Having "Me" Time

Where there are people, there you find politics.  Yes, the needs and wants of people differ and how to govern them all is indeed a difficult task.  In good times, things are easy.  Everyone is happy and the people are too busy being happy or going out their own business.  In times of crisis, you really see the true inner side of human nature.   Will the crisis reveal the "innately selfish" side of human behaviour as mentioned by Hobbes or will it reveal a good, compassionate, loving and caring side of human behaviour? What do you think? This crisis that Thailand is undergoing has revealed both.  On one side, you find people, friends and organizations arranging groups, flood relief missions and volunteering their time to help those in need.  Yes, you see people helping each other, helping elders, helping children, helping dogs and cats.  Every living thing deserves a chance to live and survive.  It's wond...

This morning, I woke up to an eerie silence. The usually busy road on which my apartment is located was empty. The skytrain which runs above it, had stopped their service since yesterday. No one walked on the roads. The police had closed of a number of roads for safety's sake and they were right to do so. Last night, the anti-government side (either protestors or is it a third party terrorist?) used guns and fired bombs. They burnt rubber tires sending black smoke billowing into the air. And all this, the red shirts say, is a "peaceful demonstration." I just wonder how they can say its "peaceful" if they are in possession of firearms? The logic bewilders me. Never-ending rounds of military bombs are being used on the authorities. Illegal trades of military weapons obviously exist and we must stop it. It reminds me of all those deals we see in action movies and on the news. It is a reality. There are those gaining from the disruption. Confrontation...

Today, the day of the Royal Ploughing Ceremony which has been a part of Thai culture for centuries, the Thai government decided to get serious on the Red Shirt protestors. In the morning, there were specially selected white buffaloes and a rice growing ceremony with Brahmans looking at signs for this year's harvest. Once finished, farmers, whose livelihood depend on the outcome of their rice crop, rush to get a few grains of rice used in the ceremony as a token of good luck. Some manage to get enough to sell. Its a big event that symbolizes our past and our future. In the afternoon, the government's patience was worn thin and a serious of safety measures were announced. Almost exactly 2 months since the protests first began and a government holiday, people nearby to the protest sights were asked to go home early. At 6pm electricity and water supply would be cut off to the protestors, and roads nearby would be cordoned off. No one could enter without permission, but people were...