Mousehound

Do you not tip at all in pricey Western restaurants?

It is not customary to tip in Australia - unless you are a tourist staying at an international hotel. I never tip at local cafes or anywhereelse - it implies that you are not equal and as such is actually un-Australian.

Make a great taxi - even quicker ride in from swampy!

Got close to one at the showroom in Siam Centre last January. Ugly looking brut of a car.

http://www.nipissingu.ca/education/mariacw...umpingModel.doc

Smilanich and Bennet are really worth looking at for behaviour. particularly the "Low Key" responses to behaviour.

I have completed L1 & 2 training with the Smilanich system and it does work. I mentor teachers. There are many strategies but key is "Winning Over". This takes time to get going but it will work. Meanwhile, ensure you have a strict routine. eg Students must line up and be silent before entering the class. If they don't get it right take the class out of the room and start again. Greet each student at the door - by name! Small chunks of learning activity are commenced with a "Signal to Begin" and "Signal to Stop" and have a signal for silence etc. Keep them moving along. Move about the class (DO NOT GET STUCK BEHIND A DESK). Use "proximity". Understand the "Planned Ignore". Use the "stare" and the raised hand for "I want you to stop that". Learn how to warn a child (Face child - raise hand palm outward and say "I want you to...." ) Deal with "Allies" first. After exclusion or "time out" have a "Wecome Back" strategy. Have contact with parents and meetings if possible. Explain that there are consequences for inapropriate behav.. and make sure that if you make a threat YOU FOLLOW THROUGH. Use individual contracts and have the student use a card that you sign off with marks out of 10 or whatever you feel will work. Roll play situations in your mind. Don't ask "What will I do if such and such happens", ask yourself "What will I do WHEN it happens"? Get involved with out of class activities.

Teaching is a tough gig but if you can get on top of it you will know you have made an impact on kids lives and you can most likely handle anyone and anything.

Good luck!

Teaching is the toughest gig around - wherever you teach there are tough zones. I had a knife pulled on me on my first day - where I teach striking teachers is a fairly regular pastime and verbaling a teacher - well it is a very rare lesson that it doesn't happen! And this is in Australia and at a pretty average sort of school. We have regular lock downs and employ security staff every now and then. But for all that I have taaught there for ten years now and find you can get on top of things but it requires patience, strategy and a stubborn streak. If you head of department is not up to it and you don't have a buddy teacher life will be very tough indeed. NEVER GIVE UP! You nwill win over 99% of the kids and 90% of the staff but it takes time. Concentrate on low key strategies for behaviour, be consistent, draw the line in the sand and show that you will do anything to help the kids and if it doesn't work out you have tried your best.

You think Thailand is bad this is an extract from the travel section of a magazine.

As if you need another excuse to pack light, I offer Exhibit A: Heathrow's new Terminal 5, where somewhere between 20,000 and 28,000 pieces of checked luggage vanished into a black hole in its first month. Things are so bad at the moment that travelers are being denied insurance for lost luggage if they pass through Terminal 5.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...8#ixzz0YuPcfJLk

Whaaat! You skinny runts should all be taxed extra. I'm 100k and proud of the fact that I shall sacrifice myself earlier to the grim reaper than you sad skinny types that will linger on for years drawing pensions and sucking on drugs to kep you going. Fatties like me are doing the world a favour, we should all be given medals and tax breaks - also a free upgrade to 1st class please!

The security guard fell asleep. How typical

This guy needs to be fired and the moron who hired him should shortly follow.

Would that not be hippocritical?

Very good ha ha!

Try the YHA - you should be able to get a share room there for under $5 a night. There are a coupke in BKK. Big John's off lower Sukhumvit is also cheap - you could get a dorm bed there for 1$ a couple of years back.

Ink will always be the real cost of a printer. I was trained as a printer tech and had my own computer shop for a few years. We stocked Canon, as well as Brother and HP plotters, and I visited the works in Japan for a couple of weeks a few years back. What was made obvious was that they had many models on the back burner that they trot out when sales slow down. And I mean years ahead! It is also interesting to see how many printers are made by Canon. I saw Apple, Brother and Canon Lasers all coming off the same line. The Caon idea was that they wanted the printers to be as cheap as possible and make the money on the inks. I do prefer the Canon as a rule but am running an HP at the moment.

I had an Epson before this and gave it to my brother. I then picked up a "silo" system of ink tanks for him from Pantip Plaza. Fantasic value and he seems very happy with it all. Can't comment on ink quality but I have heard no complaints. However, if you are into good quality photographic results my experience is that the proprietory inks are richer and will probably last better.

I think you could "go it alone" if you have fished Borsang in CM. Very similar methods but at Berngsamran I used a grapefruit sized ball of rice bran under a float rather than bread crusts. Having said that I hired a guide and think it was worth it.

hi to all .my name is shane im in the northern region from the 10 of december and wondering does anyone have knowledge of fishing spots have fished all over the world and will gladly travel to meet fish or chat or all of the above.i live in ireland and fish both salt fresh by all known means and some unknown?.in thailand for 5 weeks previous to fishing new zealand. good luck hope to talk.

Look up the Fishing part of the Sport Forum on TV.

Also thyere is "A Freshwater Fisherman in Thailand by Peter Jaggs which has some stuff on CM

I feel that the white balance of both photos might be slightly off to the blue or cooler side. Both images might profit from a slightly higher exposure and a less contrast. A higher exposure in the first image will render the trees and houses on the right side better but might hide details in the clouds - depends what is more important to you. Especially the contrast in the second image is too strong; the dark foreground and the very dark sky are not appealing. The polarizer works well in the first photo but it destroys the second photo and lets the sky appear far too dark on the right upper side.

Thanks, that's exactly the sort of feedback I'm looking for. I deliberately went for the "dark" look as it seems that the agencies I supply are into this. Personally I was suspicious of the effect.

I'll re-vamp accordingly

The above comments are load of waffle.

In a broad sense there is no such thing as a better result, as these 'happy snap' images clearly show, by using either any kind of film or capturing pixels. It depends on the subject and the idea that you want to translate. It certainly is preferable not to use film for environmental reasons, which I totally support. Having said that, I am devoted to photographic images produced from film as the continuous tone produces a different and unique effect but as most shots from film are now scanned and translated into images from pixels most of this 'feeling' is lost.

The use of polarizing filters, or filters of any kind is an outdated notion as the effects can be easily achieved by using computer graphics.

While most filter effects can be achieved in Photoshop and the like, making a blanket statement that a polarizer is an "outdated notion" is the real waffle here. This optical filter produces an effect which can only be simulated but not duplicated. Period. Light falling on subjects is unpolarized and modulates in all directions around the line of its travel. A polarizing filter allows light to pass through which is modulated only on one axis and absorbs light modulated on all other axes.

An annoying reflection from glass, water, etc., can't be removed in post except by cloning from adjacent areas, etc. as the information "below" the reflection is simply not there, whether the image was captured in RAW or otherwise. Only a polarizer can filter out all or most of that reflection - Photoshop, Lightroom, NIK, ACDSee can't (as of yet).

Pass the butter and syrup.

Ha Ha! Your comments are right on and I find that the IR filters give me (for my taste) a different look that I have not found I can get with PS.

In this case I prefer the colour because of the great blend of tones.

To some extent yumidesign is correct. A pity he is so abrasive with his opinion - and that is all it is.

I'm bringing the wife and son up to CM and also family friends for New Year. We are geared up for the fireworks on the Ping on NY eave. Do you think the same eateries mentioned are the go for New Years and do we need to book. Am staying at Vanilla Hse (near Porn Ping Hotel)

thanks

There is an interesting piece in the Daily Telegraph today about obese air passengers with a very interesting photograph. Link Below:

Obese Passengers (with photo)

Personally, as a frequent flyer I have been been sat next to fat people and have found it a very uncomfortable experience.

However if I was ever sat next to someone very obese (like in the photo) I would exercise my legal rights and request that the airline captain land at the nearest airport and let me disembark at the airlines expense.

You mean you are daft enough to only realize how obese the person next to you is when you in the air? I normally find out as soon as they finished boarding

I wonder if the guy in the pic is actually a "giant". I traveled to japan with a work mate who was classified as a giant and he had to go 1st class. Poor guy was born that way 6' 10" and really huge bones and a bit (but not grossely fat). Had to stoop and go through a door sideways. I am overweight also. Told everyone we met we were a Suomo wrestling team from Australia. They loved us.

Got a pal who lives for Man U and I would like to get him the red shirt with the black V. Do I have to send to UK for this? I expect this is covered somewhere else but can't wade through the 146 pages of Man U forum. Don't really want a crappy knock off - Man U is his religion!

Thanks

AVG is free and seems to do a good job.

My thoughts are that the water shot has some great tones in the relsction on the water and that the shot might have been better with the horizon at the top third 0- thus still including the dramatic clouds in the back ground.

Both shots look too saturated and dark but I can understand that mags and such love this over use of filters - see any travel programme on television and this is just what they like. And in the end the client is paying.

Only my opinion though.

As always it depends on what you like to do. I have lived here for 40years and have many visitors and they all like different things.

Some suggestions:

Burswood Casino if you are into gambling and a busy hotel ambience.

Ferry to Rottnest Island and if you can stay a day or so - great spot.

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Travel south to Margaret River by bus or hire a car (Budget is in Perth centre and about the cheapest) and "do" the vinyards. Great little town and good restaurants etc. This whole area is a lot different to Perth and a bit European.

Fremantle - go by train from Perth, is a good spot also. Lots of things to see - galleries, historic buildings and great Italian food. You could spend a few days here easily. The Maritime Museum is well worth visiting in the Port of Fremantle - walking distance from the train and the town centre.

On the way to Fremantle is a small residential but quite fun area of Subiaco which is well worth a go. They have markets and cafe areas etc. On the train line to Fremantle.

Get the ferry from Perth to South Perth (at Barrack Street jetty). Excellent view of the city over the river and a nice place to have lunch. The zoo is within walking distance and is one of the few in the world I enjoy - they do a good job there.

Great golf courses and cheap - the public courses are very good value and not at all bad - there are loads of them and you can hire gear there.

Fishing - if you are here from December to March I suggest you go on a day boat trip fishing for "Sambos", (Samson fish). They congregate off Perth in massive rafts. They are a seriously heavy and strong fish. Great fun and average about 30K

Do a boat trip up the Swan river and have lunch at a vinyard.

late night music is mostly around Northbridge and Fremantly. Plenty of nightclubs.

Just be on your guard for trouble at night in the Northbridge area - you should be OK but it can be dodgy - keep out of the way of drunken groups outside nightclubs.

The perth Tourism Authority is pretty good and there are loads og guides, leaflets and stuff at every hotel. There is no bargaining in Perth generally. You can ask for dicounts in shops however. Taxis are fixed price and very expensive.

I enjoy reading this thread. Can't remember the name of the team you guys support but it's all good stuff. My team, Wiggan, doesn't rate a thread. Wonder why? I think I'm their last fan on earth.

I have never had a problem in Northern & Central Thailand with photographing but was warned off by one woman in krabi province for wanting to take a picture of her and her stall. Shopping Centres like pantip might be coming under the influence of some western centres that now don't seem to allow photography. i am always beeing hassled in our local centre if I call in carrying my camera. They cite security! A joke really as everyone is on their phone and could easiy take a pic with that.

I would recommend DTAC. There are some great pay-as-you go deals with them - one is called "1516" and the calls start at 15 satang per minute. DTAC also have a number you can call to access a Thai language translation service. The number is *1021

As the previous poster suggests, 7-Eleven is a good place. Just ask for a DTAC-SIM. Say "DTAC SIM mee arai krab" and they'll hopefully show you the ones they've got.

The DTAC shops in the big shopping centres will help you far more however.

I agree - always pick up a SIM from 7/11 ASAP on arrival. (usually DTAC but the staff know the best deals - I leave it up to them) I am lazy so go get a coffee and ask any young person to get the thing going and they are on to it in a flash.

I have just spoken to "She who must be obeyed" about this. She is a cat nut and a registered and serious breeder of Abysinian cats. Spends a lot of time researching and we even get a few calls from the vet on cat problems. (Note we are in Australia at the moment - regular Thailand visitors).

We don't feed raw food often but the cats have the following:

Whiskas Advance (NB not ordinary Whiskas)

These are also good - all are "Pro" type foods

Iams

HillsScience Diet

Proplan

Royal Canin

These may be hard or impossible to get in Thailand and may be expensive - alyhough a little goes a long waywith the better foods.

We don't feed raw beef (I wouldn't have thought this was likely in Thailand anyhow) as there is some sort of nasty bug cats can get from it (I forgot the name). Raw chicken is supposed to be good (with bones) but our animals are far to aristoCATic to eat such food.

As noted on earlier post tuna is not good for cats. I secretly feed one cat cheese, as it goes nuts over the stuff.

Fruit, very cheap. Coconuts 4 Baht ea, Bananas 15 Baht per hand, watermelon 15 Baht each etc.

Iced coffee 15 Baht

Clothes, shoes incredible value.

Oh My Buddha! I just paid $7.99 for a Kilo of bananas and Iced coffee is $4.50 a Litre.

Get me out of Australia and back to Thailand.