On the morning of Monday the 16th, 2007 in Virginia, U.S.A. there were a series of gun-fire at 2 separated locations 2 hours apart in dormitory and classroom, respectively, in Virginia Tech University, killing 32 people including students and professors. The lone gunman, later revealed an identity as Cho Seung-hui - a 23 years-old South Korean living legally in the US and the final year student studying English at the university, killed himself afterwards. This tragic incident spurred the nation with grief and anger. This would lead to a more serious measure of gun purchasing in the US. It would cause some hatred among Asian and other minority ethic groups living in the states and the process of applying for a US visa would certainly be reevaluated. Hopefully, it would not be as bad as I thought it would be.

My deepest condolences go to those who lost their loved ones in this tragic incident. May they all rest in peace.

Never have I imagined that I would live to witness a coup d'etat in Bangkok for the second time in my life. It's been 14 years since "Black May," a public uprising in Bangkok against the military dictatorship in 1992. Thailand has come too far to take a step backwards to this uncivilized state. Currently, as I am writing this blog article, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was still in New York at the UN General Assembly and declared a state of emergency earlier in the evening, while the opposition party - "Council of Political Reform" declared that the constitution was by now invalid and they gained full control of the country. I don't know who is "actually" in control and what will happen next. All I know is that Thailand will be badly doomed, both politically and economically, because of this.

Let's hope for peaceful resolution and economic recovery. The sooner, the better.