Running in the Rain

So I normally don't run unless I'm being chased (shout out to Ms. Amena Ali who does daily laps in the fitting rooms at the Columbia Mall Gap), but this afternoon I finished my meetings relatively early and when I got home, the air had this "just about to rain" coolness to it. I decided that the break from the heat was too good to pass up and pulled on my sneakers to go for a quick run. Turns out its monsoon season in Thailand and what started as a light, refreshing drizzle soon transformed into a torrential downpour...luckily the apartment complex where I'm staying is pretty small so I made it back only slightly drenched.

Other than my adventure in the rain, these past couple days have been pretty successful. Yesterday I met with Dr. Imron Maluleem, a former Member of Parliament who is now the head of the Thai Islamic Center. He provided some great insight into the government's policy towards the south. I also had some time to visit the Grand Palace (one of Bangkok's main tourist attractions), which was absolutely gorgeous :) I promise I'll load some pics soon!

Today morning I met with 3 reporters from the Thai Journalists Association who knew a lot about the current situation in the south. After grabbing lunch with the journalists, I met with a local grade-school teacher who had some interesting ideas about how education can shape the way a minority group feels about itself and its place in society.

I'm flying down to Hat Yai in a few hours so I should probably get to bed, but I'll write again soon!