Red vs. Yellow

So I have now been in Bangkok for about a day and half now. I am not sure what the so-called News back home in the states is feeding people about Bangkok but things are fine here, with the small issue that the airport is shutdown causing about 30k tourists a day to not be able to come in and a reported 100k stranded here. It's really gonna kill tourism here in Thailand, as people will never want to come back. I still can't believe it's shutdown after 5 days now. They did let about 80 (i think) empty planes leave for other airports to let stranded passengers leave from other airports in thailand, which is positive news. I think the country is on edge right now, as no one knows which way things will head...for better or worse. Earlier in the week, the police tried to go into the airport but had to recede as the PAD (yellow-against the Prime Minister) out numbered the police and actually took control of a few of the police vehicles. So who has control????

So yesterday I metup with Charles from Cameroon. We met via a web community called couchsurfing. It's a great site that helps connect like minded travelers and allows you to host or request to surf peoples couch. It helps in saving hotel costs and getting to know locals in the area. So I did not actually surf Charles couch since he was supposed to already be hosting people but we metup for dinner and to hangout. Charles is a very genuine guy and has been in Thailand now for about 17 months and speaks about 10 languages, yes 10. Crazy!! I really admire people who speak more then one language. Originally coming over to complete his masters, he switched to teaching english and dj'ing professionally. So after meeting up, we had authentic Cameroon food from a small restaurant on the 3rd floor of some building. A very hole in the wall type of spot with no signs what so ever. The food was delicious and cheap at that. Charles says every sunday he heads into the city and eats there. After that we went to a barber shop, as part of Charles sunday routine is to get shave and his nails down. As it's been 3 weeks for me, I told him I also go for a haircut. So we went to this place down a little alley that is ran by a thai girl who married an african and learned how to cut and weave africans hair. It was a gold mine, as it was packed with people coming in and out. I was the only non-african to be getting my hair cut and the all of workers were thai. Of course they thought I was thai too and we went through the whole 'english?' and 'you look thai' conversation. After getting my fade and lined up in the front we went back to the hotel to see if I can cancel as Charles said he can now host me since his coushsurfers never made it, most likely cause of the flights. But to no avail, since I pre-paid and already canceled once and they re-booked since my flight was canceled and then I was able to get a bus in. I still may crash at his place tomorrow night, as he has invited me to sit in on a few of his engligh classes to high school thai kids, which I think would be very interesting. To end the night, we went to Kho San Road, the popular backpacker street in Bangkok. On the way to Kho San Road I see the first group of red (pro government) group gathered together, not exactly sure which building/area it was, but that was my first sighting of reds. The previous night he DJ'd at three clubs on that street, so as we walk down the street he knows and says hi to everyone and we run into another coushsurfer that he knows that teaches english in Indonesia who is from Wisconsin and was stuck in Thailand. So the three of us, grab a beer and watch the first half of the manchester united vs. manchester city football (soccer) match (as watching football on sundays is also part of his sunday ritual, kinda like mind but a different kind of football). After the first half is over, we head to one of the clubs he DJ'd at to grab something he left behind and then went to another lounge to finish the match. After that, a kebab to fill our hunger craving, a walk down the night market to see everything from rabbits to VHS tapes being sold and then a 10 bhat bus ride make to the hotel to call it a night.