Waking up to the start of a fourth week of a government shutdown. Kind of angry, despondent and vaguely nauseous. Thinking back to those conversations I had with my mother who advised that if I went into medicine I’d always have job security. I guess she wasn’t thinking of government service. Heck! Time was a government job was the epitome of job security.

Sure. They aren’t my monkeys and sure, it shouldn’t be my circus. But, here we are a side show in that same circus.

We’ll be fine, though. That’s why we set aside emergency funds. To carry us.  To tide us over through the crises. The sad part is that this emergency, this crisis, is entirely man made…  A phantom…. A brown-backed bogeyman who traipses in on foot hundreds of leagues. Because of these ghosts, we mortals languish… Ah, well, it’s too depressing to think about.

Speaking of circuses, I made an attempt at distracting myself by going to the Chang Erawan Museum. The light rail service, just opened up 8 more stops, so one can easily hop on the train out to the burbs of Bangkok to see this testament to pachyderms and temples.

Created by an eccentric tycoon as a place to show off his art collection, it has become a shrine and temple as well. It depicts the three headed Hindu Elephant, Erawan in copper towering 90 feet from toe to trunk and spanning some 120 feet. Inside is a mash-up of cosmologies, some buddhist, some Christian, some hindu, it all fits somehow.

If you go, dress as if going to the temple and bring along 400 Baht. An audio guide is included. There is food available.