By Graham K. Rogers

It is that time of year again, when I buy in loads of supplies and retreat to my eyrie, batten down the hatches, lower the portcullis and raise the drawbridge. The Thai new year festival called Songkran is here and bad luck if you want to stay dry.

On my way to buy the essentials for the next few days -- baguettes, chocolate, croissants and scones (for a change) -- I called in at the Siam Discovery Center where I saw that the hoardings are down on the iStudio that has been in a state of renovation for the last month or so. The staff were beavering away inside setting up the displays and deliveries were being made every few minutes.

A board outside informs customers that the reopening is at 6pm this evening and there is an offer of a free mug.

I do note that the wall behind the iMacs looks suspiciously false and there is still renovation of the retail space next door, so I am wondering if there is a plan for expansion being put into effect. If not, the store looks exactly as it did before the renovation began.

But still no solid news of the iPad arrival here. . . .

Graham K. Rogers teaches at the Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University in Thailand. He wrote in the Bangkok Post, Database supplement on IT subjects. For the last seven years of Database he wrote a column on Apple and Macs.