My Dear Bangkok, what has happened to you?

In my work, i do media monitoring.

and that's, just, another macho way of saying: Newspaper reading.

That's one of the most important thing i do everyday, without it I can't continue the rest of my routine.

Honestly, seriously, frankly, dengan jujur sekali, 说真的, I don't like my job.

But being under an internship, a lot of times, is not for you to like or don't like, you just have to do it, even if you are not paid for something you dislike doing it.

If you are lucky enough, you would be arranged to something you like to do, be so happy with it and it will become your very memorable stage in life.

If not, the only thing you can do is, to LEARN to like to do it.

That's how my situation is now, learn to like to do it and find thrills in my job. (Like how a radio DJ casually came into my office, gave me an undescribable happy smile, melted me at that instant and I am still trying to get over it.)

Yes, for those who has my facebook, the veryhardtoreadsomethinglikethis status is still all over the place.

Back to the topic.

After one and a half months, although there have been perks in my job, I'm still at the learning-to-like my job stage. I did learn quite something, but not exactly towards the area I would want to venture into.

So today, of course, again I was doing the 'media monitoring', I came across a chinese article about Bangkok. The title reads: My Dear Bangkok, What has happened to you? For those who read mandarin, it's 亲爱的曼谷，你怎么了?

That few words gave a punch at my beating heart.

Near to half a year ago, I was there, having my happy holiday, with few of my closes friend.

Today, it came to this stage of catastrophe.

Photo taken from Internet

Central World was burnt down. A building which once stood proud as Asia's 2nd largest complex. Now it's became into ashes that passerbys will sigh and can only reminise its glory, once.

Photo taken from Internet

I am aware that Bangkok is rather notorious with its pretty shaken and unstable politics and social safety. This could be no surprise to those that have been predicting this to happen in any near future, when the time would be right.

I recalled our after-exam holiday in this whimsical city. I was so thrilled with the interesting and cheap goods on some simplest set-up stalls by the walking streets, just at any corner of the city. But our first stop, was exactly around the area of Central World shopping complex.

It was Christmas season, everywhere was lighted up and every malls were trying to outbeat each other to be win the visitor's choice of best decorated mall; but Central World's was the show-stopper. No one could stop taking a second look at the magnificient tall Christmas tree and how the other mascots were trying to spread the joy of Christmas. Things were just so merrily happy!

VeenDee, Haan and me even stopped over at the very famous Four-Face Buddha of Erawan Shrine diagonally opposite Central World complex for some prayers and blessings. And then off we went unleashing the shopaholic soul of us, woohoo!

There were also quite a number of mini food push-cart right in front of the walkway of Central World, so many variety that you don't even know which to choose. I remembered I kept telling Esther I wanted to look for some barbequed insects to fear-factor myself! Funny enough there were only one push-cart that has that barbequd fear-factor food, and it didnt look clean enough, so I cancelled the thought. But we went on for other food hunt and got ourselves some yums-looking-funny-tasting pork balls and octupus.

THE OCTOPUS YUMMMMMMS TO THE MAX! (no photo cos too yummmms forgot to take)

But where all these now?

The once very lovely and a city where people around the world MUST and CONFIRM WILL visit at least once in their lifetime, now is badly bruised and torn apart.

This is not a beauty pageant diplomatic line but where is the love, peace and harmony?

The welcoming smile the people put on their faces has turned from a upward crescent to a downwards one. Crying grimace and bleeding images are all over the headlines. The helpless and innocent ones have to go through all the fights and calamity, just because some people's emotions has taken its toll over their rationale.

However, thank God that the leaders of the Red Shirts was finally turned in and surrender earlier this week. Thank God.

I'm definitely not a Thai although every Thai actually mistaken me as one when I was in Bangkok and spoke Thai to me and I always have to give them the lost face and some of them still never get it. But I really love Bangkok, I really want it to come to a peaceful fullstop, I want still want people from around the world to be able to experience this 'lovely' city with a peace of mind, I really want everybody to also have a share of my joy of shopping in Bangkok.

This civil war in Bangkok actually made me appreciate the lack of freedom of expression in Malaysia more. Although sometimes things can be really hard for us, this one cannot, that one cannot, lack of rights, racism and etc, but at the very least, our government comes from a point where war like this will never get to errupt. At least the lives of innocence would never be put on a balance beam and taken for a bet, and there's peace and harmony in the place we live.

Peace yo!

So My Dear Bangkok, I would not know when you'll be revamped into an original state, make no more 'bloody' news in the headlines and shine like you always do. But Get Well Soon okay! I would like to go back to Chaktuchak Market and Khao San Road again, see your congested floating market (I missed it the last trip) and (preferbably not) go through the traffic jams that you'll always have on the roads. Oh and also really make it a point to EAT FEAR-FACTOR BBQ INSECTS.

(without forgetting about my passport ANYMORE! hoho, i'll tell you about my forgotten passport next time)

AND BUY A LOT A LOT A LOT OF EARRINGS THAT COST LESS THAN 2 BUCKS EACH PAIR!

Bangkok, jiayou jiayou jiayou! ;)