the city

there's something new going on. a different feeling. something eager, something grateful.

while i was out today, walking around, mingling, i noticed that the city was missing a sense of jadedness. people seemed so content and even excited to be out at the malls, going about their business, shopping, eating. some of us haven't left home for a little over a week. there are places we haven't been able to go for over a month. we have been hurrying about town so that we don't miss curfew. but we are probably healthier now from drinking less.

it was as if we were seeing bangkok as it is for the first time.

the only thing i'm wondering is how long we'll be able to keep this feeling. when i used to live in europe, there was an energy you absorbed in the streets. something that told me people were always glad to be out. but i also felt that this was part of the culture of those cities.

how long will bangkok keep this memory of a time when we were truly happy to be out and about, yet not looking to go out of town for the holidays?