May 13. “Button, be it God or mother nature or whoever runs this universe, everything is turning topsy-turvy—

tsunamis, volcanic ash which was spewed all over Europe and brought travel and life in general to a standstill, the oil-spill in Mexico which has devoured marine life—shows that everything is going haywire!”

“It’s scary to say the least.”

“A couple of days back when we were in Phuket, we were warned not to go near the sea. You sometimes feel it’s a joke and, yet, you have doubts. You want to venture out but then, you think again—what if a tsunami hits—and you stay indoors. Fear is a dampener.”

“When are you all coming home?”

“In a couple of days.”

“I watched the news and found that trouble between the Red Shirts and the government in Thailand has escalated with the army taking charge. Things are not good in Bangkok and you must return quickly.”

“I was just telling my younger daughter that the bomb scare in New York’s Times Square and the problem in Thailand as well as unrest, in general, all over the world will cripple the aviation as well as the hotel industry. Who in their senses will travel when they have doubts and are fearful!”