Introducing Lai Fu

This is my friend Lai Fu in her usual posture: Laying around moping and worrying about the future and the fate of the world.

In this photo, Lai Fu, a six year old black poodle who lives in the Sukhumvit Soi 101 area, is wondering -- and worrying -- about who will prevail in Thailand's upcoming election to be held April 2. For the next few hours after this photo was taken, Lai Fu nervously pondered the effects the outcome that the snap election called last week by the Thai Prime Minister might have on the future of press freedom in her country.

But Lai Fu doesn't just worry about complicated matters: She worries about the small stuff as well. For example, the other day Lai Fu spent 45 minutes worrying if her paws were dirty after walking through the grimy local market in search of food scraps. Later, after finding a fresh pile of garbage and feasting on it, Lai Fu worried about developing high cholesterol from eating too many fatty foods.

Lai Fu's friends have tried to get her to relax and enjoy life more, but when we tell her not to worry so much, Lai Fu asks "Oh my, perhaps I have been worrying too much and will soon have a heart attack!"