Having "Me" Time

Earlier this morning rain poured down in Bangkok as if the Gods were angry at us.  Sounds of thunder roared all over Bangkok alternating with flashes of lightning.  Wind gushed against the window, flowing through trees and reorganizing the branches;  making them look as if they had just got out of bed.   It rained so hard that it could literally be raining cats and dogs.  Temperatures dropped from the mid 30's (celsius) to the mid 20's. Last week, temperatures in Bangkok dropped down to 18 degrees celsius and lasted for roughly two days.  It was the coldest two days I've ever experienced in Bangkok (since I've been here on a regular basis since the year 2000).  It was strange.  I could sleep in my room without opening windows nor turning on the air conditioning and snuggle under my blankets.  Even then I was slightly cold.  I had gotten used to Bangkok's sizzling temperatures.  Others wore jacket...

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...