Showing 1 - 10 of 89
Taking a bow
Life, Usnisa Sukhsvasti, Published on 21/12/2015
» Today Breezy Monday will be taking a bow, as I embark on a new period of my life. It has been an amazing journey, and I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have.
A question of common sense
Life, Usnisa Sukhsvasti, Published on 23/11/2015
» I've been asking the wrong question all my life. From the moment you embark on a professional career, you ask: "How high is my salary going to be?". My starting salary upon graduating was a mere pittance -- a couple of thousand baht for a bachelor's degree entrance level job in government service. That was more than a few years ago, mind you.
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered
Life, Usnisa Sukhsvasti, Published on 16/11/2015
» I find it quite amusing and amazing how Thai people live their lives like planets orbiting around various stars. The stars I'm talking about are not the celestial kind, but stars in the entertainment industry. I'm not sure how many people could name any members of the current cabinet apart from the prime minister. But ask them about their favourite actors and actresses, they would come up with an immediate list, and tell you which television series they were in.
When enough is enough
Life, Usnisa Sukhsvasti, Published on 02/11/2015
» Everyone is talking about a philosophical gem shared by The Voice Thailand judge Singto Numchok. This first-time judge, who is recognised by his fedora and ukulele, remarked to two contestants in the battle round, knowing that one of them would be sent home that day. "Someone asked me: 'If I hadn't been successful in music, what would I have done with my life?' I asked them back: 'What is your definition of success in music? Is it fame? Is it a hit song? Is that success, and is that the only way to achieve happiness?'
The power of the 'written' word
Life, Usnisa Sukhsvasti, Published on 19/10/2015
» Do you believe in signs? I'm sure I do. Each week I look for signs to indicate what the topic of my next column will be. Sometimes they are fragmentary and vapourish, and require further interpretations before they can be distilled into a subject matter that I can tackle.
The dying art of courtesy
Life, Usnisa Sukhsvasti, Published on 12/10/2015
» Isn't it strange that the careers we once idolised when we were young have somehow lost their aura now.
Children and the itsy bitsy spiders
Life, Usnisa Sukhsvasti, Published on 28/09/2015
» Fear is such a funny thing that has different manifestations in each of us.
It isn't all just entertainment
Life, Usnisa Sukhsvasti, Published on 21/09/2015
» It's a bit appalling when you wake up to watch the morning news and you find, on what is arguably the country's most watched programme, this sort of content: An offer of five programme T-shirts, emblazoned with a cartoon version of the news anchor's face, to winners of the day's "Viewers' Top Picks".
Teach our children how to think
Life, Usnisa Sukhsvasti, Published on 07/09/2015
» Politics and religion may be taboo conversation subjects, but the subject of education in Thailand is always a great way to get the ball rolling. Everyone has a story to tell and everyone has an opinion to give. Not much of it is positive. The recent announcement by the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) that schools are going to reduce class hours from eight hours a day to six in order to give children time for more extra-curricular activities has caused a lot more concern than praise. I don't think the quantity is going to make any difference, if the quality of teaching is not up to standard and you're not going to get quality teaching in the classroom if you can't pay teachers a reasonable salary. You pay peanuts, you get monkeys. Just to put things into perspective, according to figures from the 2015 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Switzerland is the country with the most well-paid teachers.
The social (reading) network
Life, Usnisa Sukhsvasti, Published on 24/08/2015
» I am joining a book club. "How quaint and antiquated that sounds," remarked my daughter when I told her. Is reading truly a thing of the past? Newspapers are fading into oblivion, gradually to disappear off the face of the earth, like the dinosaurs. That's what people in the know have been telling me. At least that's not going to happen within this year, so I assume my job is safe until I retire.