October 14

Yesterday a couple of my fellow ETA's and I went to the October 14th Memorial. The amphitheater commemorates the suppression of a student-led uprising on Oct. 14 1973. After 500,000 Thais gathered at Democracy Monument to protest the arrest of 13 university student activists and to seek a democratic constitution from the military junta, the Thai police opened fire on the protestors, killing more than 70 people. As yesterday was the 36th anniversary of the uprising, we thought it would be a timely excursion. It was. Photos of those who were killed lined the walls of the memorial, along with photographs of the protest itself. Flower wreaths hung around the building, honoring those who died.

Visiting the memorial was thought-provoking, and left us struggling to find a comparable event in American history. The images of hundreds of thousands of people gathering on the street outside the memorial was striking, and I tried to imagine what could provoke me and my peers and so many others to do such a thing. In my mind, the experience added another layer to the complexity of Thailand and its politics - further intriguing me and prompting me to learn more about this culture and society. It is so different from any other place I've been or culture I've experienced, and I look forward to having a deeper, more analytical understanding of life here. I feel so grateful for the opportunity.

Anywho, my internet connection remains sketchy and slow, but I'll try to upload photos of the memorial and other things around BKK soon. You can see some of my photos here.

Going to be doing a homestay this weekend with a Thai family - wish me luck!

Much love,
Ali