I've got my pink tee-shirt!
I never wore anything pink in my life, as far as I can remember. Or maybe I used to have a pink shirt, but it was very pale, pastel, nothing flashy. Now things are going to change, as I will follow the new trend in Thailand, which is wearing pink polo shirts on Tuesdays. We had the yellow shirts on Monday, the blue shirts on Fridays, now Tuesday will be another day when we don't have to stare at our wardrobe in the morning, wondering what to wear.
Maybe I should explain a little. In Thailand, each day of the week is associated to a color. Wednesday is green, Thursday is orange, Saturday is purple, Sunday is red, and you already know about the other days. The other thing you should know about Thailand, if you are not familiar with this country, is that the King, His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej, is deeply loved and revered by the whole nation. As the King was born on a Monday, Thai people are used to wear yellow shirts on Mondays, to show their love and respect to the King. The Queen was born on a Friday, and you can also see many people wearing blue shirts on Fridays, especially around August 12, which is the date of the Queen's birthday (and also Mother's day).
Anyway, until now, the other days were not important. It all changed when the King had to spend three weeks in hospial in November. When he got out, on a Tuesday, he was wearing a pink blazer. And then it was, pink shirts with the royal emblem instantly became this season's must-have item. So I got one for myself! But I'm not sure I will wear it tomorrow, as the country is actually celebrating the King's 80th birthday. He was born on December 5, and for a few days everybody will be wearing only yellow. So maybe I should wear yellow, what do you think? :-)
Labels: Thailand
posted by Beaumont at
4:45 PM
5 Comments:
Hi I am one of the Thai freelang translator. It's funny to read about your opinion on the "yellow" polo shirt. I don't own one and never intend to buy one. To me, there is no point band wagoning in this fad. Actually, a lot of people wear it because it is convenient and versatile for every occasion.
By
Noppawan, At
December 4, 2007 12:42 AM
You're right, and we can add that Thai people are used to wear uniforms (schoolkids, students, civil servants, many employees and shop assistants, security staff...), so they do it willingly.
I guess for us "Falangs" it's just a way to show that we love and respect this country (in spite of all these anti-foreigners laws that come up every two weeks!) and that we understand the importance of the national symbols. It's all about showing, whether there is a deep significance or not, but I can tell Thai people are very happy when they notice me wearing the proper color, so I'm happy too.
And to be honest, I prefer seeing people wearing the same color and talking to each other, rather than people in blue wanting to kill people in red around a football stadium... ;-)
By
Beaumont, At
December 4, 2007 11:51 AM
I was visiting my brother and his wife Puongpech (pet name - Nidnoi)in Copenhagen - and she was listening to a radioprogram that talked about the King, suddenly they played the National Anthem and sang it too.
My brother and I rose to our feet, but Nidnoi remained sitting.
I forgot to ask her if it is not usual in Thailand to stand during the National anthem?
Do you know Beaumont?
Greetings from solbjerg - Holger
By
Anonymous, At
December 5, 2007 6:38 PM
Hej hej Holger :-)
Usually people stand to listen to the National Anthem. It is played everyday at 8 am and 6 pm, and if people hear it while in the street or in a shop, they stop doing whatever they are doing and stand respectfully. However, I doubt that they stand up if they hear it at home. That's probably what happened with Puongpech
By
Maï, At
December 11, 2007 5:59 PM
Oops sorry Holger I had missed your comment.
By
Beaumont, At
December 12, 2007 6:47 PM
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