40 years of journalism: a lecture to the Rotary Club in Hua Hin
At the opening of the new Bangkok Hua Hin Hospital in April of this year, I had already encountered the board of Rotary Club Royal Hua Hin.
Dressed in a white polo shirt with a large emblem, I could hardly miss them. And because I co-founded a new Rotary Club in Venlo more than 20 years ago as a journalist/reporting editor at the then Dagblad voor Noord-Limburg, contact was quickly made. Despite the invitation to drop by, I held off the boat. I'm just not the social type. Moreover, the seclusion of a Rotary Club is difficult to reconcile with the sought-after openness of journalism.
At the last meeting of the Dutch Association Thailand Hua Hin and Cha Am, I allowed myself to be tempted by a Rotarian present to give a speech. After all, this year marks 40 years as a journalist and it would undoubtedly make for a fascinating story for members of the English-speaking club in Hua Hin, founded in April 2010. It made me think about my life as a news junkie. A real journalist is like that day and night, just like a policeman or a doctor.
When I write down all the countries I've ever been to, I come up with an impressive list. At the company's expense I have been to many places, from Argentina through Venezuela, Mexico and the US to Iceland and from Morocco through Zambia, Kenya and Zimbabwe to South Africa. Six months after the first Gulf War in 1991, I was in Baghdad for a report and visited all the Gulf States and Oman in that region. In Asia I saw India, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, Japan and Cambodia and I could go on and on. Not to show off, but to indicate where I have been. Finally, in 2005 I landed in Thailand for the umpteenth time, which offers the best of both worlds and where I have found my niche for the time being.
Cuba deserves a separate mention and that is what the approximately 30 members of the Rotary Club in Hua Hin wanted to hear most about. I have visited Fidel Castro's country 42 times in over 15 years for work and otherwise. The food isn't the best hotels are mediocre and the transportation a mess, but what a culture, once built on the wealth of the sugar barons.
Well, that too is history. I must say that the multinational audience at the Baan Lakssubha Resort in Hua Hin (next to the Sofitel) behaved in an exemplary manner. Among the many men I saw only two ladies, but that is not unusual. Rotary is also involved in charities in Thailand. Ultimately, Rotary, like Lions and many other associations, is intended to help the less fortunate fellow human beings. Most striking at the moment is the collection of money for one million bottles of drinking water for people in flooded areas in Thailand. Of course they are provided with the well-known Rotary logo. The recipients might even think that they come from the exiled Prime Minister Thaksin.
As a guest speaker, apart from a word of thanks from chairman Brian Anderson, I also received a certificate and a pen with an imprint. Can I prove in certain circles that I belong to OSM, Our Kind of People…
So, and now with Thailand blog on the way to the next milestone, but another 40 years is definitely not possible.
@ Hans. congratulations on being part of the OSM (Our Kind of People). Should make you feel good.
It's not for me, not because I couldn't tell a fascinating story about my 43 years of working life in many countries, but simply because I don't want to be identified with such an elitist club as Rotary. I've been asked a few times to join one of the 4 or 5 Rotary Clubs here in Pattaya, but have politely but firmly declined. If a Rotarian belongs to an OSM circle, then I'm sure of a different kind altogether.
There are many more people – including expats here in Thailand – who could tell a fascinating story about their life and work. The story about that Brabant paraglider was a good example of this. A nice task for a TB editor with a lot of life experience to make it a kind of regular column on the blog.
Your story is about the meeting itself and some peripheral phenomena, but what I miss now is the presentation itself. Is that still coming? How is it possible, by the way, that as a journalist of a regional newspaper (circulation 50.000 max?) you were able to visit all those countries. Is that why your newspaper later merged into De Limburger? (Just kidding, Hans!)
In the paragraph about Cuba, the word “otherwise” intrigues me, what does that mean?
Apparently my irony is not for you. I didn't want to put it on thicker. The fact that I left after six years has to do with its elitist character. By the way, I did work at a small newspaper, but it was first part of AUDET and later of VNU newspapers with a total circulation of 660.000 daily (or thereabouts). And beyond that it was a matter of contacts.
That "otherwise" refers to the fact that I was married for four years to a Cuban, the daughter of a former bodyguard of Che and Fidel.
Undoubtedly, there are an incredible number of expats who can provide a much more compelling story about their working life. I hereby invite them to do so, provided it has something to do with Thailand. I was invited to this club and I didn't want to decline the invitation, that's all. The presentation didn't last much longer than 10 minutes, that was all...
Why are you starting a comment with a cat, Hans? I thought it was a serious story, hence my reaction and my questions. If it was all meant to be ironic, I don't know what to add. Talking for ten minutes about a 40-year career as a journalist is a bit thin. You would never have received that Certificate from me, let alone that you would be admitted to the OSM.
As a right-minded journalist, I wouldn't let the challenge of getting interesting people with a story – of which Thailand should indeed be part – onto the blog. Why don't you interview DSM (people like that), because after all, not everyone can write a good story.
The subtle irony still doesn't get through. It's like money with OSM. If you belong to it or have it, you don't talk/write about it. If you do it anyway, there's a double bottom in it. The irony also lies in the charter, which was already made before I gave my talk. It's not a degree. compare it to blogging: it has to be bite-sized chunks to digest.
If we had a budget to interview interesting people all over Thailand, I would certainly consider it. The blog already takes (too) much time; if money is also added… (ironic)
Also congratulations Hans, on the fact that according to you the culture of Cuba is built on the wealth of sugar culture. You must have marveled at all those beautiful houses in La Havana, built together by sugar plantation owners. Oh, annoying fact remains that those houses were built by negroes who did not earn a rotcentavo and lead a slave existence. Architecturally a feast for the eyes, for a connoisseur like you.
The fact that health care in Cuba is considered the best in the world and that Americans fly to Havana via the Canada route for a complicated and infeasible eye operation in the US, you always omit in your anti-Cuba stories for the sake of convenience. Don't get me wrong (which you undoubtedly already do) but the blessings of capitalism, you should look for the record in Haiti. Just for journalistic balance, just for fun. And don't delete this comment. If you do that, you may be able to start immediately at the censor commission in Cuba.
kind regards to you and the Rotary,
Color
Wow, you all know it so well. I know better than anyone that life for Cubans now, but also in the past, is/was hell. I have mentioned this in more than 500 stories. I wrote about the black market, corruption and meager daily life. In fact, I was not really welcome, but was tolerated because of my then father-in-law. Don't tell me I don't know and haven't written about how things went and are going in Cuba. Healthcare is absolutely shitty, due to a lack of medicines and about those eye operations I can also tell you unpleasant stories. Cuba is a clear example of mismanagement caused by communism. I am well informed about the situation in Haiti and the other part of Hispaniola, the Dominican Republic.
And apparently my subtle irony was lost on you, too.
Perhaps for the sake of completeness: I was invited by the club who wanted to hear my story. It could also have been a football club (cricket is perhaps too elitist again, golf is not an option either). In fact, I wasn't going to report it, but at Khun Peter's request, I did anyway.
If you want to know how things are going in Cuba, read my stories in the then VNU dailies. I hate people who sit in a resort on the island and then say they've been to Cuba. Get to know everyday life and stop talking about the US embargo, which only serves as a pussy for the Cuban government. I'm almost getting excited...
Always funny to see how some American airlines don't even put the island of Cuba on the map, I'm talking about the route map in the inflight magazine. Caribbean just without Cuba. Sea only!
Hans, we digress. This is a Thailand blog. We have quite a difference of opinion. Does not matter. Later on…
You're right, but you hit a nerve. The agreement between Cuba and Thailand? The empty shelves in the store. The difference? In Thailand they will be refilled at some point.
I can't resist Bos, the shelves in San Salvador and Port au Prince are always full. For the small club who can afford to 'shop' there
A question: does the blog also have a moderator and if so, can he not intervene more often?
Hans writes that he told a story at a meeting for the rotary in hua hin.
We then have a whole discussion about why he has been abroad so often, about health care in Cuba, about possible and impossible eye operations in Cuba, about beautiful houses built by slaves that were never paid for, about empty shelves in san salvador and port au prince.
People what is all this about.
The blog contains many interesting stories, but also a lot of nagging from a group of commenters who always know better or are happy to take someone else out.
Therefore moderator, keep the blog interesting and readable and intervene more often.
Hans is moderator and he only intervenes on this blog if the discussion threatens to get out of hand. I admit that some of the comments had little to do with the topic of the posting. I take your criticism to heart and will intervene sooner if necessary. Hopefully the reviewers will stick to that plan as well.
Hans, good piece and forget all those know-it-alls……stay cool and…..Venlo Alaaf…..!!! (Followed by making a long nose!!!)
Keep it up…..I love what you all are doing!!!
Dear Jocusse and Jocusinne… Those were the days. I wrote under the name Victor Kall on Wednesdays at the time
Hans, I think it's a good piece, you always have those know-it-alls who know better [or think] you know the best helmsmen are ashore. Especially when asked what do you mean by otherwise.!
What also struck me was that people began to doubt your credibility, that you were able to visit so many countries. I'd say F… you
Thank you. I don't need to flaunt it, because it is what it is.
Wonderful once again "Dutch at its narrowest"
Yes, hahaha.
And in all those countries, out of the airport, into the hotel, into the office, and finally back to the airport.
That's a nice Hansy: refuge!
I keep that in.
I was happy to read something other than water, water, water, water and even S water with the well-known problems surrounding that now filthy mass around and in Bangkok.
just an everyday story by Hans Bos.
Can't you?
and then the comments!
boy young .
can someone just write something about what he or she has experienced in life?
should it all be weighed that way?
it will be fine.
no one gives someone else a day the light in the eyes, right?
Hans please continue writing, next time about the round table I was once a member of!
now one of the 3 moderators still has to approve this.
Hans continues to write neatly, about Cuba, about Zambia, about Thailand. There are hundreds of similarities and the rotary and related elements are also present here.
good piece by the way about press freedom in Thailand 2 days ago on the Thaivisa site .... worth reading . gives you an idea where we live or where we go on holiday .
In the past I sometimes commented on an article by Hans Bos.
Of course not posted.
Never offended anyone. No harsh words used.
Now he comes with a great story. 20 years as a journalist/reporting editor
daily newspaper for North Limburg. Of course you travel all over the world for such a daily newspaper.
Answer later that he also worked for VNU dailies. Of course because
all those world trips could never be financed by such a small daily newspaper.
Writes himself (I'm just not the social type). Was married to the daughter of Che's former bodyguard (with respect, Ernesto) Guevara and van
Fidel. You've been in journalism for 40 years now. What kind of story did you keep there
you don't talk about. Show some of your amazing work you've done.
Of course you can never go to Cuba or parts of South America again in your life.
If I had to deal with Che and Fidel's bodyguards, it must be whole
be dangerous to you.
Cor.
Cor, I don't think you learned anything from the discussion. If you have a problem with the stories on this blog or with the writers, don't come to this blog.
I, and many with me, are not waiting for this kind of reaction.
I want to read the first story and not the 20 subsequent comments that add nothing.
If, based on the latest reactions, as in this case, I have to pick up a story 20 times that is not relevant and partly oozes hatred or pedantry (or what do I call it), then I get annoyed. , to waste my time and then this blog is no longer necessary for me.
And I'm afraid the same goes for others. That would be a pity because the blog provides a lot of information and interesting stories.
Perhaps the role of the moderator can be expanded. Hans Bos wrote that the moderator now only intervenes if things threaten to get out of hand. Perhaps it could be added that he also pays attention to whether the responses have added value and are relevant. Because that way we keep a good and readable blog. Good luck with it.
Dear Aad, I find it interesting all those sour reactions. Nice Dutch. Head above ground level? Off! Putting 'that's how it is and no different' too appropriately and especially inappropriately. Black and white. All stories about flooding, in which the reactions (and sometimes articles) echo 'with the Dutch at the helm we would never have had this problem'. Stories about which corner of Bangkok has an ATM where you can withdraw money for free, followed by hundreds of reactions. The endless discussions about Thai women; are they gold diggers or not, where everyone's personal situation is proclaimed as a general truth.
It offers me a bit of an exclusive view of the current Dutch mentality, which I can't get in many other places. It's a bit like watching the Jerry Springer show at times; somehow it's fascinating, but the really satisfying feeling comes from turning the knob, stepping back and getting back to your own concerns.
I hope my response adds some value and is relevant!
@Aad, an editorial team with a moderator like you have in mind, would most likely not have published this piece, due to the lack of the 'added value' you mentioned. The piece adds nothing and is not even about Thailand. The writer happens to live in Thailand and that Rotary meeting could just as easily have taken place in Disneyland.
The fact that the discussion that arises is not about Thailand is a direct consequence of this…
And with that I assume the last word has been said on this topic and close the discussion (as acting moderator).