H&M

So today I went to The Siam Paragon to get a book.
The Siam Paragon is this gigantor mall in the center of Bangkok, and the special book I wanted was The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling. TCV is Rowling's first non-Harry Potter related book out, it is an Adult Mystery. It came out two days ago. Although these past two days I have been busy so I couldn't get it. So today I woke up early to get to the Paragon when it opened so I could get TCV.
 I arrive at the Paragon, and wait outside for about 20 minutes. I was waiting for an exchange student friend who was or was-not coming.....she did not come. No big deal.
Although while I was waiting I spotted some foreigners, but they looked odd.
You can spot a foreigner from a mile away in Bangkok. We stick out like sore thumbs.
They looked odd because they were carrying nothing.
Nothing at all, just themselves.
I live here and I even carry around a ton of stuff! How are they getting around? At first I thought, maybe they are just white people who live in Bangkok.......but that wasn't right... they were all wearing matching shirts.
The shirts read:
FINALLY HERE BANGKOK.
And all I could think of was, "Don't you mean 'Finally here in Bangkok'."
And then one of the people who was wearing the shirt turned around....
and on the back was printed
H&M.

Well I was screwed.

Ever since I have been in Bangkok there have been huge signs, flyers, banners, etc., advertising the opening of the first H&M in Bangkok.
And it opened today.

On every floor of the Paragon there were these huge lines of people organized into lines, waiting to be allowed entrance into the H&M.
After successfully avoiding the crowds, I found the Kinokuniya Book Store, it's Japanese. And they had this huge display of TCV right in front. I quickly snatched a copy. And to my good fortune, until September 30 the price was reduced to only 665 baht!!

The whole time I was in the Paragon, I thought about how silly the people were to wait in line for hours for an H&M. They don't even know what H&M is, they have just seen ads. Just go tomorrow, and then you don't have to wait in line.

And then I thought about how I waiting for the Midnight Premiere of Harry Potter, and The Dark Knight Rises and. And thought about how I raced to the book store today to get TCV.
I kept trying to separate myself from them.
They are waiting for clothes.
I am waiting for books and knowledge.
They don't even know what H&M really is.
I don't really know that much about TCV.

And I realized that to them, I am a them. I am the silly girl racing up the escalator to get a book.

Book: TCV- page 15, yeah I know, I'm reading it kind of slow, I had a headache today and didn't feel like reading.
Thai: Poom- Pay.................Allergies