ChiangMaiIB

The title of this thread is misleading. First of all there are no book exchange shops in Chiang Mai. So, yes, it is disappointing, I guess, since there are none.

There are, however, numerous second hand book stores that offer to buy used books. Again, number one, they do not offer to buy used books from people at any set price. Used books are like any commodity. The more people are willing to pay for them from the book store, well, the more used book store owners are willing to buy them for from the people that bought them. Pretty simple stuff and if you can't get your head around that then you are better off going to the library, adding the book to your collection or (pay attention budget book buyers) cruising the book racks at hotels and guest houses and doing a quick trade.

I mention this last suggestion about going inside a hotel or guest house to trade books because anyone that would take the time to post about not being able to sell a book for 30-40 Baht more should really seek these creative ways of saving a buck.

Nice suggestions + insults --- lol

One of the best ways to get IB experience is to take a position at a school in a less desirable location (middle east, africa, etc).

I have several friends who worked as IB instructors in Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Africa and then went for schools in Asia.

I think you would still refer to black foreigners as Farang. Thais, especially up North do not have much exposure to coloured foreigners. You should warn any Thais never to address coloured foreigners as 'Khun'. saw this cause a terrible fight once.

I had to laugh

If its wrong, I don't want to be right (sounds better in a deep, raspy voice)

Stop blaming Obama. Don't blame Bush either. Look in the mirror! We wanted it all but someone else is supposed to pay, eh? Doesn't work that way.

I looked in the mirror and blamed myself for the 83.00 charge --- I have to admit though, myself gave me back a bewildered look

My school offers a "free" lunch to teachers but the same old Thai dishes do get old after awhile.

The school also "discourages" teachers from leaving campus to get lunch.

Do most teachers settle for the free lunch at school or do they leave campus for lunch?

I would like to address the issue with my boss but would also like to know the situation for others

Thanks.

accidental post....

It is worth it to add that GMO's main health concerns stem from long term and the science provided is based on short term.

The profits argument is weak, your right. I would think its fair though to consider the ties monsanto has with the US Govt and feel pretty certain that it goes beyond common lobbying. Conflict of interest could even be argued with previous board members being appointed into government offices.

Monsanto also does have a Global Pollution Legacy. They have engaged in intentional forms of pollution (with mandatory cover-up efforts) and have even created products with the sole purpose of pollution. As an inner-connected world (expats should definitely understand this) what a company from our country does to another country has effects on all of us.

We are now looking at a company that has created a legacy of pollution to now be in charge of our food supply? That is why the new alice in wonderland movie lacked "wonder" - we are already upside down. Anyone should be skeptical about this company, atleast enough to do some personal research.

For many, its not the fear of the GMO seed itself -- its the company parenting the seed.

"You are what you Eat"

In patent laws - you would then become property of Monsanto

This relates to the OP question about Chiang Mai because to many, this is a serious issue that goes beyond pop science and pop conspiracy but to the hard cold facts about the issue ----- anyone notice that cold hard facts about issues seem to be getting more difficult to come by, even as our ability to communicate becomes instantaneous?

Farming Farmaceuticals (I mean PHarmaceuticals -- I always misspell that)

*There was a funny comic in the newspaper once about the lab guys in a stuffy laboratory creating medicine and they have a poster on the wall of a beautiful farm - and they are both thinking - wont it be great when we can just grow this stuff out there

Who would send anything to NIGERIA?

They are around on skype as well asking to download a photo from a lady who "loves" you or seeks a man and the like....

Are you telling me that poor girl in Nigeria that got stranded and needs western union isnt really who she says she is???

Did I just waste 4,000 Baht?

I got the same email when I was selling my PS3

Its called the Nigerian Scam but people associate it with any country thats not the UK or US I have had ample questions when I have tried to buy something and have it sent to Thailand - usually I just have it sent to my house in FarangLand and have it forwarded on

Genetically Modified Soy Linked to Sterility, Infant Mortality 07 June, 2010

"This study was just routine," said Russian biologist Alexey V. Surov, in what could end up as the understatement of this century. Surov and his colleagues set out to discover if Monsanto's genetically modified (GM) soy, grown on 91% of US soybean fields, leads to problems in growth or reproduction. What he discovered may uproot a multi-billion dollar industry.

After feeding hamsters for two years over three generations, those on the GM diet, and especially the group on the maximum GM soy diet, showed devastating results. By the third generation, most GM soy-fed hamsters lost the ability to have babies. They also suffered slower growth, and a high mortality rate among the pups.

And if this isn't shocking enough, some in the third generation even had hair growing inside their mouths—a phenomenon rarely seen, but apparently more prevalent among hamsters eating GM soy.

---------------------------------------------------------

2 birds with one stone? Profit and Population decrease! Whoopie!

I found this part of the study especially interesting:

"The study, jointly conducted by Surov's Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the National Association for Gene Security, is expected to be published in three months (July 2010)—so the technical details will have to wait."

Conducted by who? Peer reviewed by who? Unpublished?

If I hunted on the internet enough I'm sure I could find research that proves President Obama wasn't born in the U.S., in spite of statements from the hospital he was born in, newspaper articles announcing his birth, the copy of his birth certificate posted on the internet by the White House and the FBI background investigation conducted on all presidential candidates. I could also find "proof" of UFO's, Bigfoot, and every conspiracy you wanted to believe in.

Can you provide a link to any published studies from well known organizations that reach similar doomsday conclusions?

Very Good point about the article --- What do the other things have to do with Gm Crops? You instantly dismiss thousands of years of UFO discussions because of the 15 yr old internet??? (Plenty of ancient civilizations referred to chariots of fire in the sky)

I just put on my tin (foil) hat

So go the bees, so go the latest Enki experiment

The B's (Bees) are, as my dear ex president would say "the smoking gun"

When I read the OP, I knew there would be those scoffing at the concern, by the way, the "green revolution" was a failure, replacing many varieties of rice with one high yield variety that ultimatly got a disease and failed, causing famine. The reference to "tin hat" ....come on UG is that the best you can do?

As to the topic, at a recent Mae Jo uni. farm fair I noticed many of the stalls and farm plots advertised that their products were not GMO, so there is awareness.

GMO papayas are the norm now in Hawaii due to the ring spot virus. The gmo pollen has invaded fields of non gmo papayas, the virus has also evolved to infest the gmo variety.

Selective breeding and GMO are not the same. It seems some people have strong opinions based on ignorence. Are the crops safe to eat? Who knows, the long term testing has not been done, will they escape to the wild and cross polinate traditional varieties?, yes, that is proven. Is it a plan to control farmers and patent life forms? obviously..

Monoculture is the number 1 cause of pestilence and disease in crops - (MON) santo

to keep it TV level - why are there so many fat/ ugly chicks in the UK and US? If it has anything to do with food quality, I will burn every GM crop around to ensure I have eye candy from every direction at all hours of the day

I think where the hysteria starts is with the misconception that crops like Papaya, watermelons, carrots, corn, pineapple, tomatoes and many other are native or genetically specific to Thailand. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The above species were commerce motivated strains introduced to Thailand to grow for food. Papaya's in particular have only been grown in thailand for 150 to 170 years.

So it's not the end of the world if some of these introduced varieties are affected. It's common for better strains to take over for weaker or pest related strains over time. Take for instance the Cavendish Banana strain taking over for the Gros Michel strain. Neither by the way were native to SEA.

I don't think anyone is trying to say hybridization and selective breeding is the same as GM. Selective breeding and cross hybridization are designed to induce and selectively pursue genetic variations. It's okay for food crops but if you try to have sex with your cousin in West Virginia then you might get thrown in jail.

My point being GM infringing on the already freak world of produce is not that big a deal.

GM is much more aggressive and ultimately has a lot more potential as well as danger. Only time will tell how it plays out. I tend to be an optimist.

I am sure 150+ years ago when Papaya's were introduced to Thailand there were lots of people up in religious arms about the invasion of this new alien food technology and how it was going to affect the crops that were already here.

I can have sex with my cousin but how about if I try and clone her in my laboratory, put her on Loi Kroh, and patent everyone she has relations with

The science behind food shortage due to seed capacity is questionable at best --- the food transportation network is based on money, not off necessity

These are the same guys that brought us Agent Orange --- why would you even question their motives for profits over consumer safety

I have been asking friends all around town about this. Awesome post Twofor.

I will def check those venues real-tha-ideal suggested. Thanks.

I'll have to take a leaf out of Uptheos' post, in the Best Meal Deal topic, by saying 'I'm not saying it's for me, but I appreciate your response'.

On a side issue, I'm not sure what you mean by 'I will def check those venues', I can only assume that you mean 'I will deffo check those venues'. It doesn't take much more effort to use the Queens English and spell it right , does it?

By the way, I expect a full report on your Granny quest.

This topic reminds me of the story that made the tabloid press concerning a young Wayne Rooney. Apparently he fancied some late-night entertainment down in the seedier parts of Liverpool and ended up with what they call 'an old slapper' in those parts. Rooney wasn't quite as famous then, and had what can only best be described as 'a face that only a mother could love'. Still does, hence his nick-name 'Shrek'.

Somehow, The Sun newspaper got hold of this story, traced the mature lady concerned and managed to get a World Exclusive interview. They asked her about the young England star's performance and what she was thinking about during the proceedings. Her reply was 'Pot Noodles'. She explained that she was considering what she would have for lunch, when the young lad had finished. Sadly, this is a true story . For the doubters, I can only say it must be true, it was in The Sun.

you remember what it means to "assume"

(Wikipedia versus Urban Dictionary)

I'll include "family friendly" pictures with the report

the education system is a joke everywhere

That is a ridiculous statement to say the least.

Have you ever been in a Wal-Mart?

The Thailand education system does have room for improvement but the same is true in FarangLand

Is the US educational system that effective? There is usually 3 options

1) come from a rich family and go Ivy League

2) start life with 50K debt

3) go to community college

US Students have consistently fallen behind other nations in math and science -

Degrees usually require 3 years of general and only 1 year of specific, so students have to continue with a masters degree (another 40K in debt) to specialize and secure a well paying job (which becomes a necessity instead of just a luxury because they already have 90K in debt)

Agree with elektrified.

That's 2 out of 2, ChiangMaiIB. Good average, keep going.

I appreciate your view on my comment. I think I probably have a few more "winners" you havent included. Chang is a horrible drug.

I still stand by my comment, albeit short and crass.

I do believe there are reasonable arguements to support the claim that the United States Education System is broken and therefore has had an impact on Thailands model. The private schools in Thailand do to some extent mimic the the British/ American Ivy League System. It's elitist and serves as a channel for wealthy and influential families to give their children an upperhand, if not a direct path. The children are then shipped off to heavily touted western colleges and obtain an academic pedigree.

The capitalism (capitalization) of the private school market then defines a schools reputation by appearance and appearances of their teaching staff (representations of the model they are mimicking). Curriculum is supported by the ministry of education which does not mimick the Ivy League System and money wins out in parents "impression" of the school.

Many International schools have a three tiered system of hires - Thai, local expat, relocated expat

The Thai, by law, has limits on their salary in comparison to foreign staff. The local expat will often see housing allowance and flight allowance significantly lowered or omitted. The relocated expat, often "recruited" in an International Fair, will be given a fairer market value (TIT) salary with opportunity for negotiable perks.

Salaries for Local expats havent seen increases in nearly 10+ years. Tuition rises. Relocated "recruited" expats have seen increases. Is there a significant difference between the teaching abilities? There are several worthwile arguments that could be made for teachers that are familiar with culture/ customs/ country

Take a close look at the results of western educational systems. Review material from "No child left with a mind" - I mean "behind" and see if there is an "omission" of critical thinking and individual perception analysis (the ability to filter information and recognize/ discern subtle influence) - the average 5-6hr a day TV watcher knows plenty about an unlimited supply of subtle influence commercials. Professional teachers label it "teaching to the test"

Western education systems have also campaigned for more "digital classroom" practicum, meaning developing brains will be spending more time infront of a digital screen then just the TV/ Computer/ Video games/ Mobile phone they currently use. I havent seen any significant studies that chart the developing brain when it is subjected to a continous stream of input from a digital screen - my guess would be alterations to our environmentally tuned, genetically evolved organism.

The Thai ministry of education fosters a very thai-centered curriculum - play the ever so humbling "ask an american the name of a foreign capitol" game to see where the Thai's mimicked that "Thailand is in the center of the map" syndrome. The word Falang is a very nice manifestation of a nation-centric education

These issues are critical in western education models/practices and are firecely debated - meanwhile LOS keeps establishing a channel for their elite students while forming the capstone of a very nice hierarchical triangle.

Elite

Highly qualified

western credentialed staff

angelic white faced teachers

teachers with falsified/ weak papers

60 students in a govt school classroom

I believe the question of "What's a University Degree Worth in Thailand" can sustain a comment regarding the system(s) that the LOS is trying to mimic.

Education in LOS is used as a class enforcer (enabler) - a degree outside of Thailand will remain with higher worth as long as LOS continues its mae bpen rai view on mass education

I have been asking friends all around town about this. Awesome post Twofor.

I will def check those venues real-tha-ideal suggested. Thanks.

the education system is a joke everywhere

That is a ridiculous statement to say the least.

Have you ever been in a Wal-Mart?

The Thailand education system does have room for improvement but the same is true in FarangLand

Is the US educational system that effective? There is usually 3 options

1) come from a rich family and go Ivy League

2) start life with 50K debt

3) go to community college

US Students have consistently fallen behind other nations in math and science -

Degrees usually require 3 years of general and only 1 year of specific, so students have to continue with a masters degree (another 40K in debt) to specialize and secure a well paying job (which becomes a necessity instead of just a luxury because they already have 90K in debt)

After the resounding win by England it's a bit of a surprise to learn that they ended up second in their group thanks to a late, late goal by US of A, which put them top on goals scored. The consolation for England fans (and bar-owners) is that England now play at 9pm on Sunday, although they will have to play against the winners of group D (Germany?, Ghana?).

Bring 'em on!!

resounding??!! 1-0 -- whats in that cigar

Good luck with germany -- avoid the PK

the education system is a joke everywhere

I dont know about chemtrails but I would look closely at the GMO seeds

7 billion people in the world, 1 billion are starving - Africa makes enough food to supply its own continent but exports it

The ones that instantly doubt "conspiracy theories" all have computer access and arent starving to death - keep an eye on those pensions as the dollar, pound and euro decerase in value

I think the price of beer is viewed with the *perks* the establishment offers when drinking in said location

i would have thought having a chipped console and getting the ubiquitous discs found around CM would be a better way to go

more games on offer, cheap as chips etc

PS3s cant get chipped

Here is a list of my games

Metal Gear Solid

FIFA World Cup 2010

NBA LIVE 09

NCAA Football 09

PS3 games are pretty expensive and I havent found a game rental shop --- anyone interested in setting up a group to trade games when you have finished with one?

I did this in Dubai and it worked out pretty well

Trades dont have to be permanent - can just be a couple week swap or whatever is arranged

Miguels -- Sunday "All-you-can-eat" 250 Baht (Close to Holiday Inn location)

Soft Tacos, Burritoes, Quesadillas, Taco Salad, Chips & Salsa. Rice + beans (A bonus if you dislike your co-workers on Monday)