Times of trouble

LAST week in Bangkok I felt like a real journalist. My fi rst night out in this Asian metropolis on a business trip was explosive. Several grenades detonated, three people died and 75 were injured. I was in a country in the middle of a crisis with lasting demonstrations and no sign of conciliation. Earthquake in China, volcano eruption in Iceland and now the peaceful Thai fi ghting each other; what bad news next?

AN ELABORATED piece about the Thai confl ict was what I did have in mind, but it all occurred differently. The next day I got the fl u and had to stay in bed. Devastated by my bad luck, I was forced to review my situation. I realised that it might not be the worst idea to stay away from the critical zones. There was a reason for issuing a travel warning for Thailand ...