I'm really bummed out today. I've lived in Thailand, up the expressway from Bangkok, for nearly three years, and it really sucks that my final memories of this city are of it being set on fire and looted by protestors gone awry. They're not helping their cause, and now those thousands of people whose livilihoods depended on going to work every day at the shopping centers and the hotels and the stock exchange are further hurt. I thought that the people in this country were more caring than this.
We've been fortunate. Living outside of Bangkok, our lives haven't been much affected by the protest movement. Sure, I was without my computer for about six weeks because I thoughtlessly took it to a service place in the city, but I did get it back, repaired. Traffic was often crazier than usual, so I canceled a doctor's appointment awhile back and rescheduled at a clinic closer to our apartment. The Thai schools have been closed here since Monday, and I think that the only international school open this week was Madeline's, and it's finally closing tomorrow. With the rioting in the city, the adminstrators don't know if it would be safe to run the buses tomorrow. I'm thankful that they stayed open as long as they did. Life was pretty much going on normally here.
I stepped into Villa Market after dinner with my girls this evening; I needed a liter of milk for tomorrow's breakfast. As soon as I stepped inside, I knew that something was wrong. There were no shopping carts left in their corner. The shelves where loaves of bread usually are was totally bare, the bananas were all gone, and the dairy section was looking meager. I bought the milk I needed, but left wondering if the other shoppers who were intent on buying out everything in the store knew something that I didn't . I was going to go back tomorrow to pick up eggs and a little something for dinner, but I don't know if Villa will be open, or if anything would be left.
We've been fortunate. Living outside of Bangkok, our lives haven't been much affected by the protest movement. Sure, I was without my computer for about six weeks because I thoughtlessly took it to a service place in the city, but I did get it back, repaired. Traffic was often crazier than usual, so I canceled a doctor's appointment awhile back and rescheduled at a clinic closer to our apartment. The Thai schools have been closed here since Monday, and I think that the only international school open this week was Madeline's, and it's finally closing tomorrow. With the rioting in the city, the adminstrators don't know if it would be safe to run the buses tomorrow. I'm thankful that they stayed open as long as they did. Life was pretty much going on normally here.
I stepped into Villa Market after dinner with my girls this evening; I needed a liter of milk for tomorrow's breakfast. As soon as I stepped inside, I knew that something was wrong. There were no shopping carts left in their corner. The shelves where loaves of bread usually are was totally bare, the bananas were all gone, and the dairy section was looking meager. I bought the milk I needed, but left wondering if the other shoppers who were intent on buying out everything in the store knew something that I didn't . I was going to go back tomorrow to pick up eggs and a little something for dinner, but I don't know if Villa will be open, or if anything would be left.
I'll be thinking about you!! Hope everything goes smoothly with your move and just life itself. My cousin (20 yrs old) is traveling in Thailand right now. He's not close to Bangkok, but he'll be headed back that way around the end of the month when he flies back. It's such a shame. But I also know I'm lucky to never have been that desperate.
Posted by: jesser | May 19, 2010 at 09:36 PM