built the places or worked in them or shopped in them. (For those who think that shopping takes no effort, try driving into BKK center in less than 3 hours. Then tell me how well you managed to keep your cool in the traffic) On a personal affront to me, the yummy custard pie place that I had wanted to stop as a gift for Bia had been scorched (along with the other block of the building it was in), leaving me pulling an upraised arm Willem DaFoe from "Platoon".
On another note, there are still giant guavas walking around the place. I joke.The word "Foreigner" comes across in Thai as "Farang" which is the same as their word for "Guava." So just as a bear can bear all sorts of bearings, we whities (or "Crackers!" as Chris Rock would call us) are guavas. As for the more practical elements of this, it means that while the tourism industry has had its "Family jewels" kicked into their nostrils by the Red Shirts' attempt to "Help" the country, it is not dead. It has battered several small businesses, however. One of the three toy shops that actually carry the rare Japanese Transformers that make up the bulk of my current collection interests has practically emptied shop. Whether this is just a temporary clean or a sign of its impending closure remains to be seen.
More surprisingly, Prime Minister Abhisit has received Royal Permission to dissolve Parliament and erect a new Democratic government. So it seems that in spite of the Red Shirts' defeat, their pleas have not fallen on deaf ears. What this shows me is that Abhisit's actions during this whole fiasco - his willingness to negotiate, his patience, his use of the military ONLY as means of ending a siege that has severely crippled the country's economy - have entirely been justified. Good work, man. Yet still, one of my Farang colleagues insists that he will come to be known as the "Butcher of Bangkok." Sorry, chum, but I couldn't DISagree more. The man has done good things. And, while I utterly REFUSE to partake in the mockery of Democracy that Americans call "Voting", if I could, I would actively go out and vote for the guy again. He's a politician, so on general principal, I see him as an Angel who has to act like a Demon to get anything accomplished, but still, I respect his decisions in this difficult time. From the very beginning, I knew that the only solution to this would be bloodshed - both sides were WAY too damn stubborn to give an inch - but the steps PM Abhisit has taken to ensure that the bloodshed was minimal, and now his willingness to FOLLOW THROUGH with plans he had made during the crisis, is admirable.
In closing, I'd like to send out an invitation to you. While the country has suffered some trials, it is still Thailand. Yes. THAT Thailand. So do yourself a favor. When next you have a holiday, add a couple more days to your time and come on over for a visit. Come what may, this is The Land of Smiles, and its people are very protective of that reputation. So take advantage of their hospitality.