Riff-Raffles Update #13

[MC_Ldop 40]

Here are the latest stories from Kevin Meacher (BM cookie), owner of Jasmine Mansion.

 

Staffing Woes and (More) Construction Noise

After the Prozac kicking in at the start of the month and my feeling in an altogether more positive frame of mind, I endeavoured to take control of events rather than have them controlling me. I agreed with Mrs. Boss that having spent three years failing to attract reliable staff of the necessary calibre, we needed to change tact slightly. There are, however, very few options available to us other than endeavouring to lure potential employees with offers of larger amounts of cash. The theory here being if you pay more, you will see more applicants and from those you will surely find people with the required skills…and perhaps some sticking power. Now you see how the lunacy of my optimism continues undaunted by even my daily failures of the past three plus years!

Mrs. Boss, for once, listened to my plans and agreed to go along with my suggestions. All of this, however, was done on the basis that I took full responsibility for recruiting, interviewing and training the theoretical new team. I went off to the local employment agency and gave our requirements and new salary levels for the selected candidates — these were up around 25 percent from what we had previously been paying and we already paid better than most similar establishments! The delightful lass at the agency enthusiastically agreed that indeed we should secure better quality staff with such salary levels and I departed confidently believing 2008 was going to be a much better year.

Full Story

 

 

 

(More) Prozac and the Pattaya Police

My depression was now getting back to the levels before my first visit to the doctor, but fortunately I had my first visit to the psychiatrist later in the morning. After a 30-minute initial conversation with the psychiatrist, he was also convinced I had depression. Did they think this was some kind of act and that I was trying to pull the wool over people’s eyes? An increase in my Prozac dosage from 20mg to 40mg was prescribed. I undertook some blood tests for hormone levels and suchlike with the results being available by the time of my next visit.

On returning to the hotel, Mrs. Boss announced she had spoken to sundry people concerning the building works next door and these included a lawyer who would take action to recover all or part of our lost income suffered over the previous ten weeks or so. I listened with half an ear open and believed that these protestations would likely have the same affect that the announcements of the previous days had received — none at all!

Full Story

 

 

Escape to Hua Hin!

After my latest visit to the psychiatrist, I was tempted to hand him back the Prozac and advise that it was making absolutely no difference to the way I was feeling and therefore I would prefer to deal with whatever ailed me without the aid of artificial substances. Had he told me to drink two bottles of wine a day it is, of course, very likely that I would have changed my opinion of prescribed medication. We discussed various aspects of my present state of mind and eventually my psychiatrist thought it would be a good idea to discuss matters with Mrs. Boss. We have been having far too many disagreements recently and he felt it worthwhile getting her perspective on me before proceeding further with me. This was all fine with me. I was taking a break from Pattaya and trekking off to Hua Hin in a few days time, so perhaps he may have some sort of plan when I return — well if he does he will be the first person I have met here with anything remotely resembling something that could be described as a forward movement indicator.

So here I was in Hua Hin, a beach resort on Thailand’s southern peninsula. Away from the lunacy of Pattaya that has been, if the psychiatrist is to be believed, driving me literally and metaphorically crazy! The noise, the people, the incessant drone of traffic, motorbikes careering in every direction, neon signs as tall as buildings, oh the joy of being away from Pattaya.

Full Story

 

 

Hua Hin Beaches and the Onion Sandwich

Continuing my escapades in Hua Hin, the room maid’s intrusion got me up. After a quick shower, I took my somewhat banging head out to see how Kevin was faring. No better it turned out — in fact he was in a worse state than me. He had been up for a while, but felt nauseous and wanted to do nothing but return to his bed. I suggested a walk Hua Hin’s lovely beach might do us both some good, but first I wanted to check my email so we arranged to meet up in the lobby in 30 minutes. Again, I could not connect to the Internet and exactly the same messages were appearing that had been evident the night before.

When we met in the lobby Kevin confirmed that he too had been unable to access the Internet. It was now likely that a more significant problem than earlier imagined was in existence. As we waited for the reception area to clear, Kevin started telling me about a film he had been watching — on a channel I knew I did not have access to. It soon became clear that the television in my room required retuning, as I was only able to connect to four or five channels whilst Kevin advised there were at least twice that number available. When the reception area cleared we spoke with the manager, a smiling Indian gentleman, and told him of the problem with the WiFi. “Okay then bring computer to lobby, should work fine here,” was his reply, which seemed vaguely familiar to what the portly female receptionist had suggested the night before. However, before we were able to discuss the WiFi situation and my faulty television further, the lobby again filled up with people checking in and out. We decided we would address the problem later since Kevin was starting to look as though he really needed to get some fresh air!

Full Story

[glynbuk 29]

Good to read the blog again, have missed it lately