THIS MONTH
Villa Market Total Shopping Experience Comes to Hua Hin
Villa Market has been Bangkok’s leading natural and organic food supermarket since 1974. With eleven branches in the capital, and one in Pattaya, Villa is now bringing its unique reputation and commitment to Hua Hin, where it wants to become a part of the local community and serve as your neighbourhood grocery store. Villa opened its doors here at HuaHin on 7 July 2008. by soi 84, near San Paolo Hospital on Petchkasem Road. Thirty-four years ago people in Bangkok went grocery shopping in open-air markets, mom-and-pop shops or one of the few air-conditioned stores. None,
however, provided the local community with imported food items until Villa, founded by Surapong Poosanakhom in 1974, opened its first store on Sukhumvit Soi 33. At that time the local community was growing, and an increasing number of foreign company staff were settling with their families in the Sukhumvit area. Both local people and foreigners quickly discovered that Villa Market offered a wide selection of imported foods, which were virtually impossible to find elsewhere. Villa also introduced a policy of strict quality control so ensuring the freshest and healthiest of local meat, seafood and organic fruit and vegetables. Villa also considers it has a part to play in the bigger environmental picture. During the past year much has been seen and heard about the use of ‘eco-friendly’ tote bags. However, it is not generally realised that Villa Market introduced reusable cotton bags as long ago as 1996, so taking the initiative in discouraging the use of plastic shopping bags and contributing to a cleaner Bangkok. Villa now gives a free bag to customers spending 2,000 baht, while other stores have similar bags on sale. The Villa team believes passionately in providing their customers with the very best and widest choice of quality products and services. This is combined with the store’s friendly community appeal and sincere customer service that only a progressive family-owned store can provide. A tradition of creating a total shopping experience largely accounts for Villa’s continuing prosperity in the current era of impersonal mega-stores. A customer was once heard to say that he disliked all forms of shopping, except at Villa Market. Villa Market is much more than just another supermarket. It exudes a very special community atmosphere and, above all, brings you the taste of home. Khomapstr Villa, soi 84, Hua Hin.
The big clean up
Here’s proof that DIY (Do It Yourself) really can work. Three local residents took action recently in a successful effort to clean up their neighbourhood near Khao Tao. Exasperated with totally inadequate drainage and fed up with builder’s garbage being dumped along their access road, they finally decided to take action. After some planning, they went to work with eight labourers, one excavator, a dumpster, a road grader, plus other hand equipment and materials. A water pipe-line that amazingly had been run across builder’s rubble and garbage
and connected from inside one other property to a new house was carefully disconnected, then re-laid underground and re-connected from the house to a proper water mains outlet. Warning signs in Thai and English were then attached above properly buried underground pipes. All unsightly garbage that had been dumped along a 250 metres long stretch of road was also removed, and the area completely cleaned up. The local residents, who worked tirelessly for two days from 7am to 3pm each day, paid for the clean-up themselves at a cost of approximately 20,000 baht. One of the farang residents said, “The roadside all along the cemetery wall to Petchkasem Road has never looked as presentable as it does now. We also excavated the mouths of a big blocked culvert drain crossing our soi and cleaned it out.”
Labourers supplied by a representative of the project developer turned up late withbrooms and rakes and worked for only four hours, according to residents who were not impressed with them. “They were virtually useless and skived off all day”, said one. “They had no foreman could not follow simple instructions in Thai, and we had to lend them proper tools for the job. My cat could scratch a bigger hole than these guys and the tools they brought with them.” Water pressure has been a problem in the area for many years, and now there are more and more houses going up. “I can p**s harder than the maximum of 6 PSI we have been getting!” said another resident. “Some of the developermaintained houses in the estate do not have any water tanks on their property lots, and this is perhaps one major cause of the water main pressure problems. “Residents have recently been told that there will be new charges for water pump supply and maintenance, but not how charges will be allocated or measured. For many years the developer has been paying one resident’s electricity bill to cover this.The representative of the project developer was asked to write to all residents informing them about these new charges, rather than telling one or two of us about it and then expecting us to pass it on. We are expecting him to address all the residents about this in the near future. “The right idea, of course, as previously agreed by most residents, is to add an automatic switch and small holding tank at the wellhead, and then bill maintenance and electricity to each of us according to water usage. Most of us are happy to do that. We are also negotiating to get the drainage and road surface up to a reasonable standard, and are willing to make contributions if the job is finally done properly.”
Olymic Games
World War II, which spread into Asia, prevented the Games of 1940 (earmarked for Tokyo) and 1944 (London) from taking place. But London was a good option for the first post-war Summer Olympics of 1948 because most of its existing (1908) facilities had amazingly remained intact in spite of the ‘blitz’. Nevertheless, these were the ‘austerity’ Games where competitors were housed in huts. The undisputed heroine was the ‘Flying Dutchwoman’ Fanny Blankers-Koen who collected 4 gold medals in the 100 metres, 200m, 80 metres hurdles and sprint relay, as 17-year-old Bob Mathias (USA) won his first of two (1948/1952) Decathlon titles, and the concert pianist Micheline Ostermeyer of France snapped up golds in the Shot and Discus events. Harrison Dillard failed to make the American team for the sprint hurdles, even though he was world record holder, but, by finishing third in the 100 metres sprint in the US Olympic trials, he went to London in that event instead. Guess what? He proceeded to win the 100 metres final at Wembley, and went on to claim the 110m hurdles crown four years later at Helsinki in 1952! It was here that Czechoslovakia’s Emile Zatopek (29) won the 5000 and 10,000 metres and then went on to take the Marathon title in his debut at the 42.2km distance – an amazing feat of endurance running that has yet to be equalled. Zatopek’s wife Dana also won the Women’s Javelin on the same day (24 July) that her husband took the 5000 metres: the first husband and wife team to win gold medals at any Games. And get this – they were also born on the very same day - 19 September 1922! What are the odds against that ever happening again in Olympic history? The mighty USSR entered the fray for the first time at Melbourne in 1956 and shaded out the Americans in the medal chart. A stocky Ukrainian sailor named Vladimir Kuts ground down all his opponents in the 5000 and 10,000 metres and Al Oerter (USA) won the first of four successive Discus titles. We now know that this was the first Olympics where anabolic steroids were used – mainly by American weightlifters. The Soviet Union dominated again in 1960 when the Olympics came to Rome where 5,346 competitors took part in the blistering Italian sunshine. The majestic Herb Elliott of Australia ran away from his opposition in the 1500 metres, winning in world record time, and the graceful black American sprinter Wilma Rudolph took three gold medals. Winner of the light heavyweight Boxing title was ‘The Louisville Lip’ (Cassius Clay), later to become the mighty Muhammad Ali, probably the most famous name in all sport. Female fans swooned over their idol Livio Berruti who raced away with the 200 metres title wearing shades. Depending on your viewpoint, he was either a shamelessItalian poser or the coolest dude on the planet. There was also tragedy: in the 175 km Cycling event Knut Jensen of Denmark collapsed and died from a combination of the excessive heat and a cocktail of stimulant drugs. The Games were held in Asia for the first time in 1964 at Tokyo. Bob Hayes (USA) ran 10 seconds flat in the 100 metres, and Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia became the first man to retain the Marathon title. This time he wore shoes – in Rome he had raced barefooted, and on both occasions he had set a new world best for the distance. The burly New Zealander Peter Snell added golds at 800 and 1500 metres to the 800 title he had surprisingly won in Rome four years earlier, and Brits amazingly won both Long Jump golds, though Lynn Davies and Mary Rand, who set a world record in spite of jumping into a stiff headwind. The Games were controversially awarded to Mexico City in 1968, where the 2,300 metres (7,546 feet) of altitude adversely affected all the endurance competitions whilst boosting performances in explosive events. Most memorably, the gangly Bob Beamon (USA) bounded out
to 8.90 metres in the Long Jump to set a world record that lasted 23 years and an Olympic record that still stands 40 years later. But tragedy again lurked in the shadows: around 300 protesting students were massacred by security forces just before the Opening Ceremony, and passions were further enflamed by a ‘Black Power’ demonstration at the 200m victory ceremony by Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos. Britain’s David Hemery smoothed to a world record of 48.12 seconds in the 400 metres hurdles and Bob Seagren (USA) finally won a long and tiring Pole Vault competition prior to a lucrative career as a TV soap opera star. The unknown Naftali Temu won Kenya’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in the 10,000 metres as Australia’s valiant Ron Clarke, who set 21 world records during a brilliant career, collapsed and was administered oxygen – defeated by the high altitude. Terrorists hit Munich in 1972 (see True Crimes) where American swimmer Mark Spitz took away seven gold medals. Lasse Viren, the ‘Flying Finn’ won a distance double at 5 and 10km, the latter in world record time even after crashing to the track on the 11th lap. Soviet Luydmila Bragina set world records in her heat, semi-final and final of the first-ever Olympic women’s 1500 metres, and 16-year-old Ulrike Meyfarth (West Germany) took the High Jump; she won again 12 years later at Los Angeles at the grand old age of 28. Uganda’s John Akii- Bua (one of 42 children of a tribal chief!) broke Hemery’s world record in the 400 metres hurdles despite the handicap of racing in the inside lane. Kip Keino (Kenya) added the steeplechase to the 1500 metres gold he had won in Mexico City. In the latter event, he collected silver after being out-sprinted at the finish by Finland’s Pekka Vasala. The Games at Montreal in 1976 incurred such massivefinancial cost that local taxpayers spent over 25 years paying off the debt. Cuba provided the star as Alberto Juantorena won an unprecedented double at 400 and 800 metres, breaking the world record in the longer event. The amazing Viren repeated his track victories at Munich before going on to place 5th in the Marathon. Irena Szewinska (Poland) set a world record over 400 metres, and Tatyana Kazankina (USSR) scored an 800/1500 metres double. The great Ed Moses (USA) emerged with his first world record at 400 metres hurdles, and went on to completely dominate the event with a winning streak of 109 races stretching over 9 years, 9 months and 9 days. Many African nations refused to attend in protest at New Zealand’s Rugby players touring South Africa, which had been cast out of the Olympic movement in 1963 for a policy of racial segregation. Politics again devalued the 1980 Moscow Olympics when many western nations, led by US President Jimmy Carter, boycotted due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Two superb British middle distance runners (Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett) grabbed all the headlines as they duelled in the 800 and 1500 metres and the USSR bagged 80 gold medals – one for each nation taking part. Miruts Yifter of Ethiopia completed a track distance double and Cuba’s great Teofilo Stevenson took his third successive Heavyweight Boxing title. Once again, he refused all offers from western promoters to turn professional. After Montreal’s experience, the Games were now a financial liability, and Los Angeles (again) somewhat reluctantly agreed to host the world’s greatest sporting show in 1984. But an astute businessman named Peter Ueberoth turned the Olympics into a massive profit-maker amid scenes of chauvinistic fervour, fanned by American TV. Most eastern bloc countries (except Romania) stayed away in yet another political titfor- tat boycott. The prevailing memory of the 1984 Games is of local heroine Mary Decker tangling legs with Zola Budd, the teenage South African who was fast-tracked to British citizenship for the 3000 metres event. Slaney collapsed screaming in pain as Maricica Puica of Romania out-sprinted Wendy Smith-Sly (GBR) for the gold medal, and Budd faded back to 7th place. Sprinter/Jumper Carl Lewis (USA) emulated Jesse Owens with four gold medals including the first of four successive titles in the Long Jump. Lewis was never bothered
by modesty. He said, “I am Frederick Carlton Lewis of the United States of America;
the greatest athlete of all time. And there is only one person I answer to – the Lord.”
That and other similar comments probably backfired on him: as gymnast Mary
Lou Retton beamed her way to lucrative endorsement contracts with Wheaties and McDonalds, Lewis was left out in the corporate cold. Joan Benoit (USA) won the first Women’s Olympic Marathon, and Seb Coe became the first man in Games history to retain the 1500 metres title. Today, he is Lord Coe, largely responsible for the organisation of the 2012 Games to be held in London for a record third time. A massive drug scandal overshadowed the Olympics at Seoul in 1988. Canada’s Ben
Johnson sprinted to a world record of 9.79 sec in the 100 metres, leaving Carl Lewis
well behind, but failed his mandatory drugs test afterwards and fled home to Toronto
in disgrace. Florence Griffith-Joyner (USA) took three gold medals and twice broke
the world record in the 200 metres. Sadly, she died on 21 September 1998, aged just
38. Flo-Jo’s relative, Jackie Joyner-Kersee triumphed in the Heptathlon (world record
of 7,291 points) and also won the Long Jump with a Games record. South Africa was welcomed back at Barcelona in 1992, where a ‘Unified’ team of former Soviet states won 45 golds. The lanky Kevin Young (USA) demolished his rivals in the 400 metres hurdles, setting an awesome world record of 46.78 seconds which has never been approached in 16 years. Linford Christie became the third Briton (and oldest man at age 32) to win the 100 metres, and ‘Essex girl’ Sally Gunnell ran away with the 400 metres hurdles. The great Michael Johnson (USA) scored an unprecedented double at Atlanta in 1996, winning the 200 and 400 metres, the former in world record time, and he came back to retain his one-lap title at Sydney in September 2000 where the local heroine was Australia’s 400m star Kathy Freeman, who became the first Aborigine to win an individual Olympic gold medal. On the field, world record holderJan Zelezny (Czech Rep) claimed his third successive Javelin title, and American sprinter/jumper Marion Jones made Games history by taking five medals, including golds in the 100, 200 and 4x400 metres relay. Hailed as the queen of the Sydney Games, she later confessed (as part of a plea bargain deal) to being on a potent drug regime for years, and was retrospectively stripped of her medals, even though she never once tested positive on over 160 occasions. China’s Liu Xiang was a portent of things to come when the Games returned to Athens in 2004. He skimmed over the high barriers to equal Colin Jackson’s world record in the 110 metres hurdles as his rivals struggled well behind. Liu will have enormous pressure on him to win again on home soil at Beijing. Morocco’s prince of middle distance, Hicham El Guerrouj, joined Paavo Nurmi as winner of both the 1500 and 5000 metres titles at one Olympics. At the mature age of 34, Britain’s Kelly Holmes became the third woman to win an 800/1500 metres double, and for that the Queen made her a Dame. The greatest sporting show on earth has grown in all areas, including sports, expense, and media coverage. The Games were first shown on TV in 1948, when a few Londoners where able to watch images from Wembley Stadium on tiny flickering monochrome screens. At Melbourne in 1956, the television rights were sold for$1,800 US. Only Australians were able to watch the events as they happened. That, of course, was well before satellites circling the globe in outer space could be tasked to beam all the action live to viewers worldwide. At Athens in 2004, the TV rights went for over 5 billion US dollars, with profits split between the host city and the IOC. As the summer Games have been awarded to Asia for only the third time since 1896, and to the world’s largest nation, it is expected that half the world’s population of 6
billion people will be watching the action in Beijing this year. And to many Chinese,
who thrive on colourful and elaborate pageantry, the opening ceremony will be more important than any of the sporting events which follow.
Death in Hua Hin
Yes, it is a subject we would rather not think about, but have you ever
considered how to proceed if a relative or close friend of yours (not a Thai) dies in this city? This information may be of interest to a Thai married to a foreigner or foreigners wishing to be prepared for the inevitable. It is best to be aware of the potential minefield that you face. A long-time resident of Hua Hin has drawn up the following procedure for us which may be of interest to you: 1. Call Hua Hin Police 032 511 027 or Hua Hin Tourist Police 1699. They will come to the home and do forensics 2. Have the body taken to Hua Hin Mortuary. They freeze the body for two days. (Cost 4,000 baht) 3. Hua Hin Mortuary send the body to Bangkok Police General Hospital (Check the address but it may be Ang Gee Doo Nang Road / Junction Rama 1 Road and Ratcha Damri Road) for post mortem. (Cost: 4,000 baht for transport) 4. Get a letter from the deceased’s Embassy authorising you to collect the body from Bangkok Police General Hospital. The Embassy has to contact the next of kin which takes about two weeks if they are overseas 5. Get a Post Mortem certificate from Bangkok Police General Hospital 6. Take the Embassy Letter and Post Mortem certificate to Hua Hin Police Station 7. Hua Hin Police write a document summarising all details of the Post Mortem results and the Embassy letter. They photocopy these details and give you a copy 8. Take the Post Mortem Certificate,
Embassy Letter and Hua Hin Police document to the Hua Hin District Office (in the Tourist Information Centre at the junction of Petchkasem Road and Damnoern Kasem Road, beside the Red Cross centre). They will issue the Death Certificate 9. Take copies of the Post Mortem Certificate, Embassy Letter, Hua Hin Police document and the Death Certificate to the coffin shop. This is at the north end of Sra Song Road, through the arch then the first soi on the right. They will sell you: (a) candles (100 baht); (b) trinkets (40 baht); (c) A coffin (5,000 baht); and also pick up the body. (This will cost you 4,000 baht to collect it from Bangkok Police General Hospital and bring it to Hua Hin) 10. Bangkok Police General Hospital will inject the body to stop it smelling. Cost: 3,500 baht. They will also wrap the body in a plastic bag for another 500 baht 11. Take the Post Mortem Certificate, Embassy Letter, Hua Hin Police document and the Death Certificate to Bangkok Police General Hospital and the coffin shop will be allowed to bring the body back to Wat Hua Hin 12. You must provide a framed photograph of the deceased to be displayed on the coffin. Cost: 500 baht 13. A flower seller in the Wat will supply flowers at the whopping cost of 10,000 baht! He does this without consulting you, and will then present you with the bill after the event. It may be worth while to find this man BEFORE the body is delivered to the Wat and tell him how many flowers you want and agree a total price
14. The monks at Wat Hua Hin try to persuade you to leave the body with them for at least five days. This is because the longer you leave the body, the more money they get. Tell the monks you only want to leave the body for three daysor even less. Each night four Monks do the chanting. This costs you 100 baht per monk per night 15. On the day of the cremation between 14 and 17 Monks do the chanting. The cost is again 100 baht per monk 16. The Wat will provide ‘crackers’ (small oil soaked pieces of wood) for each mourner to put in the fire. Cost: 500 baht 17. Cremation fee is 4,400 baht 18. The Wat will provide food for the mourners on the day of the cremation. Cost: 380 baht 19. After the cremation, pay the Temple boys for cleaning up. Cost: 500 baht 20. After the cremation, pay two women for cleaning up. Cost: 300 baht 21. Pick up the ashes the day after the cremation and collect the Cremation Certificate. You must buy your own urn 22. Get the Death Certificate translated into English. Cost: 4,475 baht. Make a copy of the translation and send the original to the lawyer who will be executing the WillTotal Cost: 45,095 bahtNOTE: At all stages of the
procedure, the Passport and Birth Certificate of the deceased may be required and should therefore be carried at all times.
Wine Rack
Former rock singer Kevin wood tells us here about how he was inspired to visit
provence in the south of france by the ridley scott movie, ‘a year in provence’. he also just happens to be something of a wi ne buff , and when he discovered bonnieux,
in the luberon region, and the vineyards of the chateau la canorque, he felt that he was surely in heaven. here he tells us about the wi ne-making process there. In 2006 Oscar winners Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard stared in a movie directed by Ridley Scott, which also co-stared veteran actor Albert Finney and young stars Freddie Highmore and Abbie Cornish. The movie was adapted from author Peter Mayle’s best-selling novel about a Londonbased investment broker who relocates to Provence in hop
es of selling a small vineyard he has inherited from his recently-deceased uncle. It’s hard to believe that this romantic comedy with such a prestigious cast, director and author would not do well at the box office but that was the case. I saw the movie and personally thought that it was very entertaining and was an excellent example of a good romantic comedy. For me the real star of the movie was it’s location in Provence (the south of France) so much so that I decided to take my next holiday there; and being a lover of the vine only encouraged this idea. It’s said that the best wines are produced in the most beautiful, idyllic and tranquil settings and when you arrive in Bonnieux; in the Luberon region of the south of France, you couldn’t wish for a more perfect location. The air is filled with the scent of lavender, and cherry trees; heavy with deep red and black cherries, dominate the landscape. Bonnnieux is a sleepy little village set on a hillside and if you stand in front of the old church at the top of the hill you can see to your left the small hamlet of Lacoste with the ruins of an ominous looking castle at its peak that was once owned by the Marquis de Sade and is now owned by designer Pierre Cardin. You can also see (some 12 kilometers right in front of you) the fortress town of Gordes and about3 kilometers away in the valley below rests the vineyard of the Château La Canorque; the vineyard that was featured in the movie. Everything about the area with its array of flora and fauna indicated that any wine produced here would surely be a delight to the palette. I was also eager to gargle, spit and most importantly swallow a bottle or ten but I also wanted to find out more about the Château La Canorque’s wine-making process. I was delighted to find the first person I saw as I wandered by the vines at the side of Château was a small, attractive young woman wearing a white-laced, cotton, full length skirt and matching top. All that was missing were the gossamer wings and she could have been mistaken for the fairy of the vines (and this was before I’d tasted the wine!) I approached and asked if I could talk to someone in charge and to my delight she was in fact the very person I’d wanted to see. Her name was Nathalie (Margan). She was the winemaker’s daughter who took care of the everyday running of the place - so I hadn’t been wrong when I thought she was the fairy of the vine. Nathalie was extremely intelligent, well traveled and spoke several languages including Arabic, but was more than content to stay down on the farm (as it were). In the two hours we spent chatting I was impressed by her confident, laid back, friendly demeanor and her knowledge of the vine. Nathalie went on to tell me that the Châteaux La Canorgue is a small family winery (30hl/ha) built on the sight of an ancient Roman villa and has been the family business for some 200 years and organic for the past 25 years. No chemical pesticides are used - only manure and natural preparations, such as mint, pine tree, nettles, equisetum and guano (bat pooh). Some of the wines are matured in the old part of the cellar which dates back to the 17th century, in the best oak barrels made especially for them by master cask makers Dominique Laurent and Robert Parker. Nathalie made it clear that the low yield and small area of vineyard is more dedicated to producing a select and good quality wine than becoming part of the ‘easy money’ market. This strategy has paid dividends, winning them the prestigious award ‘Concours General Agricole de Paris’ amongst many others and believe me the walls were full of them, as well as a stack she showed me that were piled up behind the bar. Their wine is highly recommended by Hachette, Gault Millau and Dussert Gerber wine guides and many wine magazines. Nathalie chatted away as she showed me around the vines explaining how precarious the business of organic wine growing was, that her small team of workers (some twelve people in all) were dedicated and aware like herself that love, care, constant attention, patience and mother natures kindness were all major ingredients. I rubbed the thick, mud like, sandy soil between my fingers and stroked the waxy, silk like leaves of the vine as I listened and couldn’t help but think how refreshing it was that in these fast paced times, where everyone wants everything NOW there are still a few people who care enough about their environment to live with the natural balance of nature and are patient enough to wait for the rewards. I needed a drink and Nathalie happily obliged me, pouring hearty drafts of all the vineyards products and explaining as we sampled. That the Château La Canorque produces 7 different wines; red AOC Cotes du Luberon, a blend of syrah, Grenache and old vine of Garigan which is matured for 4 to 6 months in oak casks, it has an expressive and complex nose, the palette is well balanced, round and powerful with very silky tannins. Rose AOC Cotes de Luberon the nose has a large aromatic richness of citrus fruits and wild strawberry. It’s ample, elegant and fresh.
The white AOC cotes do Luberon is a blend of Bourboulence, Clairette, Roussanne and Marsanne with a smell of white flowers and exotic fruits with a rich palette and fat with a good acidity. The first white Vin de Pays (Canorgue Viognier) is 100% Viognier with a fruity nose, a rich palette, ample fat and fresh. The second white red Vin de Pays (Canorque Chardonnay) is 100% Chardonnay is matured in oak barrels for 4 months with some ‘batonnage’. A complex wine with a round and fat palette. The red Vin de Pays prestige is a merlot, Carbernet and Syrah blend garage wine that
spends a couple of months aging in oak barrels (demi-muids). It’s got a long, fat and
powerful taste with lots of character with hints of chocolate and coffee. Lastly comes Duce Canorque, the grapes Roussanne and Marssanne harvested in November in an extremely low yield as you would imagine. It’s a very mellow wine low in alcohol (11.5%) and high in sugar content. The wonderful nectar has a crisp taste with quince and honey notes. Now if the descriptions above go over your head a little, don’t worry; your in good company, I love wine but I am by no means a wine aficionado all I know is red wine with red meat, white wine with white meat and if it tastes good chug; or sip away! I’m only glad that Nathalie was giving me the information and I was taking notes as she did, because she wasn’t the only fairy of the vine that I was seeing by the time the wine tasting was done. My personal favorites were the Duce Canorgue and the red Cotes du Luberon 2004, several of which I ordered to bring home with me (most didn’t make it home; I drank them before I left France). I asked Nathalie how she felt about ‘A Good Year’ being made at the Châteaux and what effect it had had on business. She said she’d worried about coach loads of tourists disturbing the vines and disrupting the peacefulness of the area. She had been very concerned; even passionate that the balance of nature stayed as it had been and grateful that (for the most part) it did, she also said that Ridley Scott was ‘very nice’ and unaffected by his status (he has a home in the area). I left the Château La Canorque happy and content, if not a little wobbly (thank god I’d taken notes). I concluded that if a wine is produced in a tranquil and idyllic setting and tended to with love and care by a handful of dedicated people using only mothernature friendly methods, then the Château La Canorque was a fine example of how good a wine can be. The wines of the Châteaux La Canorgue are exclusive yet the prices are reasonable, should you wish to know more you can check out their web sight at: chateaucanorque.margan@wanadoo.fr
BANGKOK BUZZ
“Friends” An oil painting exhibition by Preeda Wiraprapanporn, Napaporn Panijaranai Bernier, Patcharee Teopanichakit, Chuenpit Sukosit and Saisamorn Nasomphan, 1-31 August, 2008. ‘Friends’ is a group exhibition of five Thai lady artists who have been painting together for over 5 years in the Freedom of Art Group’96. Although every artist has their own style and use of media, their work is tied together by their choice of subject matter. The artists have a strong joint passion for beautiful nature and in particular flowers. Their mainly realistic work breathes calm and depth that makes you want to stand still and enjoy. Individually the artists participated in several group exhibitions and they joined the Thai Red Cross Society Exhibition for the Queen in August every year. The exhibition ‘Friends’ will be the artists’ first group exhibition in this formation. To mark this special occasion the artists will donate part of the proceeds of the exhibition to their teacher’s Art Library of Mr.Samarn Klangjaturat in Chaiyaphum province. Preeda Wiraprapanporn started water color paintings in her secondary school, and afterwards joined porcelain painting and several oil painting classes with Mr.Samarn Klungchaturat. And Assoc.Prof. Prateep Sawangsuk. Her last one was at Silpako
rn University. Napaporn Panijaranai Bernier, a Jewelry and movie costume designer from profession, first studied oil painting under Mr. Samarn Klungchaturat, and oil color paintings at Mater Dei School. Patcharee Teopanichkit’s art interest started when she was very young with pencil sketching and drawing. Later she attended several courses on oil painting by Ms.Renoo Osathanukroh and Mr.Samarn Klangjaturat. Chuenpit Sukosit has had a heart for drawing ever since she was a child, but had no chance to proceed with her dream until she was 56 years old.
From then she joined several painting classes, including painting classes with Mr. Samarn Klungchaturat. Saisamorn Nasomphan, educated in Law, started to paint full time after she retired from her career. She studied painting at Suan Dusit Rajabhat University and joined classes with Mr.Samarn Klungchaturat. The opening reception will be held onFriday 1st August from 6:30-9:00 pm The Rotunda Gallery & the Garden Galleries are at the Neilson Hays Library, 195 Surawong Road, Bangkok (Tel. 02 233 1731) and it’s opening hours are: Tuesday-Sunday 9.30 am - 5.00 pm. ‘Plant a Tree today’ Tree planting begins at forest restoration project at wildlife rehabilitation centre in Petchburi. The project will restore a degraded forest to provide wildlife habitat and enable research and education on forest restoration practices On 16 July PATT (Plant A Tree Today) Foundation’s forest restoration project at a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Petchburi, Thailand, had its first tree planting event. School children, monks, governmental officers, local villagers, PATT and wildlife centre staff all got their hands dirty and helped to plant over 2,500 trees during the first of many planned planting events to be held at this site. The restored forest area that will come from the newly-planted trees will provide habitat for local wildlife and animals being rehabilitated at the adjacent wildlife centre. The site will also be used as an educational resource for visiting school groups and other interested parties. The 2,500 trees were grown onsite in a purpose built nursery and form part of a long term project funded by UAP Ltd, a prominent UK based specialist supplier of Decorative Door Hardware and related products. UAP has committed to offsetting its carbon footprint by funding the planting of 50,000 trees in this 3 year project with PATT. The project began in mid-2007 with research on the local forest ecology and identification of important species which when planted will assist natural regeneration of the local forest. A Aphenology trail has been established to aid seed collection year round and collect data on potential framework species. The forest is a seasonally dry lowland deciduous tropical forest.
The Plant-A-Tree-Today Foundation, orPATT, is a non profit that implements reforestation programmes, provides environmental education and tackles climate change by restoring natural forests. PATT is a UK registered charity with an operational office in Thailand.
A forest, degraded by selective logging,
is being restored by planting essential
native tree species to facilitate the
natural regeneration of the forest. The
aim is to use the forest as a Gibbon
rehabilitation area providing semi-natural
conditions in the last step before the
animals are released back into the
wild. A tree nursery has already been
established to initiate and expand the
project over time and gain experience
and research data to assist with
propagation of the key tree species.
The project will provide a natural habitat
for rehabilitating wildlife and will create
environmental education opportunities.
The forest will also serve to restore
ecosystem stability to the area and
protect the watershed.
You can find out more about the project
here on: www.plant-a-tree-today.org/uap
About the PATT Foundation:
PATT was formed in 2005 with a
mission to react to problems caused
by the massive and increasing levels of
deforestation worldwide, raise awareness
and educate children about environmental
issues and the role forests play in our daily
lives, take action against climate change,
and to PLANT MORE TREES. PATT is a
UK registered charity with an operational
office in Bangkok, Thailand.
For further information, please contact:
Chris Doherty
PATT Foundation
Ph: 66 (0) 2 259 6255
chris@plant-a-tree-today.org
www.plant-a-tree-today.org
CLOWN ECKIE CHARITY SHOWS PROJECT
Clown Eckie is well known around Bangkok where he has been delighting children - and amusing parentsand teachers - with his appearances at nternational Schools, hotels and parties. He also performs regularly at a wide variety of charity events around Bangkok and all over Thailand. Clown Eckie moved to South East Asia eight years ago and has been working as a professional entertainer in Bangkok and other parts of Thailand ever since. He has also worked in Shanghai, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos and Burma. The move to Bangkok has been a good one for Eckie and he is now well established. Work in Bangkok has included long-term contracts at various five-star hotels, weekly shows at the world famous Shangri-La hotel for the last 3 years, and a busy schedule performing shows at family parties and many other events. As well as his commercial bookings, Eckie has been exploring ways to take his talents to a different audience, bringing a little humour and light-heartedness to people living in difficult circumstances, or without the advantages that many of us are lucky to enjoy. Over the past eight years, he has performed pro bono for charitable organizations throughout
Thailand. Back in 2003, Eckie was asked to perform for some of the children at a large orphanage in Bangkok. After the show - which was mostly in mime - one of the volunteer carers told him that thechildren were very concerned that he could not speak. Eckie was touched by this, but the volunteer followed on to tell him that all the children were suffering from AIDS and many would probably not be there to see his show next year. This thought made such an impression Eckie that he decided to devote much more of his time to bringing a little laughter to those children in Thailand whose lives may sometimes lack these simple pleasures. Clown Eckie’s fond memories from many charitable events now remind him how fortunate he is to be able to offer a simple gift - laughter. Donors - mainly local companies and a
few private individuals - regularly help Eckie by providing expenses for a great day of fun at no cost to venues that would not otherwise get the chance. To date, beneficiaries have included: children with HIV, orphans, children with physical or learning disabilities, children living in slums, and the children of refugee and migrant families. Of course the guardians, doctors, nurses, teachers, volunteer workers and parents always enjoy the silliness too. A message from Eckie: ‘Hello, I’m clown Eckie and I’ll be appearing regularly the Observer magazine. My charity work takes me to many interesting places all around Thailand and I constantly discover organisations doing excellent work with a wide variety of different groups of people
in need. I’m lucky to often meet special and committed individuals who devote a lot of time and energy to work which helps others. Over the coming months, I’ll be sharing some of these happy and interesting experiences with you, and letting you hear from not only staff, carers and volunteers, but also the people and children who benefit from these worthwhile projects.’Best wishes, ECKIE If you are interested in assisting Clown Eckie with charity work, here are a few things you could do to help: • Make donations of toys, toiletries, books, clothes or other useful goods and send to: Clown Eckie. 148/24 Sukhumvit Soi 22, Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110. Thailand.
• Tell Eckie about worthy groups or organisations that you think he could consider offering a free performance. • Pay the cost of a performance. This means that Eckie can make a firm commitment to your chosen show and will not accept any other bookings for that period. Sponsors often share the costs with a group of friends or work colleagues.
Hotel News
‘Mandara Signature Massage’
‘Mandara Signature Massage’ at a special price at Hua Hin Marriott Resort & Spa Hua Hin Marriott Resort & Spa is presenting a special ‘Mandara Signature Massage’ at a tempting price. This has been specially created for you to take your loved ones to a true ‘getaway’
destination. You can also unwind in a luxuriant tropical garden spa, acclaimed to
be the best in Hua Hin. Discover a world of relaxation and sensory pleasure as you enjoy a magnificent ‘Mandara Signature Massage’. This is an unforgettable spa experience including the ‘four hand massage’ which incorporates the thorough skills of two therapists working together in rhythmic harmony. The technique combines five different massage styles of Japanese Shiatsu, Thai Massage, Hawaiian Lomi Lomi, Swedish and Balinese massage. Performed using specially-blended massage essential oils of sandalwood, patchouli and ylang ylang, the gentle and healing hands of the therapists will help to calm the nervous system, warm and relax muscle tissue and promote the growth of healthy, new skin cells, ultimately resulting in total relaxation.
The special rate is only 3,800 baht net and is available from now until 31 August, 2008. For more information or reservations please call: (66) 32 511-881 ext: 1810, 1811
Hua Hin Hills Vineyard Tour and Dinner Hua Hin Marriott Resort and Spa has created an exclusive program specially designed to delight all guests with their ‘Vineyard Tour and Thai Set Dinner’ package. The weekly event consists of taking guests to view Hua Hin Hill vineyard and then dine at the hotel’s finest Thai restaurant, Sala Thai. Hua Hin Hills vineyard belongs to Siam Winery and is considered to be the most beautiful vineyard in Thailand.
Visitors can experience the newly opened Winery by joining the Marriott / Hua
Hin Hills Vineyard tour available every Tuesday. This is where you can relax and enjoy a 400 acre breath-taking landscape while tasting the various wines on offer. Participants can choose to spend a leisurely afternoon tasting wine and chatting with winemakers and/or can schedule a more informative winery tour where they can learn in detail the process that creates such exceptional Thai wine. Hua Hin Hills Vineyard is built on a former elephant corral - a sublime place where wild Asian elephants were domesticated. The terrain, comprising loamy-sand and slate, is conducive to the cultivation of grapes providing Hua Hin its first boutique vineyard. The ‘winery package’ is available every Tuesday from 2pm. onwards and is inclusive of transportation, wine tasting, vineyard tour and an authentic Thai set menu with matching wine for dinner at Salad Thai restaurant upon returning to the hotel. Tour prices start from 1,999++ per person. For more information and reservations Tel: (66) 32 511 881 Website: www.marriottdining.com
“LOVE YOU MUM” WITH JASMINE SPA TREATMENT @ THE SPA
Throughout the months of August, THE SPA at Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa is offering an unforgettable experience with Jasmine Spa Promotion which suit all skin types, even as sensitive as babies’! Price starts from Baht 2,500++ - Jasmine Milk Soak 30 minutes Delicate jasmine blossoms are strewn over the milky water in the Jacuzzi. - Jasmine Rice Body Polish 30 minutes Mixture of crushed Jasmine blossoms, Jasmine oil and Jasmine rice. Scrub fullbody to improve blood circulation and skin tone. - Balancing Jasmine Cocoon 60 minutes Jasmine is renowned for its balancing properties; it improves both skin tone and skin appearance. Combination of Jasmine essential and Thalco’s rich moisturizer will leave the skin velvety smooth. King of Essential Oils Gatherers will only work at night topick jasmines by hand. To get one pound or 0.45 kilogram of precious jasmine absolute or jasmine essence, about 1,000 pounds or 454.5 kilogram of jasmine flowers or over 3.5 million blossoms have to be yielded. Beauty benefits Jasmine essence benefits any skin type: dry , oily , irritated or sensitive. It inhibits bacteria and regulates oil production, thereby helping acne and oily skin. It also helps to moisturize dry, dehydrated or mature skin. Jasmine has played an important part in all grand perfumes, softening and smoothing cream or lotion.Emotional effects
Jasmine essence decreases anxiety, depression, nervous exhaustion and stress. Jasmine also has a strong affinity for the female reproductive system. It is a uterine
tonic and is valuable in relieving menstrual pain, in both abdomen and lower back.
For reservations, please contact Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa Tel: +66 (0) 3253 8999
SGA ‘Flexi'
T
he new service from SGA Airlines SGA Airlines, the first Air Link in Thailand, has now introduced ‘SGA Flexi’, a new fare service offering passengers FREE and UNLIMITED flexibility in flight changes. SGA Flexi will suit business persons whose every minute is essential, and also who might suddenly prefer another day’s flight to chill and relax at their holiday destination.
Passengers can change flight times without limit up to 3 hours before departure time within 90 days after the first booking. Also, up to 20 Kg checked baggage is allowed.
This SGA Flexi applies to all SGA routes. SGA ‘Flexi’ was available from July 1, 2008. For more information, please visit www.sga.co.th or SGA Call Center 02-664-6099 / www.nokair.com or Nok Air Call Center 1318 / SGA and Nok Air ticketing office at operating airports.
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