Melalin Mahavongtrakul
Feature writer of the Life section
Melalin Mahavongtrakul is a feature writer of the Life section of the Bangkok Post.
School system still full of oppression
If a student's hair could talk, every single strand would probably ask: "Why are you so obsessed with me?" in its best Regina George impression.
Will we learn from the pandemic?
I don't think any of us could have anticipated that we would be where we are now. A year ago, or even months ago, nobody would have thought it possible for a modern society like ours to be hit by a pandemic on a level that seemed to exist only in the long-gone past and in movies. Panic buying. Toilet paper hoarding. Convenience stores no longer open 24/7. People ordering hair clippers online to cut their own hair. Face masks becoming a necessary entry pass for most public venues. They're now normal. A new normal, so to speak. Life has surely changed a lot.
Humanity vs nature
'Let's go to Khao Yai," a friend recently suggested via text. Along with her invitation, she attached a picture of a woman sitting amid beautiful flowers, clouded with faded hipster filter. It was an online review saying a blossoming garden in a Khao Yai resort was now open to all visitors for free. The sight of the gorgeous winter flowers drew me in. I said yes.
Human cruelty for a false belief
Would you pay to set something free? A poor, small creature locked away in confinement perhaps? From behind bars, its eyes meet yours as if to say: "Save me." So delicate. So pitiful. And if you do nothing, who knows what's going to happen to it? You take your wallet out. Hand over a few bills to the seller, who has handful of cages on him. And soon you let it go. Be it bird, fish, turtle or other. Fly free. Swim free.
The eyes can lie
Thai people are considerably kind. We like making merit to help unfortunate souls. And especially in an era when everyone can easily connect through social media, the ways of merit-making have changed and expanded even further. From previously making physical donations at temples and charities, people now reach out to help individuals -- many times a stranger -- they see online. Pictures of sick dogs, cats, humans, or even a call for blood donations appear on our Facebook feeds often on a weekly basis. The plea for help -- coupled with touching stories and photos -- always tugs at our heartstrings. And it doesn't take long for many of us to lend a helping hand, mostly through making a swift donation to help with the cause.
Life, rerouted
When news came that a bridge outside my office would be undergoing construction for two years, I died a little on the inside.
Open letter on inclusivity
How would you like your ice cream? Do you like it with cherry on top? Or whipped cream?
Teach your children well
What would you do if you find out your children were hurting others? Or kicking the helpless? Or pulling hair? And the victim was crying while your children were laughing?
Focus, everybody
Every day is a new day. And every new day brings new drama, scandal and gossip to this controversy-addicted nation.
The country is a tangled-up mess
What's the end result of negligence, of carelessness? What's the cost of not doing one's job properly?