Asia trip - July 2015

Dublin airport, Ireland, July 10, 2014

Arrived much too early at Dublin airport via air coach from Belfast (at 6.15am). I spent the last three weeks in Belfast doing some writing and looking after the kids which was good fun on the whole.  Right now I am waiting for the flight to Bangkok via Abu Dhabi with final destination Yangon, Burma or Myanmar, the official name.  Will give a talk in Bangkok at Thammasat University and meet various people, both academics and (former) politicians, to talk about the situation in Thailand since the military coup. Afterwards, when traveling to Yangon and elsewhere, it will be highly interesting to obtain some information and impressions about the situation in neighboring Burma.  After all the country has only fairly recently emerged from military rule though the military regime is still in overall control despite some democratization and opening to the world. 

Unfortunately the trip to Asia from Europe is rather long, though much less long than from the U.S. Still it will take me some 18 or 19 hours, including a lay-over, to get to Bangkok. But first another 90 minutes' wait here at Dublin airport. One thing is for sure, the weather in Asia will be a lot hotter and sunnier than in Ireland. Summer here has been rather disappointing: gray, cool, rainy and only occasional sunshine.