Nose in the News

Things are growing turbulent on this side of the world, and it seems as though I've picked just the right country to nestle up in. If it isn't the prime minister of Japan stepping down from his seat, then it's the swarms of protesters taking over the Thai PM's office, forcing him to declare the city of Bangkok a state of emergency. Oh, and then there was that 5.8-mag earthquake in New Zealand, but not to worry, there was no damage or injuries.

If it sounds like I'm a walking newswire, perhaps its true. A month of adventure has left me in a watch-CNN-over-breakfast, read-the-NYTimes-during-lunch-break rut. (In other words, I'm a grown-up?) It just goes to show real life happens no matter where you are. I should have been eating, breathing and sleeping current events long ago -- I did, after all, graduate from the "E.W. Scripps School of Journalism."

Anyway...

I like having the time to soak in extra news. It gives me something to talk about in the office, though Bandol has turned it against me. His most recent ploy in trying to get me to extend my stay to help out the university is dangling in front of me the idea of revamping The Cambodia Weekly. One day at a time, I keep telling him. A big lesson to learn here in Cambodia is to go with the flow, and I'm finally getting to the point where I'm allowing myself to do that. So no big decisions just yet.

So what about the news back home? Hurricane Gustav? Political conventions? Things seem to be pretty hot on the other side of the world as well. Give me the scoop.