Regular features from November 2002 83rd Issue

Dear Ed,
Just returned home to the States after a lovely trip once again to Hua-Hin. As always my family and I (wife and 2 girls) had a wonderful time,seems there is always something new to do and see. However we had a bad experience I think you could help other people with so they do not experience the same. On our last day there my wife and youngest daughter had their hair braided at a saloon on Soi Tanawit near the shopping mall. Not long after both of them complained their head itched like crazy. After looking in their hair I was shocked to discover bugs of some type. They both took out the braids and shampooed their hair, which seemed to do no good.We went to a clinic recommended to us and learned two things, the nurse said it was the worst case she had ever seen. That not being bad enough it was recommended to shave their heads to be sure along with the medicine to get rid of them. You can imagine the suffering a little girl 5years old went thru and is still going thru as well as my wife.Of course this will not keep us out of Hua-Hin ,but will keep us out of that saloon. If this prevents only 1 little girl from going thru the same thing it would be great.
T. Gallanger

Dear Sir,
If anyone still doubts the integrity of the Dog Rescue Centre, and suspects it is a scam, then please read on. A couple of weeks ago we were called to the beach by a friend. He had discovered a dog lying in the sun, injured and unable to move. Not knowing what was wrong we tried to call the DRC but there was no reply. We quickly cycled to Christine's home, but she wasn't there. We found her eating lunch at her local noodle shop. We told her about the dog and she left her lunch to come with us. We helped carry the large dog to the nearest vet.
We have known Christine for some time now through her work. We are aware of her dedication to her cause. We know that the DRC struggles to survive, relying on the donations that people give, (not just money but food and other necessities). All too often donations are promised but never arrive.
Perhaps the cynics around Hua Hin should find out for themselves before they gossip. Let them pay a visit and witness the work this wonderful French woman does instead of relaxing in her beautiful garden. Perhaps they might just realise their mistake and make a donation!
Martin Drazen and Ian Flood

Following last months edition on restaurants and eating, here is some vocabulary for food. Eating is an essential part of life in Thailand, don’t get it wrong and end up with a double fried egg instead of duck salad.

Cooking terms
bake – op - อบ
boil – dtom - ต้ม
chopped - sup - สับ
deep fry – tord - ทอด
fry - pat - ผัด
grill – yang - ย่าง
toast – bing - ปิ้ง
done – suk - สุก

Salad – yum - ยำ (cold noodle salad, very spicy, eaten as first course)(yum moo, neua, taley - pork, beef seafood salad)
Glass noodles - wunsen - วุ้นเส้น
Issan Salad - larb - ลาบ (Issan cooked, chopped/minced spicy salad) (moo, gai, bped - pork, chicken, duck)
Papaya salad - som tam – ส้มตำ (green papaya, lemon, sugar, fish sauce, tomato, garlic, crab, chilli, extremely spicy.)
Rice soup - khao dtom – ข้าวต้ม (often eaten for breakfast)
Noodle soup - goy-diow – ก๋วยเตี๋ยว (sen yai/lek - thick/thin noodles, nam/haeng - soup or dry)
Thick noodle soup - raad naa – ราดหน้า

Spicy sour soup with lemon grass and prawns - tom yam gung
Chicken and coconut milk soup - dtom kar gai
Curry - gaeng – (usually thin soupy curry in a separate bowl)
Green curry - gaeng kiow waan
Sour and spicy with coconut milk, prawn and veg - gaeng som
Thick coconut milk and beef curry - gaeng pinang
Spicy, chilli and chicken curry - gaeng phet gai

Chicken on rice with soup - khao mun gai - ข้าวมันไก่
Sweet red pork on rice - khao moo daeng - ข้าวหมูแดง
Duck on rice - khao nah phed - ข้าวหน้าเป็ด
Sweet and sour with veg - pat priow waan - ผัดเปรี้ยวหวาน
Shell fish - hoi - หอย
Crab - bpoo - ปู
Fried chicken and ginger - gai pat king - ไก่ผัดขิง
Stir fried chopped with chili and basil - pat grapao moo/gai - ผัดกระเพรา
Fried chicken and cashew nuts - gai pat med mamuang - ไก่ผัดเม็ดมะม่วง
Egg fried noodles - pat tai - ผัดไทย

Most of these dishes are available from local markets, hawkers and restaurants from 20 Baht up. Expect to pay more in big restaurants. If you have any language questions or would like translations, send us an email at the Observer.

To Hedge or Not to Hedge

The key difference between a Mutual and Hedge fund is that a hedge fund‘s return comes from the skill and strategy of the fund manager rather than the asset class. The risk comes from the strategy and the skill, rather than the market. Mutual funds depend on the market for performance. If the market falls the mutual fund loses money whereas a hedge fund will probably make money.
However unlike mutual funds, hedge funds have no long term performance record. They have only been available, to mostly institutional investors, for the past twenty years. Many companies are now targeting the retail investor because of the poor performance of mutuals in a bear market, the question is should you consider hedging?
Many blame hedge funds for the 1997 Asian economic crisis. Others remember Barings brought down by derivatives trading with a little help from Nick Leeson and still others remember Long Term Capital Management who had the Worlds top 100 investors as clients and went belly-up in 1998.
Another concern is hedge fund regulation. Many of the jurisdictions where they are domiciled are unregulated by any fiscal authority.
So to find an alternative investment product with capital guarantee and outstanding performance history deserves our attention.
There is one company which meets these criteria. I have to declare an interest here and admit to recommending this company to expatriates over the years. So if my bias is showing I invite readers to let me know of a better alternative investment product on the market to day
Part of the Man group founded in the 1790’s in London and currently listed in the FTSE 100, Man investment products has since 1983 become a world leader in providing hedge funds products to the private client sector. Since1983 they have launched more than 200 alternative products. From their regional office in Hong Kong alone, they have raised in excess of US$2.7 Billion in the last five years.
Their latest offering in their Man IP220 family of products is the Series 4.
It is a medium to long term product which at maturity guarantees a return on investment of 120 % (Guarantor Lloyd’s TSB Bank London)
The actual performance of the IP220 Series 1, 2, and 3 launched in 1996 1997 and 1998 shows a compound annual rate of return, net of all charges to, the 31st July 2002 of 19.7% 19.5% and 18.6% respectively. These are truly exceptional returns compared to world stocks over the same period
Series 4, is typical of many of Man’s diverse portfolio is targeting annualized growth of between 17% and 18% and has a minimum subscription of US$50,000.
Matt Dillon of Man says “If you can create good performance for one two or three years to what extent is it luck or market conditions? But if you can survive for 10 years through a variety of market situations more credibility is given to performance”
Trading alternative investments the Man group has since 1990 to June 2002 returned 691.2% compared to World Stocks return of 151.5%.
These figures explain my bias for this company’s products. So back to the question. Shouild you consider hedging?
Dillon again” In a bull market traditional investments may outperform many of the hedge fund strategies But it is not an either/or question. You should have a portfolio consisting of traditional investments and alternative investments including hedge funds. The point is diversification”
I wonder how many agree.
If you would like clarification or further information on any matter discussed contact
Jerry McMenamin @ info@swissinvestcenter.com

Flight News

With thanks to Alain de Rocker
Shoe Bomb Suspect Changes Plea
The man who allegedly tried to blow up an American Airlines flight last year by detonating explosives hidden in his shoes is to plead guilty to all the charges against him, lawyers in the US have revealed.
Richard Reid, a UK citizen, who was due to go to trial on November 4 to face eight counts, was said to be changing his plea to spare his family negative publicity.
However, a motion filed by Reid’s legal team places a condition on the plea switch. It says that 29-year-old Reid wants language saying he was trained by al Qaeda removed from two of the charges.
The US Justice Department pointed out that it had not made any plea agreement with Reid. Attorney General, John Ashcoft said in a statement: “Richard Reid, like any defendant, is free to plead guilty to criminal charges, The Justice Department stands by each and every allegation in the indictment. We are prepared to substantiate all of the charges at the hearing.”
A motion opposing the request has been filed by FAA Calls For Safer Airline Seats
US airlines could face a multi-million dollar bill for installing new seats in passenger aircraft if a new safety rule is introduced.The country’s Federal Aviation Administration says that many deaths and serious injuries could be averted if the proposed new rule takes effect.The agency wants carriers to install the safer seats over the next 14 years at an estimated cost to the industry of USD$519 million. The seats would have improved head protection, better seat belts and be more firmly secured to the cabin floor. The FAA believes that around 114 deaths and 133 serious injuries in airplane accidents could be avoided over the next 20 years if the changes are approved. The agency is inviting public comment on the proposal until December 3.
From October 15 Delta Air Lines will be charging a fee for alcoholic beverages served in the economy cabin on international flights. The airline says it is being forced to charge for drinks by the downturn in passengers. Delta will charge USD4 for alcohol, including beer, wine and spirits on its international flights between the United States and Europe, India, Japan, Argentina, Brazil and Chile. Britain has the worst air traffic delays in Europe and has been responsible for over half of all delays in the region since the start of the year. The latest report from Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, shows that since the opening of its new Air Traffic Control (ATC) centre in Swanwick in January, Britain has accounted for 51% of Europe’s delays, compared with 15% for the whole of 2001. Even taking the country’s dense air traffic into account, the UK has the longest average delay per flight in the region, at over five minutes. The report also said that six out of 10 of Europe’s worst affected airports are in the UK. The poor performance of the controversial GBP620 million ATC centre has been blamed on repeated computer failure and staff shortages. Ironically, the new system is capable of handling fewer planes than the old “low-tech” one.
For those who always forget to charge their mobile phone at home, airlines are now stocking a handy gadget that will charge up those failing cells during a flight. The Instant Power 3-in-1 Cellphone Charger allows you to charge your phone from a cigarette lighter, USB port and even from a zinc cartridge that is safe to use in-flight. Virgin Atlantic and Air France are selling them in-flight. Although your mobile must be switched off in-flight, you can charge it from the zinc cartridge en route, cost around USD30, so it is ready for use on arrival.
Hughes D.V.T. Cushions Ltd has launched two products that can help to reduce the risks of D.V.T.
1. VEINGUARDT Exercise Cushion
The Veinguard exercise cushion, enables the passenger to exercise these leg muscles in confined spaces, and has been shown in tests to improve blood flow up to ten times.
2. VEINGUARDT INFLIGHT SOCKS
As an additional precaution Inflight Socks will stimulate blood flow by
exerting graduated compression from the ankle up through the calf.
Both these products are available at www.veinguard.com

Transformational Thinking Tips

Welcome to the Thinking Age!
By Bill Gould
About Bill Gould
Bill Gould is a local philosopher who has settled here and established the first training and development company in Hua Hin after serving two years as the Training Manager of Chiva-Som International Resorts. He has been a corporate consultant for over fifteen years and involved in training for over thirty. His philosophy of Transformational Thinking has helped thousands of individuals and hundreds of corporations, companies and organizations throughout the world.
Ripples on the Pond
Welcome to our new column. In this and future articles, we will be providing you with some tips that will help you improve the quality of your life as well as just simply playing with some concepts and ideas to see where they take us.
Decisions, decisions, decisions! Just how important are decisions? Who wouldn’t stand to gain from learning how to think better, make better decisions or solve problems more creatively and effectively? Think you are already good enough? Let’s try this simple quiz and see how you stack up.
1. Have you ever made a decision or a choice you later regretted?
2. Have you ever made a choice in the heat of an argument or romance that seemed rather dumb in retrospect?
3. Have you ever made a decision and left out a very important factor that you should have considered, resulting in a disaster that could have been averted had you done so?
4. Have you ever made a decision that impacted other people and been shocked that their reaction was not at all what you expected?
How are you doing so far? If you answered “no” to all (or any) of the above, I want to study with you! But I think the rest of we humans understand that, even when it comes to our thinking process, there is always room for improvement. There are inherent weaknesses and shortcomings in the linear thinking system we have inherited and employ daily to create and shape our reality.
The fact is that our realities are created and shaped in great degree by the decisions and choices we make in life. Learn to make better decisions and you will attain better results and you have just improved your reality. It is that simple.
Understanding the decision making process helps a great deal in learning how to improve it and that is the focus of the next couple of articles. How do we make decisions? What are the thinking processes involved and how can we improve them? The following metaphor should help in helping us to better appreciate the dimensions of the decision making process.
Imagine that you are standing on the banks of a quiet pond somewhere out in the countryside. There is not a breeze, the surface of the pond is like glass. In your hand, you hold a pebble and you toss it into the middle of the pond. What happens? Ripples extend out in 360 degrees from the point of impact, moving outwards in an ever-expanding circle to impact on anything in their path.
Those ripples represent the effects or results of your decision. The actual decision is made the moment the pebble leaves your hand. It is too late, after that, to change or alter the course of cause and effect. But, and do not miss this point, you are responsible for all the ripples you create.
But the show is not over yet. What happens when the ripples reach the banks of the pond? They do not stop there. They reverse direction and return back to the source. What goes around, does indeed, come around and we do get back what we put out or reap what we sow. There are many ways of expressing this concept but we all know what it means. You live with the consequences of the decisions you make. Some people literally are drowning in their own ripples!
Let’s add another dimension to the picture. As the ripples flow outwards, they encounter a lotus and a frog, sitting on the lotus leaf, is startled enough to leap into the pond causing more ripples. Who is responsible for those ripples? Hmm. One of those Zen koans? Not really. The answer is, simply, the both of you share the responsibility but notice that you aren’t of the hook completely. Nor can the frog complain that it was all your fault. The fact is, the frog made a decision to leap but also had the choice not to leap.
The effects of our decisions can often have far-reaching effects that involve people we do not even know. Living one’s life with this level of awareness tends to make one a little more conscious of the decisions one makes, doesn’t it? This whole concept is very much in tune with the Buddhist philosophy of karma.
Understanding and accepting this concept is also the first step in improving the thinking skills we use to make decisions. Too many people prefer to remain in a state of selective ignorance, preferring to remain hapless victims of circumstance rather than taking responsibility for their decisions and the consequences thereof.
In the next article, we will be looking closer at this process and sharing some skills to help improve it. In the interim, keep your head together.

Favourite Holiday Dishes from Tantawan's Kitchen

Pat Kra Pow Tuna

Quick and simple salad, enough for two people.
I can of Tuna,
Five chillis
5 gloves of garlic
and sprigs of Basil
Warm some oil in a wok, put in the crushed garlic and chillies, as a touch of sugar and a tea spoon of fish and oyster sauce. Add the tuna and basil leaves, mix gently. Garnish with chilli and basil. Serve with plain boiled rice.

Hua Hin Rotary President presents a welcoming gift to the Provincial Governor Khun Prasong, watched by Khun Burin chairman of organisation and running the shops at Hin Lek Fai

Hua Hin's Mayor buys the first item at the grand opening of the 'one village one product' shops at Hin Lek Fai mountain

Hans and his customers enjoy a selection of wine and food at the latest Halex wine tasting

Khun Ob, Khun Lisa, Khun Paisarn and Frank at the grand opening of Jasmines

Some of the Hinchester Utd team celebrate full back Oliver's birthday (far right). Yes, he is one of the youngest in the side!

Observer gang enjoy a sing song at Tim and Colin's birthday

Features

this month

regulars

stories

sports

golf

funnies

back issues