Showing 1 - 10 of 18
The Ides of March and perils of power
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 12/03/2023
» This Wednesday will be the 74th day of the year, which admittedly doesn't sound like something to get too excited about. But it is not just any old day. Known in Roman times as the "Ides of March" the 15th marks the anniversary of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC.
'King of fruits' is nothing to sniff at
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 13/06/2021
» Most people who have a functioning hooter will be well aware we are in the middle of the durian season. I got a timely reminder when my wife returned triumphantly from a day trip to the orchards of Nakhon Nayok last weekend laden with what is called the "king of fruits''. It is also the smelliest of fruits, prompting a brisk trade in T-shirts bearing the message "tastes like heaven and smells like hell".
It's time for 'cautious cuddling' in the UK
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 16/05/2021
» PostScript recently discussed how the month of May is looked upon fondly in Britain, partly because it heralds warmer weather. Admittedly summer in the UK can be rather brief, especially if the occluded fronts start misbehaving. It's no coincidence that the most common forecast in the British summer is "outlook changeable".
The magical world of far away places
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 04/04/2021
» Earlier this week I was chatting with friends about which places around the globe captured their imagination most when they were kids. One was fascinated by Mandalay, while another said Pondicherry caught his eye. Zanzibar was another name that cropped up.
Brits can go back to their hot-water bottles
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 02/02/2020
» When Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016, a Newsweek columnist likened it to "a bored nation sticking its fingers into a tempting-looking electrical socket just to see what happens". What happened was far from electrifying, but more than three years of mind-numbing debate and verbal jousting that left most people fed up with the whole thing.
There's a whole lot of digging going on
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 23/06/2019
» This week the Bangkok Governor bravely announced that the tangled mess of overhead telecom and broadcast cables which have decorated Bangkok's streets for so long, will definitely be gone within two years. One suspects this might make him a leading candidate for the new post of Minister of Wishful Thinking.
Lazing on a stormy Sunday afternoon
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 09/06/2019
» Every now and again, I escape to the Northeast (Isan), more specifically the northernmost part of Chaiyaphum province, to relax, unwind, mellow out, chill out and hopefully not freak out. It is always a rewarding experience to shake off the madness of the Big Mango for a few days and settle into a pace of life that drifts between slow, very slow and practically dormant. That's something I can handle quite comfortably. In some ways it must resemble being transferred to an inactive post.
Summertime, and the livin' ain't easy
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 24/02/2019
» According to the Meteorological Department, Thailand's summer officially began last Thursday, amidst warnings that this year it will be even more torrid than ever. So you can put away your fur coats, scarves, snow boots and thermal underwear for the time being. While sweltering heat is not exactly welcome news, it hardly comes as a surprise. It is a trifle absurd to complain about the heat in Thailand. After all, that's what happens in the tropics -- it gets a bit steamy.
The strange dude in the Afghan coat
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 04/02/2018
» The other day on television, someone mentioned Afghan coats and it reminded me of the time I was the proud possessor of such a coat, even though it wasn't mine. Although I travelled overland through Asia in 1969 when Afghan coats were becoming quite fashionable, I didn't buy one on the journey primarily because I couldn't afford it. As we were headed East towards warmer climes, such a heavy coat also didn't seem practical.
Perils of mushroom picking in Thailand
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 07/05/2017
» One encouraging piece of news this week was the Supreme Court reducing the sentence of the Kalasin mushroom pickers accused of illegal logging from 15 years to five. But many questions remain.