Safety First

The picture today is of a phra khreuang charm (hanging from my taxi driver's rear view mirror). These are Buddha pendants or likenesses of famous Monks. They are often worn around the neck, and it is widely know that the more of them you have, the better. There are many different kinds of charms. There are also many different journals explaining the meaning of each charm. The appropriate charm is chosen to protect against danger and misfortune, or to ensure love, luck, and power. As I was walking down the street the other day, I passed a man with chains wrapped in an 'X' around his chest, covered in different pendants. Unfortunately, I didn't grab my camera quick enough as I was being herded through the streets like human cattle but this man was obviously a little worried about something or a very lucky man.

In keeping with the safety theme, I am pretty much confined to my hotel tomorrow. The whole city of Bangkok and numerous other surrounding areas are on a Red Alert because of threats of a Red Shirt (communist) demonstration. The security authority is estimating one-million Red shirts to attend the demonstration. 50,000 soldiers police civilians and volunteers have been set up around the city, lining the streets in order to maintain peace. However, the majority of the troops are not armed. A section of the Thai constitution allows for a peaceful assembly to express opinions, however, all security measures are being taken in case of violence. I am located far enough away from the area that is supposed to be the epicenter of the demonstration, but for safety measures I am going to take advantage of the down time and get some work done.