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Snap Shots: Avoid children and animals
by Harry Flashman
I have often been asked to take photographs of
somebody’s child. I have refused as often as possible. Staying away from
children and animals used to be the maxim for stage performers. You could
say the same for photographers. While every mother and pet owner wants
wonderful photographs of their charges, it is very difficult to get one
that you will be happy with, let alone the owner of kid/pooch/cat (delete
those not applicable).
 The
biggest problem is the short attention span demonstrated by children and
pets. Around 2.5 milli-seconds if you are lucky. Hang about composing,
focussing and other photographic fiddling will see the child turn round,
the dog assume a position you would not want recorded for posterity and
the cat will just stalk off, tail in the air.
The answer is to be totally ready. You have to
visualise the shot first and then make it happen second. It is not a case
of following the child and/or pet around and going snap, snap, snap and
hoping one will turn out OK. It won’t, and you’ll get tired.
What does help is to look at photographs in magazines
and books, and when you find a pose that you like, then work out just how
did the photographer get the shot. This is important if you are going to
try to capture that same “look” with your shots. By the way, this is
not cheating or copying, all you are doing is seeing how you can
technically get a pleasing result.
Chances are, when you have found the shots you like,
you will find that to get it, you need the camera on the same level as the
subject. This goes for about 99 out of 100 shots of alert
kids/pooches/cats. When they are asleep, then take from above - the 1 in a
100 shot!
It is for this reason that pro children’s portrait
photographers have a couch they put the ankle biters on - just to bring
them up to normal camera level. Likewise, those demented photographers who
make their money by photographing animals do the same. After all, you look
a right proper idiot crawling round on your belly taking shots in front of
the startled owners!
OK, let’s get down to action with your kids and
animals. Begin by setting the scene and you begin with the background. A
dull mottled material background works well as it does not have fussy
details to take your eyes away from the main subject. You should also
position this background at least 1 metre away from where the subject will
be placed.
Now position something in front of the camera to
represent Fido or Phillip. Place it where you expect the subject to sit
and pre-focus and set your exposure details (or just set the camera on
Auto and let it do the work). Now look through the viewfinder and make
sure you have all of the background material in the frame, as well as the
child/animal sized dummy. Harry has mentioned his pet tiger before, but
this was a large stuffed toy that I used for this purpose. Tiger was
photographed so often he almost knew when to turn and say Cheese! If you
have a tripod, it is a good idea to use it here too.
Now get a favourite toy (for the children) and some
bacon fat for cats and a box of matches for dogs. Speed is now the name of
the game. Position the child where the stuffed tiger or whatever was
seated and give the child the toy. Start snapping NOW! If you are lucky,
you will have caught that “magic moment” of childish glee. If you’re
lucky.
With the cat, smear the bacon fat on its mouth and it will reward you
with the tongue lick shot. With the dog, rattle the matches and it will
prick its ears up for that “alert dog” shot. That is just before it
lunges at you from the table! Stay away from kids and animals. You have
been warned.
Modern Medicine: Dengue Fever - does it really break your bones?
by Dr. Iain Corness, Consultant
Dengue Fever is prevalent all year round, and it will peak
again. It has also been very well described over the years, long before we
really knew what caused it - or what to do about it!
It was first described in 1780 by a Benjamin Rush in
Philadelphia (so it didn’t start here), when the name Break Bone Fever was
applied, with the symptoms of pain in the bones and rise in temperature. The
name “Dengue” came in 1828 during an epidemic in Cuba. The new name was a
Spanish attempt at a Swahili phrase “ki denga pepo” which describes a sudden
cramping seizure caused by an evil spirit!
Let me assure you that the local brand of Dengue Fever owes
nothing to spirits, evil, bottled or otherwise.
Unfortunately Dengue fever is on the up and up. In the North,
the incidence of Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever tripled last year. But firstly you
should understand a little more about Dengue. It is a fairly widespread virus
with 2.5 billion people living in Dengue endemic areas. We, in Thailand, belong
to that group.
Dengue is caused by a virus, passed on by a mosquito bite,
from the female of the species Aedes aegypti. It is most active at sun up and
sun down and breeds in standing water around your home, as it only flies 100
metres from the breeding ground.
There are four distinct Dengue virus serotypes, but being
infected by one of the serotypes gives you an immunity only to that particular
one, not to the other three. This being the case, it is theoretically possible
to catch Dengue four times. And that’s four times more than you want!
Dengue also comes in two distinct clinical types - Classical
Dengue and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF). Taking the Classical variety - 3 to
14 days after being bitten, the sufferer (and you do suffer, let me tell you)
will begin to experience fever and muscle and bone aches. Over the next few days
this gets worse so that even the skin is painful to touch. The next stage is a
skin rash and even a joint pain like arthritis in some cases. It is interesting
to note that Dengue Fever is the cause of between 20-30 percent of all fevers in
Bangkok. Being a virus, the treatment is just to alleviate the symptoms, and
paracetamol works well in reducing fever and pain. However, despite no specific
treatment, the outcome is generally fine, although the sufferer may be very weak
for a while after recovery.
On the other hand, Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever can be fatal -
so keep reading! It appears that Serotype 2 may be the culprit here, but for
some strange reason, Serotype 2 does not usually produce DHF unless you have
been previously bitten by types 1, 3 or 4. In addition to the symptoms of
Classical Dengue the skin begins to bruise very easily as the blood haemorrhages
into the skin. Children are also more susceptible to this than adults. This also
becomes much more of an emergency and is best treated in the Intensive Care Unit
(ICU).
With no specific drug to combat the DHF virus, the answer in
avoiding this ailment is to plan your defence against Aedes aegypti. This is
done by removing sources of standing water from around your home, flyscreen
windows that are left open and wear clothing which covers the arms and legs, in
conjunction with the application of anti-mosquito compound DEET. Simple really.
 Heart to Heart with Hillary
Dear Hillary,
I notice that there appears to be more and more hill tribe people selling
native trinkets in Thailand. They just used to be in Chiang Mai, but now they
seem to be everywhere, including Pattaya, which is a long way from the Golden
Triangle. Why is this, and is it safe to buy things from them?
Akha
Dear Akha,
Perhaps it is the new cheap flights from Chiang Mai to Bangkok that is bringing
them down from the hills, my Petal, as I have yet to see an Akha lady in the
black jacket and skirt, coloured socks and funny hat with the back turned up,
on a regular flight. Why do they do this? It is the nature of free trade dam
agreements, promoted heavily by the Thai government. If there is a market
somewhere, flood it! But what you have to remember is that every time you see a
man wearing a Hawaiian shirt, it does not mean that he is Hawaiian. Or every
time you see a very well endowed woman in a bikini, it does not mean that she
is a she. Likewise your genuine hill tribe ladies. If they are far from the
beaten track, it is highly probable they are genuine traders in black drag, but
not genuine hill tribe traders. If I am found strangled in the morning by a
rope of silver coins, you will know I was wrong - they were genuine. Is it safe
to buy things from them? Totally safe, there have been no recorded cases of
bird flu passed on through chicken feather headdresses.
Dear Hillary,
Becaurs (sic) all the bars are going to have to shut at midnite (sic), have you
any idees (sic) what us yung (sic) bloods are sposed (sic) to do in the
evenings? It might be OK for you oldies to be tuked (sic) into your beds before
12 o’clock, but some of us English lads can keep going all nite (sic). It
sounds as if you are all against us having our fun, but you all seem to want
our money.
Pee Doff Lager Lout
Dear Pee Doff Lager Lout,
You are an opinionated young man (sorry about the big words, Petal, but look it
up), aren’t you. I most certainly don’t want your money, (though champagne
and chocolates are always accepted - even from you), so count me out, as Sam
Goldwyn used to say. (He was the movie mogul in the middle between Metro and
Mayer, as I am sure you would not have heard of him either as the Beano and the
News of the World probably didn’t carry much stuff on America.) While I am
not in agreement with the early closing, I can certainly see good reasons to be
a little more selective at the immigration visa desk. Looking again at your
letter, I think you should spend more of your money learning literacy than on
lager libations. Instead of being Pee Doff, you can always just P. Off! Night,
night.
Dear Hillary,
I think I’ve been robbed. The other night I went out for dinner, had a couple
of bottles of red, and then went for a walk. After ten minutes I began to get
thirsty from all the exercise, so I popped into a bar for a refreshing ale. I
left there as it was too noisy after a couple of jugs and went next door,
because one of the ladies outside thought I was very sexy. She shared a couple
of drinks with me, but then suggested I should lie down for a while, but since
I wasn’t tired I stalled her by suggesting we order some more beers instead,
but I left when she went to the ladies room. About five minutes down the road
and I could feel that thirst coming on again, so I went into a nice place that
had dark windows and the door was kept closed, so that the girl from the other
bar wouldn’t see me if she walked past. This place had a lot of dancers, so I
decided I should stay there until they had all done their dances, and I can
tell you that I reckon it’s one drink to one dance, or thereabouts. They
began to shut the place around three in the morning, so they shut off the beer.
By now I knew I should go home, so I walked the 500 meters back to the hotel
and woke up at 10 the next morning. It was only then I checked my wallet and
found I had 20 baht left out of five thousand. Do you think I should report
this robbery to the police, and was it the girl who thought I was sexy?
Todd
Dear Todd,
I would not report this robbery to the police, because you might have to
re-enact the crime for them, and it might end up costing you another B. 4,980.
On top of that, there might be charges laid by the bar owner, whose young lady
you left in the loo (and in the lurch) having done a runner from that bar and
the last two beers you ordered. It is to protect people like you that the
Ministry of the Interior is shutting the bars early. Don’t go out again till
after the 1st of March!
A Slice of Thai History: Thai-Indonesian Interaction
Part Two: 1947 onwards
by Duncan steam
The Indonesian war of independence
lasted from October 1945 until the Dutch signed the instrument of transfer
of sovereignty in December 1949. During the protracted conflict, the
Indonesian Office in Bangkok, staffed by many former labourers and native
troops, worked tirelessly on the political front to gain recognition for
their cause. On 1 May 1947 a gathering of the faithful raised the
Indonesian flag at Sanam Luang in Bangkok, marking one of the first
occasions on which the future national standard had been raised outside of
the archipelago.
In September 1963, President Sukarno of Indonesia broke
off diplomatic relations with the newly formed Malaysian Federation (which
consisted of Malaya, Sarawak, Sabah, and Singapore). This act ushered in a
period of undeclared guerrilla warfare known as the Confrontation.
Indonesian troops were used to infiltrate the new Malaysia, particularly
along the common border they shared on the island of Borneo. British and
Australian troops were sent to help the Malaysians defend their territory
against these incursions.
Confrontation led to an upsurge in Indonesian
emigration to Thailand, especially of business and professional people who
had been living and working in Singapore and Malaysia. An artist by the
name of Basuki Abdullah left Indonesia around this time and came to live
in Bangkok. He was employed by the Thai Royal Family and tasked with
restoring a number of artworks in their possession. Abdullah also painted
a much-admired portrait of King Rama IX.
In February 1964, Thai Foreign Minister Thanat Khoman
chaired a meeting in Bangkok between the Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister
Abdul Razak and Indonesian Foreign Minister Dr Subandrio in an attempt to
end Confrontation. The negotiations failed to resolve the issue and
Confrontation continued.
In January 1965, Indonesia became the first country to
leave the United Nations, protesting at Malaysia being given a seat on the
Security Council. This ushered in what Sukarno called ‘The Year of
Living Dangerously’. However, after four days of talks in Bangkok in
June 1966, Indonesia announced an end to Confrontation. The undeclared war
cost the lives of at around 600 Indonesians as well as 114 Commonwealth
casualties. Many of the professional Indonesian ้migr้s began
leaving Thailand and returned home.
Indonesia was among the five south-east Asian nations
(the others being Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore)
which formed the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) at a
conference held in Bangkok in August 1967.
By the 1970s, there were around 50 ex-Second World War
labourers carrying Indonesian passports or registered as Indonesian
citizens living permanently in Thailand. Most were employed by the
Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok as chauffeurs and gardeners.
Those who have emigrated to Thailand in the intervening
years consist of dependents of people already in the country; pilgrims to
Mecca who stopped over in Singapore, exhausted their funds and decided to
travel north to seek employment in the south and Bangkok; and the
occasional fugitive from Indonesian justice.
Personal Directions: The mother of all virtues…
by Christina Dodd
Zooming around frantically during the week I found myself
frequenting the local convenience store what seemed like a hundred times. At
the end of my escapades, however, I came away with a constant
“ding-donging” (that we all love) in my head and a ringing in my ears of
the monotone greeting or farewell that is parroted and announced with such
intensity and feeling!
Seriously folks, there really is no point to saying
anything if it’s not said with at least a bit of sincerity – don’t you
think! And that goes not only for when staff are saying hello and goodbye
– but when they are saying the all-important “thank you” as well!
I realize every such store has volumes of customers
streaming in every day and some people may say it is very difficult for
staff to exude sincere enthusiasm and customer service all of the time. But
to my mind, isn’t that what it’s all about?
For anyone involved in CRM or Customer Service, there are
basic principles that are the key elements to servicing customers that
cannot – at all costs – be avoided. I have today included a chapter from
Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service by Kristin Anderson and Ron
Zemke. The chapter is titled:
Never underestimate the
value of
a sincere thank you
“Remember when you were ten years old and what you
wanted for your birthday was that electric train or special Barbie? And your
grandmother gave you underwear instead. And your mum and dad stood there and
looked at you and pinched you on the arm. “Now, what do you say?” they
prompted. “Thank you, Grandma,” you said. And your grandma beamed and
patted you on the head.
Saying thank you is as important today as when your
parents tried so hard to drum it into your head as a child. In your job, you
need to say thanks to your customers every day. You need to sincerely value
the gift of business they bring to you – even if it may not be as exciting
as electric trains and Barbie dolls.
Nine times when you should
thank
customers
1. When they do business with you … every time.
It bears repeating: Customers have options every time they need a service or
product. It’s easy to take regular and walk-in customers for granted.
Don’t! Instead, thank them for choosing to do business with you.
2. When they compliment you (or your company). Compliments
can be embarrassing. But shrugging off customers’ sincere praise says,
“You dummy, I’m not really that good.” Instead of behaving this way,
accept it gracefully and say, “Thank you, I really appreciate your
business.”
3. When they offer comments or suggestions. Thanking
customers for feedback says that you’ve heard what they had to say and
that you value their opinion. Something as simple as, “Thank you for
taking the time to tell me that. It really helps us know where we can do
better,” delivered with eye contact and a smile, can work wonders.
4. When they try a new product or service. Trying
something new can be uncomfortable. And risky. After all, the old and
familiar is so, well, old and familiar. Thank customers for daring to try
something different.
5. When they recommend you to a friend. When
customers recommend you, they put themselves on the line. If you deliver,
they look good. If you don’t … well then you know the rest. A written
thank-you for a recommendation or a value-added token next time you see the
customer face-to-face says you value their recommendation.
6. When they are patient … and not so patient.
Whether they tell you about it or not (and boy, will some customers tell you
about it!), no one likes to wait. Thanking customers for their patience says
you noticed and value their time. It’s also one of the quickest ways to
defuse customers who have waited too long and are none too happy about it.
7. When they help you to serve them better. Some
customers are always prepared. They have their account numbers right at
their fingertips, always bring the right forms, and kept notes on their last
service call. They make your life a lot easier; thank them for it.
8. When they complain to you. Thank them for
complaining? Absolutely! Customers who tell you they are unhappy are giving
you a second chance. And that’s quite a gift. Now you have a chance to win
their renewed loyalty, which will give you additional opportunities to thank
them in the future.
9. When they make you smile. A smile is one of the
greatest gifts you can receive. Saying thank you just makes it better.
Three ways to say thank
you
Verbally. Say it after every encounter. And say it
with feeling. “Thank-you-for-shopping-at-our-store,” said like a freight
train roaring past, doesn’t impress customers. Make your thank you’s
warm, pleasant, and personal.
In writing. Send a follow-up note after a purchase or
visit. Personalize it. Customers hate form letters.
With a gift. Give something small like a notepad or
pen imprinted with your company name. It will help customers remember your
business but they will also remember your kindness.
Five often-forgotten thank
you’s
1. Your co-workers. Give credit to those who help you.
Thank co-workers whose concern for customers serves as a role model for you.
Doing this in front of customers every chance you have tells customers
they’re dealing with a team effort.
2. Your boss. To make sure your managers give you the
support you need, give positive feedback when they help you do your job.
3. People in other departments of your company. While you
may be the one actually talking to the customers, support people make the
service you deliver possible. Thank them, either individually or as a group.
4. Your vendors. Without their professionalism, your
customers wouldn’t be receiving the satisfying service you’re able to
provide.
5. You! You do a tough job and deserve a pat on the back.
Give yourself credit for a job well done. And take yourself out for an extra
special reward once in a while!
The most effective thank you’s are immediate, specific,
sincere, and special.
Gratitude is not only the greatest virtue but the mother
of all the rest. - Cicero
If you would like a presentation on our professional
skills training or lifecoaching services, please contact me at
Christina.dodd@asia trainingassociates.com and take a moment to visit our
website.
Until next time, have a sensational week!
Social Commentary by Khai Khem:
The Cinderella Syndrome -
be home by midnight
By the time this gets into print, new laws and regulations
may have already been put into effect and entertainment venues around the
country will be closing at midnight. OR we may get a reversal of the proposed
law, more time to review its social impact, or some compromise which, as of yet
I am not aware. This is Amazing Thailand so I’m preparing to be amazed.
I’m trying very hard to look at all sides of this issue,
but since this column originates in Pattaya - an international tourist resort
renowned for its glittering nightlife and freewheeling atmosphere of ‘live and
let live’ - my first impulse is to wonder how much negative impact the severe
restrictions on operating hours and increased licensing fees will have on our
tourist industry.
Frankly, I think the effects will be devastating. If these
new regulations take effect and they stick, we could receive a blow to the
industry that will have more far-reaching effects than mere cuts to profits for
beer bar owners. Nature abhors a vacuum and job losses will surely trigger an
increase in crime through theft. Many law abiding citizens could be forced to
become part-time criminals to meet their expenses. That’s one possible
scenario.
Foreign tourists and Thais on holiday travel for a variety of
reasons. Yes, there are plenty of wholesome activities to enjoy which do not
involve the nightlife sector. But vacationers are not single-minded by nature,
and most modern tourists want to fill their itinerary with a variety of
pleasurable experiences, both during the daylight hours and long into the night.
To be fair, there is a certain moral and social imperative
behind the proposal to restrict Thailand’s entertainment sector which serves
adult entertainment and alcohol. Our crime rate is growing, our young people
have tossed respect for law and order out the window, and some business owners
blatantly operate outside the existing laws and ignore their social
responsibility. These bad apples are spoiling the whole barrel. The law-breakers
amongst us are making us all pay for their unabashed and selfish disregard for
anyone but themselves.
That is where the problem lies. How do we find a middle path
to allow responsible business operators to make a living, employ staff, and
legally stay in business?
We can ask parents to take responsibility for their children
and keep track of where they are. Many entertainment businesses around the globe
station staff to check ID before young customers can enter. Fake IDs can be
detected if bar owners are trained to spot them. Drunks, trouble makers, drug
dealers and users can be physically removed from the premises by ‘bouncers’.
Managers and owners can reserve the right to refuse to serve more alcohol to
customers who are already drunk and escort them off the premises.
Responsible entertainment establishments can aspire to be
better members of the community by enforcing noise pollution. The sound system
can be turned down to a reasonable level to reduce complaints from people who
are trying to sleep. The alternative to lowering the volume is going to be more
destructive than police raids, hearing loss and temper tantrums from disgruntled
youngsters.
A little discipline will go a long way to help prove that
these establishments deserve to stay open for business and may help tip a
decision from the central government to modify its current policy and find a
compromise more beneficial to all.
If we cannot police ourselves, we leave officials without a
choice. Do we really want Cinderella reduced to rags and her ‘coach and
four’ turned back into a pumpkin surrounded by bewildered mice? “Home by
midnight - or else!” The Fairy Godmother has spoken. Is it a curse or a cure?
If our international tourists vote with their feet, we’re in for ‘dry
spell’ - (pun intended).
By the way, I don’t pretend to know it all. If there are
lots of popular resort cities that close down at midnight, I would be happy if
readers would list them. Perhaps these heavenly pockets of bliss would share
their secret with us. We sure could use the advice.
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