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Family Money: Endowment Policies - Part 2
By Leslie
Wright,
Managing director of Westminster Portfolio Services (Thailand) Ltd.
End Of The Line?
Last week we started looking at endowment
policies, where the big question now is whether endowment policies have
had their day? One analyst points out that endowment policies are still a
useful way of saving to secure a child’s education, for instance.
Although maturity values are down on the heady returns
of earlier years, and concerns still exist over policies due to mature
which will probably not meet their over-ambitious targets over the coming
years, they still perform reasonably over the longer term.
Other commentators are less optimistic. One sees no
place for them going forward. “There’s no point taking out an
endowment…it’s cheaper to buy a unit trust and get separate life
insurance,” he argues.
What about with-profits? The fact that life companies
have moved their with-profits into more fixed-interest investments is just
bolting the stable door after the horse has gone – they should have been
locking in their gains years ago when equity markets were strong.
Investors working towards a long-term savings goal –
whether a mortgage or their children’s education – will now do better
taking out a straightforward unit-linked savings plan. But it’s
important to understand that there are no guarantees you’ll meet your
target.
Any alternative has to be a function of your risk
tolerance. Mortgage holders who want security should choose a repayment
arrangement – but a sensible medium-risk strategy for paying off a
mortgage is a broad-based international managed fund, or a mix of funds in
a simple offshore insurance wrapper.
Getting Out From Under
But what if you wanted to sell your house before the
endowment policy was fully vested? You’d either have to carry on paying
the endowment premiums to maturity or cash it in early. The second option
could work out very expensive when taking the inevitably heavy early
encashment penalties into account. Is there an alternative? Yes: it’s
called the second-hand endowment market – also known as ‘Traded
Endowment Policies’ or ‘TEPs’ for short.
Essentially, you sell your existing endowment to a
cash-rich company that specialises in buying such policies. The TEP
company buys the policy with a lump sum and then assumes the
responsibility of paying the premiums until it matures. Along with this
responsibility, the purchaser gains all the bonuses that have been paid
out over the years when the policy was held by the individual whose life
is assured at the outset. The only link the new policy holder has with the
old is, were the original holder (who must remain the assured) to die
before the policy matures, the policy ceases with the pay-out being made
to the new investor whose premium obligation then ceases.
As an investor, you could buy a TEP – which means
purchasing another individual’s life assurance policy. But no one should
buy a TEP on the basis that someone might die: the policy purchase should
be viewed as an investment, not a gamble.
There are several reasons why investors are including
TEPs as a fundamental element of an investment portfolio. First, TEPs can
be secured for smallish lump sums and investors have a range from which to
choose. For investment purposes, a number of favourable givens are known
at the outset. These include:
* the overall sum assured;
* the bonuses paid so far;
* the premium sum;
* the date of maturity.
For many investors, one of the largest carrots that a
TEP can dangle is the knowledge that all the front-end charges been
settled because the policy’s term life has been shortened by the
original owner’s premiums.
Another inducement for the purchase is the knowledge
that the policy secures two elements of guarantee: the sum assured which
is the amount the insurance company will pay out on maturity, and ongoing
annual bonuses called ‘reversionary bonuses’. Once a reversionary
bonus has been paid, it is locked into the policy. No matter what the life
company does in the future, a reversionary bonus once declared cannot be
taken away. This payment is made annually, and added to the value of the
policy. That is why it cannot be taken away. On top of that, there is what
is called a ‘terminal bonus’ which may be added on maturity. In some
cases this may be worth a sizeable percentage of the final value of the
policy.
Along with reduced charges and locked in bonuses, there
is the opportunity to invest for a known date. Investors buying a TEP may
choose a policy which matures in a year that suits their forward financial
planning.
Two further elements minimise investment risk in TEPs.
The first is that the investments in endowment policies reflect a wide
spread: typically the equity proportion is around 60~70%. Insurance
policies are managed in such a way as to effect a smoother run of
performance returns, being balanced over the years where a certain
creaming off from the good years counteracts the bad.
The second reassurance comes with the fact that these
policies hail from well-respected international insurance companies. Also
bear in mind that what really matters is the maturity value of the policy.
This is the sum which will enable you to meet your own financial goals.
Life companies declare annual and terminal bonuses once a year, between
January and April.
TEP Funds
But if you’re confused about where to go to buy a TEP,
there’s an easy solution: invest into a TEP fund.
In recent years, the ‘TEP’ business has grown
enormously and now represents a multi-million pound industry. There are
literally millions of these policies being traded, and fund management
houses specialising in these policies have been buying them ‘in bulk’.
Investors into TEP funds benefit in several ways:
first, the economy of scale and the significant numbers involved mean that
the volatility (and hence the risk) is further reduced. Most TEP funds
have remarkably stable performance track records – far more stable than
typical mainstream funds. Perhaps most significantly, TEP funds, because
of the way they operate and the maturity bonuses that are collected from
the policies held, have been able to return positive performance figures
even in years of negative equity growth, such as the past two-plus years
for instance.
So a staid and steady TEP fund may be a relatively safe
haven while investors continue to be nervous about volatile stock markets.
Snap Shots: Tricks with flash
 by Harry Flashman
Just about every camera these days comes with its own
built-in flash. Such technical items as ‘guide numbers’ don’t seem
to matter any more. The camera does it all for you. But there is always a
downside to just letting the camera do all the work. And that is you get
what the camera thinks you want - not what you might want.
Take the example where you are shooting indoors at
night (always a good time to use extra lighting), but you still want some
of the background to show up. Shooting people in a pub is a good example.
You want more than just ‘heads’; you want to show just what kind of a
place it really was.
To do this is tricky, but there are several ways. You
can use more than one flash (sometimes called ‘slaves’) and they fire
when they detect the flash burst from the primary flash, or you can even
link them all up with flash cables triggered by the shutter on the camera.
You set the slaves to light up the background, while the main flash
illuminates the subject. That’s Option One.
Option Two is to use a tripod and the time exposure
setting to record the background and then pop the main flash to record the
subject in the foreground. Difficult, but possible.
Option Three is the simplest. Set the camera’s
aperture to around f5.6 and the shutter speed to 1/15th of a second. You
can even hand-hold at this slow shutter speed, as long as you lean on
something. The slow shutter and wide open aperture gives enough light to
get the background to show up on film, and the flash burst is enough to
record the subject. Try it. Works!
Of course, to do this you have to take the camera out
of Auto mode and into manual. In fact, if you want to try something, go
down to the pub and shoot the likely lads at 1/8th, 1/15th and a 1/30th
and see the differences you will get. The subject will be OK in each, as
the lighting for the foreground depends only on the flash power, while the
background depends on the ambient light, and the longer the shutter is
held open, the more background details you will get.
Another trick you can do with any camera that has a
flash, be that built in or bolted to the top of it, is to throw colour at
your subject. The important item of equipment is coloured cellophane paper
(sometimes called ‘gels’ in the industry). Put a blue gel over the
flash head and you will get a very ‘cold’ photograph, especially if
you are taking pictures of people. Conversely, put an orange gel over the
flash and you will get a wonderfully warm person in the foreground.
For an even wilder result, if you can take the flash
off the camera, shoot the subject side lit with a coloured gel over the
major flash. Experiment with blue, red, green, orange, yellow - we are not
looking to reproduce reality here, we (that’s you) are trying to produce
an artistic effect.
Most keen amateur photographers will have heard of the
term “Fill-in Flash”. This refers to a reduced output flash burst,
used to lighten shadows in harsh daylight, or to illuminate the front of a
back-lit subject.
With many of the modern cameras, fill-in flash is
simple, because the camera is programmed to do this automatically.
However, with manual flash guns, “softly” is the word. You must reduce
the output of the flash so it will gently lighten the shadows and not
“blow out” the subject details like a searchlight. The trick is to
either diffuse the flash with tracing paper or a handkerchief and do not
adjust the camera settings, or reduce the flash power setting by two
aperture stops below that indicated by the camera. In other words, set the
camera lens on f11 and the flash on f5.6. Simple! Try some of these tricks
this weekend.
Modern Medicine: Blood Pressure - the silent killer!
by Dr Iain Corness, Consultant
Blood Pressure - the silent killer! When you think
about it, that’s a pretty strong thing to say about something that is
needed for life. When patients say to me, “I’ve got a bit of blood
pressure,” I always reply, “I certainly hope so, because if you
haven’t got any, then you are dead.”
You need the pressure to push the blood around your
body. This blood is used to pick up oxygen from the lungs and then take it
to the tissues and all the important organs (you do have more than one
important organ, sir).
The blood circulation system consists of your heart
which is the pump, your arteries, which are the vessels taking the
oxygenated blood away from the heart/lungs to the tissues, and the veins
which return the blood back to the heart.
Looking at the pump, the muscular heart muscle squeezes
the blood inside its own chambers and thus propels the blood into the
aorta, the biggest artery in the body. This high burst of pressure is
called the Systolic Pressure.
Now the arteries and veins are totally connected,
there’s no ‘leaks’ in the system to cause pressure drops, and in
fact there is a resting pressure, which is called the Diastolic Pressure.
This is why when the doctor or nurse takes your blood pressure the result
is expressed as two figures, for example 120/80, which means the peak
pulse pressure is 120, while the resting pressure is 80. The unit of
measurement is actually millimeters of mercury, and that figure of 120
just means the pressure is high enough to hold up a column of mercury 120
mm high. In fact, we still use some ‘mercury’ sphygmomanometers where
you can look at the column of mercury used for this BP measurement.
So now we know that we have to have BP to live, why can
it be a killer? Well, the arteries are only designed to withstand certain
pressures before there can be a blow-out, just like your car’s tyres
blowing out. High blood pressure (Hypertension) is then a dangerous
condition and can lead to strokes, following an artery “blowing out”
with the high pressure. If this happens in the brain you can die or even
be left with a form of paralysis. Not fun!
Many years of having high BP can also affect the
workings of certain organs, with the kidneys being particularly prone to
problems. Even the heart itself is affected, as the amount of energy
required to squeeze the blood around makes the heart muscle develop (just
like all those people who ‘pump iron’ and get those big muscles in
their arms). The thicker, enlarged heart needs an even greater supply of
oxygen to keep pumping, making a really vicious circle.
The problem with Hypertension is that it is not a
condition that you will necessarily know about. When you are on the way to
a heart attack, you get some warning signs, like chest pains. Hypertension
is silent - well, that’s what the good books will tell you, but that is
not quite true. I honestly believe that if you listen to your body, then
you will get a warning to go and get a check-up. But even easier - take
this article as the warning and go and get your check up done today. Do
it! And the good news is that we can control high BP very easily, when we
know about it.
 Heart to Heart with Hillary
Dear Hillary,
This is a fairly delicate problem and one that threatens to upset the entire
family. This is why I am writing to you. My older sister is going to come over
for a couple of weeks in December and I just know it will be a disaster. First,
every time she goes anywhere for “just a couple of weeks” she is still
there one month later. As she is the oldest in the family, she criticizes
everything I do and I also know she will bring men home, which is not the right
thing to do in front of my children. How can I persuade her not to come?
Angela
Dear Angela,
There are a couple of ways around this problem, Petal. First off, you can
threaten to go away on holidays yourself. After all December is a good month to
visit the rellies. You could always go and stay with her! You can ask some
other friends to come over so there is no room. You can decide to redecorate
and there will be no spare rooms without painters’ tarpaulins and ladders. Or
you could do what you should have done many years ago - just say, No! You do
say that you have children, so it’s not as if you are 12 years old. She may
be the oldest in the family, but it’s time you just stood your ground. Do
something positive. Time you took charge of your life.
Dear Hillary,
I had a small argument with a bar girl the other night - over money, what else?
She told me that she is going to Japan because her boyfriend belongs to the
Yakuza and she will bring him back to “fix” me. After thinking about it, I
wonder if I am in any danger or not. What do you think, Hillary?
Worried
Dear Worried,
Thai girls are no different from other girls when it comes to dreaming up a few
porky pies to bolster up their case. I doubt very much whether she has a
nine-fingered friend in Japan, and I am also sure that she will not be jetting
off to see him to extract retribution from an unpaid bar alliance. Think about
it and stop being a whimp. In the meantime learn to eat sushi.
Dear Hillary,
I have a very embarrassing problem with body hair. It is thick and curly and
all over my body. I have not been able to go to the beach for years as people
look at me as if I were a gorilla. Do you know if there is some way I can
reduce my woolly blanket to a thickness that is less obvious?
Ling
Dear Ling,
You certainly do have a problem, Petal, but you did not say whether you are
male or female. This makes a difference. Many men have their body hair removed
with either shaving or waxing. Sounds painful to me, but perhaps not as painful
as looking like a gorilla. With ladies, there are tablets that can be taken,
but you would have to see a doctor for this. See your local medic, or perhaps
even the vet if it’s that bad.
Dear Hillary,
I am going gray. I have noticed the small problem now for about a year, but
recently it is becoming a big problem. One of my friends suggested I use some
hair preparation to bring the colour back again. I really do not want to start
looking old before my time, but I am just a little hesitant. As a woman of the
world, Hillary, do you think I should do it?
English Gentleman
Dear graying English Gentleman,
Here’s the news and it’s all bad, Petal. The preparation doesn’t bring
the colour back, it just paints the hair. So as the hair grows, you get that
wonderful two tone hair roots. After a few weeks the hair goes that strange
orange colour that you see round town too. Shave the lot off. On the other
hand, perhaps Ling can lend you some.
Dear Hillary,
When sitting in a bar the other evening I overheard a man talking to his long
time Thai girlfriend (of at least several hours) and the thing that was most
noticeable was the way he was shouting at her like a three year old. Hillary,
why do people always think that by speaking loudly and in “baby talk” the
other person will understand better? He was even referring to his plane trip as
going on the “big silver bird” for example. I am sure even the girls from
Esarn know what a plane is. Do you know why they do this Hillary?
Mack
Dear Mack,
Many people are under the impression that the secret of good communication is
to shout louder, and your man in the pub obviously holds with that idea. The
baby talk is just another misapprehension. You are quite correct, all the Thai
girls would understand “plane” but if he feels that he is communicating
better with the lady by saying “You go with Papa on silver bird” then so be
it. Anyway, what were you doing eavesdropping? And finally, most of the big
birds are white these days.
A Slice of Thai History: The Korean War 1950-1953
Part Two: Stalemate and Armistice
by Duncan steam
While operating with the US First Cavalry Division, the
troops of the Thai contingent impressed their allies with a strong
performance in action near a place named Uijongbu, some 30 kilometres
north-east of Seoul. This was after the unofficial Chinese entry into the
war and just before Seoul fell for the second time.
A UN counter-offensive saw Seoul recovered and by the
end of April 1951, the front line was established and maintained around
the 38th Parallel, the pre-war boundary between North and South Korea.
The conflict developed into a stalemate that, in some
ways, was eerily reminiscent of the Western Front of the First World War.
What had previously been a series of lengthy advances and equally lengthy
withdrawals settled into a series of main line positions with artillery
duels outweighing small arms engagements.
Peace talks had also begun and the rumours of a
settlement ‘within weeks’ constantly swept through the lines. The UNC
followed a policy of attempting to hold the main battle line rather than
trying to achieve an all-out military victory.
For the Thai troops, the harsh Korean winters were
harder to endure than the numerous Chinese and North Korean frontal
assaults made against their section of the UN line. Most of the men had
never seen snow and a number had fallen victim to frostbite. However, by
the second winter (1951) the Thais were supplied with American winter
clothing and equipment and their officers given ready-made log bunkers for
use as command posts. A group of 200 Thai replacement soldiers who arrived
shortly after were given intensive cold weather training.
However, it was almost a year later, in October 1952,
when the Thais proved their value to the UN effort. Holding an area known
as Porkchop, the Thai battalion held off determined Chinese assaults on
the nights of 10 and 11 November, engaging in hand-to-hand fighting
involving bayonets and knives. Over 800 Chinese dead were later counted. A
second heavy Chinese attack was launched on December 21, but again the
Thai line held firm.
Major Alvin Price, the American commander of a
battalion in the Second Infantry Division, was travelling in a jeep in
South Korea with other soldiers, including the commander of the Thai
battalion, when they came under mortar fire. They stopped the jeep and
took cover in a ditch, all that is, except the Thai commander. Price, a
Second World War veteran, left his cover and, in his words, “...went
back and got him and pulled him over into the ditch.” Soon after he left
the army in 1953, Price was awarded the Order of the Crown of Thailand by
a grateful Thai government.
Finally, on 27 July 1953 after lengthy negotiations, an
armistice was signed at Panmunjon. Both sides agreed to retire a distance
of two kilometres from the last line of military contact, thereby creating
a Demilitarised Zone (DMZ).
It’s interesting to note that almost every source
available differs on the numbers engaged and the casualty figures for all
the combatants, sometimes quite markedly.
For example, casualties for United States personnel
vary between 29,550 and 33,629 killed out of either 302,483 or 348,000
committed. Thailand casualty figures vary from 129 men killed and 1,139
wounded to 114 dead and 799 wounded while another report puts the casualty
figures for the 21st Infantry Regiment at 136 killed and 469 wounded.
What is certain is that around 900,000 Chinese and
500,000 North Koreans lost their lives over the 37 months of the conflict.
Of the 16 United Nations Command countries, all except
the United States, Ethiopia and Thailand had withdrawn their forces by
1957. Ethiopian troops stayed until 1965, while Thailand maintained a
presence until 23 June 1972. The 21st Infantry Regiment remained in Korea
until March 1955.
Personal Directions: Who are you?
by Christina Dodd
A lot of what we do and how we behave in our lives is
based on the experiences of our past. Whether they were good or bad, happy
or sad and painful experiences, we carry them around with us and use them
as a kind of springboard in the way we think and act in our lives.
We sometimes don’t realize that this is the case, but
it is so. I have been intrigued by the way human nature tries to hide this
fact. We wear many masks, one could say, to cover the scars we carry with
us. Mask upon mask to shield us from the past and to protect us from
similar experiences that could happen to us in the future. Mask covers
mask and sometimes, for some people, the layers become so thick that it is
difficult to see the real person beneath. Even the person wearing the
masks loses themselves and risks the disappearance of their own identity.
We are very clever at disguise. We are extremely crafty
at times. Inside us can be immense suffering and emotional struggle and
yet on the outside, we appear calm and completely in control. A lot of us
live our lives as if we are a character in a play. It is all theatre.
Carrying emotional wounds around with us and living
them over and over again cannot possibly help us move forward. There is
absolutely no possibility to come out of living in the past and feeling
the trauma and unhappiness of it. What this does to us is exactly what a
pool of cement would do to you if you stepped into it and stood there for
a while, thinking that this is where you should be. You end up getting
stuck with no way out and no way to move. You are unable to move and you
are locked into a place that will hold you forever.
This is where a lot of us live. We live in cement
blocks, twisting and turning and trying to move, but without success. We
live in the past and base our lives on the past. We don’t let go of the
past. We can’t let go maybe because we don’t want to or maybe because
we don’t know how to. Perhaps for some of us it may be too painful. No
matter what the reason, we have to let go! If we don’t, we will always
be held back from finding true happiness and achieving the things we want
in life.
Release from the sadness or pain or struggles of the
past can be like breathing oxygen for the first time. Suddenly the chains
are gone and there is a feeling of complete refreshment. You may not
forget your past and indeed it is not necessary to forget it. It is
necessary, however, not to live it.
One of the programs that I conduct takes a very close
look at this aspect of release and moving forward. It is not something
that can be lectured about, it takes technique and care. But throughout
the years of my experience in doing this, many people have felt uplifted
and have a new lease on life as a result. The process is highly
specialized, and involves working with a partner who is a complete
stranger. In this way, more can be shared and there is a likelihood of
more genuine openness and willingness to share. The more open people are
in this activity, the far greater the results.
This particular activity has been an inspiration for
many. It has opened the door for those who have been locked away for years
and who have been able to finally get on with life and turn towards the
present and future. There is possibility living in the present and moving
towards the future. It is the only way to live a fulfilled life.
Not only is this activity an important one in this
program, but there is also an activity that involves the realization of
who you really are. Who is the real you. Underneath the masks that you
wear, who are you really? This activity gives each individual an
opportunity to take a close look at themselves and to take a look at each
individual in their group. It is the moment where each member makes a
positive statement about one individual’s character and then the
individual chooses the statement about themselves which is to their liking
and which is true about themselves. They then announce who they really are
until they are told to stop. This technique is powerful and emotional as
each individual is driven to acknowledge their real selves.
Letting go and self-realization are extremely moving
parts of this program. There is a lot to think about and to ponder. There
is a lot to question and to set straight. Both of these activities are
highly inspirational and have opened the way for many to find purpose and
meaning in life. Many a time participants in this program have been
overcome with tears and emotions that have led them to reach out and place
more importance on the way they live life. In this program, which we title
“Personal Directions”, there is usually total involvement and
commitment by every participant.
Everyone actually needs to take a look at their lives
and to unlock the past. Everyone needs to take a look at themselves and to
announce their strengths and goals. Everyone needs to understand about
human relations and how the success and happiness of human beings totally
depends on the relationships they develop with other human beings.
Everyone needs to remove the masks they wear and reveal who they really
are. Only this way can we find real meaning and purpose in life.
The program I have described to you in this article is
one that is run over two days. It involves many other activities apart
from the ones explained above. It is interactive and involves time for
reflection and analysis of oneself. Many people in many countries have
“found themselves” through participating in this program and opening
their minds to new and different ways of approaching life.
For more information on this and other programs, please
don’t hesitate to contact me at Christina.dodd@
asiatrainingassociates.com
Until next week, have a great time!
Social Commentary by Khai Khem: Pattaya City’s mass aerobics sessions and public fitness parks are paying off
Crime is not funny and I don’t mean to make light of
it. Hoodlums who ride by on motorcycles and snatch valuables from innocent
people are not the least bit amusing, especially to the victims. But in
the past month, I witnessed two truly amazing sights. Both incidents
involved attempts to snatch handbags and gold necklaces from female
pedestrians. Both times the ladies fought back and won.
One afternoon I was sitting in a noodle shop on Jomtien
Beach Road waiting for my lunch to arrive. I heard a commotion and saw a
motorcycle sporting two teenage boys drive up on the footpath and attempt
to yank a young Thai woman’s handbag from her shoulder. She had a good
grip on her bag and hung on for dear life. The boys lost their balance and
spilled off their bike.
Unhurt and undeterred, one of the boys ran over and
tried to snatch the bag again. The lady stood her ground and as they
tussled, she raised her leg and gave him a good kick in the stomach. I
could hear him gasp and gulp for air. The young thug’s mate made a quick
calculation and rode off in a cloud of dust, leaving his partner in crime
to take the trashing.
Before any of the gathered spectators could rush in and
help, the young woman gave him a few whacks on the head with the very bag
he’d tried to steal. She must have had gold bricks in that handbag
because we could hear the thumps landing on the would-be thief’s skull.
This was one T’d-off lady! The teenage boy managed to disengage himself
from the encounter and beat a hasty retreat. Some witnesses ran after him,
but he was in no mood to face an angry crowd and dodged down a soi and
disappeared.
When I asked her if she would report the incident to
the police, she said, “Why? I still have my handbag and he probably has
a cracked rib. I think that evens up the score.”
Wow! I was impressed. I offered to buy her a cool drink
or at least assist in flagging down a taxi. But she was in a hurry. She
was late for her gym class and off she dashed. I didn’t even get her
name, but I did notice she had well-defined triceps and lovely muscled
legs.
A few weeks later I was browsing in a popular Pattaya
market when a fight broke out. I wriggled through the crowd and saw a
young Thai man wrestling with a ‘not-so-young’ Thai woman. The crowd
was cheering as the woman pinned the man to the ground. By the time I got
a ringside seat, so to speak, I watched as she applied a chokehold on his
neck and hear her tell him to open his hand. As he obeyed, he released a
heavy gold necklace which he’d ripped from her throat. An onlooker said
the woman was known in the neighborhood and was a sports enthusiast. She
played a mean game of tennis and regularly attended public aerobics
classes held at a nearby temple. My shopping bags were getting heavier and
heavier. (It crossed my mind I should join those mass aerobic workouts). I
didn’t stick around until the police came, but I was pretty sure the
woman would still be sitting on that miserable young man when the
‘heat’ arrived.
On a more serious note, the main goal of the dedicated
drive to support and promote sports throughout the kingdom is to provide
the population, especially young people, with a wholesome outlet as an
alternative to boredom. In recent years the local drug problem has
escalated, but there are signs of a turn-around. The primary target for
sports programs has been our youngsters since they are the most vulnerable
to the lure of drugs and antisocial activities through lack of anything
better to do. But all members of society can benefit, and are indeed
encouraged to participate in community projects that help us interact and
socialize in a constructive manner.
This column is going to be a little short this week.
I’m just out the door to join some friends in a mass aerobics hour held
at a temple in my neighborhood. I made my mates promise not to laugh if I
gave it a go. They promised - but I think they fibbed.
Am I joining exercise classes so I can foil fools who
rob me? Of course not. If I get robbed on a public street I’m going to
screech like a scorched cat and maybe a lithe, winsome lovely will come to
my rescue. At my stage in life, mass exercises held in a public park (on
the occasional day when I can escape from the keyboard) is not likely to
turn me into Superman. I’m more the Clark Kent type who’d prefer to
change clothes in a phone booth as not to embarrass myself. I’m really
joining on the off-chance I will meet up with the Superwoman from Jomtien
Beach Road. I’m still kicking myself that I didn’t get a proper
introduction.
The Massage In The Moon: Sun in Sagittarius/Moon in Taurus
The soft touch
by
Anchalee Kaewmanee
Hard headed and sensible Taurus teams up with the
spiritualism of Sagittarius in this combination and there is often a
tug-of war going on as to which values will win out when there are hard
choices to be made. The worldly wisdom of the Taurus Moon prefers the
practical approach to life. Self-controlled and calm on the surface,
Taurus unusually manages to stick to the task at hand with bullish
determination in order to achieve personal goals. But this combo always
feels a little bit guilty about being selfish. Sagittarians have an
overwhelming humanitarian desire to put the world in order and feel they
have a mission in life. In fact, this combination can achieve great things
once they set a course of action.
These individuals have great insight, think in broad,
abstract terms and are often drawn to creative and artistic ventures. But
often their dreams remain theoretical ideas for years because that
materialistic Taurus Moon must have security well in place before
embarking on charitable crusades and philanthropic projects. This means a
substantial bank account and a comfortable home will be the first
priority. These natives will not pursue a shaky or unconventional career
even if it would prove more intellectually and emotionally stimulating in
the long run.
Of course security is important to everyone, but it
doesn’t have to become the sole meaning of life. The Sag-Taurus is
usually a gifted person in many areas and should try to aim for more
balance and not just slog away at a good-paying job. Many are talented
artist, musicians, and writers or have a real flair for acting. Others are
gifted athletes possessing great agility and unmatched endurance due to
their inherent good health and fine physiques.
If a career in golf, professional ballet or football
seems too much of a gamble, this combination can often have it both ways
by making taking up hobbies and activities which provide gratifying
outlets for their talents. Since this combo has a great flair for business
and possesses fine organizational skills, I’m not suggesting a
successful corporate manager toss away a top position only to become a
starving artist. But don’t leave those deeper yearnings on the shelf too
long, or you may feel inner discontent later on in life.
This combo has deep sympathy for others, which may be
another reason they have trouble following through on their dreams.
Sentimentality often obscures their judgment. In truth, these natives are
nice people and very tender hearted. It’s very hard for them to say no
and they really hate to reject anyone. They always feel guilty about
sidestepping a request for assistance, and often find it hard to express
their views and differences.
These fears are mainly imaginary, and most are born of
a highly developed imagination gone astray. This group wants to be loved
and admired and often goes along with things against their better
instincts just to be a good sport. They often feel taken advantage of when
this generosity is not repaid in kind. That hot-tempered Taurus Moon can
lash out in a real fit of rage when the mark is overstepped too often. But
generally this sign will resign itself to being a soft touch and passively
philosophize over the failings of the human race.
Ordinarily this combination produces serious people who
make great effort to ensure success in all endeavors. However, in romance
these natives are volcanoes of passion. Their earthy, sensual nature takes
great pleasure in pure physical contact. Sex for them is often seen as a
great gift of earthy comfort - something akin to a gourmet meal. Therefore
this group will have many torrid affairs before settling down. The
Sag-Taurus combo must remain active and socially involved on all levels
and will cultivate a wide range of activities and many friends. This
includes lovers, especially in youth.
Once a life-partner is selected, these natives are
generous and tender and make good providers. Remember that fat bank
account and well-appointed home? They may be a tiny bit possessive, and
will not tolerate infidelity, but all are endowed with a sense of honor
and loyalty, so will look for those qualities in a mate.
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