It's that time of the year again. Bird tweets awaken us in the morning, sinking into the subconscious long before our eyelids snap open. Branches still bare, but a few green shoots have arrived in defiance of cold and rain. My current work too, is almost done. At the rate of 5,000+ words a day, for a full day's work. The rest of the time, well, whenever I find time. Time has that one irascible quality - once its gone, it never comes back. Sounds obvious, right? For me, it's a

This is the remote and inaccessible north eastern Shan State in Myanmar. Conflict and distance has kept foreigners away till now. This is where Dan Roy and his female compatriot ends up and they have the adventure of a lifetime. Despite the tranquil beauty all is not well in the jungles. Violence and quarrels over land and mineral resources simmer beneath the surface. Dan Roy is a wild man at heart and he carries the long Kukri knife beloved of the Gurkhas. The Burmese fighte