spectrum
-
Posts
156 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Downloads
Posts posted by spectrum
-
-
I don't think Buddhism excuses certain behaviours that can be observed here. I do think materialism may be rather more to blame.
What is the chicken, and what is the egg here ? Reckless behaviour, "cheapness" of life, & belief in "fate" ... I can see one might need to view life as disposable if responsible driving is not a high consideration & lives are needlessly lost with such frequency.
I also wonder how many people refuse to wear a helmet because they don't wish to muss their hair
? -
seat belts??I don't think they know what that is.The Thais are strange lot. You know , I was lot more upset about this then the Thai teachers, who known this girl for years.
So sorry to read this.
I can remember being deeply upset at news of a student suicide in another Asian country; much more than it appeared my local colleagues were and than their comments indicated ("ungrateful to parents"). Perhaps they were equally upset but expressed it differently.
I wonder how much shaped by attitudes about fate this kid's classmates already are ?
Could be good to help the kids express their feelings, through drawings, pictures and other tributes.
-
I was told in that my blood pressure was low and couldn't give blood many years ago, can this have changed? Just remembered with this thread.
Any answer will be helpful, thanks.
Yes, it could certainly have changed.
Blood pressure tends to get higher as we age. If you had low BP when younger, it may be normal now.
-
Our 2 new foriegn (Farang) teachers did not show up, no WP's for them so they quit, so I am still the only farang at my school with 19 excellent Fillipinos.
Aussiestyle, just wondering - why no work permits for the foreign teachers ? What about the Fillipinos - do they have work permits ?
-
I went to Mc C Hopsital, after 11 am today (Sunday) & was told I should return between 1.00 and 4 pm. I returned at around 2 pm & was escorted to the blood bank, there to be told - before even entering the door - that I could not donate at that time (reason unclear).
I expressed some disappointment at this news
and explained that I was there to help Khun S, the patient in need of A neg. blood. I was then asked to wait outside. After 5 minutes, I was called back in and the doctor/nurse led me to the "donation room", switching on the lights before ushering me to a seat.She took a pinprick test and declared my haemoglobin level a little too low to donate today. I enquired further and learnt that the hospital is expecting A neg blood for Khun S to be supplied by the Red Cross tomorrow. There did not appear to be any urgency any longer, which is good news for the patient. Let's all wish for a successful operation and recovery for her.
I think I'll try to make a habit of donating every few months at Red Cross.
And, just for some light entertainment, and to keep this important thread from sinking immediately from sight,
here's some Blood Group & Personality Theory I came across on Wikipaedia :
Theory of D'Adamo, who believes each blood type has unique dietary recommendations:
Blood group O is believed by D'Adamo to be the hunter, the earliest human blood group. The diet recommends that these supposedly muscular, active people eat a meat-rich diet along the lines of the Paleolithic diet.Blood group A is called the cultivator by D'Adamo, who believes it to be a more recently evolved blood type, dating back from the dawn of agriculture. The diet recommends that individuals of blood group A eat a diet emphasizing vegetables and free of red meat, a more vegetarian food intake.
Blood group B is, according to D'Adamo, the nomad, associated with a strong immune system and a flexible digestive system. The blood type diet claims that people of blood type B are the only ones who can thrive on dairy products.
Blood group AB, per D'Adamo, the enigma, the most recently evolved type. In terms of dietary needs, his blood type diet treats this group as an intermediate between blood types A and B.
Blood Type DietType A
The Cultivator: Settled, visionary, analytical.
Strengths: Adapts well to dietary and environmental variety. System preserves and metabolizes nutrients efficiently.
Weaknesses: Unable to digest and metabolise meat protein easily. Vulnerable immune system, open to microbial invasion.
Type B
The Nomad Balanced, flexible, creative.
Strengths: Strong immune system. Versatile adaptation to dietary and environmental changes. Balanced nervous system.
Weaknesses: No natural weaknesses. However, imbalance causes a tendency toward autoimmune disease and rare, slow-growing viruses.
Type AB
The Enigma Rare, versatile, compassionate
Strengths Designed for modern conditions. Highly tolerant immune system. Versatile.
Weaknesses Sensitive digestive tract. Open to microbial invasion.
Type O
The Hunter Strong, self-reliant, leader
Strengths: Hardy digestive tract. Strong immune system. Natural defences against infections. System designed for efficient metabolism and preservation of nutrients.
Weaknesses: Intolerant to new dietary and environmental conditions. Tendency towards an overactive immune system.
True for you or not
? -
I am no expert, but :
andRed blood cell compatibility tableRecipient blood type.....................Donor red blood cells must be:
AB+............................................O- O+ A- A+ B- B+ AB- AB+
AB-.............................................O- A- B- AB-
A+..............................................O- O+ A- A+
A- ..............................................O- A-
B+..............................................O- O+ B- B+
B-...............................................O- B-
O+..............................................O- O+
O-...............................................O-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_typeRed blood cell compatibilityBlood group AB individuals have both A and B antigens on the surface of their RBCs, and their blood serum does not contain any antibodies against either A or B antigen. Therefore, an individual with type AB blood can receive blood from any group (with AB being preferable), but can donate blood only to another group AB individual.
Blood group A individuals have the A antigen on the surface of their RBCs, and blood serum containing IgM antibodies against the B antigen. Therefore, a group A individual can receive blood only from individuals of groups A or O (with A being preferable), and can donate blood to individuals of groups A or AB.
Blood group B individuals have the B antigen on their surface of their RBCs, and blood serum containing IgM antibodies against the A antigen. Therefore, a group B individual can receive blood only from individuals of groups B or O (with B being preferable), and can donate blood to individuals of groups B or AB.
Blood group O (or blood group zero in some countries) individuals do not have either A or B antigens on the surface of their RBCs, but their blood serum contains IgM anti-A antibodies and anti-B antibodies against the A and B blood group antigens. Therefore, a group O individual can receive blood only from a group O individual, but can donate blood to individuals of any ABO blood group (ie A, B, O or AB). If a blood transfusion is needed in a dire emergency, and the time taken to process the recipient's blood would cause a detrimental delay, O Negative blood can be issued.
(Yes, weren't we always told O's were the "universal donors" or something ? However, guess that it's not quite so simple.)
-
I believe a lack of potassium can cause cramps.
Yes, and magnesium, I think. (Google "night cramps causes")
-
P.P.S. Found a "pinned" thread on this topic in this forum's "Health" section. There'a a ThaiVisa register at http://bloodbank.thaivisa.com/ . Please visit the site and register if possible.
Also in that pinned thread, CrowBoy wrote of a venue for donations in CM :
the Red Cross Clinic, just near to the Warorot Markets opposite the Police Sation and Post Office, on the road that parallels the Mae Ping. Having a mind blank on the road name. If you can't find it send me a PM and I will try to sort it out. I donate whole blood and then transferred of the aphersis section in Australia. We had the Red Cross out at work and did a donation a few months ago - they come out every three months and set up for the day doing people in batches so I don't go into town and do it there.If you work in an organisation with several or more other foreigners, you might be able to arrange for Red Cross to visit you (?).
-
Following is a copy of info I posted in the BKK thread :
Also, if you don't already know your blood group, get yourself (& family) tested at a hospital and carry the card with you at all times.QUOTESee the figures from Wikipaedia below. (Sorry it's messy - don't know how to copy a table into a post here.)
Table of ABO and Rh distribution by nation
ABO and Rh blood type distribution by nation (averages for each population)
Population O+ A+ B+ AB+ O− A− B− AB−
Australia 40% 31% 8% 2% 9% 7% 2% 1%
Canada 39% 36% 7.6% 2.5% 7% 6% 1.4% 0.5%
Denmark 35% 37% 8% 4% 6% 7% 2% 1%
Finland 27% 38% 15% 7% 4% 6% 2% 1%
France 36% 37% 9% 3% 6% 7% 1% 1%
Hong Kong, China 40% 26% 27% 7% <0.3% <0.3% <0.3% <0.3%
Korea, South 27.4% 34.4% 26.8% 11.2% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.05%
Poland 31% 32% 15% 7% 6% 6% 2% 1%
Sweden 32% 37% 10% 5% 6% 7% 2% 1%
UK 37%35% 8% 3% 7% 7% 2% 1%
USA 38% 34% 9% 3% 7% 6% 2% 1%
(*0 minus also bolded as I believe they may also donate to A minus people, though I am not a medical practitioner and not familiar with the circumstances of the patient.)
P.S. Just found this through a quick google :
Central Blood RegisterRhesus negative blood groups are very rare in Thailand. Thailand's Central Blood Register lists people willing to give Rhesus negative blood in the event of an emergency. Signing up for the CBR does not carry any obligation, nor does it mean you will necessarily ever be asked to donate. But, if you are called, the chances are you will probably help save someone's life. See www.bambiweb.org for more information and a copy of the CBR registration form; or contact the CBR on 08 9068 8533 or email [email protected].
-
I thought they could use "O" Pos in an emergency.
I had thought O neg could donate to A neg. Anyway, they are asking for A neg.
Pilou, just to be sure, it's A- that is needed for this patient.I am A+ too
Thanks for this information.I personally donate my blood every 3 months at NakornPing Hospital.I'm A-, but contracted hep A in Afghanistan in 1973. No illness since then, but unfortunately I am off the donor list permanently. Wish I could help.....You can help by spreading the word. Not everyone is aware of the problems they may have in a crisis. Expats in particular may not know that their blood type, which was not uncommon at home, is quite rare here and supplies may not exist. This is why anyone who can should be donating regularly, and why I hope we can build a list of places around CM where we can donate.
-
Austhaied, as I understand it, the patient in current need is at Mc Cormick Hospital.
I was wondering which other hospitals receive donations from people who'd like to donate on a regular basis.
-
The same situation arose recently in Bangkok. ( See http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=122923 ). Some blood groups, including A- , are rare in Asian populations, but less so in some "Western" populations. Thus, donations from expat "Westerners" can be of great help. (Plus, you may need the blood yourself one day.)
Anyone know where regular donations can be made around Chiang Mai ? In the case of serious accidents/ emergencies, there's no time to put out a call for donors.
-
Yes, good newsGood news ! Enough blood has been found and is on its way to BKK. Thanks for everyones help.. Let's hope all goes well for your friend. Do let us know.quick question, how do you find out what your blood group is? As i have no idea what mine is and i might have the right typeA hospital can test your blood and tell you your type. Or you could donate to Red Cross (any other places/organsizations ?? Anyone know where for Chiang Mai ?) and find out that way.
Let's try to keep this thread alive for a bit. There's an obvious deficiency in the system. If a large quantity of A- blood (and possibly other types) is required instantly, whoever needs it will be in dire trouble. Note that A- is NOT extremely rare in non-Asian populations; it's just one of the less common groups.
P.S. It's a good idea to carry a card stating your blood group in your wallet. The place testing you should be able to provide one.
-
I should have added that negative types ARE relatively more common in "Western" populations. See the figures from Wikipaedia below. (Sorry it's messy - don't know how to copy a table into a post here.)
Table of ABO and Rh distribution by nationABO and Rh blood type distribution by nation (averages for each population)
Population O+ A+ B+ AB+ O− A− B− AB−
Australia 40% 31% 8% 2% 9% 7% 2% 1%
Canada 39% 36% 7.6% 2.5% 7% 6% 1.4% 0.5%
Denmark 35% 37% 8% 4% 6% 7% 2% 1%
Finland 27% 38% 15% 7% 4% 6% 2% 1%
France 36% 37% 9% 3% 6% 7% 1% 1%
Hong Kong, China 40% 26% 27% 7% <0.3% <0.3% <0.3% <0.3%
Korea, South 27.4% 34.4% 26.8% 11.2% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.05%
Poland 31% 32% 15% 7% 6% 6% 2% 1%
Sweden 32% 37% 10% 5% 6% 7% 2% 1%
UK 37%35% 8% 3% 7% 7% 2% 1%
USA 38% 34% 9% 3% 7% 6% 2% 1%
(*0 minus also bolded as I believe they may also donate to A minus people, though I am not a medical practitioner and not familiar with the circumstances of the patient.)
-
1. Are other A negatives the only other compatible blood group ?
2. Can people donate from other cities in Thailand ? (If yes, perhaps this should be in the General Forum).
Note to anyone with a negative blood type : it is quite rare to have a negative blood group in Asia, thus hospitals may not have large - or perhaps any -supplies on hand. (If anyone knows of hospitals which do have supplies, pls. list here.)
It's therefore all the more important to donate when emergencies arise, and to be very careful out there
. (Anyone know how/where regular donations can be made?)P.S. Shouldn't this thread get some "important post" stars ?
-
Cesar Millan uses abusive training and behavior modification methods. Has a court case against him, as children are copying his methods with dog bites as a result.
I don't wish to send this thread veering off topic, but I am very surprised to read these comments
. I googled & found something about a court case which ensued from some of Cesar's workers possibly using a choke collar on a dog & forcing him onto a treadmill, plus this http://www.americanhumane.org/site/PageSer...s_dog_whisperer . Hmmm. Not sure what to think about it all - perhaps one could argue that dogs can be rough & sometimes a little roughness is needed in return ? When is the line into abusiveness crossed ? I cannot bear to see animals suffer, even discomfort, in ANY way, and I know that would make me a useless trainer, by any standards.Here's a random question on that topic : It seems nobody trains the soi dogs, yet - apart from the occasional maniacally barking & sometimes frightening renegade - they seem mostly placid and well behaved (I know one still needs to tread with caution around them). Is that because they are well fed ? "Bad" ones removed ? Or what ?
Anyway, cheers to Bambi who is going to lead Thailand to better understanding of animal behaviour
. -
In practice, where I work, we've had pretty good luck with them issuing the non-immigrant B as long as there is A police check. Some folks have given us police checks from the last country they worked in; for example one person submitted one from S. Korea. Another person wrote to her home country and received one. The only person we've had rejected was someone that showed up for the visa without one.
A recent employee, who worked last year in Thailand, we were told he doesn't have to get one--at least for the letter from the MOE. I don't know if they plan to check with the Royal Thai police or not.
I'll let you know what happens when he goes to get his visa.
Yes; interesting to hear of these differences.
I, for example, have not lived in Australia for several years and could have murdered & pillaged throughout the remainder of the known world since leaving.
Not that I particularly wish to have to produce any more papers, but it's hardly thorough.
-
I have seen past papers, Thai friends of mine have studied before they test (or maybe it was textbooks too). I remember some of them needed quite good general knowledge or even specific knowledge to pass. For some reason a question about the inner workings of a tap springs to mind!
Just study a bit more and take the test again if you want a higher mark. I think the subject matter of the questions could greatly affect your mark. Definitely looking at past papers will help
Just a few brief comments - IELTS does not aim to test general knowledge, though very occasionally it might come into play. Part I of the Writing test will require description of a graph/diagram/etc., so yes, the candidate needs to be "graph/diagram/etc." literate, as well as able to describe the trends/process/etc. in English at an appropriate level of formality. Some ability to think analytically and abstractly is indeed needed, as the candidate needs to demonstrate the ability to produce academic language, when needed, in the higher bands.
"Past papers" are not available. These would be re-creations or practice-type papers. There are numerous non-official "resources" available, both commercial and non-commercial, on the internet & in bookshops & from language study mills, for IELTS candidates. Candidates should be very cautious about using these, because of the enormous amount of misinformation they contain.
In Thailand, IELTS tests are administered by British Council and IDP Australia. See :
http://www.britishcouncil.org/th/thailand-exams-ielts.htm
http://www.idp.com/thailand/article109.asp
And all the best to BambinA
!P.S. Bambi - yes, you must see Cesar Millan, "The Dog Whisperer". The series been shown on television here & may well be repeated. He has a website. Can anyone help more with getting the tv programs to Bambi ?
-
The Director of the school has indicated that he should be discharged.
Understandably, though it's rather unfortunate for this employee that the tables have suddenly turned / goal posts shifted / screws tightened
.I'd have a wee private chat with the employee before deciding to take any further action. What you hear might influence your thoughts.
-
Thanks for the info on getting fingerprinted in BKK, obama.
I am applying for my "police record"
through the Australian Federal Police.( http://www.afp.gov.au/business/criminal_history_checks )
There are 3 kinds available :
$36 each name check application.$130 for a fingerprint and name check application where fingerprints are to be taken and processed by the AFP.
$103 for a fingerprint and name check application where fingerprints are supplied to the AFP upon application.
I thought the fingerprinted kind would be most authoritative (& might come in handy for who-knows-what in the future.) However, the Aus Embassy in BKK told me they cannot take fingerprints. (Why not ? They don't have to interpret them - that's what the police do - just take them and certify they're those of the passport-holder in front of them. Is much expertise required for that ? I know the U.S. Consulate here in Chiang Mai can do it for Merkins.) I was told I'd need to return to Oz to get printed
. The Embassy assured me the document w/o fingerprints would suffice for all occasions, but I wonder. If folks from other countries are fronting up with documents with prints, what's the bet that sooner or later, somewhere or other in VisaApplicationLand, a document w/o prints will be rejected ? I should probably get prints from the police station in BKK and reapply.
BTW, for Aussies applying to Fed Police by mail, you cannot buy International Reply Coupons in Thailand (at least, that's what the Aus Embassy told me
). I contacted AFP and they told me if there was any such difficulty supplying return postage cost, it could be waived. Might be an idea to add a brief note of explanation. -
If you are a qualified experienced teacher (not efl etc)
Efl teachers can be qualified and experienced.
-
your prospective school does not care a rat's arse about your needs and expenses to procure needed visas/work permits. They will do it "their (bureaucratic) way" regardless of expense or inconvenience to you and your fellow foreign teachers. With this added information you've given us, I would not even go through the steps I suggested in an earlier posting. This school is already showing its true colors and has a dismal track record.
The thing is, you will wrestle with this problem every single renewal date, and spend untold needless quantities of baht to make up for their incompetence. It's a losing battle, full of frustration and strained relationships.
Yes.
This is a good time to look for a new job.
-
Does this school have other current/recent foreign teachers ? Ask for their email addresses and phone numbers. The other FT's will tell you if this is merely "normal" Thai speed or something to worry about (endless delay without any intention to fulfill employer responsibilities).
So far as I know, everyone starts teaching without a work permit. Many contracts have a probationary period, too. Don't worry about that in itself. Get an idea of how solid and reputable the school & contracts for foreign teachers are.
-
Try :
http://ellib.stanford.edu/Video_Library/vi...0&res_ID=58
http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.port...900000b80147a45 (article abstract)
Google english "order of acquisition" articles for more.
?
?
Disturbing Mismanagement At A Thai University
in Teaching in Thailand Forum
Posted · Edited by Maestro
Reduced quoted text.
The following is from today's BKK Post. (A little long, but I don't know if a link will remain valid after today).
Your comments ?
I think better pay for teachers must surely be one pre-requisite for change. Reasonable salaries would preclude the need for working at other jobs simultaneously, and for milking the system to compensate for poor pay.
Bangkok Post 26/7/07
//Edit: It is true that on the Bangkok Post website links go dead very fast but for copyright reasons ThaiVisa cannot allow quotations of entire articles from the Bangkok Post. Only a few lines are allowed, plus the link to the article.