Winebibber’s Grapevine  

Dear Hillary,
My husband and I separated last year after 21 years of marriage. We have three children. A daughter - 20, a son - 18, a daughter - 15. My husband was always bi-sexual; still we had a nice marriage for many years. He also struggled for many years with alcohol and depression, but I have to admit that I too am an addict. We have both been in recovery for some time now. Just recently, before our separation, he just decided he was actually gay. All the children know their father is gay, but they all seem to be okay with it, at least on the surface. My husband and I still have affection for each other, but I have trouble establishing boundaries with him. He still calls me every day. He still wants to be a part of our life, yet not as my husband. I still care about his happiness and his recovery and I want his children to be a part of his life, but how can I do all this without love? How can I get control over this situation?

Separated.

Dear Separated,
First my admiration that both of you were able to control your addiction by seeking help, and especially to you for accepting your husband’s sexual tendency. Sure, you still have to sort out a lot. One possible way to get some control over the situation is to sit down with your ex and do what I call a "Self-Other Inventory."

Put his name on the top of the page. List down the left side of the page categories such as: Practical Help, Financial Help, Emotional Help, Work Related Help. Across the top, under his name write down these categories: What I can rely on him for, What I can’t rely on him for, What he can rely on me for, What he can’t rely on me for.

You’ll end up with a graph with 16 squares. Then fill in the squares according to what you can and can’t rely on him for, and what he can and can’t rely on you for in those categories you listed along the left side. Try to be specific with examples. (For example, emotional help and listen; hear me out and be supportive).

Then make up a separate graph where you leave the squares blank and put your name at the top. Give it to him to do and then share what you both came up with. Only try to rely on each other for what is realistic to rely on each other for.

This is relatively easy to do, but if you do it truthful and carefully, you might be able to get some help to solve your problem.

  Thai Idiom:

Hua Sai

‘Clear Headed’
‘English has that idiom, too.’
‘I could have thought of that one.’
English does have this idiom. It has the same meaning in Thai. But it is not good. People who are very good in business are often referred to as Hua Sai.’ Those who call them this are usually not good at commerce.
Hua Sai’ means ‘cunning’. Like a snake.
Both words have rising tones.

  Family Money: Guessing the Future

By Leslie Wright

From time to time one reads disparaging comments in newspapers and magazines about the performance of mutual fund managers.
These comments typically criticise the fund managers who have "failed to beat the index."
But is this fair comment?
To decide whether it is, one must first establish what that particular fund manager was supposed to do, and also what index his performance is being compared with.

Limited Funds
Mutual funds or unit trusts cannot invest in just anything the fund manager believes is a good bet. All such funds have strict parameters of what they can and cannot invest in, and the fund managers must work within the constraints of those parameters.

For example, a U.K. Fixed Interest Fund can only hold U.K. gilts or cash; it cannot buy U.K. stocks or European bonds.

A European Equity fund can, not unexpectedly, only hold equities in Europe. But one institution’s European equity fund will be very different from another.

One European equity fund may be permitted to hold only blue-chip stocks in the major markets of Europe, sometimes with pre-set maxima and minima. This means that the fund manager must always hold at least a stipulated minimum percentage of the fund in any one market, and no more than the permitted maximum, no matter how well or poorly that market is performing relative to others.

Another fund - also called a European Equity Fund - may be permitted to hold a wider range of equities, including stocks of smaller firms in the smaller markets. Yet a third may be permitted to pick obscure stocks which the fund manager believes will do well, and may not be required to hold a specified minimum percentage of the fund in any one country.

Performance is relative
Of these three examples, the first would be regarded as a relatively conservative fund, with relatively staid performance. The second could be regarded as more aggressive, and hence could be more volatile. It could well outperform the first fund, however.

The third example would be regarded as having a higher associated risk, and could well perform poorly for several months until the ‘potential winners’ the fund manager has picked come to fruition. The fund’s performance can then suddenly skyrocket, and perhaps produce a very handsome gain for investors in a relatively short period.

Looked at over a period of only a few months, therefore, the stock-picking fund (our third example) could come either top or bottom of the performance list, and the blue-chip fund (example #1) could similarly produce the opposite result.

However, looked at over a longer period of, say, 3-5 years, the more volatile stock-picking fund may well have outperformed the conservative blue-chips fund in a rising market, and would then be ranked higher in its category.

To measure the performance of any particular fund against another, therefore, one has to know the fund’s management style - in other words, what the fund manager is setting out to achieve.

If the constraints imposed upon him by the fund’s parameters disallow him from investing more than a certain percentage of his fund into the best-performing market, and he is similarly required to maintain a set minimum percentage in the worst-performing market, he can hardly be blamed for not coming top of his sectoral league!

Beating the Index
The index of any particular market is the average result of the combined performance of many stocks. These stocks have been selected to reflect the general movement of the market, but are not the combined result of all the stocks on that particular market.

For example, the index of the French stock market - the CAC-40 - combines the performance of 40 blue-chip stocks quoted on the Paris Bourse, while the S&P-500 reflects the average performance of 500 stocks in the U.S.A. (Of course, there are a lot more stocks available in the U.S., and the capitalisation of the U.S. market is very much larger than France.)

However, the widely-quoted Dow Jones Industrial Average Index also reflects performance of U.S. stocks, but a different mix from those which make up the S&P-500. Thus, these two indexes don’t necessarily always move together.

For example, during the week before this was written, the S&P-500 index dropped by 0.5% while the Dow Jones Industrials’ index fell by 1.2%. They’re both correct, and both accurate, but they’re looking at slightly different areas of the same playing field.

It is often forgotten when comparing fund performance against a particular index that these indices always reflect past history. They tell you what happened after the event.

Okay, so does the reported past performance of any particular fund - but when making his investment decisions the fund manager is required to foretell the future, and that is something that very few people get consistently right.

Fund Managers don’t have crystal balls
The index only requires someone to track what is happening and add up the numbers. No one (except fund managers) gets any prizes for guessing what it will be tomorrow.

The fund manager on the other hand has to use all his expertise, training, and information gathered by teams of similarly skilled analysts and economists to make informed guesses about what his particular market will do not only tomorrow, but several months into the future.

If the parameters of his fund are similar to those that make up the index of that particular market, and he guesses exactly right, he will exactly match the index. Match, mind you, not beat it.

If the fund’s parameters allow him more discretion, he may be able to beat the index - some of the time. But remember that more flexibility in the fund’s parameters means potentially more volatility in its performance, so the chances of such a fund’s manager consistently beating the index are reduced.

He may beat it this month by quite a wide margin, and next, and then have to wait for his investment decisions to bear fruit again, which can result in the fund’s performance dropping below the index for some time.

Even the best fund managers don’t get it right every time. Many of them get it right much of the time, but to get it right all of the time would be virtually impossible. They’re only fund managers, not seers.

To beat the index over a period of, say, a year means the manager has guessed the future correctly - which cynical readers may say is what his job is all about. Fair comment, but could you do it day in, day out, consistently, for month after month, year after year?

But this is what the commentators who complain he didn’t beat the index are expecting from him. And I would cynically suggest that if they could do any better, they’d be highly-paid fund managers instead of commentators.

If you have any comments or queries on this article, or about other topics concerning investment matters, write to Leslie Wright, c/o Family Money, Pattaya Mail, or fax him directly on (038) 232522 or e-mail him at [email protected]. Further details and back articles can be accessed on his firm’s website on www.westminsterthailand.com.

Leslie Wright is Managing Director of Westminster Portfolio Services (Thailand) Ltd., a firm of independent financial advisors providing advice to expatriate residents of the Eastern Seaboard on personal financial planning and international investments.

  Health & Nutrition Facts:
Thai Fruits - What’s in them for you?

by Laura Zubrod,
Registered Dietitian

So, you want to know what you are getting when you bite into a juicy mango or peel a rambutan? Fruits are full of a number of helpful substances our bodies need. On top of that, they taste great too. One of the many joys of Thailand is the astounding variety of fruits. We can find a plethora of fresh, succulent fruits at any time of they year, and they aren’t just your everyday garden variety of apples and oranges either. Thailand has it all, from stinky durian to fragrant star fruit and juicy pineapple.

Fruits are low in fat (with the exception of durian and coconut) and sodium, are cholesterol-free, low in calories, and high in many important nutrients. Most fruits are a good source of vitamins A (beta carotene) and C. Some fruits also supply significant amounts of folate, potassium, magnesium, and fiber. While others provide small amounts of iron, B vitamins, and calcium. Fruits are also a notable source of water since they contain approximately 75% to 95% water. A banana for instance, contains 75% water while watermelon contains 91%. Hence, eating fruits counts toward your daily fluid intake. Unripe fruits such as green mango and green papaya contain mostly starch, few calories, and small amounts of vitamin and minerals.

Two to four servings of fruit a day are recommended to obtain the needed amounts of the vitamins and minerals they have to offer. Try to include at least one fruit rich in vitamin A and one rich in vitamin C each day. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Fruit also contributes to fiber intake which can help lower blood cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar levels in people with diabetes, and prevent and treat constipation and intestinal disorders like diverticulosis.

Here are a few clues for understanding the information below. The Thai names of the fruits are given in parenthesis. The calories for each fruit are given per 100g portion and also per piece for some fruits. Weight is the edible portion, excluding inedible peels and seeds.

Fruit Key Nutrients Calories (kcal) per 100g

Apple (Appoen) vitamin C, fiber 58 kcal
1 fruit (138g) = 81 kcal

Banana (Kluai) vitamin C, folate, vitamin B-6,
potassium, magnesium, fiber 92 kcal

Breadfruit (Sa-ke) vitamin C, niacin, thiamin, fiber,
potassium, phosphorus, magnesium 100 kcal

Custard apple (Noi-na) vitamin C 100 kcal

Coconut (Ma-phrao on) potassium, phosphorus,
iron, magnesium raw meat = 354 kcal, 34 g fat
coconut water (250 ml)=46 kcal, 0.6 g fat
milk (250ml) = 550 kcal, 57 g fat
cream (250 ml) = 800 kcal, 83 g fat

Dragon’s Eye fruit
Longan (Lam-yai) vitamin C, potassium 60 kcal
1 fruit (3.2 g) = 2 kcal

Duku (Long gong) none 42 kcal

Durian (Thurian) vitamins A and C 153 kcal, 3.4 g fat

Guava (Farang) vitamins A and C, potassium 51 kcal
1 fruit (90g) = 46 kcal

Jackfruit (Kha-nun) vitamin C, potassium, magnesium 90 kcal
1 piece (29g) = 26 kcal

Langsat (Langsat) vitamin C 33 kcal

Lychee (Lin-chi) vitamin C 66 kcal
1 fruit (9.6g) = 6 kcal

Mangosteen (Mangkut) none 34 kcal
1 fruit (24g) = 8 kcal

Mango (Ma-muang) ripe vitamins A and C, potassium,
thiamin, vitamin B-6, fiber 65 kcal
1 fruit (207g) = 135 kcal

Melon (Teng-lai) vitamins A and C, potassium 35 kcal

Orange/Tangarine (Som) vitamin C, folate, potassium,
calcium, fiber 44 kcal
1 fruit (84 g) = 37 kcal

Papaya (Ma-la-kaw) ripe vitamins A and C, folate,
potassium 40 kcal

Pineapple (Sappa-rot) vitamin C, magnesium 50 kcal

Pomelo (Som-o) vitamin C, folate, potassium,
fiber 30 kcal
1 segment (50g) = 15 kcal

Rambutan (Ngoh) vitamin C 60 kcal
1 fruit (17g) = 10 kcal

Sapodilla (Lamut) vitamin C, potassium, fiber 82 kcal
1 fruit (170 g) = 140 kcal

Star Fruit (Ma-fuang) vitamins A and C 24 kcal

Sugar, rose, or water apple
(Chomphu pa) none 25 kcal
1 fruit (7g)= 28 kcal

Watermelon (Taeng-mo) vitamins A and C 32 kcal

Copyright 1998 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260, Thailand 
Tel.66-38 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax:66-38 427 596; e-mail: [email protected]

Created by Andy Gombaez, assisted by Chinnaporn Sangwanlek.