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Taekwon-Do experts at APIS

CMU – CDSC get together

Chopin delivered as smooth as Silk

Voice Studio holds Fancy Dress party

Taekwon-Do experts at APIS

Kathryn Phillips

Boarding students at American Pacific International School (APIS) are now being cared for by a couple well-known to the International Taekwon-Do Federation.

Rocky and Trish Rounthwaite, two new faces in the community.

Rocky and Trish Rounthwaite, who have joined the school this week as Dorm Parents, are both Taekwon-Do black belts, international instructors and international umpires in the martial art. They have coached champions and have umpired at international championships for more than ten years, and at the 2004 World Championships held in Italy their pupils won one gold and four silver, and they all went to women!

The Rounthwaites 26-year teaching partnership has grown out of a 37 year marriage in which their motto has been ‘The family that kicks together, sticks together’, with both their son and daughter holding Taekwon-Do black belts.

Rocky’s background is in the New Zealand Police Force and Trish trained as a teacher. They are excited to be part of the APIS community, with its new cultural challenges and lifestyle. “We were ready for a change!” said the energetic kickers.

CMU – CDSC get together

Jan-Justus Schmidt, student trainee

Grade 9 and 10 CDSC students

Students of the German faculty of Chiang Mai University (CMU) visited the Christian German School (CDSC) in Saraphee to discuss the tsunami catastrophe in the South of Thailand. The dialogue was, of course, in German.

Grades 9 and 10 of CDSC and the visitors from CMU had the task to discuss the problems that the tsunami brought with it. They worked in mixed groups of five or six and at the end did a presentation of results.

All the school students and the CMU undergraduates enjoyed the sessions despite the serious matter.

Chopin delivered as smooth as Silk

Siriwan

American pianist Bernice Silk, who has performed throughout the United States, has been a guest artist with the Tokyo, Guarneri and Cleveland quartets and recorded with members of the New Jersey Chamber Music Society. Bernice treated us to an all Chopin concert at Gong Dee Studio last Saturday.

It was all Chopin and more with the audience at Gong Dee Studio enchanted by Bernice Silk’s virtuosity. (Photo by Nopniwat Krailerg)

Bernice lives in New York and was visiting a friend in Chiang Mai who had the idea of organizing this charity concert to support the activities of the Chiangmai Disabled Center. This center also serves as a teaching facility and an internet shop and provides traditional Thai massage, Thai language classes, laundry services and notably, sells wheelchairs made in-house. Its staff may also have physical disabilities but they work hard to provide high quality service.

And what a treat this charity concert turned out to be. There was such power and expression leavened by subtlety and tenderness in her performance of Chopin’s compositions that it kept us all in awe of this great artist’s sensitivity and endurance.

It was unbelievable that Bernice Silk is 77 years old, had two major operations on her thumbs and still manages to play Chopin’s Scherzo (in C sharp minor, opus 39) like spring water running down a mountain’s streams.

We hope that Bernice Silk has enjoyed her holiday in Chiang Mai so that she may be motivated to return soon and give us another musical treat.

Voice Studio holds Fancy Dress party

Autsadaporn Kamthai

Ajarn Tianchai Suktiang, the director of the Voice Studio, dressed as an Angel.

As a year end party for his students, friends and sponsors, Ajarn Tianchai Suktiang, the director of the Voice Studio, organized a fancy dress party, with performances by the students and some interesting acts from various groups.

The young students were especially amused with the Mae Rim Monkey School monkey antics. Voice Studio students were also little ‘stars’ including ‘Nong Mild’ who was crowned “Yi Peng Little Queen”.

Somchai Kerdsaithong sang carols, while the choir from the Music Department, Payap University wish everyone Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in song.

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