CAUGHT in the middle

I was at MBK mall last Thursday when the red shirt started to invade Thailand's capital by jeopardizing the traffic in the most visited places in Bangkok. I was really clueless that people around started to talk about the coming crisis in the capital while I was hunting for great buys at MBK. Good that I noticed the huge crowd who were watching the wide screen right at the heart of the bargains. Something strange must be happening but I refused to stay away from the place for I did not hear any alarm.

Past 5 when I went out from the mall and took a van going back to my place. And then I started to feel the inconvenience. I had a 4-hour journey contrary to my usual 30-minute van trip from MBK going to my pad. It took me almost an hour to get out of Pyathai Road (which is only about 1 kilometer) because of the "REDS" who were marching towards the Victory Monument where almost all public buses and other public utility vehicles are bound.

The scene was extremely surprising and what makes it even more surprising is that I have witnessed it here when in fact, it's a usual scene in the Philippines. I should say that I am one of those Filipinos who has been punched by Dick Gordon's "huwag maging dayuhan sa sariling bayan." I have experienced so many things in Bangkok which I never experience back in the Philippines' capital where I have never stayed. I used to be sick of those protests I have seen over the national TV in the Philippines but I did not imagine that I could ammusingly be stucked into it here in Thailand.

One of the protesters said that they are willing to sacrifice if democracy demands it. Well, they have sacrificed their own convenience but how about the others? Do they think they are not affected by what they are doing? There are so many channels by which we could express our grievances without compromising the safety and privacy of the entire public. Blog could be one of them. Let's live life!


CITATION:
photo from www.bangkokpost.com