Return to the City


After having evacuated my apartment exactly a week ago, I returned. There was a strange and bizarre feeling today as I drove into town towards my apartment.

On the outskirts, a sense of normalcy had returned and the shopping malls were once again filled with people. However, as I got closer to my apartment, the roads were still strangely empty and the sidewalks abnormally quiet. I felt as if people had not yet fully returned to center city. My feeling was reaffirmed as I turned into my apartment. The garage was half empty and there was still an eerie calm as I walked down the corridor. My neighbors had not returned.

Eventhough, the sky train and underground resumed service today and responsible citizens had come out in droves to volunteer for the big Bangkok Cleaning Day, a sense of worry and concern still lingered in the air.

As I went about my apartment cleaning and putting things in order, electricity suddenly blacked out. I rushed to the window, wondering if there was another disruption.

I saw no disruption, no smoke, and heard no bombs.

Instead, I saw a beautiful sunset amidst the rain. (Blackouts are sometimes caused by rain in Bangkok, don't ask me why.) Rain was pouring down on the Thonburi side of Bangkok across the river of kings. The clouds glowed a beautiful golden orange and the sun was a round circle of light. It was absolutely breathtaking.

I stood and watched it for a few minutes, here was yet another of nature's masterpiece.

The sunset reminded me to put behind all that had happened in the past week, for tomorrow the sunrise will bring with it a new day. A new day filled with new opportunities for us to move forward and fix all the problems we have. A new day to live our life. A new day for us to experience and to love.

A new day I hope will let this strange and bizarre feeling subside as Bangkok heralds in a new dawn and a new era in its history.

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