Moving on

[WARNING: A RATHER LENGTHY BLOG POST]

Home at last!

We could not have been happier when we basically got an OK from the "Risk Management guys" who recommended for us to wait another 24 hours before going home when I contacted them yesterday afternoon. After being away from home for several days, (and what felt like ages!), it was a relief to know that the worst is over. We can now start moving on with our lives as normalcy is being restored.

As much as we didn't want to leave our apartment building, it was the right decision to make. When we got back, we were told that the situation around the apartment was rather bad. Apart from the sound of continuous gunshots and explosions, there were also smoke and fumes from the burning tyres and buildings. It looked like we were spared the unduly stress.

In truth, I would never have imagined us being a part of the entire urban warfare experience such as this. I never would have expected that this was something we'd experience in THIS lifetime. As we got nearer to our apartment, the tension which we felt before left us. There were fewer soldiers around, and the road  towards our soi was nicely quiet, but not threatening.

I was just discussing with Aunt Antsy the other day on the general reactions from people who were not directly affected by such situation. Most would be oblivious to the plight of others who were impacted,and would continue about their daily lives as if nothing ever happened. They don't see why the big fuss around it and somehow, lack the compassion to understand the situation. Worse, they treated those who were actually affected by the crisis as the ones inconveniencing their routine because these affected people could not deliver what they needed under these extraordinary circumstances! It makes me wonder if they just have no empathy or were just really oblivious to the risks these people were exposed to. Either way, they came across as one really sad human being. Mind you, it was not as if those who were affected by the situation asked for it! Given a choice, I'm sure they want their routine back, too. I know WE wanted our routine back.

I mentioned to Aunt Antsy that it is hard to describe what we have experienced. While everything did feel surreal, and even exaggerated, there was no denying that one had to be here to really understand what the fuss was all about. From visiting the Red Camp, to having to evacuate the office, the echos of explosions and mutliple gunshots, the eerie silence as dusk broke, the smell of burning tyres, the plumes of smokes across the skylines, the armed soldiers who seemed too close for comfort, to being locked up at home as all exits and entrance were sealed, the perpetual rapid beating of the heart, worried faces all around and to the dangers and uncertainties of what lies ahead. Day in, day out. Finally, the reluctant but imminent evacuation from our own abode, equipped only with bare necessities and important papers with beloved family members in tow.

Perhaps, we would not have bothered too much if we had lived just that sllightly further. It is, however, hard not to care or continue to be oblivious to things around us. Especially when this has been our home for the last 5 years. And,it happened right in front of our noses, in our own backyard.

As cracked as the culture and society may be, it is where we earn our bread and butter. For what it's worth, Bangkok has allowed us to build our lives together. Despite the fact that we are still considered guests here, it is, at this moment in time, a place we call home.

For us, it has been an unforgettable journey as we live to experience an unexpected historical moment which will forever be etched in our minds and hearts...