The Year of the Horse

"Thousands of birds can reside if there is a resilient, shading tree". 

This was a saying shared by a young Burmese student within the Australian Catholic University programme run here in Thailand for refugee students.  I thought it pretty smart.  It speaks to me in a Bangkok presently caught in an ongoing cycle of political upset and protests.  Despite their friendly feel, they are about serious stuff and there are serious consequences.  It remains hard to nail exactly what is really going on and where it is all exactly leading.  This is because there are many forces and themes at play and you don't know all and everyone involved. 

When I ask a local Thai that I trust about how government works in Thailand, like everything else here, it has many layers and sounds quite complex.  There needs to be a way ahead and they will find it eventually but it is not going to be easily found and it will be long term.  In the meantime, there is heightened tension.  I like the theory I heard last night given by an analyst on TV.  He says that this is about Thailand maturing and that, through it, they will find a way, a new political leadership. 

In the midst of it all, you find your way around a changed street environment in Bangkok.  People keep on living life.  Yes, we are resilient or we do what we have to do.  No matter what, Friday was Chinese New Year and the beginning of the Year of the Horse.  The Thai Chinese acknowledged their day and celebrated it.  Life does go on. 

Happy Year of the Horse!

Life has a trickle down effect

Do you know where you're going to?

Two friends are in touch this week from different parts of the world.  Both are mums facing the trials of caring for their families in times of need and both are wondering where it is all going and how they are doing.  Both ever helping their now adult children and, while it doesn't get any easier for them, they continue their efforts to look after them, even if their children are now 40 or beyond.  

The number of urban refugees in Bangkok is becoming overwhelming.  The refugee centre is looking more like a refugee camp.  The services being provided are under great pressure and there just isn't enough help to go around.  Still we keep going, trying to help and doing what we can. 

My dealings at the workplace this week tell me that there are great issues undealt with and they will remain undealt with.  Yet I am still here. 

None of this has anything to do with this week's picture which shows a street protest march in the centre of Bangkok.  I am surrounded by the protests, the talk they stir up and the effects they produce.  I can only expound my theories on what this is really about.  I have my views which become part of daily conversations with my friends.  You can't predict what will happen next and where this will all end up.  Life just goes on in Bangkok as do  the protests. 

This week my sharing seems disconnected.  Maybe that is because that is my experience of life at the moment.  I can't really offer any great answers and do feel a sense of being disconnected with all that is going on around me.  Maybe it is more a sense of inability to act as I would like on my little part of the world.  I just try to deal with my lot in life as I can, recognising that what I do has great importance for me as it reflects who I am or whom I say I am.  That is life maybe for all of us.  We stay on the journey in faith, remaining committed to who we are and just keeping going as best we can.  Maybe at times, we need to venture out a bit more, take an extra risk or two or walk that extra step or take that different turn.   

This is a way to achieve change?

Monday of this week was named as the start of Shutdown Bangkok which is about anti-government protestors taking over the streets of Bangkok.  This is their chosen way of reaching their goal of having the PM resign and hand over power to an appointed People's Council.  This would seemingly be serious business but what I see in the streets of Bangkok is not at all serious stuff. 

People seem to be having fun and enjoying the protests, dressing up for the occasion and approaching it in true style in the height of fashion.  The free t-shirts are being handed out and protest souvenirs are readily available.  Then I saw two young Thai females being driven along the protest boulevard on the back of a black BMW convertible, as one would. 

As the whole political world blows up again in Thailand, there seems to be no plan or policy or strategy being put forward by any side, with a complete dearth of leadership.  One great outcome is that my busy street shopping area - Silom - has been turned into a street mall.  This picture shows what is the major thoroughfare now turned into a most welcome walking street for shopping and strolling.  One could almost be thankful for the protests. 

There are huge problems here.  Corruption is over the top.  That is obvious.  Even in protesting, what is seen is how people here don't face up to issues.  So they just get worse and are never resolved.  I experienced this same avoidance behaviour on my local level at work this week.  This is nothing new for me but it still takes the stuffing out of me as I am trying to build the show up working on management and organisation. 

I know we have a major, ongoing issue to be faced for the good operation of the workplace.  In conversation on another matter at work, I accidentally discovered how the big boss yet again acted independently against good management by conspiring instead of confronting up front.  There was his secret phone call, asking one of the staff to act on a matter against another member of staff.  Such behaviour causes ill will and division and will never deal with issues.  Issues need to be faced but they never are.  Instead ones remain upset at the ongoing negative results, while never making any hard decisions for positive change but acting behind people's backs or around them.  Such is not the way to go and is just demoralising.  When you conspire instead of confront, it is no wonder Thai politics are in such a mess. 

Civil War and other things.

Another year begins and the New Year calm of a deserted Bangkok as so many went home is broken very quickly by talk.  Will there be a civil war?  Will there be a coup?  Why is the army bringing tanks to Bangkok?  

Why all this now?  Well, if you haven't heard, Bangkok is caught up in the midst of another round of endless politcal turmoil and protests.  Starting next Monday, the protestors plan to lay siege to Bangkok until the PM and her government resign.   

Of course, there is no simple explanation or solution at hand.  Nor is this the place to try and present one.  Fact is that there is not the time to discuss the whole history of recent Thai politics nor is there the time to dissect and understand what is happening.  That is for a political classroom or your own study and reflection. 

All I want to say is that living here over eight years, one gets an internal sense of "Here we go again" which is accompanied by one of "Can't we just deal with this and get it over and done with once and for all".  It strikes me that they keep doing the same things, by creating confusion and chaos on the streets while not facing the issues head-on, and so nothing is resolved and the conflicts keep going on and getting deeper. 

This brings me to my last entry as I faced the end of 2013.  We do need to do things in life differently to achieve different results.  If we want better or we want results, then we have to stop doing what is preventing us from getting what we want.  All I can say is that my nativity set still sits out on my cupboard bench in my living room and there it will stay all year to remind me of Christmas and the goodness and joy it shares for the whole year. 

Happy Christmas!  Sorry, Happy New Year!  May we get some different and better results in life during 2014.