Having "Me" Time

Back in Bangkok now I already miss the cool breeze that flows through the trees and the sounds of nature. Nevertheless I had a marvelous time today on the way back. We stopped at Chokchai Farm which opened its gates to visitors over ten years ago, but for some reason I had never thought of stopping by. I stopped to get some ice cream, but that was about it. At first impression, when I think of a farm visit pictures of cows roaming about in pastures fill my head. We would probably just have to walk around looking at the cows, perhaps get to touch them a little, and take pictures. It's hot in Thailand, so when I think of something outdoors I tend to just want to do everything in winter. Farm visits weren't exactly a priority. The Chokchai Farm tour surpassed my expectations by far. We started out the tour with a video background of the farm, telling us how it evolved from the seventies, through the oil crisis, survived the Asian Crisis of 1997 before becoming what it is today. A...

Too much politics can give one a headache, so tonight my topic will be completely different. My topic tonight is: Rain. (And no, its not about the Korean star called "Rain." I really mean the rain as in raindrops) As it has been raining cats and dogs regularly for the past few days, tonight is no exception. As I sit here at my desk, I can hear the soft tapping of the rain as it hits the window pane. The tapping raindrops are intermittently disrupted by sounds of the blowing wind, and then the soft tap evolves into a gentle gush of wind. I love all this: I love hearing the soft tapping of the rain, feeling the coolness that it brings, smelling the freshness in the air, and the momentary silence as people halt their activities. It makes me nostalgic. For me, rain has always been associated with good memories. I spent a good part of my childhood life in Belgium where it rained for 10 months out of a year and the sky was a permanent shade of grey. It rained when I fir...