Why can't we all just get along?

What's up everybody? I hope everyone is doing well. Things have gotten a little interesting to say the least here in Bangkok. I am not sure if everyone has seen anything on the news about what is going on over here, but there is a slight bit of political turmoil.
Starting Monday the 13th thru the 15th, Songkran is celebrated throughout the contry of Thailand. The Songkran Festival, known as the Festival of Water, is the Thai New Year. During these three days, people pretty much drench everyone with water and then throw white powder on them (there MIGHT be a little beverage consumption involved...just a hunch). I have already been doused a couple times and I will say that it is fun to throw buckets of water onto complete strangers. However, I think one guy that I soaked got a little angry because when I threw water on him he was using his cell phone...oops :)
However, during this year's festival, instead of celebration, we have turmoil. This political situation has been getting worse and worse since about 2005/2006. When the Bangkok airport closed in December, it was the yellow protesters who caused the closing. Now with this protest, it is the red protesters retaliating. School was actually closed on Friday because 20,000 taxi drivers refused to work. There was an Asean Summit meeting in Pattaya scheduled for Monday but had to be cancelled and the leaders of the other countries could only leave via helicopter from the roof. On Friday, I decided to go downtown to run some errands. When I got to Sukumvit Road I saw a group of red protesters in the middle of the street listening to this guy who must have been one of the protest leaders. Some of the people who were listening were sitting on an oil tanker that they overtook and have threatened to blow up. Others were sitting on the tops of busses they took over to use as barricades.
Anyway, I just thought I would give you a taste of what life is like in my neck of the woods. So, to my friends back home, please don't complain about your government too much. I don't remember anyone dying on the 4th of July due to political problems since 1776, just before the George Washington Administration (I am a history teacher, I find these references funny ok!).
I realize that I did not give much detail about what is ACTUALLY going on because I am positing a link below that can explain in much better than I can. Well that is all for now. With all this going on, I think I will head out and go to the beach for a couple days :) Life is tough, right? Hahaha. Until next time, in Thailand we don't have snow days, we have political turmoil days :)

http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13478816