Tsunami

I'm having a difficult time getting any news about the tsunami. It's frustrating. All I've been doing is going on Yahoo.com and CNN.com and reading updates. The only English speaking network we have here is AFN -- Armed Forces Network. They have shows from all different American cable networks, but I can't seem to find news. From what I can tell they aren't cutting into any regular programming to report on the events. I don't know why.

I can't really wrap my brain around the destruction -- maybe that is how most people feel. I'm amazed to hear about places I've been -- Patong Beach in Phuket (pronounced poo-ket) is my regular spot and I've been there three or four times now. I recognized a pizza place along the main street by the ocean that had been destroyed. My boss heard about my hotel where I've stayed every time -- The Holiday Inn Resort. It's been destroyed, at least partially, which I should have known since it's beach-front. The people who worked there were so friendly and recognized me each time I came back -- even the first return trip I made, which was a year and a half after my first trip there (to celebrate my graduation from graduate school.) The last time I went, a friend told me about a wonderful restaurant named Baan Rim Pa, which is on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Who knows what happened to it.

I know that Phuket wasn't the hardest hit, but it's the most real to me because of how much time I've spent there. It's a completely magical place and I hope vacationers go back and put their tourism dollars into the area. I definitely will.