HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Your Health & Happiness

The Doctor's Consultation 

Agony Column

Camera Class by Snapshot

Money Matters

Mrs. DoLittle’s Corner

Your Health & Happiness: Aromatherapy - essential oils and their use and strength

Chitra Klanprayoon, Ban Sabai Spa, President Thai Lanna Spa Association

Aromatherapy combines the soothing, therapeutic touch of massage with the beneficial properties of essential oils. The smell touches our senses, it has the power to transform our emotions and cure our bodies. It can take us to another place and time. Let us guide you to your aroma destination by explaining some essential oils and their use and strength.

Jasmine

Botanical Name: Jasminum grandiflorum

Common Origins: probably an Iranian native. Over 40 different species are grown in East India. The most prized oil comes from France and Italy, although it is also grown in Egypt.

Aromatherapy Use: calming, warming, relaxing, antidepressant; sensual and romantic

Fragrance: flowery and strong

Suggested Use: massage, diffuser, bath

Medicinal Information: nervous system sedative, muscle-relaxant, and euphoric/antidepressant properties; beneficial to dry, sensitive, or mature skin; reported to relieve menstrual cramps. Expectorant and fever-reducing, it can be useful in soothing colds.

Lemon

Botanical Name: Citrus limomum

Common Origins: Southern USA

Aromatherapy Use: energizing, uplifting, refreshing, cheering, clears the mind and aids concentration

Suggested Use: bath, massage, diffuser, inhalant, room spray

Fragrance: fresh, citrusy, soft-lemony

Blends With: Ylang Ylang, Tea Tree, other Citrus, Lavender

Medicinal Information: astringent, antiseptic, decongestant, cleansing, disinfectant. Beneficial for oily hair/skin.

Usage Warnings: avoid sun. Dilute well, skin irritant.

Lemongrass

Botanical Name: Cymbopogon citratus

Common Origins: Guatemala, Haiti, Sri Lanka, China, but widely cultivated elsewhere

Aromatherapy Use: vitalizing, invigorating, cleansing

Suggested Use: room spray, inhalant, massage, bath

Fragrance: powerful lemony scent, widely used in the perfume industry

Blends With: Geranium, Ylang Ylang, Tea Tree, other Citrus, Lavender

Medicinal Information: analgesic, antipyretic, antifungal, mildly sedative and antioxidant properties have been confirmed by basic research. A good cleanser for oily skin/hair.

Usage Warnings: Skin irritant - dilute well

The Doctor's Consultation:  A word of warning to the expat community

by Dr. Iain Corness

This newspaper recently published some (frightening) facts for the UK expatriates in Thailand, with the proposed abolishment of their National Health Scheme entitlements. The word from the British Health Secretary is that people will now have to prove they spend at least six months each year in the UK to get the free care, even after they may have spent a lifetime of contributing to National Insurance. Scary thought!

The NHS is apparently emphasizing that expatriates will still get access to the British NHS in an emergency. However, this is as far as it will go.

Other countries have similar schemes, with similar restrictions. If you want to live outside your home country, then tough luck Charlie. When you think about the implications, it is fairly frightening. Basically, we are all on our own!

The problem we all have to face is that of getting older. Anno Domini brings its own rewards in the form of heart attacks, strokes, ulcers, cancers, fragile bones, arthritis and even Alzheimers (if I can remember how to spell it correctly).

What you have to then understand is that your home country’s ‘safety net’ may not be there any more. You are going to have to knit one yourself! Fortunately, it is possible to remain here, and get medical cover, but the sooner you do it the better. It’s called Medical Insurance.

Of course, there are also those of you out there who will proudly say, "I never get sick!" and for you I sincerely hope that idyllic state continues. Of course, even if you do escape prostate cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, heart attacks and strokes, there is still the chance of getting run over attempting the 50 metre dash across Pattaya Second Road any evening. The message is just that none of us are above the risk of ill health or injury.

The important word in that last paragraph is "risk" - that is what insurance is all about. You are minimizing your risk of financial exposure by contracting with an insurance company for them to cover your medical bills, which is in turn taking on the "risk" of whether you get sick or not. They hope that you will pay more in premiums than you cost in medical bills, averaged out over the period of insurance. This is really high level gambling, so let’s hope the government doesn’t hear about it!

Now the insurance companies do not go blindly into this agreement with you. They demand to know your current state of health and family history to work out if you are a "standard" or "high" risk candidate. That is, I believe, fair and equitable.

However, it is also incumbent upon you to check just what you are being covered for, and what exclusions they have applied. Caveat emptor is the name of the game (or get a good agent).

Also check how long the company will cover you for. Some companies do not want to know you after you turn 70. These companies are certainly limiting their "risk" exposure in the marketplace!

So what should you do? Well, I would suggest that you do as I have done and check with a reputable insurance agent as to what exactly the policy will cover. Will an ailment become the subject of exclusion, after years of being accepted as a standard risk, and will I get thrown out after a certain age? Check today!

Agony Column

Camera Class: Be prepared

by Harry Flashman

The other day I missed on a wonderful photo opportunity. Driving along a back road I saw a herd of water buffalo, standing knee deep in an expanse of water, doing whatever water buffalo do while getting soggy feet. No wonder I read about so many Isaan buffaloes get sick in Ms. Hillary’s column. But back to my photo opportunity. It was a picture postcard shot. Early morning, reflections in the water, great lighting. It was a shot you could sell for $1000 and fortunately I always carry my camera bag with three lenses and two camera bodies. It was a cinch. And I had no film in either camera body, or even in the bag! Be prepared. (By the way, never pass up an opportunity thinking that you will come back later and get it. It never happens again!)

Apart from not getting the "shot of the month" there are a few other reasons to carry a (loaded) camera with you at all times. One is after close encounters of the accidental kind. Unfortunately in Thailand there are also thousands of accident opportunities, with most of them riding motorcycles. My local insurance consultant was the one who reminded of this. He recommends to all of his firm’s customers that it is prudent to keep a camera ready, just in case. A photograph in these instances can say much more than one thousand words, especially if they are all in Thai! As well as helping the police to attribute blame in the right direction, it also helps the insurance company. Be prepared.

One of the significant reasons not to carry a camera in the car at all times, however, is the fact that it is asking to be stolen (and generate another claim for my insurance consultant friend to deal with) if it is on view. Put it in the glove box, do I hear you say? Please don’t. The temperatures that can be generated in auto glove boxes is far greater than cameras should have to endure, never mind the film.

There is a simple answer for all this and it is not a camera bag, which does advertise the fact that you have a camera on board (hopefully expensive from the thief’s point of view). The answer is one of those polystyrene coolers. They come in various sizes and are very inexpensive. A few hundred baht only at your local supermarket. You can pop your (loaded) camera in it, shut the lid and put it in the boot, or under the seats. The temperature will not get too high, it is away from inquisitive eyes, and well protected. Perfect. Well prepared!

Now there are those people who are not driving around looking for the "shot of a lifetime" or to record a motorcycle kamikaze attack, but for these people I still recommend having some sort of camera with you. In these cases, one of the ‘film in a box’ disposable cameras makes sense for you. Go the little bit extra and buy the waterproof disposable ones. Songkran only comes once a year (thank goodness) but there are other times when you might want to snap something in the wet weather, such as during the storms or torrential rain in the rainy season. Rain pictures can be quite spectacular. A Kodak disposable that is safe for up to 15 metres underwater (that’s some storm) is only around 600 baht and includes the film. Bargain! Very well prepared!

Finally, just to remind you to be prepared, remember the lyrics of the ditty about the boy scouts penned and sung by Tom Lehrer (over which he was taken to court by the Boy Scouts Association in America). It went as follows:

"If you’re looking for adventure of a new and different kind,

And you come across a girl scout who is similarly inclined,

Don’t be nervous, don’t be bashful, don’t be scared.

Be prepared!"

And I am sure he meant that you should have a camera handy!

Money Matters:  Storm Watch Update Part 1

Based on a an article by Jim Puplava March 2004

Graham Macdonald
MBMG International Ltd.

If you asked the financial experts why gold prices are up, you will get different answers. To most on Wall Street the rise in the price of gold is an anomaly, a nuisance, but nothing that should be taken seriously by investors.

Gold’s rise in price in 2001 was attributed to the events surrounding 9-11. The rise in price in 2002 was the result of the bear market in stocks. In 2003 gold’s gains were the result of the Iraq War, then it became the dollar’s fall.

There are always temporary explanations given for gold’s spectacular rise, but very seldom are the words "bull market" used to describe its parabolic rise. After all, what else would you use to describe a 450% advance in the Amex Gold Bug’s Index (HUI) the last three years? The HUI has been as high as 256.84 before the latest pullback.

The price of the actual metal itself has moved from a low of $255 in April of 2001 to today’s close of $417.60. The rise in precious metals has been across the board. The price of silver bullion has moved from a low of $4.06 to today’s close of $7.628. Platinum prices as well as palladium are soaring again as well.

The rise in the price of precious metals has also been duplicated by price increases in other commodities. It doesn’t matter whether you are looking at oil, natural gas, copper, lead, zinc, corn, wheat, soybeans, or cotton. They have all risen in price, some more than others, and some in spectacular fashion.

The plain fact is that the commodities sector is in a new bull market and the precious metals are in a new super bull market. Price increases of 400-1000% are a bull market and not mere happenstance as some on Wall Street would have you believe. Like all new bull markets in their formative stage it has very few believers, Wall Street being one of them. Talk to industry executives and very few can see beyond present prices.

The industry has been in the doldrums for so long it is hard for many executives to see gold or silver prices beyond where they are today. The lack of belief also applies to the gold newsletter industry where most writers have been bearish, cautious, or hesitant with doubts whether present prices can hold. This weekend’s edition of Barron’s featured an interview with the dean of Dow Theory, Richard Russell. The seasoned sage of the financial markets sees a big ugly bear market for stocks in the future. To quote Russell, "I’m afraid we are coming into one of the worst bear markets in history."

Russell advises his subscribers to hold cash, gold and gold stocks. Gold at $400 an ounce is "as cheap as dirt." Russell sees gold prices above $1,000 an ounce. Today on cable TV one financial anchor’s response to the Barron’s Russell interview was that Russell likes gold, but "he’s getting on in age."

The wall of disbelief is still pervasive on Wall Street and within the industry. Yet, despite the wall of worry, the metals have been relentless in their climb, first gold and now silver.

This new super bull market has barely begun and at some point this year, we will begin to see the price of gold rise in all currencies around the globe. By yearend the prices of gold and silver will be far higher than where they are today. The race to own real money is just beginning and this super bull market has a long, long, long way to go. For those who want to know why gold prices are heading higher (besides the mindless spin coming from anchors and analysts), I have listed 7 fundamental reasons why gold and silver are heading higher.

Gold & Silver Fundamentals

1) Producer Hedge Book Reductions and the Decline in Central Bank Gold Sales

For years the price of gold was kept suppressed throughout the 1990s by large central bank sales. As prices were kept suppressed, many mining companies sold their forward production. The combination of central bank sales with producer hedge books brought additional supplies onto the market. This kept prices low at a time demand for gold was increasing.

When interest rates were high and when gold prices were falling, many companies made money by hedging their future production. It became an attractive proposition. Contangos (the implied margin between six -month LIBOR and six- month gold) lease rates were high. You could sell or borrow gold and sell at attractive borrowing rates and invest the difference in high-yielding paper instruments. Central banks made it attractive to borrow and sell gold and invest the difference in high-yielding government paper. It became known as the "gold carry trade."

Basically, you could borrow gold from a bullion bank at a very low interest rate and then invest the difference in high yielding paper. It is similar to what is going on in today’s bond markets where large investors and institutions can borrow short-term and invest long-term and pocket the spread.

Since 2001, interest rates have fallen dramatically, gold prices have firmed and the production of gold itself has fallen. It is no longer profitable to borrow and sell gold short. In fact it can be financially dangerous as several mining companies have found out.

In a rising gold market, a profitable gold company doesn’t short its future production. Instead they profit from future price increases since their production is leveraged to a rise in gold and silver prices. Furthermore, in a rising gold market, shareholders of gold companies have been bringing enormous pressure on management to unwind hedge book positions.

In the last few months aggressive hedgers such as Barrick Gold and Cambior have announced an end to their hedging policies. Gold hedging has made Barrick Gold a major under performer in this new super bull market. Barrick’s stock is up only 33% over the last few years compared to a gain of 450% for the Amex Gold Index of unhedged gold companies.

The above data and research was compiled from sources believed to be reliable. However, neither MBMG International Ltd nor its officers can accept any liability for any errors or omissions in the above article nor bear any responsibility for any losses achieved as a result of any actions taken or not taken as a consequence of reading the above article. For more information please contact Graham Macdonald on graham@mbmg-inter na tional.com

Mrs. DoLittle’s Corner: If you want success in life

Don’t let your body handicap your true feelings

In our busy world today, there has not been much thought put into the emotional lives of the rhinoceros.

To keep you abreast of things, Mrs. DoLittle had better give you a quick update to inform you that even though rhinos have very thick skin, they DO FEEL. Deeply! Some even like to be tickled!

Mrs. DoLittle can speak for her old friend ‘Girlie’ the Indian rhinoceros at the Chiang Mai Zoo. Although rhinos don’t see very well, their hearing and sense of smell is acute. As soon as I would get to the top of the hill facing Girlie’s enclosure below, I would see her sniffing the wind in anticipation of my arrival.

When I called out to her, she’d bellow like a cow and start trotting in my direction. As I called out again, she’d break into a gallop, rushing to meet me, kicking up a big storm. Luckily her brakes always worked! She’d stop within an inch of me, leaving us both in a great cloud of dust. After it cleared and I stopped coughing, I’d see her standing there, looking straight at me, wearing a big grin from ear to ear.

"Hi, it’s about time you came back!" She was of course also wearing her big coat of armor. It is as hard as sheet metal in some places, yet under the heavy plates all over her body, the skin is bright pink and very delicate.

When Mrs. DoLittle started tickling Girlie on these sensitive areas, she would slowly sink down on her knees and eventually completely collapse with delight. Rolling over on her back, her legs would poke straight up in the air. She sometimes fell asleep in this position, snoring loudly for several hours, much to the delight of zoo visitors busy filming the two ton upside down rhino.

At other times, when Girlie wanted a ‘tickle session’ she’d make a racket on the steel bars with her horn. When I came to check what all the noise was about, she’d grin and lift her hind leg. She was as charming as she was big. One of her favorite joys was ice cream. As soon as she saw one, she’d dribble and smack her lips. Girlie is not only a very sensitive rhinoceros, but she has got good taste too!

The moral of today’s story is: If you want success in life, don’t let your body be a handicap to your true feelings.

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