by Dr. Iain
Corness
Julie Garratt is the president of the Pattaya
International Ladies Club (PILC), and if you think that saddles her with
the “bored housewife” label, then you would be totally wrong. Julie
Garratt is one of the more erudite and socially aware women in Pattaya,
with an incisive and enquiring mind.
She is British, born in Blackpool, the only child to a
couple who ran a small newsagent. She went to Collegiate High School in
Blackpool where she admitted that she could have worked harder. She
finished school aged 16 and had no idea what she wanted to do. Ending up
choosing banking, because it was secure and reasonable money, she spent
the next ten years in that industry. During that time she married husband
Steve, a partnership that is still going strong 17 years later.
Moving on from banking she became an insurance broker
and then studied to become qualified as a financial advisor. However, she
became disillusioned with that career choice with so many unqualified
people in the business giving the industry a bad name. At that time it was
also a turning point for her, “I realized it was the people who
interested me, not their money.”
Following her “people” side, she joined the
National Health Scheme (NHS) in the UK as an administrator. Her unit was
the 3rd largest Accident and Emergency Department in the UK. “I was
responsible for the day to day running, as well as handling complaints!”
She began to feel that there was something which should be done about the
system itself, so after two years she felt she should return to study
social science.
This she did in a three year course which also saw her
working during the day in a car rental firm. The main part of her degree
in Social Sciences (and she has a B.Sc. with honours, by the way) was
studying criminology, which had become a particular interest. “I had
seen a few friends go off the rails. I realized how easy it would be to
let that happen, but at the time I didn’t understand why.” In the
socialized British Isles, her degree also showed her that, “The
apparatus of the State, which cares for the people, is in a pretty poor
state!” Having been part of that system in the NHS she admitted that,
“You have to be outside it (the system) to look at it, but you must be
inside it to change it.” I put it to Julie that with all her
sociological studies she was preparing herself to be an ‘agent of
change’ to which she seemed a little taken aback but responded with an
“I’d be quite flattered!”
However, the next major step was husband Steve being
offered a position in Thailand in 1999. They had three weeks to pack and
come over, “I had no idea what was waiting,” but, as Julie continued,
“If an opportunity is put in front of you, the best thing to do is to
take it.”
Arriving here she joined the PILC and when offered the
opportunity to be treasurer, the best thing to do was take it - and she
did.
Following that, with the stepping down of the previous
president, Julie took over the presidency in July last year. In that
position she says she has met some fascinating people and some really nice
people. “The interesting thing is they are from so many different
cultures and backgrounds, and you can learn something from everyone.”
Julie knows how to apply her sociology skills!
PILC does keep her busy and she is very happy with her
work within it. She
enjoys working with the
physically handicapped, “something I never could have done (or been
allowed to have done) in England.” If that is not enough, she also does
prison visits for the British Embassy. Criminology from the other side
almost. “I do have a great deal of sympathy for those who are
incarcerated here. They are doubly isolated - incarcerated and unable to
communicate.”
When not attending to PILC presidential duties, Julie
really enjoys travelling, and in the past two years has visited Australia
three times, NZ, Hong Kong, Macau and Vietnam. “You see something
different and get different experiences all the time.”
And different experiences are something that Julie has
thrown herself headlong into, including free-fall skydiving and abseiling.
In response to my “Why?” I was met with a “Why not?” rejoinder.
Her ambitions appear boundless. She wants to see the
parts of the world she has missed so far and would like to continue her
studies to take a Master’s degree in Social Policy and Criminology. Her
next ambition is to use her degree to do something constructive. I posed
the hypothetical question that if she had the power to do one thing, what
would it be? Her reply was as follows, “Cancelling the debts of poor
countries to the world banks. It wouldn’t cause anyone to starve and it
would give (the poor) countries a better chance to compete in a global
market.” Included in the “to do” or “wish” list was, “I’d
like to drive a Formula 1 car - but I’d never get in the cockpit,” she
said, laughing at her own self, being a fairly plump young lady.
Her hobbies are also diverse, ranging from swimming,
sewing, dining out, reading and learning to play Mah Jong.
Her advice to those on the way up is simple, “See all
you can and learn all you can,” although she continued on to say, “It
takes more than paper (degrees) to make a person. You need life experience
as well.”
She has no regrets, “Other than some sarcastic
comments I wish I’d made earlier, but life’s too short.” For Julie
Garratt, no matter how long or short life’s coming adventures, they will
certainly be interesting ones. A most interesting lady.
