Family Money: The Double Standard

By Leslie Wright, managing director of Westminster Portfolio Services (Thailand) Ltd.

The rationale usually given by apologists for the two-tiered pricing phenomenon to be found at most tourist destinations in Thailand is that we foreigners do not pay taxes, so it is only proper that we should pay more than Thai citizens to visit establishments of interest maintained from the public purse.
This argument is of course fatuous, inasmuch as those of us who are living and working legally in Thailand do pay income tax to the local authorities. In fact, a legally-working expatriate pays more tax each month than most Thai employees pay in a year. This being so, there would seem to be a sound argument for giving those foreigners holding legitimate Tax I.D. Cards a discount for visiting historic sites, rather than imposing a surcharge! This of course is not going to happen, and it would be naive to imagine it will.
Freedom of Choice
We all make choices either consciously or unconsciously every day. Having made the fairly major decision of choosing to visit or live here - for whatever reasons - it is going to be far easier to enjoy the many benefits and positive aspects of this country and accept the negative ones (from our cultural perspective) if one tries to understand what may have led to the double standard we encounter every day, rather than continually carp about it.
Above & below
A study by a German psychologist who had lived here for many years points out that in all Thai relationships there is an inferior-superior relationship. Hence Thais do not make friendships in the same sense that most Westerners do: there is inherently some element of dependency in all one-on-one relationships. Upon meeting a new acquaintance, Thais quickly establish with a few subtle questions which of the two is inherently the superior, and which is the inferior. Thais are taught from an early age to recognise these fine shades of class distinction, to the point that it becomes second nature.
Class distinction may be anathema to Westerners, who might like to pretend that everyone is equal - even though we know deep down that everyone is not. In fact, Westerners deduce a great deal about someone’s relative social standing by that person’s accent, speech patterns and behaviour. No comment may be made, but the information is filed away nonetheless.
Thais, on the other hand, are perhaps more pragmatic about such matters. Patronage has become an important part of Thai culture: hence a socially better-placed person is expected to provide for those less well-placed. Similarly with most Thai-farang relationships. We are perceived by most Thais as being inherently better off financially, simply because we can afford to come here - and money is the guiding light to nearly all relationships in Thailand.
So in a Thai-farang situation, the less well-off person (which by local perceptions is usually the Thai) is simply acknowledging your superior position by ordering the most expensive items on the menu, or expecting you to pick up the bill every time you go out together. You are, by local cultural standards, being given face.
In fact, you would lose face by expecting to split the bill - unless of course you’re out with a socially-prominent Thai, to whom face has to be given by allowing him to pick up the bill. Similarly, the Thai bar-girl (or bar-boy) you just met will ask a litany of questions which may seem to be for getting to know you: “What you name? Where you from? You first visit Thailand? Which hotel you stay? How long you stay Thailand?” In fact, these questions are for sizing you up, and the size of the tip she or he is likely to receive, and what chance she or he has of establishing a longer-term (even if long-distance) relationship.
Business relationships
It would seem that most relationships between Thais and farangs are built on what cynics would regard as a purely commercial basis. In many cases financial security (for the shorter or longer term) is being gained in exchange for services of one form or another. Money is exchanged for time spent with you - whether this be for an hour or a lifetime. Remember that you can always earn more money, while youth can never be recouped. Who, therefore, is giving the more valuable commodity to the other?
In a culture where sanuk (fun) is so important to every activity, and you have expended the time, effort and expense (even if it’s only a bus fare) to visit some place of interest which happens to practise the two-tiered pricing system, it seems incomprehensibly ridiculous to most Thais that you would then make such a fuss about shelling out a paltry additional twenty or thirty baht to go into the place you’ve already come some distance to see.
Getting into a heated discussion on the subject merely raises your blood pressure, lowers your enjoyment, and loses you face in the eyes of all local observers. It rarely succeeds in changing the entry fee. Also, it is hardly fair to harangue the luckless ticket vendor (especially in a language which he almost certainly poorly understands); he doesn’t make the policy rules, he is simply doing his poorly-paid job in applying them. And when he seems to be ignoring your increasing vehemence, he is not showing you indifference or arrogant superiority - on the contrary, he is embarrassed and would do almost anything to avoid confrontation. He would probably like to run away from the danger your anger represents to his well-being, but must, however, stay there to keep his job, which is vital to supporting his family.
So each time you have to pay more than your Thai companion to visit a place of interest, it may be easier on your blood pressure to smile, pay up graciously and enjoy your visit content in the knowledge that you are not being exploited, you are being given face.

by C. Schloemer

Good points: intelligent and alert, good household pet, lacks doggie odour, reliable with children, sensible guard dog
Take heed: needs firm but gentle discipline in puppyhood, thrives on plenty of vigorous exercise
A hunter always, and a roamer with hardy men, comrade to Vikings, and guardian of lonely farms, the Norwegian Elkhound comes down to us through more than six millennia with all of its Nordic traits untainted. A fearless but friendly dog, he makes a loyal and devoted friend to a lucky owner.
Particularly admired for its patience to keep prey at bay without attacking, the Elkhound is also a fine tracker. Its trustworthy nature ensures a good choice for family life, and a reliable watchdog. Although not well known in many countries, this breed was not squeezed into a preconceived standard, therefore retains its structure and rare beauty.
Built for stamina, and most happy in open spaces or rugged countryside, this dog is not an apartment dweller. His engaging and sensitive qualities as a protector and companion also make him ideal as a household pet. Owners are especially pleased that this dog lacks any particular ‘doggie’ odour.
Size: Height at shoulder: dog 52 cm, bitch 49.5 cm Weight: dog 22.7 kg, bitch 19cm
Exercise: It is essential that this breed gets ample exercise in open spaces to stay healthy.
Grooming: Daily brushing and combing is recommended
Origin and history: The job of the Elkhound was to seek out the elk and hold it at bay until its master moved in for the kill. It has existed in Norway for centuries. We read of the Elkhound in sagas, and find his remains by the side of his Viking master along with the Viking’s weapons, sure proof of the esteem in which he was held.
In the Vista Cave at Jaeren in western Norway, his skeleton was uncovered among the stone stratum dating from 4,000 BC to 5000 BC.
In the 19th century Captain Lloyd, an English sportswriter, devoted his leisure to the description of bear hunting in Norway, and from that time on, everyone who has seen the Elkhound work in the forests of his native land has added to its praise.
An exceedingly versatile dog, developed through constant contact with man in the pursuit of game, it was not until 1877 that the breed came to be considered from an exhibition point of view. In that year the Norwegian Hunter’s Association held its first show and shortly afterwards, pedigrees were established.
At the turn of the next century, the breed was making rapid progress, and the Elkhound came into its own as Norway’s great contribution to the world of dogs. Today’s Elkhound has been tailored to meet the ideal decided by various Norwegian clubs and societies, and has become its national breed. There is a miniature variety which is rarely seen outside Scandinavia, from which the puffin hunting Lundehund was derived.

by Marion

At a time when many Western religions are in decline, Buddhism defies that trend and is spreading. Is there something that the East knows which the West has forgotten?
In the mid 1900s little was known about Tibetan Buddhism. Perhaps the cruel Chinese invasion of Tibet in the 1950s and repression of Tibetan Buddhism and culture there was a blessing in disguise for the Western world, for fleeing Tibetan masters brought with them the wisdom and compassionate teachings of the Tibetan Tradition of Mahayana Buddhism.

Geshe Tashi Tsering
Lama Surya Das (the most highly trained American Lama in the Tibetan Tradition) tells us of the amazing prophecies about the future Tibetans and the spread of their Buddhism to the West in his book, “Awakening The Buddha Within, Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World.” The Indian Guru who first bought Buddhism to Tibet in the eighth century, Padma Sambhhava, predicted, “When the iron bird flies, and horses run on wheels, the Tibetan people will be scattered like ants across the World, and the Dharma will come to the land of red-faced people.”
This is one prophecy that has come about. Tibetan Buddhism has indeed travelled far from the stony forbidding mountains of Tibet. In a dissemination made possible by “the iron bird that flies,” a centre for Buddhist study, meditation and retreat has developed in the sub tropical hills of Queensland, Australia.
How did it happen that Chenrezig was one of the first centres of Tibetan Buddhism to be established in the western world? In 1974 two Tibetan Buddhist Lamas held a meditation course in the nearby Diamond Valley in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. During the month long course led by Lama Tauten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rimpoche, students decided they wanted the opportunity for ongoing study. The property was donated by four of the students so a meditation centre could be built. Over the last 27 years it has become the Chenrezig Institute, a flourishing community of nuns, monks and lay people. It takes it name from Chenrezig the Buddha of Compassion who embodies the compassionate wisdom of all the Buddhas.
The goal of Chenrezig Institute (as indeed is Mahayana Buddhist philosophy) is to teach Tibetan Buddhism and meditation to as many people as possible, thereby helping them to transform their lives so they can benefit others and realize ultimate happiness. When you visit you are impressed by the magnificent trees, the luxuriant plants, birds and wildlife and the heady, overriding, opulent smell of jasmine that is almost tactile. Marvelling at the peace and serenity of the now reforested hills it is extremely difficult to imagine that in 1970 it was all bare, the trees felled and the ground cleared. The transformation from exposed cattle grazing pasture to lush, tropical retreat centre was achieved by the effort of volunteer students over many years.
One volunteer, who intended only to come to Australia to earn some money for nine months initially, is builder and current institute director Colin Crosby who is still there 27years later. In 1970 as a 20 year old just itching to leave the violence of Edinburgh in his hometown in Scotland, he traveled as far away as he could to Nepal where he met Lama Zopa Rimpoche.
Colin spent eleven months in Nepal. The first ten years of his association with the lamas though was spent in intellectual sparring. “Non violence as an attitude just didn’t gel when you come from a violent background of street gangs and soccer and discos. By the time I was 12 I decided the whole problem was the church so I never had anything to do with it. When I first met Lama Zopa Rimpoche I was 20 and he was 24. I never felt so uncomfortable in my life with anybody. He was light years ahead, out of this world so pure and holy.”
Asked to define Chenrezig, Colin said, “You wouldn’t describe Chenrezig as a monastery; it’s a cross between a uni campus, a monastery and a commune. It has, however, been established as the best Tibetan Buddhist teaching centre in the Southern Hemisphere. The mission is to be a centre for learning, retreat, community and service following the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. The goal of Chenrezig is to support the spiritual development of all people in an environment of universal responsibility, wisdom and compassion.
“Our resident Tibetan lama, Geshe Tashi Tsering, is a skilled teacher who has attained the highest level of education in the Tibetan monastic system. The title Geshe is equivalent to a Doctorate awarded after 20 years of study. He is supported by experienced western teachers and nuns. Visitors to Chenrezig Institute are welcomed and are invited to participate in the Spiritual Programme which features courses, retreats, talks, guided meditations and discussions.”
Chenrezig Institute provides the perfect environment for those needing a peaceful retreat from the world. It is situated on 160 acres of forest and there are bushwalks to rainforest-lined creeks and rock pools. Mahayana Buddhism is a more colourful form of Buddhism and dedicated to the enlightenment of all beings, not just the enlightenment of self. The community there reflects that and is more social; there are no rule of silence and no obligation to attend any of the lectures.
People of all nationalities meet in Lama Yeshe’s Big Love Cafe to talk and share the inexpensive delicious vegetarian food. Visitors are free to participate in the programme, make use of an extensive library of books and videos, or simply unwind and enjoy wandering in the beautiful gardens and exploring the unspoiled bush. There is no compulsion to meditate it seems to happen naturally, though there are sessions on guided meditation available which are an uplifting experience. Comfortable simple budget accommodation is available in small dormitories or shared rooms.
Visitors to Chenrezig Institute while there are requested only to follow the five basic Buddhist precepts, for not harming others:
1. Not killing any living being (including insects).
2. Not stealing or using anything without permission.
3. Not lying.
4. No sexual misconduct.
5. No intoxicants (alcohol or drugs).
Students of Buddhism can organize private retreats, with help available for practice from the nuns (sangha). For those fortunate enough to visit Chenrezig the experience is conducive to instilling a mental clarity and personal serenity, a rare opportunity in our busy lives. More information can be obtained from the website, www.chenrezig.com.au To learn more about Tibetan Buddhism recommended books are “Awakening The Buddha Within, Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World” by Lama Surya Das, ISBN- 0-73380-073-4, and “How to Meditate, A Practical Guide.” By Kathleen McDonald (A Tibetan Buddhist nun) ISBN - 086171-009 6.

by Mirin MacCarthy

What is the connection between a wild civet and the world perfume industry? Smelly glands near their bottoms, that’s what! All civets have these scent-producing glands, located in a double pouch near the genitals. The fatty yellow secretion of these glands has a distinctive musky smell and is used for territorial marking. However, this substance, known as civet, is used as a perfume fixative and in some parts of the world, animals are even kept for civet production and it is “milked” from captive animals every 14 to 20 days.
Civets are not cats, although the civet family is related to the cat family, but that is as far as it gets. They are two different species. Civets are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Carnivora, family Viverridae. Most civets do have cat-like bodies, long tails, and weasel-like faces. Their fur may be grey or brown, and may be marked in various patterns.
The ground-living, or true, civets form a distinctive group within the family and these animals need a highly carnivorous diet. Most have dark spots and ringed tails. They include several Asian species (genus Viverra) and one African species (Civettictis civetta). The best known is the Indian civet from which most of the civet for perfume comes from. It has tawny fur with black spots and black bands on the tail. These civets grow up to 76 cm long, and have a 42 cm tail, and are about 38 cm high at the shoulder. Larger than the domestic cat, the Indian civet weighs up to 11 kg. Its musk glands are greatly enlarged.
Other ground-living civets are called linsangs and genets. The palm civets form another distinct group within the civet family. These are tree-living (arboreal), and are largely fruit-eating animals of Africa and Asia, and are classified in several genera. The North American spotted skunk is sometimes popularly called a civet but is not closely related to them.
The Malaysian civet is found on the Malay Peninsula in the islands of Sumatra, Bangka, Borneo, Rhio Archipelago, and in the Philippines. They live in a variety of habitats, such as forests, brush, and grasslands and are ground livers, though they are proficient climbers should the need arise.
These civets grow to around 58.5-95 cm plus a tail length of 30-42 cm. Their weight ranges from 5-11 kg. They are grey in colour with black spots all over arranged in rows. The tail is banded, and their necks have three black stripes and two white stripes along the sides. The black hair along their back is longer and forms a mane. Their feet are also black.
Although Malaysian civets are considered to be carnivorous, eating mainly small mammals, birds, snakes, frogs, and insects, they will also eat eggs and fruit when the opportunity (or hunger) arises.
The Malaysian civet is nocturnal and solitary. They mark their territory with the civet secretions from their perianal glands. They can also squirt this secretion like a skunk when frightened. Females generally have two litters of between 1 to 4 young each year. The litters are born in dense protective vegetation or in a burrow in the ground and are weaned at one month old.
But who would have ever thought that the smelly civet would become an important part of the perfume industry!

by Richard Bunch

From Tony Mear, Bangkok: Having read your recent articles on Windows XP, I really thought I should take the initiative and give it a try. Prior to that I had been running Windows 2000 for well over 12 months and I have to say, I have been generally very happy with it even if the occasional reboot has been required. Although I use my PC for work, I tend to be fairly hard on them because in my quest to find new programs that may make my job easier, I often install and, frequently uninstall as the program does not appeal. XP has been far more accommodating in this regard and the fact that the number of restarts that is demanded after a software installation has been significantly reduced is also a bonus. I am also guilty of ignoring restart messages. I got away with it the first time which set a precedent; I also got away with it on several subsequent occasions but alas my cavalier attitude caught up with me the other day and I got a blue screen of death with an error, subsequently restarting once again gave me a screen of death but a different error message. I booted from my installation CD and noticed there was an option called Automated System Recovery (ASR). I thought I’d try this but it asked for a diskette which I didn’t have. After many hours of trying to get it running I was faced with doing an fdisk and a rebuild, fortunately my data was on a different hard disk from the O/S and I also back it up to CD. Although things are now working well and I wouldn’t go back to another O/S I think I must have missed something with this ASR, can you enlighten me?
Computer Doctor replies: I certainly will try. In essence, the Automated System Recovery Feature enables you to boot a computer that is otherwise unstartable due to a major problem. ASR works by installing a working copy of Windows XP, then restoring from a backup of your OS that you made when everything was working perfectly. In order to use this feature you have to do some preparatory work first while XP is in tip top condition.
The procedure is really quite easy and the steps involved are explained below:
* Click Start > Run command
* In the Run dialog box, type ntbackup in the Open text box and click OK
* In the Backup Utility, click the Automated System Recovery Wizard button. (If this is the first time the ntbackup program has run, turn off the Wizard). Close and then restart the ntbackup program
* Now, a different Wizard appears, The Automated System Recovery Wizard. Click Next to continue.
* On the Backup Destination page, type in a path for the backup file. For obvious reasons, don’t use the C:\ drive and preferably a partition on the same physical drive. Click Next
* Read the text on the final page of the Wizard. Make sure you have a floppy disk available for the Wizard to write recovery information to. Click Finish
* All system files on the partition that contains the operating system are backed up. Click Close on the Backup Progress dialog box after the backup is completed. Then close the backup utility.
So if disaster strikes and your system doesn’t want to start, boot from the Windows XP CD, then press F2 when the statement as the bottom of the screen asks you to press F2 to start ASR.
A few minutes now creating the ASR disk (your insurance!) will pay dividends if you are presented with a seemingly irrecoverable disaster.
Send your questions or comments to the Pattaya Mail at 370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, 20260 or Fax to 038 427 596 or e-mail to [email protected]. The views and comments expressed within this column are not necessarily those of the writer or Pattaya Mail Publishing.
Richard Bunch is managing director of Action Computer Technologies Co., Ltd. For further information, please telephone 0 1782 4829, fax 0 3842 6335, e-mail: [email protected] or see the firm’s website www.act.co.th

A whirlpool of passion

My recent reunion with old friends in the USA began with tears and laughter, hugs and a warm welcome. After a couple of hours of peaceful rest to rid myself of annoying jet-lag, I settled into the family’s small three bedroom home in the suburbs of Atlanta. I had arrived on a weekend and their hospitality knew no bounds. I had come in the month of October, and the crisp autumn evening signalled the perfect setting for a back yard barbecue planned just for my arrival. Friends, neighbours, kids and dogs poured onto the rear patio, and the man of the house fired up the grill. Mountains of food appeared and since Georgia is known for its southern style cuisine, I didn’t actually recognise anything much I was eating, but it was sumptuous and I gorged.
The American state of Georgia is considered what the Yanks refer to as in the ‘Deep South’. Colloquial American English is somewhat difficult to decipher at times, but it appears Deep South means that during the American Civil war, Georgia was among the states that seceded from the Northern Federal Government in Washington D. C. and became part of the Confederate States which fought against the abolition of slavery during America’s Civil War. American citizens from other states in the nation often remark that this particular event is still very much a part of the cultural mindset in the Deep South, often discussed and relived. But that particular evening, another ‘war’ was very much on the minds of my hosts and their friends.
After the horrific terrorist attacks on two of America’s major cities, the nation was technically at war, and the evening’s conversation turned to these current events. Since I had just arrived from abroad, our gathering seemed anxious to learn what people of other nations felt about these devastating attacks. A few in the group wondered if people of the world actually hated American people, and if they did, could I explain why. What could I say to these perfectly lovely and generous middle class people, who had never had a passport, and had rarely travelled beyond their own parochial and sheltered world? I was pretty certain that the politics of these individuals were limited to local decisions on traffic, crime, education, the cost of living, and personal taxes. How could I explain the madness of an aberrant, but zealous network of terrorists who by means of a twisted interpretation of religious dogma, wanted to erase the advancement of so-called Western civilization and a modern world of which they fiercely disapproved? I bit the bullet and gave it a try.
The night wore on and the debate escalated. I, forced to play the devil’s advocate in order to present a more rounded point of view, tried to project to my audience what America sometimes seems to people in developing countries with vastly different cultural values and experiences. My opponents (if I can really call them that) dug in and argued their point of view just as passionately. Tempers did not actually flare, but I could sense real tension in the air, and I withdrew as gracefully as I could. As the evening drew to a close, one older man took me aside and revealed that in a few days he was flying to New York City to attend a memorial service for a friend who had died in the World Trade Center. The remains of the deceased most likely would never be recovered, but he was a friend of the family and wanted to provide emotional support during this sad time. As he took his leave he shook my hand, and suddenly his face crumbled and a tear rolled down one cheek. I felt his grief and withdrew my hand, as though his bad luck might pass to me inadvertently. More guests bade their farewells. As they made their way out, some made brief confessions that they or their friends had also lost comrades who had been working in the Pentagon when it was attacked. Their grief was controlled. But I knew it was there.
Only a couple of days before, I had departed from sunny, carefree Pattaya; my own fun-filled resort city by the sea. The ‘high tourist season’ had just begun and the town was teeming with holiday-makers from around the world who had come to relax and have fun. Now I was in America; a nation which considered itself at war and was gearing, not only with military might, but civil psychological determination to fight an unseen enemy in a conflict which could not actually be defined in traditional terms.
I began to wonder what everyday life in the USA would be like from now on, and if I would note a significant difference in the attitude and behaviour of its citizens. I had planned to stay here a month. Not long, but certainly enough time to absorb some changes in the national mentality. During that evening’s conversation, one gentleman referred to the September 11th attack on the USA as “911'. He had of course cleverly punned the date of the terrorist (September 11: 9/11) attack with the telephone number (911), which is used to call in emergency situations to nation-wide operators who man telephone calls for citizens in dire straits. His wit somehow consoled me. As the hours drew late, I dropped into bed and fell into a deep sleep. But I dreamed of that single tear in a stranger’s eye.

by John D. Blyth, P.O. Box 97, Pattaya City 20260

The Famous ‘Castle Class’
As peace approached in 1918, it was becoming plain that hard work and heavier trains were taking their toll on the ever-willing ‘Stars’, even the No. 1 Boiler was not quite enough to supply steam at all times. In 1919 Churchward had built the first of the ’47xx’ Class 2-8-0s with 5ft 8 1/2 in wheels, intended to partially replace the numerous 2-6-0s Class 4301. A new boiler was soon supplied for the 47xx. But the class was destined, for a reason deep in railway politics, to consist of no more than 9 engines. Churchward had the intention that the new boiler should be fitted on the ‘Star’ Class and also to the 2-cylinder express locomotives that had become known as the ‘Saint’ Class - which we have not yet dealt with in full. The heavy, small-wheeled 2-8-0s of Class 28xx were also candidates for use of this, known as the Standard No. 7 boiler.
The Civil engineer said “no” to its use on either of the express locomotive types. The new axle-loading would exceed that of which he would approve by (it is believed) just half-a-ton. At this stage, Churchward was on the point of retirement and C. B. Collett, his successor, was left to find a solution if he could. Collett was not perhaps the ideal man for this job. He had had no training in a locomotive works although he must have learnt much from his previous chief. He was a workshop man and did much to improve the already high standards at Swindon on which Churchward always insisted.
I have seen a drawing in a small book (not in my small library) plainly prepared in the Collett era, and had some Collett features, showing a ‘Star’ with the larger boiler. This makes it plain that someone again attempted to produce something the engineer would accept but to no avail. Eventually a compromise boiler - not, I feel quite the best - was designed and fitted to the first of a new series of express 4-6-0s. This was to be known as the ‘Castle’ Class; their numbers carried on directly from the final batch of ‘Stars’ and it was intended that re-building from ‘Star’ to ‘Castle’ could be quick and easy without new drawings being called for.
The ‘Castles’ of the time had somewhat larger cylinders, a longer firebox which called for lengthening of the frames and a far more substantial cab than any provided on Churchward’s engines. The tractive effort worked out at 31,625 lb. Since Sir Felix Pole knew no other measure by which to compare locomotive power, in his estimation these were the most powerful passenger locomotives in Britain. He was a publicity man par excellence and of course he was delighted with this. Sadly the new boiler owed nothing to the famous ‘No. 1.’
Throughout their careers it was well-known that under adverse conditions - poor coal, dirty tubes, any small leak in the super heater elements the pressure could come tumbling down and loss of time was likely. First evidence of this was during the coal strikes of the ’20s when they had to burn whatever was available. It has to be admitted that at this time they fared far worse than Gresley’s ‘Pacifics’ on the East Coast line with their big grates and boilers. Room for improvement maybe, but on their proper diet of Welsh steam coal they did well enough. I have written elsewhere of their efforts on the ‘Cheltencham Flyer’ of the 1930s. In 1935 the ‘Brigtolian’ - 105 min. for 118 miles, London to Bristol both ways, was brought on. I do, however, think the men preferred the ‘Kings’ (the next power rage up). The train was within the ability of a good ‘Castle’ and was more often used.
All this suggests them to be very speedy engines. But although they could be pushed into speed I have long felt that they were happiest ‘bumbling along’ at 70 to 75mph., with a substantial load of some 500+ tons behind, than real high speed. They had chances for some real dashes but it was many years before a ‘Castle’ was timed at 100 mph. This was on the sharp fall of Campden Bank on the line from Worcester to Oxford.
Many engine crews, seeing yet another new ‘Castle’ just turned out from Swindon, were left sighing for some more ‘Small 40s’ as they called the ‘Stars’. No chance, of course. The ease with which a ‘Star’ could be turned into a ‘Castle’ made this the more likely course, yet one carried out only on a small scale.
So the ‘Castles’ duly went into service and some of the early test results were very good indeed. But as more were built it became plain that, as so often happened, out of ten built one was brilliant, one dreadful and the rest just average. The railway soon picked out the good ones and they appeared often on a variety of rests; the second built was good (the first one wasn’t) and turned in some efficiency figures that many could not believe.
Twice a ‘Castle’ was on show at a Wembly exhibition, with a massive Gresley ‘Pacific’ alongside, a notice alongside the ‘Castle’ made thinking members of the public gape, “How can that little engine be more powerful than the big one along side?” On tractive effort calculations, it was right of course. On the second such occasion, the famous ‘Pendennis Castle’, back from interchange trials between ‘Castle’ and a Gresley engine, was on show. Sadly, to the public it would mean little.
These trials took place over a week in 1925. It is still not clear how they were set up; I suspect Felix Pole’s confident hand in it again. But Gresley is said to have read about it in the daily paper! The latter had been very obstinate over the design of the valve gear for his Pacifics and these trials showed him up badly. The ‘Castle’ was superior throughout on timekeeping and on economical fuel consumption, and though the latter was gradually being reduced - “Still higher than the ‘Castle” reported the late Eric Trask, the man in charge. Told that a new design was in hand he said, “That won’t help us on these trials will it?” To which Gresley turned on his heel and walked away. Told to me by Trask in person not a good show!
Too much on ‘Castles’ for one week; more next week.

by Anchalee Kaewmanee

As a child, a native born into this Sun/Moon combination probably tore toasters apart to find out why the went pop, or took apart telephone receivers to discover their inner workings. The spirit of inquiry and investigation manifested itself early in his or her life, and it was probably everything Mom and Pop could do to keep this little terror from short-circuiting the whole house.
A Gemini-Aquarius has a virtually insatiable curiosity about the world and everything in it. Science and social change, the unusual and the unexplored, have a fascination for people born of this sign. It is their mission to use their fantastic intellect and imagination to effect change and bring new and innovative ideas both to their immediate world, and to the world at large. These individuals have outgoing personalities, are charming and sophisticated. Forever on the move, their restlessness, impatience, and desire for maximum independence and freedom of expression spurs them on and helps to make some of their fantastic dreams come true. They seem to know what people are thinking, what they want, and what they will want in the future. In fact, this Sun/Moon combo may live more in the future than in the present. Perhaps it is because the Gemini/Aquarius thoughts are always miles ahead of everyone else’s and this is one reason why this sign has trouble communicating ideas. Others just don’t live in the same dimension. How could they? Natives of this sign often live in several dimensions at once.
For people born into this combo, approach to life is usually carefree and optimistic. Since they are basically unemotional and detached, it is difficult for them to understand why some people seem so unhappy. When they encounter a highly emotional situation, they get confused and agitated. Raw emotion is an alien feeling to the Gemini/Aquarius. Seeing an unhappy friend, lover or relative makes them want to do everything they can to make him or her feel better, even though they actually don’t have any idea of what the right thing to do or say actually is. That basic optimism of theirs usually thinks charming good humour will do the trick. It may be just what is needed in some cases. At other times something much more sincere involving more pathos is required. Unfortunately that could be beyond the scope of this Sun/Moon native. That is when the confusion sets in and that Moon in Aquarius simply detaches from the scene and drifts into the cosmos until the fuss is over. The overemotional loved one could be left feeling abandoned and betrayed.
While busy planning for the future, the Gemini-Aquarius tends to forget the joys that today has to offer. They really ought to stop once in awhile to appreciate the ‘here and now’. After all, the world can wait a little longer for that surprise or invention they have been so busy concocting. Extroverted and outgoing, these natives often get so involved with people and projects that they have little time left to look within themselves. Self evaluation and inner reflection is not a habit they often acquire. They really ought to try spending some time in quiet contemplation. There is a lot for them to learn about themselves and their own inner workings.
These individuals are subject to erratic mood changes. Often pensive and serious one moment, they will leap into lively and spontaneous activity the next. Therefore it is not so easy for other people to put up with them. But one thing is certain. This Sun/Moon combo rarely throws a fit or loses temper. The only thing which will really unnerve these people is the feeling that there has been an imposition placed on their freedom and independence. They badly need the liberty to move about and do as they please, and will bitterly resent anyone’s attempt to hold them down.
Oddly, so highly astute in their work, Gemini/Aquarius natives are fools in love. As they dwell endlessly on the image of their ideal lover, they can be completely unaware of someone very special who may be right there before their eyes. One they have actually found Mr. or Miss Right (and it takes awhile) they tend to place the poor lover on a pedestal. The trouble with this is when reality tarnishes that flawless image, trouble begins. Better to take off those rose-coloured glasses and try to be a little more realistic in love. It will save unnecessary heartbreak.

Part Three: Consequences

by Duncan Steam

On December 4, an Anglo-French agreement was signed which ostensibly guaranteed Thai independence. Basically, France and Britain agreed to maintain the region as a neutral zone using the Mekong River as a boundary line. In a subsequent declaration, the British and French agreed not to send troops to the region between the Mekong River and the Tenasserim Mountains without the prior consent of the other party and stated that French and British nationals residing in the region would not receive special privileges or benefits which nationals of the other party did not receive.
The agreement, reached without the involvement of Thailand, basically meant that neither Britain nor France would impinge upon Thai sovereignty without the prior consent of the other party. Really, it in no way guaranteed Thai independence, but merely indicated that the British and French were not prepared to go to war over Thailand.
France used the registration of French subjects in Thailand as a tool to expand her influence in the country. In 1880, only 146 people were registered as French subjects, and 96 of these were Chinese. In reality, the Chinese should not have qualified as French subjects, but the French considered that their employees should also be accorded protection by the French Legation. Even Cambodians, who by the Treaty of 1867 had been placed under the jurisdiction of Thai courts, were registered as French subjects.
Between 1893 and 1896, the number of people qualifying as French nationals grew from 200 to 30,000, with the French Legation actively encouraging all French employees to register as French subjects.
For example, in 1912 the number of Chinese registered as French subjects in Bangkok alone totalled 724. By contrast, only 36 Chinese were registered as British subjects during the same period in Bangkok.
In January 1896 a second Anglo-French agreement regarding Thailand was signed. The British abandoned their claims to any territory east of the Mekong River, thereby making the river the official border between Laos and Burma. In return, the French again agreed to accept the independence of Thailand.
Cementing relations further with the British, Thailand signed a secret agreement with Britain in April 1897 whereby the Thais agreed not to cede any territory or rights south of the 11th Parallel on the Malay Peninsula without prior British consent. In return, Britain promised to support Thailand against any attempts by a third power to assume control in the Malay Peninsula.
The French continued to occupy Chantaboun until October 7, 1902 when an agreement was signed between France and Thailand by which the latter agreed to cede two southern Lao provinces. However, the agreement was not ratified by the French parliament and French troops occupied Trat.
Interestingly, the seven Armstrong guns that participated in the action against the French in 1893 were still in working order 105 years later when they fired a seven-gun salute to celebrate the Fort’s anniversary. Since the Paknam Incident, they have never fired a shot in anger.

by Lesley Warner

Emancipation, did it come with the invention of trousers? There is nothing symbolic about wearing trousers for me; I just find it so much more comfortable and relaxing than dresses and skirts. When ladies broke out of corsets, bustles, long frocks even ‘winkle picker’ stiletto heels, I think it was for convenience rather than to become ‘manlike’. I remember some of the atrocities my mother wore on her feet, not so long ago, 6 inch stiletto heels with pointed toes to match. It’s no wonder that her feet are an absolute disaster now and give her continuous problems.
Long skirts dragged on the ground, sweeping up tiny vermin and debris from the street with the wearer’s every step, to be then deposited indoors. Petticoats hung heavily on the waist, cage crinolines could swing out and flip up in the wind, and trains and bustles were heavy and awkwardly balanced. Women’s skirts made walking up and down stairs treacherous and running nearly impossible.
With the arrival of trousers for ladies came other problems, they were frowned upon in society for many years. Women faced harassment when they wore trousers in public. Numerous cartoons played upon deep-seated fears of people regarding gender and fashion. Perhaps the strongest argument used was the belief that the bloomer was incongruous with prevailing ideology regarding women’s roles.
A solution both practical and modest was developed that did not reveal women’s legs for that would have been improper. They designed a dress made like other fashionable dresses except for its knee-length skirt worn over matching trousers. Trousers, called pantalets, had also been worn under skirts by women in France in the early 1800s and later became the fashion for young girls. Pantalets were seen on gymnasium outfits as early as 1830. There were also the baggy bloomers.
Bloomers became associated with the women’s rights movement and were really only accepted for a variety of sports and outdoor activities, such as mountain climbing, swimming, and bicycling, not as fashionable dress. The loose, Turkish-style trousers worn for exercises became part of the archetypal gymnasium suit worn at colleges and high schools well into the mid twentieth century. This continued through the early twentieth century. The loose full trouser style occasionally sees a revival as fashion today.
It wasn’t only the wearing of trousers and bloomers that became more relaxed; dress fashion took a definite turn for the better, with the introduction of the ‘Empire Style’. The Empire, high-waisted, soft style dominated between 1909 and 1915. Sometimes these gowns were almost transparent a far cry from the fashion of earlier years.
It is clear that even before 1909 the idea that women could wear loose-fitting artistically inspired clothing in public was a reality. Women not only became accustomed to wearing more comfortable clothing in their homes and during physical activities, but they also began seeing actresses, dancers, and opera singers wearing simpler artistically designed dresses on stage and in public. These entertainers sought out two of the most celebrated avant-garde designers in the early twentieth century, Paul Poiret and Mariano Fortuny.
These designers were acquainted with the gowns created by the German and Viennese artists and architects, as well as the artistic reform dress promoted by the Liberty Company. Fortuny’s Delphos dresses and Poiret’s Directoire models offered to the public in 1907 were similar to other artistic styles inspired by the Greek ideal. While these two men are often credited with freeing women from corsets, they were not the innovators. Rather, they were simply nourishing the seed that had been planted by the artistic dress reformers of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Reforming styles in fashion was not a novelty on the continent of Europe. Wertheim’s Department Store in Berlin had a dress reform department, which was popular by 1903. And as early as 1901, a fashion magazine published in Vienna, Wiener Mode, illustrated various reform style gowns along with more fashionable dress.

by Apichart Panyadee

Forgeries of Egyptian glass sculptures began to appear early in the 20th century. In 1912 the British Museum purchased four glass canopic jars now shown to be fakes and probably made in Egypt. Other items include Shawabiti figures, statuettes and small animal sculptures. Many common features were the purple and bluish colour, the occasional remains of mould marks, and hollow moulding.

An Islamic ewer which shows signs of restoration; glue was used to apply broken fragments of genuine ancient glass
Originals, on the other hand, were always cast in the solid. The maker cast the forgeries from moulds taken from ancient pieces. Clear detection therefore relies on technical examination and methods of construction. Almost all the forgeries have been deliberately broken and repaired. Many will have some portions missing to add the appearance of age.
The most notable glass products of the Roman Empire were the cameo glass vases of the 1st century A. D. In 1878 the Venice & Murano Co. showed imitations at the Paris Exhibition, while Pauly et Cie, another Venetian firm, made similar versions. The glass used for Venetian cameo was soda line glass which resulted in softly modelled outlines which will give the impression of age. A pitted surface, which is common to all Venetian cameos, helps the illusion of antiquity.
Two vases which have deceived until recently are a ‘1st century A. D. Roman vase’ in the Toledo Museum, in Ohio. These items were published in the first guidebook to the class collections, and also a tall vase in the More Collection at Yale University Art Gallery, described in 1927 as “Hellenistic first century BC”.

Two “Historismus” vases from the Koln Ehrenfeld factory manufactured in the 1880s; 16 centimetres in height
The Mainz firm of Ludwig Gellmer was a major producer of Roman shapes. A page from their pattern book, published by Spiegle in Glas Des Historismus, shows simple flasks and bottles and more complex jugs and vases with trailed and pincer decoration as well as mould-blown vases in the barrel shape that is reminiscent of the genuine ‘Frontunus’ marked pieces of the 1st century AD.
Modern sources for ancient glass forgeries are the Israeli, Turkish and Egyptian glassmakers. They work in primitive conditions, using clay moulds taken from original glasses. The wares they make are determined, as always, by market prices. The most popular fakes are small mould blown bottles or alter cruets decorated with Christian symbols. Artificial ageing can include acid etching, putting a covering of sand onto the surface of the hot glass, and the application of chemicals while the glass is hot. On occasion, the forger will glue genuine flakes of iridescence onto the surface of the copy. Modern chemicals sprayed onto the glass can induce a deceptive flaking effect.
Weathering is an important part of ancient faked glass since it very conveniently disguises joins, as well as possible discrepancies in colour matching.
The Corning Museum of Glass in upstate New York has identified some ancient glasses as ‘marriages’ of genuine broken fragments. The identified conglomerate vessels show ingenuity in combining quite disparate elements, such as sticking together two genuine and complete objects to form a hitherto unrecorded shape.

by Apichart Panyadee

A sea so rich that money grows on the bottom!  With the modern world’s economy sliding into recession and the currency markets too complicated for the average person to fathom, the idea of scooping legal tender from the ocean’s floor has real appeal.

Just right of the starfish, buried in the sand, is the unimpressive dentalium mollusc which was used as hard currency by North American Indians for 2,500 years

In the depths of Canada’s Vancouver Island, there lives a tiny treasure called the dentalium.  This little mollusc’s shell was used as money by North American Indians for 2,500 years.  These deepwater shells were harvested and used as a medium of exchange.  Indians prized many substances, copper, obsidian, and jade, for example, as trade for goods.  On the North Atlantic coast they fashioned quahog shells into ‘wampum’ (money) belts.  But dentalia were the shells which became true currency, because they came from a limited area and thus were held for their value.  The best were harvested on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

After bringing the molluscs to the surface, harvesters pried the animals from their slender, two inch long shells with hardwood splinters.  They snapped the tips off the hollow shells and strung them in standard lengths, measuring from the fingers of a man’s outstretched arm to his shoulder.  Strings of these shells were called hy-kwa, and this word became a part of the language of trade over much of western North America.  Dentalia served as decorative wealth as well as currency.  Chiefs’ daughters wore shell dresses, purses and belts, and members of some tribes wore shells pierced through their noses.

This Indian Chief was photographed in the 1800s wearing a shirt sewn together with hundreds of dentalia which revealed his great power and wealth.

Shell money drove the Pacific fur trade.  In the early 1800s Indian ‘middlemen’ bought sea otter pelts from isolated tribes with dentalia, and then exchanged the pelts with white traders for muskets and metal goods.  Later whites bought the prized shells straight from the harvesters and Boston traders even tried to counterfeit the currency with London-made copies made from porcelain.

Smallpox ravished northwest coastal Indians in the mid-1800s, killing tens of thousands of them.  Missionaries preached damnation to those who survived and dared to cling to old customs.  Eventually trading posts appeared and wool blankets replaced dentalia as the primary medium of exchange.  Major harvests of the little molluscs declined, and eventually ended altogether.

The remaining Ehattesaht Indians who live on Vancouver Island today now gather shells from beaches and mostly use them for decoration.  But dentalia continue to be an important symbol of power and wealth, and some families still formally inherit the right to harvest the shells from specific areas.  Native scuba divers bring bright ceremonial blankets richly decorated with their family crests, rendered in patterns of dentalia shells.  These blankets are not for sale.  They are used at feasts and are family heirlooms.

Family members who still retain rights to dive for these precious shells find them off Vancouver’s rugged reefs.  The ancient tools for harvesting were primitive yet effective.  In Kyuquot Sound, the dentalium beds lay at only 50 to 60 feet below the surface, and the molluscs live in the top few inches of the sediment which makes them more easily accessible.  Alas, these little creatures are no longer in any real danger.  Their usefulness as currency has long disappeared.

Updated every Friday
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Updated by Chinnaporn Sangwanlek, assisted by Boonsiri Suansuk.
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