Still in Bangkok

So, this is our 9th day in Bangkok. 2 and a half days past our departure date. I'm not a hardcore shopaholic but this IS Bangkok. It's really hard to resist buying anything, even if we've overstayed our holiday! 9 days here and our luggages are bursting at the seams. You walk from the hotel to your favourite wanton mee stall and you buy a men's 100% Thai silk shirt for 100 Baht ($4.50). You walk back to the hotel and you buy a pair of jeans for 150 Baht! (OK, maybe that makes me a shopaholic) but I AM supposed to be in a sad mood aren't I? After all, I am stranded in Bangkok. But again, this is Bangkok, the Land of Smiles and I'm not sad (yet)! Rattled yes but not sad. Locals in the city are too busy trying to make a living to worry about the airport situation. Some say, they don't even have the time to watch the news or read the papers. They've been too busy working. Some who survive on the tourist industry do gripe that the lack of tourists coming in have already affected business. Couldn't have chosen a nicer country to be stranded in.

So far, we have met so many friendly Thais. That is the reason we keep coming back here. The roadside food and their glorious chilli condiments are simply to die for. The locals have been very nice to us and offering us their sympathy and whispering their displeasure with their fellow 'yellow shirters'. Even the Tuk-Tuk drivers (touts outside the hotel) have become 'friends' although they haven't earned a single cent from us (because they keep wanting to bring us 'shopping' and to 'eat seafood'). They've offered advice on where to go to check out alternative land options to leave Bangkok. People working at the same organisation / company / shop are warm with each other. You often see them laughing and joking with each other while working (despite their meagre salaries and long long working hours). We've talked to some of them every day for the last few days and we've learnt some sad stories of how they have to work to eke out a living. Could I see myself living in Thailand? Without a doubt, yes.
Perhaps my son put it aptly when he said, 'Mum! Thailand should be the one who is 'Truly Asia'!'

(Am changing hotels now. Our pockets cannot stand the 5 star charges indefinitely! Will try to update but unsure if the new hotel has free broadband access)