



despite its overwhelming military power, america’s war against al qaeda is widely seen as having achieved nothing better than a stalemate and many believe that it has even strengthened al qaeda. // steven kull, director of the program on international policy attitudes
AS THE RAIN BARRELS DOWN ON THE ROOF ABOVE ME, i thought i'd say a word about the dynamic yet constant climate patterns in the region. first off, the average temperatures year-round hover somewhere b/w 26 and 32 degrees. it has yet to slip beneath the 24 mark since my arrival. beyond the unrelenting heat and humidity, there are essentially three discernible weather conditions: sunny, rainy/torrential and overcast. remarkably, these meteorological states alternate on an hourly basis; in the morning, it shines, in the afternoon, it pours, and in the evening, it dampens. although i've yet to be caught in a heavy downpour, andrew and i have definitely experienced our share of moisture. luckily, there's usually an open curry house or plush hotel lobby around in which to find refuge: