Last month I stepped out of India for a short bit, traveling to Bangkok and Siem Riep for a belated holiday break. On my last days in Thailand, the Bangkok Shutdown, with a power off icon as its symbol, took over parts of the city. I, meanwhile, had a more private shutdown, ignored politics, and sat on the banks of the Pravetburirom Canal, sketching and becoming entranced with the silent exchanges I had with the man/woman across the water. Every once in a while he/she would wave happily and I would wave happily back. And every day, as the sunset painted the sky, it was time for he/she to cuddle the cat. Next door, long bamboo poles held a wide fishing net that the family would drop into the lazy canal and periodically check for catch. A small fish, maybe two, were the slim harvest.

The protests continue, a month later, and no one much is paying attention, but journalist Richard Barrow is still madly tweeting about the happenings, and it will be interesting to see what happens.