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Family Money: Adding some shine to your portfolio
By Leslie
Wright,
Managing director of Westminster Portfolio Services (Thailand) Ltd.
You may recall that back in 1999 some ‘Newly
Industrialised Countries’ (or ‘NICs’ - which used to be called
‘The Third World’ before that term became politically incorrect) -
were complaining that they would be adversely affected by certain First
World industrialised countries’ plans to sell off their gold reserves.
Since several of the poorest of these NICs are gold
producers - indeed, their economies depend upon it - they were claiming
that once the sell-off of several hundred tonnes of the precious metal hit
the market their economies would be hurt to the extent that they would
require additional aid (from the First World, of course) to offset their
losses, which they estimated would amount to the same as the
industrialised countries expected to receive from their sale of their gold
reserves.
The IMF gave in to the protests and instead revalued
its gold reserves on its balance sheet, thereby avoiding open market sales
of gold and giving it more assets with which to furnish debt relief to
poor countries.
The rationale was: Don’t sell the gold openly because
it will hurt the economies of the very countries we are trying to help
(despite the fact that they resent that help afterwards); and since we
have to help them, partly by forgiving part of their indebtedness (rather
similar to banks here having to write off individuals’ Non-Performing
Loans), let’s raise the value of the gold reserves on our books so we
appear to have more assets on our balance sheets to give to - pardon me -
to assist these poor countries.
That sounds a bit convoluted, and smacks of
‘constructive accounting’, doesn’t it? And this was the IMF back in
1999 - long before the corporate revelations of last year!
At that time the price of gold was around $252 an ounce
- down some 13% from US$290 an ounce a year earlier. The sales of gold
reserves by the USA and UK went ahead, and the price of gold did drop a
bit, but not enough to bankrupt the whingeing NICs.
More recently, with equity markets having slid down a
slippery slope for nearly three years, and interest rates at all-time
lows, gold has regained much of its lustre. Indeed, the latest gold rush
has seen the yellow metal’s price rise by 18% over the past year to $322
an ounce. And as the FTSE Gold Mines index climbed 30% over the same
period, investors who’ve held onto their gold hordes are smiling
broadly.
A golden answer?
So is gold the answer to investor’s prayers for
somewhere safe to park their money till equities recover? Analysts remain
guarded in their optimism, but admit that last year’s performance
reveals the real long term qualities of gold as an unrivalled investment.
The World Gold Council - unsurprisingly - is urging investors to consider
an element of gold in their portfolios as we witness the metal performing
well while all other markets plummeted through the floor. And as the
situation in the Middle East worsens analysts expect the price to rise
higher.
Other analysts inject a note of caution pointing out
that although investment demand for gold has undoubtedly picked up, this
market remains small: just 10% of current global demand is for investment
purposes. Similarly, although the demand for gold for industrial purposes
has grown - principally for computer semiconductors and microcircuits -
the giant’s share, 80%, remains centred on jewellery.
It may surprise some readers to learn that the
world’s largest consumer of gold is India. In 1998 alone, Indians bought
815 tonnes of gold - more than the total reserves of the Bank of England
(715 tonnes) which the Bank was about to sell on the bullion market.
Traditionally, 25% of the Indian demand has been for
investment, with the remaining 75% going to jewellery and industrial
applications. Indeed, gold jewellery has always been an important part of
Indian culture, and the old jibe about an Indian woman wearing her
husband’s bank balance may have more than a grain of truth in it.
Although it is difficult to put a precise figure on the
total amount of gold in India, one survey estimated there may be as much
as 128,000 tonnes of the metal there, with about 9,000 tonnes held by
private individuals. (The report didn’t speculate about who’s holding
the other 119,000 tonnes.) And to save you searching for your calculator,
9,000 tonnes is worth just over US$100 billion at current prices...
However, putting this figure into perspective, it works
out at only about $100 per head of current population. Nonetheless, even
this modest figure is more than the per capita holdings of privately-held
gold in most industrialised countries.
How to get some
Expat investors can get their hands on gold in several
ways. First, you can buy the pure 24k metal as gold bullion. This is sold
as bars, or wafers, and is sold by weight starting at one gramme and going
up to 400 troy ounces (that’s about 12.5kg). The price you’ll be
quoted includes the seller’s commission and investors should be aware
that the smaller the bar being purchased, the higher the commission will
be charged.
Gold bullion coins are usually sold as one troy ounce
or in fractions of an ounce. With coins, it is the gold content which
determines the price, to which the seller will add a premium depending on
the number of coins being purchased. All gold market experts warn
investors that there is a large difference in the price for which gold
bullion is being bought and sold. So, buyers need to be aware that they
could lose heavily if they tried to sell a recent purchase of gold. This
is a long term investment. The good news is that gold is free of VAT in EU
countries.
Offshore funds which deal in gold equities, which are
geared to the gold price, are a useful route for expats - but expect a
considerable degree of volatility inherent with these higher risk
investment funds. But to cite just one example, Merrill Lynch’s Gold and
General Fund, launched in 1988, has delivered a 12.4% annualised return
over the past five years and last year gained a staggering 73%...
Snap Shot: An 18% grey day
by Harry Flashman
All photographers should become acquainted with the
colour known as 18% grey. Why? Because after you understand 18% grey, you
have complete control over blacks and whites in your photographs - and by
that, I mean in colour photography, not just the B&W kind.
The really dedicated photo buffs will recognize 18%
grey as being the cornerstone of the “Zone System” and Ansel Adams
superb prints are trotted out with sage mutterings that if you understood
the zone system, then your photos would look like his too. This is, of
course, high fallutin’ BS. Ansel Adams, may his negatives never curl,
spent many hours painstakingly printing his B&W work, specifically
burning in some areas, holding back others and if you think he didn’t
then think again. His negs did not have the full tonal spectrum, just as
yours don’t.
However, here is the “short course” on the Zone
System, as provided by Harry Flashman. What you have to remember at all
times is just the simple fact that the meter in your camera does recognize
18% grey, and is programmed to produce as much 18% grey as possible. In
other words, point the camera at your subject and the meter will work out
a combination of shutter speed and aperture to give an exposure to get the
whole shot as close to 18% grey as possible. This is irrespective of
whatever name the camera manufacturer gives to the metering system and how
many points it meters from. The common denominator is 18% grey.
Now this works for the majority of shots - 18% grey is
close enough, and the processor at your friendly photoshop can adjust the
rest from there - but it is always a compromise. You do not even realise
what a compromise it really is until you take a photograph of a white car
or a black cat. Go and dig out a few old photos if you are a doubting
Thomas. You are looking at a photo of a grey (off white) car or a grey
(not black) cat.
This is one reason why I keep on saying that if you run
the camera in the fully automatic mode, you will only get “average”
pictures. What you have to do to get whites or blacks is to run the camera
in the metered manual mode instead. Remember that when you are
photographing the white car (or white anything) the exposure indicated by
the camera is the one that will make the white colour 18% grey. To get the
colour back to white it will need more light on the film.
Here’s what you do. Let us imagine that your camera
tells you that the exposure should be f16 @ 1/60th of a second. You need
more light to fall on the emulsion, so make your exposure f 11 @ 1/60th
and another at f8 @ 1/60th. That gives you both one and two full stops of
light more. One of those two will give you a white car, irrespective of
such fancy terms as automated multi-phasic metering, centre weighted
metering or whatever. Believe me!
Now let’s look at photographing a black object. Again
the camera meter will indicate a shutter speed and an aperture to give you
an 18% grey object. There is too much light falling on the film emulsion
this time. What you have to do is cut down on the amount of light getting
into the camera. Again, let us imagine that the indicated exposure is f16
@ 1/60th. You want to darken things, so take two shots with one at f16 @
1/125th and another at f16 @ 1/250th. Again this is one and two stops
decrease in light levels. One of these will give you a black cat!
Recapping it all, put the camera in metered manual mode and then if you
are photographing something white, give it one and two stops more light
than indicated. Conversely, if photographing something black, set the
camera for one and two stops less light than indicated. It works!
Modern Medicine: Weight reduction - and then keeping it off
by Dr Iain Corness, Consultant
I read an interesting medical article the other day.
All about weight loss. And about weight gain too. In the scientific
article it reported that people who join weight loss programmes would
generally lose about 10% of their body weight while in the programme, but
would have put two thirds of that weight back on within one year and all
of it by five years! How depressing!
Have you ever been through the same cycle, and then
said to yourself that “Dieting doesn’t work for me,” and given up
the unequal struggle? I’m sure that is true for many of you out there.
The same scientific article then went on to promote a
different way of looking at the weight loss/gain problem. Rather than
attacking it from a diet point of view, they attacked it through a
behaviour point of view. The reason being, that ‘dieting’ is thought
of as a way to get weight off (which it does), but is not the way to then
maintain the weight after the dieting is over. What has to be done is
behaviour modification, so the plan revolved around that concept, rather
than the ‘don’t eat fatty, sugary foods’ style of management.
What was done in the study was to concentrate on
teaching the people with the weight problem to understand healthy eating
concepts, appropriate physical activity levels, nutritional knowledge and
maintenance of emotional well-being. This was rather than the traditional
count the calories, or this particular food is a No-No dietary approach.
Patients were asked to keep a diary, which the
scientists called an “Eating Awareness Record” and in it they were to
record the time and place of eating, how hungry they felt before and after
the meal, the type of food consumed and speed of eating.
Before they began the educational programme the
majority had problems with what is called the “Yo-Yo” effect of
alternating weight gain and loss, did very little or no physical exercise,
often ate while they were not really hungry and described themselves as
“fast” eaters.
12 months after following the programme, the results
were looked at again, and diaries renewed. This time, the majority of
respondents declared that their weight was stable, they were carrying out
physical exercise 3-4 times a week, they rarely ate when not hungry and
had slowed down their rate of eating.
Now while some of this might be thought of as
unimportant, this is not the case. Even with items such as rate of eating,
this does have a bearing on weight maintenance. Those who ‘wolf’ their
food are not enjoying it. Why? Well, it may be through guilt at what they
were eating, type or quantity. Eating in a more relaxed manner means that
the person is actually more relaxed and understanding what they are eating
(and why) and directly relates to emotional well being. As a side issue,
they also reported being less negative about themselves and there was a
general improvement in their overall health.
By understanding a little more about nutrition they
felt they were more able to choose their food items wisely. They also
became confident that they could prepare low fat, tasty meals. They also
felt that they were not really ‘dieting’ or compromising the pleasure
of eating.
In simple terms, it is a case of watching what you eat,
eating regularly and exercising, not just counting calories. Try it.
Heart to Heart with Hillary
Dear Hillary,
After reading that you have been getting success
stories lately I thought I could tell you about mine. Finally I have been
successful, but there were a couple of mistakes on the way to getting
there. It certainly wasn’t plain sailing. Like many young fellows
arriving in Thailand, I could not believe my eyes at first. So many
beautiful girls, so available and so difficult to choose! My first choice
was Nid but she had to choose between being faithful to me or to the two
guys she had on the string from America and Holland. She was not willing
to tell them what was happening and chose the regular double income by
bank transfer, rather than my cash in the hand. The second girlfriend
wasn’t much better. She took the cash, plus anything else that wasn’t
nailed down. You would think I would have called in quits by then, but I
didn’t. Number three ripped me off too, but this time it was only a
motorbike that went with her.
It was shortly after that when I began to think I was
looking for my princess in the wrong places and so I gave up the easy bars
and the easy girls and met my next lady in the glasses shop where I went
to have my eyes tested. We went out the next week and now, after two years
we are married. I have never been happier. To all the guys out there I
say, don’t be a sucker. There are girls in Thailand and there are
ladies. They don’t live under the same roof. It will take you longer to
find your lady, but believe me it is worth it.
Happy
Dear Happy,
It sounds as if you should have had your eyes tested much
earlier in the piece, then you wouldn’t have stumbled around blindly for the
first three times, Petal. As you have correctly mentioned, life was not meant to
be easy. Unfortunately, if you are looking for a princess you sometimes have to
kiss a lot of frogs. Toads are even worse! Thank you for your success story and
I am truly glad you found the secret to life with a lady in Thailand.
Dear Hillary,
My husband’s boss and his wife are coming over for dinner
in a couple of weeks and I am a little nervous about all this, so can you please
answer me in a hurry. There is nobody I know to ask these things. I need to know
what food should I give them, but I am worried if I can cook it properly, also
what wines should we give them or is beer OK, in fact everything about it is
scaring me. I said to my husband that we should go out for dinner, but he wants
to show his boss our apartment and wants to impress him, because he wants to be
next in line for promotion. I am shaking about this already. I am really not a
very good cook. What do you suggest I do, Hillary? I am getting a headache about
this already and I need to take Prozac but they are so expensive.
Lisa
Dear Lisa,
Have no fear, my Petal, Hillary is here to the rescue.
There is no telling what your husband’s boss likes to eat, so if you prepared
a western dish he might hate it. The answer is Thai food - and we are all in
Thailand, after all. Since a Thai meal consists of various dishes to be shared,
there will always be something there for everyone. Now do not worry if you
cannot cook, the next step is easy. Go to your favourite Thai restaurant and ask
them to prepare a selection of dishes for five people to take away. Get some
spicy and others not. This way all you have to do is reheat them gently at home
and by having food for five means that you will have plenty, no matter how big a
pig he might be. Remember to have one large serving spoon for each dish, and
another for the rice.
Now wine? Just follow the recommendations of our resident
wine expert Ranjith Chandrasiri, or go to the supermarket and follow the
recommendations of wine non-expert Hillary. What you do is buy some bottles of
South African, NZ, American or Australian chardonnay for around 800 baht a
bottle (get three and keep them in the refrigerator - you’d be unlucky to get
something undrinkable at that price) plus a couple of bottles of red from the
same sources. On the night, open one bottle of red to let it breathe and you
have all the correct wines to go with the Thai food you have “cooked”. Why
no French wine, when all Hillary drinks is French champagne? It’s too
expensive and unless you know what you are buying (like Ranjith) it can be
tricky and the cheaper old world wines can taste like poorly distilled petrol. I
am presuming here that neither you nor your husband know anything about wines
(you have already impressed me that you know precious little about anything
else). After all this is over, do yourself and your husband a favour by going to
cookery classes, and throw the tablets away.
A Slice of Thai History: Anglo-Siamese agreement on Kelantan 1900-1902
by Duncan Stearn
For most of the 19th Century the northern Malay states
of Kelantan, Kedah, Perlis and Terengganu were autonomous territories that
owed allegiance to Thailand and its monarch.
In 1899, Sultan Mansur of the vassal state of Kelantan
died and was succeeded by Tengku Long Senik, later to be known as Sultan
Muhammad IV. However, certain members of the ruling classes in Kelantan
did not support Sultan Muhammad and his position was only secured after
Thai troops were sent to the capital, Kota Bharu, to enforce the
succession.
On 25 May 1900 King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) came to Kota
Bharu to visit the Sultan. The King wanted to personally assess the
political stability of Kelantan. A meeting took place aboard the Thai
monarch’s ship between King Chulalongkorn, Sultan Muhammad and four
other Kelantan leaders.
King Chulalongkorn was satisfied with the early
performance of Sultan Muhammad; however, the latter’s decision that same
year to lease out almost one-third of his state (4,800 square kilometres)
to the Duff Development Company was to prove the catalyst which would
eventually see hegemony of Kelantan pass from Thailand to Britain. The
lease between Kelantan and the Duff Development Company, which had
originally been engaged in dredging the streams running off the Kelantan
River for gold, was signed on 10 October 1900.
The British government viewed the lease agreement in a
different light to Thailand, claiming the Thais had no right to issue it
as they considered Kelantan an independent state.
At the height of the confrontation between Thailand and
Britain, Sultan Muhammad fled Kota Bharu by steamship and, after a brief
sojourn in Singapore, arrived in Bangkok where he stayed for two months.
The issue was resolved amicably between Britain and
Thailand with the signing of a joint declaration, known as the
Anglo-Siamese Treaty, in London on 6 October 1902.
By the terms of the treaty, the British recognised Thai
suzerainty over Kelantan, Kedah, Perlis and Terengganu but stipulated that
these provinces would henceforth be administered by what was known as a
Resident, a British adviser appointed by joint agreement between the Thai
and British governments.
On 25 July 1903 William Graham, an officer in the
Indian Civil Service and H.W. Thomson, an officer in the Federated Malay
States Civil Service, arrived in Kelantan from Bangkok aboard a Thai naval
vessel to take up their positions as Resident and Assistant Resident.
They remained at their posts until 3 March 1909 when
the Thai government signed an agreement in Bangkok which ceded Kelantan,
Kedah, Perlis and Terengganu to Britain. Part of the reason for the Thais
relinquishing control of the four states was the offer of a cheap railway
loan by the British. The agreement was ratified on 9 July and six days
later James Mason arrived in Kota Bharu as William Gordon’s replacement.
According to the provisions of the agreement all
administrative matters must be referred to the British Adviser, except
those pertaining to the Islamic religion and Malay customs and traditions
which came within the jurisdiction of the Sultan.
Personal Directions: We all have to live in one world
by Christina Dodd,
founder and managing director of Asia Training Associates
I’ve been doing quite a bit of travelling lately and
although it can be a great time-waster, I have tried to make the best out
of it by using it as time to research the behavior of those around me. I
am constantly taking quiet note of how people behave in certain situations
and surroundings, and it never ceases to amaze me.
Simple and kind actions and courtesies seem to have
“gone with the wind” and we seem to distrust everyone around us as we
immediately divert our eyes if our eyes come into contact with
another’s. A typical example is when sitting on a bus or a train,
particularly facing people such as on the BTS, when suddenly your eyes
meet someone else’s! Huh, gasp ... what do you do? The immediate
reaction is to look away and to pretend that your eyes never met. You gaze
at the window or the floor or look around for something - other than a
person - to look at. It becomes quite comical as numerous gazes flit
around the cabin trying to find a comfortable and non-threatening resting
place.
It’s the same when you walk along the street. Most
people look down at the ground, busy and lost perhaps in their own
thoughts and purpose of the moment. When in this frame of mind, there is
no thought to even gaze at anyone else. It’s a case of getting down to
business and getting form A to B as quickly as possible. Even to the point
where you might bump into or walk into someone and continue on your way
without so much as a “pardon me”.
More common than this is the “banging the door in the
face” exercise that is carried out almost every second of the day. No
matter where you are in the world, there are experts at this who have got
it down to a fine art, and with precision timing.
Then there are the people who can never say please or
thank you. They “may” mean it deep down inside - but why don’t they
say it? We live at a pretty hectic pace with all sorts of obstacles being
thrown at us, but it doesn’t mean that we should abandon the
pleasantries and courtesies that make us uniquely human?
If you watch the activities that go on around you every
day and observe how many times people could have said thank you - but
didn’t - you will be very disappointed. I was in a Seven Eleven the
other day and out of all the customers who were served - not one person
took the time to say thank you when they received their change. Sure - the
bell that goes off when the door opens does have an annoying quality to it
and quite frankly it drives me up the wall. But it shouldn’t stop us
from saying “thank you” should it?
In the bank, at the paper shop, paying the bills, at
the roadside food stalls, getting change at the BTS, in the post office -
anywhere - it takes such little time and effort to be thankful. I try to
make it a habit of always greeting people first, then completing the task
at hand and then saying thank you.
I know some of you reading this are probably thinking -
why go to so much trouble? Well, I believe it is a case of whatever you
give - you get back. I get friendly service and much better treatment than
the numerous number of cranky and arrogant faces that service people have
to confront most of the time.
I happen to think that our behavior towards each other
is of such importance that if we don’t start to do something about our
current and dismal state of performance, then we are really headed down a
very dark road. I’m also slow going through doors because I make sure
that if there is a person behind me, they are not going to get hit in the
face with a whopping great piece of glass. I’ll hold the door for them
every time. And it’s nice when someone does that in return.
It restores my faith in human nature when I see people
taking the time just to be nice and civil in their behavior towards each
other and it has to start from somewhere and someone - and that is each of
us isn’t it?
If our children behave badly and inappropriately
towards others, then we are the first to rush to them and reprimand them
for their behavior. We tell them that they have done something wrong and
that they must improve themselves. Being adults and all grown-up, we think
we don’t have to correct our behavior because we are adults and we know
everything. It’s only the children who have to learn. Nothing could be
further from the truth!
I know dozens and dozens of adults who need some
emergency help here! The “door in the face “ culprits are in every
building. The “thankless and ungrateful” are lurking all over. We
really are in trouble. It’s dangerous out there. We all have to slow
down and take the time to stop and think about our behavior. It has a
great impact on other adults around us and an even greater impact and
influence on our children.
The success (put your own definition to what success
is) and the happiness of human beings totally depends upon the
relationships they develop with other human beings. We can’t live in
this world and have a fulfilled and meaningful life if we go around
treating each other without regard and respect. That includes actions as
basic as those we’ve just talked about.
There are times when we all need to take stock of
ourselves and to look at ways of doing things better - so that we can
begin to appreciate and just be the wonderful human beings that we are
meant to be. It’s sometimes difficult being a good human being isn’t
it? But it’s always important to try.
For more information on how Asia Training Associates
can assist your personal or business development needs, please contact me
at [email protected]
Until next time, have a tremendous week!
Social Commentary by Khai Khem
Tips for travel in the USA under
the ‘New Security Rules’
Traveling these days is becoming increasingly more
complicated due to new safety measures being introduced in airports and
through new airlines policies. These precautions have been implemented for
the public’s safety. But air travel can be stressful and exhausting and
it always helps to “know before you go.” Airports in the USA are
massive, crowed and confusing, even for a seasoned traveler. A few tips on
what to expect and how to prepare can make the experience less
overwhelming.
In the wake of September 11, heightened airport
security measures in the USA and for flights to the USA have increased the
time needed to check in and increased the variety of security measures
that passengers may face. Increased security has meant longer lines and
longer waits at the ticket counter, the gate screening area, and at the
gate. Some advice on how to cope with this new situation will speed up the
process.
Arrive early. Most airlines advise passengers to arrive
at the airport two hours before your flight’s scheduled departure.
It’s better to arrive even earlier if you have to go to the ticket
counter line first for checked bags or special needs, or if you are
traveling with young children, infants, or persons with disabilities.
Make sure that you have proper identification. Everyone
is now required to have an acceptable set of identification documents in
order to either enter the secure areas of the airport or to enter an
aircraft.
Typically, a current photo identification that was
issued by some level of government will be sufficient. For example,
driver’s licenses, state ID cards, military ID cards, and passports are
acceptable, but photo identification issued by a school or private
employer are not acceptable.
For a domestic USA flight, if you do not have an
appropriate photo ID, some airlines will allow you to substitute two
non-photo IDs that are issued by some level of government. When in doubt,
check with your airline.
Get your ticket or boarding pass before you arrive. If
possible, arrange your trip so that you have either a paper ticket, a copy
of an electronic ticket receipt, or a boarding pass in hand before you get
to the airport.
If you only have carry on items, you can avoid the
lines at the ticket counters and go straight to the gate areas. Make sure
that your airline allows you to get a boarding pass or to change your
current boarding pass at the gate or at a passenger service area inside
the secure area of the airport.
Try to avoid using the ticket counter. One of the
longest lines will you face may be at the ticket counter or curbside check
in. You can avoid these lines by not having anything that has to be
checked or if you do not have to conduct any business at the ticket
counter. That means you will have to travel light but it will save time by
not having to queue.
Generally, airlines will limit passengers to one carry
on item and one personal item such as a briefcase or laptop computer.
Check with your airline for details on what is allowed. Don’t forget
that many items such as baseball bats, tennis rackets, golf clubs, and
other items can no longer be carried in the cabin and must be checked.
Clean out and thoroughly check the inside of all your
carry on bags before flying. If you have not flown since September 11,
forgotten items may be left in your bags such as pocket knives, nail
scissors, razors and other personal items that are no longer allowed in
the cabin.
Make it easy to be screened. To make the security
screening processes as short as possible, avoid packing your carry on bags
tightly so that it is easy for the screener to search through them. Keep
your ticket, boarding pass, and ID within easy reach. Wear shoes that can
be easily removed and make sure that you can show that any computer or
electronic device in your carry on luggage actually works.
Don’t be surprised by the security measures. In
addition to the familiar metal detectors and X-ray machines, there may be
other measures in place at the airport, such as armed military personnel,
bomb detection equipment, bomb sniffing dogs, and photo ID checks at the
gate prior to boarding. You may be asked to take your laptop out of its
case to be screened separately by the X-ray machine. You may be asked to
take off your shoes so that they may be checked, and you may have your
bags, shoes, or clothing tested for explosives residues.
Don’t take extra scrutiny personally. You may be
taken aside and be re-checked one or more times by airport security. In
most cases, such scrutiny is random and not an indication that an
individual is being singled out. If you feel that you are being unfairly
singled out, you should make the effort to document your experience and
lodge a complaint with the airline, the airport authority, or the U.S.
Department of Transportation.
Familiarize yourself with your airline’s policies
with respect to security, ticketing, and other passenger-related issues.
Ask the airline for a copy of their security guidelines and a copy of
their policies regarding passenger compensation due to delays.
If you are doing anything out of the ordinary on your
trip or require any special accommodations from the airline, contact the
airline at least a day before you trip and get the information that you
need.
Keep a positive attitude. Traveling can be stressful.
Admittedly the new security measures will certainly provide more
opportunities for passenger to be inconvenienced, and provide more
opportunities to become tense and frustrated. However, these measures were
put in place to deal with potential threats to air travelers are geared to
ensure passengers’ safety.
Women’s World: Hair extensions
by Lesley Warmer
I was first introduced to hair extensions when my
daughter Emma needed them after her accident. We made some enquiries at
the local hairdressers but they weren’t interested in tackling Emma’s
problem so close to the accident, while the injuries were still new. Then
we discovered a freelance hairdresser that would travel to the home of
accident victims. The cost was 280 pounds for half a head.
You would
never know it’s not real.
When she arrived she had hanks of different colour hair and
what looked like a soldering iron. It took us some time to match the hair as we
were only doing one side of the head and it needed to match as closely as
possible to the original hair on the opposite side. We had chosen real hair
rather that artificial as although more expensive it definitely looks better. I
was fascinated to watch as she attached strands of the hair she had brought with
her to Emma’s short bits, left after her accident. The soldering iron was used
to fuse the extension into place making them very secure.
Although the extensions were fixed quite close to the roots,
they only last for 3 months for a number of reasons. There is quite a bit of
maintenance, as everyone knows we shed hair prolifically and when wearing
extensions the real hair cannot escape, as it’s attached to the extension. The
result of this is when lifting the top hair and examining the scalp it looks
like bad case of ‘nits’ with the many root bulbs that are bunched together.
These root bulbs need to be trimmed to avoid this unsightly look and you can’t
do it yourself, so you need to find some kind patient person who will oblige.
Emma said, “Do not ask your husband as he is sure to make a mess of it so you
don’t ask him again.” I looked towards her husband who just gave me an
innocent grin.
Not so
pretty underneath.
At the end of 3 months when the extensions are removed do not
panic when handfuls of your own accumulated hair comes away at the same time. As
I said we all shed masses every day, you only have to look at your hairbrush for
the evidence.
The other problem that can arise is dreadlock formation at
your roots. Imagine all that confined non-moving hair, with the build up of
grease and dust for 3 months. The longer you leave the extensions in, the harder
it is to work the knots out of your hair.
After these descriptions of the results of wearing hair
extensions you may ask, why hair extensions? There are lots of reasons apart
from the obvious medical one; you can change your hair colour without damaging
your own hair, have thick hair when you only have thin and wispy, even resort to
wild unnatural colours if you want. If you would love to have long hair but
can’t face the years of growing it, extensions are perfect for you. It’s
available to anyone but can of course be extremely expensive.
There are signs to watch out for; don’t get carried away
wanting heavy thick locks if your head can’t handle the weight, you could end
up with no hair at all!
At first the extensions will feel strange and may pull out a
lot of your natural hair. You may even suffer with a little bit of a rash, but
it should go quickly. If it doesn’t check back with your hairdresser.
You do need to remember that this is not your real hair and therefore needs
some careful washing. The main problem appears to be conditioner, and it can
cause the extensions to detach from the real hair if it gets onto the fixings.
Apart from that they are very tough and can be treated the same as your real
hair.
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