C NTACT THE MAGAZINE OF THE BRITISH WOMEN’S GROUP BANGKOK
June 2020
BRITISH WOMEN’S GROUP The aim of the Group is to enable its members to meet socially, to welcome its new members and associate members to Bangkok and to establish a programme of social, welfare and cultural activities.
Contents
Directory Page 2
Chairman and Editor’s message Page 3
Diary Page 4
Book Club Page 6
The Odyssey (part 2) Pages 10-11
Welfare Pages 14-16
Poetry Pages 21
Quiz Pages 22-23
Editor contact@bwgbangkok.org Advertising advertising@bwgbangkok.org Please note that the deadline for advertisements is the 5th of the month prior to issue. Please contact advertising@bwgbangkok for more information. PLEASE NOTE : Contact is published as a service to our members to keep them informed of news and events within BWG. The accuracy of other information cannot be guaranteed and is not an endorsement by the group. This also applies to advertisements that are included in Contact in order to cover some of the production costs. Every effort is made to produce Contact in good time to reach members before the first scheduled meeting, but the editor cannot be held responsible for unavoidable delays caused by circumstance beyond their control. It is the members’ own responsibility to know when meetings are scheduled and to contact someone to check if any changes have been made. Members are also asked to bear in mind when booking actives that most venues are not deemed suitable for children over six months of age and to make appropriate child minding arrangements.
Chairman’s Message The end of another strange time, with light at the end of the tunnel. This month has been "same same but different " as the saying goes. We had a very informative webinar about ' Boosting the Immune system, Balancing Health and Beauty ' given by Dr. Wanvitput Sanphasitvong* Dr. Fah), who is one of the leading doctors in Thailand in Anti Ageing and Regenerative Medicine. She works from the Bumrungrad Hospital as well as appearing on TV and magazines giving many health tips. With her vibrant personality we were entertained and educated in the six pillars of well being. It was a fun and interactive hour, as we were able to ask questions throughout. I would like to take this opportunity to thank her, Khun Porntip and Khun Angelica for making this happen. Ailsa Kneath The committee have been having regular zoom meetings, where we have continued to be able to financially support our charities in these extraordinary times, thanks to all of you, who have so generously supported the many BWG events in the last years. We hope to get together in the near future as things slowly return to normal. In the meantime I wish you all well, safe and sane.
Thought for the month:- Sometimes the best thing to do is stop, breathe and focus on the positive. If that doesn't work, try wine and a pair of new shoes! Ailsa. X Welcome to the June issue of Contact Magazine and I hope you are still all safe and well during these difficult and challenging times. I’m still stuck in the UK and I think will be for the foreseeable future as international travel seems a bit of a pipe dream at the moment. At least we can now see a few family and friends outside so long as we remain at a 2m distance which I’m so grateful for. If any of you would like to contribute photos and anecdotes about how you are spending your time when most of our usual avenues of entertainment are closed please do send them to me for the July issue. Thank you in anticipation of your contributions. Please send to becky.adderley@btinternet.com www.bwgbangkok.org
info@bwgbangkok.org
British Women’s Group Bangkok
Contact May 2020
June Diary SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
1 Mah-jong
2 Bridge Golf
3 Mah-jong Art Group
4
5
6
7
8 Mah-jong
9 Bridge Golf
10 Mah-jong Art Group
11 Monthly coffee
12
13
14
15 Mah-jong
16 Bridge Golf
17 Mah-jong Art Group
18
19
20
21
22 Mah-jong
23 Bridge Golf
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Weekly/Monthly Activities You are invited to join these groups, but final approval is at the discretion of individual group leaders
Monday Mah-jong - (beginners welcome) (10am - 1pm) Tuesday Bridge - Audrie Sill Beginners/Intermediate Golf - (morning) Ann McKinnon Golf - (morning) Sheona Jackson Bookworms - 1st Tuesday (10am) Jane Upperton Scottish Dancing - 1st Tuesday (7:30pm) Karen Burr Wednesday Mah-jong - (beginners welcome) (1pm - 4pm) Art Group - Bistro 33 Sukhumvit Soi 33 (10am -12:30pm) Karin Worthington
Celebrating 60 Years A proud tradition of learning excellence
We oer a British-style education for an international community, from Nursery through to Graduation. Find out how our approach to learning and outstanding teaching sta develop global citizens who shape their world through independence, empathy, creativity and critical thinking. Contact us at admissions@patana.ac.th www.patana.ac.th | +66 (0) 2785 2200 | 643 Lasalle Road, Bangkok 10260
Bangkok Patana is a not-for-profit, IB World School, accredited by CIS and NEASC
Bookworms - June
The Taxidermist’s Daughter by Kate Moss This was a Zoom bookclub courtesy of Covid v lockdown.- it was nice to see familiar faces and met our new member Karen. The novel is set in Kate Moss’ own home town of Fishbourne, a town near Chichester This Gothic thriller is set in 1912 during several sodden spring days in rural Sussex . At the beginning of the story enters a 22 year old girl Connie Gifford, a taxidermist in her own right, who despite lingering seizures from a fall that nearly killed her is about the only person keeping her alcoholic father, a once renowned avian taxidermist and their isolated household afloat. The book opens with a bizarre midnight ceremony held by villagers every year. They gather outside the old church on the eve of St Mark , when they believe the ghosts of those destined to die in the coming year will materialize when the church bell tolls. One of our members commented ‘what a way to start, immediately you are drawn in by the death of a girl during the vigil’ I found this book horrendous and didn’t enjoy the feather, blood and guts not to mention the taxidermists wire. One other person in the group didn’t like it however one member said ‘I enjoyed this book to the point that I had forgotten I was sitting on the sofa in my lounge while reading about the storm on the moor’ I think it is a well written book and that Kate Moss writes well on the ‘dark side’ We got some very high scores from people who ‘thoroughly’ enjoyed this book and very low from those who didn’t like this Gothic thriller, which tells us this book is a winner for those who like Gothic thrillers.
Scores: 2-1, 5-2, 7-1, 8-4, 9-3, Hopefully we will be back to normal by June which is our next meet.
Next meetings:
June 2nd — Lady in Waiting by Anne Glenconner July 7th - Woman in the Window by A.J.Finn August 4th - Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier September 8th - The Time Traveller’s wife by Audrey Niffeneger
Other books suggested: Convenience Store Woman by Saka Murato, Enter the Aardvark by Jessica Anthony The Heart goes last by Margaret Atwood. The Great Alone by Kirsten Hannah The Rosie Project by Graeme Simpson Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel
Meet -June 7th at 10am at 28-06 Urbana, 55, LangSuan, Chitlom. Tel: Jane Upperton on 08 1946 7364
nspiring ndividuals At KIS International School all students can shine. The midsize, caring community allows KIS students to be confident and to be appreciated as an individual, with unique dreams and strengths. The school is a full IB school, offering the International Baccalaureate Programmes for all age groups (IB Primary Years Programme, IB Middle Years Programme and IB Diploma), ensuring an academically rigorous curriculum that not only prepares students to be successful at university, but also teaches important life skills. KIS, it’s all about Knowledge, Inspiration and Spirit. Check out the students’ videos to learn more about their passion www.kis.ac.th
Tel: +66 (0) 2274 3444 Email: admissions@kis.ac.th
“With the power of imagination, characters can actually fly off the page” Jun, Grade 11.
Spread the word! The BWG monthly Coffee Morning from now on will be held at The Living Room, Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, every second Thursday of the month! We hope this venue is convenient being accessible from Sukhumvit Road or directly from Asoke BTS. The cost is THB 200 net/person for your choice of hot coffee and a piece of house cake. Additional discount of 30% on additional drink. Please RSVP as the hotel requires an idea of numbers attending each month. Everyone welcome!
The Odyssey (Part 2) By A Special Correspondent Well, I am settling into life in Caversham – I am not allowed to call it Reading according to the locals! It has been fascinating to see how people react to a ‘stranger’ in the circumstances we now find ourselves in. Some who you thought would step up have been found sadly lacking whilst those who you did not want to trouble have come to the fore. Sadly, the latter cannot be how one would describe some of the local government departments. Whilst I fully acknowledge that it is very difficult for everyone in these unique times, I did find it more than a tad disconcerting that even people who had good medical knowledge were not prepared (or were not allowed?) to help even when they knew their actions would not exactly improve my health. I found it totally impossible to get a local GP to take me on as a temporary resident thus allowing me to get a prescription for the drugs I need for my blood pressure and cholesterol. If it had not been for a friend’s brother-in-law, who is a doctor near Oxford, I would have been completely buggered. My only other choice would have been to go and sit in the local Casualty Department and wait to be seen. Surely there is no greater Petri Dish for COVID-19? I really did not want to do this as I used to work in an A&E department a thousand years ago and I cannot tell you of the numerous times doctors were stopped from treating a seriously ill patient because someone had the sniffles. In these present times, I would have felt guilty at wasting their valuable time. This is where the staff at Boots (I will not tell you which branch it was as they may get into trouble) really stepped up. The doctor had written the same prescription for me that I have in Thailand but the drugs are called by a different name over here. Using complete common sense, they just ignored this and gave me what I needed even though, technically, they were breaking the law. I am so grateful to them. And Boots have a customer for life – even if their Advantage card does not work in the UK. If anyone from Boots marketing is reading this – take note! Anyway, back in Caversham, I am now on first name terms with the people at Waitrose. There are other shops which are open but I can’t get used to their opening times – 10.00-12.00 and 1.00-5.00 but really 4.30pm so they can spend the
last 30 minutes stocktaking for tomorrow. It is like jumping into the Tardis and going back fifty years……… Apart from that I am being a good boy and trying to adhere to the governments ‘Stay at Home’ guidelines. As those who know me will verify, I have never been one to emulate Sir Mo Farah so the streets of Reading and Caversham are quite safe from me getting in the way of those that do. This means even more time at my friend’s place. Unfortunately, his library does not exactly rival the Bodleian so reading is somewhat limited, however, it is a better alternative to watching terrestrial UK television. I thought Thai TV was bad but you really need to watch channels like Horror TV to make you appreciate what we have with the likes of True. As I have said before, Ian and his flat are a Godsend but life is quite boring even though I am able to talk to my wife every day via LINE or WhatsApp (how do they make money from folk like me?) but people still ask what do I do for the rest of the time. Well, I did find myself talking to the microwave and toaster this morning…………….. We all agreed that things are getting bad. I didn't mention anything to the washing machine as she puts a different spin on everything. I didn’t say anything to the fridge as he is acting cold and distant. In the end the iron straightened me out as she said everything will be fine, no situation is too pressing. The vacuum was very unsympathetic... told me to just suck it up, but the fan was more optimistic and hoped it would all soon blow over……….. The toilet looked a bit flushed when I asked its opinion and didn’t say anything except thanking me for my contribution but the door-knob told me to get a grip. The front door said I was unhinged and so the curtains told me to ........yes, you guessed it.....pull myself together. I think it is time I went out to buy some more whisky and wine. At least I can do that in the UK. So, as you can see, all is good……………..
Ulysses
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APRIL / MAY
7
Improving Access to Education through School Meals Project report
Prepared for
British Women’s group May 2020
The Karen Hilltribes Trust Tower House, Fishergate, York, YO10 4UA Director: Billy Curryer | director@karenhilltribes.org.uk | +44 (0) 1904 373 001 UK Registered Charity No. 1093548 | Company No. 04484077 | Registered in Thailand by Permit 242/2525
Project Overview Project name: School Meals Aim: To increase long-term access to education for marginalised Karen children through the provision of school meals Location: Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand; Project beneficiaires: 396 children
School Meals Project Mae Hong Son is a remote province situated on the Myanmar and Northern Thailand border. It is one of Thailand poorest provinces with approximately 64% of its population living below the poverty line. Many of these belong to marginalised ethnic minorities such as the Karen.1 The Karen people are among the most socially deprived and discriminated groups in Thailand, with limited access to basic socioeconomic services such as health and education. For Karen children, school performance and retention rates are low. The enrolment of Karen children in primary education is 51% (compared to national average at 89%) and only 1 in 4 Karen children complete their secondary education2. One of the most pressing matters as to why children in Karen communities do not complete school is access to education institutions. Most communities within the province have a primary school within ten kilometres of the village, however secondary schools are limited to the larger towns and can be located up to 50 km away, whilst higher education establishments can be even further. As a result of the long distances to school, many children move into school dormitories. The school dormitories provide a possibility for children from distant locations to attend school. However, it is not free, and the families must provide the children with their own food. Many families in the Karen communities already struggle financially and cannot always support their children throughout the year. Similarly, government support is limited, meaning that food supplies are often inadequate. This can result in children not having enough to eat affecting school performance and overall wellbeing. In some cases, this can even lead to student’s dropping out of school to seek employment.
1 2
Jolliffe & Prydz, 2016 ACHR 2005 2
To relieve the financial pressure for Karen parents, KHT provides financial support to schools through the School Meals Project to ensure that all children that stay in the school dormitories get three nutritious meals every day. Over the past six months, the project has helped to provide 396 students (184M/212F), age 4 and 18, living in school dormitories at eight schools with three meals a day. With good nutrition the children can focus better in class and live a quality life, even away from home. In addition, the project also supported struggling parents through reducing financial strain.
KHT would like to thank the British Women’s group for your important support of the School Meals Project. With your donation, KHT have been able to provide many children with nutritious school meals and ensure that no child goes hungry during their time at school. Together we can work to increase literacy in Karen communities, provide Karen children with a greater chance to attend school and in time provide them with greater opportunities in life. School meals is a simple first step to ensure access to quality education and begin to break the cycle of poverty that the Karen communities live in.
Thank you for your continued support of vulnerable children, families and communities in Mae Hong Son! 3
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TRUE FRIENDS
THEY ARE WITH YOU THROUGH YOUR HIGHS & LOWS AND ARE ALWAYS THERE TO HELP SOFTEN THE BLOWS SOMEONE YOU CAN TURN TO WHEN THINGS LOOK BLEAK AND YOUR RESOLVE TO PUSH ON BECOMES WEAK
THEY WHISPER A WORD IN YOUR EAR THAT HELPS TO DISSOLVE ANY FEAR MAKING IT CLEAR THEY ARE ALWAYS NEAR
ACQUAINTANCES WE HAVE MANY, THEY'RE TWO A PENNY BUT TRUE FRIENDSHIP IS RARE, THEY "REALLY" CARE WE'LL LAUGH TOGETHER AND SOMETIMES WE'LL CRY BECAUSE LIFE DICTATES WE ALL HAVE TO DIE
WE MAY NOT ALWAYS SEE EYE TO EYE BUT THAT'S NEVER A REASON TO SAY GOODBYE WHETHER IN PERSON,VIA EMAIL OR PHONE THEY LET YOU KNOW YOU'RE NEVER ALONE THEY REMAIN IN YOUR HEART EVEN THOUGH FAR APART
I'M TRULY BLESSED BECAUSE MINE ARE "THE BEST" By Jackie Reynolds 2013
INTELLIGENCE AND JUDGEMENT. THE I AND J QUIZ! Just a good old-fashioned quiz, courtesy of Richard Osman
1. We’re going to start with a classic. There are 11 countries in the world with names beginning with the letter ‘I’ or ‘J’. I’ve included this question because they’re all pretty well known. No South Pacific Island groups or anything. Note that Ivory Coast is now called Cote D’Ivoire, so I can’t take that as an answer. I promise you’ll know them all. 2. Which 6 people am I describing below? They all have the initials ‘JJ’ OR ‘JI’. You see the subtle rule change here? I couldn’t find any good people with the initials ‘II’. a. I HAD A WARDROBE MALFUNCTION AT THE SUPERBOWL b. ENRIQUE’S PAPA c. LIVERPUDLIAN WHO PLAYS LUCIUS MALFOY d. ME AND MY BLACKHEARTS LOVED ROCK N ROLL e. ONLY ACTOR IN BOTH THE LION KING AND DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE f. BIBLICAL FRENEMY 3. Which band had 90s hits with ‘Right Here, Right Now’ and ‘International Bright Young Thing’?
4. Here are 6 familiar faces from our TV screens past and present, with their names jumbled up. There is also a one-word clue in brackets for you. The surnames all begin with ‘I’ or ‘J’ – so who are they? a. Camel jives (Australian) b. No sailor’s junk (WEATHER) c. Advice, kid (TRACKSUIT) d. My old Jo (MOBILE) e. I’ll ship up jut (BUZZCOCK) f. Amass Jelly (FLAN-FLINGER) 5. Here are three songs by acts who only had one hit, but a hit that went all the way to number one. What are the missing ‘J’ words? a. ____ BOY (ANEKA, 1981) b. ____ SONG (NIZLOPI, 2005) c. ____ YOUR BODY (STEVE ‘SILK’ HURLEY, 1987) 6. I’m on another post-lockdown walkabout. But where am I visiting? Half are ‘I’s and half are ‘J’s. a. THE NEAREST CITY TO LOCK NESS b. CAPITAL OF INDONESIA c. HQ OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SUFFOLK d. NOT CONSTANTINOPLE e. INDIAN CITY THAT GAVE ITS NAME TO SOMETHING HORSE-RIDERS WEAR f. HUGE MEXICAN CITY WHOSE NAME SOUNDS LIKE A WORD MEANING 'BECOMES ANXIOUS'
7. Have you noticed how the ladies and gentlemen of country and western music enjoy startin’ their song titles with the word ‘I’? Here are ten examples. The only problem is that 5 of them were made up by me. A point each time you can guess if the song is C and W or, well, B and S. a. I'LL LOVE YOU AFTER ONE MORE WHISKEY (MAYBE TWO) b. I WAS LOOKING BACK TO SEE IF YOU WERE LOOKING BACK TO SEE IF I WAS LOOKING BACK TO SEE IF YOU WERE LOOKING BACK AT ME c. I AIN'T SMITH AND WESSON AROUND, DADDY d. I'LL GET OVER HIM JUST AS SOON AS I'VE GOTTEN UNDER HIM e. I FLUSHED YOU FROM THE TOILETS OF MY HEART f. I'M JUST A BUG ON THE WINDSHIELD OF LIFE g. I WOULD HAVE WRIT YOU A LETTER, BUT I COULDN'T SPELL YUCK h. I SHOWED SATAN MY GUN AND I WATCHED THE COWARD RUN i. I WANT TO BE THE TURKEY IN THE BOWLING ALLEY OF YOUR HEART j. I BEEN ROPED AND THROWN BY JESUS IN THE HOLY GHOST CORRAL 8. Now, some things that don’t really exist, apart from in someone’s imagination. But they all begin with ‘I’ or ‘J’. a. FICTIONAL PROFESSOR OF ARCHAEOLOGY WHO HATES NAZIS b. FICTIONAL PARROT ACCOMPANYING JAFAR IN ALADDIN c. FICTIONAL BOARD GAME THAT CAUSES TROUBLE IN A 1995 MOVIE d. FICTIONAL BAR FATEFULLY VISITED BY MIA WALLACE AND VINCENT VEGA IN PULP FICTION 9. I have hidden 3 women’s names in the following sentences. What are the names? a. IF MY GRANNY KNITS ME ONE MORE FAIR ISLE SWEATER, I GUESS I’LL HAVE TO WRITE A THANK YOU NOTE. b. JOG ON, JO! IN JAPAN, A NINJA NEVER FACES JUSTICE OR JAIL. c. AN INDIVISIBLY INDIVIDUALISED INSTITUTION, ITS MINISTER IS THE LORD PRIVY SEAL
Answers in the July issue of Contact Magazine.