Thailand

Talk to most British citizens and you will soon find that many would gladly move overseas to live in paradise if you gave them just half a chance! Of course no one seems to actually act on this whim - but in this article we take a look at the top 3 reasons why there seems to be such an overwhelming desire to quit the U.K!

1) The weather! Yes, you guessed it, top of the list is the climate. Britons are famed for talking about, and more appropriately, moaning about the weather. And they have every reason to moan!

The UK enjoys very little sunshine, lots of wind and rain, and for 60% of the year temperatures tend to be uncomfortably cold. British winters are harsh, and lengthy. The fact that the UK is firmly in the Northern part of Europe also leads to very dark winters. “Seasonally adjusted disorder” (appropriately named SAD!) is a common disorder which spreads depression among many British citizens for over half the year from September to March. Scientists have shown that it is caused by low light levels and short hours of daylight. Many people don’t even know that they suffer from it, they just presume that their depression is caused by other factors. Now on sale (at premium UK prices) are special fluorescent lights to assist people due to the fact that the UK doesn’t get much sunshine!

All of these explanations are of course of no consequence or consolation to UK citizens. Bad, unpredictable weather will always be a fact of life for people who choose to live in Britain and that is a fact! The ideal weather according to most Brits, is warm sunny days, no wind or rain, and a predictable climate that’s not too hot but that never gets too cold. This ideal climate cannot be found in Britain and so the weather remains the top reason why many would emigrate!

2)High Taxes! Predictably, number two on the list is the unrelenting and almost ridiculous level of tax that British people must endure. Not content with taking an arguably fair share of peoples’ salary at source, the UK government seems very intent on getting British people to pay a lot more all over again in stealth taxes.

Petrol (gasoline) prices are an obvious example where stealth taxation has gone completely out of control. The typical price for a gallon of petrol in the UK is around

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On December 26, 2004 a massive tsunami swept through Thailand killing thousands of people, and changing the lives of thousands more. Although the Tsunami happened months ago, we are still feeling the affects of it today.

The massive destruction that occurred because of the tsunami has a huge impact today. Thousands of villagers in Thailand who live on a very low income to begin with lost all they had in the tsunami, as the water took it away or destroyed it altogether. These are villagers who are having an incredibly hard time now trying to scrape by and replace what it is the tsunami took from them.

Agriculturally Thailand was hit very bad with the tsunami as well. Where water was reported to have traveled 7-8 miles inland farms are suffering loss of crops and livestock, as the salt that remains on their fields isn’t producing the crops that are needed to support themselves and their families.

Because of the change in the environment around Thailand, rivers are emptying more quickly into the ocean, which is going to become a problem for farmers as far as irrigating their fields, and providing water for their livestock to drink.

Another result that I think is often overlooked, is the amount of pollutants that were deposited into the waves went over the land. This can include substances like gasoline and oil, and other dangerous chemicals.

This is only a short look at some of the effects that the great tsunami is having in Thailand and in other parts around the world. I would urge you to become more informed on the situation and learn what it is that you can do to get involved, and to assist in the recovery of these nations.

Feel free to reprint this article as long as you keep the following caption and author biography in tact with all hyperlinks.

Ryan Fyfe is the owner and operator of Tsunami Area. Which is a great web directory and information center on the tsunami in Thailand and around the world.

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The most popular salad of Thailand and Laos is the Green Papaya salad. On the first bite, your tongue should taste extreme heat, salt, and sour all at once. The taste is invigorating!

Ingredients:

1-4 chilies

1 garlic clove

3 cups shredded green papaya

1/2 cup sliced tomatoes

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon shrimp paste

3 tablespoons squeezed lime

1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

2 tablespoons dried shrimp (optional)

In a mortar and pestle, crush chilies and garlic until they are separated. Add the papaya and the remaining ingredients into the mortar. Using the pestle to crush and a tablespoon to stir, mix all the ingredients in the mortar. When the sugar and shrimp paste are dissolved the papaya salad is ready to be served. Toss the papaya salad over rice noodles and sprinkle some toasted peanuts on top to make this salad a meal.

Watch a video on how to shred a green papaya with just a knife. Also watch a video on how to make the papaya salad on my blog at www.thai-laos-food.blogspot.com. The video shows the traditional method. Some Thai / Lao restaurants mix all the ingredients in a large bowl using chopsticks. In my opinion, for an authentic texture, the tomatoes need to be crushed.

Manivan Larprom, a Thai / Lao girl, on a mission to teach, through her video blog, how anyone can cook Thai / Lao food.

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