REPOST: 6 Diseases To Be Cautious During Floods

I've got this important message from my Facebook wall, it is actually from Samitevej Expat Club, where I am one of the members of the said group. I thought about reposting it here to help someone who needs this kind of information. Especially, now that we are experiencing this flood crisis here in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Technically, my family and I are still on safe grounds, with no floods (as of now).. But, we aren't sure of what's gonna happen tomorrow. At least, we are prepared on how to prevent getting sick by reading and understanding what was listed below:

Anyway, PREVENTION is still better than cure.

6 Diseases to Be Cautious During Floods

1. Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is an epidemic that is contracted from animals. It is caused by the bacteria called Leptospira which is present in animals’ urine such as mice, cows, and buffaloes. A human being can be infected by leptospira bacteria through an open wound or through the skin that has been in the water for a prolonged period of time. The bacteria can also enter the body through the mucous membrane of the eyes and mouth.

Symptoms: Leptospirosis has two different types of symptoms. The less severe one has the symptoms of a normal cold with headaches, fever, and muscle aches. This can be cured if the patient acts early and seeks medical attention right at the beginning of the illness. The more severe one has the symptoms of red eye infection, watery eyes, unable to tolerate bright lights. When the infection spread to the brain, the patient will become delirious, and slip into a coma. And if the disease infects the entire body, it may cause internal bleeding which can result in death.

Prevention: Avoid walking and swimming in trapped flood water, especially for children, who enjoy treading or swimming in flood water. If you cannot avoid walking through the flooded areas, try to walk quickly and try not to stay in the water for too long as the skin become soft and tender and can be infected more easily. You should wear rubber boots every time you walk in the water to prevent foot injury and prevent pathogens from contacting the wound on the foot or leg as well as prevent being bitten by animals in the water. People who have an onset of a headache and fever must immediately see their doctor, and do not wait until the symptoms become more serious as it may be too late for treatment.

2. Cholera

This disease is caused by the bacteria Vibrio Cholera which is spread in drinking water and food. The flies are carriers of this disease. The disease is contracted by drinking and eating food swarmed by flies that are infected with cholera bacteria and by eating uncooked food.

Symptoms: The patient has watery stool several times a day. He may have abdominal pain or vomiting. But if the infection is severe, the patient will have diarrhea of enormous volume that looks like rice water and smells fishy.

Prevention: Eat clean and freshly cooked food and drink boiled water; wash and clean your hands and food containers. Do not use flood water to wash food containers and avoid contact with cholera patients. If you contract the disease, you must seek medical advice and follow the medical instructions.

3. Typhoid fever

This is caused by Salmonella Typhi bacteria which may be present in water and food similar to cholera disease. It is spread by contaminated drinking water and food.

Symptoms: When first contracted with this disease, the symptoms will not be apparent immediately. The symptoms will be obvious after about 1 week. The patients have headaches, loss of appetite, high fever, diarrhea, some develop a rash on the body, and stomach bloating. The symptoms may go away within 1 month by itself. However, patients should still seek medical advice if they contract this disease to prevent complications such as contracting pneumonia.

Prevention: Avoid food that may be contaminated. This means that you eat clean food from a clean container including washing your hands before every meal. You should also avoid street food in an area that is unclean or at high risk for contamination. Alternatively, you can get vaccinated against typhoid fever.

4. Hepatitis A

The inflammation of the liver cells causes the liver to function abnormally. The virus that causes inflammation of the liver during the flood period is hepatitis A. This illness can be caused by eating dirty or uncooked food.

Symptoms: In the first week, the patients have a mild fever, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, pain around the right rib cage, urine of dark tea color as well as an onset of jaundice and yellow eyes. The patients may be back to normal within 2-4 weeks.

Prevention: Eat clean and cooked food. Do not share the same drinking glass and spoon with others.

5. Conjunctivitis

This is caused by bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis and Bacterial Conjunctivitis. It may be due to allergies or exposure to toxic materials, often caused by rubbing the eyes with dirty hands or with a towel or handkerchief.

Symptoms: The patients have itchy eyes. Some may feel so itchy that they have to rub their eyes all the time. Some may feel only minor irritation and have more discharge than usual. The discharge is pus-like and makes the eye stick shut in the morning. Their vision may be unclear or blurred. Some may have eye sore.

Prevention: Wash your hands, and do not share cosmetics, towels, or handkerchiefs with others. Avoid touching your eyes in all cases, and do not share eye drops with others. If your eyes start to feel itchy or irritating, consult a pharmacist or doctor without delay.

6. Dengue Fever

This is caused by virus infection with Aedes aegypti mosquitoes as the carrier. The disease is frequently found in children. The outbreaks are common in the rainy season which is the breeding season for these mosquitoes.

Symptoms: The patient has had a high fever for 2-7 days, loss of appetite, vomiting with some brownish materials, muscle pain, reddish skin, rash, and red blood spots on the skin. In the advanced stage, the patient will have a low fever, cold hands, and feet, rapid pulse rate, small amount of urination. They may vomit frequently and may have a shock. If they experience these symptoms, they should see a doctor immediately.

Prevention: Try to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes by applying mosquito repellent. This is the best method. And do not leave containers with water around the house because they will become breeding grounds for the mosquitoes. If you contracted this disease, you must avoid mosquito bites as they will spread the disease to others.

                                           Photos by: Cecille Cruda via Facebook

My special thanks to Cecille for these photo shots that I grabbed today. I'm glad she's safe notwithstanding this flood crisis. I hope and pray that this will end up soon.

Part Time Job: International School Library Week @ RAIS

Image from their website

Earlier this morning, I received a phone call from the Principal's office of Ramkhamhaeng Adventist International School to cover a class (again) because the same teacher last time was absent. I had no clue about the subjects for today, but I was glad everything was ready.

I was told to come at 7:40am. But as usual, I was early because my boyfriend offered me a ride this morning and I was so excited, happy, and ready to teach.

I taught the same class yesterday... Grade 1-A and Grade 1-B. My subjects were English (spelling quiz), Math (problem-solving), and Religion (coloring the pictures). The last period was called "adventure", where they watch a short cartoon via LCD projector.

There were 10 students in my class (5 were absent). I told them to make a line and we went to the Bldg. C together, I had to guide them as they were running, shouting, and pushing on our way to the hallways and the floors. It was a tiring but fulfilling job. When we arrived, I checked if they were all there and once in a while told them to remain silent while watching and listening to the program.

The program was about "International School Library Week" which is celebrated on October 10-14, 2011. The objective of the program is to introduce a new way of learning not only through books but the use of the internet in researching and studying, they called this new system "Britannica Online School Edition for PREk-12". They were taught to use it (username and password)Encouraging the students to read more books and stories every day.

There was a storytelling activity held by Teacher Lily (the adviser of Grade 1-B, She's from Alabama). She was also the host of the trivia contest about "library and books". Students are really smart and could speak good English. I could tell the differences because I taught students of the same grade level in a government school. The children enjoyed watching the show and so was I.

After the program, we went back to the room. Our next subject was Math. Then, we had our lunch at Canteen's Cafeteria. Teacher Lily and I talked about school and her country. She's fun to be with!

Classes ended at 2:40pm. It was raining hard and the flood made me panic that time. But, I got home safely. Thank God!

Don't Judge Life By One Difficult Season

Image, not mine. Copyright to the rightful owner of this picture

I just got this post from Facebook via The Book of Revelation group. It did hit me right in my head to ponder things about LIFE... I don't know who originally wrote this or thought about putting these into words... But for sure, I appreciate my life even more. Special thanks to Tonny John, you are truly blessed!

Don't Judge Life By One Difficult Season

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in the summer, and the youngest son in the fall. When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said, “no – it was covered with green buds and full of promise”. The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right because they had each seen but only one season in the tree’s life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it’s winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, and the fulfillment of your fall.

Moral: Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Don’t judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later🦋 Keep evolving💕 Better days and better you are yet to come❤️🙏

Malaysia Trip Was Cancelled! 😭

I've been planning to go to Malaysia since January this year... I guess it wasn't just really my luck... (sigh!) I would like to travel around Asia, it is my dream.

Well~ actually, I wanted to travel around Europe and USA... yes... TRAVEL! you heard it right. I just wanna travel not interested in living there (hahaha!!!) I hate winter, it's killing me. Anyway, that is not my topic today (grin).

The first attempt about going to Malaysia (truly Asia) was last January 2011. My buddies were planning to go to Malaysia for a vacation. They told me interesting stories about Malaysia. One of them has already visited once but that was a long time ago. And so we were saying that we will go.. blah, blah, blah... The problem was when I asked them about the money that we have to prepare, (hotel expenses, food, and fare) nobody answered me straight. But, not only that... some said they were going but many have backed out already as they have learned that it will be so expensive and the visa will not be worth it. We didn't go because we were all not sure of everything. Lack of preparedness, inexperience, etc.

My second and I hope it won't be the last (sigh!), Due to visa concerns... I thought about going to Malaysia (again) with my previous co-worker. All the while, I thought everything was planned because she said that her contact was really decided to go (must)... It was really quick! We planned it for October 3 and the trip was the following day. I have already told my partner everything and he gave me 6k (I just asked 4k lol) plus the debit card (in case, my money will not be enough to support me while I'm there.

So the following day came, and I was completely ready for everything! I already went out of the house and even gave instructions to my part-time nanny on how to go about while I'm gone! In short, everything was set.

I got a phone call from her saying that she couldn't go because she didn't have much money to spend and she realized it would be risky. It was like..🤐🥴🙄🤯OKAY! so that's it? She added that it's also the visa thing so I was really disappointed 👎👎👎 but it wouldn't help. I couldn't blame her all because I didn't double-check everything. I just thought that she was sure of going with the group. Anyway, it was past.

Then, I sent SMS to my hubby about what had happened that day. He gave me a call and we thought about going there 3rd or 4th week. He is going to have a semestral break this month! We thought of going to Changmai, but it's not good this time because of the floods.

But, still, the Malaysia trip was canceled, better luck next time🥺😭😓

Happy Father's Day!

I am so blessed to have him (a wonderful father to my daughters). He is so caring, loving, patient, understanding, and kind. Words are not enough to describe how great he is, as a father and a partner. He's truly a God's gift to our family. Happy Father's Day to this special man in my life❤️ May you always be the kind of father and partner that I dreamt of. May God continue to bless you and our family, and may you have a long life, good health, and prosperity in your career.  We love you always😘

Patience is a VIRTUE

I thought the word "hopeless" exist for real because I was feeling it before.. Especially, when it comes to having better opportunities for me to work with a permit.


I figured it was just a state of mind. Hope ends when we're buried 6 feet below the ground... "When there's LIFE, there is HOPE"~Cicero.


Fortunately, I came across online about this private organization which is pretty much related to my field of expertise/study. The good news is... I lived very close to it.., I have spent 160 baht on taxi fare (back & forth) yesterday :)


I skipped doing my other online activities the past few weeks so as to give way to my searching online jobs and thinking about how could I be able to work legally, with less competition. Luckily, I got many options to work with a permit here. But, I don't need to work right away.


So, I have spent my entire two weeks to search jobs that are relevant to my Bachelor's degree. I just thought that there are so many teachers around here and felt that it would be difficult to be one just because of other qualifications that they're asking.


I have decided to go and apply (by myself) as a VOLUNTEER. Why? because it is the only way that I could for now. I could provide assistance and so building my professional networking strategies, preparing for the near future.

When I was there, they greeted me and I introduced myself. They're so welcoming. I handed my curriculum vitae along with my credentials to the Psychologist and Managing Director (English-speaking Thais). We had a brief interview about their Foundation. They're amazed how I found their website and the job vacancies but rather would become a volunteer. In fact, there are possible jobs available for me. I told them that I have to take care of my 13-month-old baby and when she turns 2, I could be able to work full time. They agreed. I have learned that volunteers are also given work permits but it depends on the evaluation or discretion of the Director (of course).


Immediately, they decided to accept me as a volunteer at KG. They have 18 children ages ranging from 3-6. It is a Foundation so the tuition fee is cheap (1,000 baht a year). They introduced me to the KG teachers and the children. I was so happy to meet them all. Out of curiosity, I asked the Psychologist if there are Thai Social Workers employed in their Organization. He replied, "None, we are psychologists here, if given a chance that we hire you, it's for the first time.."


They insisted that I could go visit the jail about 3 hours away from Bangkok. I declined. I said that I prefer to volunteer or work close to my home so I could come early to work and go home easily (notwithstanding the traffic).


We already have scheduled my first volunteer work for next week and I am so much excited. We exchanged numbers so we could contact each other. I will have to draft my work plan this weekend and email it to them.


Meanwhile, my hubby had a salary increase effective last month. He told me yesterday that my daughter may enroll in November this year. But, I told him that she was too young to go to school. She will be 19 months old by then! He reasoned out that children here are going to school as early as 2 years old. We have agreed that I could only work full-time.. if our daughter started going to school. 


But, the Bible said: "Good things come to those who wait.." (Psalm 27:14; Lamentations 3:25-26; Romans 8:25) God is good all the time! :)

Bonus Reward

The Christmas bonus and the 13-month pay aren't that familiar to be heard here in Thailand. Obviously, because Thailand is a Buddhist country. Although, some people, families, schools, and companies nationwide are celebrating Christmas as Catholics/Christians do.

I had random interviews with ex-pat teachers and other personnel who have been working here in the Kingdom for years and they mostly say that they haven't experienced receiving a bonus or anything extra similar to that kind.

Expat workers in Thailand have their own versions of performance appraisal. The benefits of passing this depend on the needs of the company. If the company is not happy with your service, they might easily tell you these:

1. "You're fired!"

2. "We will not give you a working visa"

3. "The Management has decided not to renew your contract..."

4. "Your performance is telling me not to give you an increase.."

5. "You won't get promoted because of your performance this month.."

Finding a job here is not easy if you don't have any idea how to deal with the local people and foreigners, the work environment, Thai social and cultural aspects, and the nature of the job that you're applying for.


If you're lucky, you will receive this kind of letter below saying that you did a good job! Hence, you will receive a bonus reward equivalent to your one month's salary. Not bad! But it takes lots of time and effort to pass the performance evaluation. It's like passing through the eye of a needle. Or maybe so easy for others. Others may perform very well. However, some companies do not have this kind of benefit.

Take a look at this. I wonder when will I ever get this kind of appreciation from the employer LOL. I admire both my mom and my hubby because they are hard-working and dedicated to their jobs. I wish I could be like them. But, I understand that people are different and they have their own special way of being human LOL.

The letter above was addressed to my hubby. We are so proud of him. He is inspired because he is happy with us. He is such a good person, father, husband, teacher, staff/co-worker, neighbor, son, friend, and most a GOOD MAN. Kudos to my hubby! 

Thanks be to God!

Friday The 13th: The Blogzilla Fever

Whoa! Finally, I've got time to post a new blog for this week after my last post... What happened last time that I wouldn't be able to post? It's not that I'm too busy or haven't got enough time to do so.. It's because the blogger site experienced a crash or whatever. It took like 2 or 3 days to have it fixed. But, I am happy that Blogger has been restored to "normal mode"...

Last May 13th(Friday), I witnessed how Blogger.com made bloggers like us feel so bad, depressed, and disappointed. When I woke up that morning, for the first time I checked my blogger account before reading my emails and chatting with friends. It was in read mode only. I couldn't log in and the web banner said that blogger is under maintenance, blah blah blah.. So getting frustrated getting into my dashboard to see and check my post or even to create a new blog entry.

I know that Blogger is still the best, user friendly, and coolest blog service platform in the blogging arena. This is my first time experiencing trouble but it's nothing serious because all my blogs are complete.. (Thanks a lot!) But, there were or are people complaining that they lost their recent posts after the Blogger announced that it's back to normal.

Hereunder are screenshots that I got from Facebook expressing bloggers' (public) feelings, disappointment, and anger...

I wish this incident won't happen again because I rely on Blogger.com so much. This blog is my main and I have no backup copy of these posts that were written down here. If these posts will be completely erased... I don't know what to do. I love blogging and this is my hobby.. my passion and obsession. Blogger is still my favorite among the rest. So please do your job not to make this thing happen. EVER again. I trust this site.

In this case, this only shows that many people are now using blogspot A.K.A Blogger.

Siam Park City Bangkok, Thailand

My family and I went to Siam Park City last time and we had a good time. I just wanna share my review and photos from when we went. There may be some of you who are interested in going to this huge and wonderful place. This is a good chance for bonding. You can take your children here and child-like adults are welcome here, too! hahaha

Here below are videos from youtube. Next time, we will have it videotaped so we have our own version here 😅

Water Park

Talay Krung Thep is The world's biggest wave pool with cascading waterfalls and numerous rock pools.

Log Flume

I had fun here but, I had no chance for picture taking, so afraid to bring my camera with me because I thought it would only be soaked in wet :(



Siam Park City (Thai: สวนสยาม pronounce in Thai as "Suan Siam") is an amusement and water park in the Khan Na Yao district of Bangkok, Thailand. It opened in November 1980.

The wave pool is now the largest in the world as certified by Guinness World Records and stretches an impressive 13,600 sqm and is the only man-made beach in the city. The theme park originally started off with only a few rides, but over the years the owner has expanded and it now has over 30 different rides.

Theme Park Attractions/Rides

1. Vortex
Is one of the two largest suspended looping coasters in the world, and the first of its kind in South East Asia. It is 765 meters long and consists of 5 loops with several drops. Designed and built by Vekoma co. ltd

2. Giant Drop
75-meter free-fall ride.

3. Boomerang
A reverse roller coaster with 3 loops. It is a well-known coaster custom from Vekoma co.ltd

4. Log Flume
The park's newest attraction and a truly impressive spectacle as well as a thrilling ride.

5. Topspin
Will launch you up to the sky and then spin you in and out of the fountains, so be prepared to get wet

6. Siam Park Tower
A 100-meter-high automatic observation tower that offers a 360-degree panorama of Bangkok.

7. Mega Dance
will swing you around with its spider-like arms.

8. Double-Deck Merry-Go-Round
One of the very first attractions in the park is a double-decker merry-go-round.

9. Twin Dragon
Pirate ship ride with a dragon theme.

10. Africa Adventure
One of the newest attractions to the park. You can choose to go on either a boat or train trip around the Island. Here you will see animatronics of tigers and elephants and even King Kong.

11. Jurassic Adventure
A Jeep ride into the world of ancient creatures. Using Animatronics you will see over 30 different species of dinosaurs and an exploding volcano.

12. Dinotopia
Dinosaur museum. Here you will learn the history behind these amazing creatures.

13. Condor
Will spin you around and launch you into the sky at 24m meters high.

14. Aladin
Magical flying carpet with centrifugal spin.

15. Astrofighter
Copy of Disneyland's Orbitron.

16. Trabant
A UFO-themed thrill ride.

17. Enterprise
360-degree thrill ride without any safety belts. It is the same model as in Six Flags Magic Mountain.

18. Astro-Liner
Space-themed flight simulator.

19. Monster
Spinning thrill ride for adults.

20. Rock & Roll
This ride will have you rocking and rolling around the track

21.Tagada Disco
Spinning giant plate ride, where the sheer G-force of the ride will have you glued to your seats.

22. Big-Double Shock
A terrifying haunted house tour.

23. Balloon Race
A new ride that opened in 2009, will send you gliding through the air.

24. Water Park Attractions
Talay Krung Thep is The world's biggest wave pool with cascading waterfalls and numerous rock pools.

25. Speed Slides The 75 feet high slider was recorded as the tallest slider in the world since 1970.

26. Super Spiral 4 integrated spiraling slides at varying levels.

27. Lazy River The flowing river moves throughout the water park.

28. Spa Club The health spa club with an original Thai massage.


The entrance fee costs 300 baht for adults and 100 baht for kids. Toddlers about 1-2 years old are free. There is a certain height they require for children to pay the entrance fee. If you want to have a special package you need to pay 600 baht.

Don't forget to ask for a map so you won't get lost😅 The chair rental costs 10.00 baht for the whole day and if you have lots of things to secure, you need a locker. They will ask you to pay 30 baht (with a deposit fee already). They have swimsuits for rent, but I suggest that you have to bring your own because that is technically unhealthy (ewww!!).

If you're a tourist and you wanna know how much would be the budget to go here.. it would be more or less 1,000 baht only that includes your entrance ticket (300 baht) and your food. The cheapest that you can buy there is 15-20 baht for snacks. But, you can bring your own food to save a little. Just buy at 7-11 for your snacks, so cheap! There is also McDonald's driveway nearby, it is facing Ram Inthra road. But, eating in Mc Donalds is too expensive, I tell you!

If you have any questions, just visit their website, write your queries in the comment section,  or email😉


Sources:

http://www.siamparkcity.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siam_Park_City

TOEIC: In Focus

What is the TOEIC test?

The Test of English for International Communication - TOEIC®, is an English language proficiency test for people whose native language is not English. It measures the everyday English skills of people working in an international environment. TOEIC test scores indicate how well people can
communicate in English with others in the global workplace. The test does not require specialized knowledge or vocabulary beyond that of a person who uses English in everyday work activities.

Today, the TOEIC test has become the world’s leading test of English language proficiency in a workplace context. More than 8,000 corporations worldwide have used the TOEIC test and more than 2 million people take this test every year.

What are the benefits of using the TOEIC test?

The TOEIC test:

• Gives an objective assessment of English as it is used in the working world.
• Is highly reliable - scores are always accurate and consistent.
• Is reasonably priced and available on demand - there is no need to wait for the next testing
session.
• Offers rapid test scoring and reporting - results are returned within a maximum of ten working
days. (In some locations 24-hour turnaround is available.)
• Is recognized as the main worldwide standard of English competence in the workplace.
• Allows trainers and human resource managers to plan and budget the amount of training
necessary to bring people to the appropriate English-language levels for specific jobs.
• Provides a continuous scale that allows for monitoring of improvement and comparison of
individual candidates.
• Uses equated test forms so that a score on one test form is exactly the same as on another.
• Measures proficiency rather than achievement so that trainers can focus on the needs of the
learners, rather than on the needs of an exam—no costly “preparation” materials are required.
• Provides descriptions of probable candidate performance on work-related tasks.

What are the contents of the TOEIC test?

The TOEIC test was developed to meet the needs of the working world. The test questions are developed from samples of spoken and written language collected from various countries around the world where English is used in the workplace. Test questions incorporate many different settings and situations, such as:

• General business—contracts, negotiations, marketing, sales, business planning, conferences
• Manufacturing—plant management, assembly lines, quality control
• Finance and budgeting—banking, investments, taxes, accounting, billing
• Corporate development—research, product development
• Offices—board meetings, committees, letters, memoranda, telephone, fax and e-mail messages,office equipment and furniture, office procedures
• Personnel—recruiting, hiring, retiring, salaries, promotions, job applications and advertisements
• Purchasing—ordering supplies, shipping, invoices, shopping
• Technical areas—electronics, computers, laboratories and related equipment, technical specifications
• Housing/corporate property—construction, buying and renting, electric and gas services
• Travel—trains, airplanes, taxis, buses, ships, ferries, tickets, schedules, station and airport announcements, car rentals, hotels, reservations, delays and cancellations
• Dining out—business and informal lunches, banquets, receptions, restaurant reservations
• Entertainment—movies, theater, music, art, the media
• Health—medical insurance, visiting doctors, dentists, clinics, hospitals

These settings provide the background for TOEIC test questions—candidates are not required to know specialized business and technical vocabulary beyond that of a person who uses English in everyday work activities.

Who developed the TOEIC test?

ETS developed the TOEIC test in 1979 to serve the English assessment needs of corporations in Japan that wanted to improve their ability to compete in the area of international business and trade. Over the years, the TOEIC test has been adopted in many other countries and has quickly became the global standard for assessing English in work-related contexts.

ETS is the world's largest private educational testing and measurement organization and a leader in education research. ETS is dedicated to serving the needs of individuals, educational institutions, and government bodies in nearly 200 countries. The organization develops and administers more than 12 million tests worldwide.

What is the format of the TOEIC test?

The TOEIC test itself is a two-hour, paper-and-pencil, multiple-choice test that consists of 200 questions divided into two separately timed sections: Listening Comprehension and Reading Comprehension.

The new TOEIC Test began around 2006. Between 2006 up to this time, the format hasn't changed much. The TOEIC test is 100% multiple choice. It is important to know that you won't get penalized (minus mark) for your wrong answers.

How long is the new TOEIC test?

As of April, 2006 the test has two main sections: (1) Listening and (2) Reading.

The Listening section is 45 minutes long and has a total of 100 questions. It is divided into 4 parts: (1) Photographs-10 items, (2)Question & Response-30 items, (3) Short Conversations-30 items and (4) Short Talks-30 items. This section has a total of 495 points.

The Reading section has a total of 100 questions. It is divided into 3 parts: (1) Incomplete sentences-40 items, (2) Text completion-12 items, and (30) Reading comprehension-Single passage 28 items; double passage 20 items (48 total).

The new TOEIC test has a total of 990 points and is 2 hours long. There is a total of 200 questions.

For further details of the test format please consult The TOEIC Examinee
Handbook (available in several languages) which can be obtained from your local area.

Or visit these sites for more information:

http://www.mstoeic.com
http://www.cpathailand.co.th


TOEIC Strategies

1.) Improve your time management skills when taking the test. Yes, it is a time-pressured test. But, you have to keep in mind that the success of your exam lies in you. Discipline is key in managing your time.

Do not spend so much time on one question. For instance, If you had a 10-minute test with a total of 10 questions, you should be able to spend 1 minute on each question.

If you need more time to think about answering hard questions, might as well leave it in the meantime and answer those easy questions, as fast as you can. So that you could be able to go back to the ones you've left to answer. This is applicable to the Reading section.

2.) Reading Strategies

Improve your reading speed and comprehension. Before the test, you should read as much as possible. Choose material that is easy for you. Read as fast as you can every day. Learn new vocabulary every day.

3.) Skimming and Scanning

Sometimes, we can find the answers without reading the whole story or all of the text. There are two reading styles: Skimming and Scanning.

Skimming is quickly identifying the main ideas of the article without reading the whole thing.

Scanning is used to spot specific information in an article. The type of information that you might be looking for is specific like phone numbers or addresses. It is important to note that when you are scanning a passage you aren't reading it!

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EDIT: I would like to share my experience about taking the TOEIC test here in Bangkok last March 5, 2011, Saturday. It was a fun experience. I had phoned the Center for Professional Assessment office http://www.cpathailand.co.th before the day. I had my test scheduled arranged, it was at 4pm. I hoped that I would have the same schedule as my neighbor, her schedule was at 9am. But it wasn't possible because there was no slot available for me, then.

Don't forget if you are interested to take the TOEIC test.. you have to make an appointment by calling them first!!! So you could reserve a seat and they will give you your schedule. You will be asked to provide your name and other important details which can be found in your passport.

I had to go an hour earlier than my test schedule because I didn't wanna be late or I'd miss it. When I arrived, my stomach was asking me to buy something so I went to Family Mart to buy something. I made sure that I wasn't hungry before I take the test.

The Center for Professional Assessment Thailand is open for business from 8:00am-4:30pm, Mondays to Saturdays. The TOEIC Listening and Reading test cost 1,200 baht only (as of 2011). I paid it in cash before I took the test. The Speaking and Writing test cost 3,000 baht.

Step 1. Registration
2. Printing (they will print your profile info and give it to you)
3. Cashier
4. Validation (they will check if the info in your profile sheet is correct, they will also explain to you what you will do before, during, and after the test)

Inside the testing room, you need nothing but YOURSELF. A bag, mobile phone, pencil, or pen are not allowed inside they will ask you to leave it outside of the examination room. I had my personal things left at the counter to be safe.

After taking the test...

Step 5. Test results will be picked up or sent via EMS (your choice!)

In my case, I had it mailed through EMS. They asked me to pay 50.00 baht additional charge for that service. They gave me a white envelope to write my complete name and address. I was told that the result would be there in my mailbox on Tuesday or Wednesday. But, if it's for pick up the result will be after 5-7 working days (oh no!). Too many hassles of going back to pick up my test result because we are living a little far from that area. More or less, I will spend 130.00 baht going there (back and forth) and it's time-consuming. So, I prefer the EMS.

I'm interested in taking the Speaking and Writing test, too. I have been saving my pennies for this. The TOEFL and TESOL tests are so damn expensive! Wishing that I could take these, too... Oh, just one day at a time. Dream, dream, dream.. dream on! 😅😉😂

Sofia's 1st Birthday (Part 2): The Party!

There were so many visitors. I'm glad that Sofia enjoyed the party, playing with her childhood friends and neighbors.  She was delighted to open her presents. It was a relief that our guests loved the food that I cooked (though, I'm not good at cooking). 

Sofia's 1st Birthday Lunch

Today is our little princess Sofia's birthday, the 27th of April. It has been a year! This is Part 4 of our little darling's birthday pictorial. Just before we went to dine out and waited for daddy to get dressed, Sofia and I had fun picture-taking!

The NUMBER ONE shirt :)

Daddy took us out for a birthday lunch treat at Oishi Japanese Restaurant and good news... it's a BUFFET! so we all pigged out!

The Birthday Girl :)

Miso soup and Bacon and Mushroom soup

Varieties of my side dishes LOL

Hmm... yum, yum, yum!

Japanese snacks (I don't know the names! sorry... lol)

Sushi roll (I will make it like this at Saturday's birthday party)

Cakes (4 slices and I ate them all! :D )

Another set of desserts

I wasn't hungry for about 8 hours after we ate here 😅 so I was super hungry when I woke up the following day at 9am 🤗 Sofia ate a lot, too! 😍 She wanted the fruits and the Japanese rice cake. The taste was superb and the variety of food... excellent! We all had a great time!😍

Sofia's Birthday Pictorial (Part 3 Unedited Version) and Her Ice Cream Cake

Birthday pictorial of Sofia Part 3. These pics were taken in the supermarket while we were waiting for daddy to come up and pick us up LOL.

We have decided to buy an ice cream cake for Sofia's birthday. We were thinking about buying it at Swenssens but it is expensive. We found out that Dairy Queen (DQ) has cheaper but good-quality of ice cream cakes!

I chose the Disney princess design because it will match Sofia's theme on Saturday. It looks so deliciously good!😍

The Worst Job Offer For Me This Year

Finding a job here in Thailand is not very easy, especially for those non-education graduates. If you are, it is still a problem because you need to prove that you can teach students who couldn't understand, read, write, or speak any English. It is indeed a challenge for job hunters to prove that they can. During the interview, they will ask you to do demo teaching and you are expected to communicate with your students more effectively using your methods, tools, and teaching techniques/skills.

Some of my friends in the Philippines, they thought working here is easy... They are completely WRONG! Teaching careers here are in demand but, there is a huge population of competitors/applicants from other countries. Apparently, their priority is to choose English Native Speakers for any teaching positions, especially in some International Schools. Secondly, they also take into account the educational background (which is a BS Education graduate) with Masteral is an advantage.

List according to importance when applying for a job here:

1. English Native Speakers (US, UK, Canada, Australia,etc.)
2. Educational Background
3. Work Experience as a teacher in his Country + here in Thailand
4. Teaching Skills/Tools/Methods via demo teaching
5. Physical Attributes (Presentation)
6. Age Requirement

On the other hand, other nationalities from all over the globe are applying for the same position. And I am one of them! I worked as a Guidance Counselor cum Science teacher way back in SY 2000-2001 in Antipolo City. I have the experience to hold a Home-room adviser position for 4th Grade in one of the Christian schools in Penafrancia. But, my teaching skills aren't enough to teach in the classroom for foreign pupils/students. I admit that, because I know my strengths and weaknesses, as far as my career is concerned.


Last 2009, I started job hunting here in Bangkok. I came across a language center (which I don't wanna mention) online through Thaivisa.com & Ajarn.com. This language center phones me up for a job interview. I showed up so early before our scheduled time. But, I was shocked that they were very unorganized. I was expecting to have accommodated on time. Instead, the owner kept me waiting for an hour! Then, finally, after an hour had my job interview with her. She was a little rude and had high regard for herself. I felt uncomfortable but, I composed myself not to express what I was feeling at the moment. She said that I passed the job interview and told me to start the following week. I asserted to ask about the pay rate, and she told me that it was 13,000 baht only. That includes my housing allowance, ED visa (not a working visa), and meals while at work. All in all, it's only 8,000 baht in take-home pay. Plus, I've got to work on Saturdays and the hours of work is 7:30am-6:30pm (6 days of work!🙄 Whoa!🤯)


In the same year, I was also called for a job interview for a KG teacher in Pinklao, which is about 3 hours travel from my place, then. I was interviewed by the school principal and he said that I got the job and the salary was 15,000 baht and the rent for my apartment will be 1,500 baht a month (he owned it). I hesitated to accept the job offer because it was too far from our home, and I don't need to live in an apartment because I'm living with my husband. He also told me that I don't have to work because he will provide for all my needs. So, I stopped my job hunting. Until I got pregnant LOL.


This year, I've searched again, online for a part-time job during the weekends. I found a private learning and computer school that I thought would be great to start teaching in the classroom. They phone me for a job interview with the Headteacher (a British guy), a few weeks ago. Again... I passed the job interview and he turned me over to an office staff to discuss the pay rate, the whereabouts of the students, and the schedule. I don't understand why the head teacher couldn't be able to discuss it with me, openly. Probably because the system itself is unfavorable.

So, I was about to teach two students (a couple), 35 years old, 2 hours every Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, 280 baht per hour. I was startled by the rate! I was hoping to have 20.00 baht more so I negotiated with them. The lady told me that she would have to ask the Academy about my concern and that I had to wait on their phone call if they agreed or not, but I had to start the following week that we had agreed.

One day, somebody from that learning center called me up to tell me that the Management did not agree to the negotiation. In fact, they were offering me 180 baht (too LOW!), the lowest job offer in my life! I was a little upset, but still, I composed myself, as a professional. I thought I was hearing her incorrectly, so I made some clarifications on the pay rate that on the previous meeting, I was offered 280 baht per hour and not 180 baht. Then, she repeated that it was indeed 180 baht (what? goodness, gracious!!!) and her voice was serious. I believed her because I thought it was a joke at first! LOL.

I replied, "I am so sorry that I can't accept your job offer of 180 baht per hour on weekends because right now, I am earning 500 baht per hour for each student and I don't need to travel far because their houses are few walks from my home. Some of my students are learning English online.

The lady said, "But because you are not a native speaker and have no work experience in class here in Thailand, no education diploma (this was the exact message I got from her). Sorry about that....

I responded, "I don't have to be a native speaker to teach two students a basic conversation. My friends aren't native speakers, and they aren't education graduates either. But, they've earned their experience working here in Thailand because they were considered despite that. Yes, I don't have a teaching experience in the classroom and I have no education certificate... But, I can teach. Besides, you're only giving me 2 students so that means it is more of private teaching or tutorial. If I am an education graduate... will you give me a work permit in that given situation? I don't think so. I am rejecting your job offer, I'm sorry.

Charged to experience it again. I am not that desperate to grab any jobs that offer such pay rates. I may have to think about the traveling expenses and the distance. It matters a lot! If you need to travel, you will spend money and if it's far from your home, you will still spend time. Not smart enough to just accept without thinking many times of the pros and cons. That was the worst job offer that I had in my life here in Thailand! I hope it'll be the last (fingers crossed🙄).

It is very essential to know what you want in looking for a job. If you aren't assertive of your priorities and needs here... You will end up working stressful and not realizing your worth as a person. Sure they have the right to offer you a low pay rate but, it is up to you to accept it or not. They're doing that, hoping you would accept it anyhow and so the school/company will have a great deal having you as a teacher working full load or too many unrelated tasks given to you without paying you more about your efforts. This is Thailand, if you aren't that smart, sensible, prepared, resourceful, and skillful enough then, this is not your world. You've gotta learn to compete with other foreign people like you here (in a healthy, professional way).






borrowed images from google

Home Alone (Day 11): Busy As A Bee

I had a long day yesterday and I did what I have planned to do except for going to the gym and paying for the car amortization. I had too many activities from the morning, till night. Time indeed flies so fast and the days are shorter than nights.

I woke up at 8 and had breakfast at 9. I had a shower and went out to withdraw some money to pay for the electric bill and deposit money to my hubby's other ATM so he could spend on something that we need. I withdrew money from his other ATM that he left so I could be able to settle his car payment, and electric bill and send him some money from his salary this month. However, for whatever reason, I couldn't be able to get some more money higher than 15,000 baht. So, I paid the electric bill and send him the 10k and the car's monthly amortization tomorrow.

The weather was sunny and I loved it, unlike the other day when I got so lazy and tied up in bed, so bored.

Below herewith was the plan:

1. Withdraw money from SCB ATM and have these things settled
- car payment - NOT DONE
- electric bill
- sanitation fee
- deposit money for hubby's ATM account
- birthday gift
- miscellaneous


2. Gym Work-out - NOT DONE

3. Visit my Thai friend to help me pick up our car from Toyota Ram Inthra because it was repaired (had a minor scratch).

4. Check out Apartments for rent
- how much is the monthly rent? how long is the contract?
- is it with air conditioning and furniture?
- how much is the deposit and advance payment?

5. Tutorial at 6:00-7:00pm

6. Shopping for my birthday gift for my friend's son who will just turn one this month.


Something came up which was unplanned. My Thai friend told me that his hubby would have to pick up our common friend at the Suvarnabhumi airport this afternoon, the guy came from England. I waited for more than an hour at my friend's house for her husband to come from school (he's a teacher, like my hubby) as we were going together. Since Toyota Ram Inthra is just along the way to our common friend's house, they might as well drop our friend at his house and then we go to pick up my hubby's car at Toyota.

So we had a U-turn and when we were there the Toyota asked me to pay 1,000 baht for excess at first, I wouldn't able to understand why the car insurance won't cover the expenses. In my mind, I just said, "what is the use of car insurance, if they won't insure the car when you need it or in a case like this..." For whatever stupid reason that is, which they couldn't be able to explain clearly to their customers, that really sounds too stupid to me. Why the left are you ripping me off for???!! My Thai friend just said it is just the way it is here in Thailand, that even Thais couldn't and wouldn't explain it clearly. They only said that the company changed the policy (as if, it is too easy to change such a policy without even considering/acknowledging the customers' welfare/rights. I was disappointed, but it was okay because our car was returned back home now, I missed it for 10 days🙄


I came home at 10pm, I was too exhausted. I had a cold shower to awaken myself somehow and because I felt so dusty and yucky from going out the whole day (almost, I'm counting my fingers now, lmao). I couldn't be able to sleep well if I haven't showered. Probably, I can hardly sleep, but if I did.. the whole night will be a nightmare because I'd just scratch myself because I stunk, 😂ewwww!


I love to end the night (oh! it's almost morning..) by saying... I had a long day, as busy as a bee, but I was happy. It's now 2:30 am. Good night/morning, bloggers and readers!!!😅

How do I get a VAT refund ?

When I bought my HP mini notebook here in Bangkok last December 2010 at Pantip Plaza, I didn't have any idea about claiming a VAT refund here in Bangkok. Lately, I have found out the process and the things that I needed to know through my experience living here in Thailand, as a tourist. I had done several research online, too. As this would help me a lot in the future when we've decided to buy some stuff.

Once you get here in Thailand, most probably you would hear sales agent/s or see this sign below.

Goods purchased in Thailand are VAT-inclusive. However, foreign visitors (with a few exceptions) have the benefit to receive a 7% VAT refund on luxury goods purchased from shops that participate in the 'VAT Refund for Tourists' scheme. When you see a 'VAT Refund for Tourists' sign, you can receive a 7% refund of the VAT levied on goods at the shop. However, certain conditions apply, and you won't be able to claim your refund until you depart Thailand from an international airport.

Most countries allow tourists to claim back the VAT that is paid on goods that are bought in their country as long as those goods are to be enjoyed or used outside of that country. Thailand is no different, in fact as a shopping paradise in Asia they are very much used to refunding the VAT. So this means, "only tourists who have a visa.

I remembered when we bought a Sony digital camera as a present to my eldest kid at Power Buy in Fashion Island, Ram Inthra. They knew already that I was gonna claim my VAT refund and they initiated to process with a smile. That was a good customer service experience for me! Since they honestly admitted that they couldn't provide a VAT refund form (probably because they aren't accredited), they said that they'll just give the 300 baht in cold cash to me on that day. That was really~ WOW! Who could honestly do the same?

Each country though has its own rules and regulations, as to what can, and can't, be claimed back and how it should be done. Based on my research, you will be informed on how to enjoy shopping and claim your VAT refund.


What goods can you NOT claim for VAT refunds?

*Firearms, explosives, or any such similar item
*Prohibited items
*Gemstones


Who can claim VAT refunds?

*A non-Thai or foreigner visitor/tourist who has been in Thailand less than 180 days in a calendar year

*A non-Thai visitor who is not a crew member of an airline.

*A non-Thai visitor who departs Thailand by air from an International airport.


How do you claim a VAT refund?

1. A VAT refund will only apply if the goods purchased are taken out of Thailand within 60 days of purchase and you have to get the VAT refund form on the same day of purchase. Otherwise, it will be invalid or you are not eligible to claim a refund

2. The goods must be purchased from any participating shops that display a "VAT Refund For Tourists" sign. This is very important because you've gotta find out if the shop is accredited or not. I was once a victim of this, they were claiming that they could give you a VAT refund but you have to get the form at the FALSE airport terminal! Some shops are only concerned about selling their items and not giving VAT refunds to foreign customers. If they are accredited or listed as the one legitimate on giving VAT refund, they MUST have the "yellow form" and they would be the one filling it up for you. All you got to do is give essential info and sign it. DO NOT LEAVE THE STORE WITHOUT IT (yellow form for VAT refund).

3. On any one day, the goods purchased from an individual participating shop must not be less than 2,000 Baht including VAT per day, and the total amount claiming for refund must not be less than 5,000 Baht, including VAT


4. When you purchase the goods, ask the sales assistant to complete a VAT refund form, known as the P.P.10, and attach the original tax invoices to that form. Each P.P.10 must show a value of 2,000 Baht or more.

5. You will need to know the method or refund you would prefer, and input that into the P.P.10 form.

6. You will need to show your passport to the sales assistant when you purchase the goods, to allow her to fill in the above-mentioned form.

7. When you are requesting a refund, the goods must be inspected by customs officers before check-in. Show these customs officers the P.P.10 and tax invoices.


TIP: When buying anything, make sure you have your PASSPORT with you :)


How will the refund be paid?

*If the refund does not exceed 10,000 Baht then you can have the refund made by cash (Thai Baht), draft, or credit to your credit card.

*If the refund total does exceed 10,000 Baht then, refunds will be made by either draft or a credit to your credit card.


Don't forget that the tax refund process is the final stage of your journey in Thailand - you will have gone through passport control on your return leg before you arrive at the appropriate counter. You can only make claims on the day you leave the country.

If your claim is for less than 30,000 Baht, you can receive a payment as a cheque or Bank Draft, or the amount can be paid into a credit card account. If your claim is for over 30,000 Baht, you can only receive payment by Bank Draft or payment into a credit card account.


Are there any fees?

*If you request a cash refund a fee of 100 Baht will apply.

*For a draft refund a 100 Baht fee plus, the draft issuing fee at the rate charged by banks and postage fees.

*For credit card refunds, a 100 Baht fee plus a money transfer fee at the rates charged by banks


Refund Conditions: VAT Refunds will not be granted in the following cases:

•You carry a diplomatic passport and reside in Thailand.

•You are an airline crew member departing Thailand on duty.

•Your stay in Thailand exceeds 180 days in a calendar year.

•Goods were not taken out of Thailand within 60 days after the date of purchase.

•You didn't depart Thailand from an international airport.

•Name or passport number not on original tax invoice attached to the VAT Refund Application form

•Value of goods purchased is less than 2,000 baht per day per store.

•VAT Refund Application for Tourist form was not prepared on the date of purchase.

•Total value of goods claimed for refund is less than 5,000 baht.

•Original tax invoices were not attached to the VAT Refund for Tourist form.

•You did not carry the goods out of Thailand on the day of your departure.

•Goods were not purchased from participating shops in the VAT Refund for Tourists scheme.

• quantity of goods shown in the VAT Refund Application for Tourist form is less than that shown in the original tax invoice.

•Goods were taken out of Thailand without being inspected by Customs or Revenue officers.

•Luxury goods were taken out of Thailand without being checked by the Revenue officers.

•Tax invoices attached to the VAT Refund Application for Tourists were issued from a different store than mentioned on the form.

• If you claimed that you are a tourist, but then you listed a home/hotel address in Thailand on the VAT refund form. Take note: Put your home address where you are from (permanent residence in your home country not abroad)

Happy shopping!!!



sources:
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/VATRefundsforTouristsinThailand.shtml
http://www.yourpattaya.com/shopping.htm
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/ShoppinginBangkok.shtml
http://www.discoverythailand.com/VAT_Refund_for_Tourists.asp
http://www.rd.go.th/vrt/howwill.html

http://www.bangkok.com/shopping-vat-refund.htm#ixzz1GgMrYEaz