Thailand turned black yesterday for the first day of official mourning ahead of Princess Galyani Vadhana's cremation ceremony.
When I hopped on the bus to work, I noticed everyone was wearing black. I was wearing a shirt in vivid green.
I had forgotten the nation would be in mourning black, and felt embarrassed. When I left the bus and walked to work, almost everyone on the street, I noticed, was also dressed in funereal black.
Back at home, I went through my wardrobe to see if I could find anything black to wear today. I do not want to look disrespectful. How is it that Thais always know these things, but I am the last to find out?
Having a hermit for a boyfriend doesn't help. He didn't tell me everyone was wearing black, even though he had been to the local shopping mall earlier that day. Oh, well.
At work, a foreigner offered to lend me a black shirt. I declined, as I don't want to put him to any trouble.
Maybe I should have said yes. I cannot find a single item of black in my wardrobe, probably because I hate the colour.
'You can always wear white,' says boyfriend Maiyuu.
I shall take a look. I doubt I have much in white either, as I prefer bright colours. They cheer my spirits, and ensure I do not get run over by trucks walking under the dimly-lit overpass on the way to work.
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Boyfriend Maiyuu has gone back to work in the kitchen, now that pay day has arrived.
Yesterday, he made a spicy pizza, with plenty of green and yellow pepper, ham, and cheese. Last night it was multi-layered chocolate cake, made from a stack of crepes.
Today's it's jok rice soup, made with salmon. When the money runs out, he'll go back to watching television, and waiting for the next pay day to arrive.
You know Thai loyalists outside Thailand were wearing black too! We have to follow the rules sometimes otherwise would stick out like sore thumbs.
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