Blue Life

By Lance Rush

 ”Survival of the fittest,” is a term that is thrown around liberally, but what does it mean? The meat of the phrase means that those who are most prepared, equipped and alert will be the ones that will come out on top of the pack. Going into a battle situation, it is to your benefit to give yourself every advantage you can think of which means to more than satisfy the criteria of the definition of being “fit.”

The secret to being prepared and equipped is having with you everything you may need in any given situation. This can be challenging when you have to carry all of your gear. However, with the right TA-50 or deployment bag, you can have enough room for everything you need, and if you pack carefully, perhaps even a small kitchen sink! The perfect deployment bag begins with essentials in an orderly arrangement. Essentials will be different for everyone, but at the core should be your body armor, some ammunition and a small first-aid kit. Here are some tips for packing the perfect bag:

1. Combinations are KEY! Try combining articles such as putting gloves, a pair of socks and a couple extra rounds in the cavity of the body armor. This will enable there to be more room in the bag as well as keeping things that you will need to use together also packed together so there is no time or energy lost in grabbing something you need. Body armor is bulky and odd shaped for packing, and chances are that if you need one piece, that you will need the same things each time so put them together in a way that they all work together. For example, if you have an extra pair of shoes to pack, consider putting something else that you will be using at that same time in the shoe to save room in your bag.

2. Zip tight bags are awesome! Water leakage inward to your bag (if it’s not waterproof or if it gets a hole in it somehow) or liquid/gel leakage outward of a container can prove to be a huge problem if you are traveling or on deployment. Zip tight baggies can save your day! Put shirts or outfits, socks, underwear into gallon size baggies if you are going to be deployed to a wet area with a lot of rain or will be trekking through water. If not, zip tight sandwich baggies around your toiletry items individually can prove extremely helpful. If one thing spills then it doesn’t get on each item turning it into a gooey mess. Also, with the use of zip bags, you will know that socks are always in one bag, underwear is always in another bag, and so on alleviating wasted time spent rearranging or hunting down items that you need NOW. Time spent hunting should be for your adversary instead of for your socks.

3. You can pack your kitchen sink and your bathroom medicine cabinet. Just because you are deployed or traveling does not mean that you have to go without necessities due to lack of space anymore. There are some deployment bags out there that are so ultra-roomy and sturdy that you can pack what you need; one of which is a safety/medical kit. Keep a few bandages, muscle pain patches, minor pain meds in travel packages, snap-light fishing glow sticks, all in one mini-tool, and snap-released hand warmers. Maybe put those in a round of duct tape or a funnel and put that in a zip baggy or just in a little toiletry case.

4. Why leave strategy to the battlefield? To win the war on clutter and mess, you have to plan a method of attack. Strategize and think about putting together your bag right the first time. What will be easiest for you and save you time? What will be something that you will actually do and maintain? Will zip baggies be something that you can do? Will arranging socks with socks work better for you rather than arranging whole outfits together? Does it make sense to pilfer through your bag each time you need something? Plan what you are going to do and then keep it up so you know exactly where everything is! Arrange things considering shape and frequency of use. Does it make sense to put something you use three times daily on the bottom of the stack? Arranging in slices instead of stacks helps. Think bread slices in a bag. That way you don’t have stacks of stuff to look under but rather can see a small sliver sample of each thing you have. Planning your bag will make your time more efficient and lower your stress level because you are more prepared in a shorter amount of time.

Incorporating a few of these ideas or using them as a holistic system really can aide you in being more prepared, more equipped and more “fit” than your counterparts or competition. Saving time, energy and mental stress will aide you in keeping your performance at an optimum while still not compromising your personal comfort. Performance levels at their optimum will ensure you are among the most “fit” and will help to guarantee your success at your mission, both on the battlefield and beyond.

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Thai names can be a real challenge

By Shama Kern

 Would you mind being called a pig or a buffalo? I imagine you would not like it. But lots of people in Thailand are called just that and some other names that seem very strange to us. The Thais use first and last names in the same way we do, but often they have so many syllables that it is very difficult for us to pronounce them and even more difficult to remember.

It was not always like that. In earlier times names in Thailand used to be shorter and easier. It is a fairly recent phenomenon that those never-ending names are in vogue. This went so far that the Thais felt compelled to pass a law that limits the number of syllables names can contain. This prevented the multi syllable name game from making legal transactions unmanageable. Thai law makes if fairly simple to change your name. Dont like it, no problem, pick another one. A simple application will do it.

When someone gives me one of those complicated names, I just ask them for a shorter name. Fortunately most Thais use abbreviations of their real name or nicknames which are at the other end of the spectrum of the multi syllable confusion. In contrast they typically consist of just one syllable or letter. In some cases the Thais pick any one syllable of their legal name and use that as their nickname - it may be the first, last, or middle syllable, it does not matter. Some nicknames appear quite strange to us. There is Ms Pig, Mr. Buffalo, Mr. Dog, or Ms Bomb. How do they come up with those names? Here are the actual stories of friends of mine here in Thailand.

Some nicknames are highly descriptive. How about a girl whose name is “pig”? While that is seen as an insult in the west, she was called that since she was a somewhat round baby with a good share of baby fat, and therefore was called pig. Yes, Thais consider this a very cute name. If one day the girl does not find her nickname appealing anymore, she can change it at any time. Another acquaintance of mine is called dog. When he was a little boy, he was a real chatterbox to the point of grating on peoples nerves. His parents found that he resembled an excited puppy, so “dog” it was for him.

Some nicknames can have special meanings, and even magical powers. There is the story of a sickly boy who always had one health issue or another. And so the villagers figured if they would call him “buffalo”, then the spirit of such a strong animal would help him. There is even a saying strong as a buffalo. And in this case it turned out to be his cure, his maladies disappeared and he is convinced that the name saved him. But you really have to know the story behind the name since buffalo in Thailand can also be an insult. Buffaloes are regarded as stupid and low brained. Unless a special context exists, calling people “buffalo” will get you into trouble very quickly.

Some nicknames are descriptive in a colorful way. The nickname of another friend of mine is: Green . She ended up with this name since as a baby she supposedly had a greenish complexion, and that became her name. Now, 40 years later, she definitely lost her greenish complexion but not her nickname.

Let’s enter the dreamtime. Here is the story of a predictive dream of a Thai friend of mine. She visited a temple with her sister in law and a monk wanted to give a large beautiful precious stone to her sister in law. She declined the gift and requested that the monk give it to her friend who was very happy to receive it. Then she awoke from the dream and discovered that she was pregnant. So she named the baby girl Ploy, the Thai name for precious stone. Since her sister in law had no desire to conceive a child, my friend interpreted the passing of the stone to herself as highly symbolic.

Thais know no limits when it comes to creative nicknames. The same woman has a son who was born during the Iran-Iraq war. The Thai media covered the war in depth with all its horrors and bombing. She had been trying to find a good nickname, and so she named the baby “bomb”, a name which he still has twenty years later.

Not all nicknames are that graphic. Many are just single letters like O, or E, or B. More recently it has become fashionable to use western names like cat or joy as nicknames, provided they consist of just one syllable.

Some Thais do not use nicknames, but they are in the minority. When you meet Thais, they will usually introduce themselves with their nicknames. Although some of these nicknames appear strange to us, we should count our blessings, since we would have a serious challenge trying to understand or remember those mile-long legal names which are so typical in Thailand.

For more information about living and traveling in Thailand please visit

www.shamakern.com

The author is an expat who lives permanently in Thailand. He writes entertaining and informative stories about a fascinating country.

How To Book Online Hotel Reservations For Major Cities

By Jamie Hanson

 When you are travel bound, you wish everything- from preparing the trip itself, to proceed the right way and without any hassles. This is the reason why there is a growing popularity in making all of your bookings through the internet, including hotel bookings. It is no wonder then that online hotel reservation has grown highly popular amongst the internet enthusiast people all over the world.

To meet the growing demand for online hotel reservation, some highly reliable websites have emerged to cater to each type of accommodation demands. These internet sites enable you easily to book your hotel tickets online for any primary city, or even for regional locations.

The crucial factor then is to find a secure and reliable website, which you can book all your hotel rooms from, in the course of your journeys. There are several distinctive hallmarks of a great online hotel reservation website that you must keep in mind when picking out your reservation requirement.

To start out, the website must be safe and secure. All your personal particulars, to include your credit card info, must be safe with the website. It is important that you are assured at this point before you proceed any further.

Ideally, the bigger the website is, the better choices and treats it can provide. This implies, the websites need to have a very wide reach across thousands of cities and towns across many different countries in the world. The greater its network of hotels, the better options you will be able to get. But more importantly, a big website will also be able to offer you great treats and discounts at the hotels it is tied up with. This transforms into savings which may even allow you to stay in a more luxurious hotel room.

The website should respond to all type of budgets. If you are searching for a swift budget trip, you must be able to locate cheap, affordable rooms just as quickly as you should be able to locate luxury 7 star suites in any particular location. Whether you wish to stay in modest home cottages, service apartment or a luxury room, you must be able to locate them on the website.

A good online hotel reservation website will not charge its customers any payments for making reservations or even for cancelling their reservations. They get their fees from the hotels you book your accommodation and they also opt not to impose a charge on their customers for assisting them with finding their perfect hotel room. Also, a sound online hotel reservation website will have a 24/7 customer support capable of speaking multiple languages to help their customers with any type of difficulty along the way.

One of the best ways to judge an online hotel reservation website is to check out the critiques and feedbacks of customers who have actually used their services. This will show you a good impression of how good, streamlined and reliable the website is in hotel bookings.

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By Arnoldo Watson

 There is an interesting dive option for certified scuba divers who are vacationing in the Orlando area especially with family members who are non-divers. The Living Seas at Disneyworld’s Epcot Center is home to a marine tank that measures over 200 feet in diameter and 25 feet in depth. This tank contains a sample of Caribbean marine life in an artificial salt water and reef environment. Through the center’s Divequest tour, certified divers can take a special three hour program that includes a forty minute dive in this marine tank.

The current price is $140 US with advance reservations required. Divers meet at the Guest Relations office just outside the main Epcot gates. Epcot park admission is not required or included. However, I was let out in the main area of The Living Seas after the tour so I ended up seeing other parts of Epcot for free anyway. Twice per day at 4:30 pm and 5:30 pm, a maximum of twelve divers per time slot are taken on a behind the scenes tour of the facilities at The Living Seas. All scuba equipment is provided. In fact, divers are not allowed to bring their own equipment for the fear of contaminating the marine tank. Even jewelry must be removed prior to the dive. Scuba wetsuits (shorties), BCs, regulators, fins, booties and masks are provided. Divers are allowed to bring and use their own masks and bathing suits but these are the only exceptions to the rule.

After the facility tour, wetsuits and towels for each diver are already waiting in private stalls that include private showers in the change rooms. The setup is well organized but a bit odd because after changing into wetsuits, the divers are paraded through the public areas where the other Epcot guests are before going into the main level of the marine tank. Once at the marine tank, divemasters are waiting with tanks and BCs already assembled for each diver. The BCs are weight integrated with more weight than needed and the only gauge attached is an air pressure gauge. There isn’t even a depth gauge or octopus second stage as they are not considered necessary for this shallow dive. After the dive briefing, the divemasters help the divers with their equipment on and everyone moves to a descent line at the middle of the tank.

The dive itself is usually beyond most divers’ expectations. There is a lot of marine life in this tank including sharks, rays, turtles and lots of Caribbean fish of all sizes. In fact, the staff claims that divers will see more variety of Caribbean marine life during this one dive than many dives combined out in the open sea. One of the neat things that divers can do on this dive that they can’t do elsewhere is interact with the public Epcot guests. There are sixty observation windows all around the marine tank including views from the main restaurant. The divers become part of the attractions at The Living Seas as the public behind the windows wave and snap photos. Some divers made arrangements with family members to be on the other side of the windows while a designated divemaster videotapes the entire scene. Even though I was skeptical at first, I have to admit that I had fun interacting with the public behind the glass. I had forgotten that the vast majority of people out there are not certified divers and we are somewhat of a curiosity for them.

For scuba divers who dive mainly to see marine life, the Divequest at Epcot will not disappoint. It’s an opportunity to swim through a few large schools of fish and see some creatures like the sharks and turtles up close which as most divers know, is a real hit and miss out in the open water. It is also a very unique opportunity for non-diving family members and friends to see divers in the underwater environment. Divequest is certainly a special dive that is worth doing at least once.

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By jeavy

 A distinctive and fun Wahm career is to start out a manicure service. If you have a license in cosmetology, or are thinking of getting one, you arent limited to working in an exceedingly salon. Several ladies are now trying for a a lot of relaxed manicure experience, and you’ll be able to give them that by beginning a manicure service in your home or a traveling manicure service. You’ll be able to go into business for yourself with little begin up prices and nice rewards.

To start out with youll would like to urge your license to manicure nails, if you dont have one already. Youll would like to post your license in your house of business and also have additional copies just in case the first gets lost or damaged. If you opt to offer a travel manicure service, youll want a copy of your license to place in your bag. Youll conjointly need to own a system for keeping track of money founded before you begin. You’ll use a laptop program like QuickBooks to track your money flow, or do it by hand in a ancient ledger. Appointment books and receipts are a necessity. Finally, obtaining a business telephone variety is a necessary step in setting yourself up as a skilled in your field.

The opposite necessary step is gathering all of your supplies and finding a convenient way to carry them from your home to the consumers home. Youll need to bring your polish colours, manicure tools, nail polish remover, appointment book, receipt book and necessary supplies (including further towels and cotton balls).

Traveling to a consumers home is not for everybody, but there are many edges to giving a travel manicure service. From your customers perspective it’s a lot of a lot of enjoyable to possess you return to them. One among the biggest drawbacks of getting a manicure out of the house for your client is that she must drive home and avoid damaging the fresh polish.

After you come to your consumers home, she wont have to worry regarding ruining her new manicure.

Though you wont technically be a Wahm after you provide a traveling manicure service, you may have several benefits. If you supply manicures in shopper homes, youll reduce the number of people coming back in and out of your home every day. Additionally, youll be in a position to use your mileage as a tax write-off (build sure to keep correct records of how much you drive for your business). Operating at home will be isolating, therefore obtaining out of the house to try to to manicures can be a prospect in your day.

Advertising your business will happen in several completely different ways. You’ll leave your business cards at native Laundromats, convenience stores, gift outlets and daycare centers. You can additionally put flyers up at bulletin boards around town. Network with folks that you have already got contact with, like the parents at your kidss school, your husbands co-workers and your former co-workers. Tell individuals that you are starting a business and find excited about it. Share with everyone you’ll be able to suppose of. Before you recognize it, youll have a listing of consistent clients who you manicure each month, or week.

Beginning a manicure service can be a great manner to work at home and do something that you just love. Rather than paying high fees for a chair at a salon, start your own business and have the flexibility and income that you simply deserve.

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What to Look for in a Hotel

By Arnoldo Watson

 So you’re going abroad, you’ve chosen your destination and now you have to choose a hotel. Ten years ago, you’d have probably visited your local travel agent and trusted the face-to-face advice you were given by the so called ‘experts’. The 21st Century way to select and book your hotel is of course on the Internet, by using travel websites.

But how do you sift through the amazing choices on offer? And more importantly, do you really trust the photographs and descriptions of the hotels that they have awarded themselves with the motivation of getting bookings?

Traveler reviews can be helpful, but you need to exercise caution. They are often biased, sometimes out of date, and may not serve your interests at all. How do you know that the features that are important to the reviewer are important to you? Then there’s the problem of the reviewer’s motivation. The more reviews you read, the more you notice how they tend to cluster at the extremes of opinion. On one end, you have angry reviewers with axes to grind; at the other, you have delighted guests who lavish praise beyond belief.

You’ll not be surprised to learn that hotels sometimes post their own glowing reviews, or that competitor’s line up for the chance to lambaste the competition with bad reviews. It makes sense to consider what is really important to you when selecting a hotel. You should then choose an online hotel directory that gives up-to-date, independent, impartial information that really matters.

Here are some of the key facts you should bear in mind:

1. Location: if it matters that your hotel is, for example, on the beach, close to the theme park, or convenient for the airport, then location is paramount. Any decent directory should offer a location map of the hotel and its surroundings. There should be distance charts to the airport offered as well as some form of interactive map.

2. Style: it is important to choose a hotel that makes you feel comfortable - contemporary or traditional furnishings, local decor or international, formal or relaxed. The ideal hotel directory should let you know of the options available.

3. Restaurants, Cafes and Bars: local color is great but the hotel’s own restaurants and bars can play an important part in your stay. You should be aware of choice, style and whether or not they are smart or informal. A good hotel report should tell you this, and particularly about breakfast facilities.

4. Bedroom Facilities: you should always carefully consider the type of facilities you need from your bedroom and find the hotel that has those you consider important. The hotel directory website should elaborate on matters such as: bed size, Internet Access (its cost, whether there is WIFI or wired broadband connection), Complimentary amenities, views from the room and luxury offerings like a Pillow menu or Bath menu, choice of smoking or non smoking rooms etc.

These things really do matter and any decent hotel directory should give you this sort of advice on bedrooms - not just the number of rooms which is the usual option!

5. Children’s’ Facilities: more important to the family traveler than the business traveler, you should find out just how child friendly the hotel is from the directory and make your decision from there. One thing worth looking for is whether the hotel offers a baby sitters service. For the business traveler wishing to escape children this is of course very relevant too - perhaps a hotel that is not child friendly would be something more appropriate!

6. Leisure Facilities: the site should offer a detailed analysis of leisure services within the hotel - spa, pool, gym, sauna - as well as details of any other facilities nearby such as golf courses.

7. Special Needs: the hotel directory site should advise the visitor of each hotel’s special needs services and accessibility policy. Whilst again this does not apply to every visitor, it is absolutely vital to some.

Finally and most importantly, the quality hotel directory inspection team should have visited the hotel in question on a regular basis, met the staff, slept in a bedroom and tried the food. They should experience the hotel as only a hotel guest can and it is only then that they are really in a strong position to write about the hotel.

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