Chaotic & Disturbing: a view of Katrina from France

Being in France starting my first week of Insead business school has been strange enough. But reading about Katrina and the aftermath in New Orleans on the web in France, without much access to television, has felt so distant. (listen to this week's activefree podcast.)

I finally started hearing about how intense some of the conflict has been between people, with major race and class overtones, over the last few days.

I just talked with my father, who had just finished listening to the "This American Life" episode called "After the Flood," and he basically said he felt more disturbed than he has in a long time.

I was already a bit nervous for my country, but it feels even more intense being so far away, with so much violence and sadness at home.