In the process of growing up, everything in my life will help me connect to who I am.
To understand myself, to truly accept who I am..
Read through my journal to see how one person learning about her own life.
Your friend is your needs answered. He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving. And he is your board and your fireside. For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.
In Thailand today, people wearing yellow t-shirt pack the street around the grand palace in Bangkok to mark the 80th birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest serving monarch.
Today is the important day of all Thais because we celebrate our king's birthday. It's the time that Thais will do lots of thing to tribute him. Wearing yellow t-shirt, which is the color of his birthday, is one of the way we all do throughout the year.
There were a crowd of Thais gathering around the street to show their love for the king. (see picture)
You may have heard that Thailand has been though a military coup to overthown former prime minister's power. The country has just called an election, which will be help in december.
Things are very intense within the country. Polictical fight and divided side among people make country very unstable.
The king is the one people that have influence to unite the heart of Thais. He care about his people more than anything in the world. Thais always look up for him, espectially in trouble time. Thais believe his advice will guide us through difficulty.
Unite the country
Today, he made a public appearance from the balcony of The Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall. His speech was live broadcast on television nationwide.
His speech reflected the same things he said last night. "All Thai must be unite"
"Whether soldiers or civilians, (we) must be united, like our legs that must be united - which means one goes forward and one pushes back before moving forward," he said.
"This way, we could walk without falling. Without unity, the country will face disaster."
What we should do now?
Although we've been celebrating his birthday and tributing him in many ways.
But have we even been thinking of doing something good for the country as he advice us to do?
Unity of the nation? Have you ever thought of doing this?
I hope that Thais start asking themselve now.
I do wish that anyone who cause this turmoil in the country by trying to undermind people to take side and divide the country, please stop.
Leave my country in peace!
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You can watch video news about "the king's birthday" here..
Opinion Poll on up coming election in Thailand recently shows that People Power Party (PPP) is leading ahead of other parties. If the poll was right, Taksin's power would return to Thailand.
The Polls announce recently from my sources are something worrying me and some other Thais who really want to see some change in Thai politic. Still, I don't understand why poll turned out that PPP party (which is representing Taksin's hidden power) possibly winning the election.
Some politics said poll can be a PR tool of one party who financial support the survey. Some are also asked for banning poll in order to not let poll dominate people's real opinion toward election.
As people like me, who have been watching and reading news to get as much information about parties as we can. I haven't found any interesting policy which can solve problem in Thailand yet.
Thus, for people who can not make decision, can poll be influent to them? Will they vote to follow majority of peole's vote? That's something to worry if that happen in this election.
I think this election means so much for Thai people. Also, there are lots of political games behind election campaign. We need to get information, to look into every issues carefully, so that we can choose the right representative and government.
Think about the past, the present and future.
For all parties, I think they need to work more to convince people about their policy. I don't want any popular policy but I want practical policy which seem realistic to solve country's problem.
It's sunday, only day in a week that I can rest and enjoy myself.
During a week, I have to study 4 days. Tuesday and Saturday, I am a chef - it's my part time job.
How to enjoy my day? Well, as a journalist, one more thing I should be good at or at least can do is 'photography'.
I always love photograph. I dream of taking good pictures. But I don't feel like I am good at it. I need more practice.
I left my Fuji in Thailand, here I only have Pentax Optio T10
Pentax Optio T10 is a compact digital photo - very good to do snap photos, and no serious shots. There are not much fucntion for professional photography. But I can practice my view toward picture with it.
Christmas is just around the corner. In london, when the light at Oxford Street is switched on, the celebration starts.
This time of year, people who go to shopping at Oxford Street can also enjoy beautiful decoration of colorful light. Many trees and building are decorated in colorful color. For example, trees are lighten with violet light.
John Lewis, department store on Oxford Street was the host for switching on xmas light ceremony 2007 early this month. Thus, in front of the store seems to be high light of this year decoration.
There made christmas tree with hundreds of light bulbs in front of the store. Many people stand on the opposite side of the street to take photograph. That's where I took mine too.
During the time I was trained with BBC Thai Section (Supporting Unit) in Thailand, I was always told to think different and to report story in different aspect of Thai media.
BBC Thai broadcast only two times a day. But local media (example manager website, mcot) reports news every hour.
If we approached the story the same way local media did, we would be behind and no one wanted to listen to the program.
We had to be an alternative program where people can tune in to get different aspect of news.
I always keep that in mind - think different.
But it's never been easy. I found it difficult to see story in different angles. I tried hard..sometimes I could but sometimes I couldn't.
When I came here to study journalism, my first part is television news, I had problem of getting into story. I wanted to do so many good story, interesting topic, some hard news. But I couldn't get the interviewee so I had to throw the story away and found something easier. I don't like that. I upset. But i have to. I always have question - how can I get into the stories I want?
Possibility of story
Then, during radio class, I found the answer that may help me getting into to story.
The exercise was that we picked one story and tried to see who we can interview and about what we will interview.
Everyone had their story and their interviewee in thier mind. But teacher pushed us forward to see more possibility of story and other interviewee we could have.
For example, my story was 'bird flu in UK'. I wanted to approach economic side of story - how the situation would effect trade and export during christmas. I would like to interview trader, exporter, and ministry of industry.
Teacher said if I was your editor and I didn't want economic story, what other stories I could have.
Well, disscuss with my partner, we might go to psychological side.
Yeah, good idea..but what else?
Um...I don't know now...who else can I interview?
Teacher said you could interivew farmer - that will be agriculture side of the story...another angle..
Oh..I could interview specialist journalist, professor from relating field. That's in case you couldn't get the interviewee you want. It's plan B, Plan C...
ummmm....I never thought about that before.
That's how we can get into story...there are many ways out there. But I never look at them closely. I know now why I couldn't get the story I want just because one interviewee turned me down. Because I never thought of more possiblity of story!
News is like a crystal
News is like a crystal which have hundred of angles. When you look from differnt angle, you can see different things.
Just look at the story in the simple way. Asking myself about who is in the story. Whom the story may effect. Who can give comments. What i want to know about the story. Who can give me the answer. just simple like that.
When you know the possiblity of story, and people you want to talk to, the story can spin around in many ways.
If you research more on the story, you will get a chance to report a better story.
Now I can see why news is like a crystal. I just have to practice, learn to think, know more..and one day I will be better, I will become a journalist I want to be.
Since last week, in Thailand people have been favor of PINK T-shirt. That because this color believed to be an auspicious color for the king's 80th year. My king has just checked out of a hospital after experiencing weakness on the right side of his body and was admitted to hospital since mid-october.
I am in England, far from my country, when I knew the news it was kinda shocked. He is a beloved king and we don't want anything bad to happen to him. Now I am happy that he leaves hospital.
One thing that I am prond to be Thai is that I have the greatest king. I can not explain how his greatest is. But in conclusion, he is a hard-working king for his people. Everything he does, he does it for Thais. We are really blessed by him.
It has been Yellow that set the trend in Thai fashion for year since celebration of his 6oth year to the throne. This december we will celebrate his 80th birthday with PINK..
But...this morning the color trend changes again. News website in Thailand reports that since yesterday that the king visit his sister in the hospital wearing green, people start looking for green t-shirt. So today, green t-shirt became best seller. What is this all about? We are crazy about color? I am not offense that but I don't see the point of doing that.
from pink to green...to show that we love and care our king?
No, I don't think so.
Color is just a color, but what we do is more improtant. The king has been teaching us many good things. How many people follow his brilliant advice? How many people start living their lives according to his SUFFICIENCY ECONOMY Theory Have people stop cheating and diry fighting in politic? Have influencial people and politician start thinking of doing good for country without corruption? That's what the king want us to do? How many people do that? Doing something good, isn't it the best way to tribute our love from the king?
We'd better start thinking of it again, the way to express our repect and love for the king.
This morning I watched live report about Election Candidates Registration Day in my country, Thailand. Many presenters were sent to the event to do live report but...many of them made me confused about their questions.
It seems to me that they are not supposed to be there. They are not into the story and some of them asking questions that wasting air time. It's not that bad...but not good as well. It's like..when I heard the question, I feel like what the point of asking that is. Why did you ask that? What a broad question! Why do you give chance for politician to speak for their own benefits? I am thinking as I am an audience who wants to know who have potential to be my representative. The questions didn't lead to any answer the people like me need to know from the candidates. It mainly about what do you feel..what do you think...
I didn't mean to say all of them are bad. Some of them are really good. I just feel like doing live report like this, why not giving the job to political correspondant to do. They are with story everyday. They know every single candidate quite well. They have background and they know hiden issue very well coz they are there among those politicians everyday. Wouldn't it be better to have them report from the field and asking more useful and in-dept questions?
In Thailand, doing live report like this tends to be a presenter's job. But presenters Thailand, most of them, are not even have experience as a reporter. They don't do news story, they announce news. It's different. I know that they may work hard and do some homework before their live reports but it can not compare to what the correspondant have. corresondant will be able to deal with stories better.
I think this is one simple problem in Thai journalism. Reporter are not presenter. I don't know if they can not do that, or they are not given a chance to do so. But I think it's wrong. Reporting from the field should be a journalist's job coz audience can get more useful information and vary aspect from reporters.
I am not against presenter...it's just the way to put people in the right job.
I was a television reporter for UBC News in Thailand, but I never think doing news story could be this hard.
When I was in Thailand, I just report the news. But I didn't shoot or edit myself. Of course, I learnt something and did some these thing occasionally. But most of the time, I just concentrated on reporting the story.
This time I have to do all the process myself.
Getting to the story here, in UK, is different from Thailand. In Thailand, I think it's easier. Maybe because I get used to it..I know where and who I should contact. But here, everything is new to me. The organisation, the system and how to approach to news.
I planned to do hard news about anti-crossrail. I had been trying to contact people..but finally, I was turned down because the person I can talk to is seriously ill and is in hospital.
Well, I have to change plan when I have only 3 days left.
I kept looking for news and interesting things on the net, in local newspaper, poster, sign...lots of things..and finally, I found 'National School Film Week'. It's an event for student to watch and learn from film. This event encourage teacher to use film as a teaching media in classroom.
Getting into story
I contacted organiser, who was really nice and very helpful. He accepted my request and told me to go meet him at Haymarket cineworld. The interview with him was nice. I got nice shot of him walking into the cinema, and his clear and precise answer. I did interview teacher as well. Interview stuff went well. But problem was picture, the most important part of television news.
I couldn't film children because I hadn't asked for permission beforehand. I didn't know that I had to call school and ask for permission because in Thailand, you can shoot anything you want..no need to ask for permission. Filming kids picture is easy in Thailand. I thought it was the same, but I was wrong. So, the shots I had on that day were only the shots of pupils back while they're sitting in cinema. Another problem was that it was dark in the room. I didn't have camera light..dam!..
I was upset, really upset and worried. I knew I didn’t have a good material, the worst was that it wasn’t enough material to make story. Here, making television story, they really concern about pictures. It should tell the story. It should be a beautiful shot. It should make story more interesting. It should go along well with the story. Well, I didn’t think of this much when I was reporter. It was my cameraman job. I care more about picture when I did package, not news. So, this is something new to me. And for this story, I didn’t have cool shot!
I decided to call the organizer again asking for school number so I could ring them and ask permission to film their students. Teacher said ok. I had hope. I went to cinema again the next day to film more things. But, there was problem to solve again. Students came pretty late that they had to rush into the cinema. I had only 10 minutes to shoot. I just tried to get as much as I can. I didn’t have time to think or create a nice shot. I just tried to image what I should have; I tried to get the best I could in that time. I had more pictures. They were the best picture, but at least I had more.
Putting story altogether
When go to editing, new problem arised. Pictures were quite dark. Yeah…it’s in cinema, how could I suppose to have more light? Well, this program could help me. Fine…
Next, it’s pretty hard to choose picture because I have some but not the best. I tried to make a structure, follow what I have learnt, and follow my experience. And finally..I have my first story.
Well, it’s not a masterpiece…but I love it. I’ve been through so many things. I faced so many problems. I got through it. I did my best under all obstacles. Sure, there are lots of things to improve. But this is my first story and I’ve learnt so many things from it.
Someone once asked me that I was a journalist before, why I need this class again..
I think this is the answer…I still need to learn more. Working on news here is different and I am learning from that. I can improve myself and be a better journalist. That’s why I am here.
