Bedtime Story

The story I’ve been reading aloud to Jip for several months now is a Thai classic known as Four Reigns. She read this historical novel on her own many years ago, but doesn’t remember much beyond the broad outlines. Most nights it holds her attention for about twenty minutes.

The main character is a girl, Phloi, who is raised in the palace and lives to see four different Thai rulers. Whenever Phloi wrestles with sudden change—an unexpected death, an arranged marriage, a revealed secret—Jip pricks up her ears and asks that we read a little further.

We’re roughly halfway through the book. Despite a few anxious moments, so far Phloi has managed to handle all the challenges thrown her way. Like Jip, she understands the Buddhist teachings about impermanence, and remains optimistic. No matter what comes up in the rest of the story, I have no doubt that we shall overcome.

Forty-Five Week Funeral

Just when you think political squabbling will send Thailand into a death spiral, along comes a reminder that the country can in fact unite. This weekend’s cremation of the king’s older sister, an event that involved more than eleven months of preparation, slowed things down and made everybody proud to be part of a country with a distinctive culture.

TV channels showed nonstop footage of the parade and pomp, gluing lots of people to their sets and leaving the streets quiet. Protestors too seem to have taken a break, in order to watch the tunics and the trumpeters.

I caught only a few minutes of the broadcasts, while eating a late breakfast in a restaurant. Reports I read in newspapers today told of the king lighting the funeral pyre, accompanied by traditional funeral songs, while the nation collectively hushed.

Thaksin Loses British Visa, Divorces

The tale of Thailand’s most influential expatriate took two weird twists recently. After leaving on a short trip from England, his home in exile, Thaksin learned that his British visa had been revoked. A few days later, he and his wife announced their divorce after 32 years of marriage.

Of course it’s never wise to assume we understand what’s going on in somebody else’s relationship, but speculation is widespread here that the couple split up only to unfreeze as many of their assets as possible.

The anti-Thaksin protestors who continue to occupy government buildings around Bangkok are unlikely to feel much sympathy for his recent life changes.

Obama Victory in Bangkok, Part 2

Despite getting calls from Brits quoting Churchill—“Americans can be counted on to do the right thing, after they have exhausted all the other possibilities”—I’m still floating from the results of the election. It’s so nice to celebrate something political. After several years of crazy leadership we now have a chance to do a few things right. I wish the same outcome for Thailand.

But don’t think it’s all gonna suddenly get better overnight. Time to roll up your sleeves, folks. Everybody pitches in now. No fair sitting back and saying that he’ll take care of everything.

Obama Victory in Bangkok

We can all throw back our shoulders now and walk down the streets without feeling somehow ashamed of being American. Tear off those Canadian flags we sewed on our backpacks!

On Wednesday morning here, just before the polls closed Tuesday evening in the U.S., I joined about 200 other Yanks at a restaurant to watch the countdown on TV.

A big cheer went up at 8pm California time, when CNN’s high-tech graphics flashed that the long campaign was over. Some people started ordering drinks right away. Others slipped off to a late but guilt-free arrival at work, knowing that nobody at their offices would have been doing anything besides monitoring the results anyway.

I happened to have an errand to run at the train station. The place seemed quieter than usual when I walked in to the huge open waiting room. But the number of people waiting for trains looked normal. Then I noticed the huge screen above the ticket windows and saw that Obama was giving his victory speech.

Probably his words were lost on the majority of the passengers. (Who can understand public address systems in train stations anyway? The words are always unintelligible, even when they’re in your own language.) But the crowd seemed riveted nonetheless. This victory truly is a victory for the world.