CHATROOM

Photographs courtesy of AFP/AP/Bangkok Post

Letter of The Week

NO DESTINY�S CHILD

Hi there. Do you believe in destiny? I�m not sure myself, but I do think the most important thing that we can change in our lives is ourselves. Everything depends on what we did, what we are doing and what we are going to do. We cannot change the past, so we should not keep thinking about it. What we should do the most is live in the present as best we can and, as the saying goes, �seize the day.�

Moreover, learning from past mistakes will help us take the right path in the future. If you fail, instead of blaming destiny, you should try whatever you failed at again. You should never give up without a fight. To tell you the truth, I myself used to fail many times, but I never lost hope or gave up and let destiny control my life. People should think positively and achieve their goals. By the way, have you done a good deed today?

Kanlaya Traisrisilp, Nakhon Ratchasima

Hello Kanlaya. �Seize the day� is a Latin phrase (carpe diem) that features prominently in the movie Dead Poet�s Society starring Robin Williams. If you�ve not seen it, look out for it or check the website at www.geocities.com/CollegePark/5552/dps.htm. I agree that we are all in control of our own lives, and as to doing a good deed today, I fed a stray dog. Does that count? � Editor

SOUND ASLEEP

Dear Editor. I live with my aunt and uncle. One day while I was studying at university, my aunt cooked lunch then took a bath, but afterwards, she found that she couldn�t open the bathroom door. So she called to my uncle to help her open the door. My aunt told my uncle to pass her a mobile phone through an air passage so she could call a neighbour, which my uncle did before falling asleep. The problem is that my uncle is old and cannot hear clearly � and after passing my aunt the �mobile phone� and going to sleep, my aunt found that she had been passed the remote control for the air conditioning. She shouted louder and louder, but my uncle still slept. Finally, a neighbour heard her cries and helped her out � while my uncle still slept!

 Apinya Laosombat, Phrae

It sounds as if your uncle is a very sound sleeper, Apinya. I�m the reverse � anything wakes me up and I find it very hard to get to sleep sometimes. I�ve always suffered from insomnia so I�ve gotten used to it, but I still envy people who can drop off easily. � Editor

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

Hi, I�m Cilli (short for Caecilia) and I just decided to write to you. Reading the Student Weekly website, I always get more than just a little homesick. I spent the last year in Thailand, living with a Thai family and going to a Thai school as an exchange student. I�m not only from, but currently in, Austria. I�m 17 and studying in my final year at school, which is even harder for me as I missed the previous year due to being in Thailand. We have a saying in Austria: We don�t learn just for school, but for life. And now I can�t get rid of the feeling that during my year in Thailand I learned a lot about life... and all I�m doing now is studying for school only. After coming back here I had difficulties readjusting myself to Austrian culture and life, but as you see, I already have regained a characteristic trait of most Austrians: permanent nagging. One of the things I like about Thais is that they hardly ever do that.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that while in Thailand, I always read Student Weekly in the school library, at first because I couldn�t read Thai and it was the only English magazine they had, but after some time I began to like it and kept reading it for the rest of the year. I must admit, though, that when I first saw Student Weekly, I didn�t think much of it. However, I had a look inside and even though I�m not interested in computer games, horoscopes or fashion, there were many other things in there. I particularly liked the letters to the editor and I always read the Editor�s Note, too. Sitting in Narathiwat province, it was a good way of finding out what was going on in the rest of Thailand. I told myself that one day I would also write a letter to that editor guy. But then time went by and I was back here already. Another saying: Better late than never!

Cilli, Austria

Hello Cilli � many thanks for your email; it�s always good to hear from our international readers and I hope you like the picture of Austria we found. I�m glad you enjoyed your stay in Thailand and from what you say, I expect you�ll be back. I do agree that life�s biggest lessons don�t always come from school, but often from experience (but don�t neglect your school studies). And thanks for your kind comments; I guess that makes five people that read my Editor�s Note regularly: me, my mom, my dad, our sub-editor and you. Anyone else out there? � Editor

TAKING TIME OUT

Dear Editor. In high school, I studied at Chinorot Wittayalai School in Bangkok, but in Matayom 6 my life changed a lot. I had to read books and study very hard for my university entrance exam. I studied from Monday to Friday at school, and on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings I had extra classes in Thai and social sciences.

I also attended math class on Saturdays, and on Sundays I studied English with my uncle at my uncle�s house. Every night I also read a book from 9-11 pm. As you can imagine, I was very tired. Then in August, I had an accident and I had to stay home for a week. At first, I was so worried about my entrance exams, but I had to relax, so I listened to music, watched TV and went shopping with my friends. Finally, my dream came true. I got a seat in the faculty of education at Kasetsart University; I was very happy and my tiredness was gone.

Utaiwan Tongsook , Bangkok

Well, Utaiwan, this only goes to prove that it really is possible to overwork yourself to the point where perhaps you are doing yourself more harm than good. Also, if you take time out from your studies and relax, it can be a real boost. Other overworked students should take note: Too much stress can lead to real health problems, and you should try to balance studying with sports, hobbies or just time with friends. If you�re experiencing study-related stress problems, call the Teen Hotline on 02 275 6993-4. � Editor

We want to hear from you!

For pen pals, letters and any general comments you have about Student Weekly, contact us at Bangkok Post Student Weekly, Bangkok Post Building, 136 Na Ranong Road, Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110. You can also email us at  [email protected]. Your words must be your own (except for quotations and well-known proverbs or sayings) and they may be edited. Letters of the Week win a prize of 150 baht!

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Vocabulary

insomnia (n): the condition of being unable to sleep
envy (v): the feeling of wanting to be in the same situation as somebody else; the feeling of wanting something that somebody else has
good deed (n): a thing that somebody does that is very good to somebody/something else
nag (v): to keep complaining to somebody about their behaviour or keep asking them to do something
neglect (v): to not give enough attention to something
overwork (v):  to work too hard

Idiom

sound asleep: sleeping very deep and peacefully