This will be my first and quick, (I'm waiting for a tuk-tuk) post from Ayutthaya. Bangkok's all aflutter about the planned protest tomorrow. The majority party are known as the Red Shirts. The opposition party sponsoring the protests formerly were known as the Yellow Shirts...yellow is the royal color. Now they've adopted the colors of the national flag...red, white and blue...and whistles, which, when blown by thousands of demonstrators, make a deafening roar.
Traveling from Bkk to Ayutthaya today I took the Sky Train to the mini-bus loading area. As we left the mini-bus loading area the driver pulled over and bought a whistle from protestors. He held it up for me to see and said "I stopped, I hold whistle and say I friend." Then he laughed to tell me it was not conviction but expedience.
My peeps in Ayutthaya have been anxiously calling me to check on my arrival. It has made for some very interesting bilingual phone conversations. Those conversations are much easier face to face. First day of school tomorrow!
No comments:
Post a Comment