A great part of living overseas is your lack of understanding about things that are happening, leading to a very healthy lack of control. Lack of understanding, like when Monday is a holiday and you don’t know it.
Bangkok is busy all the time, very much like Manhattan. I went for a walk this morning- I try to walk an hour each morning, heading through Lumpini Park and stopping to buy fresh fruit. As soon as I walked out the front door, I knew something was different. The streets were quiet, not many motorbike taxi’s and a serious lack of venders on the sidewalks selling food. It is Monday, was my first thought. A block later I realized that it was a holiday- a major office building was closed.
Saturday the 23rd was a holiday, but it is being observed on Monday- today. Alas, no fresh fruit for me this morning and no friendly morning greetings from all the venders on the street. But a big smile from me as I realize the more I know about what is happening, the more I don’t know.
Farang ( ฝรั่ง) In Bangkok 