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The history of Doi Suthep
through music
Doi Suthep orchestra spellbinding
Gerard Krebs
The history of Doi Suthep was re-enacted through music
and dance last weekend at the CMU Convention Hall.
 Khun
In, star from the Thai movie ‘Hom Rong’, plays the ranaad. (Photo by
Vincent Leutwiler)
The colorful performances showing the history of Doi
Suthep were accompanied by Thai group Changsaton made up from CMU students
and graduates playing traditional Thai instruments, combined with classic
music played by the Doi Suthep Orchestra.
The orchestra, consisting of 12 violins, four cellos,
four clarinets, two tubas, two horns, one flute and one contrabass, produced
excitement in the audience, no matter which piece they played.
After several Thai songs and dances, Khun In, the actor
from the Thai movie ‘Hom Rong’ played several pieces on the
‘ranaad’, the Thai wooden xylophone, showing that he did not need a
musical ‘double’ for his part in this cinema.
The show continued with the orchestra playing several songs composed by
His Majesty the King.
All of
the dancers after the show. (Photo by Vincent Leutwiler)
The Chicago Jazz Quartet is coming
The Jazz Ambassadors to hold a public concert
Supattra Suttilagsana
The US Department of State and the Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. welcomes the public to concert
performances in Thailand featuring the 2004 Jazz Ambassadors ‘The Chicago
Jazz Quartet’.
 The
quartet was selected through a competition involving talented professional
musicians from across the United States to represent American music abroad
under the ‘Jazz Ambassadors’ program. The Chicago Jazz Quartet comprises
vocalist and trumpeter Matt Lewis, pianist Benjamin Lewis, bassist Lorin
Cohen, and drummer Michael Raynor.
The repertoire includes ‘Autumn Leaves’ by Joseph
Kosma and Johnny Mercer, ‘Smile’ by Charlie Chaplin, ‘Smoke Gets In
Your Eyes’ by Jerome Kern, ‘You Are the Sunshine Of My Life’ by Stevie
Wonder, and ‘What a Wonderful World’ by George Weiss and Bob Thiele.
The concert will be held on August 21 at 2.30 p.m. at
Television of Thailand (Channel 11) in Chiang Mai on Prachasamphan Road. To
reserve seating, free tickets are available on a first come, first served
basis by calling Television of Thailand (Channel 11) Chiang Mai at 053 283
742.
Mothers Day
at McCormick Hospital
Eric Rubin’s last tree
Marion Vogt
Just before leaving for Washington D.C., US Consul
General Eric Rubin spoke at the McCormick Hospital in Chiang Mai to
celebrate Mothers’ Day and took the opportunity to say good bye.
 US
Consul General Eric Rubin plants a ‘krajong tree’, while Dr. Boonthong
Poocharoen, president of Payap University, and many others look on.
The McCormick Hospital in Chiang Mai has a long history,
going back to 1889, when it was founded by Presbyterian missionaries. In
1892, Dr. McKean, the resident physician of what was called, at that time,
the American Mission Hospital, opened the region’s first facility for
leprosy patients, which has since become a separate institution called the
McKean Leprosy Rehabilitation Center. In 1925 a much larger building was
opened, funded by Chicago benefactor Mrs. McCormick and named after her.
Today the McCormick hospital treats about 40,000
outpatients per year and at least 19,000 patients are admitted for
treatment. In cooperation with Payap University, training programs for
nurses and laboratory technicians can be done, right through to a
Bachelor’s degree in Nursing and international medical students come for
up to three months to study tropical medicine. The Royal family also
supports the McCormick Hospital as Prince Mahidol, the King’s father and a
physician, practiced there.
Eric Rubin’s topic was the origins of Mothers Day and
why it is celebrated in almost every country. He quoted famous mothers like
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who once said, “If you bungle raising your
children, I don’t think whatever else you do well matters much.” Or
another very beautiful one by Kate Douglas Wiggin, “Most of the other
beautiful things in life come by twos and threes, by dozens and hundreds.
Plenty of roses, stars, sunsets, rainbows, brothers, sisters, aunts and
cousins, but we all have only one mother in the whole world.”
US Consul General Eric Rubin closed his speech with expressing the
warmest congratulations to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit on her Sixth Cycle
Birthday with hope for many more years of good health and happiness.
Swiss Carrot Cake, Pasta and Raclette
Swiss National Day at the Amari Rincome
Staff Reporters
How does it fit? A well known hotel in Chiang Mai with a
Dutch General Manager, a multi-lingual Thai Resident Manager who speaks
fluent Swiss-German and an Irish Executive Chef who speaks English as well,
celebrating the Swiss National Day.
Swiss
guests with Chef Adrian (from right) Martin Woodtli, MD from Baan
Kamlangchai; Adrian O’Herlihy, executive chef Amari Rincome Hotel; Charlie
and Serafina from Hod, Lucas Villiger, Darling Wine Bar; Marc Dumur,
Dominique Leutwiler with Desi, Alek and Dennis, Chanin (Jeff),resident
manger Amari Rincome; Armin Schoch and Khun Tim, La Gritta’s Restaurant
manager.
Looking at the pleased faces of guests who gathered
around the pool and in ‘La Gritta’, it must have fitted perfectly. The
relaxing get-together which is so typically Swiss had no long speeches
reminding the diners about the independence of the country from its previous
Austrian rulers, which started with the Grtli Pact of 1291. No, they
were left in peace to enjoy the delicatessen of the alpine country.
Chef Adrian had prepared an absorbing range of native Swiss cuisine,
keeping in mind that Swiss people do not only love good food, they also
appreciate beautifully decorated tables. The culinary range went from
‘Rippli’ (pork ribs) to ‘Zrcher Geschnetzeltes’ which was
traditionally served with hashed potatoes. ‘Ruebli Torte’, or as we know
it Swiss Carrot Cake, was not missing either, which in the opinion of most
children is the best way to serve carrots. Counting the many nationalities
who gathered at La Gritta and around the pool, it was perhaps proof of the
popularity of the Swiss cuisine. Or perhaps it was those little Dutch,
Irish, Thai flavors?
Fashion Show to show off outfits in honor of the Royal Birthday
Autsadaporn Kamthai
 Chiang Mai Vocational College, in cooperation with
vocational colleges in the upper and lower North, will send their top 100
designer clothes to be showcased at the Vocational Education Fair in honor
of Her Majesty the Queen’s 72nd Birthday celebration August 6-12 at the
Impact Muang Thong Thani, Bangkok. The clothes cover three themes:
‘Elegant Mountain’, ‘Refreshing River Stream’ and ‘Thread of
Culture’.
A
model from Chiang Mai Vocational College shows clothes designed at the
college.
The fair is organized by the Vocational Education
Commission to present the best works of vocational college students
throughout the country.
The Chiang Mai Vocational College was recently chosen as
the northern center of fashion and ran the project ‘Vocational College to
Support the Bangkok Fashion City’.
The college was also assigned to design a decorated archway to be
displayed in the fair as part of the celebration. The archway will be
decorated in Lanna style and embody the portrait of Her Majesty the Queen,
which was crafted by using various seeds in a ‘pointillism’ effect.
The
“Thread of Culture” theme was popular at the show.
Spa industry rushes
to meet tourist’s soaring demand
The Thai spa industry is racing to produce
new personnel to meet the rapid expansion of the increasingly popular
sector. Addressing the conference on Opportunities for Thai Spa Businesses
held recently in Phuket, Kornsaruang Phirom, president of the Thai Spa
Businesses Association, urged the government to pay more attention to the
quality of spa operators. She noted that the Thai Spa Businesses Association
was rushing to train personnel for the spa sector to keep up with growing
demand.
Thailand has pinned its hopes on becoming the spa capital
of Asia, and in 2006 will host an international meeting for the global spa
sector. The Thai Spa Businesses Association aims to have trained over 30,000
personnel for the spa sector by the beginning of next year.
Kornsaruang noted that the lack of suitably qualified
personnel was one of the main impediments hampering the progress of
Thailand’s burgeoning spa industry. As a result, she warned, standards
were slipping and failure to address such concerns could soon lead to a
slowdown in the industry’s growth.
By the end of this year, the Thai Spa Businesses
Association expects a large number of new small and medium spas to have set
up business in Thailand, and that the number of spas which fail to meet
quality standards will have fallen. (TNA)
Family Fun Day for junior cricketers
15,000 baht raised towards the game
Linda Buck,
Vincent Leutwiler, Gerard Krebs
It was a long day and it was hard work, but I don’t
think I will forget the faces of the Thai children playing Bingo! You would
have thought they were watching the world cup!
 David
Strudwicke, his wife Joy and Linda Buck after a very successful Fun Day
The Bear’s Den, one of junior crickets greatest
sponsors, hosted an afternoon of fun and games for the boys, families and
friends. Our other great supporter, Chiangmai Mail, very generously provided
raffle prizes for the event.
Guests started arriving at 3.00 p.m. and they had a
choice of entering a competition for skittles, darts, pool, or karaoke.
The Bear’s Den’s new pool table was a huge success
with the boys, and no adults actually got a look in at that competition! A
raffle took place and Bingo was played. The last guests left at about 9.00
p.m. and during that time 15,000 baht was raised!
It is an uphill battle raising the funds to keep the boys
and girls in the provinces playing cricket, but with the help of our loyal
supporters we will get there. In five years time we WILL have a Thai
national cricket team!
The Asian Games now includes cricket, with the next games
in 2006. We think this is probably too early, but we will certainly be
training the boys that are 13 now to look to competing in the 2010 games.
What an achievement that would be.
If you would like to help us towards this goal, or would like any further
information on junior cricket in Chiang Mai, please do not hesitate to
contact me: Linda Buck on thaibucks 2003@ loxinfo.co.th or mobile 0 7191
3807.
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