Update on Situation in Thailand

Hey, and happy late Thanksgiving!

It is Sunday evening and I am sitting in my house in Sawankhalok. I've connected to a wireless network...somehow...and have been catching up on what is happening in the world. The violence, deaths, and conflicts in places like India, Thailand, and Nigeria are troubling, overwhelming, and saddening to say the least.

I am safe and sound. I actually just returned from four days in Bangkok, where I attended the Fulbright mid-grant meeting and enjoyed Thanksgiving with friends from my program at the home of a member of the U.S. Embassy. The city of Bangkok seemed "normal," at least to me, which is bizarre considering how both the airports in the city are currently closed because of protesters and the situation has been named a "state of emergency." To learn more about the situation, I would suggest checking out the New York Times or the Bangkok Post (Thailand's largest newspaper).

Instead of flying in and out of Bangkok, the initial plan, we took buses/trains - pretty much the only options right now for travelling in Thailand. As I've mentioned before, politics is rarely publicly discussed here, but the bits and pieces I have put together from talking to various Thai people, is that no one really seems to know how things will play out.

Thanks to those of you who have been checking in, I really appreciate it! Let's hope for peace, here in Thailand but also around the world.

Kate