Got through my first hurricane intact. Twelve days without power, but some folks in town STILL don't have power as of Oct. 1, 2008. Crazy, huh? And this was only a category 2 hurricane (although the storm surge was equivalent to a category 4 hurricane). I spent most of my time doing local coverage here in Houston, although I did spend a little time in Galveston, Seabrook, and Kemah.

Its good that life is finally resembling some semblance of normality. I can cook in my kitchen again, take a hot shower, browse the internet in my air-conditioned bedroom. I guess it was a bit like camping, only more like getting lost and spending more time in the great outdoors than originally planned.

Ike stuff will come later. First some stuff I couldn't post last time because it hadn't been published yet.

Cheers,

Eric

Two theaters in Houston are starting to show movies in the South Indian languages of Tamil, Malayalam, and Telegu made in India's smaller, but just as prolific as Bollywood, South Indian movie industry. There are also three new radio shows in town targeting the growing community, many of whom have come here in recent years as engineers or students.

Prasad Kalva and Damador Valluri started the Andhra Mirchi and Tamil Mirchi radio shows earlier this year to tap into the growing South Indian market in Houston.

During the rehabilitation and discharge from the hospital, I got to spend a little time with a family that was inside the bus that crashed in Sherman, TX resulting in 17 fatalities.

The Bui family, all five of whom were in the Sherman bus crash Aug. 8. Three were seriously injured; the two youngest children were banged up but didn't spend inpatient time in the hospital. Thiep Bui, the father, and Matthew Bui, his 15-year-old son, both eventually left the Dallas hospital where they've been doing therapy for the past week. They leave behind Thui Tran, the mother, who is still in Baylor's ICU, although improving modestly.  The next day, Thiep was sent home while his son was to remain at the hospital for further rehabilitation and observation.