The Look

Oh what I would give to hone that skill of grace under pressure. In all fairness, I think I’m almost nearly there, but not quite graceful enough. There’s room to do better, and only god knows what my evil bubble thoughts were at that point in time when it happened. If thoughts could kill!

It happened to me just a few days ago in the office. I won’t detail it out, but let’s just say it was not the most pleasant especially when you are dealing with a Ms Almighty-Pretentious-Spoilt-Twat who speaks with an unnatural English accent and thinks she is god’s gift to the world. While I successfully (I think!) gave a stoic, nonchalant look in all that grace under pressure demeanour, I let off my steam via MSN concurrently to Aunt Antsy and Silver Bullet. They probably could see that my ears were steaming with smokes, and were kind enough to tolerate my rant.

The conversation after my rant while furiously typing on the keyboard with Aunt Antsy went like this:

Antz 헤니: Ok, u have 2 choices:
(and she began to list out what my choices would be)

Me: nah..i won't go down to her level. I'll be the gracious person

Antz 헤니: Good. Just ignore her lah ... U give her that look u were so famous for.... 10 years ago. :D

Me: what look? you mean I have THE look?

Antz 헤니: Yesh .... We all remembered .... being terrified of it. That withering, stare u down till u r worthless kinda gaze.... Scary! : :D

Me: you serious?

Antz 헤니: U didn't have to try very hard to scare us lah.... :P Dats y they all say I v brave to approach u (a total stranger not known for her outgoing nature-then) in school. On retrospect, it wasn't that scary. But I thought I ought to deserve a medal.

Hmmm… I told her I would give her a trophy, instead. To that, she vehemently declined.

Nothing like brutal honesty between really good friends. I had to laugh really hard at "That withering, stare u down till u r worthless kinda gaze" quote.

Thinking back, I do remember “The Look” she described...simply because good old  friends don't let me forget easily that I can get quite kuai lan and snobbishly bitchy when push comes to shove.I have known for a fact that I used to (or perhaps even still have!) a face people just hate. But, that was a long time ago. I'm all chilled out  and mellow now that I have been told I might have even achieved sainthood.

It makes me wonder , however, if I will be able to ever find back that look now. It might just be fun to try again! :p

Hamster Harness

People are weird. Recently I came to know that there are sick people out there who now sell harnesses for hamsters. Why hamsters need a harness is beyond me, for I don’t think a hamster needs to be walked. Ever.
This story came to light when Aunt Antsy told me of an incident about her colleagues who bought a hamster leash for their hamsters. They wanted to try on Kelpie, Aunt Antsy’s hammie.  When they propositioned the idea, she told them that if they weren't afraid of being bitten, they can try. She had expected them to desist as Kelpie has bitten all of them before. Apparently quite badly too.

The story went that one of her colleague had picked Kelpie up, held her very tightly to prevent her from biting him and then tried to put the teeny-weeny hamster harness on her. He squeezed her so tight, her already protruding eyes were practically bulging from her eye sockets. She felt kelpie’s pain and so after 3-5secs, she very nicely asked them to return Kelpie to her. Poor Kelpie! Aunt Antsy spent her whole weekend fretting that Kelpie she might die of internal injury from being squeezed so hard. [Kelpie pulled through, though]

Aunt Antsy, being Aunt Antsy then made the picture below in light of the hamster harness incident and sent it to me. Apparently, she was very close to printing a copy and sticking it in her cubicle. I told her she should. Hamster leash does sound ridiculous. Some human being really have no empathy for animals!.

I thought Kelpie looks all too cute. besides, I support her cause and so, and I can't help but post Aunt Antsy's handiwork.

Disgustingly Appalling!

There is something VERY wrong about this image here, and I do find it to be extremely disturbing!    

Click here for the video

One thing is very clear to me: The parents of this 2 year-old boy ought to be shot for condoning such habits in a little kid. News has it that this little brat would also demand for coffee along with his cigarettes.Now, why any parents would even think of giving in to such nonsensical demand is beyond me. When I saw the interview on TV, the parents sounded very nonchalant about it. I remember the Mom lamenting that there is nothing she can do as he demands for it. Gee! How about just ignoring him and send him to bed instead? Or even better, just give him a little back-hand swat on the head?

How these people become parents are beyond me.Instead of strictly enforcing discipline, they just give in and then they blame the child for such behaviour? For crying out loud, this fatty-bom-bom is probably still wearing diapers. The only reason he is pushing his luck is because he is getting his way! And as to why he wants a cigarette?  Gee! I wonder if Daddy has been showing exemplary example with his own behaviour and mannerism? In fact, all this fatty-bom-bom is trying to do is just emulate his father's behavior so he feels like a man.

Talk about responsible parenting. Thanks to these people, we will be harbouring screw-up kids for the next few generations.

Happy, happy

You know the cats are happy and contented when they suddenly become inconspicuous. Not a peep, not a squeak, not a bleep. Calling out their names tend to be met with an extended silence.No indication of restlessness or pacing up and down the hallway in consternation.

THAT is a good sign indeed. It meant that the cats are now definitely happier. They are feeling utterly contented  and safe in a familiar surrounding and scents which they recognised. They are now back to their usual selves and minding their own business.

I'm happy when they are happy. :D

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...

Info Overload

It has to be said though that apart from Thai Visa, Twitter has been one of the best sources of UPDATED information available! With an unabashed bravado, both Silver Bullet and I solemnly confess that we caved in and signed up for a Tweeter account just to get live news updates. The irony of it all, especially for Silver Bullet who loathes social networking sites. In this instance though, signing up for Twitter was probably the best thing we could ever done as we became news junkies.

Call it information overload, but here are some fascinating stuff out there shared and posted by Twitterers who covered the crisis in Bangkok in the last week:

1. Central World Fire

Unfortunately, I am not too sure on the original source of this to give credit to, but is one of the most photographed sites and one image that can be found rampantly on the web.  

(Can't help but notice the perpetually bemused look of the gold statue. The irony!)

2. Simply Eerie

Again, not too sure where is the original source of these images for me to mention credit, but the similarity depicted here is really scary.

3. The Crackdown

Visually engaging photographs that will make you cringe as the contents are rather disturbing

(WARNING: PROCEED WITH CAUTION)

Link

4. A Perspective from 2007

One of the Twitterers  I was following happens to be a journalist from The Nation. This crisis reminded him of an article he wrote 3 years ago...

Opinion on the "Mastermind"

5. Global Voices
Snippets from bloggers from all around.

Link

The Aftermath Blog Post

Stumbled upon this  blog post from one of the tweets I've been following. Worth a read and extremely well-written with a very balanced perspective of things that has unfolded in Bangkok.

Bangkok Lockdown Day 8

It's almost officially over. Another 24 hours and we would be getting a go-ahead that we should be able to go on home. How's that for a good news, eh!

With the same breath, we also realised that it really ain't over till its over. Curfews are currently still in place and it will be another quiet night in Bangkok. At least, we can now tell ourselves that the worst has passed and whatever has happened, had to happen eventually. It will be a while till things get back to normal...but at least we can now start the recovery process.

I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing; but the area in which we live in has now been officially  been declared as as one of the disaster zones! Talk about drama-mama...

Settling down...

NOT!

The poor cats have been a confused lot since we got here. They can't seem to get comfortable, they don't eat very much and they all are constipated. I think they are pretty annoyed at us for disrupting their routine. I'll go on a limb here and say that they probably hate us right now.

Donut for one, has been squeaking more and more to let us know that in no uncertain terms, does he like his new routine and it is something he does not want to get used to. For an unusually quiet cat who probably has not mastered the art of meowing, his frequent squeaks sounds quite heart-wrenching to the ears.

Poor, poor cats! They did seem more relaxed today (just a tad!) though, but that doesn't mean that they are liking it. Obviously, they don't have a clue to the kind of stress we are facing. I reckon all they care about is the fact that they have been greatly inconvenienced and how dare us humans stress them out like that. :p

They looked so frightened in the first few hours of being here that they each refused to get out of their respective cat bags. We had to force them out. A little while later,  I saw the 3 of them huddling together right outside the bedroom door looking oh-so-pathetic, that I can't help but try to get a candid shot of them all at once.

Of course, the moment I took out my camera, Andy decided to run away and hide, leaving Donut and Fudge looking rather wary, yet so lost. Quite funny...especially if you had seen what I saw when Andy was in between them, with the same (and only more retarded) expression.

If anything, they are a source of our amusement in this current stressful situation!

Temporary Home

While we don't consider ourselves refugees and far from being beggars in this context of being evacuated from our own home, it is also quite unfortunate that we can't choose the type of place we want as our temporary home.

Currently, we are being put up somewhere in Soi 39. It's not a very snazzy-fancy place; just a small 1-bedroom service apartment where the ceiling is really low, and hardly any room for 2 adults and 3 cats to run around. There are plenty of apartments in the building itself and it is equipped with decent condo-style facilities. However, the entire area is not very sound-proof. We can hear people chattering away as they walked past our door, and practically anyone who happened to open and close their door when they come in/go out.

Because of its sheer size as well, ventilation in the apartment became a little bit of an issue. As a consequence, both Silver Bullet and me have been sneezing our heads off since we got here. Piritons and nose-sprays are now our best-friends. And oh, there's this sewage stench in the bathroom that just would not go away, too.

I miss our home already. At present, I guess we just have to live with what we have been provided till we are allowed to go back home.


The main area with an attached kitchen pantry, taken from different angles:

The master-bedroom and bathroom:

Bangkok Lockdown Day 7

Very soon I'm gonna lose count on the number of days we have been greatly "inconvenienced", and by then I really do hope that I have long stopped counting these dreadful days because it will finally be over.

Things started out relatively calm again this morning. So calm that we began to think that we could just be going back home this time tomorrow. Unfortunately, that was not to be the case as the government has extended curfew for 3 more days in Bangkok soon enough. More news came in with things started being pretty unstable again with reports of loud bangs heard in Ratchprasong area, explosion heard in Lumpini park area, fire bomb elements found in container between Ploenchit and Chidlom intersections that apparently ca unleash a powerful blast within 100m radius as well as reports coming in of heightened activity at Ratchprasong again as troops scan for snipers along roof tops.

Sometime in the early evening, I got a text message informing me that there would be more trouble brewing tonight around the area where we live.

The possibility of being able to go home tomorrow looked bleak ...

Curfew

I don't remember the last time I had a curfew imposed on me. I reckon, it must have been ages ago when I was still a delinquent teenager, when I just D.R.E.A.D the word CURFEW! Yet, this time, it felt like a great relieve that the government finally imposed a curfew in Bangkok from 8 pm onwards today as they set out  to "clean up" the city. That means, pretty much every thing else is game as a live target if you are out and about after the stipulated time.

At about half an hour to curfew, the city became eerily quiet again. As we continue to scour  for update news with the TV in the background, shuttling between BBC, CNN and Channel Newsasia, I could feel my hair stood on ends as I saw pictures after pictures of Central World which, at the current time of posting, is currently burning to the ground.

At this stage, I can't help but feel a sense of relief that we are rather far from the main area. Central World is too close to our apartment and with the mayhem happening all around it, I'm not sure if I can keep my blood pressure down. It really is a sad, sad day. I'm just hoping that whoever is left at our apartment building managed to stay safe. That and all those soldiers positioned along our soi will do their utmost to guard the area with their lives and that our apartment will still be there when we come back for it.

Right this moment, I'm just feeling an incredible amount of fatique and exhaustion from the entire ordeal. Perhaps, I can sleep a little better tonight knowing that we (husband and cats) are all together with me in a safer place.

Snippet and pictures of the aflamed Central World:

Source: http://yfrog.com/cam87yj

Source: http://tweetphoto.com/23046959

It's not over!

Shortly after settling down in our new location, the alleged protest leaders apparently surrendered themselves to the authorities. Within minutes, all hell broke loose as the rogue Reds decided to take matters into their own hands and declared independence from their leaders.

As at 2010-05-19, 15:21:16 Post #130

• Thai TV just reported riots breaking out in Chonburi as well.
• Central World: http://yfrog.com/1smvsj
• The biggest fire I've seen of yet LIVE PIC http://yfrog.com/3zbbbuj /via @beejoir
• Update: The Stock Exchange of Thailand Building on Ratchadapisek Road was reportedly set on fire.
• The fire was set at Maruay Library, the first floor of the building.
• @bangkok: The Stock Exchange is ablaze. Flames twice as bad since I've uploaded this. http://twitpic.com/1p32g5
• ThaiPBS reporter states there is fire at Siam Square. Cinema is on fire; fire has spread to MK restaurant in Siam Square
• The curfew may be being considered in the evening meeting @5pm, The Nation reporters
• Reuters: Thai Stock Exchange (SET) on fire. SET president says first floor set ablaze. Fire at Siam Square. Siam Theatre has collapsed, MK restaurant burning.

Source: Thaivisa

Bangkok literally went up in flames as the Reds were hell-bent on destroying the city. As I'm writing this, more and more places are being targeted for arson and looting. We could still see the smokes engulfing the sky from the balcony of the apartment which we relocated to. As we see the news all around, all I can say for now is that Bangkok has seen better days. It is such a shame that it has now been destroyed by the irresponsible people who used their poverty and quest for democracy as an excuse to commit such a crime.

Bangkok Lockdown Day 6

I jolted out of bed and couldn't get back to sleep this morning when my phone beeped with the following text message from our management:

"Urgent: Office closes till Friday. Please work from home and please do not enter to the office building. It's too dangerous now"

Hardly offering any peace of mind to be rather rudely awaken by that, after several nights of restless sleeps while the uncertainty loomed in the air. With an alert like that, it seemed inevitable that we have to get ready to be evacuated from our apartment building soon enough.

Actually, since we have been holed up at home for several days now, my management has been checking up on me on an almost daily basis. Only yesterday did they insist that they wanted us out of the area, and suggested evacuating us to a safer place, (which we initially thought was exaggerated and unnecessary), as their assessment on the situation looked quite grim. One thing for sure, my CEO was pretty adamant about it and arrangements were made immediately the moment I gave a go-ahead after a discussion with Silver Bullet. They had actually engaged a risk management company that specialises in evacuation, and  flew people out of Singapore to specifically rescue their staff out of danger zones. The beauty of working for a huge MNC, I tell you. :)

In the late morning, all packed  up with clothes, some essential documents and cats in tow, we were ready for "collection" by a  bunch of people emerging from a white van. It really sounded and felt exaggerated that we had to be escorted out...! But, we bit our tongue and followed their white vehicle as Silver Bullet drove closely behind their driver, while another burly guy escorted us in our car. There were also a hell lot more soldiers througout our sois. While they all smiled at us, somehow their eyes seemed to say that they meant business.

As we drove out of our area, we saw thick black smokes in the somewhat near distance. I could feel the knots in my stomach as I snapped the shot here as we drove into Soi 3, the Arab quarters.

Candid Shot

It is nice to be a cat, isn't it?

Bangkok Lockdown Day 5

Today seemed relatively calmer and we continue to monitor  the news closely. We are still pretty much holed up at home, with no near end in sight at the moment. [W(hen)TF are they gonna start ding-donging?!] At least , we have not been hearing the sounds of gunshots and explosions from our backyard. For now.

Following the news in the last few days though, I thought I sensed some level of biaseness from the international news broadcasters. While I believe they tried to be objective, I didn't particularly  like the way the interviewer threw the questions or how the events had been presented.  In fact, I voiced out the bubble thoughts in my head out loud to Silver Bullet over the weekend. He was quick to dismiss my sentiments as he thought they did OK. In some way, he had a point in saying that it probably was because I was already biased, and that they were just trying to give another perspective from the underdogs. I acknowledged his POV, thinking I could be overtly sensitive. However, I did not think that I was imagining the existence of an unjust and biased view points.

The Thai society and culture is one that is extremely complex. Without the local perspective, it really is hard to understand the under-lying issues that have been brewing. It is, of course easy to take sides with what seemed like innocent civilians, and diss the government. It is good to know that there are people out there voicing their opinions in what they thought were biased reporting:

1. (This one takes the cake!) An open letter to CNN
2. Post #28, 2010-05-18 08:06:46 (3rd from top): Letters to Editor

The existence of local sites/media like Thai Visa, The Nation and even social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook give us another perspective to form our own judgement; or otherwise be swayed by just one perspctive from international media.  In this day and age, it is hard to deciper what's accurate and what's not.

After seeing/experiencing the Reds camping right outside our streets in the past few months, I really do think they should go home and stop behaving like spoilt brats. I thought (and that's only me), the only thing the Thai government did wrong was that they were too lenient in the early days of the protest by allowing the massive number of Reds to congregate and eventually takeover the city centre in the name of peaceful protests. Given the current circumstances, I do think the government is trying to do the right thing by not giving in, and that the protesters should wise up , go home and stop playing victim. Because this time, they (the leaders, especially) asked for it.

Impromptu Brownie

The situation here has been so intense that every news update I got today made me so nervous and jittery, sending my heart palpitating a thousand miles and literally making me sick to my stomach.

In the later part of the evening, I then decided that best thing to do to calm myself down is bake. As Silver Bullet put it when he looked at me grinning away bemused, "extraordinary circumstances calls for an extraordinary measures, and hence, the extraordinary comfort food for dessert".

For me though, it really was very therapeutic;  taking me less than 40 minutes (including baking time) to get it all done.The brownie smelled so heavenly as it baked away in my tiny oven. The effort was well worth it as the brownie turned out to be quite yummy. It is rich, quite moist and crumbles in the mouth. I could not be any happier.

Not bad for something that was done first time in a whim and under a very stressful circumstance, I must say!

Bangkok Dangerous Zones

For those of you wondering where the danger zones in Bangkok are, here's the link to give you a perspective of happenings.

Is it still safe to be travelling to Bangkok? At this point, I'll say A.V.O.I.D Bangkok at all cost. The city centre is where the current action is and we just don't know how widespread this is going to get.

 It really is not all peaches and cream here and NO, this time, the media is not hyping it up.

Bangkok Lockdown Day 4: Insanity

Now tell me this isn't suicidal?! Are these people frigging insane?! I really question what the hell is really wrong with these people, putting their child up there, knowing full well that their lives and safety are hanging by a piece of thread.

A Red child being put forward at the barricade under Expressway Khlong Toei 14.15 h

Source: http://twitpic.com/1ojv07

Red Baby crying after explosions heard at tyre barricades under expressway

Source: http://twitpic.com/1ojv9w

No surprises who these people will blame if this kid gets hit by a bullet. It's not like the haven't been warned to stay away from the area. Morons!

It's the real thing

To be honest, I don't really want to cover the political situation in Bangkok. It is not my forte and it's a topic I would generally avoid in trying to keep my "slice of life" on the lighter side of things. Besides, I don't think a lot of people out there would be too interested to dwell the details of such things. For me, I have no special interest to cover them otherwise

These past few days has taken a turn though...and I do apologise in advance to those who have been following my blog that it has gone slightly "politically heavy", and not that many readers out there would be interested in what's really going on here.

The fact of the matter is that we can't escape it. These things are happening right in our own backyard, as our apartment is just literally next to the protest area. This time, it really is happening for real. What makes it scary is that we don't know which way this massacre  is going to go. While the army attempts to secure the position, the Reds keep pushing and pushing, and covering new areas at the same time. When the 2 finally comes face to face, we don't really know where they would be and it just might be right in front of us. It is a scary thought, and the thunderous noises of explosions and gun fires we have been hearing in the last few days did little to ease our jittery feeling. As I am writing this, we are literally stuck at home and not able to go anywhere. We have even read somewhere advising residents to stay away from windows. It does sound like we are paranoid, but the uncertain and dangerous situation out there is very real for us.

We came across this message from a tweeter just minutes ago and I swear I felt my hairs stood on ends:

@Tulsathit & Veen_NT. PLEASE HELP US. We are trapped in Sathorn Soi 1. The Reds have surrounded our apt bldg with tyres and are about to burn
@many many children in here..PLEASE inform police & army now! They have exploded 6 grenades outside now
@Bangkoklife: It is looking VERY VERY bad. I called police but they said they couldnt help

I felt so sick to my stomach and I could only hope that they get rescued.

As I said, it is the REAL thing now.It feels surreal, but there is no denying that the situation is far from just something you can shrug off. It is however, not my primary intention to focus on the depressing, heavy politics. Rather, to just keep friends and family updated on what is really going on in this little area of Bangkok we live in. So bear with me for a little more, while we try to get through this safely.

Scenes from our backyard: Day 3

Silver Bullet making full use of photo-opps as the events unfolded right from our backyard. This was taken from the highest floor of our apartment building this afternoon from the massive burning of tyres:

Bangkok News: A Perspective

Came across a very jarring account while scouring for news update today. A very well-written post on a real life account from a Bangkok-based photojournalist who has been living here for the longest time, sent a chill down my spine as I read through his account.

Trust. A very big word. Who and what to trust is an even bigger question..

Bangkok Lockdown Day 3

It really is looking like a royal mess in and around Bangkok's city centre at the moment, As I'm writing this, we can see thick black smokes across the horizon, engulfing the cloudy sky. The sights are accompanied by the echos of gunshots and explosions all around. It is getting pretty intense...a feeling I'm not too comfortable with at the moment.

Bangkok has been relatively safe...until now that is. In the last year or so, there have always been news on protesters, Black Songkran, the coup and such. Most often than not, it's like crying wolf, and so, when people asked us about it, we would just be shrugging our shoulders and treated it as another media hype (which was often true).  I have to say though, it really is not the case now. And, as compared to the numerous times Bangkok has been crying wolf, none was as intense as what is currently happening literally right in our backyard right now. Here's an article from expat residents who are currently living in apartments in the middle of this madness. I can imagine it must be quite scary for them.

Coming from a clinically clean and safe Singapore where one can walk on the streets at any time of the day without any fear, is something I haven't felt in the last few days here. Having to keep looking over my shoulders every time I take a step forward, worried sick of stray bullets and snipers whenever I leave the safety of apartment, leaves me feeling very uneasy and jittery. It really is something I have never felt before. I can't help but appreciate how the Singapore government would have never allowed such protests to happen at any rate! The iron fist-velvet glove ruling did work to the advantage of the people in keeping the nation's peace and harmony. It might not be too big a deal to some, but in times like this, safety and peace of mind could never be taken for granted.

At the moment, our peace of mind (sort of) is seeing these soldiers ensuring some security around our area, as seen from our balcony. I'm just hoping they are not the "trigger-happy" lot.

Bangkok News: Child's Play

Another one of those that sent me into hysterical laughter:

Today, 2010-05-15 18:02:18 Post #124
ThaivisaNews: Red MC says: "4,000 - 5,000 reds at Din Daeng have cut off soliders supplies. We don't eat, neither do they!" /via @terryfrd
Source: Thaivisa

What did I say earlier about childishness again?  Isn't it a typical 5 year-old spat, "You cut mine, I cut yours ahh! I scared ahh?!"

Simply a classic example of  that musical "neh, neh, neh, neh, neh!"

You really gotta laugh!

Our surrounding scenes

Silver Bullet not leaving home without his DSLR in the recent days gives some bite-sized perspective as we scanned our surrounding area this afternoon:

a) View from outside my office building towards Ploenchit BTS


b) Superbly empty, in an otherwise usually busy Wireless Road towards Petchburi on the other side of the Soi along the British Embassy.


c) Armed soldiers takign their positions in our soi and view from directly opposite of apartment, a soldier setting up his mini-bunker and a razor barbed wire

Bangkok Lockdown Day 2

We made attempt #2 this afternoon to survey accessibility beyond our immediate soi in trying to figure out the exit routes should there be a need to make a dash when shit hits the fan. What we found out turned out to be quite positive: No problem in getting out of the soi whatsoever; the potential problem is coming back in, especially if you attempt entry via a vehicle.

Basically, the army seems to have secured our soi from the potential Red threats. They have installed check-points with mini-barricades every 100m from one end of our soi to the other end, as well as bunkers along the streets. By the looks of it, they have pretty much sealed off the main road that intersects our soi, preventing unauthorised vehicles or perhaps even taxis coming in. It is, however, still OK to get in and out on foot - which was what did after we checked out the area, went to visit out neighbour in Bumrungrad Hospital (they just had a baby), went for a foot massage and then decided to do a little bit of groceries.

Sukhumvit was pretty much quiet with armed soldiers everywhere, checking on every single vehicle that passed through. Despite the tension, they seemed helpful and smiling quite a bit.There were still a few people walking around and hanging about - locals and tourists alike.

It also appeared that they were  installing snipers in some of the buildings within our soi. Residents here have been given some form of formal certificate to certify that we have the right to be here, with advise from our apartment staff that we should stay in after 6 pm.

If anything, it is looking like our soi is probably one of safest place to be in, given that it has been secured by the military. Only, I'm skeptical about the fact that most of the soldiers seem pretty young and if they know what they are doing. Perhaps, it might not be inaccurate to speculate that these young boys themselves are also probably nervous to take on this massive responsibility.

I'm hoping this madness will stop soon.  It's annoying that we can't even send the cats to the vet for their imminent annual jabs which happened to be due today!

Paths of Glory

It took me a while into the book to realise that it’s about a mountaineering expedition. It is purported to be a semi-historical novel. Well into the book, I then realised that it was inspired by a true story, and , so we all know how the story ends. Yeah…I’m THAT slow! :p

It really is a simple story line, but one that got me hooked from page to page. To me, it does not seem atypical of Jeffrey Archer’s - which, could explain why, apart from the fact that I was on vacation, it took me a while to realise what the heck I was actually reading.

The bit of synopsis from the back cover of the book of: ”But not until you've turned the last page of this extraordinary novel will you be able to decide if George Mallory should be added to a list of legends because, if he were, another name would have to be removed".  It is, indeed, a great topic to ponder, speculate and discuss about for a bit.

There really are no twists or turns in this so called thriller type of tale. It is in fact a rather well-told biographical adventure story. It is colourful and dramatic and well worth the read. To me, it is another bloody brilliant read from Mr Archer.

Bangkok Lockdown Day 1

We have been hearing intermittent explosions since late last night and, gunshots after gunshot around our apartment. It almost felt surreal.

We were told that pretty much every road surrounding the area where we live will be sealed off; which meant that we won't be spared the inconvenience, as all exits from where our soi meets the main roads will no doubt be affected. That means, we will pretty much be like prisoners in our own home, with no real date of being "released".

Wondering how bad the extent of the road's accessibility (or in this case, the INaccessibility) will be, in case we need to make an exit if shit happens, we decided to take a walk to the end of our soi. Just so, we can get a feel of things. Walking halfway down towards the end of the soi, we literally stopped short in our tracks when we saw soldiers after solders emerging from a corner in a war-like stance as they moved towards us. I swear my heart started palpitating almost immediately!

Every one of them was armed, and within seconds, humvees and military trucks followed suit. Helicopters were seen circling around. It felt really intense, as if anything could happen at that very moment. I started getting jittery and thought that we should turn back! Silver Bullet had brought his camera gear along, and so took the opportunity to snap a few pictures, making ME feel extremely bothered and impatient. It felt like a very long wait! But! He does have a few nice pictures to boot.

We abandoned the thought of walking towards the end of the soi. At least for now, till it feels like it is easing out a little. Till then, we will be prisoners in our own home...

Here are some snapshots of the army marching right into our soi this afternoon:

Bangkok Lockdown: Thai News

We are pretty much glued on to any type of news we can get around here and while scouring for updated news, we came across what appeared to be quite a funny one:

i. News update on 2010-05-14 09:49:24:
Re: Reds' guards given beverage laced with sedative Thursday night
Red's security staffs guarding Langsuan area were given beverage possibly laced with sedative on Thursday night, an informed source Friday.After drinking for a while, some guards fell asleep while some others appeared to be unconscious.They were then taken to a hospital nearby.The incident was believed to be the army's ploy to weaken the red shirts protesters.


ii. News update on 2010-05-14 10:44:08:
 Re: Red-shirts Hijack 3 Military Vehicles
The red-shirt group has hijacked 3 military vehicles close to Lumpinee Park and Sathorn Road. Sand was poured into the gas tank while protesters battered the car with sticks and stones
Source: Thaivisa

When Silver Bullet read it out to me, I couldn't help but laugh my head off. Simply because, if you think about it, it sounded kinda childish. In my head, it goes something like this:

Army: " I no friend you anymore.Hmmph! *pout*pout* I give you sedatives so you won't bother me ahh!"

Reds: "I also no like you. You make me sleep early... You bully me, I revenge-ah. I put sand in your gas tank. Now you cannot go anymore. I hit you with sticks also. neh neh neh neh neh!!!"

Say those sentence out loud, and mimic with a tone of a kid who is itching for a fight. Seriously, these people are like kids in an adult's body, and  playing with toys that' sonly meant for adults, while having a mindset of a 5 year old. Insane!

Fountain

I'm in love...with my new fountain!

Isn't it just a pretty little thing?  There's something about having a fountain at home. There's something soothing about it, and apart from the fact that it looks nice as a display piece.  Fengshui-wise, the energy of water is a typical symbol of wealth and prosperity, a good symbolical element to have in the house. Besides, a working fountain will also help to diffuse healthy  ions into the air, which apparently is good for your health and well-being!

It is also about time to replace the old one which I had for almost 5 years already...and truth be told, the cats love it too.

Here's Andy lapping it all up, as if her life depends on it. The other two..well, let's say both Fudge and Donut just love moving the little stones around and making sure that they are outside the area of where the stones should be. Typical cats. they just won't leave those tings alone.

Bangkok Lockdown

The whistle has been blown and the kick-off has started right about a couple of hours ago.

At about after lunch today, we got an email from HR that the office building will be closed for business at 5pm. They expected a major crack-down with live bullets, as they started closing the roads and urging the locals to stay away from the area. Given that I have a deadline due, I wasn't too happy about the disruption and the delay  it will cause to my work.

Actually, Silver Bullet started "harassing" me since he heard about it in the late morning today and had rushed home himself . When he told me about it, I was still blasé, thinking that it was one of those empty threats. Besides, none of my Thai colleagues were taking the warnings too seriously. But in the end, it seems like it was not the case. In the end, we were basically chased out of the of the office. Then it was my turn to chase my staff out and told them to go home.

As I walked out of the office, there were a lot of tension in the air. Traffic was in a gridlock as people try to get their asses out of the area. Soldiers started preparing their ammo right outside my office and as I walked on, I saw more of them. All of them armed.

To honest, I don't really feel safe or comfortable being outside. Getting a taxi home was out of the question, considering the circumstances and I was glad that when I called Silver Bullet, he already made his way towards my office to come retrieve me!

What a day! I wonder how long we will be cooped up at home. Times like this, I wish we have access to Channel News Asia

The "Annoyer"

There's something I do rather unconsciously when I'm super tired and bothered, and it's something which Silver Bullet pointed out intermittently whenever it happened. You see, I don't usually get annoyed; rather I tend to annoy. The victims under the usual circumstances would either be the cats (usually Andy) or Silver Bullet. 

Honestly, it is not like I do it on purpose, really. It usually happens when I feel so knackered that I don't really think about it. Most times, while feeling just so darn tired,  I would have this sudden urge to go disturb or annoy the living hell out of  the cats or Silver Bullet. It can be rather fun to see their reactions when they got a little bothered, and no matter how tired I feel, I still can manage a cheeky smile while they try to tolerate me.

The recent conversation with Silver Bullet went like this:

Me: *poke*poke*
*pull hair on his arms and armpits*
*put my finger really close to one of his cheeks when I'm sure he would turn to it*
wait for 5 minutes,  and then poke his ticklish spots


Silver Bullet: Oh god! Why is it that you have to make it your mission to annoy the crap out of me?Aren't you supposed to be tired? (shaking head in exasperation)  

Me: Hee..hee..heh! Why not? The cats are too far away to annoy. And you just happened to be here?

Silver Bullet: Oh come on..stop it..I'm tired too, you know. (still shaking his head in exasperation and resignation while I flash my cheekiest smile)

Me: Would you rather I am tired or,  angry and grumpy?

Silver Bullet: Come to think of it, angry and grumpy is a better option right now.

Me: Huh? Why???

Silver Bullet: That way, you’re just quiet...

Come to think of it, I usually am quieter when I'm angry...

Sigh! I get so much love these days.

Super hot, hot, hot!

And I'm not talking about some sexy or gorgeous human being here.It's the weather I'm ranting about.

The heat has been relentless these past few days. It has been really, really hot and humid. Just 5 minutes outside and I'm breaking out in perspiration; and mind you, I don't usually perspire that easily.  Even having the air-conditioner PLUS the fan on, blowing my way ain't enough for me these days. It really is crazy hot out there and I don't like it!

Tumeric Plant Version #2

There seems to be another variety of leaves growing out of one of the tumeric pots recently. This version also seems closer to the variety of  the tumeric leaves we have seen before, and exactly like those we found when we googled on the internet. I thought these long-ish leaves do look like the ones my mom gave as well!

So, yes...I am a little confused now.

What do tumeric leaves really look like and why are there 2 different variety of leaves growing out of one pot when we have planted exactly that same tumeric roots?

This version definitely looks very different from the ones that grew (and still growing) before. I wonder if there's a logical explanation for this, for I swear the ones that were planted were the same tumeric roots! It's just weird.

Joy is...

when Silver Bullet presented me with lunch after I got back from my pilates class as I was feeling all hot, bothered and hungry...

A professional looking sandwich, complete with a toothpick  to hold everything together, and served in a not-so-silver platter. Life's can be so simply sweet!

A Spot of Bother

One of the reasons I bought this book was the fact that I loved Mark Haddon’s other book, “Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” (a review for another time). I read that book more than 5 years ago and I still remember what a powerful story it was. So naturally, when I saw his newer book, I have no qualms about buying it . I’ve had this book and read it possibly more than 3 years ago, yet for the life of me, I cannot remember anything about it when Silver Bullet started telling me what a book it was. For some reason, I thought the book was just so-so and didn’t leave with me any impression that was worth remembering.

Hence, when Silver Bullet brought it on our vacation and started laughing his ass off every few pages, I really began to wonder what did miss. When he related it to me, I remembered only bits and pieces. He then urged me to give it another go, and since I was running out of books after he was done with it, I relented and gave it another shot. I vaguely remembered the book being super-eccentric. I reckon I must not have been very focused when I read it the first time; and probably left it half-way because the main character got on my nerves after a while. (I actually DID finish reading it the first time round as I found out later)

If you can get past the somewhat ludicrous insanity of the characters in this book, it will be a good, hilarious read. The Hall family, especially the main character, who is on the brink of dementia, is quite a nutter. In fact, the entire family is so dysfunctional that it can be rather nerve-wrecking, bordering on irritability and annoyance.

That being said though, I actually enjoyed the author’s style of writing, which is full of comical, imaginative and sometimes odd and even graphically bizarre description of things, English style humour. You just need to get past the some of the  insane eye-ball rolling moments of eccentricities!

Joy is...

waking up in the middle of the night to pee and found an immovable entity of fur ball sprawling in between what little space that was left between me, a pillow and Silver Bullet.

And realising that she was still there, but contorted in a different position, when I woke up the 2nd time to pee again 3 hours later...

Mid-Week Musing

Lounging away and adrift in my own thoughts in the middle of the afternoon at home, I can’t help but notice that our newly semi-refurbished place not only looks cozy, but also feels much more homely. That little bit of adjustments they made in replacing the old, dowdy air-con that were before fixed to the floor, fixing the lights in the living and dining room area, as well as creating a little bit of a wall structure where we place our TV really did make such a huge difference to the overall look and feel.

With our little stuff in place here and there, this rented apartment finally exudes a feeling as if it’s our own home. It really is a shame we don’t own our own place here, but for now at least, it does feel like it's our home. With that little adjustment made, our art (as well as the lamps) from Bali in place and our three very well-settled cats, everything seems to fit. That they all somehow seemed kinda looked “together”.

Before

After

I can't say that these pictures do any justice, really. Nevertheless,  it all just feels, well…H.O.M.E. :)