Cooking in Chiang Mai

I've just had a one day cookery course -10 pounds including all ingredients and stuff. Went to the market to buy all the spices, ludricously cheap over here - 3 pence for lemongrass, fresh ginger and coriander. Ate 7 dishes today, I'm feeling quite bloated. Thai food is very easy to cook, just add sugar, fish sauce and oyster sauce to everything. Then ginger and chicken for stir-fry "chicken with ginger"... etc.

Carrying on the theme of bizarre criminal cases, there's a journalist over here in prison for 5 years for abominable slander. The King of Thailand is incredibly respected, as is the entire monarchy, and the current king loves sailing. What's this journalist in jail for? He referred to the king as the "skipper" of the country! I bet our own royal family wished they were treated like that.