First of all, we wanted to say that we and Rutvik's immediate family are safe. We thank all of you for your concerned e-mails and thoughts. At the moment, we are happily holed up in Southern Thailand, on the island of Ko Samui.
Trouble seems to be following us a little bit. As we are sure most of you have heard, there is somewhat of a crisis brewing in Bangkok. The middle and upper urban classes believe that the current government bought its way into power. They also believe that the current government is a puppet of the former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was thrown out of power on corruption allegations following a coup in 2006, when Kelli was here last. The anti-government protesters have had a few violent altercations with the pro-government side and have shut down both of Bangkok's airports. Their goal is to oust the government and hold fresh elections. After talking to people, the vibe we get is that their concerns are legitimate and that the protesters will not compromise until fresh elections are held. Luckily, this conflict is internal and is restricted to a few areas of Bangkok at this point. The only tourists that are affected are those trying to travel home through Bangkok. Even sitting at this internet cafe on the island, there are a number of people trying to find a way to fly home. We feel safe as this crisis is not a random terrorist attack but a legitimate dispute in a controlled area. We will continue to monitor the situation and change our plans as necessary.
The same cannot be said about the terrorist attacks in Bombay. The planned killing of unsuspecting and unarmed civilians is absolutely cowardly. Rutvik lived through the riots and then the bomb blasts that ripped through Bombay in the 90s. Important landmarks were damaged even then but somehow this current attack is especially jarring. We had visited three of the attack sites, The Taj hotel, Leopold Cafe (a backpacker favorite), and VT station only a few weeks ago. It really hits home when such attacks happen in your backyard, around your own family. We feel SO lucky that everyone is safe and accounted for. For those of you who have never been to Bombay, it is a very resilient city, and, just like before, it will recover in time. Our thoughts and prayers are with people there.
Lastly, we want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. There is so much to be thankful for. We feel blessed to be safe, that our family and friends are safe, and that we have so many people around us that care. We also feel blessed to have the opportunity of this year to live our dream. As we celebrate Thanksgiving island-style, we will be thinking of all of you back at home. We hope you enjoy the holiday with your family and friends. Let's all pray for the victims in Bombay and for a swift resolution to these crises. Peace and love to all.
Trouble seems to be following us a little bit. As we are sure most of you have heard, there is somewhat of a crisis brewing in Bangkok. The middle and upper urban classes believe that the current government bought its way into power. They also believe that the current government is a puppet of the former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was thrown out of power on corruption allegations following a coup in 2006, when Kelli was here last. The anti-government protesters have had a few violent altercations with the pro-government side and have shut down both of Bangkok's airports. Their goal is to oust the government and hold fresh elections. After talking to people, the vibe we get is that their concerns are legitimate and that the protesters will not compromise until fresh elections are held. Luckily, this conflict is internal and is restricted to a few areas of Bangkok at this point. The only tourists that are affected are those trying to travel home through Bangkok. Even sitting at this internet cafe on the island, there are a number of people trying to find a way to fly home. We feel safe as this crisis is not a random terrorist attack but a legitimate dispute in a controlled area. We will continue to monitor the situation and change our plans as necessary.
The same cannot be said about the terrorist attacks in Bombay. The planned killing of unsuspecting and unarmed civilians is absolutely cowardly. Rutvik lived through the riots and then the bomb blasts that ripped through Bombay in the 90s. Important landmarks were damaged even then but somehow this current attack is especially jarring. We had visited three of the attack sites, The Taj hotel, Leopold Cafe (a backpacker favorite), and VT station only a few weeks ago. It really hits home when such attacks happen in your backyard, around your own family. We feel SO lucky that everyone is safe and accounted for. For those of you who have never been to Bombay, it is a very resilient city, and, just like before, it will recover in time. Our thoughts and prayers are with people there.
Lastly, we want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. There is so much to be thankful for. We feel blessed to be safe, that our family and friends are safe, and that we have so many people around us that care. We also feel blessed to have the opportunity of this year to live our dream. As we celebrate Thanksgiving island-style, we will be thinking of all of you back at home. We hope you enjoy the holiday with your family and friends. Let's all pray for the victims in Bombay and for a swift resolution to these crises. Peace and love to all.
2 comments:
Good to know you guys are safe! The seige has finally ended in Mumbai.
KD
Happy Thanksgiving to you both! Everyone in the ATL misses you and we are relieved to know you (and Rut's family) are safe.
Take care,
Candice
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