What a Bizarre Week - Coup D'etait!!!
This week was the craziest week ever since I've been in Thailand. Wednesday morning I got a knock on my door at 7:30am from one of my classmates on the course. She lives in the same building as I. I was barely awake when I opened the door to tell her I wouldn't be joining her on an early start to school. I was just getting out of bed in fact. She told me in hurried terms that the military had taken over the government last night, meaning a military coup. She also told me that there was tanks on the roads overnight. and that the TV stations were cut and all playing the same thing.
I was in a little shock to say the least, because telling me the military has taken over the government, doesn't really register with me, especially since I've never experienced anything like this before - so I was thinking that the city was under siege. Not knowing too much about politics in Thailand, I thought the worst. She said she was still going to school, but she wasn't sure if there would be classes.
I was just picturing the worst. She said it was peaceful so I tried to calm myself as I reluctantly got ready to go to school, to see what the hell was going on.
Nothing looked out of the ordinary on the way to school, except the Thais people looked pretty happy. I heard a few yells of relief, and Thai music was playing loudly when I got on the subway- I really had no idea why at the time. The area where I go to the CELTA, is the business district and it is usually very busy with heavy traffic and street vendors are usually just setting up their stands. This day was unusually quiet, and people looked a little lost, as the military had declared today a public holiday.
Our morning classes went off as normal, but everyone was very curious as to what would happen. I knew I had better get in touch with my mother who had probably seen it all on TV by this time. She probably knew more than me at the time. Since Thai TV was not playing anything all night. I emailed her to tell her I was okay - but still a little confused at the surrealness of the suddenness of the going ons.
None of the students showed up, and it was nice to have that extra day to catch up on some work. Things were back to normal today and one of my Thai students told me that the Thai people are very happy that the military has taken over power because the current prime minister - Thaskin, was overly corrupt, and not very popular with the people. In fact, she said that the Thai people were bringing the military who were on the streets - flowers and food. They haven't had a military coup here since 1991. I hope things turn out better for Thailand because of this.
Today was the end of my third week on the CELTA course. This week was by far my best week considering the Coup happenings. I got an above average rating on one of my lessons on Thursday. I am looking foward to finishing the course in one weeks time. Me and my friend Julie, from the course, went to have a nice dinner and to end a week that couldn't of been more strange.
After dinner we went back up to the seventh floor where we had to pick something up for the weekend. On the way down in the elevator, we realized that the door would not open We were stuck on the first floor. The ironic thing about it all, is that the elevator had picked up a security guard with a radio on our way down to the first floor. So, the guard who spoke no English as I later found out, radioed for help when we couldn't get out of the elevator.
It was so dam funny at first. I couldn't stop laughing because the bizarreness of the whole week, then this happening on a friday night. It couldn't be more ironic. The Thai security guard was standing in the middle between me and Julie. He was holding a white teapot (which looked even funnier) and we were just standing there on the first floor while the door would just not open. After laughing for five minutes, I decided to sit down. It seemed it was only me that thought being stuck in an elevator was funny, as I was the only one laughing, the security guard must of thought I had lost my marbles or something.
I could hear the guards outside trying to get the door open..every once in awhile the elevator would jump down and back up. I thought we may just fall to our deaths on the one floor down, into the basement. I sat on the ground, while the guard smiled at me. I tried asking him what the problem was, and he said, "me speak no English." Well, wasn't that just perfect, I thought. I was about to pull out a paper and start writing when the door opened so nonchalently. Me and Julie just looked at each other, and we couldn't believe it..after twenty minutes of twiddling our thumbs, we weren't expecting it to happen. I told her to run and hold the door before it shuts again. I couldn't get up off the floor. Well, we finally got out of the elevator, and she said, "let's get the hell out of this building," and I couldn't agree more.
I'm looking forward to getting out of Bangkok this weekend. Have a great weekend everyone reading.
Well, this has been another crazy week in Jo's Thai Adventures.
I was in a little shock to say the least, because telling me the military has taken over the government, doesn't really register with me, especially since I've never experienced anything like this before - so I was thinking that the city was under siege. Not knowing too much about politics in Thailand, I thought the worst. She said she was still going to school, but she wasn't sure if there would be classes.
I was just picturing the worst. She said it was peaceful so I tried to calm myself as I reluctantly got ready to go to school, to see what the hell was going on.
Nothing looked out of the ordinary on the way to school, except the Thais people looked pretty happy. I heard a few yells of relief, and Thai music was playing loudly when I got on the subway- I really had no idea why at the time. The area where I go to the CELTA, is the business district and it is usually very busy with heavy traffic and street vendors are usually just setting up their stands. This day was unusually quiet, and people looked a little lost, as the military had declared today a public holiday.
Our morning classes went off as normal, but everyone was very curious as to what would happen. I knew I had better get in touch with my mother who had probably seen it all on TV by this time. She probably knew more than me at the time. Since Thai TV was not playing anything all night. I emailed her to tell her I was okay - but still a little confused at the surrealness of the suddenness of the going ons.
None of the students showed up, and it was nice to have that extra day to catch up on some work. Things were back to normal today and one of my Thai students told me that the Thai people are very happy that the military has taken over power because the current prime minister - Thaskin, was overly corrupt, and not very popular with the people. In fact, she said that the Thai people were bringing the military who were on the streets - flowers and food. They haven't had a military coup here since 1991. I hope things turn out better for Thailand because of this.
Today was the end of my third week on the CELTA course. This week was by far my best week considering the Coup happenings. I got an above average rating on one of my lessons on Thursday. I am looking foward to finishing the course in one weeks time. Me and my friend Julie, from the course, went to have a nice dinner and to end a week that couldn't of been more strange.
After dinner we went back up to the seventh floor where we had to pick something up for the weekend. On the way down in the elevator, we realized that the door would not open We were stuck on the first floor. The ironic thing about it all, is that the elevator had picked up a security guard with a radio on our way down to the first floor. So, the guard who spoke no English as I later found out, radioed for help when we couldn't get out of the elevator.
It was so dam funny at first. I couldn't stop laughing because the bizarreness of the whole week, then this happening on a friday night. It couldn't be more ironic. The Thai security guard was standing in the middle between me and Julie. He was holding a white teapot (which looked even funnier) and we were just standing there on the first floor while the door would just not open. After laughing for five minutes, I decided to sit down. It seemed it was only me that thought being stuck in an elevator was funny, as I was the only one laughing, the security guard must of thought I had lost my marbles or something.
I could hear the guards outside trying to get the door open..every once in awhile the elevator would jump down and back up. I thought we may just fall to our deaths on the one floor down, into the basement. I sat on the ground, while the guard smiled at me. I tried asking him what the problem was, and he said, "me speak no English." Well, wasn't that just perfect, I thought. I was about to pull out a paper and start writing when the door opened so nonchalently. Me and Julie just looked at each other, and we couldn't believe it..after twenty minutes of twiddling our thumbs, we weren't expecting it to happen. I told her to run and hold the door before it shuts again. I couldn't get up off the floor. Well, we finally got out of the elevator, and she said, "let's get the hell out of this building," and I couldn't agree more.
I'm looking forward to getting out of Bangkok this weekend. Have a great weekend everyone reading.
Well, this has been another crazy week in Jo's Thai Adventures.
posted by Jo @ 10:08 PM
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