THE NATION ASIANEWS October 26, 2008
TRAVEL, FOOD & DRINK, STYLE, ARTS AND TRENDS IN ASIA
A E D I THE S R E FARM Hot!
DARING DRINKS
DASHING DUDS
TRAVEL, FOOD & DRINK, STYLE, ARTS AND TRENDS IN ASIA THE NATION ASIANEWS
October 26, 2008
COVER
Trendy lifestyle: living, working and dancing together
ART COMMUNISM
WAY-UP TIPPLING
p9-11 cover photo/ Nanthasit Nitmatha
P8
P12
DESIGNERS DIVE IN
P7
AroundAsia
team
The Lolitas
P20
Mutating Marriage Bazaar
P22
Weh to Go
P30
Editor: Phatarawadee Phataranawik | Deputy Editor: Khetsirin Pholdhampalit | Photo Editor: Kraingsak Tangjerdjarad Photographers: Ekkarat Sukpetch, Nanthasit Nitmatha, Korbphuk Phromrekha, Channarong Porndilokrak Writers: Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Kupluthai Pungkanon, Pattarawadee Saengmanee | Contributor: Victor Silakong | Designers: Pradit Phulsarikij, Ekkapob Preechasilp, Nibhon Appakarn | Copy-editors: Luci Standley and Rod Borrowman | Sub-editor: Paul Dorsey | Contact: www.nationmultidia.com/ACE, e-mail: ace@nationgroup.com. (02) 338 3561-2 ACE is published by NMG News Co LTD at 1854 Bangna Trat Road, Bangkok
What’s Hot A world of cinema he World Film Festival is back in Taround town returns with 60 films from the globe screening at Paragon
Cineplex until November 2. The festival opened on Friday with “A Moment In June”, a romantic drama by newcomer O Nathapon, which received rave reviews from the Pusan Film Festival (see page 6). It closes with “Shine a Light” Martin Scorsese’s documentary and concert film on the Rolling Stones. Other highlights are a Derek Jarman retrospective featuring “Jubilee”, “Caravaggio”, “The Angelic Conversation” and “Derek”, a documentary about his life by Isaac Julien, written and narrated by Tilda Swinton, and selected for the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and the Berlin Film Festival. Visit www.WorldFilmFest.com.
Collaborative Constellations nternationally known Thai artist Rirkrit IGuggenheim Tiravanija is now having a group show at the Museum in New York.
Rirkrit is only Thai among the core group of other Hugo Boss awardwinning artists such as Douglas Gordon, Philippe Parreno, Jorge Pardo and Dominique Gonzalez Foerster taking part in “theanyspacewhatever”, a periodic show that reaches beyond the visual arts and, commingles with other disciplines such as architecture, design, and theatre. The show runs until January 7. For information, visit www. GuggenheimMuseum. com. October 26, 2008
A lotta Stuff Square Soi 3’s IDY boutique gets a new look with S iam more space and a wider range of services.
Renamed “Stuff ”, the new premises on Ekamai Soi 22 now sells both chic cloths and tasty food. The two-storey wooden house has trendy threads on the second floor and the ground floor, which also serves as the restaurant. For ������������������������������������������� more information, call (081) 824 1010. Read more about Stuff in our next issue.
Sweet wisdom ijit Apichatkriengkrai W shares his love for traditional Thai objects
and local wisdom in the new pocketbook “101 Thai Forms”. Readers can learn about traditional Thai treats like banana leafwrapped sweets, khanom namtan pao lom (spun sugar lollipops), khao laam (sweet sticky rice in bamboo) and coconut crisps, as well as admire toys and household items from yesteryear. The 352-page book is in both Thai and English and richly illustrated with colour photographs. Published by art4D, it’s available at all leading bookstores for Bt395.
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Trends
Movies on the Move
New filmmaker Nathapon “O” Wongtreenatrkoon wows audiences with an exquisitely structured love story
P h o t o / K o r b p h uk P h o m r e k h a
Vic tor Silakong
[6]
W
hen Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s sensual film “Blissfully Yours” won the top prize in the Un Certain Regard category at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival, Thailand’s independent cinema movement received a much-needed kick
start. Today, the Thai film industry plays an important role in the region and over the past few years, the Kingdom has scored a few major hits on both the mainstream and festival circuits with such movies as Yongyoot Thongkongtoon’s “Iron Lady”, Prachya Pinkaew’s”Ong Bak”, Pen-ek Rattanarueng’s “Last Life in the Universe” and Wisit Satsanatieng’s “Tears of the Black Tiger”. This year, new kid on the block, Nathapon “O” Wongtreenatrkoon made his celluloid dreams come true with the romantic drama “A Moment in June”. His first feature was a hit with audiences at this year’s Pusan Film Festival and had its Thailand premiere on Friday at the World Film Festival of Bangkok 2008. He joined the Produire Au Sud workshop three years ago and won a place at Nantes. Shooting an independent film with professional actors like Chakrit Yamnarm, Suchao Pongwilai, Sinitta Boonyasak and Krissada “Noi” Sukosol Clapp was quite a challenge, but says the 28-year-old, “I learned a lot from them”, Some critics find “June” overly reminiscent of Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar Wai’s “In the Mood for Love” but while Nathapon admires the director, he says his film is different. Both Filipino and Malaysian films have reached a peak this year, with Joon Han’s “Sellout” and Brillante Mendosa’s “Serbis” winning prizes at both the Venice and Cannes festivals, a sure sign that Asian cinema has plenty to celebrate. The Southeast Asian wave in cinema has arrived and it rocks. Let us celebrate the youngblood heroes like Nathapon, a graduate of the Art Centre College of Design in Pasadena, California, while bearing in mind that it’s remains tough for them to produce independent, contemporary films that resonate with audiences at home. Remember, our young filmmakers need our support!
Bright, young things Every year rising stars of design dazzle at Elle Fashion Week - we did some gazing Kupluthai Pungkanon
P h o t o : C h a nn a r o ng P o r nd i l o k r a t
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he four-day Elle Fashion Week last week at Central World saw a quartet of young designers supported by Nokia shoot high, starting with Ek Thongprasert who, brought strong concepts in his “Love” springsummer 2009 collection. Ek, who graduated in Belgium and has won international awards there and in Italy, says he’s a research freak who always needs a strong concept. The result is that viewing his fashion show is like watching a short film, with each outfit like a scene. “It’s a storytelling technique,” he explains. “Everybody has love inside them. It’s a short word but it can lead to happiness or misery depending on the individual,” says Ek. “The happy side is presented like a canvas of Van Gogh, Monet or Renoir, layered slowly to build up the solid love depicted in, say, a Jane Austen novel. It’s the kind of love that grows gradually yet firmly. The fabric is a full-scale digital print of the painting, with the top lighter than the bottom to make it seem as if the model is in the picture. The colour ranges from blue to pink, making purple where they meet.”
The downside of love is represented by minimalist art. “Its context is ‘you see what you see’: it doesn’t express emotion,” says the designer. “The outfit is square-shaped to symbolise a rigid love that eventually disintegrates into pieces and cold shadows.” The brand Vatit Itthi is the work of two more rookies, Vatit Virashpanth and Itthi Metanee. Their designs were selected by Chicago event organisers Gen Art for their updated but classically elegant looks. Old friends, the pair started the brand together about six years ago. It’s a close partnership. “Start to finish, we do everything together — from design to cutting, to sewing, to whatever. But it means our production is pretty limited,” Itthi smiles. Focusing on evening sophistication and red-carpet style, Vatit Itthi’s pieces were neat and glamorous but kept things real and practical. “We are particularly excited about the hand-painted patterns in this new collection,” says Itthi. “The fabrics are mostly silk, chiffon and satin in classic tones of white, black, and grey, though we add fresher colour for a young look too. We want a perfect blend of the 1940s and ‘50s.” “The texture of fabric is also very important,” Vatit chimes in. “Our signature is simple fabric with, for example, hand-done flowers that I cut and sew petal by petal into the top blouse. Seen from afar, it looks very neat. But seen up close, you appreciate the work.” Last but by no means least stylish was Chalida Mahasawat, whose draping is a strong point. “Fashion surrounds us, but we don’t always notice it,” she says, hinting at the stimulus for her debut collection — insects. These have provided the inspiration for her outfits’ structures, which carry patterned graphics. Ek
Vatit Itthi
Chalida
[7]
Go Shopping
New incarnations Used clothes get a new life as handbags, hats and belts — and now you can buy them online too
Pattarawadee Saengmanee
P hoto / E kkarat s u kpetch
N
ewcomer The ReMaker by Yuttana created a big buzz at this year’s Bangkok International Fashion & Leather Fairs with a unique range of fashion products made from used clothes. The cool accessories are available at Loft and Aesthetic in Siam Centre, and from the end of this month you’ll be able to buy them online - the brand is putting the final touches to its new cybershop at www. TheReMaker.com. The ReMaker was set up four years ago by Yuttana Anothaisintawee, who was loath to toss out his good-quality but oldfashioned clothes. Instead he decided to give them a new lease on life. His online store will feature a range of items including handbags, backpacks, shoulder bags, wallets, brooches, hats, belts and even shoes, all made from used garments and remade in exciting new styles. “I began rescaling and modifying outoff-shion clothing for export to Japan. Then, two years ago, I started creating unique fashion accessories from secondhand clothing,” he explains. The items are adapted from old trousers, office uniforms, leather overcoats, T-shirts, jackets, jeans and neckties, most of which he finds at Chatuchak Weekend Market and Rong Kluea in Sa Kaeo province. For more information, call (02) 689 9043 or (081) 731 5869. [ ]
Yuttana Anothaisintawee A black handbag with leather handles for Bt2,200.
The necktie brooch is Bt450 and the black cowboy hat Bt1,200.
Leather belts are decorated with bottle caps. Each costs Bt1,200.
A colourful handbag for Bt1,200.
A smart handbag with stripes is Bt1,940.
This real leather notebook bag costs Bt8,200. The wallet goes for Bt3,900. A green backpack for Bt1,220. October 26, 2008
Cover
BROTHERS IN ARTS
Phat arawadee Phat aranaw ik
Photo/Nanthasit Nitmatha
THEY MAY BE INDEPENDENT ARTISTS, BUT ROLL OVER, LENIN, THE COLLECTIVE IS BACK IN STYLE. HERE ARE THREE CREATIVE TEAMS WORKING, LIVING AND DANCING TOGETHER
October 26, 2008
As yet Unnamed
A
fter a spell of working outside the art world to get together some muchneeded cash, members of the As Yet Unnamed group are now back on the local art scene and delighting fans with an exhibition that runs through March.
As Yet Unnamed, which brings together 11 young artists and a curator, is breathing new life into the low-profile About Studio/About Cafe, once a popular Chinatown hangout for the arty crowd. Now called Misium’s, in tribute to owner Klaomas Yipintsoi’s late grandmother, a National Artist, the gallery is showcasing conceptual photography, an installation of terracotta jars with light bulbs, abstract paintings and figurative drawings. The artists, who are also running the space, gather nightly to share their thoughts. Introduced to the public through About Cafe 10 years ago while still studying at different universities, most of the As Yet Unnamed group have now become established artists and are well known in their respective fields. [9]
p h o t o c o u r t e s y o f A s Y e t U nn a m e d
COVER
Kornkrit Jianpinidnan works for leading fashion magazines, while Arin Rungjang and Disorn Doungdow sell their funky clothes at Chatuchak Weekend Market. Kata Saengkhae teaches at Bangkok University. Pratchaya Phinthong assists major artist Rirkrit Tiravanija, while Suwitcha Dussadeewanich helps Sakrin Kue-Orn. Thakol Khaosa-ad is an artistic technician and Vishnu Charoenwong is a graphic designer at Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. Only Montri Toemsombut is an independent artist. “Hosting an individual show is
hard, but teaming up as a group gives us much more power to find financial support,” says Kornkrit. With the backing of local curators, the group was able to raise Bt152,000 from the Arts Network Asia Art, a Singapore-based non-profit organisation. About Cafe’s Klaomas isn’t charging a gallery fee, Tiger donated beer for the party and Soda Boutique paid for the catalogues. The group is looking for a new space for its next project. “We may turn an apartment or an abandoned building into our new gallery,” says Arin. Catch up with the group at www.AsYet.org.
Suwitch’s sculpture , left, and Kornkrit’s photography
[10]
October 26, 2008
Ten Bangkok
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Deep House Brotherhood
B
angkok’s club scene has long been dominated by hip-hop, dance and disco. Last year it got a taste of something new thanks to a group of new-wave DJs dubbed the Deep House Brotherhood, who introduced African-roots deep house to rare-groove, disco and soul-funk music at underground bars on Khao San and Patpong Roads. The Brotherhood was formed in London in 1996 by Thai DJ Maft Sai and a bunch of pals. After making a name for himself on trendy Portobello Road, Maft came home last September and set up a new chapter. Maft’s brotherhood includes fellow
October 26, 2008
P h o t o c o u r t e s y o f CASE
t’s a little like the popular TV reality show “Academy Fantasia”, with people from different walks of life living under the same roof. But at the communal townhouse project Ten Bangkok, eight families are perfectly happy sharing a quality lifestyle. Located on Ramkhamhaeng Soi 192, Ten Bangkok is the brainchild of a group of young architects known as Community Architects for Shelter and Environment (Case). The eight families fit in with Case’s mission, which is to redefine the notion of communal and individual dwelling by working and living together in a friendly, sustainable and low-cost environment. The Bt17-million, two-storey townhouse is divided into eight units for four architects, two of their friends and their families. “We’ve been sharing ideas about the project since we started four years ago. We met every month to discuss the design and how it would fulfil each individual function and our needs,” says architect Wachara Songchaeng, one of the residents. Construction of the modern houses took more than a year.
The unpainted, smoky cement contrasts with natural wooden frames and bamboo poles and the lush green of the gardens. On weekends, the families hold parties around the small swimming pool or in the garden out front. Every family clubs together to pay for pool maintenance, gardening, electricity for the public areas like corridors and security guards. “I sometimes use my neighbour’s kitchen and washing machine, and my friend leaves his foreign guests at my place,” says Wachara. “You need to find a balance between your private and public lives.” Learn more about Case by visiting www.CaseStudio.info.
Thai Natkingsoul, Masa from Japan and Frenchman Maotik. “Deep house is quite new here,” he says. “Although we earn more money in Britain - the equivalent of Bt160,000 a month, which is three time more than we can get in Bangkok - we want to build up the music genre here. So we stick to our own rules, which is teamwork and spinning only our style.” The three also designing products and creating multimedia art. Maft, a graduate of London’s University College for Creative Art, makes money doing graphics for a London boutique. Most of the parties are open nights and free of charge. Monthly, the group hosts a party at the city’s alternative bars, including the new Park Bridge on Patpong, Club Culture on Ratchathewi and Cafe Democ on Ratchadamnoen Avenue. Check out the next party at www. DeepHouseBrotherhood.com or www. MySpace.com/DeepHouseBrotherhood.
[11]
Hip Hangout
Spirit in the Sky High times and a truly delicious view spice up Bangkok’s new rooftop bar and restaurant Phatarawadee Phataranawik
P h o t o / E k k a r a t S u k pe t c h
D
rinking in 360 degrees of Bangkok’s nightscape from 55 storeys up is a spectacular way to spend an hour or two. Spin on your heels at new venue Red Sky and you’ll see giants of the city skyline like the Baiyoke Tower, Banyan Tree Hotel, the Dome and the Kasikorn Bank’s headquarters along the Chao Phya River. Located on the roof of the Centara Grand Hotel at CentralWorld, Red Sky has floated onto the city’s nightlife scene with a heady mix of cocktails and wines high up in breezy, star-strewn skies. Slip into whatever style of furniture suits your mood — a stool at the bar to watch the ant-like cars below, a round sofa for laid-back lounging or a comfy chair-and-table combo for dining. Canadian chef Aaron Foster creates tasty signature dishes, like charcoal grilled Iberico Pata Negra Pork Loin, for Bt355 to Bt2,155. Pastry chef Otto Jursha applies a finishing flourish with to-die-for deserts like chocolate mouse with rum & raisin ice cream and Seville orange in vodka syrup. Soaring an extra two storeys is the glass wine cabinet, a work of art on its own that also manages to keep 20 plus labels at exactly 16 degrees Celsius. The wine comes served in elegant, stemless, superlight glasses. If the skies start to spit, just move inside. Cooled by air-conditioning — Red Sky on the 55th floor of and live jazz vocals and piano by Pierre Centara Grand Hotel at Eugent - the dim-lit indoor section CentralWorld is open daily. has the same option of comfy sofas or Dinner is served from 6 to modern dining tables, or the bar where 1.30pm (last orders 11pm). you can watch a bartender weave his The bar is open 5pm to 1am. magic into your strong mojito. You can There’s live jazz Monday to still see the view too, thanks to a Saturday, 7.30 to 11.30pm. cleverly constructed glass wall. If you For reservations call (02) come in a group, you might want to 100 1234, ext 11. check out the 12-seat private room. [12]
TWA is still happily flying JC Eversole
A
lmost hidden among skyscrapers, the very low-rise Sukhothai Hotel is an oasis of subtle Thai hospitality for seasoned business travellers and the local elite. Last week it applied its refined touch to a dinner structured around Thai wines. The co-host for the evening was the Thai Wine Association, whose eight members adhere to rigorous international vineyard and production standards. Association president Visooth Lohitnavy reminded guests they were not the “TWA” of longdefunct Trans World Airlines. Perhaps more important than the inspired cuisine — assembled for the event by the Sukhothai’s talented chefs — was the fact that a hotel of this distinction featured Thai wines exclusively for one of its periodic major wine dinners. Wines chosen for the menu included Siam Winery’s Monsoon Valley shiraz rose, colombard
October 26, 2008
All tastes catered for
Diners who find themselves drooling over the tables at My Collection can take one home with them Sirinia
and muscat; PB Valley’s chenin blanc and tempranillo; and GranMonte’s unfiltered syrah. All showed their versatility when integrated into a beautifully presented five-course dinner, encompassing crab and mango salad, sticky rice with shrimp, tom yam seafood bisque, chicken and mussels in green curry sauce and braised ox cheek and tongue. The TWA keeps a rigorous year-round schedule of activities promoting the quality of Thai wines domes tically and abroad. As the festive season approaches, pouring Thai wines at parties or giving as gifts to friends would b e a p l e a s u ra b l e surprise. October is also a big month for beer, as anyone familiar w i t h G e r m a n y ’s Oktoberfest can attest. While Munich’s three-week beer bash is over, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy similar parties for another week in the City of Angels. Make reservations for Sukhothai wine dinners at (02) 344 8888. October 26, 2008
T
he place is cute and the food is delightful. But surprisingly, My Collection was established almost by accident. Two sisters, Jane Purnariksha and Jirathip Pulsirivong, started with a journey to Burma seven years ago but ended up opening up a furniture shop — eventually adding an eatery — on Wireless Road. Initially there was just a tiny coffee corner, where customers could mull over prospective purchases with a drink. But people kept asking for more than just sandwiches, so the display room became a dining room — with just about everything for sale. If there’s a price tag, you can buy it. The stock is dominated by dining tables and chairs, mostly made in colonial-era Burma for the British elite. “And now they are buying them to decorate their apartments,” says Jane, referring to her customers from the British Embassy in Bangkok. Prices run from three to five digits. Some of the pieces are souvenirs from the sisters’ trips around the world, but one thing that isn’t up for grabs is the counter bar. Jane needs it to make drinks for customers. Jane also regularly receives tempting offers for the giant swing doors, but she can’t bring herself to sell the door that welcomed her first customer on day one. The atmosphere is homey rather than Home Pro, so don’t expect matching colours and styles in the furniture. But creative types will find plenty of opportunity to mix and match. If you can’t find what you want, don’t worry. Come back after a week, when there should be new stuff to see. The furniture might get rearranged from week to week, but the international flavours stay the same. The East-meets-West dishes are based on the well-travelled sisters’ dining experiences. Choose from the salmon steak (Bt220), with mixed herbs, parsley, onion and butter-fried garlic; the creamy spicy seafood in black ink (Bt250); and the Thai palate friendly spicy bacon spaghetti with omelette (Bt195). It’s also worth trying confit de canard (Bt220) — duck marinated overnight before being roasted and fried for a crispy skin and tender texture. Thai dishes on offer including spicy friedrice omelette (Bt165) and spicy beef salad (Bt250). But leave some room for dessert! The traditional British trifle (Bt150) is refreshingly light, and recommended even for those without a sweet tooth. [13]
P h o t o / E k k a r a t S u k pe t c h
My Collection is at 2/10 Wireless Road, near Nai Lert Park Hotel. Call (02) 655 7502-3 or visit www.MyCollection.com.
Laid-back
a monkey Now you can discover the forests of northern Thailand from the tree tops Pattarawadee Saengmanee
Y
our don’t have to be Tarzan to swing through the trees and experience the very best Mother Nature has to offer. Today, thanks a cablepulleysystem, designed by group of environmental scientists to allow them to travel through the topmost canopy of the Costa Rican rainforest, you can zip through the tropical forest in Chiang Mai as gracefully as a gibbon and take in the plant and animal life below. Located in an ancient forest near the mountain village of Mae Kom [14]
Pong in Mae-on district, about a 45minute drive from the city, the “Flight of the Gibbon” adventure is run by Tree Top Asia, who describe themselves as “a bunch a guys eager to enable everyone to access the rainforest in the most exciting way possible”. The one-day package includes a visit to Mae Kom Pong village, home to a small community of coffee growers with whom Tree Top Asia collaborates in promoting conservation.
Flight of the Gibbon costs Bt2,600 costs per person and includes round-trip transport, set lunch and a visit to Mae Kompong Waterfall. For more information, call (089) 970 5511 or (089) 850 3808, or visit www.TreeTopAsia.com. October 26, 2008
p h o t o / e k k a r a t s u k pe t c h
Making like
During our flight, we swing on cable lines over the deep jungle across 15 stations and walk along towering sky bridges, all designed by engineers from Austria and New Zealand. We’re accompanied by specialist guide Anan Thaikorn, who’s happy to point out the local flora and fauna. Our flight takes off from the 15 th station, and Anan helps us to zip across a mountain to a faraway platform attached to a soaring tree. We learn how to slow down by pulling on the cable as we approach the platform but it’s not easy and a too-early tug leaves you hanging over a ravine. Legs tire quickly as we move across the wooden bridge that links the two longest stations and then it’s back in the harnesses for more treetop-to -treetop actions. Although this is the flight of the gibbon, we don’t spot a gibbon or any monkeys, though we do get an idea of the scale of tropical botany and catch glimpses of the wildlife. The last station is also the highest — as tall as a three-storey building — and it is from here that we have to take a bungee jump to return to earth! Our exciting day ends at the village where we enjoy a meal at a small cafe. We also take a walk around the 100rai orchard where villagers have planted quality Arabica coffee, teas and local fruits. Visitors with time to spare are advised to opt for the village homestay programme, great value at Bt550, inclusive of three meals.
Budget with a chic twist A new downtown hostel offers clean and comfortable dorms and rooms but won’t break the bank
W
hether you’re a backpacker, a woman travelling on her own, someone looking for a new experience or a couple on a limited budget, Lub d hostel — the name translates as “sleep well” — is likely to prove an ideal place to stay. Located right in the heart of Bangkok off bustling Silom, the sleek, four-storey hostel has been given a contemporary industrial look by leading firm P49. It offers four types of rooms: eight-bed mixed dormitory, ladies-only dorm sleeping six to 12, twin room and double room with en-suite bathroom. The dorms come with personal lockers, but LCD TV is only available for those staying in double rooms. The communal bathrooms, one for each gender for those choosing the dorms and twin rooms, are clean, spacious, air-conditioned and equipped with lashings of hot water. The shower and toilet zones are also separated and the women’s only space has large mirrors, plenty of amenities and hairdryers. “I’m an avid backpacker so I know that budget travellers place emphasis on cheapness, cleanliness and safety,” says October 26, 2008
hostel manager Warun Phokaew. “All rooms are accessed by key cards and you’ll see many of our guests walking around barefoot. We offer a 24-hour housekeeping service.” Each room is decorated simply, withthe steel structures of the beds painted vivid red and green contrasting well with the white linens. There’s a well-equipped laundry, a theatre room with flat-screen TV and comfy beanbags, a reading corner and the Yellow Donut Cafe & Bar for breakfast, beverages and snacks. Free wi-fi is available in all areas. There is no communal kitchen but, as Warun points out, Bangkok is like one great eatery, with food available round the clock. The staff are happy to share tips about the city and Warun conducts a walking tour every Tuesday afternoon to explore nearby temples, streetside eateries and markets. Most of the clients are young adventureseekers and gap-year travellers, about half of them from Europe. “For multi-destination tourists, Bangkok is not about luxury, but value for money. They’re tired after travelling around Laos, Cambodia or Vietnam, and Bangkok is a good place to relax and sleep well.”
High points: Prime location, value for money, clean and modern decoration with an arty edge. Low point: No elevator, you’ll have to lug those heavy rucksacks up the stairs. Pay for it: Bt650/bed for mixed dorm, Bt750/bed for ladies’ dorm, Bt1,300 (for one person) and Bt1,600 (for two persons) in twin room, Bt1,700 (for one person) and Bt2,000 (for two persons) in double room. Find it: 4 Decho Road off Silom. Call (02) 634 7999 or visit www.LubD.com.
p h o t o / e k k a r a t s u k pe t c h
Khetsirin Pholdhampalit
[15]
Wellness
Freedom for the spirit
Himalayan harmony A cave, mountain mud and a Tibetan ‘singing’ bowl — Chi the Spa climbs high for its new healing treatments
Are you searching for inner peace? Would you like to experience the kind of personal liberation that comes with studying dharma? If you answered yes, then you’ll be interested in the two-day courses being offered by Ruendham, which offer basic dharma teaching and anapanasati (mindful breathing) practice in English for beginners. Led by an experienced teacher from Suan Mokh in Surat Thani, the free classes are held the first week of every month from 9 to 5 at Ruendham on Pichai Road. Call Kanya at (081) 402 7996.
Supida Kaewsuksombat
P hotos co u rtesy of C hi the S pa
T
hough it’s been open for several years, Chi the Spa at Bangkok’s Shangri-La hotel always seemed a trek too far. But curiosity about its oneof-a-kind Himalayan spa experience in two newly built treatment suites eventually lured me in. Shangri-La’s legendary valley of eternal youth is still hiding somewhere in the Himalayas, but Chi the Spa has done a good job conveying the atmosphere with Tibetan-style architecture and furniture. As for the spa’s name, “chi” in traditional Chinese philosophy is the universal life force that governs wellbeing. The spa’s signature therapies are based on the Five Elements theory, in which good health depends on balancing the flow of chi through the metal, water, wood, fire and earth organs in the body. After filling out a short questionnaire, I’m advised to try the Himalayan Tsangpo Ritual, Chi’s new treatment. I follow my therapist to the Himalayan Wet Treatment Suite, a massage room with double beds separated by a wooden partition from a changing area. A door in the changing area opens onto a cave-like sanctuary where I’ll spend the next 90 minutes. Inside I discover a heated stone plinth, a “Blue Moon Spring” bath and the soothing falls. Lying on the warm stone plinth, the “wet” part of the treatment begins. Mountain salts and aromatic herbs are used to scrub the body in a 1,500-yearold bathing and cleansing ritual. The fun [16]
part comes at the end when the therapist tips a bucket of warm water over me to wash away the salt. Then red mountain mud, which the Tibetans believe offers protection from bad spirits, is applied to my skin and I lie like an Egyptian mummy for 20 minutes. Next comes a warm soak in the bathtub to wash off the mud. The wet ritual over, I stroll next door for the 90-minute massage. The therapist uses a Tibetan “singing” bowl during the treatment, circling first clockwise round the bed to expel bad energy then anticlockwise to invite good. The high humming sound seems to work, creating relaxing good vibes. With rituals from China and Tibet, Chi the Spa’s new treatments live up to their billing as a unique fusion of spa concepts and ancient healing traditions. But don’t take my word for it, find out for yourself.
Chi the Spa Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok Call (02) 236 7777
Spa essentials The Anantara Hua Hin Resort & Spa offers a 120-minute treatment based on the benefits of red wine and warm lavender milk. Red-wine polisher is believed to stimulate blood circulation, while the aromatic blend of warm milk, sweet almond and lavender essential oil soothes and heals, leaving the guest feeling relaxed and serene. Call (032) 520 250 or visit www.Anantara.com.
Staying young the biophysical way Bumrungrad International’s Vitallife Wellness Centre has a new comprehensive antioxidant test and biophysical assessment that aim to improve understanding of preventive healthcare. Through the assessment, the level of antioxidants can be detected and their potential increased with the use of nutraceuticals, thus combating the free radicals found in the body. An introductory package is available through December 30. Call (02) 667 2340 or pay a visit to www.EVitallife.com.
October 26, 2008
Rabindra U preti
Bikash K arki
Photo essay
Dashain Festival TEXT & PHOTOS BY THE KATHMA ND U POST
PRAK ASH BARAL
D
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ashain is the biggest festival celebrated by people of Nepal. The festival, which commemorates the victory of good over evil, usually falls in late September or early October and is celebrated for 15 days. During this period, Hindu goddess Durga, in all her manifestations, is worshipped with abundant offerings and animal sacrifices while people dig in delicious delicacies and indulge in gambling. The 10th day of the festival is considered the most auspicious when youngsters receive blessings and tika (red vermillion mixed with rice grains) from elders. The festival also brings together far off family members and relatives for a grand family reunion.
October 26, 2008
kantipur
G hanash yam Khadka
kantipur
g opal chitrakar
SAILENDRA KHAREL
[19]
October 26, 2008
Trends
KUALA LUMPUR/TOKYO
Pauline Wong The Star Kumi Matsumaru The Daily Yomiuri
T
The Lolitas The world is not just interested in Japan’s manga and animÉ, it also wants more of Japan’s latest cultural export: Lolita fashion
[20]
hey walk down the streets in platform heels and with frilly umbrellas held in gloved fingers. Their dresses are bedecked with lace and trimmed with ribbons, their expressions innocent yet coy. This unusual style of fashion has captured the imagination of girls (and guys!) all over the world, including some in Malaysia. Nineteen-year-old Ngun Mei Yan, or May, is the president of the (unofficial) Malaysian Lolita Club (MLC). Formed in 2006, the club began as a way to bring Lolita fans together. Two years later, the club has over 70 members and they gather during school holidays just to have fun, dress up and truly get a ‘feel’ of the Lolita life. “I’d been interested in Lolita fashion for about five years so I decided to start a club. At the time, it was still a relatively rare interest,” said May. “Our main activity for now is to organise gatherings so that we can make new friends and, of course, dress up and have fun.” The avid follower of Lolita fashion emphasised that it’s a style that suits her personality. “Seriously, for me, it has to be the clothes. I just love the fact that everything is extremely feminine. I have to admit that I have a weakness for the lace, ruffles and ribbons. I’ve never been a ‘girly’ girl but somehow when I wear Lolita I really feel it’s my style,” said this college student who also cosplays.
October 26, 2008
FRO M Malaysian Lolita C lub
MALAYSIAN LOLITAS: Members of the Malaysian Lolita Club enjoying an outing together.
“Furthermore, it’s a pretty elaborate kind of fashion and I love all the preparations that go into an outfit,” she said. “You have to take everything into consideration—from your hair to your shoes and your nails. I also love the fact that it’s definitely not a style you see every day!” Lolita, a fashion subculture, started to grow in Japan back in the 1980s. But it did not enjoy widespread appeal until Gothic fashion was blended with Lolita tastes, bringing about Gosu-rori (Gothic Lolita) fashion. With the birth of Gothic Lolita category, Lolita attracted further attention, not only as a genre of fashion but also as a lifestyle, said Yusuke Tajima, editor-in-chief of Kera fashion magazine. And this style that has taken Japan by storm for some years, is now spilling overseas. “Gosu-rori fashion with a taste of kawaii (cuteness) must have shocked people in the West as it is clearly different from (earlier) Gothic fashion with its dark flavour,” Tajima said. Added Hiroshi Moriyama, an official of Marui Group Co that regularly organises fashion events to showcase latest Gothic, Lolita, punk or Gothic Lolita fashion outfits and accessories: Lolita fashion’s popularity is due to its pursuit of a narrowly focused taste, complete with great attention to detail, which goes against the grain of a time when fashion is generally becoming more and more casual. Elaine Tan Hui Lin (nicknamed Aiko), 17, vice-president of the Malaysian Lolita Club, said she is attracted to Lolita fashion’s “innocent, elegant and cute look”. “Besides that, the princess-like lifestyle and appear-
October 26, 2008
ance of the Loli-style also appeal to me. Somehow, there is also the wonderland feeling that one does not get from this urban city,” added Aiko, who first found out about Lolita from the movie Shimotsuma Monogatari (Kamikaze Girls). She now gets her outfits from professional tailors all over the world via online services and they cost her upward of 300 ringgit (US$85), though she usually makes them herself. Moriyama said Lolita and Gosurori fashion now ranks alongside anime as one of Japan’s important cultural exports. “I feel that way because of the strong foreign reaction to our English mail-order service and increasing foreign visitors, especially from Europe and the US west coast, to our store that deals with such brands,” he said. Angelic Pretty designer Asuka, an avid Lolita fashionista herself, said she feels that showing their clothes at the Japan Expo in Paris for two consecutive years has made Lolita fashion more popular in France, too. “We had a lot of Lolita women visitors. We have also been getting great support from US fans,” she said. Tajima said: “People in Japan used to look at foreign fashion magazines in the 1980s to learn from them even though they could not read them. But now European and American Lolita fans buy clothes after checking our magazine despite being unable to understand Japanese.”
Lolita Types
There are generally three types of Lolita, according to the Gothic and Lolita Bible: ¹ The Gothic Lolita, who favour clothes that are dark, sombre, yet complete with ultra-feminine hair and dramatic makeup that speaks of a darker centre to the innocence outside. ¹ The Sweet Lolita, who love pastels and wear candy or fruitshaped accessories to enhance the cute appearance. ¹ And the Punk Lolita, who mix varying degrees of punk and Lolita styles. However, these are not hard and fast rules; after all, the Lolita is all about mix-andmatch and expression of individual creativity.
Major Players
In the world of Lolita dressing, these brands rule: Moi-meme-Moitie (Mana’s own Lolita clothing line), Baby, The Stars Shine Bright, and Metamorphose. Many Lolitas, however, also make their own attire from scratch.
[21]
Lifestyle
Economic and social factors have altered the old institution of arranged marriage in urban India
AFP
Mutating Marriage Bazaar HITCHED: Tying the knot is not easy nowadays in urban India as wannabe brides and grooms have become more choosy.
New Delhi P rakash Singh/AFP
TRANSFORMATION: An unidentified couple kiss in a public park in New Delhi. More Indians have started looking for life partners on their own rather than silently accepting what their parents chose for them.
[22]
Coomi Kapoor The Star
H
ow times have changed in India. Not long ago, when girls attained puberty and boys sprouted first specks of hair on their chins, their parents invariably tethered them into matrimony, invariably with a distant cousin or the ward of a close family friend from the same caste. Marriages were made by word of mouth, then, with the family priest playing the matchmaker. Neither the groom nor the bride had much say in the matter, with the respective elders settling everything, including the dowry, if any, banqueting, gifts for close friends and family members. This was their version of a pre-nuptial agreement. Love was alien in such a matrimonial arrangement, with elders expecting that with the passage of time it would grow from clos e proximity and mutual needs. And it invariably did, especially if you look at the low divorce rate in the earlier decades. But now with the breakdown of the extended family system, and the spread of education coupled with the increasing October 26, 2008
influence of western social mores, the marriage scene has undergone a seachange. Caste ties, especially in urban areas, are difficult to sustain. Economic and social factors have altered the old institution of marriage. The growth of the middle class, said to total over 300 million, has injected an element of laissezfaire in the marriage market. To illustrate, take the case of Ramesh Khanna. At 28, he is at least four years past the average age when boys get hitched in urban India. Admittedly, in earlier times, Ramesh would have been a great catch for any family with a daughter of marriageable age. After all, as the heir to a great fortune, with houses in the best parts of town and a six-figure monthly income, he was the ideal ‘boy’ any father would have loved to have landed for his daughter. But given the influence of modern education, those one-dimensional concerns seem to have yielded to other more secular concerns. And on that score, Ramesh comes up rather short. For, though 28, he is rather gross-looking,
D
Do you like Ace ?
with a receding hairline, has a notional graduate’s degree, and aside from handling the family finances, he has precious little else to do by way of work. Besides, his parents are unwilling to marry their son below their own economic status. As a result, an educated girl from a rich background finds it hard to accept him as her life partner while girls from poor economic backgrounds do not get the nod from his parents. Only a few decades ago, Ramesh would have been snapped up by someone in the extended family circles of his parents. Neither his indifferent looks, nor his receding hairline would have mattered. All that would have weighed with the family of the prospective bride was his “good family background and their sound economic status”. But new social mores have vastly altered the marriage market. Neither caste, nor family background is the sole determinant. The younger generation of Indians have their own parameters in choosing their marriage partners. There is no denying that new winds have blown through the Indian mar-
S
riage bazaar, proof of which lies in newspaper matrimonial ads. If caste, colour of the skin and family background were the most important factors in ads of 30 years ago, now they talk of the educational background of the bride or groom and their good looks, professional prospects, etc, and what they are looking for in a life partner. Instead of the emphasis on ‘decent family background’, now the emphasis has shifted to the individual seeking a marriage partner, a positive development in itself considering that increasingly more and more couples are living apart rather than with their extended families. Some 30 years ago, ads by brides invariably talked of “a fair, homely and educated girl from a good family”, while ads by grooms mentioned “a handsome man, settled with a five-figure salary”. Now the focus is on the individual groom or bride rather than on her caste, family background, etc. India is indeed changing, at least that part, which lives in big cities and has had the benefit of a decent education.
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AFP P H OTO
LIFESTYLE
Love Thy Nails Many Korean women are now addicted to nail pampering
October 26, 2008
SEOUL
Lee Joo-hee The Korea Herald
S
ong Ji-youn, a 27-year-old office worker, has only one thing on her mind after a gruelling day at work. Taking off to a trendy street in Seoul, Song enters her haven—a shop where she can get her nails done. Professional nail care business was first introduced in Seoul in the late 1990s and began rapidly booming recently. It has now become one of the fastest spreading industries across the country. “Good evening,” familiar artists call out in unison as Song enters the door of her favourite nail care shop Bennett. It is among more than five nail care salons lined up on Apgujeong street. She finds her nail technician and sits down, clunks her hands forward and immediately starts chatting away about how her boss has been giving her a hard time. The artist smiles and nods, quickly moving her hands to tend to Song’s chipped nails.
This is indeed a world that very few straight men would understand. Koreans, known for their dexterity, already occupy a large portion of the nail care industry overseas. In Korea, the nail care industry amounts to more than 300 billion won ($225 million) annually, according to the Korean Nail Association. The manicure begins by sterilising Song’s nails with a wet cotton ball, followed by grinding the tips for a uniform shape. Then the cuticles are removed with a thin, wooden cuticle pusher and a clipper. As a special service for Song, who is a regular, the nail artist brings out a steaming white towel, wipes Song’s hands, and begins massaging them with a fruity hand lotion. Song already feels better about her work and starts thinking about what colour to choose from the shelf, where almost a hundred nail polishes are lined up by shade. Chae Song-hwa, 30, is also an avid nail care patron, getting her nails done at least every two weeks. “I come to get my nails done, say about once every two weeks. I would also come when I have a special event coming up, like a blind date,” she said. “It just makes my every day mundane life prettier.” Chae, who has been a regular at Nail Gallery nearby her house in eastern Seoul, added she prefers lighter colours that don’t clash with her attire as a manager of an insurance company. “What makes me come here, almost out of addiction, is that I feel some sort of catharsis when my cuticles come off,” Song said. When her nails are done with elaborate colours, she also feels the pleasure of seeing art created right on her 10 fingertips. It is time for Song to choose her nail colour. This time it is deep burgundy, as it is now autumn. For Korea, where there are four, marked seasons, five to six new colours are introduced for each season on average. Pastels are popular for spring, while vibrant colours and patterns, as well as stone arts, are a hit for the sizzling summer. Deeper colours are favoured in the fall and warm colours like red and yellow are preferred for winter. [25]
ARTS & CULTURE
THE SOUNDS OF A BREAKING GLASS
Yokohama
Phatarawadee Phataranawik The Nation (Thailand)
B
eing there, in the midst of art’s creation, is what the Yokohama Triennial is all about motions of ‘installation’ and ‘live performance’ get a shakedown at the Yokohama Triennial 2008, with 70-odd artists jetting in for a 79-day siege on the theme ‘Time Crevasse’. Artistic director Mizusawa Tsutomu and five curators have placed the emphasis on performance as a physical expression in time. Time is of the essence, since the artists are creating new works exclusively for the event, say curators Ulrich Obrist of London’s Serpentine Gallery and [26]
Daniel Birnbaum, the German in charge of next year’s Venice Biennial. They’re teamed with Austrian Beatrix Ruf, Japan’s Miyake Akiko and Hu Fang from China, artistic director of Vitamin Creative Space.
Imagine the scene…
A five-hour Butoh dance above a broken glass; more shattered glass as mirrors are struck with a mallet to produce impact images; an hour’s diatribe against today’s ‘shitty’ art scene with provocative props; bizarre film footage of a woman walking in a foggy garden. The last Triennial in 2005 had a funfilled circus theme. This year, at three venues, things are more straightforward, far more interactive – and not meant to be fun. The Shinko Pier Exhibition Hall hosted happenings on the opening day on September 12, then left be-
hind the fruits of all that body expression as artworks. In one room, Michael Angelo held viewers spellbound for 20 minutes as he randomly attacked huge mirrors in golden frames with his mallet. Some were left with patterns of shards, some with gaping, jagged holes. Then, to drive home to point that this was art, cordon ropes were suspended around the ‘finished’ pieces to keep the public at a respectful distance. In ‘Dictatorship of Art’, Jonathan Meese arrived on a simple wooden stage set out with paints, Xerox paper, energy drinks and other props, and proceeded to rage for more than an hour against the state of modern art, with its ‘mafia’ curators and endless ‘festivals’. Indonesia-based Kuswidananto, who’s also known as Jompet, performed a traditional Javanese dance October 26, 2008
to the music of his impressive sound installation, called ‘Java’s Machine: Phantasmagoria’. Far, far longer was the Butoh dance in ‘Fragments of Time’ by Teshiaware Saburo and Sato Rohoko. Between them they’re dancing for five hours a day, taking turns, above piles of broken glass. Yokohama’s Sankeien Garden is the film noir setting for Jorge Macchi and Edgardo Rudnitzky’s minimalist light installation ‘Twilight’, complete with man-made fog. Observers walk into an old, dark temple, letting their eyes adjust to the glow of a single, fading light bulb that moves slowly along a wire as music plays in loops.
The audience’s role
There’s nothing much to the circular, wooden installation ‘Demo Station’ by
October 26, 2008
Thailand’s Rikrit Tiravanija until 6pm each day. That’s when people just arriving from the Triennial’s closing shows at the historic Red Brick Warehouse No 1 nearby come looking for more art. Just by walking up and down the two-floor spiral platform, they become performers on Rirkrit’s stage. Similarly, at the NYK Waterfront Warehouse, people are climbing all over Marina Abramovic’s ‘Soul Operation Table I II III’, which involves three sets of mirrors and coloured steel plates.
Making ‘movies’
While the star artists perform live, the stars of supper appear in videos. The NYK Warehouse is packed with heavyweight content, like Herman
Nitsch’s bloody series ‘Action, 6day play’, which depicts cows being slaughtered and their organs being crucified. Paul McCarthy’s ‘Caribbean Pirates Pirate Party/Houseboat Party’ is a feed from 10 projectors of dancing, naked pirates. Yoko Ono’s famed “Cut Piece”, first performed in 1965, has audience members snipping pieces of clothing from John Lennon’s widow until she’s nude. Douglas Gordon takes a worm’seye view in ‘Frog, Ravens, Peacock, Scorpions, Cat’ to watch the animals’ movement. Like his timebased performance ‘24 Hour Psycho’, Gordon’s new film has its psychological aspect. The Yokohama Triennial continues until November 30. Find the programme at www.Yokohama Triennial.jp. [27]
ARTS & CULTURE
Having A Moment
The 6th World Film Festival of Bangkok opens with indie romantic drama and closes with the Rolling Stones BANGKOK
Daily Xpress
T
his year’s World Film Festival of Bangkok will finally see its first child all grown up. A Moment in June, the debut feature by Thai director Nathapon ‘O’ Wongtrinetrakul, received its initial boost as the first film to emerge from the Produire au Sud Bangkok production funding workshop. Just look how it’s matured—a colourfully lit drama, featuring an accomplished cast that includes Thai actors Shahkrit Yamnarm, Sinitta Boonyasak, Krissada Sukosol Clapp and Suchao Pongvilai. It made its [28]
world premiere two weekends ago at the Pusan International Film Festival. Fittingly, it’s the opener of the World Film Festival of Bangkok on October 24 at Paragon Cineplex. “It’s like our little baby,” says Victor Silakong, the festival’s director. A Moment in June went from a paper presentation in Bangkok at the first workshop in 2004 to a bigger pitch at France’s Festival of Three Continents, which cosponsors the Bangkok film fund. While the ensemble romantic drama casts a quiet glow on the opening, the festival will go out with a bang with Shine a Light, Martin Scorsese’s documentary of the Rolling Stones. Capturing the Stones on their 2006 ‘Bigger Bang’ tour, the film will play
like a rock concert, outdoors on the posh Parc Paragon stage on November 1. It’ll be a free show.
Tributes
Other highlights include a tribute to Indian filmmaker Shyam Benegal who will be this year’s recipient of the Lotus Award for lifetime achievement. Five of his masterpieces will screen. There’s also a tribute to Brazilian filmmaker Hector Babenco, which includes a fresh print of Kiss of the Spider Woman. And the late British filmmaker Derek Jarman is the focus of a retrospective, which will include his Caravaggio.
World Cinema
Victor has criss-crossed the globe, October 26, 2008
>> The World Film Festival of Bangkok runs from October 24 to November 2 at Bangkok’s Paragon Cineplex. >> Ticket prices are 100 baht (US$3). Buy five tickets for 500 baht ($14.5) and get a sixth free. >> Check out www.WorldFilmBKK.com. The complete lineup is at Blog.NationMultimedia.com/WiseKwai. Catch films’ trailers at www.YouTube.com/WFFBKK.
bringing back to Bangkok what he says are the best films. Among the highlights are two animated features, Sita Sings the Blues, which is adapted from the Ramayana by American artist Nina Paley, and the drama, Waltz With Bashir, which criticises the Iraq war and won high praise at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Others to catch include the German family drama Cherry Blossoms Hanami and Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Three Monkeys. There’s also a special focus on Latin America.
Thai Indie
Aside from A Moment in June, other Thai indie films will include the short drama Lost and Found by Noth Thongsriphong. Santi Taepanich has a October 26, 2008
new documentary, Me and Mine, interviewing four inspiring artists including Penek Ratanaruang, Moderndog and Santi’s comedian brother Nose.
Asian Contemporary
Four female Indonesian directors portray four different stories in Chants of Lotus depicting the changes in society that affect women. The film Sell Out from Malaysia will also be screened.
Documentary
The festival is dominated by docs. Ones to note are Return to Goree on Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour and A Jihad for Love about transsexuals in the Arab world. It was banned from
the Singapore International Film Festival earlier this year. Also, there’s fun to be had in Seven Dumpsters and a Corpse.
Short Films
For short films, there are programmes from Germany, as well as an assortment from Malaysia, Singapore, Spain and the UK. From Thailand comes the ‘Chang Programme’, the ‘Disability Short Film Festival & Seminar’ and the festival’s own shortfilm competition.
New Media
The new showcase supported by the British Council is ‘Graphic Cities’ a collection of contemporary mixed media on screen. [29]
Explore
Weh To Go
Pulau Weh is one of the few locations in Indonesia which is not trampled by intrepid tourists Pulau Weh
Devi Asmarani The Jakarta Post
T
he road to Gapang Beach in Pulau Weh is a winding one, pocked with gaping holes, and at times looks dangerously too narrow for two vehicles going in opposing directions. It was raining hard when we headed there, and I had a hunch that the driver of the van and his companion were under the influence of something. The two had lit a cigarette and gradually mellowed. But there seemed to be a loose but erratic quality to their mannerisms—they put on really loud house music, and kept looking back at their passengers—which got me wondering if they had infused their cigarettes with some of the famously potent local marijuana. Luckily, we didn’t fall into any accidents and safely reached the beach in about 45 minutes. [30]
On land
The name Pulau Weh, or Weh Island, is actually more popular among Western tourists who call it by its geographical name. Most Indonesians would know it by its administrative name Sabang, which is actually the island’s main town. Geographically speaking, Pulau Weh looks made for diving. It is located where the Andaman Sea meets the Indian Ocean so the deep waters and currents around the island sustain a thriving marine life, from tiny critters to great pelagic. The long conflict in Aceh between the separatists and the Indonesian military never really spread to this island but it has stunted development here, especially in the tourism sector. But that is good news for divers: it means relatively pristine coral reefs and diving trips where you are unlikely to bump into other groups of divers underwater. There are two beaches where dive operators are based here, the Iboih and
the Gapang. Iboih is home to the first dive operator in Pulau Weh, the Rubiah Tirta Divers. Spread in a 1,300ha protected park it is more frequented by backpackers than Gapang. Iboih is closest to Pulau Rubiah, which is Weh’s reef-encircled sister island. The beach has a few bungalows with basic facilities, some small cafés and restaurants serving international and Western style food. The Gapang beach has a wider variety of accommodation, from basic wooden huts on the beach, or simple bungalows spread out along the hill overlooking the bay, to those with springbeds, shower and a choice of fans or air conditioners. Prices range from US$5 to $26 per night. The beach is a short stretch of white sand with large overhanging trees, the Gapang trees, and small cafés offering the standard fare of fried rice, fried noodles, pancakes and curry. Although alcohol is banned in Aceh October 26, 2008
because of sharia law, it is generally sold at some of these cafés, though they might try to pull your leg at first. An owner of one of these cafés feigned an offended look when I ordered a beer, saying: “We’re Muslims, we don’t serve beer.” But in the same breath he continued: “We don’t serve one, we serve many.”
Underwater
Diving is not a trivial matter in Pulau Weh. There are up to 20 dive spots around the island but I only had one day to dive before returning to the mainland the next day, so we picked those closest to the Gapang beach. Our first destination was Batu Tokong, a clump of rocks about a 20-minute boat ride from the beach. We dived in the passage of water around these rocks and found lots of interesting creatures, including Moray eels, the giant eel-like predatory fish that hides inside crevices while sticking out their beastly head and jaw. They were everywhere in this spot, and of various species too. The water was crystal clear and visibility was as far as 25m. The current was pretty mild, although we experienced a bit of surf shortly during the threeminute safety stop before we surfaced. After lunch at the beach, we headed for Arus Balee. This spot is another water passage around a rocky pinnacle. It was named after the Acehnese word arus palee, which means bastard current. The narrow passage facilitates strong current, as well as drawing in sharks and other sea creatures. Here, divers are advised to stay close to the bottom to avoid getting caught in the current. This is a place to enjoy schools of colourful fishes like the neon bright fusilier. We drifted along and arrived at a brilliant garden of gorgonian fans that spread out majestically, giving us the feel of a botanical park. October 26, 2008
We saw a turtle upside down, head in a crevice, completely preoccupied with something (probably a potential meal) that he was oblivious to a nosy audience. His posterior swayed in the current as he busily burrowed into the rocks. I was told the currents around Pulau Weh draw big plankton feeders such as whale sharks and manta rays, which frequent the area in January. Dolphins, sometimes with pods numbering in the hundreds, are also commonly sighted here. I saw none of those great animals, but I was nonetheless satisfied when I surfaced. In fact, I did not even have to go to far from shore to immerse myself in the marine life. Gapang’s house reef is populated by interesting creatures, from scorpion, lion and frog fishes to the iconic anemone fish.
Whale sharks have reportedly been seen in the months of September, October and November, and even once during a night dive only 30m off the beach. Despite all these attractions, Dutch Ton Egbers, owner of Lumba-lumba dive operator and bungalows, said he feels reluctant to over advertise his business, saying he rely chiefly on word-of-mouth and their website. “I think we have to grow along with the pace of the development here. Right now, the place is still pretty basic, probably too simple for some,” he said. “If we overmarket now, there would probably be some dissatisfied visitors who find it not up to their standards.” Well, dodgy driver and power blackout aside, I can safely say I’m not one of those visitors.
[31]
People What is the most annoying and most interesting interview question? Questions about my private life, which I do not think is important for readers to know about. Secondly, I have been in the film industry for 35 years. I still get young journalists who have not done their research and we end up not focusing on important issues, like the movie. The most interesting is talking about the future of our children, social problems and the political situation in this country.
Going Green
Indonesian Actress Christine Hakim finds interest in talking about the children’s future, social problems and the political situation in her country JAKARTA
Titania Veda The Jakarta Post
C
hristine Hakim never imagined what lay ahead of her when, as a 17-year-old part-time model, she made her screen debut in Teguh Karya’s Cinta Pertama. She won a Piala Citra—the local equivalent of an Oscar—for best actress (it was the first of six for her), and went on to become the most respected actress of her generation. Even when the Indonesian movie scene slumped in the 1990s, the honours continued to pour in for Christine, including commendations from France, India and Japan, among others. Awards are good for the ego, but the 51-year-old says she derives her greatest satisfaction from striving for better education for young Indonesians. The Unesco Culture and Education Goodwill Ambassador discusses her fervent nationalism, her ‘other’ side and going green. [32]
Why the green hair? The first time I did it was after doing a movie in Japan. As you know, the young people and even the grandmothers in Japan dye their hair all sorts of colours. So after almost a year of living and making a movie in Japan, I felt the need to release myself from the character. So I went to an extreme and coloured my hair. I thought green would suit me best with my brown skin but people told me it looks like chicken feathers!
“I might have been a female cleric if I didn’t start acting.” Award-winning Indonesian actress Christine Hakim
What makes you laugh or cry? (Laughs) Everything. Children can make me laugh or make me sad as well because I am very emotional. What is your must humbling experience? When I went on the haj pilgrimage because there everyone is the same. In front of God, everyone is the same. What makes us different is only what we do, not what we have. What is the most powerful moment in film for you? In Tjoet Nja’ Dhien (1988). It was powerful for me as an actress and also as a human being because in that movie, I was following in the footsteps of my ancestors. Before the film, I had felt confused. I had grown up in Java but have mixed blood from everywhere—from West, Central and East Java, Padang, West Sumatra, Aceh. If you were not an actor, what would you be? Maybe an ustazah (female Islamic cleric) because ever since I was a child, I always felt peaceful when praying or doing my religious duties. Why are you more nationalistic than most? Like many other teenagers growing up in Jakarta, I did not know anything about Indonesia. When I became an actress, I travelled to the villages and saw the country and how people really lived. When I travelled abroad and compared our country to other nations, I wondered why ours was still poor. We are so rich with resources and filled with generous people. Why are we still suffering? It made me want to do something about our situation. October 26, 2008
Technology
Facing Down Cyber Threats It takes a fellow cyber gangster to pin down cyber syndicates
SINGAPORE
Chua Hian Hou The Straits Times
O
rganised crime syndicates are raking in fat profits in cyberspace and becoming one of the biggest online menaces. Such professional cyber gangsters are among the quickest to use new technology to, say, hijack and loot online banking or video game accounts. Some are making big bucks renting out hacking tools to aid less skilled parties in causing havoc, say security experts. According to Singapore’s ministry of home affairs information technology security consultant Yu Chien Siang, such crime syndicates have been quick to realise the promise of cyber crimes— which can be more profitable than peddling drugs in the real world—and are swiftly ‘reinventing’ themselves to become high-tech hacking gangs. Just last month, many fans of online game Maple Story found their accounts hacked into and looted by one such hacking gang, reportedly of Chinese origin. To guard against such threats, the Singapore government is beefing up cyOctober 26, 2008
ber security. A recent conference on cyber crimes covered new cyber threats, developments in fingerprint and facial-recognition technology as well as wireless security. Beginning next January, a module on computer forensics will help infocomm undergraduates understand ways of tackling a security breach. Governments and companies that fail to fend off cyber attacks will pay a terrible price, said senior minister of state for law and home affairs Ho Peng Kee. If critical government information infrastructure like Singapore’s SingPass authentication system is breached, the effects could be disastrous, he said. SingPass is the login system used to access important government electronic services. Hackers and cyber gangsters have already wrought havoc overseas, said Ho, citing the example of the Georgian cyber war two months ago. When Russian tanks rolled into Georgia in early August, a shadowy army of Russian computer hackers hammered at Georgian government websites in an effort to crash them. And the launch of the Apple iPhone last year was “rapidly followed by at-
tacks that exploited its vulnerabilities... the very innovation which is used to improve our lives can also be used by cyber attackers in a disastrous way,” said Ho.
High-tech Bandits
A recently discovered cyber attack spanned at least three countries. It used the Web address of a Singapore company and the servers of a Malaysian one, and the site was registered in Ukraine. Such tactics make it difficult for investigators to pin down and bring the cyber criminal to justice.
Virus For Rent
High-tech hackers have begun packaging hacking tools into user-friendly bundles, which they then rent out to less skilled wrongdoers who, in turn, use them to send out spam messages or hack a business rival’s website.
Picture-perfect Virus
That USB storage device or digital photo frame you got as a door gift may just be a virus writer’s bait. Taking advantage of people’s greed for freebies, virus writers save viruses onto such devices in the hope that the people picking them up will plug them into and infect their computers. [33]
DATE BOOK K A RATS U C I T Y
Karatsu Kunchi
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aratsu Kunchi is an autumn festival held annually in Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Kyushu in the southwestern part of Japan. It is an epic event in which local people pull large floats through the town to the sound of gongs, flutes and drums, shouting the traditional prompting, “Enya! Enya!”. Huge helmets or lions decorate the base of the floats, known as Hikiyama, which are decked with glowing paper lanterns. The 14 Hikiyama that are still used today were offered to the Karatsu Shrine between 1819 and 1876. On the final day, teams dressed in the traditional uniforms of Edo Period (1603-1868) firefighters pull the Hikiyama through their neighbourhoods.
BANGKO K
6th World Film Festival
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he 6th World Film Festival of Bangkok will open with the Thai film, A Moment in June, a romantic drama that toggles between 1972 and 1999, by young Thai director O Nathapon. Around 60 feature films plus dozens of short films will be shown during the film festival, including the Southeast Asian
L EGAZ P I CITY
Ibalong Festival
premiere of the Israeli animated war drama Waltz With Bashir, which attracted a lot of buzz at Cannes this year and is Israel’s pick for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The Rolling Stones’ concert film, Shine a Light, will be the closing film of the festival. The world filmfest is a private venture of the Nation Multimedia Group.
When: Nov 2-4
When: Oct 24-Nov 2 Where: Paragon Cineplex
I N DI A, N EPA L , M A L AYS I A , S I N GA P O R E
Deepavali
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his festival takes its inspiration from the 18th century epic about life in the Bicol peninsula long before the Spanish colonisers came to the shores of the Philippines. The folk epic tells of the exploits of three mythical Aryan heroes—Baltog, Handyong and Bantong—who came to a rich land called Ibalon, fought several ferocious monsters and wild beasts, safeguarded the mountain crops, brought joy to the villagers and transformed the rich land into what is now the bustling civilisation of Bicol. Performers clad in their indigenous, colorful abaca-inspired costumes and grotesque masks dance along Legazpi City’s main thoroughfares with the world’s most perfect-cone shaped volcano, Mt Mayon, as dramatic backdrop. When: Oct 25-31 Where: Legazpi City, Albay
D
eepavali or Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs across the globe as the ‘Festival of Light’, which marks the victory of good over evil, the triumph of light over darkness. The deity of wealth in Hinduism, goddess Lakshmi is thanked on this day and everyone prays for a good year ahead. Hindus clean and decorate their houses to
prepare for the festival. On the day of the festival, Hindu devotees wake up before sunrise for the oil bath ritual to purify their bodies and minds before going to the temple to pray. Hindus light oil lamps in their homes and dress in their new clothes. When: Oct 28