Get Me to South Africa!

Last year, on this date, was the start of the most frustrating, exciting, enthralling, challenging, and emotional month and/or year of my life.

On May 25th, 2010 I stood, ankle deep in water from the torrential downpour of rain, on an empty Bangkok street for over an hour trying to hail a taxi cab. I had a massive backpack on and small bag with my camera inside in my hand. I was calling the university's security guards to call for a taxi, but no cabs were in sight (which is a complete rarity in BKK). It was eerie yet frustrating.


At the time, Thailand was in a political crisis. Downtown people were protesting, Red shirts were fighting Yellow shirts, hospitals were being overtaken and evacuated as political power moves in a substantial civil war. Just two week prior, Khattiya Sawasdipol, the former army general who was leading the anti-government protesters was shot in the head and killed, which flared the fighting even more. From then on, the country was on lock down with a curfew of 9pm. (For a play-by-play of some of the Bangkok protests and another write up of my interpretation of the curfew, check this out at tinglish.net)

Thai soldiers stand off the Red Shirt protesters. (AP Photo/Wall Santana)

Burning tires was the cause for most of the smoke within Bangkok... until they set Central World on fire. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)

(AP Photo/ Wally Santana)

I hated seeing my favorite country literally go up in smoke. To see the "Land of Smiles" have so much tension was heartbreaking and for the first time I wanted to leave Thailand... and I was.

A view of downtown Bangkok on fire from the protests and the Central World Mall.

My efforts to hail a taxi was to get to the airport for my trip to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup (and to see my friends Colin, Kelsey, Emily, Meg, and Lise of course). I just spent a month as an ordained Buddhist monk in the remote regions on Thailand and so the violence paired with my cultural shock was almost overpowering.

There were times where I felt like a brand new person, a 23-year old just dropped back into Bangkok like in the Sims or something. Music felt like it was curing my soul after being absent in my life. Wearing underwear was like a foreign feeling. Being able to eat after 12 noon was gluttonous to me. Sleeping on something other than a marble floor was like heaven for me. The stimuli was everywhere but extrapolated ten fold after being so secluded from it all for only a month. So when I had the chance to get away from all of the danger and violence and hate, I knew it would be good for me.

All images were taken by Kachorn Chiaravanont.

I finally got a taxi and arrived at the airport in full sprint. Once I got to Singapore Airways' counter, I was told that I was too late and could not board my flight. I panicked. I absolutely freaked out! I was not late. I had plenty of time. They said the gate had already closed and I could not check my bags or anything. I pleaded to the woman that I had to get on that plane and she told me there was nothing I could do about it. She later told me that the flight was for 8:35. I looked at my ticket from my travel agent and it said 9pm. The flight time was changed without anyone telling me. I was crushed. All my money I spent on my tickets, housing, game tickets, etc was just blowing by me. My mind went into a tailspin and I didn't think I would be going to South Africa at all. Fortunately, the woman understood my circumstance and booked me a flight two days later (a day after my Thai visa expired). I didn't care, just knowing I had a seat was all that mattered.


After trying to plead my case two days later at the airport with customs that I am not an "illegal visitor" and that I had been living in Thailand for two years, I gave up and paid the fee once they threatened to arrest me because I was arguing my case. Not the best situation to go into just weeks out of being a Buddhist monk.

I finally boarded the plane and made my extremely long flight to Cape Town (through Singapore) to arrive in a city where I knew very little about and just hoped to find a way to survive the week before Colin, Kelsey and Emily arrived. I barely did survive, I don't know how I did, but that story will be for another post later in the week!