A Broad Abroad In Thailand By Dodie Cross

This is to say the least an interesting and entertaining read that covers far more ground than the title implies. Told with a huge amount of humor we follow Dodie on her sojourn to Thailand, where things do not work out as planned. As she ruefully reflects on in the final chapters, what seems like a great opportunity at the time, had enough flashing warning lights that she should have spotted early on.The story opens with our heroine working a mundane office job during the day, and helping out part time at a local golf course in the evenings. Here she meets he husband to be, the club Pro Dick. Although not exactly swept off her feet in passion, they do eventually become lovers. It transpires that Dick prior to becoming a Nail Pen Golf Pro has had considerable experience in the construction world. Happenstance puts Dick and Dodie in a position where a two-year contract for a construction project in exotic Thailand is theirs for the taking. A free house, bags of tax free money, what more could you ask for? Of course there is one minor hitch, for Dick to get the full company benefits, he must be married.Whats a fun loving, adventure seeking gal to do? Well if your name is Dodie Cross you of course get married, and start packing! Minor things like 'love' can be worked on later!It doesn't take our adventurous author long to discover that the 'land of smiles' may well be full of smiles, but the company compound where everyone must live is anything but Eden. A repressive management, or to be exact the manager's wife, has created her own version of hell on Earth. Endless lists of rules and regulations, the company not only owns the employees, but their wives and families as well. Must-attend meetings, shopping trips, card games, and parties are all part of the social calendar.None of this sits well with Dodie, and she of course decides to buck the system, even worse she discovers that Dick is a 60 year old sex maniac! Stress at home, stress from "the bosses," all start to weigh heavily on Dodie, an unexpected medical problem also adds to her growing list of issues.A Broad Abroad In Thailand is a great read, it is written in a very humorous style, I particularly enjoyed the Pigin English dialog with the local Thai people. That on its own makes this book a hit! Dodie, undaunted by minor and in some cases major setbacks,'bags and crashes' her way through life. This is a must read book for anyone contemplating living and working in a foreign land, from marital to medical, the problems are so much greater than being at home.About Dodie Cross: she is a freelance writer who has received numerous awards for her writing and poetry, among them the prestigious Southern California Writer's Conference First Place Award for "Best Nonfiction," as well as First Place in their inaugural Poetry Award. She has accrued first and second place prizes in Nail Polish her published articles. Dodie has traveled the world, writing about her life in foreign countries such as Iran and Thailand, as well as American locales such as New Orleans, Orange County, California and Lake Chelan, Washington. Look for her next book: One Strappy-Sandaled Foot Ahead of the Mullahs: An Expat's Life in Iran Before and During the Revolution.

Virtual Assistant From The Philippines Wholesale

Many people are facing difficulties with business, these days. Tough economic conditions make measures like downsizing and cutting budgets, very important. There are many important advantages to hiring a virtual assistant from the Philippines.Benefits of Wholesale Outsourcing WorkWhen you hire virtual assistants, you are outsourcing a great deal of work that might normally be done from within your office. You may be able to get by with much less office space, or perhaps a cheaper and less expensive office. This also means that you can save costs on things like fax machines, and computers, too.Hiring work is an excellent way to have special projects taken care of. This way, there is no need to hire seasonal or part-time employees. Wholesale Xbox All of your part-time work can easily be done by businesses from outside sources.You can save a great deal of money on employee benefits, Wholesale Tablet PC when you outsource work. These people are not your employees. This means that there is no need for benefits like medical insurance, and pensions. This can help you to cut a lot of business expenses. It can mean the difference between staying in business and going under.When you have fewer employees, Wholesale Lights & Indicator you are paying out less money in employee taxes and unemployment benefits. There is no need to worry about vacation pay and sick leave. You may be able to have fewer employees in administration and management, as there will be fewer things to take care of.Another important benefit is not worrying about layoffs. If there is a lull in business, you simply do not have any outsource work. No one is going to lose their job, and you will not have to deal with these kinds of headaches.The PhilippinesWhen you outsource your work to the Philippines, you can save a great deal of money. This area has a much lower cost of living than areas like Europe and the United States. This means that people can afford to work for much less money, for the same jobs. Also, the Philippines is growing in popularity for outsourcing work.There are many business advantages to hiring a virtual assistant from the Philippines. Your business can be much more efficient, as you operate with fewer employees. This means that you have far less employee related, operating expenses. The part of the world is becoming a very popular selection for outsourcing needs, as they can do business work for less than workers, in areas like the United States and Europe.

Gifts For Your Girlfriend A New Strategy Wholesale

More often than not, gifts come as a reality check for how strong your Wholesale Fairing bolts relationship is. Women can be astoundingly complicated but don't worry. There's a way to get around it and hit on their soft spot! You finally met the woman of your life. You've either been together for 2 weeks or 2 years, may it be birthday, anniversary or Monday, everyday is a good day to compliment your significant other with a proof of the consistency of your feelings. Or bank account, ouch! There are milestones gifts as we know, engagement or wedding rings Pouch Case for example, but you can probably take care of that alone. You can always bring a flower now and then, something little to spice the dull moments, but what you Wholesale want right now is to surprise her with something pretty and unexpected, am I right? It doesn't take a genius to pick the right gift, you just need the right strategy. Plan your moves and take action! You already know what she likes in general, if not I'd suggest you Iphone 4 Accessories wait at least 10 minutes before you give gifts to random girls and call them “girlfriend,” OK? Perhaps she gave you hints on what she'd need or wish, they can come as subtle as “the TV is broken” or as explicit as “I've seen a dress today in the shop...”. You can either acknowledge them or go for the bold decision: absolute surprise factor. What I'd suggest is obviously the latter. You don't want to buy a washing machine if all she wants is a TV set, of course. It doesn't need to be eccentric. Keep it smart and simple. Take advantage of the situation and give her something you can both enjoy: perhaps some time together? A gift is nothing but a symbol of how strong your bond is, why don't you play this card around and offer her a romantic trip for two? A night out in fancy restaurant? Is she into spa and massages? You can't go wrong with such ideas, keep it intimate to build your relationship. Take the opportunity to spend some time with her in a relaxing environment. Turn off your phone, log out of Facebook already and focus on such brief and yet happy moments, because in the end that's what she'll remember the most.

Plumbing And Home Renovations Wholesale

Refinishing a basement, remodeling a kitchen, and upgrading a bathroom are common home improvements, which add beauty and value to our homes. However, they all have one thing in common...plumbing! Water resources can be found in almost Wholesale any of these jobs, whether it be adding a wet bar in the basement or a new sink and dishwasher in the kitchen. Whether you are the classic DIYer or if you are depending on your local contractor, a licensed plumber should play a large role in these renovations. First, it is helpful for the plumber to make a comprehensive overview to avoid any major problems. Before the demolition and building begin, the plumber knows the plumbing systems in your home and can make expert recommendations in advance. For example, one common mistake is made when a remodeling project puts too much strain on the hot water heater or compromises the water pressure in the home. Upgrades involving the plumbing system should not compromise the existing plumbing. A licensed plumber doesn't just hook the new plumbing fixtures up, but understands the home's entire plumbing system. An experienced plumber can also identify, for example, whether a sump pump is needed in Wholesale Women Clothing the basement to aid in drainage. This helps to avoid not only unnecessary expense, but also back-ups. Proper hook up to the sewage system and ventilation access must also be considered. With the addition of large capacity appliances, water lines may need to be redirected or larger water lines may need to be installed. We all know how even the simplest projects can become complicated and time-consuming. And even the professionals understand that there is more to plumbing than just the basics. It is also important to consider the city or county's codes. When building projects require permits, inspectors tend to pay very close attention to both plumbing and electrical work. A professional, licensed plumber can also help with these details.With these renovations, new plumbing fixtures are usually involved. When choosing fixtures, there is more involved than just dcor and look. A home improvement center can be overwhelming with so many styles and choices. A sink, for example, may have a single opening for faucet installation, while another on the market may have separate openings for spigot and handle. Some are installed Ipad Accessories from under the sink and some from the top. A plumber can again benefit the home owner. Plumbers also have connections with fixture manufacturers and supply companies, which can mean a greater selection and savings.Trust a local plumber to make your renovation projects Rings cost-effective and perform to your expectations.

The Future of Surveillance

Surveillance has come a long, long way from the first days of Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) cameras. The journey has been much longer historically, of course, since King David was sending out spies in Old Testament times on a regular basis. Today, of course, we are riding a technological wave that seems a long way from cresting, as more and more improvements in cameras, heat sensors, sound equipment and wireless technologies make surveillance easier, cheaper, faster, better and (perhaps unfortunately at times) more widespread.In addition to higher resolution of captured images, other developments include wireless color cameras as small as a nickel coin, day-and-night-vision technology, weatherproof construction and Web-based controllers. Still-image and video capture are at the forefront of surveillance technology, so we will take a look at the new optics technologies first. However, the future of surveillance also involves the correct deployment of technology, and new architectural and engineering approaches are bringing other advances to the field.New ways of seeingA major area of interest today is thermal imaging with high-resolution camera (HRC) technology. Some are now able to view objects some 12 miles Air Swimmers away. These HRC devices detect wavelengths outside the visible spectrum and can display images in any light environment, including nighttime. The same technology, however, has daytime uses, and thermal HRC units are able to see through fog, smoke, haze and other atmospheric conditions. Because of the high contrast in thermal imaging, post- or real-time processing of the captured video can be done with special analytics software that will distinguish different motions and movement-related behavior.There are also nighttime air angry bird vision cameras taking different routes. New germanium technology is capable of seeing near-infrared to shortwave-infrared and displays nighttime images with what is called a NightGlow in one company's parlance. The technology is based on the fact that hydroxyl ions in the planet's atmosphere absorb daytime sunlight and actually glow at night. Human vision is incapable of detecting this glow but several firms have demonstrated that their cameras can do so. One additional benefit to this methodology is that these cameras will have a single, uniform light source, enabling them to produce and display high quality images in any lighting environment, including pitch dark.Other sensor technologyOf course, surveillance relies on many more inputs that the visual one. Tremendous, even accelerating progress is being made in many of these other input areas, from heat and motion sensors to olfactory (smell) detection and x-ray-type imaging without the harmful x-rays. The security measures put into place following 9/11/2001 have certainly been a big boost to research and development in the areas of sensor technology, and airports will be among the first places that some of the new devices are deployed.It is not just the technology for capturing images, sound, motion, heat or the smell of explosives that has advanced. Hardware and software that can analyze, process and improve the captured information are extremely important parts of the puzzle, too. Thus, it is not just cameras and sensors that provide answers and information for security professionals. These pros consider the raw data from the input devices to be just that, for the most part. The raw data becomes usable after it has been processed to improve clarity, separate sounds, define motions as behavior and determine the chemical makeup of a captured air sample. Before long, the capabilities of spectrometers and other instruments for determining molecular structures will be embedded in the best security systems.The improved-planning approachThere are many companies that will buy all the best, newest security gear, but deploy it in a substandard way and not get their money's worth. There are now consulting firms that will visit companies and explain the best ways of spec'ing their security measures and installing their equipment. The future of surveillance will include better initial setup and Air Swimmers construction, since poor surveillance systems will give firms a false sense of security. Just learning the pixel-per-foot specifications for selecting appropriate video gear is a simple step that is taken too infrequently by beginners.Many security and surveillance industry observers believe that an independent panel should develop standards for the resolution, capabilities and performance of security cameras and other sensors. This could go a long way toward improving the overall quality of security and surveillance systems being installed nationwide, even worldwide, and create common platforms for further development. Although such a panel has yet to be formed, and it's impossible to know what the eventual standards might be, it is an important undertaking. If no one does it soon enough, you should take the bull by the horns and learn all you can about the new surveillance technologies, so that you and your company can go safely into the future, together.