Well, for those who wonder, I'm actually coming to Europe this time for a teaching assignment at Vaasa, Finland. I generally add some sightseeing to it just to make it more interesting.
I left Bangkok on Saturday, April 10, when the political conflict was simmering. For the first time in my life, I was grateful to get a cab to the airport as I was waiting there for 20 minutes. My cab driver was a red-shirted supporter. And we talked about the situation. He said he generally joined the rally at night and that they didn't get paid as rumor said. But they were definitely get fed, and most protesters were from Bangkok. Some of the stories that protesters were told were quite alarming and untrue. Anyhow, he was a nice and seemingly naive guy. I come to believe more and more that this current clash is just a manifestation of a much deeper rooted problems between socio-economic classes.
Another thing I like about traveling alone is that I got to talk with strangers. Today, while I was waiting for a connecting train, I saw an Asian girl whom I initially thought was Chinese. So I asked if she was going to Antwerp and she was. She's a Japanese doing a postdoc in mathematics in Dublin. And she came to Antwerp just for one day and going back to Dublin today.
I don't get lonely that often but I did feel it a little here. I realize, I have enough of life abroad. Even in a city like Antwerp, it's much more quiet and distant than in Bangkok. I can hear sound of silence. Somehow there are more actions in a tropical country like Thailand. Birds sing; insects make noise; more living creatures exist per unit area, I guess.
It's too cloudy today to take photos. I visited Mode Museum (MoMu) which aims at fashion design. Exhibitions are rotated every few months. The current theme is the role of black in fashion. I got to see haute couture gowns up close. It's rather amazing; like a piece of art. I wonder, how much tailoring and craftsmanship needs to go in there to get just one dress. MoMu is really small so I finished it in an hour.
Then I walked along the street with many antique shops. I reached the cathedral too late so I didn't get to see the inside.
On the plane, I saw one and half movies: Ever After (based on a Cinderella story) and Creation (biography of Charles Darwin). Perhaps I was too cynical. I love romantic chic flicks but somehow I hate the theme of a sad recluse male protagonist being rescued by a heroine. I can't bear guys who are not independent.
Anyhow, my plane arrived before I could finish Creation. Darwin was a devout Christian married to an even more pious wife. He was bereft by a loss of his daughter who was presented as smart, curious and science oriented like her dad. What I found interesting was how a really clever guy like Darwin couldn't cope with death. What is the point in solving a really significant scientific problem and yet unable to live contently?
I left Bangkok on Saturday, April 10, when the political conflict was simmering. For the first time in my life, I was grateful to get a cab to the airport as I was waiting there for 20 minutes. My cab driver was a red-shirted supporter. And we talked about the situation. He said he generally joined the rally at night and that they didn't get paid as rumor said. But they were definitely get fed, and most protesters were from Bangkok. Some of the stories that protesters were told were quite alarming and untrue. Anyhow, he was a nice and seemingly naive guy. I come to believe more and more that this current clash is just a manifestation of a much deeper rooted problems between socio-economic classes.
Another thing I like about traveling alone is that I got to talk with strangers. Today, while I was waiting for a connecting train, I saw an Asian girl whom I initially thought was Chinese. So I asked if she was going to Antwerp and she was. She's a Japanese doing a postdoc in mathematics in Dublin. And she came to Antwerp just for one day and going back to Dublin today.
I don't get lonely that often but I did feel it a little here. I realize, I have enough of life abroad. Even in a city like Antwerp, it's much more quiet and distant than in Bangkok. I can hear sound of silence. Somehow there are more actions in a tropical country like Thailand. Birds sing; insects make noise; more living creatures exist per unit area, I guess.
It's too cloudy today to take photos. I visited Mode Museum (MoMu) which aims at fashion design. Exhibitions are rotated every few months. The current theme is the role of black in fashion. I got to see haute couture gowns up close. It's rather amazing; like a piece of art. I wonder, how much tailoring and craftsmanship needs to go in there to get just one dress. MoMu is really small so I finished it in an hour.
Then I walked along the street with many antique shops. I reached the cathedral too late so I didn't get to see the inside.
On the plane, I saw one and half movies: Ever After (based on a Cinderella story) and Creation (biography of Charles Darwin). Perhaps I was too cynical. I love romantic chic flicks but somehow I hate the theme of a sad recluse male protagonist being rescued by a heroine. I can't bear guys who are not independent.
Anyhow, my plane arrived before I could finish Creation. Darwin was a devout Christian married to an even more pious wife. He was bereft by a loss of his daughter who was presented as smart, curious and science oriented like her dad. What I found interesting was how a really clever guy like Darwin couldn't cope with death. What is the point in solving a really significant scientific problem and yet unable to live contently?
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