Hi,
Well, had I read the news last night I could have told you that as of 4:30pm yesterday, Thailand is now under the complete control of the military. A Coup has thrown out the constitution, established a curfew from 10pm to 5am, taken over TV and radio, and closed schools from Friday to Monday. As you can imagine, there are varied opinions on whether this was the right thing to do. We stayed home for most of the day. I want everyone to understand that we are in no danger and everything in Chiang Rai is calm.
The 'Zany Day' song was "Hot Fun In the Summertime" by Sly & The Family Stone. For 'Old School Friday' you get an easy one: "Come here sister, Papa's in the swing. He ain't too hip about that new breed, babe. He ain't no drag, __ __ __ __ __ __." Hint: The 'Hardest Working Man in Show Business' is not talking about his man purse.
It is a very odd feeling to turn on the TV and see the same image on every channel. There is a row of official seals from different departments and under that the words: "National Peace and Order Maintaining Council". OK, first order of business is a new translator. There are occasional announcements from the military, but they're all in Thai. Apparently, if you need info you can go to Facebook or Twitter for updates.
Late this afternoon we left the house to go to the dentist. We saw troops in front of the army base near our house, in front of City Hall, and blocking one street that was completely closed. The closed street had a shelter with tables and chairs for soldiers to sit in. It looked like a check point. We traveled to our destination without incident and don't anticipate any real interruption of life. The big question on many minds is: how long will this go on? There are deep political things that are at the root of all of this. This is nothing new in Thai politics, so we just live our lives, do what we do, and hope the country can heal.
Today's photo shows you a morning view of our front yard. That's me and Daku at the front gate, playing a game where he runs from me to Lisa and back again. He loves it. This is why we have no problem staying at home.
This weekend there is a big event at Art Bridge with all of the artists painting a piece in honor of King Mengrai, the founder of the province. We are going to participate on the assumption that it is still happening. Many educational and artistic events have been cancelled, so we'll see.
On a personal note, this blockade of the TV could not have come at a worse time. This is the weekend of the Formula One Monaco Gran Prix, and also the opening of the French Tennis Open. What? At least we have the internet.
Have a Wonderful WeekEnd. On to the 'Funnies'.
Peace,
Danny
Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
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