gerryBScot

I would recommend Cebu and Iloilo in Panay as two cities worth exploring in the RPI; the latter now has international flights though not from Thailand yet. Flights from Singapore I believe. It would be wrong to compare such cities to Chiang Mai or anywhere else in Thailand. All I would say is they are much more manageable than Manila which is one of the most insane places on this planet. Don't get me wrong, I love Manila, but it is a real walk on the wild side. Both Cebu and Iloilo make good entry points to the RPI. I really like Iloilo because the universities located there mean lots of young people and generally a bit of culture, some decent food and things are affordable. I think the presence of armed security guards, (many of them look like kids) at shopping malls and outside banks etc is very disconcerting; this is something I really dislike. I am not great on the food either but with a bit of local knowledge there usually are some good places to be found which knock out decent fare. I don't take kindly to being beckoned by strangers with "Hey Joe" and referred to as a ' 'cano' ( short for Americano) but these are purely personal considerations! At one level it is a real rough house but I do think it has enormous potential and I do see progressive changes from frequent visits, thanks to Mrs gerryBScot being a native of those parts, though resident here in LOS.

I use a Boots device which has a large sleeve presumably as it was originally designed for the British market. It comes with an easy to understand manual. It measures with a cuff that fits on the upper arm and even has a nice little downward pointing arrow which you should align with your middle finger. The idea of the upper arm measure is that it is taken at the same height as your heart. If you want to get a sense of whether your device is accurate bring it with you when you go to hospital/clinic.

I think the sphygmomanometer remains the most accurate measure but it's a bit fiddle-arse and technical for DIY.

Just for your information another train of thought...

"People who ate at least two servings each week of certain whole fruits — particularly blueberries, grapes, and apples — reduced their risk for type 2 diabetes by as much as 23 percent in comparison to those who ate less than one serving per month. Conversely, those who consumed one or more servings of fruit juice each day increased their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by as much as 21 percent. The researchers found that swapping three servings of juice per week for whole fruits would result in a 7 percent reduction in diabetes risk."

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2013/08/reduce-type-2-diabetes-risk/

Thanks ravip that's really useful information. I am taking it the fruit juice referred to is the processed/pasteurised stuff that you buy in cartons with added sugar as opposed to freshly home squeezed fresh fruit juice?

Fruit juice has now become a controversial food item, similar to what had happened to many other foods we used to consume freely. I guess as usual everything in moderation is the key. Some points highlighted are;

1. Some processed/pasteurised stuff may contain preservatives, colouring etc

2. Fiber Intake

Despite the plentiful nutrients available in juice, you won't be getting the fiber contained in whole fruit. Juicing appliances extract the juice and leave behind the pulp and skin, which is where most of the fiber content is located. Fiber's health benefits include supporting digestion, controlling blood sugar and lowering cholesterol, according to the American Dietetic Association. Fiber also helps you feel full longer, an important advantage of whole fruits, particularly if you're watching your weight.

3. Sugar Consumption

Juice Extraction Vs. Eating Whole Fruits

Another important consideration of juice relates to sugar content. Due to whole fruits' fiber content, your body absorbs the natural sugars more slowly; therefore, you're less likely to experience a spike in your blood sugar level. In addition, you need a considerable amount of fruit for juicing -- one glass of juice has more sugar than a single piece of whole fruit. The bottom line is: Juicing can help you round out your fruit intake, but eating more whole fruits should be your primary goal.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/435966-juice-extraction-vs-eating-whole-fruits/

4. Despite its convenience

Juice is a far less healthy option than a real piece of fruit. Not only does the juicing process destroy a number of fruits’ beneficial compounds and antioxidants, it removes nearly all of the natural fiber . All the sugar with none of the fiber? No, thanks — fiber carries a myriad of digestive benefits and is crucial for slowing the absorption of the fruit’s sugar and keeping its glycemic index low. This, the scientists hypothesized, may be why juice increases the risk of diabetes, and why a high intake of fruit juice has been linked to childhood obesity

http://greatist.com/health/fruit-juice-increases-risk-diabetes-090313

And here are some other useful information...

http://www.sanitarium.com.au/health-and-wellbeing/juice-vs-whole-fruit

http://www.self.com/flash/nutritionnews/2012/08/fruit-versus-juice/

Brilliant stuff Ravip, many thanks indeed. I read the original Harvard article and it clarified the business of eating whole fruit versus the extracted juice and it makes it clear that whole fruit is a much better for the reasons you have described in 3. Fascinating stuff, really.

This thread highlights why you need to be careful about the reliability of one single measure of BP for any purpose. That's why I suggest a process of self-monitoring over a period of a month or so, especially if you're BP is only being measured on occasional visits to doctors/hospitals/clinic. I have been massively over-prescribed BP medication ( and guess what, some of the most expensive anti-hypertension medicine available in Thailand!) , as a result of which I have suffered serious side effects. I am now in the process of reducing this with a long term goal of being clear of it altogether. I have halved the dosage and my own readings show everything is normal. I'm jogging most days, weight is coming down nicely and I am feeling 100% better in myself.

Just for your information another train of thought...

"People who ate at least two servings each week of certain whole fruits — particularly blueberries, grapes, and apples — reduced their risk for type 2 diabetes by as much as 23 percent in comparison to those who ate less than one serving per month. Conversely, those who consumed one or more servings of fruit juice each day increased their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by as much as 21 percent. The researchers found that swapping three servings of juice per week for whole fruits would result in a 7 percent reduction in diabetes risk."

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2013/08/reduce-type-2-diabetes-risk/

Thanks ravip that's really useful information. I am taking it the fruit juice referred to is the processed/pasteurised stuff that you buy in cartons with added sugar as opposed to freshly home squeezed fresh fruit juice?

Thanks Speedo good suggestions especially with the additions. I guess it could be freshly squeezed oranges mixed with the soda. Still would like to know if there is any significant difference in carbonated soda drinks like coke or soda mixed with some red syrup.

Yeah if you are concerned about your BP then, as already has been suggested, monitor it yourself by buying your own monitor. There are, however, issues with every kind of monitoring. For BP I would suggest that if you get your own monitor you do the following:

• take three measures one after the other soon after you get up and then average them; you can do this easily using a spread sheet;
• record each average on a daily basis and then you can average for the week and the month if you wish; it is these averages which will help establish if you have high BP; once more you can do this using a spreadsheet;
• having these records can also be useful to review lability, the variation in your BP; for instance it can be useful to identify high and low systolic and diastolic readings on a monthly basis and calculate the difference between these extremes by simple subtraction; you can monitor lability on a monthly and weekly basis using your spreadsheet;
• this will provide you with strong data to help you and your doctor reach decisions about your care.

Be wary of doctors in general, not just in Thailand but everywhere, who are often quick to prescribe anti-hypertensive medication, especially in border line cases. Don't get me wrong, uncontrolled BP kills people so if your BP is high then you may need to go on meds. But please do remember that lifestyle changes can effect significant changes in your BP.

But first and foremost get the data so you can make an informed judgement about your BP.

I am fond of a glass or two of soda water mixed with Blue Boy Red Cordial especially in these very hot climes right now. What damage am I doing to my waist line? How many calories are there, say, in 325 ml glass mixed 1:8 cordial to soda? How does this compare to a same size glass of Coke or Pepsi? Any recommendations for alcohol free drinks ?Many thanks.

Not such an obvious question! In fact it seems the phone's WiFi is switching itself off.

My Huawei P8 Lite is unable to connect to the internet and I know as much about Android as I do about quantum physics. It is running on Android 5.0.1 and it doesn't show any Wifi MAC address - shown as unavailable. When I've gone into the root there is nothing there either under data/misc/wifi. Basically the phone is not reading any wifi device. Any help gratefully received and even any suggestions about where to get it fixed. Many thx.

'Drinking too much' is an oxymoron isn't it? No such thing, is there?

By the way, i didn't see the programme, sorry.

You are posting an idiotic, insensitive post on a forum where you obviously don't belong.

...or maybe Johnniey he's in the right place!

This Louis Theroux production aired last night in the UK and is available through all the usual suspects. It basically tells the story of a group of drinkers seeking help through their local hospital services in South London. The one hour long documentary features all of Theroux's hallmarks as a documentary maker - he really has the capacity to get people to talk in front of the camera. Just thought a few on here might be interested in this so will say no more to avoid any spoiling.

Well done. It really is an insidious addiction defying any sort of logic and I have a lot of form in the addiction department. I did it cold turkey too and I wanted to smoke everyday for the first two years. Then I noticed one day that the desire had left me. As a sober drunk and ex-compulsive gambler I adapted some of the fellowship mantras to keep me going and not restarting like: it's the first cigarette that does the damage, one's too many, twenty is not enough, if I don't take the first cigarette I can't start smoking again etc. Fortunately smoking is becoming a real minority pursuit so one additional feature in your favour is the growing anti-smoking lobby and restrictions on the freedom to smoke anywhere. Just avoid that first cigarette and be careful around getting pissed up - that can bring the whole house tumbling down if you're not careful.

Thx for the steers. I couldn't buy ready made magnesium sulphate paste but got some magnesium sulphate salt from a Chinese pharmacy opposite Nick J's recommendation. Made my own and applied it so we shall see if it works. I'd prefer this to having it cut out.

I'm trying to get some magnesium sulphate/ magnoplasm to get a splinter of sea shell out of my foot. Drew a blank at the various outlets in Market Village. Any suggestions? Many thanks.

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OP you might find Hua Hin an ideal sort of place; you're right on the sea with decent beaches and a 45 minute ride takes you to the wonders of Kaeng Krachan Natural Park and Palau-u waterfalls and many other beautiful parts. However you might find it very expensive in terms of transportation and entrance costs, 400 THB for foreigners for the latter; you can get a van to Kaeng Krachan village but to get out and explore you'll need your own wheels; the last time I hired a driver and 4 WD it was 2,000 THB a day and I rather suspect they'll be looking for 3,000THB these days if not more.

Very sad news. Condolences to Sir Tom and RIP to Linda.

A licence belongs to the teacher and is valid for a period of five years from issue; a waiver can only be applied for by the school and is valid for two years. The waiver is not transferable; you leave your job then if you intend to work in another school then your new school needs to apply for another waiver; with the five year licence, you have the ticket and it goes with you so in theory starting a new job and the issues relating to visas etc should proceed more smoothly.

Gerry. thanks for letting us know that you've made it. Never look back. Cheers-

Thx LiIsaan ... it's a journey as I said earlier. I'm not sure I've made it yet but I'm still sober today. And it's been a good year for me personally. I feel as if I have grown a little in the sense of being more comfortable in my own skin. In this respect, it doesn't ever seem to stop.

my son is lying SOB, sweet and caring yet lazy like dead donkey

since KG-2 BS'ed me about teachers, no home-works, lost books and "cheating" teachers again who falsed / forged (?) exams.

Changed a school, at G3 moved to another school. Same sh*t. Nothing learned and really stubborn.

Desperate, I'm freakin' desperate

positive reinforcement didn't work

story and life examples of useless bums sleeping in cardboards - no results

negative - cut all toys and idiot widgets - same-same. Nothing changed

me feel desperate

What you describe seems tragically all too familiar. I really believe this is the real effect of the school system on many young students. It puts them off education at a very early age and what they learn is how to be evasive, do no work and waste time. In fairness many of these poor kids are chained to a desk in a formal school setting from pre-kindergarten and four years later when they 'graduate' into Prathom, ( in full graduation regalia) they are totally switched off and really do not know how to behave in school. You need to continue with the positive re-inforcement, build a real relationship with this little person, show him the way and whatever you do, don't blame him for this situation. You're going to have to be patient with the little boy. If he's in the G3 - G6 age range then he is entering a key period of development and unless he has a specific medical 'condition' which affects his learning, he can turn it around. Kids at this age if they have real confidence, (the kind that comes from strong relationships with you and the other family members), can do remarkable things.

The key to teaching mixed language ability classes lies in group work. I pre-allocate students to a small group of four or five students purely on the basis of English language ability and ensure there is a mix of abilities in each group. This usually means that at least one student ini each group understands what I am saying and can explain to the the others. Whatever task I set them I expect them to talk to each other in L1 but I always introduce a L2 task for them to report back on. In a Maths class I am quite happy for groups to be using Thai because if nothing else it usually means the more able students are reasoning in a way that the less able kids can understand and often goes some way to ensuring kids are learning content despite not understanding the language of instruction. I also finds the L2 tasks helps bridge the language gap too.

The company mentioned above are owned by a very prominent Thai Catholic family and are known to be very cosy with the various Catholic dioceses in Thailand. Could it be anything to do with the fact that the said dioceses are all involved in education which provides them with a very substantial and significant income?

While it would be wrong to single out Thai Catholic schools when over the last twenty to thirty years the Catholic church in many countries across the globe has been overwhelmed by the issue of sexual abuse of minors, there is from my experience a distinct lack of God in the Thai Catholic schools I know but rather an obsession with money to the point that some of these guys would turn you over for 1 baht. It sounds as though this spirit is alive and well from reading the original and some of the subsequent posts.

It's truly a minefield!

In teaching young kids in a bilingual school I used to think teaching the 'tables' by rote was critical. Of course there are problems with this system. In the UK, for instance, the tables were traditionally learned up to number twelve, because in pre-metric times there were 12 pennies in a shilling. However when I started teaching fractions and factorisation in Grade 5 & 6 I realised that most of the students could for instance tell me that 5 x 7 = 35, but they could not tell me that '5' and '7' were factors of 35, which is arguably more important and useful to know. Then I discovered 'number facts'. This is what I do. I project a slide with all the multiples of 4 up to 48, in effect twelve numbers scrambled up in grid and I ask the students to study the numbers carefully. I then 'throw' numbers between 1 and 12 at students for them to give me an 'answer' from the grid; so if I throw '6', I'm looking for '24' as the answer. I don't do any explaining; they have to figure it out and usually most of them do and my experience is it really works a treat and is far more effective than learning the tables.

I would seriously suggest you look for research about the different ways young kids learn to add and subtract; it really is fascinating. My son at five years old had me rolling on the floor kicking my legs in the air. We were reading a counting book in which granny brings in two plates each containing six cakes. The problem was to determine how many cakes there were in total. My son asserted that there were now '66' cakes which has a certain logic to it, if you think about it from a five year old's perspective. There is for instance strong research evidence that teaching children to count using 'columns' stops them developing critical mental arithmetic skills. In Europe number lines and developing the the ideas of 'counting on' and 'counting back' are often used to develop initial counting skills. Check this article out for how it is done in China - very interesting indeed.

One of the key concepts to get over to young learners is the idea of substituting 'one for ten' which is in effect the base of the metric system: ten of these make one of these. I recently did a little experiment in a classroom with G2 students in Thailand during which I introduced Roman the numerals I and X and asked students to change simple numbers like 32 into Roman numerals; with a bit of guidance and scaffolding most were able to do it. I wasn't really concerned with them learning Roman numerals but practising this substitution. However I am going to develop this as most of them got it and even though it is not about substituting 1 for 10, I am going to introduce V as I think the underlying mathematical/symbolic processes are important and helpful.

In general terms primary mathematics is as much about knowing how and what to teach than theoretical, expert mathematical knowledge. In some respects understanding the progression is critical, appreciating how basic operations lead into fractions and rational numbers and then their role in proportional reasoning.

The whole game of teaching primary mathematics is actually a really fascinating business once you get into it. When I was told I was teaching Maths it was intended to be a punishment. I never saw it that way myself and this year I was delighted to be told to teach G1 and G2 Maths during the Summer School - another intended slight! It's what I really want to do and Friday was Day 1 and it was a real blast.

So take courage and trust your instincts!

An update: just renewed my son's British passport and the turn around was 16 days from submission including the Easter bank holiday weekend; in fact DHL sent me notification of a package for collection after 10 days but with the Easter closure, VFS, the Passport Office's agents in Bangkok, did not contact me until the Tuesday after Easter. So an impressive turn around. I must say I was very fearful about this process as it is the first time I have gone the VFS route. Initially my preconception was VFS's job would be to make it difficult and give people the run around, but in fact every aspect of the process went smoothly.

Thank you very much for these recommendations: we hit Pahurat and Sampeng Market Sunday afternoon and it was an exceptionally productive and enjoyable afternoon. I was very happy as there is some delicious Indian food on offer in the Indian Emporium and of course my wife got a pile of material, including that to make me a new SOngkran shirt. I think it is fair to say we will be back. So once more many thanks.