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Traditional Spirit Trance-Dance of Lanna at CMU
The Fohn Pii Muang dance was
performed on April 26, 2012 to a large audience.
By Nopniwat Krailerg
A traditional spirit dance to honor
ancestors, or Fohn Pii Muang was held by the Faculty of Fine Arts Chiang Mai
University and the Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) at the Center for the
Promotion of Arts and Culture, Chiang Mai University led by Deputy Chiang
Mai Governor Worakran Yokying and CMU President, and Honorary French Consul
Thomas Baude. More than 500 tourists, visitors and locals joined to view the
performance.
The Fohn Pii Muang dance is performed
annually to memorialize and pay respects to ancestors and to promote
understanding and awareness of traditional Lanna cultural performances and
values.
Skål meeting ends on wheels
Tim McGuire invites Skål members
to join them at the Flight of the Gibbons or to give the newest tour a try, the
Segway tours around the old city of Chiang Mai.
By Shana Kongmun
The monthly Skål meeting was held at
the modern dusit D2 Hotel on Thursday, April 26, 2012 and despite the heat
and stormy weather around 30 people came for the evening. The group
consisted of some new faces to Chiang Mai and many regular members,
including Alberto Cosi, writer Reinhard Hohler, Michael and Lisa Shortland,
and the General Manager of the very lovely 137 Pillars House Manfred Ilg.
Tim McGuire presented the Flight of the
Gibbons’ latest tour, Segways around Chiang Mai with a short video
presentation by Anthony Morse, host on the travel show Hidden Cities and a
quick display of the Segway’s abilities. Announcements were made by Marc
Dumur about the upcoming Asian Skål meeting to be held in Penang from May
10-13 as well as the Mekong Tourism Forum which will take place June 13 and
14 in Chiang Rai, with the Skål meeting falling shortly after.
The evening ended after dinner with
quite an adept demonstration by a newbie driver of the Segway, Toby Allen of
Oasis Spa and quite a few more nervous people taking turns riding the Segway
around the room, generally to much laughter and fun.
Tan,
Khaimook and Toby welcome Skålleagues to the cocktail and dinner at the
dusit D2.
Julie
Hastings and Manfred Ilg enjoy a mocktail made by the talented D2
bartenders.
Marc Dumur,
Khun Naphat, the secretary for Skål and Alberto Cosi chat before dinner.
Regular
Skålleague members discuss the upcoming presentation of the Segway tour.
The Skål
group photo.
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Earth Day clean up at Mae Kha Canal
A few local volunteers gathered
at Mae Kha canal on Earth Day to clean up the overgrown pathway of weeds and
rubbish.
As trailing vine and dried mud were being removed by the shovels and brooms, the
paved path along the canal appeared wider. Although the canal itself needs to be
cleaned up and the wastewater from households pouring into the canal needs to be
treated, the team was able to dream that the path on the canal will someday
invite more Chiang Mai locals and travelers strolling in the evening after work,
jogging in the cool morning and cleaning the path together. The group invites
members to contact the government to ask that they dredge the canals and rivers
without destroying trees on the pathway.
U.S. Consulate General Promotes World Intellectual Property Day
Coloring the Chiang Mai Sunday Walking Street with ‘Smiley' Balloons to Highlight ‘Visionary Innovators’
Staffers and volunteers promoted
awareness of World Intellectual Property Day by starting at Tha Pae Gate on
Sunday, April 22, 2012.
On Sunday, April 22, the U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai
and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Bangkok raised awareness of World
Intellectual Property Day (April 26) with a “Smile” campaign publicity
performance at the Tha Phae Sunday Walking Street Market. Twenty student
volunteers hid their faces behind orange balloons with smiley faces to convey
the message: “Behind every great innovation exists the imagination and
dedication of the creator.” The colorful balloons represented the creativity and
vision of local artisan and entrepreneurs in Chiang Mai.
The volunteers simultaneously revealed
their faces from behind the balloons, symbolizing the creator behind the
product. They then distributed promotional items to promote the “visionary
innovators” behind intellectual property. They also encouraged shoppers to visit
a tricycle mobile exhibition unit in front of the Three King’s monument, which
showcased well-known local designers Sareungrong Wong-sawan, inventor of
environmental-friendly Rubber Killer bags, and Anukun Hamala, the owner of
Nokhook Design illustration house.
Estimates of global economic losses due to
counterfeiting and piracy run to as high as $250 billion a year. In an effort to
promote intellectual property rights as crucial elements of the economic
development of Thailand and the Thai-U.S. economic relationship, the United
States supports the Thai-U.S. Creative Partnership and Chiang Mai Creative City
initiative. Last year, the Consulate General sponsored an anti-piracy
“flash-mob” performance at the Tha Pae Sunday Walking Street Market.
Read more about the Thai-U.S. Creative
Partnership at http://www.creativepartnership.org/; and World Intellectual
Property Day at
http://www.wipo.int/ip-outreach/en/ipday/2012. (PR)
Volunters
performed an anti-piracy flash mob at the Sunday Walking Street Market.
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37th annual Laab Festival in Chiang Mai
Cooks of all ages joined in the
Laab competition.
By Nopniwat Krailerg
The Press Club in Chiang Mai held their 37th
Annual Laab Festival at Kad Suan Kaew on April 21, 2012 where more than 30 teams
competed for “Best Laab” prize.
Students joined journalists and other
organizations in this competition where they vie for creating the best Northern
Laab in Chiang Mai. There was a Miss Laab Festival won by Miss Sasiwimon
Monkolgavin from Nan as well as Best Laab winner.
The event aims to promote and preserve
traditional foods and cooking and to promote traditional Lanna Thai food.
Prize winners
were not only happy to win cash, but to have their creations declared best.
The Governor performs in a historical play at Wat Suan Dok
Governor M.L. Panadda Diskul took
part in the play, performing the part of King Kawila.
Nopniwat Krailerg
The Ku Chao Luang ceremony was held at Wat
Suan Dok on Tuesday, April 17 to honor the Chiang Mai people at the Thai New
Year. A parade started from the Chiang Mai Art Center and moved to Wat Suan Dok
where the ceremony was held to also commemorate the beauty and goodness of
Chiang Mai Princess Dararasmee, a wife of King Rama V and daughter of Prince
Intavichayanon of Chiang Mai.
There followed a performance on the history
of Chiang Mai with Governor M.L. Panadda Diskul performing in the role of King
Kawila, the first ruler of Chiang Mai. He was joined by actors from the Dramatic
Arts College in a lavish performance that traced the history of Chiang Mai and
the 3 Kings that helped to create the city; Phaya Meng Rai, Phaya Ruang and
Phaya Ngam Muang.
A worship
ceremony was held before the performances, on the grounds of Wat Suan Dok.
Students from
the Dramatic Arts College performed in the historical play.
The beautifully
dressed performers joined the Governor for the show’s finale.
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