Cyclone Nargis

[quillori]

I've only just heard the terrible news about Burma (Myanmar). Ten to fifteen thousand dead, according to the BBC, four thousand according to the New York Times. I always say when asked that you can't compare countries and pick a favourite, but then if I'm being honest I have to admit Burma is the most beautiful country I have ever seen, and the one I have cared about the most. Only last week I was lightheartedly advising a friend where he should eat when he went to Rangoon (Yangon) and who he should use if he wanted to ship some of the fine wood carvings home: I imagine the restaurant and the shipping agency and the furniture shop I recommended are all gone now. There was a period a few years ago when I really thought things were improving perceptibly, but so much has gone wrong since. The country really has no luck at all.

BBC article here
Local interviews here
Google News results here