Jinger Ben News Today

For the past three weeks I have been waking up to the sound of roosters, many of which sneakily start warming up their vocal chords well before dawn. With this evidence you don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to deduce that I have been in the Northeast of Thailand, or Isan. It has become a regular destination at the New Year and with the exception of the early morning calls from the chickens, it is always a pleasurable experience.

It could be fun, in a strange sort of way 11 published : 10 Jan 2021 at 04:00 11 A number of readers -- well, three -- have asked why last weeks column did not contain the usual predictions for the coming year. My feeling at the time was that with the dark cloud of Covid-19 hovering over us it seemed a bit inappropriate to carry the usual frivolous PostScript predictions. However, I have had a change of heart and considering we are only 10 days into the New Year it is not too late to make s...

Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief 6 published : 20 Dec 2020 at 04:00 6 In the mid-1970s, while travelling on the slowest train in the world from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi, I recall reading a substantial chunk of John Le Carres espionage novel, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Though not a fast-paced book, it still had more momentum than the wretched train. The sad news of Le Carres death last weekend at the age of 89, had me thinking a bit more about that particular book. I have to admit I did ...