THE NATION ASIANEWS April 5-11, 2009
TRAVEL, FOOD & DRINK, STYLE, ARTS AND TRENDS IN ASIA
High on
Hot!
Mind the Shiny new Kuck-odile Copper
Samui gets realer
TRAVEL, FOOD & DRINK, STYLE, ARTS AND TRENDS IN ASIA THE NATION ASIANEWS
April 5-11, 2009
WHEEL-Y AMAZING
COVER
Biker blow-out
P8
p9-11
SAFELY SIPADAN ANIMATED DESIGN
P14-15
P6-7
C o v er / K r i angsak T angjerdjarad
Around Asia
JAPANESE TAKEAWAY
P22-23
F4’S HEART THIEVES
P24-25 team
CHINA BY FLAVOURS
P32-33
Editor: Phatarawadee Phataranawik | Deputy Editor: Khetsirin Pholdhampalit | Photo Editor: Kriangsak Tangjerdjarad | Photographers: Ekkarat Sukpetch and Korbphuk Phromrekha| Writers: Manta Klangboonkrong and Pattarawadee Saengmanee | Contributor: Pawit Mahasarinand and JC Eversole| Designers: Nibhon Appakarn, Pradit Phulsarikij, Ekkapob Preechasilp | Copy-editors: Luci Standley and Rod Borrowman | Sub-editor: Paul Dorsey | Contact: www.nationmultimedia.com, e-mail: ace@nationgroup.com. (02) 338 3461 ACE is published by NMG News Co LTD at 1854 Bangna-Trat Road, Bangkok
What’s Hot
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Art between the sheets
llustrators and art lovers should check out the Bangkok International Book Fair at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre before it wraps tomorrow and take in booth Y 07, where the Goethe-Institut Bangkok and Frankfurter Buchmesse are exhibiting contemporary illustrations on loan from the Picture Book Museum in Troisdorf, Germany. Then discover the world of vintage Thai advertisements at booth P01 in Zone C where Sai Tharn publishing house is offering “Thai Advertisements” by veteran collector Anek Navikamul. The first volume costs Bt420 and covers ads from 1917-1957. Volume 2 (Bt380) focuses on ads made befvore 1917. Visit www.BangkokIBF.com.
The world on your wrist Snappy Songkran
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apture all the fun of the upcoming Songkran Festival with FujiFilm’s first waterproof digital camera, the Fine Pix Z33WP. The Z33WP can go underwater up to three metres for two hours, which is plenty of time to play. FinePix Z33WP is a basic camera offering a 10 Megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom, 5.7x digital zoom, ISO up to 1600, and a 2.7-inch LCD display. Like its non-waterproof brother, the Z30, the Z33WP features Face Detection with red-eye removal, Scene Recognition Auto and video recording. It’s available in pink, green and black. Call (02) 270 6000. | |
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hat do ac tor L eonardo D i C a p r i o , go l f e r T i ge r Woods, Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton and Wimbledon queen Maria Sharapova have in common? They’re all ambassadors for leading watch brand Tag Heuer and taking part in its new ad campaign “The Knights of Time” shot by top lensman Tom Munro. Dicaprio, a committed environmental activist, appears in the new ad campaign for the Grand Carrera line, in support of environmental charities the Natural Resources Defense Council and Green Cross International, while Sharapova presents the Aquaracer collection. Hamilton wears Heuer Carrera and Woods presents the Line collection. The campaign launchs this month.
April 5-11, 2009
P h o t o / S o mk i et Vantana v i jan , c o u rtes y o f F l o wer o f L o v e E nterta i nment
Solo performance
Comic croc Wannasak Sirilar’s new solo work fully entertains
Pawit Mahasari nand
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fter staging the fivecharacter drama “Them” at Bangkok Theatre Festival 2008, Wannasak “Kuck” Sirilar is back doing what he enjoys most - performing solo in his new play “Wimala: Queen of Crocodiles”. “Working with a big group of friends, although fun, can sometimes be stressful,” says Kuck, leader of Flower of Love Entertainment, a small theatre troupe that’s been constantly productive for more than a decade. ‘Wimala’ is different from my last solo work ‘7 Stars’. I portray only the title character, like in my early shows ‘Chailai Goes to War’ and ‘Internal Soul’.” The character is taken from the lakhon nok “Krai Thong”, penned by King Rama II, itself based on a Thai folk tale, in which the crocodile hunter Krai Thong fights with Chalawan, King of the Crocodiles, in rescuing the Ta
April 5-11, 2009
Phao Thong, the village chief’s daughter. As a reward, he weds Ta Phao Thong and her sister Ta Phao Kaeo but finds himself pining for Wimala, one of Chalawan’s wives. He brings her to the human world, which causes catfights in his household. Kuck admits that the last part is the stuff of which soap operas are made, but points out that Wimala is a crocodile, not a human being. “That gives me a great deal of creative freedom in my interpretation.” “We aim to fully entertain the audience, and it’s my funniest work. But in the meantime we’re also commenting on modern relationships, especially our seemingly limitless sexual desire and our attitude towards casual sex.” Having recently joined a workshop by Japanese director Hideki Noda, Kuck is also incorporating a few new tricks into his performance. “He’s shown me how the conflict between the actor’s dialogues and actions can work more effectively,” he says.
“Wimala: Queen of Crocodiles” performs at Makhampom Studio (BTS: Saphan Kwai) today through Monday at 2.30 and 7.30pm, and on Tuesday at 7.30. Tickets are Bt 200 (Bt 100 for students) bookable at (089) 112 7778. For more information, visit wsisilar.Hi5.com.
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Trends Phatarawadee Phataranawik
h t a h What hath I t a h W Roj oj R wrought? rought? w
P h o t o c o u rtes y o f Iss u e
Issue’s creative genius re-emerges with a dazzling multimedia show - it was love, war and pure magic
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ssue’s designer Roj Singhakul rode a towering wave of eclectic inspirations in an explosive return to the catwalk last Saturday. Exotic travel, the Dalai Lama, animation, the Ramayana - you name it, he had it. Showing off his new spring-summer line First Issue, Roj turned the AUA auditorium on Rajdamri Road into a cinema and live theatre. There were glimpses of Nepal and India and a wild party attended by the Hindu goddess Sita and Prince Rama and American cartoonist Nina Paley, broken up with her husband not long ago. Paley’s award-winning animated film “Sita Sings the Blues”, Roj told Ace, “was beautiful and perfectly blended a variety of art forms”. And it also happened to coincide with his own romantic split. He got Paley’s permission to screen some scenes from the film as part of last week’s threeact multimedia show. A three-minute clip opened the extravaganza, with a lively Thai narration by a youngster onstage. Rama and Sita are banished from Ayodhya, but remain in dire peril. The auditorium went dark for a moment, and then the lights illuminated three models in red and white prints, a dominant feature of the collection. The movie had come to life. Supermodel Cindy Bishop portrayed Sita in a gaily printed, single-shoulder evening dress over a red bodysuit. A male model standing in for Rama April 5-11, 2009
wore a rainbow vest over a sky blue bodysuit with matching shorts. Another, playing the evil king Ravana, was in a red vest over vivid lime bodysuit with red sleeves and micro shorts. All three wore gorgeous embroidered headdresses created specially for the show. A dozen models then appeared in beach casuals in white and earth tones mixed with print patterns. The women’s wear took the form of printed T-shirts, micro pants, jackets and jumped knee-length pants, the last style also seen in the men’s wear. There were standingcollar shirts and overcoats for the guys too. Another segment of the Paley flick showed Prince Rama and Hanuman rescuing Sita, and the battle theme continued on the runway, with a dozen blokes and seven ladies. Actor-model Ray McDonald played Hanuman in a khaki jacket with jumped shorts over a printed white shirt. Flag in hand, he led a charge of muscled warriors in red swim trunks, brown braces and hats. The Amazons among them wore print dresses. Red filled the final scene, in which Sita entered the purifying fire to show her love for Rama. Casual jumped knee-length pants mixed with knitted bras beApril 5-11, 2009
neath jackets of gilded metal plates and pleated evening dresses with elaborate gold frames. Cindy made a dramatic Sita in a winged white-and-pattern evening gown. Just as Paley had combined a variety of art forms, including shadow puppets and collage, Roj rolled together body paint, theatrical scene-blocking and startling lighting, as well as digital printing on his linens, silks, cottons and even denims. “I even learned some magic from a professional so I could make the show more dramatic,” he said. “He showed me how to create cloth from thin air and transform it.” While the print patterns looked similar to those in Paley’s movie, Roj created his own characters and scenes and added childlike beach-theme patterns. In fact, images and characters from Hindu mythology are part of Issue’s signature look. The new line extends Issue’s original ethnic look with more wearable outfits, and thus adds to its mass appeal. Roj wants to get a younger crowd - ages 16 to 28 - wearing his clothes. The outfits are more affordable too, ranging from Bt590 for a print T-shirt to Bt8,000 for an evening gown or suit. What will inspire Roj next? Who knows? By the time his autumn-winter collection is ready, we might all be listening to opera.
Roj
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Go SHOPPING
RCA’s official spokes-shop
A retro-style racing BMX, the PK Ripper Looptail costs Bt33,000.
Drag yourself out of the bar and buy a bike at Jump Sports. Your liver will thank you Pattarawadee Saengmanee
P hotos courtesy of C entral
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ringing a little healthy brawn to pubintensive RCA is Jump Sports, headquarters of “extreme cycling”. This is where fans of BMX go for those swift SE Bikes from the US. Owner Charlie Arunkit has stocked every design of bike since opening three months ago, every bike part and every kind of racing gear. Standouts in the showroom are racing bikes like the PK Ripper Team XLP, Floval Flyer and PK Ripper. Then there’s the top-of-the-line Wildman Pro, X-pert and Campagne for devotees of dirt biking and street biking. The biggest stars of all are iconic BMX models such as the retro PK Ripper Looptail, the Quandangle Looptail and the Om Flyer, all in styles harking back 20 years. If fixed-gear bikes are your thing, one corner has hot models including the Draft Lite Candy Apple Red, Lager Cool White and Premium Ale. DIY modifiers will love the variety of quality parts imported from America. Check out the colourful Xpedo pedals and vivid tuff wheels from Skyway. How high? SE Bikes provides a selecJump Sports is at tion of chromium frames, gear 29/11-12 Building mechanisms, jump posts, S Room S 21-22 stems, chain wheels, saddles, in RCA, Soi handlebar grips and more. Soonvijai, Rama 9 And, whether you race or Road. Call (02) not, you can sure look the part 203 1849 or visit in SE Bikes’ jerseys, pants, www.JumpSports helmets, gloves, glasses and World.com sneakers. | |
The Quad Angle Pro BMX model is yours for Bt15,000. Here’s a fixed-gear Premium Brew for Bt5,100.
An SE Bikes chromium landing-gear fork will set you back Bt3,500. The PK pad set is Bt1,500.
Racing gear from SE Bikes includes a jersey for Bt3,800, pants for Bt3,000, gloves for Bt1,500 and a helmet for Bt1,800, and how about some glasses by Fly Racing for Bt1,500?
Tuff wheels by Skyway come in all shades for between Bt6,000 and Bt8,000 per pair. April 5-11, 2009
P h o t o / K r i angsak T angjerdjarad
Cover s u o i r u f , t Fas e n r o b r i a d an t someone has u b , t r o p s y t ir d It’s a on two wheels s l il h e h t r e v o to fly
April 5-11, 2009
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COVER
Phatarawadee Phataranawik
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he guy who invented the wheel almost certainly didn’t expect to see it flying through the air, but you know kids these days. Extreme dirt jump biking is hot in Bangkok at the moment. You have to go looking for it, though — hidden off busy Onnuj Soi 53. Every weekend there are dozens of young guys doing aerobatics with modified bikes at the DM Dirt Track. “It’s fun - it’s extreme leisure,” says actor Nuntawata “Tor” Arsirapojanakul, astride a twowheeler made by a firm called Evil Bikes. But it can’t be as much fun or “extreme” as, say, flying a plane, right? “It’s extremely fun,” says AirAsia pilot Sirapob Julpeme, 32. And, to prove it, Tor and Sirapob and their posse start flying around the landscape on their bikes, and sometimes sliding around in the dirt too. Chamnong “Rith” Khaokongka and Sumet “Mark” Wangcharoen set up the DM Dirt Track — the initials come from nearby Dalunmuttigin
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Mosque — as the country’s first 4X dirt track. Five years ago they piled up eight hills on land outside Mark’s home that Mark’s fatherin-law Sombat Burahani donated for use as a practice track. Three years later it was a standard 280-metre track for full-fledged bike jumping and — at an average speed of 30 kilometres an hour — massive adrenaline releases. Here’s what happens: Three or four guys carry their bikes up a threemetre hill. They ride back down, onto a curved slope. They jump over two more hills, each about a metre high, and hit another sliding bank. On each leap into the air, they’re letting their hands and feet flick all over the place, or they’re spinning around 360 degrees. Deliberately, of course. Two more hills are in front of them, then another bank, then a jump up from three smaller hills and then yet another bank. They’re at the halfway mark. They pick up speed, soar over the first hill, roll into the last bank, negotiate the turn, grab more momentum on a straight and finally slam into the highest hill. It’s a metre and a half of dirt, at least that much air above it, and then all the way down again. Time to let their heart rates recover. The racers cool down while chatting about their machines and what happened. The course becomes a showroom full of mountain bikes, dirt-jump and freestyle bikes, freestyle motocrosses and BMXs. “Extreme biking has become a new outdoor lifestyle activity — especially for men,” says Chalach Thorat, who
April 5-11, 2009
P h o t o / K r i angsak T angjerdjarad
runs the website Maxrider.com. Tor is also the co-founder of the Bangkok Freeride Club, which has about 20 members who often ride around the city to meetings or head upcountry for some serious downhill practice. It’s an expensive form of leisure. Rith’s modified Intense VZZI VPX is worth more than Bt200,000, and he’s not done yet hunting for new technology. “The bike is my gadget,” says Tor, who has a crosscountry bike, a mountain bike and a BMX as well as his shiny, Bt150,000 piece of Evil.
BMX is back big “When BMX racing was accepted as a sport for the Beijing Olympics it became trendy again,” says webmaster Chalach Thorat. You can even buy a BMX bike at Tesco Lotus these days, but aficionados head to Jump Sports on Royal City Avenue for models of the popular US BMX brand SE Bikes. See Page 8 for the details. The shop’s owner, Charlie Arunkit, founded SE Racing Team Thailand, which gives youngsters professional
Rith
April 5-11, 2009
training under the guidance of veteran racer Sergeant Sitthichai Ketkaewmanee and former champions Athr Chaimayo and Taksaporn Khaosuwan. Then there’s the Old Skool BMX Thailand Club, which notes on its website, OSBMX-Thailand.com, that BMX became popular here in 1975, soon after it stormed California. Computer games, mobile devices and other outdoor sports like rollerskating stole BMX’s thunder in the late ’80s, but those wheels never did stop turning.
Let’s jump! The DM Dirt Track is open daily from 3 to 9 and there’s no admission charge. Jump Sports is hosting dirt-jump, moto-cross and BMX racing on April 19 starting at 9am. Call (081) 171 9729 for details.
Tor
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Hip Hangout
s i s a o r e p p The Co Great drinks, a nice view and full-course meals on RCA – with none of the sonic mayhem Manta K langboonkrong
p h otos / E k k arat S u k p etc h
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oining good old Old Leng as a nice place to chill and unwind on throbbing RCA is the Copper Bar & Restaurant, just a few metres away. Dressed in creamy white, metallic black and shiny bronze, the Copper stands out from the vibrant neighbouring bars. It feels homey and easy-going with nostalgic stuff like cassette tapes, retro knickknacks and old print ads on the walls. The two-storey shophouse is smartly designed with a separate sitting area and “sizeadjustable” private zone. It’s not a dance club, so the dance floor is filled with low tables and stuffed chairs. You can sit outside too, and up on the second floor. A good drink, cool breeze and a view of the massive golf course at night don’t sound like bad options either. The Copper offers tasty, full-course Thai meals and snacks, and the kitchen stays open till 1am. Drinking is the preferred pastime, though. They have an extensive collection of beers, cocktails and whiskeys – both foreign and local including the Chiang Mai brew Lumka. Don’t walk out without tasting the signature blends: the milky and sour Lacto (made with Yakult, vodka and ice), the refreshing yet potent Mullika (vodka, gin, triple sec, Blue Curacao and apple juice) and the sweet Bawornvit with Sangsom shot, Singha beer, Sprite, Grenadine and lime. Drink prices range from Bt90 to Bt200. A mixer is Bt30. Don’t expect loud, thumping tunes. You get live, soft acoustic music and chillout tunes from the DJs. It’s a great joint for a power-drink session before heading out for a crazy night, or simply a decent night out with friends you can actually hear when they’re talking. Ah, peace! The Copper Bar & Restaurant is open from 6pm to 2am daily except Sunday. Call (089) 896 4527
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PLEASURE
AT A PRICE JC Evers ole
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hink the shape of the glass from which you drink your wine doesn’t matter? Don’t say that in front or Maxmilian Riedel or the 10 generations of the Riedel family preceding him. Riedel, who was in Bangkok last week for a press conference at the Oriental Hotel co-hosted by his Thailand distributor Italthai and their CEO, Yuthachai Charanachitta, spoke about how his family company has evolved from modest Austrian glassmakers into the leading maker of prestige stemware in the world. He also introduced his personal contribution to the company’s success in the form of a stemless line of glasses called “O”. While initially quite controversial, the “O” series has become the most successful new collection in Riedel history, mainly as a result of today’s more casual style of entertaining. The core of Riedel’s business remains the specialised shapes of glassware designed for specific beverages. Whether handblown from lead crystal or machine-made from lead free glass, the company is the undisputed leader in the concept of form following function. Ranging in price from more than Bt3,500 per handmade glass to Bt400 for selected machine-made lines, their glasses are designed to optimise the character of each type of wine or spirit. According to Riedel, a big-bodied fruity wine like an Australian shiraz requires a larger, deeper bowl to capture the wine’s fragrance and flavour, whereas a lighter wine like a Riesling needs a narrower bowl with a flared lip to deliver the wine to the middle of the mouth, optimising its floral and mineral flavour components. Regardless of the impact glass shapes have on one’s perception of the wines drunk from them, Riedel has scored a marketing coup with its tutored tastings using their glasses in comparison with standard bar ware. Without exception, tasters prefer the palate sensations realised when drinking from the thin-lipped, specialised shapes offered by Riedel glassware or that of similar competitors compared to ordinary bar ware glasses. A luxury in troubled times maybe, but even the lower priced Riedel lines will add pleasure to a lower-priced wine. Call Italthai Food & Beverage Solutions at (02) 318 1617 for details. April 5-11, 2009
Laid-back
Under the Celebes Sea Malaysia took extraordinary steps to protect Sipadan Island, and the sea creatures show their gratitude offshore
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April 5-11, 2009
Korbphuk Phromrekha
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choice of classy, Maldives-like lodgings with full facilities. Backpackers look for something cheaper, like the offshore Seaventures Platform, a former oilrig that’s been transformed into a hostel and doubles as a dive headquarters. Just off Mabul we dive to 30 metres and explore a land of colourful coral. We’re greeted by a gang of nudibranchs, sea leeches and moray eels, and see the famously camouflaged flamboyant cuttlefish, blue-ringed octopus and bobtail squid. Snorkellers don’t miss out on much. A wall of lobsters, magnificent coral castles and big schools of ghost-pipe fish and anglerfish are within easy reach of the water surface. When night falls we plunge with flashlights to Paradise II to peek at mandarin fish mating. You have to keep quiet and still while the fish finish their coupling in a quick 10 minutes. On our last day we descend 18 metres beneath the oilrig and discover a flock of cute pygmy seahorses hiding amid the giant sea fans.
P h otos / Korb p h u k P h romre k h a
he storm that rocked our 100-kilometre flight from Sabah did nothing to lessen our excitement over the fish and forests of coral we were about to see. The port of Semporna is the gateway to a scuba-diving paradise – the celebrated islands of Sipadan, Mabul and Kapalai in the Celebes Sea. They’re world-famous for the biological diversity of the marine life, with many rarely seen animals and more than 100 kinds of coral. Sipadan – Malaysia’s only volcanic island – is today ringed only by crystal sand, a far cry from the tumult of luxury resorts that used to crowd the shore. The government closed them all in 2005 for the environment’s sake, and no one is allowed to stay overnight on the island. Only a certain number of scuba divers are permitted in the area at any one time. The underwater world teems with green turtles, parrotfish and large sharks – black tips, white tips, hammerheads and grey reef. Our Malaysian guide takes us to see barracudas form a devastating cyclone to attack their prey. Not far away is a favourite dive spot, Turtle Tomb Cave, a cemetery of giant sea turtles. With nowhere to stay on Sipadan, neighbouring Mabul and Kapalai proffer accommodations. Both have a good
Pumped up A room at the Seaventures Platform costs Bt18,375 for four days. Get the details at www.SeaventuresDive.com. April 5-11, 2009
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Laid-back
Finding roots
ON SAMUI
Green, woody and home-grown, Heritage Resort manages to cultivate the authentic atmosphere of the island K he t sirin Pholdhampalit
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P hoto / E kkarat S ukpetch
hile most new properties across Koh Samui are outsider-owned and overpriced, the latest addition – Samui Heritage Resort – is home-grown and good value. Architect Chan Limprasert, whose buildings have built him a reputation on Samui for 30 years now, has created a resort just behind Bophut Beach. Run by his daughter Nattawadee, it’s not beachside but the Balinese-garden feel gives this 16-room hideaway a tranquil and relaxing ambience. Outside, things are kept simple with a red-brick-and-wood construction, while the interior design has been given playful touches with splashes of yellow and pur-
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ple, and red and green, set against the oak-shade wood furniture. The 40 square metres of the familyfriendly Heritage Suite (Bt2,999 a night) comes with two king-size bedrooms plus en-suite, open-air bathrooms with bathtub and shower. In the living room there’s a comfy sofa and four-seat dining table, LCD TV and DVD player, pantry and tea and coffee making. Long-stay guests get a fully stocked kitchen. The 20-sqm Samui Suite for Bt1,600 a night makes a nice little nest for lovebirds, with one bedroom plus open-air bathroom with shower, one living room with two-seat dining table, LCD TV and pantry. It won’t be long before a villa joins the accommodation options – Chan’s elegant, spacious creation is taking shape and should be perfect for big families or a crowd of friends. The trickle of the waterfall makes for a relaxing soundscape down at the pool, where guests can also wallow in the builtin jacuzzi. Meanwhile, shopaholics can slake their thirst nearby in the Samui Grand Plaza –a mini mall owned by Chan
Call (077) 246 246 or visit www.SamuiHeritageResort.com. at the front of the resort. Also on hand is a free shuttle bus for airport transfers, Bophut beach (10 minutes’ walk), a fishermen’s village and lively Chaweng street for evening strolls. Chan has lost no time recycling the wood left over from the Heritage. He’s building another boutique resort – this one in Krabi’s Koh Lanta and called the Anda Lay. Correction Last issue we got a bit too generous with the room rates at Kantaray Bay Hotet in Rayong. The Bt2,350 was for a night in a studio - not a month as quoted (sorry, readers). For details call, (038) 804 844. April 5-11, 2009
Wellness
Safe for the seashore
Spirit readings
Beach boys and girls are advised to hit the Devarana Spa beforehand for the “Before Sun-Sea-Sand” treatment. All through June, the three-hour scrub and massage with green tea and grape and citrus oil costs Bt6,200 to Bt8,000. There are other deals as well as www.DevaranaSpa. com.
The Bangkok Book Fair offers a little something for the soul
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ood for thought is now being served at the Bangkok International Book Fair, filling the Queen Sirikit Convention Centre with pages and pages of New Age and dharma philosophy. Being deeply spiritual, Ace has picked some of the outstanding titles at different publishing houses’ booths at the fair.
Free Mind Publishing, C1 Zone, M10
“The Art of Power” by Thich Nhat Hanh, translated by Jit Tanthasatien, turns the conventional understanding of power on its head. The Zen guru illustrates how the hunt for power and prestige leads us on a never-ending search for hot job titles and bigger salaries - which aren’t actually what we need in life. True power, of the valuable sort, is something entirely different.
Family & Dhammada Publishing, Main Foyer, X05 “Aharn Gae Kried” (“Food for Releasing Stress”) by Dr Krisda Siramput of the International Anti-Ageing Medicine Centre explains how your imbalance immune system causes stress. Revamp that diet and you won’t be such a nervous wreck.
Sukhapabjai Publishing House, C1 Zone,
M25 In “Buddhadasa Bhikhhu and the Power of Materialism”, Intuwanna Cheuychuensakul extracts from some of the late, much revered preacher’s lessons the methods for avoiding capitalism’s trap. She also shares her week’s experience at the Suan Mok meditation sanctuary that Buddhadasa founded in Surat Thani.
Saitarn Publishing House, Hall A, Y07 “Gae Wikrit Settakit Naew Budhhist” (“Get Past the Economic Crisis with Buddhist Teaching”) by veteran social critic Wittaya Chiangkul delves deep into the sustainable-economy concept. Politics and society take on fresh relevance in a study of writings by the Dalai Lama, Buddhadaha Bhikhhu, EF Chumarker, the Venervable Por Payutho and others. Nation Multimedia Group, Hall A, M31
“No Sick Show Hand” by Dr Weerachai Vasicdilok, who’s better known as Dr Daeng of TheArokaya.com, offers a guide to taking better care of yourself through the Arokaya holistic health system. Traditional herbs, exercise, rest and meditation can ward off disease, he insists.
High-volume charity If your bookshelves are overcrowded, why not share some volumes with youngsters who can benefit? There’s a booth at X02 in the Foyer called All for Books = Books for All where they’re accepting donations of books and cash. The aim is get a million kids reading, right across the country. Donate Bt50 and you get a book of proverbs by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. See the details at www.BangkokIBF.com. April 5-11, 2009
Go to Trat, get healthy The Centara Chaan Talay Resort and Villas in Trat will get you fit and fantastic over the course of three nights and three days with their healthy cuisine, yoga and spa treatments, and you can learn how to cook some Thai dishes too. Until October 31 the price is Bt11,300 if you share a one-bedroom suite and Bt14,500 when you’re on your own. Call (02) 101 1234 or visit www.CentaraHotelsResorts.com.
The lips say ‘safe sex’ It’s “Yes Yes Yes to Safe Sex” in the MTV-Body Shop campaign against HIV. Buy some Tantalising Lip Butter with the words “Yes Yes Yes” words on the box and the whole Bt390 price goes to the Staying Alive Foundation. The lip treatment, made with dragon fruit, butter from Ghana and organic beeswax, is preservativesfree. The global campaign has raised Bt70 million in the past two years. Visit www.YesToSafeSex.com. | 17 |
PHOTO ESSAY
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April 5-11, 2009
Bird Paradise TEXT BY AS I A N EWS N E T WO R K PHOTOS BY T H E N AT I O N ( T H A I L A N D )
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hailand’s Yala province set a new record for the Guinness Book of World Records for the most birds in a bird competition. More than 6,000 birds competed in the 24th Asean red-whiskered bulbul exhibition. The bright and beautiful bulbul, which is found in tropical areas, has a melodious call.
April 5-11, 2009
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Travel
Have Card, Will Travel SINGAPORE Cheryl Tan The Straits Times
S
ingaporeans are travelling on credit in these belttightening times. Travel now, pay later schemes have been around since 2001 but the number of customers who opt to pay for their travel packages in interest-free instalments has spiked over the past year, said travel agents. This is how the credit scheme works: Tour agencies team up with major banks to offer the instalment payment plans. The banks pay the travel agencies the full amount of the tour packages and collect from travellers in monthly instalments. Customers can spread the repayments over six or 12 months. They also have to make a non-refundable deposit of between $300 (US$197) and $500 (US$329) a passenger, depending on the price of the tour package. CTC Holidays, one of the biggest travel agents here, saw a 60 per cent spike in such sales transactions from $17.5 million (over US$11.5 million) in 2007 to $28 million (over US$18.4 million) last year. | 20 |
Its spokesman Alicia Seah said travel now, pay later customers usually sign up for packages that range from $1,500 (US$987) to $3,000 (US$1,973). Popular destinations include Japan, Europe and the United States. The agency tied up with OCBC, UOB and DBS to offer this scheme in 2001. She said that sales are expected to grow this year because consumers prefer to have cash in hand during a recession and pay for big ticket items in instalments. That is why HR executive Yueh Soek Fang opted for a six-month instalment plan to pay off her $3,200 (US$2,100) nine-day Hokkaido trip for two people although she had the money in her bank account. The 32-year-old who travelled with her twin sister said: “I just prefer to keep the money with me first. The repayment is not so painful and I can earn points on credit too.” She pointed out that such schemes are “good for low-income earners” who have to save every month for a holiday. “You have to wait at least one to two years before you can go on one holiday,” she said. SA Tours spokesman Ruth Lim said its customers are usually people below 45 years old who “either have a
AFP Photo
More Singaporeans are opting for travel now, pay later schemes when they holiday overseas
lower income or have other financial commitments”. The tour agency started the scheme in 2004 and last year, saw an 18 per cent increase in the number of clients signing up for such instalment packages compared to 2007. Chan Brothers, another big travel agency in Singapore, said the number of customers paying by interest-free instalment doubled last year. Spokesman Jane Chang also said that younger travellers are more likely to take up the instalment plans. The agency started offering the package with Citibank, DBS and UOB eight years ago. Diners Club International assistant general manager Bernard Tay said travelling on credit is attractive because it allows for instant gratification of the travel bug without the pain of shelling out a big amount upfront. April 5-11, 2009
BIG APPLE: One of the popular destinations for holiday-makers who travel on credit is the United States where New York is a major draw.
“Consumers no longer want to save five years for a US trip. They want everything now,” he said. The credit-card company has a travel arm, Diners World Travel. He said that the travel industry was the second biggest contributor to sales instalment revenue after the electronics industry. As UOB Travel spokesman Eileen Oh put it: “Travel has become an essential for Singaporeans and they will try all ways and means to take a break overseas.” The agency has seen at least a 30 per cent increase from 2007 to last year in the take-up rate of such plans. To ride on the popularity of the instalment schemes, it plans to introduce a three-month instalment waiver on holiday packages at its roadshow at CityLink Mall this weekend. OCBC Bank rolled out OCBC PaylApril 5-11, 2009
ite last year so that its credit-card members can pay for their holiday packages at any travel agency over three-, six- or 12-month periods. “Payment in instalments ensures better cash-flow management in case funds are needed elsewhere,’’ said OCBC Bank head of credit cards Alice Goh. Asked about the enjoy now, pay later mentality of travellers, Credit Counselling assistant director Tan Huey Min advised those who signed up for the schemes to budget for their holidays. She pointed out that paying small amounts over a period of time “allows money in the bank to earn interest”.
Diners Club International’s Tay said fewer than 1 per cent of its customers default on payments. The banks contacted did not give de-
fault rates. The banks said that customers who do not settle the monthly payments will be charged the usual interest rate for credit cards, usually 24 per cent per annum or 2 per cent a month.
Engineer Chia Puay Hua used to pay for his tour packages in full but changed his mind when his ASA Holiday travel agent recommended its zero-interest instalment payment plan to him in January. He had booked a nine-day Hokkaido-Tokyo tour with his wife for $5,800 (US$3,816). He plonked down $1,000 (US$658) as a cash deposit and will pay off the rest of his holiday over six months. The 33-year-old said: “It’s good to have as much cash as possible on standby during these times.” | 21 |
ARTS & CULTURE TOKYO
Kumi Matsumaru The Daily Yomiuri
I
A Piece Of
Japan
There is joy, humour and local flavour in souvenir items from the Land of the Rising Sun
| 22 |
t is nice to buy some made-in-Japan items as souvenirs for yourself or somebody else. But don’t you wish you could find something different from the usual Japanese stuff, such as chiyogami decorated boxes or kanji T-shirts, that still keeps the local flavour? Tokyo’s Tokyo, a shop that opened at Haneda Airport’s Terminal 2 last month, is a new type of souvenir shop whose selection is “curated” by art and design specialists in an effort to offer “the feel of modern Tokyo”. “Tokyo is a place where different values exist together. So items here are chosen on the basis of expressing such feelings. They range from cheap toys that were popular in the 1970s to fashion items designed by modernday top-notch artists,” said Naoko Takegata of Daily Press, a spokesperson for Tokyo’s Tokyo. The shop is supervised by Yoshitaka Haba, who is responsible for the selection of books and other items at Tsutaya Tokyo Roppongi and Souvenir From Tokyo at the National Art Centre, Tokyo. “You can find things here not usually seen at conventional souvenir shops, including food,” Takegata said. The range of items includes copies of the hip and progressive 1970s cultural magazine Takarajima, kokeshi dolls
April 5-11, 2009
with animé-style faces from the Tohoku region, mineral water in Tokyo Tower-shaped bottles, plastic dolls of yokai animé character Medama Oyaji, canned oden (an item that came into the spotlight after it won the devotion of otaku who enjoyed it while wandering Akihabara) and Comme des Garcons perfume in sleek bottles. There are foreign products, too, such as a solar-powered German helicopter toy and items bearing the logo of PanAm, the famous airline that went out of business in 1991. The shop is divided into several sections under such themes as business, kids, hotels, airlines, Tokyo, fashion and sweets. The last section is for novelty items, such as a towel with an image of a chocolate bar printed on it. Wide shelves along the wall at the back of the store are dedicated to books, including sets of three that are related to each of several locations featured each week. Some of the items may not be practical, but Takegata said they are sure to at least give you some pleasure while travelling or after you return home. Meanwhile, Keiko Uraji, a merchandise consultant for shops and corporations, published a book about 100 gifts she chose based on her own experience of seeing them enjoyed by people to whom she had given them. Watashi Gonomi no Happy Dezain Gifuto 100 sen (100 happy design gifts, Shogakukan Inc, 1,890 yen) is divided into 10 categories—for kimono lovers, for travel lovers, for friends, small gifts, wedding gifts, for baby, for father, for mother, for husband and—don’t forget—for yourself. The items are not all Japanese, but it makes a great guide for those looking for locally made specialty items. For example, Uraji chose a box of 12 colour pencils, an original item from the Suntory Museum, as one of her gifts for travel lovers. The colours are based on pigments traditionally used in Japanese painting, and the pencils are neatly placed in a paulownia wood box with a Staedtler sharpener. It would also be nice to send your father a pack of custom cotton socks made by Fukusuke. The socks, which are available in 10 different colours and April 5-11, 2009
in sizes up to 29cm, can be monogrammed. A small but tasteful gift is a box of senko firecrackers made in Gunma Prefecture. Individual firecrackers are elegantly wrapped in washi paper before being tied into a bundle with red and white string. The book, which comes with beautiful photos, includes an English summary of the text, allowing non-Japanese readers to easily peruse her choices. In Ginza, Tokyo, art director Kenmei Nagaoka organised the Nippon Vision Gift exhibition at the Matsuya department store in March. The event introduced long-lived and well-designed Japanese products from around the country. To represent each of Japan’s 47 prefectures, he chose sets of items—usually three of them—he believes work well both as gifts and as daily items you can happily use yourself. Each prefecture’s set of gifts was displayed in a box. The selection is unique and lets even a Japanese visitor discover unfamiliar yet attractive local products. Some of the selections also are nostalgic or even humorous. A donburi bowl made in Yomitanson village, Okinawa Prefecture, was matched with a packet of Okiko Ramen, a popular local instant ramen, and traditional Okinawan umeshi chopsticks. As a choice from Tokyo, handmade chopsticks from a company with a 300-year history, a celluloid pencil case by the nation’s only maker of such products and gingery okoshi sweets from the traditional Japanese confectioner Higashiya were put into a box. Details of the selections are available on a video at YouTube.com (search for Nippon Vision Gift). The exhibition will be held at D & Department Project store in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, from GIFT IDEAS May 14 to 26. It will then Tokyo’s Tokyo travel to Osa- www.tokyo-airport-bldg.co.jp/ ka ( J u n e tenant/detail/299.html 4-16), Sapporo (June 23-July Nippon Vision Gift 5) and Shi- web.d-department.jp/project/ zuoka (July nippon vision/index.html 22-August 3). | 23 |
ENTERTAINMENT P h otos cou rt esy of G roup Ei gh t
TOAST OF KOREA: (L-R) Kim Joon, Kim Bum, Lee Min-ho, Kim Hyun-joong and Keo Hye-sun.
The New Heart-throbs
Korea’s F4 have captivated the hearts of women of all ages, be it a 7-year-old girl or 50-year-old housewife SEOUL
Lee Joo-hee The Korea Herald
M
aybe the time has finally arrived for women in this Confucian society to openly appreciate the beauty of the opposite gender. It may be that boys have actually become much “prettier” than before, and are beyond the traditional male attributes defined as “tall, dark and handsome”. Well, the four main male characters in KBS hit drama Boys Over Flowers are definitely tall and handsome, and all of them jaw-droppingly rich. But that’s hardly enough to describe the huge pop culture sensation that has engulfed Korea. The four “flower boys” or “F4” have captivated the hearts of women of all ages, be it a 7-year-old girl or 50-yearold housewife. Many men also watch it, though the majority of fans are women. Boys Over Flowers may be considered the Asian version of America’s huge hits The O.C. or Gossip Girl | 24 |
which depict a hyper-luxurious lifestyle of teenagers. The series is only mid-way through, but the cast members (led by Lee Minho playing main character Goo Joonpyo) have become household names. The ratings hover around the high-30 per-cent range and could climb higher. “By watching these unrealistically rich and charming boys going out of their way to help Geum Jan-di (the main female character played by Koo Hye-sun) through her quagmires, as well as watching the scenes where she is reluctantly showered with gifts and makeovers, I get a sense of satisfaction at least inside the television,” said Lee Ji-ah, a 26-year-old graduate student who watches the show religiously. The drama is so popular that some shows are dedicated to it. Putting a comedic spin on the series that some call “too corny”, such comedy programmes as Gagya of MBC and Gag Concert of KBS have parodied the main characters. This is undoubtedly the big break for Lee Min-ho, 22, who was a struggling actor before the drama and now the envy of a multitude of aspiring talents.
He is expected to take in as much as 1.5 billion won (US$970,000) in profit this year, not to mention become the most coveted celebrity in business advertisements. Apparel company Bean Pole, a sponsor of Boys Over Flowers and creator of the famous school uniform featured in the drama, has also seen a burst in recognition and a rise in sales. Korea’s largest community site Cyworld has also benefited from the latest pop phenomenon by producing emoticons for each of the five major cast members, which they say are in high demand from users. Fashion magazines are filled with pictures and stories about the flower boys, while portal sites of Korea are filled with news, pictures and blogs dedicated to them. It seems people just cannot get enough of them. Boys Over Flowers or Hana Yori Dango in Japanese is actually a familiar story for women in their teens, 20s and 30s. The original comic book with the same title by Japan’s Yoko Kamio is considered like a bible for those who April 5-11, 2009
enjoy Japanese romantic manga. The series ran between 1992 and 2003 to eventually comprise a whopping 37 volumes. It sold over 54 million copies by 2005. The title is a pun on the Japanese old saying “Dumplings before flowers”, referring to people who attend Hanami (flower festival), but instead of enjoying flowers, focus more on the materialistic side of the event such as getting food and buying souvenirs. The plot is quite old school as well. Geum Jan-di, the main female character, is a girl from a poor family but has an unrivaled sense of optimism and drive and is by chance admitted to a prestigious private high school. There she meets the infamous group of four astonishingly good looking and rich boys. The group’s leader is Goo Joon-pyo, who is a spoiled heir to world-leading conglomerate Shinhwa. He is joined by Yoon Ji-hoo, played by member of idol pop group SS501 Kim Hyun-joong, So Yi-jung played by Kim Bum, and Song Woo-bin, played by Kim Joon. Their love story moves from Seoul to New Caledonia to Macau, while their wardrobes, vehicles and houses also entertain the eyes with their over-the-top extravagance. With their super powerful parents and backgrounds, it almost seems there’s no stopping these boys, until of course, they are met by the “harsh” reality of having to follow to their destined routes, such as inheriting the Shinhwa Group. “I actually am so over the whole immature high school love story, but I end up watching it because there’s just so much to see. It is like eye candy on all aspects combined into one show,” said Shin Se-young, 35. Lee Ji-yeon, a 30-year-old single woman, explains that she is a fan of the show because it is blatantly lavish and dreamlike. She says it’s easy to just fall into it without bothering to think about whether the plots are realistic or not. “It’s like watching real people play April 5-11, 2009
out the comic book to a tee.” There are also other interpretations as to why Boys Over Flowers is such a great hit in Korea. The obvious reason is the near perfect casting of the F4. Fair to say, their acting skills are considered not up to par, sometimes even cringeinducing. But main player Lee Minho shines, with his believable adaptation of the Joon-pyo character. Lee actually manages quite well to portray the spoiled kid of a billionaire who shows little to no respect to people around him, but turns all soft and
ration or aspiration towards people with money or chaebols. It is usually the case where the worse the economy the more popular the wealthy become. The popularity of this programme also represents the new aggressive nature of consumption,” Kim said. “One problem, however, with the programme is that these boys represented in the stories are in their teens and spending like kings. The unreality of it may be the attractive factor but it may also provoke a sort of wild-goose chase,” she said. Whatever the reason, it appears that
mushy once in a while, at least to the love of his life Jan-di. “One of the reasons for the character Goo to be so popular could be that he touches the embedded masochism of viewers by being mean and then he can be kind all of a sudden, getting the counterpart to appreciate that even more,” said Kim Mi-hyun, literature critic and professor of Ewha Womans University. It is also a shared opinion among the fans of F4 that while watching it, they forget about everything else and the less-than-rosy reality of life, especially at this time of economic hardship. “This may represent a distorted ado-
the F4 phenomenon is here to stay for now as fans appear to be not getting enough of it. The original manga Boys Over Flowers is enjoying a resurrection of its sales. Over 132,000 copies were sold in the months of January and February, according to its publisher Seoul Media Group. This is a huge surge compared to about 42,000 copies in yearly sales of the past. The series is already signing deals with overseas television networks for viewing, following the footsteps of Japan and Taiwan, which have also reprised the comic book series in television series and movies. | 25 |
ENTERTAINMENT
RUNAWAY HITS: (clockwise) Luck By Chance, Dev D, Billoo and Delhi 6 defy the writings on the wall—that it’s doomsday in Bollywood.
Babble In Bollytown
Almost miraculously, the Hindi film industry, which was finding it hard to match its US$1.37 billion turnover last year, has already generated over $1.55 billion Derek Bose
KOLKATA The Statesman
T
he doomsday evangelists had predicted blood on the streets—that major production houses would shut shop, movies would remain in the cans for want of distributors, that several big-budget productions were being put on hold, star prices had shot through the roof as too much of dumb money was chasing very little talent, hundreds of artistes and technicians would be rendered jobless... The writing on the wall was loud and clear. Recession had hit Bollywood. | 26 |
And then came a series of big ticket releases, beginning with Rab De Bana Di Jodi and Ghajini. Almost miraculously the industry, which was finding it hard to match its 71.5 billion rupees (US$1.37 billion) turnover last year, generated over 80 billion ($1.55 billion) from the box office and still counting. The phenomenal success of Slumdog Millionaire opened the doors for more foreign investments in Bollywood. The industry is flush with funds once again. Producer Rakesh Roshan sold his Kites for an unprecedented 15 million rupees ($300,000). The mood continues to be upbeat as Luck By Chance, Dev D, Billoo and Delhi 6 are meeting with grand openings.
So what exactly is going on? A lot, considering some of the revelations made by Bollywood biggies during their powwow at a convention in Mumbai recently. Not all of it was serious business though. For, amidst the usual talk of downsizing budgets and expanding delivery platforms, digital intervention and de-risking the film business, what came as real eyeopeners were the many off-the-cuff remarks, admission of goof-ups and humourous asides. Anybody who thought that Bollywood had outgrown its anarchic ways must think again. Take industrialist Anand Mahindra. This gentleman, with a sound grounding in the automobiles industry, saw his pot of gold in the film business early April 5-11, 2009
last year when the economy looked hunky dory. “Everybody said Bollywood is a happening place and I too wanted to be part of the action,” he said. “I launched my banner, ‘Mumbai Mantra’ with two films, Hum Hai Bahubali and Sorry Bhai. But guess what? The first film, which was in Bhojpuri, got its release in August 2008 when the whole of eastern UP and Bihar was reeling in floods. My target audience was located right there and sure enough, my film got washed out.” If that was not bad enough, here’s what happened to the second film. Sorry Bhai was scheduled for release on November 28. And two days earlier, terrorists struck at Mumbai. “On 26/11 we were in the midst of finalising the film’s premiere when news broke out of terror strikes in south Mumbai,” narrated Mahindra in mock seriousness. “What do you expect then? It just proves that if anything has to go wrong, it must surely happen to me—a classic case of the Black Swan syndrome.” If Mahindra was a victim of bad timing, there’s the veteran Ramesh Sippy (of Sholay fame) who is cursing the day he decided to produce Chandni Chowk to China. The film was to be shot largely in a village in China with local props and actors. Accordingly, plans were made in keeping with the availability of dates of lead stars Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone. But at the last moment the Chinese April 5-11, 2009
authorities withdrew their permission for filming. The location was shifted to Thailand where a new village had to be reconstructed almost overnight. The script also had to be overhauled to accommodate the change of plans. Worse, Sippy overshot his budget and Warner Bros had to be roped in as co-producers. “Had we stuck to our original plans, it would have been a fine film,” rued Sippy. “In fact, Chandni Chowk to China was hot property till we shifted to Bangkok. Once there, I could see that we were headed for trouble. Not only had the script gone for a toss, the schedules went haywire and we went overbudget to such an extent that only a miracle could save us from a box office disaster. That miracle did not happen. What bothers me even more is the insane budgeting we are forced into with fees of stars accounting for almost 60 per cent of our production budget.” The funny part about Chandni Chowk to China was that Warner Bros had joined hands with Sippy for its production after turning down Danny
Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire. According to Shekhar Kapur (a non-resident Indian filmmaker), Boyle had faced over 70 rejections before Foxstar Studios agreed to bankroll the film. Little known to many, the Hindi version of Slumdog Millionaire was
supposed to be titled as Jhopadpatti Ka Raja. “We wanted to give it a distinct identity and release this dubbed version only in the non-metros across India so that there would be no confusion with the English original,” revealed Ajay Singh of Foxstar Studios. “But when we saw the film doing well overseas and there was already a buzz on Slumdog Millionaire in the Indian media, we checked ourselves. Had we called it Jhopadpatti Ka Raja in Hindi, we could probably be losing out on the common branding element of the film. So we released it as Slumdog Crorepati all-India, and that eventually worked for us.” If this should hold valuable lessons in film marketing, nobody is telling. Instead, the bee in the bonnet of most Bollywood filmmakers is telling a ‘universal story’ that would appeal to a global audience. And here, nobody has any qualms about looking westwards for inspiration, even as some might end up with blatant copy-paste jobs of triedand-tested Hollywood hits. “Nowadays, many have become smart enough to copy from films made in South Korea and Papua New Guinea,” said Dibakar Banerji, director of Khosla Ka Ghosla and Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye. These filmmakers habitually turn to Quentin Tarantino’s famous words for validation: “I have stolen from every film I have watched!” But ultimately it was Mahesh Bhatt who had the last word when he spoke for the rest of his fraternity: “There is nothing original in life than life itself. Everything else you do, or supposedly create, is a copy of something somebody else has already done. So do not burden us with this myth of originality. We are simple businessmen here, out to make a living from telling and selling stories. Do you have a problem there? I admit I am a third-rate, lowly, goodfor-nothing moron and a thief... What is your problem if I steal?” That must settle the issue. | 27 |
Th e St raits Times/Nu ri a Li ng
People
The Fish That Sings
Future looks bright for singer Fish Leong who has a new love, new album, new movie role SINGAPORE
Jocelyn Lee The Straits Times
M
alaysian Mando ballad queen Fish Leong is swimming into new territory with a new love and new acting career. The Taiwan-based star was bubbly when asked about her new direction. She was in town to promote her 10th album, Fall In Love & Songs—Don’t Shed Any | 28 |
Tears For Him. Leong, 31, tells The Straits Times in an interview recently: “I am very happy and stable in my current relationship and I want my fans to know that.” The guy who has stolen the sugary singer’s heart is a 33-year-old known only as Tony whom she got to know in Shanghai through colleagues. According to Chinese media reports, he is in the wholesale alcohol business. Going by online photos taken by the Taiwanese media, he looks quite the gent in a shirt, tie and black halfrimmed spectacles.
Leong previously had been rumoured to be dating Masa of rock band Mayday. If there is a song to describe her life right now, she says it would be C’est La Vie (French, meaning this is life, though it is also a saying, that’s life). She gushes: “The song is apt because I have a busy and hectic life now, yet I still have the support of my family and boyfriend. This is what I call life.” This year also sees the singer act in her first movie. She refuses to divulge its name or significant details, although she hints that she would play a comedic character. On whether it will be difficult for the queen of heart-rending ballads to switch to something lightweight, she says she is fine with it. She says excitedly: “I can be quite comedic in real life and I often play pranks on my colleagues. I am absolutely looking forward to the role.” It will certainly be a break from her constant output of saccharine songs about falling in and out of love. Her 10th album, like those before it, comprises mostly love songs. Critics have bemoaned the lack of variety, but the Taiwan Golden Melody award winner wants to stick to her winning formula of ballads and soothing songs. She says: “Some of my songs are cures to heartbreak and people like listening to them. In the latest album, I focused on the idea of purity of love, as can be heard in my closing cut, Nursery Song.” Other songs on the album include the chart-topper No If and a schmaltzy duet called PK with fellow Malaysian singer Gary Chaw. On working with the talented Chaw, who is also a composer, the artist says “he was fun but a little shy”. “He didn’t dare to look straight into my eyes when we were recording our song in the studio, so it was a little awkward initially.” The star with the closet joker streak says: “We always ended up bursting into laughter.” April 5-11, 2009
Anggun’s Comeback JAKARTA
Bruce Emond and Dian Kuswandini The Jakarta Post
D
uring a packed week-long promotion tour for her new album Elevation in late January, Anggun Cipta Sasmi was “counting the days” for her return to her Paris home and daughter Kirana, now 14 months old. “But it’s just part of my work,” says the 34-year-old singer, who expects more visits to Indonesia this year in another role promoting dairy products for an osteoporosis education campaign. That professional attitude and work ethic took her from beret-wearing Indonesian teenage phenom to one of the most successful Asian entertainers in Europe (America has been a harder market to crack). Anggun attributes that initial success with her breakout hit Snow on the Sahara to timing, saying her voice and look met the criteria for the times. Still, she is clearly proud of how she has been embraced by her adopted homeland. “They respect that I have never lost my Indonesian qualities, but that I speak French even if the accent is always there. It’s exotic to them. And I think they’re touched that I really want to learn about the country and culture.” She stands out in the European music industry because of her Asian roots and the exotic Indonesian charm that April 5-11, 2009
distinguishes her from other beauties. But when Anggun comes back to Asia, it is her international reputation that makes people notice. No matter which way different audiences perceive Anggun, there is one thing they are all sure to observe: her talent. This talent has taken Anggun all over the world, but has never taken her completely away from her homeland. “I have lots of things to do in Indonesia this year,” Anggun said, her voice brimming with excitement. But this time, things are different. “It’s more complicated now if I have to leave home for several days. I don’t want to take my daughter with me for some exhausting travelling, but I can’t resist the longing I’d have for her.” Anggun is living in Paris again after spending several years in Montreal with her former husband Louis-Olivier Maury, a Canadian citizen. After her divorce from Maury in 2006, Anggun became engaged to 39-year-old French writer Cyril Montana. Kirana was born a year later. For Anggun, having a daughter has taken her to a higher level of life. “I started working on my new album when I was expecting Kirana, and it was finished just after I gave birth to her,” said Anggun, who breast-fed her baby for six months. “I don’t know why it was so easy to write songs during my pregnancy. The ups and downs that I had during that time inspired me a lot.” So Anggun seems to have had a good reason to call her fourth international
THE JAKA RTA P OST
Indonesia’s well-loved daughter will be in town to promote her latest album and to launch an osteoporosis education campaign
album Elevation. “It’s like my autobiography,” she said. “The title itself tells how I have risen to another level of life—being a mother.” Collaborating with talented American vocalists Big Ali and Pras Michael, a member of The Refugees, Anggun enjoyed playing around with different musical genres to create her own signature style— profound and poetic yet fun and playful. “I made those songs like making Polaroid pictures—the album is like a collection of snapshots of my life,” she said. Elevation has marked Anggun’s success not only in elevating herself, but also in evolving into more than a pop icon. As a fashion icon, Anggun has been associated with world-class fashion designers Dolce & Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli and Azzedine Alai. She was also appointed as ambassador for an environmental movement in France and as a United Nations spokesperson for microcredit projects. Soaring higher, Anggun made more pictures perfect when she secured lucrative endorsement deals with Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet, international hair care brand Pantene and New Zealand-based dairy company Anlene. | 29 |
Explore
DANCING AWAY THE NIGHT: Live music draws people to dance while cruising along the Chao Phraya River. Arie f S uhar d i man/ THE JA K ARTA P OST
Bangkok
Cruising Along T The Venice Of The East
Arief Suhardiman The Jakarta Post
With candlelit dinner, typical Thai dancing show and fascinating view of Bangkok, a boat trip along the Chao Phraya River is really a spectacular experience | 30 |
here was a buzz of anticipation at the River City pier. A couple stood at the edge of the pier, eyes locked on the slow-moving Grand Pearl ship. Like many others who crowded the pier, the couple was waiting to board the ship that would take them cruising along Bangkok’s famous Chao Phraya River, while having a romantic candlelit dinner. When the ship eventually docked, the crew welcomed them aboard, singing Latin songs accompanied by an acoustic guitar. The couple rushed into the ship, followed by others who were in a hurry too. They were about to have a romantic dinner sailing down the canals of Bangkok, the Venice of the East. In this ship that could accommodate up to 350 guests, people were free to choose where they sat, either inside the air-conditioned cabins or outside. I opted to sit in one of the cabins with other journalists and a Jakarta-based travel agent, given the strong wind outside. A welcome drink was immediately served as we sat down. The fruit cocktail was very refreshing. I suspect the night wind had made us all thirsty. Two hours prior, we had also indulged April 5-11, 2009
FASCINATING VIEW: View of the Grand Palace from the river at night.
in a renowned Thai massage at the As we approached the pier, we startRarinjinda Spa in downtown Bangkok. ed talking about modern Thailand, one As the ship moved, the city lights reof the world’s most visited tourist destiflected on the river water. Our twonations. Thailand’s tourism business hour romantic cruise had officially was once hit hard by political unrest. kicked off. When protesters “occupied” the SuTraditional Thai music filled the air. varnabhumi Airport last year, Tom said A woman, dressed in a traditional Thai it greatly affected the tourism industry. costume, climbed the stairs to greet the “The number of visitors signifiguests. She cast a friendly glance across cantly decreased. There was no the hall before gracefully performing a cruise at all,” he said. typical Thai dance. “But now, it seems that it’s going Once the dance finished, the capback to normal,” he added. tain welcomed the passengers over dha. It is also known as the Temple Many Thais, whose livelihood relies a loudspeaker, asking guests to sit of the Emerald Buddha.” on the tourism industry, also hope the down at a long table for dinner. To Across the Grand Palace, one could situation has returned to normal. Prime my surprise, Tom Yam, Thailand’s see the Wat Arun or Temple of Dawn. Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva assured the signature soup, was missing from the The landmark temple is 79m tall, dat- world an incident such as the airport table. Instead, there were dishes of ing back to the Ayutthaya period. King closure would not happen again. mouthwatering lime and chili steamed Rama II and his successor King Rama “I assure you that there will never squid, duck grilled in red curry, deep III enlarged the compound. Renova- again be a repeat of the closure of our fried fish, and roasted chicken with salt. Music played in the background while we walked back and forth between our table and the buffet, helping ourselves with food. I sampled the grilled beef with a green pepper corn sauce, before digging into a fettuccine carbonara and CANDLELIT DINNER: Diners enjoy candle lit dinners with fascinating view of Bangkok aboard the Grand some sushi. I finished Pearl. off with slices of waREGISTRATION FIRST: To-be termelon. tions were completed passengers swarm a registration King Rama VII, another ship cov- during the administratable to board the ship. ered in blue lights and filled with tion of King Rama IV. dinners, sailed past us, down the The Emerald Buddha main gateway airport. 370km river. was enshrined in this The Cabinet has apWhen it was time to head back to the temple for a brief period proved laws to protect River City pier, our tour guide Tom before King Rama I built our major airport from started telling us about all the historical the Grand Palace. any disruptions in the fuplaces located along the river. After Wat Arun, we ture,” he said. “That’s the Grand Palace,” he said, passed the Old Royal TYPICAL THAI FOOD: TraEven though we were pointing to a huge structure with a Palace and the Wichai ditional food minus Thai’s very close to the pier, signature soup Tom Yam are people around me were golden roof. The palace was well il- Prasit Fort. luminated, with lights creating a “ T h e r o y a l p a l a c e served on a long table. still dancing to the music, fantastic spectrum of colours con- spreads along riverside as if they were reluctant trasting with the dark sky. from the Wichai Prasit Fort to a canal, to leave the ship. “It was built by King Rama I, the north of Wat Arun,” Tom said. As I was walking back to the hotel, first monarch and founder of the “The building reflects Ayutthaya’s ar- I reflected back on the cruise, and Rattanakosin period, as an exact rep- chitectural style. The Wichai Prasit thought it was a spectacular experilica of Ayutthaya, the old royal cap- Fort or Bangkok fort was built during ence that should definitely be added ital, with a temple built within the King Narai’s reign and is the only re- to other adventures in the beautiful compound to house the Emerald Bud- maining fort of the Ayutthaya period.” Venice of the East. April 5-11, 2009
| 31 |
Explore STREETSIDE FOOD: Fresh, hot popcorn on sale in downtown Yingxian.
‘Chopstick’ Grah am Sim m on s/T h e Star
Through
Central China
A gastronomic trip through central China will whet your appetite as well as open your eyes to the cuisines of Henan and Shanxi SHANXI/HENAN
Graham Simmons The Star
T
he visitor to China had better come equipped with a good appetite. The use of food as a tool of diplomacy and communication, not to mention sheer hedonistic pleasure, has nowhere else been so highly refined. Not for nothing has Chinese cuisine been described as amongst the | 32 |
finest on the planet. Cantonese and Sichuan cuisines, together with Beijing specialities such as Peking Duck, have given China a prime location on the world culinary map. But in fact, the essence of Chinese cooking developed much earlier, in Henan province of central China. A culinary journey through Henan and Shanxi provinces is an exploration of the sheer subtlety and richness of these cuisines. Around 1,600 BC, the slave Ah Yeng, from the town of Yuzhou in Henan
province, developed a highly refined system of cooking that rocketed him to stardom. Later known as the chef Yi Yin, he combined flavours in a manner designed to benefit all the organs of the body. Thus, for example, bitter flavours were included to stimulate the heart and mind, a sour taste to regulate the liver, chilli-hot ingredients for the lungs, and so forth. Yi Yin cooked his way into Emperor Tang’s heart. The emperor became convinced of Yi Yin’s diplomatic skills, and later appointed him prime minister. In so doing, Emperor Tang was acknowledging the central place that food occupies in Chinese culture. In the words of writer Valerie Sartor: “To be a Chinese cook, one must be a diplomat, an artist, a philosopher and a chemist, blending flavours, nutritional potential and beauty into a series of elegant dishes that delight and nourish the guests.” Accordingly, it is with some sense of gravitas that I join a group travelling through Henan and Shanxi. The refined and varied cuisines of these provinces are to form for us a kind of tablepiece for the whole trip, with meals becoming a central event that will define and refine subsequent perceptions. This trip starts in the ancient city of Kaifeng, the home of the famous Yu cuisine, which developed during the Song Dynasty around 1,000 AD, building on Yi Yin’s pioneering work. To Yi Yin’s five flavours (bitter, sour, chillihot, sweet and salty), Yu cuisine added the ‘five factors’ of colour, fragrance, taste, design and tableware. Yu Cuisine has over 50 cooking techniques in total, including stewing, frying, quick-frying, stir-frying and par-boiling. Stewing is the most distinctive of these, making for a tastily glutinous sauce without the need to add cooking starch. April 5-11, 2009
A FEAST TO EYES: Fiery red chillies make this Shanxi dish a chillihead’s delight.
A major ingredient in Yu cuisine is river carp, a fish known as a pest in some countries but a delicacy here in central China. At a banquet highlighting Yu food, the signature dish of carp cooked in a rich gravy of soy sauce, shalnowned for its lots and millet extraordinary wine comes as a ‘water bantaste sensation, quet’. The oraccenting the nate Zhen Bu subtle flavour of Tong (Real the fish. Difference) Since the Restaurant has opening up of the been serving Henan economy FOOD FOR THE BRAVE: Fried scorpions feature this banquet in the 1980s, the on the menu at a Kaifeng restaurant. for over 100 provincial capital years. Zhengzhou has developed rapidly, with Eight cold dishes of shredded fish, a significant population increase made fungus, chilli, celery and so forth are up largely of migrants from western followed by 18 hot soup-styled dishes, China. Hence, restaurants serving mut- all served so as to resemble the water in ton and lamb dishes have experienced a a fast-flowing river—hence the name high level of demand. ‘water banquet’. Mutton soup and Yang Rou Hui Peony flowers with noodles and Mian (braised noodles with mutton) Lemon juice, Luoyang pork, and sweet are popular breakfast and lunch items, and sour kidneys are just a few of the with fried dumplings and radish cakes delicacies. I get up from the table also being popular. resolved never to eat another meal, But the summit of Henan cuisine is but this resolution lasts only until highlighted in the city’s distinctive res- dinner-time. taurants. One extraordinary meal inFurther north in Shanxi province, cludes such delicacies as double-boiled the landscape becomes more arid. Rice turtle soup with ginseng, baked goose cultivation gives way to the growing of with preserved vegetables, and wok- wheat, buckwheat and millet. In northfried lamb with green garlic. ern Shanxi, an American import — The northwest of Henan province corn — is the dietary staple. Sorghum is has its own distinctive set of flavours. also grown, and used to make an espeIn the Yuntai Mountain region near the cially fiery version of baojiu. town of Jiaozuo, the earthy flavours of A Shanxi taste-sampler starting in the soil—including dishes such as wild the provincial capital Taiyuan is esbraised rabbit with chilli, thousand pecially appropriate. It is here that year-old eggs and smoked scorpions— Shanxi’s 200 varieties of flour and feature on restaurant menus. The old 280 different varieties of noodles are Chinese adage that anything movable is best highlighted—and many of these edible never seems more apt. are included in a banquet served at Southwest of Jiaozuo, the city of Taiyuan’s Grand Hotel. Luoyang (home to the famous kungfu Fish noodles, vegetables wrapped inmonks of the Shaolin Monastery) is re- side noodles and noodles stuffed with April 5-11, 2009
beans are just three of the offerings. Other styles include dalamian (handpulled noodles) and zhuanpan tijian, flattened noodles served with gravy, accompanied by Shanxi lamb. And surprisingly, the food is accompanied by red wine— an excellent Cabernet-Merlot from Grace Vineyard, in Taigu County, 40km south of Shanxi. The founders of the vineyard say that it builds on a winemaking tradition in Shanxi dating back to the 7th century. In the north of Shanxi, the landscape becomes still more barren and arid. Buckwheat replaces wheat as the grain of choice in making noodles. A gastronomic extravaganza in Yingxian, home to the world’s tallest wooden structure, features country specialties that might have some difficulty in finding their way onto metropolitan menus. These include country-style ham knuckles; braised rabbit; buckwheat noodles in vinegar; corn cakes; and dog-meat hotpot, all washed down with another regional specialty — hot Coca-Cola! As for the vinegar with most dishes, that is definitely an acquired taste. However, there is no doubting Shanxi’s expertise in making vinegar, which has been produced here for over 3,000 years. The province produces more than 50 kinds of vinegar including Chencu, or matured vinegar, which is said to have valuable health-giving properties. Our culinary taste-tour ends in the northern city of Datong, where pigs’ cheeks and local wild mushrooms share a table with corn cobs, buckwheat cakes and—you guessed it—shot-glasses of vinegar. I’m not yet accustomed to drinking vinegar in such quantities, but am reminded of Yi Yin’s discovery that sour tastes are beneficial for the liver. A trip through these two provinces should be high on the agenda of any lover of Chinese food. | 33 |
Th e Nat ion (Th ailan d)
DATE BOOK H O N G KO N G
Entertainment Expo 2009
A
s the entertainment capital of Asia, Hong Kong is a thriving centre for film production, boasting many homegrown movie stars, as well as directors and producers who have attained worldwide recognition. This multimedia extravaganza amalgamates film, digital entertainment, music and TV under one roof, attracting the very best international film stars, directors and industry professionals. Date: Ongoing until April 19 Info: www.eexpohk.com THAILAND
Songkran Festival JA PA N
S
Cherry Blossom Viewing
S
When: April 13-15
PHILI PPINES
Holy Week
emana Santa or Holy Week in The Philippines must be seen to be believed. Every miracle, action and person that features in the Bible’s portrayal of Christ’s final seven days finds expression somewhere in this celebration. Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection are relived on Good Friday. Holy Saturday is still and silent. At midnight, the church bells ring to summon the people to celebrate their resurrected God. Early on Easter Sunday morning, the tradition of salubong, an enactment of Christ’s reunion with his mother, takes place. Fireworks and church bells fill the morning air, before families come together to share huge feasts and celebrations lasting all day. When: April 5-12
AFP
S
pring is the time to admire Japan’s famous cherry blossoms in what they call as the hanami season. Have a sake party under the pinkywhite flowers or rent a rowing boat around the tree-lined moats of Chidorigafuchi castle in Tokyo. In Yoshinoyama, the season is onger than usual, as the 1,000 trees at the foot of the mountain bloom first. The blossoming gradually progresses upwards, reaching the last or so trees nearly a month later. In Kyoto, the most famous spot for hanami is a shady trail called the Philosopher’s Path along a small canal. When: Ongoing until April 15
S I N GA P O R E
World Gourmet Summit 2009
S
avour the finest flavours in this event co-organised by the Singapore Tourism Board and Peter Knipp Holdings Pte Ltd. Combining fine cuisine with great wine, WGS 2009 promises a unique dining experience in the company of internationally renowned masterchefs, wineries, celebrity chefs and mixologists. Wine enthusiasts can look forward to the Chianti Classico Wine Fair and tutored-tasting Symposium, presented by the vintners of the top five wineries from Chianti Classico region. Gourmet enthusiasts can also look forward new culinary discoveries at the Le Cordon Bleu dinner and outreach symposium presented by three of the finest masterchefs from Le Cordon Bleu in Australia, Japan and Mexico. When: April 19- May 2 Info: www.worldgourmetsummit.com
AFP
ongkran is without doubt the most popular of all Thai festivals. It marks the beginning of a new astrological year and its exact dates are determined by the old lunar calendar of Siam. Traditionally, April 13 is known as ‘Maha Songkran Day’ and marks the end of the old year, April 14 is ‘Wan Nao’, while April 15 is ‘Wan Thaloeng Sok’ when the New Year begins. While the festival has its roots in Buddhist heritage and marked by the washing of Buddha images, merit making, traditional family values and the sprinkling of water in respect for elders, it is best known for the fun and sanuk everyone gains from splashing copious quantities of water on all who happen to pass by.