Expat Life in Thailand August/September 2018

Aug/Sep 2018

lifestyle . travel . education . nutrition . health . tourism . retirement . relationships

The German, Danish and Sri Lankan Ambassadors Interviewed and on record

l o o h c s o t k c Ba Meet the Heads

Jeremy Lees International School of Samui Dr John Moore St Andrews Sukhumvit 107 Michael Farley Harrow School Bangkok Amanda Dennison Shrewsbury City Campus

The drive and dreams of Miss Universe Thailand

When beauty and intelligence walk hand in hand!

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF SAMUI A ‘truly’ international family school on a tropical island !

Academic Excellence / Quality Guarantee

Pictured: Jeremy Lees, Founder of ISS, and his youngest children

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CONTENTS FEATURES 8

So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, goodbye

12 Three world class attractions 14 The Sri Lankan Ambassador

to Thailand 18 The Danish Ambassador 24 When beauty and intelligence

walk hand in hand!

28 SHOM BACK TO SCHOOL 48 International School of Samui 52 Dr Teerakiat The Minister

of Education 60 Back to school 64 Back to school with MOOCs 68 Meet the Head of School 72 Meet the Headmaster 74 Meet the Principal 78 Early English language education 81 England’s teachers heading overseas 84 A conversation with UniGlo 91 Chinese tourists and

international students 94 Connection to self as a

means to solving parenting challenges 98 Life itself ARTS AND CULTURE 100 Jerry Hopkins 115 Live Lounge 132 Podcasts provide endless entertainment 136 An Indian, American and

a Taiwanese are meeting at

Bus Stop…

TRAVEL 32 Wine(ing) our way through

New Zealand’s South Island 40 Rub and tug in Naha 42 Really wet markets:

Samut Songkhram 144 Japan – a flying visit 148 Appreciation and reflections

of Sweden 152 What it means to be a

long timer

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CONTENTS

154 A day at Chatuchak 157 Prachuap Khiri what MIND MATTERS 102 Oh no it’s time to

move again 106 Happiness 108 How going through tough

times can bring beautiful lessons 120 Finding myself, alone 134 Evolution did what to us?

140 Family resemblance HEALTH AND NUTRITION 117 All about eggs 124 When diet changes do

not work 126 Health improving ways

to use lemons and limes 128 What alcohol does to

your body

Write: Expat Life is created by an enthusiastic and passionate group of volunteer, talented individuals. If you have a story or experience to share or would like to join our editorial contributors, please write to nick@elbkk.com

130 How alcohol effects our fitness FASHION 112 How to get into the

fashion industry?

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NGO 142 Giving back to the

British Community EVENTS 160 Events / Social pages

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Coffee Club: Don’t let the name fool you

by Jocelyn Pollak

I

f you haven’t been, the Coffee Club is a must visit in Bangkok.

In fact, I’m writing this as I sit here and enjoy my new favourite drink, shaken passion fruit iced tea. Yum! I have lived here for almost 6 years and I didn’t try Coffee Club until recently, because unbelievably, I have never had a cup of coffee in my life!

So, when a friend invited me for lunch, I was a bit confused because I assumed it was all about coffee.

Wow, was I wrong!

First of all, on top of their signature coffees (including a fantastic new menu of cold brews for the summer), they have frappes, smoothies, some decadent dessert concoctions and my personal favourite, shaken iced tea. After some deliberation, my friend tried the hazelnut cold brew and loved it. While she was sipping her cool summer beverage, I was discovering my new favourite. There are so many options on the drink menu, it’s definitely NOT only limited to coffee.

The most surprising thing for me was the huge food menu! Again, going back to the name, Coffee Club, I didn’t realise how many options there would be for food; and I was hungry. I went for the poached eggs and avocado and my friend, who has a bit of a sweet tooth, ordered the banana pancakes. Obviously, I had to try hers and she tried mine. We both

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went in for a second bite!

The menu has Western food and Thai food, burgers, sandwiches, salads, breakfast and finger food.

How about dessert… I ordered the carrot cake which came with whipped cream and salty pumpkin seeds on top. It hit the spot. My friend ordered a tart and it was gone so fast that I didn’t even get a chance to try! Whilst I love the drinks, the food is what has kept me coming back.

The atmosphere at the Coffee Club has also been fantastic for me because I often do work from my computer at various places around the city. There are nice large tables, a cool vibe and it’s not too loud so I can always get work done, as I am doing right now. The internet is reliable and fast enough that I haven’t had any issues getting my work done. The service was attentive and friendly which is always a nice touch. And it appears to be a great spot for families as I saw several come in and it appeared the wait staff happily recognised them.

They have just launched a new loyalty programme. So as a regular I will get rewarded for my custom.

You collect points and get in-store offers, but the privileges also cover being the first to try new options on the menu, to getting free airport transfers and other lifestyle brand discounts.

This summer, definitely head to the Coffee Club if you want to try some great new cold brews, have a meal with friends or enjoy some solo time hanging out in a relaxed atmosphere.

Don’t let the name fool you; this place has so much more to offer besides fantastic coffee!

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So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, goodbye

by Agneta de Bekassy

T

hese words are the beginning of a song from the musical “The Sound of Music”, performed by the 7 von Trapp children, waving goodbye to guests at a ball in their Austrian castle.

This song came to mind when I paid a visit to the current German Ambassador to Thailand, H.E. Mr Peter Pruegel, and his Italian wife the beautiful Lucia Costantini, President of SHOM – the organisation of spouses of heads of mission.

Lucia and Peter are nearing the end of their 3 year posting in Bangkok and are now looking back on their stay here as having been a pleasant one.

“We have met so many nice people and all of the Ambassadors and their spouses have become our very close friends. Time passes fast and it is with mixed feelings we are saying Auf Wiedersehen and Arrivederci to Bangkok.”Lucia and Peter have been living in one of the most beautiful residences in Bangkok, located on Sathorn, an oasis behind walls, away from the city bustle and noisy traffic.

The garden is huge and beautiful, and home to several peacocks. Here the couple has hosted many successful events over the last 3 years. As most Ambassadors and spouses, they have had a busy social life and hardly any cosy evenings alone in their beautiful home.

Peter was born in a relatively small town, Bad Säckingen, and grew up in Karlsruhe, a city in the South

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of Germany which is not far from the French border. His father was an artist, a sculptor teaching at an art academy.

Since high school – he tells us – he was interested in the French language and in politics, which became the two subjects he majored in at the University of Konstanz. After a one year experience as a teacher for German language at a French lycée in Epernay, he joined the postgraduate cycle at the Ecole Nationale d’Administration in Paris, the French Grande Ecole for the civil service which counts among its most

famous alumni the current President Emanuel Macron. At the ENA, in 1988, he met his future wife Lucia and, after French, he learned also to speak Italian fluently.

In 1989, Peter joined the German Foreign Service and since then he has served in many countries including Italy, France, Serbia, Turkey and Israel.

His first posting as an Ambassador was in Bangkok, but Asia was not unfamiliar to him, having worked as Director for Asia and Pacific previously at the headquarters in Berlin. In this capacity

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he had the opportunity to visit many Asian countries, from India to China, Indonesia and even North Korea.

Lucia and Peter have a daughter, who lives and works in Berlin, and a son who graduated this year from NIST and will likely be going on to further studies at the University of Oxford.

We talked much about Thailand.

“During our posting in Bangkok, we experienced a unique period, with the mourning year in honour of King Rama IX and the cremation ceremony – Peter says – Thailand amazed us with her people, her colours and her food, with the incredible richness

of her landscapes, with a bubbling cultural as well as economic scene.

Of course, looking back at the last 3 years, there is also some frustration about the political impasse and a sense that the country is not moving as fast as wished in solving its structural problems and in the direction of the return to democracy”.Thailand and Germany cherish a longstanding and deep friendship dating back to over 155 years of bilateral diplomatic relations.

More than 850,000 Germans visit Thailand as tourists every year and over 35,000 Germans are permanently living here. “Our governments cooperate

in the international political arena and we have forged a very successful economic relationship,” Peter tells me.

Peter’s day starts, like for most Ambassadors, with strong coffee and newspapers. He and Lucia admit that they are not early birds: they do no special “workout” in the morning. Twice a week, the embassy staff has meetings to coordinate a variety of issues. Economic and cultural ties are in the forefront: “Germany is Thailand’s leading European trading partner”- point out Peter – “around 600 German companies have already set up base in Thailand and more are interested to come”. Thais and Germans have also established strong cultural and social ties: the Goethe-Institut Thailand offers a wide variety of cultural events and has established an extensive language programme.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) proudly celebrates 60 years of a presence in Thailand with an impressive track record of more than 200 Thai-German university cooperations.

Lucia is like a fresh breeze, having a ubiquitous presence in so many activities. As president of SHOM, she has recently organised a big fundraising event linking fashion and environmental issues. SHOM invited Thai designers to imagine and fabricate new creations from pre-loved clothes collected from the Bangkok diplomatic corps. A Fashion Story: Recycle, Reshape, Reuse’ was designed to highlight the impact of fashion on the environment and draw attention to the recycling, reshaping and reusing of textiles as a vehicle to ignite and excite new fashion trends.

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The event raised a fair amount of money that was donated to Scholars of Sustenance, a foundation formed to address global food distribution issues. When Lucia says goodbye to SHOM, her successor at the head of the association will be Madame Gracita, the spouse of the Swiss Ambassador to Thailand, H.E. Mr Ivo Sieber.

Peter and Lucia have also hosted many concerts and exhibitions during their time in Bangkok. I especially remember the peacock inspired “Features & Souls” by the Thai artist Kachama Perez, an artist of great talent who creates contemporary textile art.

I wanted to hear from them about how they coped with Thai language and Thai food. “We started to take classes when we first arrived but gave up after a while. Thai is so far away from our languages and it is very difficult to reach a level where you can effectively communicate”. Peter and Lucia have a Thai Chef at the residence and Peter says he can eat relatively spicy Thai food, but Lucia struggles when it gets too spicy. “Our Chef has learned to also cook International food, so we are fine,” they both say, with a smile.

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Usually, I’m very curious to know where the next posting will be, and after a moment’s hesitation, Peter decided to tell me: “I will go to Kabul, believe it or not”. I couldn’t hold back a “wow”, that’s interesting and what about Lucia? “I will go back to Berlin, I wish to start working again,” Lucia says. She is a journalist for political affairs, with the same interests as her husband. “So in the future, you will be living apart in different parts of the world”, I said.

“I will serve in Kabul on a monthly basis, one month there and then stays in Germany for one month, so we will meet almost every second month,” Peter explains. “When my husband is in Berlin, we can enjoy spending all our time together, doing whatever we want.

Berlin is a young, dynamic city,” Lucia happily says. “There is no chance I will become bored. I will also be closer to our children” she adds.

My last question to the Ambassador, as always, was “If you had the chance to dine privately with someone, anyone in the world, who would that be?” I looked at Peter and he shook his head and said “I really don’t know”… but Lucia knew;

“Barack Obama of course. I would also like to include Michelle and their two daughters,” Lucia confessed. “Their family is a role model for me” she says with admiration.

Who knows, maybe Lucia will get that private dinner someday, somewhere in a cosy restaurant on Kurfürstendamm together with the Obama family. In this case, I would love to be a fly on the wall…

We said our farewells, after almost 3 hours. On our way out we passed two big concrete panels from the Berlin wall that arrived in Bangkok and the embassy property a few months ago. These two huge panels with graffiti represent and remind the Ambassador and visitors of the fall of the Berlin wall.

All the best to both of you, so long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, goodbye… We will miss you in Bangkok.

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Three world class tourist attractions, first in Thailand!

Spend your leisure time at Siam Paragon and Siam Discovery, at KidZania Bangkok, SEA LIFE Bangkok and Madame Tussauds Wax Museum.

KidZania

K

idZania Bangkok, a big, wide world where all children dream of… Bring the children to special classes to enhance their skills for the future. How good would be if your kids could find out what they like, what they want to be when they grew up, then try it? KidZania Bangkok: the world of children located on the 5th floor, North Zone, Siam Paragon.

Learning and entertainment for kids aged 4–14, where they can play real jobs: aviation, medical personnel, actor, policeman or firefighters… Everything is 30% smaller in “KidZania”children run the city and do the key jobs that make the town a better place to live.

Each job is interrelated so that children can gain real life experience.

They can go in on their own, parents stay in the waiting areas or follow their children taking pictures along the way!

There are 3 zones: Airport zone, City square zone and Suburb zone.

Kids receive a 50 KidZo allowance, KidZania currency, which teaches them to manage their own finances, as each learning station requires entrance fees.

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They learn new skills, such as cooking, art school, music school, acting school, etc. These activities incur learning expenses, but once they finish their training they earn income too!

Children can be fuel station manager, filling tanks, work in the washing and maintenance zones. The children need driving licenses to pass an eye test and driving training and examinations at the driving school which their friends operate and run.

Little firefighters in yellow fire suits who have been well trained extinguish fires. Police officers are stationed in the area to keep it safe.

In the theatre they train as magicians, actors, fashion shows from professional models. In the Factory zone they make soda, drinking water, milk and green tea. Children will be taught the importance of education providing studies such in physics, astronomy, biology, geology and chemistry.

There are more than 65 establishments that offer more than 80 career choices in KidZania. Children learn skills to get their dream jobs, decision making, self-dependence, working with others, self-expression, individuality, as well as finance through KidZo currency.

Open Mon to Fri, 10am–5pm, Sat and Sun 10.30am–08.30pm.

More information can be found at www.bangkok.kidzania.com or call 02-683-1888.

SEA LIFE Bangkok Basement Floor B1 of Siam Paragon.

The only undersea world in Thailand showcases sharks and stingrays, jellyfish, penguins and sea otters.

When you arrive at Siam Paragon, ride the elevator to B1 floor to buy tickets.

Prices at www.sealifebangkok.com See the rocky hideout where red spider crabs welcome you with their claws. Visit children’s corner and get stamps of all 9 corners, to gain a SEA LIFE Bangkok pin at the exit.

“Behind the Scene”, where children can examine the work behind SEA LIFE Bangkok, looking at the water treatment system the glass floor with many sharks swimming underneath.

Outside shark room, there are chairs where you can sit and watch fish in a huge wall-to-wall tank. At seahorse zone the males take care and hatch their eggs before sending them to the females. The seahorses in photogenic colours wait to be photographed.

In the ‘Glass Tunnels’ you are really under the sea with the fish swimming above you. The freshwater zone has rare fish from all over the world. Chaophraya Stingrays have gorgeous patterns pleasing to the eyes. You will need the rest zone where you can rest, drink water or eat popcorn.

Sea otters draw everyone’s smiles. As smart as penguins they carry things with their little paws.

Watch the otters show with their trainer. Penguin zone is next. A glass wall where you can sit and watch them for as long as you would like.

Touch starfish, sea cucumbers and shark eggs next is turtle corner.

Walk through the underwater tunnel and watch all the fish swim over you. See a stingray smile at you, when a shark swishes by, you will want to scream! A great place to take pictures. Come and watch our Gentoo penguins being fed in their ice house or pool. Try the Ocean Walker, wear a diving costume and oxygen mask and walk amongst the sharks in the tank for 15 minutes at 2,500B per person. Come and visit the underwater world at SEA LIFE Bangkok, B1 floor, Siam Paragon Shopping Complex.

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum Get acquainted with world-famous celebrities! Visit the legendary Madame Tussauds Wax Museum from the UK. Widen the family’s imagination by meeting world-famous figures from every walk in life, so lifelike, it’s as if they were standing in front of you. There are so much more than life-sized wax figures, there are interactive activities along the way, all of the figures can be touched, taken selfies with or mimick their pose!

The first room is The Royal Room, where Royal figures, from Thailand and overseas, are displayed: Mahidol Adulyadej the Prince Father and Princess Srinagarindra the Princess Mother, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, Diana Princess of Wales, as well as famous world leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Mao Zedong. Political figures, those famous in the arts, music, science and technology: Sunthorn Phu, Picasso, Mozart, Mark Zuckerberg and Einstein, all of whom had achieved great heights in the world.

The Sports zone where David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Tiger Woods and the Thai weightlifter, Pawina Thongsuk. The Music room, with British boyband One Direction, Lady Gaga, Katie Perry, Madonna, Beyoncé and Michael Jackson. Famous actors:

King Naresuan, Pee Mak Phrakanong, Spiderman, Captain America, and the latest addition of Bollywood actors from the movie Saaho.

Party zone with Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and many others.

Learn how wax figures are made make your own wax hand to take home.

The 4D theatre showing “Ice Age: No Time For Nuts”. Scrat, Sid, Manny are all outside. Madame Tussauds, 4th floor, Siam Discovery 10am–9pm.

Get the Tourist Card and 30% discount at SEA LIFE Bangkok and Madame Tussauds and 150B off ticket prices to KidZania Valid from 1 Jul – 31 Aug. Register for the Tourist Card at the information counters at Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery.

www.siamparagon.co.th/tourist or call 02 610 8216

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A morning with H.E. Mrs Kshenuka Senewiratne the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Thailand

O

n a sunny morning in June, I stepped in for a chat with Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Thailand, H.E. Mrs Kshenuka Senewiratne at the Embassy in Ocean Tower 2, which is just around the corner from where I live and also home to one of my favourite restaurants ‘About Eatery’.

While waiting a few minutes for the Ambassador who was busy on the phone to her home country, I was served the world famous, refreshingly flavoursome Ceylon tea.

Meeting this vibrant personality at several events since 2015, indeed has been a pleasure. She makes a marked impression on you, not only because she dresses in beautiful saris, but also due to her beaming smile and vivacious demeanour. On inquiry about her attire, she explained that the sari is her dress code for all representational occasions.

That morning she wore a beige/red elegant thread work creation.

Kshenuka was born and raised in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, until 1972. Her primary and secondary schooling was in Sri Lanka. Seeking to provide the best education for their children, Kshenuka’s parents moved to the United Kingdom.

While waiting for a placement at a British university, Kshenuka was attracted to an announcement of staff vacancies at the local McDonalds which was about to become operational.

“Food and me have always been good friends” she says with a laugh.

On application she was immediately hired. To her it was a good experience and a way to earn some pocket money. She explained how her parents gave up an extremely

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comfortable lifestyle in Sri Lanka simply to provide university education for their children. “As was McDonalds orientation, I worked in all areas of the operation, which included carrying heavy trays of buns, milkshake mix crates, boxes of frozen french fries and the arduous chore of cleaning. The work was not gender sensitive and all the staff had to do the same work. This was hard at times but was fun too working with other youngsters, which made me see the world in a different perspective.

After a while, I became a floor manager, and subsequently was offered to attend the management course.

I politely declined, explaining that I would be commencing my university education in Salford in a few months and recommended investing that training in an employee who would be with the company long term. However, in recognition of my openness, the

company decided to extend the management training course also to me. During semester breaks, I would return to working in a McDonalds store in London.

In 1981 Kshenuka graduated from Salford University with a BSc in Economics. Salford is located close to Manchester and is today a contemporary cultural city with gleaming architecture. After her graduation she went back to work for McDonalds in the accounts office during the week and in one of their restaurants during weekends.

Two years later the family moved back home to Sri Lanka.

During her university years in the UK, having a penchant for international affairs and being a ‘people’ person, Kshenuka was attracted to diplomacy, and set out to pursue such a career by joining

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the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1985.

Her first posting abroad was to the Permanent Mission to the UN in New York as Third Secretary.

Following a stint back in the Ministry in Sri Lanka, she was posted to Brussels, Belgium. At the end of that tour of duty she secured a “Chevening” scholarship from the British Government, to attend the University of Oxford. I was curious to ask what she had been studying, and was naturally thinking of languages when she mentioned Oxford. But she burst out laughing saying “Me and languages.....

I have no head for that my course was on International Relations.

What happened then back in Sri Lanka I asked. “Well, I got into deep trouble” she said very seriously, and again laughed when she saw my shocked expression….

“I met my husband an engineer by profession…….”, I was relieved.

“The poor guy had to give up his own world to follow me around my world” she said. I also had to ask if they have

any children and was told that she has just one child…. her husband, as she jokingly said.

In early 2000 she returned to the UK as the Deputy High Commissioner for Sri Lanka, and subsequently in 2005 was elevated to the head of mission post of High Commissioner. She seemed to have experienced the UK both as a student and now as a professional diplomat. Kshenuka was later appointed as the Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Switzerland. “My appointment was during the terrorist conflict period in Sri Lanka, and the work particularly with regard to the Human Rights Council was a huge challenge. Therefore I did not have much time to enjoy Geneva and explore Switzerland”, she

remarked with regret.

On Ksheuka’s return to Sri Lanka from Geneva, she was appointed as the Additional Secretary at the Foreign Ministry which was followed by a tenure as the Secretary, Foreign Affairs.

Since 2015 she has been Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Thailand.

“Thailand is home away from home” she lets me know. “Our two countries have much in common and I really love it here.” She explained that it was Sri Lanka that introduced Theravada Buddhism to Thailand and subsequent to her country being under the yoke of colonial rule, it had been Thailand that reintroduced higher ordination for monks in Sri Lanka.

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Therefore she noted that the relations between the two countries dating back over 800 years, were well cemented by the Buddhist links.

She explained that while the age old Buddhist connection between the two countries is well known, the lesser known fact is that the first Attorney General of Thailand who was appointed in the late 19th century had been a Sri Lankan. In this context she pointed out that while Thailand and Sri Lanka shared an age old relationship the official diplomatic ties only go back 63 years.

I asked if she has faced any complicated issues to date with her work in Thailand to which she vehemently replied, “Absolutely none, the Thai people are so warm and accommodating, therefore what could go wrong? I have often experienced a feeling of a special bond too when Thai 16

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people learn that I am from Sri Lanka”.

What do you see as your special niche in Thailand I asked? “Well, my main aim is to further strengthen the bilateral economic ties. In the 1980s Sri Lanka and Thailand were on par in terms of economic development. While Sri Lanka’s growth was stymied by the protracted terrorist conflict, Thailand’s economy boomed. Therefore today we seek to learn from the Thai experience.

The trade balance is in extreme favour of Thailand and following the official visit of H.E. the President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena and the return visit of the Thai Deputy Prime Minister H.E. Somkid Jatusripitak, measures are being taken to narrow this gap, which includes the negotiations for a FTA and finalisation of a Strategic Economic Partnership. We observe an improvement in the volume of trade and Thai investments to Sri Lanka,

particularly in the hospitality sector.

We now have Thai hotel brands namely, Avani, Anantara, Amari, Ozo, Centara and Dusit Thani present in my country. The number of Thai visitors to Sri Lanka is on an upward trajectory.

Since the Sri Lankan Presidential visit we have also been participating in the Thai International Tourism Fair”.

I took the opportunity to ask some personal questions: what about indulging in exercise? “I exercise every morning before going to work, at least a one hour walk on the treadmill” she tells me. Does this mean you are an early bird, I asked and she nodded.

When you have some time off duty, what do you like to do? Her eyes light up and says “ I indulge in retail therapy and therefore love to stroll around the shops to pick up bargains”. She also lets me know that she enjoys cooking whenever leisure time presents itself and most of the representational entertainment is done at home, serving guests Sri Lankan cuisine. “I love trying

Feature my hand at making desserts though that may not the best”…. She says. Sri Lankan food is more chilli spiced, and admits she prefers extra spicy food.

“My husband though, likes the food much milder”.

Kshenuka is also Ambassador to Laos and Cambodia. She likes travelling and exudes enthusiasm when she talks about her visits to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hua Hin, Krabi and last but not least, Khao Yai (the wine district).

“One of my favourite trips was to Kuiburi and its National park, where we saw many elephants in the wild which was amazing” she said.

Another question I always ask is “How is your Thai?” Another big smile and say “my Thai is not what I wish it is, so let’s say, I speak Tuk Tuk Thai”. I used

to say, I speak Taxi Thai and I suppose the level is more or less the same.

If you would have the possibility to choose your next destination, where would it be? I asked. “Honestly, I don’t ever have such expectations, by which disappointment is avoided in the event it is not met. Work destinations have been given by the authorities on exigencies, which I have always abided by, considering the nature of the foreign service to which I belong”. A very smart answer, I thought.

My last question, “if you could pick one person to dine with, just of the two of you, who would you choose, this too not being your husband?” Now she had to think for a while but ended saying: “Well, I think George Clooney would be an interesting choice. I saw

him when he attended the recent royal wedding. He looked so handsome and his wife Amal did too, I have to admit.”

Time passed by very quickly and the Ambassador bade me goodbye for another appointment, but not before she graciously presented me with a gift of Ceylon tea, to be savoured in leisure.

“Meeting this vibrant personality indeed has been a pleasure. She makes a marked impression on you, not only because she dresses in beautiful saris, but also due to her beaming smile and vivacious demeanour.”

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The Danish Ambassador and his wife: H.E. Mr Uffe Wolffhechel and Mrs Susie Ruff Seeing Denmark’s footprints in Thailand

by Georgia Knapp

I

t used to be, when I thought of Denmark, I thought of Copenhagen, Krone, and Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

After meeting Danish Ambassador Uffe Wolffhechel and his wife, Susie Ruff, I’ll think of Thailand.When I first arrived at Bangkok’s Danish Embassy, I was struck by how warm and homey it felt. I entered through a small green door into what looked like a jungle in northern Thailand. Flowery bushes lined the grounds. Tall trees created a canopy that shaded the yard from Thailand’s typical harsh sun. A toucanlike bird with a long yellow bill landed on a branch above me. Rumour had it that peacocks roamed the grounds. It felt like I was in the middle of Kaeng Krachan National Park rather than steps away from Bangkok’s congested Sathorn Road.

Inside the Embassy proved equally as inviting. With the exception of a large plexiglass window, the waiting room looked like a living room: comfy couch, armchairs, and coffee table covered with magazines and books.

Past the waiting room hallways were lined with green carpet, decorative side tables, and artwork. The building gave the air of a lived-in home rather than an official government building.

“When people need visas, they come here?” I later asked Susie.

She nodded. This baffled me. Before meeting Uffe and Susie, the only Embassy I’d been inside was my own country’s: the U.S. Embassy. The U.S. Embassy also felt homey to me, but it was my childhood home on Guantanamo Bay Naval Base: a tropical paradise surrounded by barbed wire. In contrast, the Danish Embassy felt like a jungle retreat. “If a Danish citizen has a problem or needs a passport, this is where they come?”

I asked again.

Susie showed me a room on the ground floor, where visas are processed. Like the rest of the building, it looked like someone’s home office. Where are the bland hallways with plain white walls? I wanted to ask. Where’s the place to take a

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ticket and queue? Where are the multiple bag checking stations?

September 2018 will mark Uffe and Susie’s two year anniversary of moving to Thailand. When asked what they liked most about the country, they had a hard time choosing. “The beaches and the mountains,” Uffe said.

“We really like Hua Hin.” Before moving to Thailand, they’d visited the country for vacation and conferences.

They talked about visiting Thailand’s northern border, and the gorgeous scenery up there. Throughout our conversation, it seemed that what they liked most about Thailand was the general atmosphere: the laid back vibe,

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“It seemed that what they liked most about Thailand was the general atmosphere: the laid back vibe, the people, and the friendly culture...

Uffe’s admiration for Thailand and its people shines through when he talks about the strong history of Thai-Danish relations.”

the people, and the friendly culture. They also liked the opportunity to be at this new posting together, which is something they couldn’t do at Uffe’s previous postings.

Before moving to Thailand, Uffe served as the Danish Ambassador to Afghanistan. In Kabul, diplomats were not permitted to bring their spouses or children. While neither Susie nor Uffe had anything negative to say about Kabul, they did talk about the high level of security. “When friends heard Kabul,” Susie said, “they asked if [Uffe] had a death wish.”“Once I was invited to a formal dinner,” Uffe explained. “And I needed a tux.” He described going to a local tailor and placing a rush order for the suit. “But then I had to wear a bulletproof vest over the suit anyways.”

“I could never wear high heels at these events,” Susie added. “In case we needed to run.”

Before Kabul, Uffe spent two years in Islamabad, Pakistan, where spouses were still not allowed to live in the country, but they could visit. Children, however, could not. By contrast, Bangkok has proved a much more family-centric move. “It’s a government building, but it’s still a home,” Susie said about the Embassy grounds. “We try to strike a balance between being professional and being yourself. I like that I can go outside without having to be completely made-up. I can just be me.”

Spouses of Ambassadors are unable to work in Thailand, but this doesn’t stop Susie from being active in the Thai business community. With over 25 years of experience working in both the public and private sectors, she uses her knowledge to offer business consulting advice. Just a few days after our meeting

she was scheduled to present as a Stage Curator at the Techsauce Global Summit, a conference geared towards tech life within startups and corporations. Uffe joked that Susie has a larger network of connections than he does.

Uffe’s admiration for Thailand and its people shines through when he talks about the strong history of Thai-Danish relations. This came up as Uffe described his and Susie’s visit to the Phuket Marine Biological Centre. “[Denmark and Thailand] have a great marine biology exchange programme,” he said. I nodded like I understood. Both countries are on the water, so a shared interest in marine life makes sense, right? The more I thought about it, though, the more it didn’t make sense. Thailand is warm and tropical; there are jellyfish and sea turtles. Denmark is cold; they have whales and, according to Hans Christian Andersen, mermaids.

Other than being on the ocean, I couldn’t fathom the similarities.

“Why is there an exchange between Denmark and Thailand?” I asked. Uffe nodded, already understanding my confusion: the North and Baltic Seas vs the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. He agreed that while the marine life between the two countries is different, it is still worth studying both in order to understand marine biology as a whole. “And,” he added, “there is a long history of Thai-Danish relations.” He then launched into the fascinating history of Denmark and Thailand’s strong bond of friendship.

Thailand and Denmark’s partnership dates back nearly 400 years to when King Songtham granted Danish traders permission to trade in Thailand. facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 19

The two royal families struck up a friendship.

One such reason for this friendship, according to Uffe, is that, during a time when many countries surrounding Thailand were being colonised, Denmark itself proved no threat to colonise the Asian country. The ThaiDanish partnership was officially solidified in 1858 during the reigns of Rama IV (Thailand) and Christian IX (Denmark) with a Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation. “There was a trade of Danish cows for Thai elephants,” Uffe said.

Uffe remarked that “Danish footprints” can be found all throughout Thailand. One such footprint is in business. “[Denmark] is 9,000km away, but we still bring over 50,000 jobs for Thais,” Uffe said. Several Danish companies have their headquarters in Thailand, including big names like Pandora, ISS Facility Services, and the porcelain company Royal Copenhagen. “[The porcelain] used to only be made in Copenhagen,” Susie explained. “Now it’s all in Thailand.” She said that the delicate skill of Thai artistry complements the dexterity needed for Royal Copenhagen porcelain. “We visited the Pandora factory expecting it to all be by machine,” she added. “But it’s all handcrafted.”

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The Danish Embassy processes about 15,000 Danish visas per year. In addition, as part of the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland is also a popular Thai destination. “In Greenland,” Uffe said, “the largest population is obviously people from Greenland. Then it is Danish. After that it is Thai.” When I asked why he shrugged and reiterated the friendship between the two countries. “The two royal families really get along.”

About a week after meeting Uffe and Susie I took a trip to Khao Yai National Park. On the way, I passed the Thai-Danish Dairy Farm, another one of the companies that Uffe mentioned as being a partnership between Thailand and Denmark. Had it not been for my meeting with Uffe and Susie, I don’t think I would have noticed the farm at all. Instead, I would have only noticed the large Buddha statue that came before it or the random cowboy bar that came after it. If I had noticed the farm, the word “Danish” probably wouldn’t have registered as having to do with Denmark, just because I wouldn’t be expecting it.

Thanks to Uffe and Susie, I now see Denmark’s footprints everywhere. I saw it in the obviously named dairy farm, a friend’s Pandora bracelet, and finely etched Royal Copenhagen porcelain at a HiSo resort. To meet Uffe and Susie not only causes you to notice the links between Thailand and Denmark, but it also makes you appreciate the partnership on a larger scale. During a time when so many countries seem to be at each other’s throats, it’s nice to be reminded of international relationships that work.

Denmark and Thailand work together to support each other’s people, cultures, and economies.

Their friendship not only strengthens the two countries, but further solidifies their tight bond.

Seeing Denmark’s footprints throughout Thailand is a wonderful reminder that country-to-country relationships can be friendly and collaborative.

It’s also a reminder of how everyone should be when visiting or living in a country that is not their own. After all, appreciating and contributing to other countries is part of being a good expat, right?

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When beauty and intelligence walk hand in hand!

by Agneta de Bekassy

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ith only a few months left as Miss Universe Thailand, Maria Lynn Ehren took time to get together with me for a little talk. Years ago I had met this beautiful, humble, young woman and already, by that time, she impressed me.

I asked Maria, who I know has been modelling since a young age, how she got involved in the Miss Universe Thailand Contest (MUT).

She said that when she was a mere 18, people told her that she should participate in this competition, but she did not embrace it. She had always been more interested in science and business, so she decided to follow her interest and went to Sweden to start working on her Master’s Degree.

Maria has a Swedish father and a Thai mother, thus she speaks both languages fluently, Swedish maybe not exactly fluently, but of course she’s also fluent in English and I presume that English is her preferred language.

She started on her Master’s Degree (in Consumer and Business Marketing) in Sweden, at the Stockholm Business School, 2015. She decided to study in Sweden, as

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she wanted to brush up her Swedish and learn more about her Scandinavian roots. She then took some time off and travelled to Düsseldorf in Germany to accept an internship at the Henkel Company. She stayed 6 months, but realised that a job in an office was not that appealing, that she wanted something more challenging and exciting. She has also studied International Business Administration in Rotterdam, at the Erasmus University, The Netherlands.

She decided to go back home to Bangkok.

She moved in with her mother and immediately felt inclined to discover Thailand. She travelled around Thailand and discovered many things that she thought one could improve upon: She was struck by a big desire to make a difference, to help people to improve their life circumstances.

She briefly thought about going into politics, but no, it was not quite what she wanted.

At this time, she came to reflect once again on the question she had years ago, to participate in the Miss Universe Thailand. A competition of this magnitude could provide an opportunity to influence people, to get their attention and make an impact on society.

She decided to talk to the model agency she had worked with earlier. Khun Pi A, at the agency, had encouraged her to participate in the Miss Universe Thailand contest, but she always hesitated as she was studying and did not feel ready for it. She now explained to him that she wanted to do something that could help her country to improve socially and culturally. She is very much into topics such as: Women’s Rights, Environmental Issues, and Education. If she could be a contestant in the MUT, she could make herself heard and get people’s attention, she believed. Khun Pi A happily signed her up for the competition.

Feature In Thailand, forty girls were chosen to introduce themselves at the coronation of MUT which took place this year on July 27th at Siam Paragon Hall. The girls came from all over Thailand to participate. They spent two weeks together in Chiang Mai, doing commercial films, photo shoots, etc.

“For many girls, this contest is all about being beautiful,” Maria explains, “but some of us have other visions, and we want, through the auspices of their beauty, to make the world a better place. Every girl has her own reasons for participating, and it’s important not to judge a book by its cover,” Maria says. She also told me that many of the girls participate for the money it brings, money to help support their families.

“We were interviewed and had to explain our reasons and further dreams, and I think I might have made a good impression here on the judges, as I was very clear, telling them I wanted to contribute, make improvements, and changes for my country and people. It was an amazing feeling when I found out that I became one of the 5 finalists and was in the good company of: Miss Venezuela, Miss Jamaica, Miss Colombia and Miss South Africa. The big final took place in Las Vegas. During these 14 days in the US, I was sharing a room with Miss Laos, and we became close friends.” Not far from our room, Miss Korea and Miss Japan also shared a room.

I was wondering and asked Maria if there was a big competition and jealousy among the contestants, but Maria denied it. “We had great fun and supported each other, so there were little intrigue and rivalry going on”. I told Maria that I had, as a participant in the “Miss World Contest” far back in 1975, the same experiences.

“We were interviewed and had to explain our reasons and further dreams, and I think I might have made a good impression here on the judges, as I was very clear, telling them I wanted to contribute, make improvements, and changes for my country and people.”

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We were more than 60 girls from all over the world, but there were no difficulties except for some language barriers. It’s a common prejudice to think that the girls are always jealous and cat fighting amongst themselves. Many in Thailand and Sweden sent best wishes to Maria on the final day of the competition. I wondered how she felt upon the stage as one of the five selected beauty queens.

“Well, it’s quite strange, but I felt so calm, not nervous at all,” Maria answered.

I’m sure Maria made a deep impression on the judges, but at the end, Miss South Africa was bestowed the crown.

Here I must say, in the Miss World competition in 1975, we were all very sure that Miss Germany would win. She was the most beautiful and interesting woman that I had ever met, and there were many who thought the same. She was, if I remember it correctly, chosen number 2 or 3, and a girl from one of the Caribbean islands became Miss World. I couldn’t help thinking that, behind the scenes, politics played a massive role.

I asked Maria if she felt the same way as I did about the judges choices, she smiled and replied, “No comment”.

Maria went on to say how surprised she was by her return to Thailand after the competition. “I had really not understood that Thai people were so interested and involved in this event. When I arrived at the airport, I thought there must be a famous boyband arriving, as so many people had gathered together at the airport, waving flags and screaming.

It took some time before I realised it was a ‘welcome home party’ for me. That was an unbelievable feeling. I had in my deepest dreams, no idea of what an impact I seemed to have on people. This pushes me to work even harder to improve and make a change for my people.”

I asked Maria what her future plans will be subsequent to her time as Miss Universe Thailand ends in June. “I have many different plans I want to try to fulfil,” she answers. “I am working on setting up my own foundation. I want to study and learn how to educate the youngest girls and boys about how to respect themselves and others, teamwork etc. There is a special university here that organises classes for specific topics, that interests me and I also want to take classes in ‘trading’. I know I need to focus on one specific topic. I really want to

“I have many different plans I want to try to fulfil... I am working on setting up my own foundation. I want to study and learn how to educate the youngest girls and boys about how to respect themselves and others, teamwork etc.”

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teach the young ones the advantage of teamwork activities, respect for other people and for you and protection. There are so many young girls around that think they must agree to anything a boy asks of them, just to be able to keep them and their love. Men need to take their responsibility,” she points out. “Here we need both parents and teachers to cooperate.

I have a feeling that the young kids will be listening to me.”

Maria also explains the important impact her own mother has on her. “In my age today, mothers and my relationship have changed a lot. We have become more like two close friends. My mother also inspires me,” she says.

Maria has twin brothers, both married and living in Texas.

I was also a bit curious to find out if there is a boyfriend in her life. “I am an individualist and I have to be careful as I have a very protective fan club,” she says with a big smile.

Maria has been approached by several organisations, to be asked if she would consider working with them, e.g., Greenpeace. UNICEF has also contacted her and made her an offer. For the time being she does a lot of research, trying to find out what she really wants to focus on. In the meantime she does commercials for TV and she has played a role in a love story series which soon will be released. What about modelling I ask her: “I’m not that interested in fashion anymore,” she said bemusedly.

Whatever this young lady will decide, I am sure it will be something impressive. She has the right attitude and stands with both feet on earth. Maybe we in the near future can read about her foundation “Maria & Mom” and until then I wish her all luck and success.

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A SHOM event Recycle, Reshape and Reuse, this was the theme for a Fashion story, not show, that took place at the Australian Ambassador’s Residence, hosted by Ambassador H.E. Mr Paul Robbilliard and his wife, an event organised by SHOM (the organisation for Ambassadors’ spouses) on Saturday, 12 May 2018.

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he Ambassador welcomed all the guests before handing the microphone to Mr Kevin Colleary (spouse of the Portuguese Ambassador) who explained a bit of what SHOM is striving to achieve, the wish to give back to Thailand, “a country that so heartily welcomes us.” SHOM meets regularly and plan charity projects and events. The current President for SHOM is the spouse of the German Ambassador, Signora Lucia Constantini Pruegel but she hands over to Madame Gracita, the wife of the Swiss Ambassador in July.

On this evening we gathered together to celebrate important aspects of recycling clothing, about what is possible when we recycle our fashions and leverage our collective interest in fashion to raise funds for Thai SOS (Scholars of Sustenance).

The Thai SOS model has expanded to include the rescue of surplus food and to redistribute it to those in need, food not suitable for consumption, or to use it in a composting programme.

We were all asked to bid on the recycled and thereby transformed fashion, to contribute towards reducing food insecurity and transforming the lives of the most pressing societal and environmental issues of our time.

Several designers transformed garment pieces, donated by 20 Ambassador’s spouses. Karin Herrström, spouse of the Swedish Ambassador Staffan Herrström, gave the Thai designer Khun Nong, 2 pieces of exquisite linen table cloths produced by the famous Swedish family-owned company Klässbols. This company dates from the late 1800’s and has had a Royal Warrant since 1970. These exclusive white linen cloths were turned into a lovely, simple summer dress, perfect for hot days in Bangkok. Karin fell in love with the dress immediately and protected the bidding so no one could take it away from her. She received her tablecloths, without even the slightest little wine spot, transformed into a wonderful dress, she was very pleased.

The spouse of the German Ambassador Peter Pruegel, signora Lucia, gave the designer a long evening gown designed by a young Yugoslav designer. This dress

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belonged to Lucia’s favourite dresses and she has worn it at several occasions.

“Unfortunately the fabric doesn’t work for Bangkok and the size doesn’t work anymore for me”, she says with a warm smile. “I have to say goodbye to this dress that I have so many good memories of, but I’m glad it will have a second life and make someone else happy”.

All designers did a great job and ought to be mentioned: Mr Ayuttagarn Chantachot transformed an old dress owned by Mrs Astrid Amaya, spouse of the Colombian Ambassador; Khun Chai Shahi, changed the Hungarian Ambassador’s spouse Krisztina’s traditional Hungarian blouse into a dress; Khun Chutshompu Kormalsinghsakul, made a dress out of a two- piece owned by the spouse of the Korean Ambassador; and Khun Krisada Thipprasit changed Australian Mrs Hanan’s daughter’s first formal dress into a luxury evening gown.

Khun Puvasa Chanhom transformed a dress owned and worn by Galina from the Hellenic Republic. Khun Sam Sethi, a pharmacist by profession, but with a passion for fashion and actively involved in a number of charity fashion shows for Her Majesty Queen and HRH Princess, changed a Roberto Cavalli dress into a traditional Sari.

Khun Shone Puipia took the opportunity to transform a long, simple evening gown owned by Federica Fonnesu from Italy, into a fancy coat and added some sparkling feathers, a very popular piece.

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Last but not least, Khun Thananan Katetong is inspired by the richness of Thai silk. He redesigned a jacket belonging to Kevin, spouse of the Portuguese Ambassador, into an evening jacket with shiny beads on the lapels and he also changed Alyx’ (Whispers of Fashion) Egyptian suit into a smart, fancy suit.

Through the evening, Sparkling, Red, White and Rose wines were offered and finger food from ISSAYA and J’AIME by Jean-Michel Lorain, two of Bangkok’s most popular restaurants.

A night like this needs contributors and sponsors, so a big thank you to: the Australian Embassy, Deutsch-Thailändische Handelskammer, AustCham Thailand, Be a Starlet, Whispers of Fashion & Pleasures. Other sponsors include: Bangkok’s Dance & Music Festival, Bangkok Patana School, Banyan Tree, B. Grimm, Central Food Hall, Crown, dwp, ISSAYA, J’AIME, METRO, Singha Beer, Sukosol Hotels, The Duchess and thermomix.

Overall, a very memorable event and with a good fundraising result. The highest bid became an evening dress, donated by the American Ambassador’s wife Jacqueline Davies, a long, white/ silver gown covered with stones and beads – suitable for a big ball.

“On this evening we gathered together to celebrate important aspects of recycling clothing, about what is possible when we recycle our fashions... Overall, a very memorable event and with a good fund raising result.”

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Wine(ing) our way through New Zealand’s South Island

by Barbara Lewis

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hirty five years ago just after my husband graduated as a graduation trip he spent three months with a friend touring around on ten speed bicycles the islands of New Zealand while I worked and planned our wedding. This year for three weeks around our 35th wedding anniversary he took me to the south island of New Zealand to tour around, fortunately not on ten speeds but in a comfy car. He decided only to have us

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visit the south island so we could truly see the sights and not rush from one place to another.

It was a magical trip filled with lots of wine tasting and drinking, hiking and sightseeing.

Our tour began in Christchurch. We stayed at St George, which was a beautiful hotel. The flight is surprisingly long; you have to fly through Sydney to Christchurch. It was interesting to see Christchurch after the earthquake and all the destruction it caused and in its state of reconstruction. It is a pretty walkable city, lovely green spaces and parks. The St George is quite close to downtown so it was nice to walk from the hotel to our restaurant for dinner our first night.

Christchurch has a large Anglican church also called Christchurch Cathedral and my mother had asked me to try to see what the damage was to it. Unfortunately it

Travel was mostly destroyed in the earthquake. They are slowly rebuilding it.

The next day we set off for Mt Cook. Here we hiked up to the glacier. Mt Cook is a very small town that is a national park town so it has limited facilities. Fortunately we knew this and we able to buy foodstuffs for breakfast in a town before arriving in Mt Cook. We ate up at the Lodge, which is very popular. There is a limited number of restaurants in the area. The Lodge is more of

a formal kind of a la carte restaurant with sit down waiter service; there is also a portion of the restaurant set out for a buffet.

The next night we went to what we thought was going to be a pizza parlour instead it was a big beer hall with

great gourmet food and wine that had counter service. We found that this was quite often the case in New Zealand: you ordered at the counter and paid and then got a number and a server brought your food to you. What we noticed in Christchurch and continued as we travelled was that venison was quite a common protein and while we were driving from Christchurch to Mt Cook and then Mt Cook to Queenstown we saw so many deer farms; almost as many deer farms as we did sheep, which was new for Ken; 35 years ago it was just sheep, all the deer were wild. The town of Aoraki was similar to a lot of National Park towns the accommodations were more limited, kind of bare bones and certainly there wasn’t anything to lavish.

From Aoraki we drove for nine hours to Queenstown. Here my husband had booked us into beautiful Airbnb accommodations in a house overlooking the entire city of Queenstown and the lake it surrounds.

The view was magnificent. A friend had told us we must do a riverboat ride. The next day with very cloudy cold weather we went to a beautiful small town of Glenorchy on the banks of the Dart

river. At first they postponed our jet boat excursion because of the weather so we explored the town and went for a lovely lunch. We reported back just after lunch and fortunately there was a break in the weather and we were allowed to go on the jet boat. The scenery was magnificent and the spins in the boat quite a blast.

The next day, more by chance than anything else, we ended up going wine touring around the Central Otago region. We went to several wineries; some charged for tasting others didn’t; some were quite large and had beautiful restaurants as part of the winery and others were simply a tasting room of a couple of tables. I was most impressed with the wines that came from the smaller vineyards. One of the wineries Mt Rosa actually went to the trouble of having the correct glasses to taste from; specifically Pinot Noir. The Gibson Winery had a cheese making operation associated with it; marrying wine and cheese there is no better partnership.

On the way to Te Anau the next day we also tried to stop at some vineyards but the road to Te Anau took us up the mountain and out of the Otago valley almost immediately.

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When we reached Te Anau we stayed at Radford’s on the Lake which had gorgeous views of the lake. The following morning we drove early to Milford Sound to cruise around it.

There were large groups of Asians also cruising through Milford Sound which was new for Ken because there certainly were less people and no Asian touring groups in this area years ago. It was raining, but that didn’t matter because it just meant that the waterfalls were flowing that much more; Milford Sound was gorgeous with its sheer cliff walls with water cascading off into the sea.

The tour around the Sound lasts for a couple of hours.

After our tour of Milford Sound we returned to Te Anau, which is more than a couple of hours drive away. I believe it took almost three hours to drive one way and it is a very windy road. Lots of people drive into Milford Sound for the tour and then drive

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straight on to their next stop – Wanaka but we chose not to. Te Anau is a lovely little town with lots to offer. We had a great sit down dinner at the Red Door Restaurant and an average breakfast the next morning before we drove to Wanaka.

The drive to Wanaka was longer than we anticipated and we thought we would be going through the Otago wine region again but as it happens we didn’t. The drive was beautiful as all the drives were in New Zealand. Wanaka was a small town on a lake. It was one of my favourite places we stopped. The little town was very walkable and full of nice restaurant and shops to buy all kinds of unique things. We visited a winery at the edge of Wanaka and it was hosting a wedding. It was a magnificent place to have a wedding. The wine was wonderful.

From Wanaka we travelled to Franz Josef. Franz Josef is known for its glacier. which we hiked to the base of and for its hot springs. We just hiked around in this area enjoying the small town and the national park feel.

Our next stop was Kaiteriteri so we could explore Abel Tasman National Park. We stayed in Kaiteriteri for two

nights and three days. We went out sea kayaking in the Abel Tasman and saw seals, birds, and beautiful scenery. I had heard that you could see if you were lucky blue penguins/fairy penguins, the smallest penguin species, around this area. We met by chance a woman who lived in the area and she told us that they usually only come out at night but sometimes you can see them on the beach right in the town.

So that night at around 8pm when it was pitch black we went to the beach and I got out of the car to look for the penguins. I couldn’t find any but I was

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sure I could hear them even though I had never heard a penguin before. Oh I forgot to say that this woman also told us that they are very aggressive and will come after you and try to peck you. She has big holes in her broom trying to protect her dog from their attacks. She lives on the beach and the penguins come into her yard. Her soft coated Wheaton Terrier loves the penguins but they don’t love him.

Anyway back to our search for the elusive blue penguin. When I told Ken I heard them he didn’t believe me. He believed me even less when I told him that I thought I heard them up on the streets above the beach.

He stuck his head out of the car and said “well I hear something” – not sure that it was penguins but figured it wouldn’t hurt if we went to look. We got in the car and went around the corner to drive up the hill and there in

our headlights was a blue penguin. The pictures I have of this beautiful animal are quite bad. He/she was very aggressive when I got out of the car and did start chasing me.

These animals mate for life and I could hear its mate further up the hill.

It was a wonderful experience to see this lovely creature and it almost ended in tragedy. The penguin was more or less off to the side of the road and three cars came roaring by the other way – I am sure they never even saw the penguin (they are very small only about 8 inches high). We had moved to our side of the road; I held my breath and prayed that it didn’t get hurt. I believe it was fine. None of the cars seemed to hit it although it was so close.

Seeing this animal was the highlight of my trip. We also did a glowworm walk which I thought was just OK.

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We hiked through the forest to this one area and then you turn out your flashlights, there is a rope that you grab hold of and walk along with the rope. Your way is lit by glowworms.

The worms are very cool but walking in the pitch black on a mountain path gave me a very uneasy feeling. Abel Tasman and Kaiteriteri are remote places to see but well worth the travel.

Next we were off to the well known wine region of Marlborough and town called Blenheim. We were scheduled to go whale watching but the waves were to big so they cancelled the tour and we didn’t have the time to reschedule it. We stayed in the middle of the wine region at a B&B called Bonny Brook. We only stayed one night and I am sure you could stay a week touring around and visiting all the wineries. Many are not open to the pubic and require you to set up an appointment and receive and invitation.

Usually these are smaller wineries but not always.

We took the bikes from the B&B and rode around and went to about three wineries. At one winery we tried over 10 different wines and there was no charge for the tasting. That night we

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dined at a restaurant called Arbor where we had food paired with wine. Several of the wines were from wineries that do not do tastings because they have such a small select production. It seemed like everyone we met from this region and surrounds was somehow involved in wine at some level.

Our final stop before driving back to Christchurch was Hanmer Springs.

This area is known for its hot springs.

We enjoyed the pretty little town of unique shopping, restaurants and spas.

We relaxed in the hot springs and hiked around the town. Our apartment that we stayed in had a beautiful view of the river valley through the town. On night we went to a restaurant that specialised and only had on the menu different kind of pirogies. Hanmer Springs was very relaxing.

We drove back to Christchurch to fly back to Thailand but it was our 35th wedding anniversary on April 30th so my husband booked us to have a dinner on the Christchurch Tram. It was very nice with a four course dinner paired with wine. Somehow we ended up amongst a large group of very loud

Chinese tourists so that did detract slightly but they gave us a lovely table and it was fun and interesting. At the end of the evening they gave us a cast toy tram as a memento.

Our trip to New Zealand was magical I would certainly go back again.

Try the best wide range of steaks imported freshly from farms in Australia.

Why Pay More Anywhere Else!

Why not give them a try next time you are out shopping at Big C store : Extra Rama IV, Pattaya 1 (Central Marina), facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 37 Pattaya 2 (South Pattaya), Extra Pattaya (Pattaya Klang) Extra Phuket (Jungceylon Patong), Extra Chiang Mai and Rajdamri

The first in Bangkok

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illa Market’s founder and president, Khun Surapong Poosanakhom, first experienced the role that imported products could play in enhancing people’s lives when he was working with the US Commissary in Bangkok during the Vietnam War. The end of the war was an uncertain time for Thailand, as many people were concerned what the future held. Khun Surapong was certain that his future lay in providing the people of Thailand with access to the best local and international food products available. It was in 1974 that Villa Market – a “World of Foods”, was born, with it’s original store, on Sukhumvit Road just after Soi 33, and it is still operating to this day. This store never closes and remains Villa Market’s only 24 hour trading store.

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Villa Market has grown significantly and now has 33 stores nationwide – ranging from Phuket, Hua Hin and Pattaya in the South to Udon Thani in the North, and all across Bangkok. The latest addition to the Villa Market family is the new Sukhumvit Soi 11 store which packs all of the international favourites found in their other stores along with the best fresh food in town.

Villa Market spends a lot of time scouring the world for the best available products to bring back to Thailand for their customers. Their buying teams spend a lot of time travelling to meet suppliers and producers in order to provide their customers with “Products from Home”. Villa Market has nearly 3,000 products in their range that are not available anywhere else in

Thailand and they pride themselves on being able to source products from far and wide. The current Villa Market exclusive ranges include Iceland (UK) and Monoprix (France). When you visit a Villa Market store you are sure to discover products that you didn’t know they had. If there’s a product you would like to see available in Villa Market then simply send them an email telling them all about it – customerservice@villamarket.com

Fresh food is an integral part of any Villa Market store. They offer products flown in fresh from around the world as well direct from local farms. The Villa Market Super Steak and Best Buy fresh beef ranges have been selected

by Khun Surapong to represent all that Villa Market strives to be – good value and excellent quality. They include a mix of overseas and local beef in order to provide something for everyone.

Feature

Villa Market has been a pioneer in Thailand’s supermarket industry having introduced a number of new concepts for its customers over the years and continues to transform with the recent launch of their Villa Market digital Vplus card which includes an eWallet should customers choose to use it.

The Villa Market Digital Vplus card offers a number of features: • Check your Vplus points • Convert your Vplus points to Royal Orchid Plus Air Miles • Keep your contact information up to date • Learn about exclusive Vplus member only offers • Share your feedback with Villa Market • Shop faster and easier with our eWallet

Villa Market also understands that their customers don’t have as much time as they used to and that means that sometimes it is not easy to get to their stores. That’s why they offer you more ways to shop with Villa Market. You can visit www.villamarket.com to browse their selection of international and local products and have them delivered to your home at a time convenient for you. You may want to choose the pickup service which allows you to choose your products and have their staff pick and pack them for you. Many customers like this service as it allows them to have staff pack their dry grocery items in advance whilst they can choose their fresh items themselves when they visit the store.

You can also shop for items online at https://www.honestbee.co.th/en/ groceries/stores/villa-market Villa Market is truly a “World of Foods” with products available in their stores that you won’t find elsewhere in Thailand.

You are sure to discover something new on your next visit. If you need and further information please contact them on 02 779 1000 or send an email to: customerservice@villamarket.com

Please see: https://shoponline.villamarket.com/ vplus-reward for more information.

facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 39

Rub and tug in Naha

by Scott and Nori Brixen “

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hy are all the hotels in Naha fully booked?” Nori asked, scowling at the search results on Agoda. “I don’t know. What dates are we going to be there again?”

I replied. “On the way in, September 30th through October 1st. Two nights.

On the way out, Oct 7th. Just one night and then we fly out on the 8th.”

I opened up my Evernote folder for Okinawa. I had done extensive research: short histories, travel articles, blogs by US military wives, maps, Pinterest “Best Of ” posts, restaurant guides – all cutand-pasted into a messy but searchable digital scrapbook in the ‘cloud’. It took just a few moments to find what I was looking for. “No way!” I shouted.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER www.expatlifethailand.com

“It’s the annual Great Naha Tug-of-War! This is the biggest event in Okinawa!”

It was another example of festivalrelated serendipity: like being in Madrid for La Noche en Blanca or Grossarl for their first annual Wine Festival. We are big planners and we’ve got books like “Around the World in 500 Festivals”, but the truth is you usually can’t schedule trips around festivals. Although in Japan, perhaps you should, as they have some of the world’s oldest and craziest.

The Great Naha Tug-of-War started in 1450 – just 20 years after the Sanzan (“three kingdoms”) of Okinawa were unified and the Ryukyu Kingdom established. The event was stopped in 1935 but revived in 1971. Today, over 300,000 people participate in the three day festival.

But this is nothing like any tug-

of-war you’ve seen before; the rope is made of rice straw, has a diameter of 1.5 metres, is 200 metres long and weighs 43 tons. A convoy of truck cranes is needed to hoist it into place. And when the contest begins, there are over 30,000 people pulling on smaller ropes that are braided into the giant rope.

In fact, there are two loop-ended ropes – a ‘male’ rope that goes through the ‘female’ rope’s loop. The two ropes are then held together by a stout wooden beam known as a kanuchibo.

Originally, the main purpose of the festival was to pray for health and a good harvest. Now, it’s mostly just to have a good time. When we arrived in Naha on the eve of the tug-of-war, Kokusai Dori (International Street) was already heaving with tourists and a parade of dancers, drummers, dragon boats and martial artists was making its way through the city.

Early the next morning, we took the boys and Unma (Grandma Joan) to the Kumoji intersection of Route 58 to see the rope and take family photos. Everything was fine until Logan climbed to the top of the loop and a security guard chased us away.

The tug-of-war was scheduled for 3pm. After lunch, we left Unma and the boys at the hotel and took the train back downtown. We had been warned that the event wasn’t safe for young kids – accurate advice, as it

Travel

turned out. Thousands of people were already packed in tight around the rope. Perhaps 30% were Japanese; the majority of participants were foreign military, expats or tourists. Quite a few of these were drunk; a guy near us was only standing because there wasn’t any room to fall.

Following some speeches and a few performances, the “Kings” of the East and West (plus their drummer and standard bearer) were carried forward on platforms raised just above the rope by twenty men. Once they reached the knot in the centre of the intersection, they taunted each other and did some karate moves to unnerve their opponent. After the royal carriages returned back along the rope, the coxswain/referees that stood atop the rope started blowing whistles, waving and shouting. We were about to get started.

Then the Japanese organisers began unfurling the tow ropes, which stretched at 30 degree angles to the main rope, like the oars of a Viking ship. Huge excitement. Everybody wanted to grab on. Each tow rope now had 20-30 people on it. More shouting from the referees. But since few in the scrum could understand Japanese, we didn’t know what was going on. Until a starter’s pistol went off and all hell broke loose. We heaved on the tow ropes, we pulled on each other, we got

squeezed and released like the folds of an accordion. I smelled 20 nationalities of sweat, elbowed boobs and grabbed the hands of the guy in front of me like I was teaching him how to putt. Thank God we hadn’t brought the boys!

The same thing was happening on the other side, of course. So the big rope wasn’t moving. Our collective hands were raw. But tug-of-wars are won with legs - not arms - which our side figured out earlier. Now we were crouching, leaning way back and pulling with quads and glutes. When the big rope moved a few inches in our direction, we went crazy, grunting and screaming and trying to keep the momentum going.

A few minutes later, it was all over: we (the East) had won!

Most people stick around to cut a chunk of the rope out as a souvenir. But we had to rush back to the hotel as our flight was leaving in four hours!

About the authors: Two Twins Twavel Scott & Nori are avid travellers and knowledge seekers who have travelled to 110 plus countries across all 7 continents.

Now they’re sharing their wanderlust with their two sets of twinboys, Tai, Logan, Drake and Kiva.

Follow their travels at: www.twotwinstwavel.com

facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 41

Really wet markets: Samut Songkhram

by Nori and Scott Brixen, Two Twins Twavel

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n hour southwest of Bangkok, where the rivers of central Thailand empty into the sea, sit tiny Samut Songkhram and Samut Sakhon provinces. (In Thai, samut means sea.) Many people pass right through them in their weekend rush to reach the beach resorts of Cha-am, Hua Hin or Pranburi.

That is a shame, because both provinces offer unique, truly Thai experiences less than an hour from Bangkok.

Here rivers, sea and fertile land combine to produce everything from fruits, prawns to sea salt. It’s no surprise that some of Thailand’s best seafood and produce markets are in this region. We were driving to our favourite, the Amphawa Floating Market.

First things first: these markets aren’t really floating.

But they are always next to the water, usually a slowmoving klong (canal). In Thai, ‘dalat num’ just means water market. Second, none of the floating markets tourists are likely to visit are authentic in the strictest sense. They probably wouldn’t exist today if the tourists didn’t come. That travelporn image of dozens of Thai grannies paddling boats piled with colourful fruit is either 30 years old or staged.

But don’t let that dissuade you from visiting.

Floating markets like Amphawa (Samut Songkhram), Damnoen Saduak (Ratchaburi) or Taling Chan in Bangkok are wonderful to visit if you want to experience a bewildering variety of Thai food. Travel grumps who decry floating markets as ‘tourist traps’ are missing the point; they are great fun, for Thais as well as foreigners.

Amphawa’s market stretches along both sides of a canal that flows into the Mae Klong River. There are a few small boats making pad thai or grilling up river prawns, but most of the food stalls, restaurants and shops are along the narrow, waterside walkways. The colours and

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Travel

“Floating markets are wonderful to visit if you want to experience a bewildering variety of Thai food.”

smells are incredible. Freshly-pounded som tum, charred squid, little jars of num prik (chilli paste), pressed sugar cane juice, great hunks of pork belly, separately packaged ingredients for mieng kham, wok-fried crabs with egg, giant pomelos, homemade coconut milk and a thousand varieties of khanom (Thai sweets).

We had visited Amphawa at least three times previously. It’s a standard recommendation we make to visiting family and friends. Unlike Damnoen Saduak, Amphawa’s visitors are majority Thai. Yes, it’s crowded and ‘touristy’ but the food and drink is authentically Thai. Do you really think that foreigners are buying all those steamer baskets of bpla too (mackerel)? Skip at least one meal before coming here and then try everything. Amphawa has also got some of the most creative and varied souvenir T-shirts we’ve seen in Thailand. And maybe take home a bpla too pillow?

Beyond the market itself, the area has a lot to occupy visitors: boat rides down the river and back up the canals, the Thai Dessert Museum, some pretty temples and several smaller, quieter canal-side villages. There is also a wide variety of riverside accommodation. And in the evening, some of the market restaurants morph into bars with live music and there are firefly-spotting cruises along the Mae Klong.

One of the most fascinating journeys we did in Thailand was to take the rattling old train from Wong Wian Yai Station in Thonburi through Bangkok’s western suburbs to the bustling Mahachai fish market. After a short ferry ride across the Tha Chin River, we caught a second train that trundled past sea salt ponds before terminating at Mae Klong in Samut Songkhram.

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We didn’t know it at the time, but this was the famous market where vendors set up shop on the tracks and quickly fold up shop when the train comes.

I was perplexed to see the throng of tourists lining the tracks as we came into the station. Was someone famous on board?

It was already late afternoon. In total, the journey had taken eight hours, twice as long as I had advertised to my family. The boys were exhausted and parched. Nori was irritated to have been duped by me again. That’s when I discovered that we were near the coast, an hour’s drive from Bangkok. There were few taxis and none of them wanted to take us that far.

How were we going to get home?

Only on this latest trip did I realise that the Amphawa Floating Market is just upriver from the Mae Klong Railway Market! What a fun weekend that would make: riding the rails from Bangkok on Saturday morning, staying in Amphawa and visiting the floating market Sunday morning before returning to Bangkok that afternoon.

With hands full of bags containing rice crackers, mango sticky rice, grilled pork skewers and a monitor lizard pillow, we returned to the car. The boys were hyper and loud after eating marshmallows dipped in chocolate (can’t believe Nori bought those). It was painful to be in the car with them. After driving across the main bridge, I pulled over and started setting up the drone. It was probably illegal to fly it along the canal, but I was going to try anyway.

Just then Nori shouted “Oh my God! Where is my little rollie?”

In our rush to get the boys and our bags into the rental car, we had forgotten a suitcase at the airport!

It contained my GoPro, most of our chargers and connectors, some guidebooks and novels. Nori was distraught. She wanted to drive back to Bangkok, but I vetoed that; I knew we’d never find the suitcase. I was more upset about committing such a novice travel error. We were out of practice. Always, always, always do a bag count. And in our case, always do a kid count too.

After we recovered from the shock and the inevitable ‘blame game’ that followed, we started feeling grateful for what we hadn’t lost: Logan, our passports, the laptop, my travel journals etc.

Everything in that suitcase was replaceable. It would be a hassle, to be sure, but it was also an important lesson early in the trip. We still had too many bags; it was impossible to keep track of them.

Needless to say, I didn’t feel like flying the drone anymore. So we loaded up the Fortuner and set a course for the Garden of the Bees.

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“Both provinces offer unique, truly Thai experiences...

Here rivers, sea and fertile land combine to produce everything from fruits, prawns to sea salt. It’s no surprise that some of Thailand’s best seafood and produce markets are in this region.”

Travel

About the author: Two Twins Twavel Scott & Nori are avid travellers and knowledge seekers who have travelled to 110 plus countries across all 7 continents.

Now they’re sharing their wanderlust with their two sets of twinboys, Tai, Logan, Drake and Kiva. Follow their travels at: www.twotwinstwavel.com facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 45

Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) of the brain

Surgical room with microsurgical technology equipment

Taking the pain out of brain surgery Sukumvit Hospital treats brain tumour patient with state-of-the-art Computerised Navigator Microsurgery System.

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owards the end of May, a female patient, complaining of chronic headaches and numbness to her body’s left limbs, came in for a treatment at the hospital. Prior to arriving, this patient had already visited several doctors who had diagnosed migraine as the main cause for her persistent headaches.

As a result, she was prescribed painkillers, which only provided temporary relief, as the headaches never completely went away. Over a period of time, she began feeling an uneasy weakness on her left, arm and leg, and this is was what encouraged her to approach Sukumvit Hospital.

Knowing that her condition was not normal, the hospital assigned her case to their neurosurgeon, Dr Boonchote Kiangkittiwan for his diagnosis and treatment.

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After studying her case history and concluding that these headaches were not normal, Dr Boonchote ordered a high speed CT scan of her brain, which showed an abnormal reading, prompting the need for further tests. An MRI was then performed, which revealed a six centimetre large tumour lodged firmly on the right hemisphere of her brain. The tumour caused extra pressure on the surrounding brain cells, which was the main cause of her headaches that also led to swelling in that area of the brain. Moreover, as the tumour was pressing on the surrounding brain cells responsible for the motor functions of her body, the patient’s left arm and leg became weak and difficult to control.

As this condition could prove fatal, Dr Boonchote recommended microsurgery to remove the tumour.

It was a deep and difficult process to reach the tumour’s location, as this required the opening and manoeuvring of the skull, which was dangerous and could cause numerous side effects and complications that the doctor must avoid. Suffice to say, this procedure could ultimately lead to unnecessary damage to the nervous system.

Thus, Dr Boonchote recommended microsurgery with a Computerised Navigator System instead.

There are often times when doctors who perform brain surgery with normal surgical tools could face the dilemma of mistakenly cutting into the nervous system and healthy brain tissues, causing major problems with speech, hearing and locomotion, to name but a few.

Health

“Complicated brain surgery can now be performed with minimal risk and pain, as well as without fear of unwanted complications and side effects”.

Dr Boonchote Kiangkittiwan, Neurosurgeon

However, microsurgery, currently available at Sukumvit Hospital, employs the use of both a Computerised Navigator System and a high powered microscope.

This combination provides the tumour’s precise location in a high resolution 3D format, while the high power magnetic microscope, which is the best of today’s microscopes, ensures clear vision, as the image is enlarged tenfold, allowing the surgeon to easily get to the tumour during surgery.

The surgeon is then able to clearly visualise and avoid tiny nerve veins, while limiting any damage to healthy tissues.

These devices form the core of microsurgery and rank amongst the most important.

After a successful brain surgery, the patient was kept for overnight observation in the ICU before being moved to a normal room. Her headaches had completely stopped, and the strength in her left limbs returned to normalcy within a few hours after completing surgery.

Dr Boonchote says “complicated brain surgery has a higher success rate and can now be performed with minimal risk and pain, as well as without fear of unwanted complications and side effects”.

Sukumvit Hospital, which began its operations in 1977, has just completed a major makeover. Not only have they built a brand new building, but the entire team of doctors, specialists, nurses and assistants have all been trained with the singular aim of helping their patients maintain optimum health. Then there are the equipment, state-of- the-art MRIs, Cath labs and myriad of others, so that their specialists have the best available tools for diagnosis and treatment.

Conveniently located on Sukhumvit Road with English speaking staff, Sukumvit Hospital is now ready for any emergencies or treatments.

Sukumvit Hospital 1411 Sukhumvit Road, (Ekkamai BTS) Phrakanong Nua, Wattana, Bangkok, Thailand 10110 02 391 0011 www.sukumvithospital.com Facebook: @sukumvithospital

facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 47

“We were supposed to be on Koh Samui for a two year contract but extended three more years simply because we loved the school so much!”

A ‘truly’ international school on a tropical island !

W

hen Jeremy Lees (Founder of the International School of Samui) first arrived on Koh Samui, Thailand over 11 years ago, little did he know that this tropical island would capture his heart and change the life for him and his family.

For those who are not familiar with Koh Samui, it is an island located some 700km south of Bangkok and about 80km from the eastern coastline of Southern Thailand.

It is the second largest island and the most popular tourist destination only being topped

by Phuket.

It is no great surprise that Jeremy visited Thailand at some juncture as he has always had a natural affinity with Asia from an early age. He was born in Hong Kong, as his father served in the British Army, and was brought up living in a multitude of Asian countries including Hong Kong, Brunei, Nepal and China whilst during

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this time was educated at a private boarding school in England.

After school he studied at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, graduating with an Honours Degree in Laser Physics and Optoelectronics.

Following on from his academic studies Jeremy was commissioned into the British Army as an Officer with the Army Air Corps and served for seven years as a Combat Helicopter Pilot (Captain) seeing active service in both Northern Ireland and Iraq. On retiring from flying duties, he completed his Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) to become a fully qualified teacher. He continues to this day with his academic studies and is currently investigating if the mathematical framework developed for Quantum Physics can be applied to assessment in schools.

After active service for many years Jeremy together with his wife Victoria and their 2 year old daughter Arabella planned to take some well-deserved ‘family time’ so they decided to spend a year on the beautiful island of Koh Samui, a place they had never visited before.

Education

‘TRULY INTERNATIONAL’ 82% expatriate students, 100% expatriate British and European teachers During this time, the family simply ‘fell in love’ with the tropical island and all that it is so willing to offer. This long overdue ‘family time’ gave Jeremy and his wife Victoria the perfect opportunity to ‘reflect’ on what was truly important in life and obviously the quality of life and quality of education of their children were paramount. Therefore, when the unique opportunity to build and develop his own school arose, he saw this as a great opportunity to provide a truly international education for his children, and also, very importantly, other children on the island.

Therefore in 2007, Jeremy, at the age of 33, founded the International School of Samui located in Bophut, Koh Samui. Bophut, well renowned for its fabulous beaches and home to, perhaps one of the oldest places on the island, the charming Fisherman’s Village, which takes up the middle section of the beach. Fisherman’s Village is fast gaining a reputation that stretches way beyond Samui for being the most elegant and well-preserved place on the island. Lined by old wooden Chinese shophouses, interspaced with a few modern buildings that match the tone, it retains a distinctly Mediterranean feel. This has probably got a lot to do with the fact that it was the main French outpost on the island for many years.

Under his leadership the school grew to over 200 students within three years and now operates close to capacity (260) with waiting lists in a number of classes. It is a single form entry school and the premier international school of choice on the island. With five children of his own Jeremy knows the sacrifice parents are willing to make to ensure their children have the very best opportunity to succeed in life.

With this in mind he created a ‘Scholarship Fund’, along with

"The school is owned and run by a family that truly cares about the welfare and future of the children."

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his wife Victoria, which enables children to attend his school who otherwise couldn’t afford the fees.

One of Jeremy’s main objectives was to ensure the school is ‘TRULY INTERNATIONAL’ and the school proudly now has 82% of the students who are expatriate. In addition, the teaching staff, with the exception of the language teachers, are all 100% British and European nationals who are fully qualified and experienced teachers recruited directly from the UK. You can’t get much more international than this.

‘ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE’ is a key priority for the school and undoubtedly it has had considerable success with 91% of its students obtaining Grades A*/A – C in their June IGCSE examinations with 30% obtaining Grades A/A*.

They have achieved this through their dedicated and continuous commitment to establishing and adhering to international quality standards and best practices. The school offers parents a QUALITY GUARANTEE whereby the standards of education provided to their children undergoes a strict quality control and rigorous independent assessment and accreditation process, by several international professional bodies, to ensure the school meets the high standards and best practices equivalent to a top school in the UK. The International School of Samui (ISS) proudly is the first (in 2008), and longest serving international school in Thailand, to obtain quality accreditation by the Council of British International Schools (COBIS). It is one of those few international schools who meet their high ‘quality and best practice’ standards. There are many that are called ‘British Schools’, whereby the vast majority of these schools are not formally recognised by the British government, mainly teach the local curriculum with only some elements of the British system and have no independent monitoring on the quality of education. Interestingly, out of thousands of so called ‘British Schools’ worldwide, only 106 schools are accredited by COBIS. ISS also is proudly accredited by the Education Development Trust (EDT) which is an internationally recognised authority in the UK and is approved by the Thai Ministry of Education (MOE) to inspect and accredit International Schools in Thailand. The most recent inspection was in May 2018 and the school passed the accreditation with ‘flying colours’. The school is also a certified Cambridge international Examination Centre.

The International School of Samui (ISS) has a clear focus on ‘generating a true love of learning’. They take students beyond the classroom to develop the character, inquisitiveness, creativity, moral standards, integrity, confidence and optimism of every student (and a lot more). Each student is supported by an energised, innovative and inspiring style of teaching and a wide range of extra curriculum activities for the students to choose from. They also have an unique House System that develops an ethos, spirit and team work as students represent their house in a wide range of events and activities (sporting and nonsporting).

Experience at the school clearly shows that academic success will naturally follow those children who are truly motivated, engaged and who simply ‘love learning’.

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Your pathway to exam success

“From the very first day my son settled in, his first words after his first day where “I love it here” and after 2 years, that never changed neither did the level of support and general friendly welcoming environment”

“QUALITY GUARANTEE High British quality standards 1st School in Thailand with Quality accreditation of the COBIS (Council for British International Schools)”

Education “The positive effect on his [ISS student for 11 years] strength of character, outgoing personality and kindness & consideration to others – as well as a firm footing in academia and future university goal – is significantly due to his teachers, staff and the overall environment at the International School of Samui.”

“As parents we were thrilled to find a school that provided an excellent education incorporating a challenging curriculum in a nurturing and supportive environment.”

“There is no better testament than a child who loves to get up in the morning and go to school.”

“Wouldn’t choose any other school than this one on the island. 100% recommended!”

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all” – Aristotle facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 51

Thai Ministry of Education pushes for evidence based policy

by Jocelyn Pollak

The Thai Minister of Education, Dr Teerakiat Jareonsettasin, is certainly no stranger to making headlines.

Whether it’s exposing the dark reality of Thai English teachers’ language proficiency, speaking out

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about rampant internal MOE corruption or smashing decades-old practices that are no longer in the best interest of Thai students, Dr T has no plan to back down on his forward push for modernising the Thai education system.

A

t his core, he loves his country and he believes that Thailand can and should do better. June’s Chambers of Commerce luncheon brought together education and business leaders to listen as the Minister outlined the strengths and weaknesses of the Thai education system and what critically important steps need to be taken to ensure that Thailand doesn’t continue to slip behind its regional competitors.

Education

“At his core, he loves his country and he believes that Thailand can and should do better.”

With the average tenure of a Thai Minister of Education being only 10 months, it’s no wonder very little progress has been made in Thai education. This criticism isn’t merely conjecture or opinion.

According to Thailand’s PISA scores (Programme for International Student Assessment), not only have Thailand’s scores not improved, they have actually fallen to their lowest point since the test was first administered fifteen years ago.

This statistic is at the crux of Dr T’s approach to reform: evidence-based policy (he is a scientist after all).

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The Minister continued on to show us a pairing of fascinating data combined with anecdotal evidence to vividly paint a picture of the current state of education in Thailand. He clearly isn’t shy about ruffling feathers or “stealing some faces” with this somewhat uncomfortable data.

“These are the facts,” he said as he presented Thailand’s less than astounding performance compared to regional competitors as well as education powerhouse countries in Scandinavia.

To put this data in context, at the top of the pool are countries like Singapore and Finland averaging PISA scores of around 550. The Western average is around 500. Thailand currently sits at about 400-450. The poorest performing Thai schools (vocational schools) score just above 350. However, on the plus side, Thailand also has a handful of schools scoring over 600. The difference between a student scoring 350 verses 550 is about 7 years worth of education. Therefore, a good student in a Thai vocational school, despite attending for the same number of years, will actually be about

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7 years behind an average student in the West.

Upon graduation, an average 15 year old Thai will be about 3 years worth of education behind an average 15 year old American.

“So, what’s going on?” Dr T hypothetically questioned. Inequality.

“Clearly Thailand CAN provide a world class education, so why aren’t we looking right here at home at what these 500/600+ point schools are doing differently?” He then went on to compare Thailand to Vietnam where interestingly, the data shows that poor kids are performing almost as well as rich kids on these tests.

Equality in education is clearly not impossible if Thailand recognises and attacks these inconvenient truths rather than hiding them behind the familiar Thai smile.

Now that the evidence is clear, the question is, what’s next? The minister believes there are too many directives and not enough direction.

He looked to the Anglo-Irish statesman Edmund Burke for his guiding principles for reform:

KIS International School congratulates the class of 2018!

This close-knit group of 34 students from 13 countries has been offered 112 places by 79 top universities in 10 countries.

This year’s graduating class also received university scholarships worth more than an astounding 2,000,000 US dollars.

Our students will study Aviation, Psychology, Environmental Science, Marketing, Medicine, Media & Reporting, Marine Biology, Engineering, Film, Screenwriting, Fashion, Maths, Business, Finance, Design, Architecture, Computer Science, Music Production, Science, Design, Communication and International Justice & Human Rights.

Some of the universities they have been accepted to include: University of Toronto (Canada); University of California – Berkeley, UCLA, University of Southern California, Amherst College, Colby College, Wesleyan University (United States); Durham University, University of Warwick, University of Exeter, University of Leeds, University of Bristol, King's College London (United Kingdom); Monash University and University of Melbourne (Australia-TBC), University of Amsterdam, University of Leiden (Netherlands); University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong), and many more.

We are extremely proud of them and wish them all the best for their bright futures!

If you would like to be a part of KIS’ success stories, please contact admissions@kis.ac.th

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Education •

Build on existing arrangements and previous forms • Early • Proportionate • Measured • Consensual • Calm • Practical The ministry has already started to apply some of these strategies.

For example, in 2017 for the first time, 40,000 English teachers’ level of proficiency was measured. It was found that only 350 were beyond an advanced beginner. Once confronted with this evidence, the Ministry, in partnership with the British Council, began offering an English bootcamp programme that has been welcomed with open arms

by Thai English teachers. Rather than shaming and blaming the teachers, his

policy seeks to support teachers to upgrade their skill set.

Keeping with the first guiding principle, Dr T also addressed the issue of why Thailand can’t just adopt some of the practices of the Finnish education system. He said, quite frankly, “If we did that, it would break the entire system. It takes 5 years to begin to see the results of reforms, we shouldn’t be looking at what Finland is doing now, we should be looking at what they did 20 years ago.” This retrospective approach is exactly what the ministry needs in order to combat years of reactive policies that, according to PISA, have clearly not produced positive results.

Many would look at the challenges that the Ministry of Education faces and run. However, Dr Jareonsettasin is facing them head on with an attitude rooted in duty, passion and evidence and still manages to keep his affable sense of humour while he’s at it. Stay tuned. If all goes according to plan, you’ll be hearing a lot more from this minister on his quest to support Thailand to reach the potential we all know it has.

About the author: Jocelyn Pollak is an English teacher, teacher trainer and business owner. Originally from America, she has made Thailand her home for the last 6 years. As fitness, food, travel and education are her passions, her writing for Expat Life typically focuses on one of these areas.

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Back to school

by Meghan Lynch, Mum to four boys Brody, Camden, Parker and Ryker

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t’s how this year has been, my writing has taken a back seat.

Again. Other things take the front line, little pinky finger walks with my newest walker, three older children going to school full time, Mom duties here and there, a new volunteer opportunity… I’ll stop there, excuses… we all have them, and NO one wants to hear them. Thank you Nick, for the push…

We left last Summer (the Summer of 2017) a week before school got out.

Judge me as you will, we pulled the kids out early, 5 days early for Brody and Parker, two weeks for Camden.

Their young ages and understanding by teachers for our journey ahead made the decision easy and supported.

Plus, it meant more time to get settled into routine, through jet lag and get Brody, our eldest home for his first summer of Baseball Camp in my hometown. Placing him with children he didn’t know, coaches he had never met. Naturally, with his confidence and embarrassment to get rid of me, he took his baseball glove, said goodbye and went on his way. The week was a hit, literally, a home run. (I could keep going… I’ll stop there.)

In total, we spent 9 weeks away from Thailand last summer. My husband came for the end of the trip

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to join us for the birth of his brother’s son, Finn and for my cousin’s Alex’s wedding in Canada, which extended the trip a bit longer because the older boys were all a part of it. It caused them to miss the first few days of school… but being in the US and so close to the wedding, we decided, this was one wedding over the past few years we might be able to make.

The summer was lovely, as it always is. Full of adventure and visits and arms wrapped around them that adore and miss them and at times, to keep them warm. It’s hard to believe but now, 4 years into living in this extremely hot climate it seems that is all our bodies can tolerate and for the youngest two, Ryker and Camden, this is the only climate they really know… as I sit here now, reflecting on last summer I am headed into the Summer of 2018, packing our suitcases again with long pants, sweatshirts and long sleeved shirts.

As July turned into August, I was cringing with the thoughts that the goodbye and the back to school would be harder for the kids than the past two summers. We hadn’t ever spent this amount of time at home since we moved, and by “home” I mean our makeshift home while we live in Thailand. As in, my parents

home is our base and we touch down throughout the summer at Pete’s Mom’s house an hour away. They have cousins and summer friends that they enjoy and look forward to seeing. They have traditions, and favourite ice cream shops. As each year has come and passed they have grown with that and most of it now, is ingrained in their thoughts, these tiny desires now in their souls.

Sprinkled on top of our goodbyes was a new element into the “Back to School” this year. Camden. Our third son was going to be enrolled with Brody and Parker at Bangkok Patana.

This meant only a little change, (as he had been attending a school near our home for the past year and a half) 6am wake up, an early morning bus ride with his brothers and a longer day of school. If there was anyone that can handle it, I knew it would be the one we call “The Mighty One.” (With an earned nickname like that, how could he not?)

Early on in my expat days my friend Elina from Argentina, who has an even longer journey than us, suggested that planning my flight back right up to the day before school helps the children get back onto the time zone and through the jet lag.

She shared that the school would be

Education

understanding if any of the children were tired during the day. I trusted her and took her advice and since 2014, I learned that she is right, it does help them, in an almost hard to believe sort of way. Until you do it.

The journey back to Bangkok after the wedding in Canada had them arriving the night before the 4th day of the school year. Our 3 flight trip home had us landing at 11am and arriving into our beds at 1am. Pete and I decided if we could actually wake them up at 6am, then we would try to send them into school, but there was no pressure, if it didn’t work, we understood. We were a mess ourselves! Plus we had to think of the newest player in the game, our nearly 4 year old, Camden would be joining the seasoned veterans on what seemed like an impossible task.

After 38 hours of travel, 5 hours of sleep, I crept in their rooms to wake them. One by one by two by three, they woke, went downstairs and ate their breakfast, dressed and with no pre planning by me (shocking I know) I asked if I could take the obligatory first day of school photo. They all, quietly and serenely agreed.

Minutes later, the bus arrived and again, one, by two, by three they got on

the bus and buckled up. They peered out of the bus with their bright smiles, not tears. They offered me a wave, not a plea to come give one more hug. Then they rode away.

I stood there, blinking back tears, in awe and carrying indescribable amount of pride for them. What courage they have, what support they offer each other, my dearest Camden what strength, what understanding without even speaking they carry within them. The emotions over the past few days, the goodbyes, the see you soon’s the conversations of it’s back to Bangkok now boys, played over in over in my mind. In reality, they know no different, their lives, almost now, living most of it in Bangkok, most of it arriving at school on the first day back from a trip to the USA. Most of it being tired, yet brave, happy even if they’ve just cried to leave the ones they love the most.

This journey abroad continues to make us grow as individuals and as a family.

Although the pain of living so far never leaves us and we experience frequent of ups and downs, we have each other and we are capable of doing so much with the bond that has allowed us to create here.

“Oh, the places you’ll go!

You’ll be on your way up!

You’ll be seeing great sights!

You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You’re off to great places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So… get on your way!”

– Dr Suess

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@RUGBY SCHOOL

Our First Day of School

Our First Loy Kratong

First X'Mas Together!

Chinese New Year

We Visited Hand 2 Hand Foundation

LOTS of Music Concerts!

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World Book Day

Sports Day

Our Performance of The Jungle Book

Our First Songkran

International Day

First Swimming Gala!

Speech Day

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good break, everybody!

Have a.......................................................................... .......................................................................... .............................................................

See.......................................................................... you all in September! .......................................................................... ......................................................................

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Back to school with MOOCs

by Ema Naito-Bhakdi

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ver wanted to go back to school and learn something new but couldn’t find a course near you, weren’t prepared to fork out a lot of money for it, or just didn’t think it was an option in Thailand? Maybe it’s a good time to consider a MOOC. What’s a MOOC? For those of you who haven’t heard of it before, ‘MOOC’ stands for ‘Mass Open Online Course’. When you unpack that name, you’ll find that MOOCs are free online courses offered to anyone with internet access and a desire to learn. The range of subjects that MOOCs cover these days are impressive and ever growing: programming, cooking, languages, parenting, education, law, health, the arts, business and management, philosophy, history, statistics, mathematics, the sciences – there’s something for everyone.

Courses are offered by real universities, including top institutions such as Harvard and MIT, mostly through MOOC ‘hubs’ such as Coursera, edX, and Udacity. Most run for a defined duration such as 6 weeks (although now there are also ‘self-paced’ courses), and enrolment is typically massive: think thousands of people from around the world joining up in one course. Courses usually comprise of weekly video lectures, online reading material, quizzes and/or tests, in some cases peer-evaluated assignments, and discussion forums.

While the free courses are generally not tied to course credit, you can pay to get a certificate of completion which can be shared with potential employers. And for those who wish to continue on to the next level, e.g., get qualifications for work, MOOC hubs now also offer tuition-based specialisations, certifications, and even degrees.

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MOOCs aren’t perfect The concept of high-quality higher education being made available freely to all – especially to those who otherwise wouldn’t have access - is appealing, but the data seem to indicate that the majority of MOOC users are based in the West and already have university degrees (see ICEF Monitor’s article ‘Who uses MOOCs and how?’, 22 Jul 2014). As with any course, the quality can vary widely - I’ve taken several MOOCs over the past five years or so and enjoyed top-notch, engaging courses, while others were less well-designed, and one even seemed to be on automatic ‘repeat’ mode with no live persons on the backend after the first one or two times the course had been offered. Also, online learning may be a challenge for those who need the engagement from real, faceto-face interactions.

How to approach a MOOC Despite these drawbacks, I still believe that MOOCs offer valuable and precious learning opportunities, especially for those of us in Thailand. Here are some tips/ideas to help you on your way: Start off by browsing The first step is: go to Coursera, edX, or Udacity and simply start browsing. If you see something that piques your interest, sign up for it – it costs you nothing to cancel later; there’s no reason whatsoever to wait. You’ll get email reminders when the course is about to start.

Know that there are different levels of participation The fact that you can commit as much time and effort as you can and wish is both a strength and weakness of selfdirected learning. Taking a class doesn’t have to take the

Education “The range of subjects that MOOCs cover these days are impressive and ever growing ... there’s something for everyone.”

‘do all assignments, pass all tests, and actively participate in discussions’ approach. For example, I’ve fully completed some courses, was recruited and served as a volunteer teaching assistant on one, followed the videos on others without doing any of the assignments… and dropped a few. There’s no one to tell you you’re doing it wrong.

TIP: If you like podcasts and are often on the move, download the videos and listen to them later.

Write down your goal One way to help keep you on track or not entirely lose your motivation is to be aware of what level of engagement you’re aiming for in the first place. Write it down.

TIP: Write your goal down. Putting it into writing makes a difference!

Re-adjust your goals/engagement as you go along If you find part-way through that you don’t have the time or energy to engage as you had initially hoped, don’t chalk it up as a ‘failure’.

There’s nothing wrong with re-adjusting your goals halfway through. Just tweak your goal (‘I will download all the readings and videos, and look at the ones that interest me whenever/if-ever I find a moment’), and carry on! (And of course, if you find that you want to do more with the course, you can revise your goal accordingly as well.)

TIP: If you don’t complete some regularly-offered courses, in Coursera you can re-enrol in a later run and your progress will be carried forward. (Personally, though, I needed to pressure myself to ‘finish it this round!’; otherwise I’d never have finished.)

Mix the virtual with the real If you’re the kind of person who needs face-to-face interactions, try signing up for courses together with friends or join a local study group if there is one, to make it more interactive.

It may also help some learners to take courses that run on specific dates, rather than self-paced ones.

Knowing that you need to complete each module by a certain deadline and interacting with your course mates on the forums during that period can help better mimic a live course.

The world of MOOCs is ever evolving and offers an exciting way for us expats to continue our learning from Thailand. Give it a try and happy learning!

For a great overview on the MOOC phenomenon, its strengths and weaknesses, look for the New York Times article, ‘The Year of the MOOC’, 2 Nov. 2012.

About the author: Ema Naito-Bhakdi worked in international development, was editor of BAMBI News, and is now a freelance editor (www.theclarityeditor.com).

She’s a stay-sometimes-at-home mom to three kids, sings in choirs and as a soloist, and blogs at www.crossculturalfamily.com

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Safeguarding tomorrow’s future How International SOS protects students and teachers beyond the classroom

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n increasing number of international schools in Thailand are embracing the philosophy of outdoor education and experiential learning. School excursions and overseas expeditions provide rich experiences and vital preparation for life beyond academia As one International SOS education client put it; “we think the learning that takes place whilst kayaking down a river in Chiang Mai is as important as the study of Shakespeare”.

However, taking children and youngsters to unfamiliar environments presents a unique set of challenges and responsibilities for educators who must meet their legal and moral obligations to students, staff and parents. This is why more and more schools are turning to International SOS to help fulfill their Duty of Care agenda through robust medical, logistics and security support of a global reach.

CRISIS MANAGEMENT In March 2018 International SOS invited 15 international schools and school

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trip organisers to its 24/7 Medical and security Assistance Centre in Bangkok for a Crisis Simulation Exercise. A simulation exercise is designed to give participants a hands-on crisis management experience that tests emergency preparedness in a medical or security scenario. In this interactive session educators were guided by International SOS resident medical and security experts Jaime Wong and Dr Asadang Dusadi-isariyavong, who on a daily basis assist clients with their medical and security challenges when travelling abroad.

“School trips are meant to be fun and educative experiences for students and teachers. Thorough preparation in the form of a travel medical and security risk assessment is the key to overall school trip success”, says Dr Asadang.

Participants were presented with two medical and security scenarios affecting a group of students engaged in an off-campus activity. The scenarios were drawn from real-life events managed by International SOS in recent years.

As events unfolded in unpredictable ways, participants were required to manage crisis communications, assign roles and responsibilities, and conduct information gathering and decision making.

At the end of the exercise the International SOS medical and security experts consulted with participants on what went well during the exercise and what needed improvement: “It is essential for schools to take steps to mitigate the risk of reasonably foreseeable dangers to their travelling students and staff. This includes equipping trip leaders with knowledge of the risk environment and risk mitigating measures needed in the locations that they are travelling to” says Jaime Wong.

SABAH EARTHQUAKE 2015 The experts presented a case study of the support International SOS delivered in the aftermath of the Sabah Earthquake in 2015. Within 84 hours International SOS helped a group of 18 students safely descend Mount Kinabalu

Education and then repatriated them to Singapore. A further 5 students in a serious condition were evacuated via air ambulance arranged by the dedicated Incident Response Team established on the ground in Sabah and at the 24/7 Assistance Centre in Singapore.

“While it is impossible to avoid all risks, especially unpredictable incidents such as an earthquake or a terrorist attack, schools will inevitably be held accountable for their level of preparedness and speed in responding to an incident, which includes digital tracking and accounting for their students and staff ’s safety and wellbeing”, advises Jaime Wong.

DIGITAL REVOLUTION IN TRAVEL RISK MANAGEMENT Educators attending the simulation exercise were introduced to the TravelTracker digital platform that ensures teachers or trip leaders on

the ground are kept up-to date with the latest medical or security developments at their destination via email alerts.

TravelTracker automatically transmits medical, travel security information and advice so users can anticipate problems, look after the safety of their group and minimise disruption to their trip.

In parallel, school management teams back on campus also receive proactive alerts from TravelTracker with the latest medical and security incidents in countries where they have school trips. This information in turn can be used to update and inform parents.

These emails provide information on the incident and show you how many trips you have already in or will arrive in the area.

Through 11,000 employees operating out of more than 90 countries, International SOS is the world’s leading medical and travel security assistance company. For more details on how International SOS supports schools and universities in Thailand please contact: robert.tyler@internationalsos.com

CONSIDERATIONS FOR SAFE SCHOOL TRIPS •

•

•

•

•

Risk assessments: What medical and security risks exist in your destination? How can these risks be mitigated?

Crisis preparedness: Who will form an organisation’s crisis management team?

Effective decision making: Who makes the decision? How are they made? What support is in place to make those decisions?

Access to objective information: Perception vs reality; where will you obtain objective information to inform your decision making process?

Continuous approach: Risk management is a continuous approach that needs buy-in and engagement from teachers, parents and students alike.

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Meet the Head of School Dr John Moore, St Andrews Sukhumvit 107

W

hat attracted you to St Andrews Sukhumvit 107?

I was delighted to be appointed as Head of School at St Andrews International School Sukhumvit 107 as I was looking for a school which would be a good fit for me and where I could have a positive impact. The school has a lovely family feel and its immense potential lies in its people; the Sukhumvit 107 families, staff and, most of all, its young people.

It has great facilities and is continuing to develop with a new indoor sports arena being built, ready to open in August 2019. The fact that St Andrews Sukhumvit 107 is part of a group of four Thailand schools (with St Andrews Dusit, Sathorn and Green Valley) and also part of the wider Cognita group of schools also appeals to me as there are opportunities for students, staff and school communities to collaborate.

The Cognita St Andrews schools group in Thailand is also developing

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some amazing partnerships that have the potential to be extremely inspirational and beneficial to our students. A partnership with Khun Mechai and the PDA to assist with upgrading the quality of education in Thailand is a really exciting project we are currently developing. In the same creative and vigorous way that he has successfully challenged population control and poverty in Thailand, Khun Mechai is working to upgrade education quality in Thai villages and we are supporting this initiative by employing two teachers with whom we will closely liaise.

Our students will be able to visit the Mechai Bamboo School in Buriram province to participate in community service responsibilities and also host visits from the Bamboo School at our school and other Cognita St Andrews schools in Thailand. The education provided at the Bamboo School is unique and our students will learn a great deal from this association as well as having an opportunity to improve the lives of those less fortunate than

themselves. This is really exciting and projects such as this are so valuable in building character in our young people.

What are some of the biggest challenges this school faces?

I think one of the biggest challenges in a city with so many excellent international schools is ensuring that you celebrate the fantastic things you do and are very open and honest about what your own school will offer. At St Andrews Sukhumvit 107 we have around 450 students from aged 2-18, a lovely size, which means we know our children extremely well. We can tailor inspiring learning opportunities for them, offer individualised support and we can work closely with our parents to make sure we are doing an amazing job. For our students, the challenge is to balance striving for academic excellence alongside their wider learning in sport, drama, music, community work, extracurricular activities whilst ensuring they also remain happy and healthy.

Education Where are you from and at which schools were you before St Andrews?

What attracted you to teaching? How has your background influenced you as an educator?

I was born in one of the UK’s most glamorous towns, Oldham, whose chief claim to fame is that it was the home of the first fish and chip shop (according to historian Eric Hobsbawm) and to the finest football team ever to have played in the Premier League (one of these facts is perhaps more true than the other).

After graduating in History from Leeds University and completing my PGCE in Liverpool, I worked at a comprehensive school in Peterborough before working at Colombo International School in Sri Lanka, at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School (QEGS) in Lincolnshire, at Notting Hill & Ealing High School (NHEHS) and Putney High School in London, Harrow International School in Beijing and, since 2013, Principal at The British School Kathmandu (TBS) in Nepal. The last 5 years in Kathmandu have had so many highlights including winning the British International School of the Year Award in 2017 (which I almost never mention – honestly!).

I am quite a sad case because I absolutely love teaching and there is nothing I do not like about it. I love the fact that I am in a profession that stretches the mind, is never the same from day to day and has endless possibilities. I went to a comprehensive school in the 1980s in the UK at a time when schools were not always well resourced but I was lucky to have a number of teachers who clearly loved their jobs, would go the extra mile for their students and pushed you to do more than you thought you could.

I wanted to be like them.

as vividly. You remember the people who have done fantastic things and how you have been able to support them.

What was the most challenging teaching/administration situation you have faced?

What do you consider your greatest success in schools?

Besides the 4 international school awards The British School Kathmandu won in 2016 and 2017 (which I almost never mention!), I would say the successes I enjoy the most are seeing students and colleagues thrive. The best schools are where teachers are learning alongside the students and children.

I could talk about examination results or Ofsted inspection successes but I don’t think you really remember these

The earthquakes that hit Nepal in 2015 were catastrophic in terms of their impact on a nation that was not equipped for such an event. It was an extremely frightening and difficult time for many of our families, staff and children.

However, the school was fortunate in that we were in a good position to re-open quickly, get children learning and playing together, support our parents by freeing them to do their jobs and get on with their lives and support other schools through our community work. So even though it was a really challenging time it was a great opportunity for our school community and our students to make a real difference. We raised over £350,000 to rebuild 4 primary schools in Dhading, a training centre for girls with specific learning needs in Kathmandu, and various other small scale projects.

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Do you have a personal educational philosophy?

more independent and self-reliant, and more understanding, kind people.

Learning should be fun. This is a deceptively simple philosophy but if learning is fun children will love it and they will engage. Paradoxically, I have found that making all learning fun encourages those behaviours that may not be traditionally seen as ‘fun’. The most amazing teachers are those that make the most difficult and challenging tasks irresistible to young people.

Learners will take on higher challenge tasks, tolerate frustration, and exhibit higher levels of resilience in a lesson where there is laughter, wonder and joy.

Do you try to meld American, British and IB standards? Or is St Andrews strictly IB or strictly A levels? Why and what are the benefits?

What are the benefits of an international school education?

There are many. I believe the most innovative educational practice can now be found in international schools where creative, highly motivated teachers are working with ambitious parents and hard-working, interested young people who love their schools. Just being amongst people from different backgrounds helps you understand different perspectives and we try to build opportunities for discussion around this into our curriculum.

I believe an international education makes young people broadminded,

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At St Andrews Sukhumvit 107 our curriculum is flexible and very individualised. We offer the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) for our young learners and the International Baccalaureate (IB) for our oldest students. They both offer immense flexibility in terms of what and how the students learn being based around the IB learner profile. In between we have a very broad and balanced curriculum at Key Stage 3 (Years 7 to 9) based on the UK national curriculum and we study IGCSE courses in Years 10 to 11 (Key Stage 4). Written out this sounds a little dull though!

In reality, at St Andrews Sukhumvit 107, children are discovering through play and guided experimentation, undertaking projects and solving relevant and challenging problems, engaging in teamwork, having opportunities to lead and collaborate, and the curriculum is the vehicle for an immense range of opportunities to make sense of the world we live in.

How is technology used to support teaching and learning? What kind of library resources are available to students?

St Andrews Sukhumvit 107 recently gained recognition as a ‘Common Sense Media School’ and this recognition is a sign of the school’s dedication to helping students think critically and use technology responsibly to learn, create, and participate. It is an exciting time to be in education because technology is enabling global connections to be made and transforming how we collaborate with others. We must equip our young people with the creative and practical skills to thrive in this technological age.

What is the creative curriculum on offer at Sukhumvit 107 and what extracurricular opportunities (sports, clubs, community service, competitions) are available for students?

My approach to extracurricular is that students should be exposed to as wide a range of activities when they are young as possible. So we offer as diverse a range of sports as we can, creative activities in Music, Drama, Art and Design

Education

“I believe an international education makes young people broadminded, more independent and self-reliant, and more understanding, kind people.”

Our approach is very much to tailor careers and university advice to each individual with form groups meaning each teacher/adviser has about 10 students to oversee and they will meet one to one to discuss their thinking throughout their secondary school career. As a result students do go to some highly desirable destinations in the UK, USA, Australia and others studying courses from Medicine to Business, Law, Engineering to Interior Design.

Our recent IB results were our highest so far, one of our students gained our highest ever IB points score and is off to study Medicine in the UK and all of our students gained the scores required for their university or college of choice.

Technology (which we are bringing into the curriculum fully from 2019) and an increasing range of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics Education) activities.

Children can undertake special projects and competitions, take individual music lessons and play in bands and ensembles.

We are looking to give young people exposure to those activities that will become lifelong passions and which will make their lives richer and more fulfilling! In addition, we expect all of our young people to be involved in community service and our community partnership links are strong and growing stronger all the time.

So in short, there is a broad

creative curriculum at Sukhumvit 107 with everything you would expect to see alongside a wide set of clubs and activities. And if we don’t do something yet that our learners might benefit from, we will find a way to introduce it!

What about life beyond Sukhumvit 107?

There is a careers programme that runs through our Personal Social Health Education provision as well as regular visits from universities and Higher Education institutions across the world. We have specialist Sixth Form Advisers who help students through this bewildering process.

Final words Come and visit us at the school for a tour to get a sense of the inspirational education on offer at St Andrews Sukhumvit 107. We are a welcoming community and we will be only too pleased to see you and show you around. We are sure that you will be impressed.

Dr John Moore T: +66 (0)2-393-3883 Fax: +66(0)2-393-3925 Part of the St. Andrews Cognita Schools Group: Dusit, Green Valley, Sathorn, Sukhumvit 107 www.standrews-schools.com facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 71

Meet the Headmaster

Michael (Mick) Farley, Harrow International School, Bangkok

E

xpat Life sat down with the Headmaster of Harrow International School Bangkok to talk about his time in Bangkok and his forthcoming move to Hong Kong next January, where he takes up the new role of Head of Strategic Development for Harrow International Group.

Our discussion begins, striding purposefully towards the school gate, Mick explaining on the way that, as often as he can, he likes to greet the children when they arrive in the morning and bid them goodbye at the end of the school day. As we walk through the school, students we pass respectfully say “Good afternoon Headmaster.” Once at the gate, in and amongst the smiling goodbyes, he reminds individual students of a couple of the school rules – mostly concerning the use of mobile telephones and untucked shirts. He believes that by being accessible to parents and students at these key moments of the day, the channels of communication are kept open and any small concerns can be addressed quickly, in a more informal manner, before they develop into something more serious.

I asked Mick to reflect on his career to date: “My first teaching post (27 years ago) seems a million miles away from where I am standing today. I started out at Chickenley School, right in the heart of a deprived council estate in West Yorkshire. Many of the children there were dealing with daily challenges that went far beyond struggling with homework.

I cut my teaching teeth there; and goodness knows it was a steep learning curve. At a school like ours here in Bangkok, if you get your

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“Our motto is Leadership for a better world.

Our students needed to be working both collaboratively and independently, developing effective communication skills – discussion, debate as well as engaging with media in a creative and purposeful way.”

teaching plan wrong you will see the children’s eyes glaze over. At Chickenley, teachers risked chairs flying through the air and the occasional one going through a window.

In my 21 years as a Headteacher, I have built and led schools in diverse locations - from the Qatari desert, to downtown Tokyo, Cyprus and now finally Bangkok. I came to interview here in December of 2011, just as the flood waters in the school and surrounding areas were receding.

The school site was effectively closed with the Primary and Secondary departments having relocated to other premises down town. The team work and collaboration involved in making

this happen, impressed upon me how dedicated the teaching staff were and the resilience of the children, some of whom were adapting happily to starting school at 3:30pm when they would usually have been going home! However it is fair to say that this period took its toll on the school; we had also had three headteachers in as many years. When I started in 2012, there was a lot of work to be done. In six years we have come such a long way. Today we are in the top 2% of British schools globally. This year our Year 13 graduates are going on to Oxford, Cambridge, Cornell, the University of Pennsylvania; London universities are first choice for many of our students – Kings College, Imperial, LSE and UCL.

Education With our A level results now at 61% A* and As, our students are in a strong position to be making great choices.”

The school is set on 35 acres overlooking the Harrow Lake – I am struck by how green and spacious it feels, benefitting from some great landscaping and the sports fields are immaculate. Early in 2014 the school launched its ambitious and far reaching HBuild Project and I can see its mark everywhere. “In 2014 we made a total commitment to radically improving the school’s facilities for our students and our staff. We decided that every corner of the campus would feel HBuild’s touch – and it’s a big campus.

I am pleased to say four years on, we have kept that promise.

Our motto is Leadership for a better world. In order to develop those leadership attributes our students needed to be working both collaboratively and independently, developing effective communication skills – discussion, debate as well as engaging with media in a creative and purposeful way. Developing and creating these new facilities has allowed our teachers and students to work together in a host of ways that equip our young people for life.

Through our Service Learning Curriculum, we run programmes which

have really changed people’s lives. For 12 years we have worked in the Mae Sot refugee camp on the Burmese border.

Our students go up there to run workshops, to bring residents of the camp out of there for the day, for perhaps the first time in their lives. Supporting English language acquisition is a cornerstone of our work in the camp. Our Cambridge examiners travel to the camp to administer the CET certification, so young people in the camp can matriculate and get onto a teachers training course – life changing.

These are mature programmes and form a vital component of a Harrow education – we have a responsibility not simply to get students to the university interview table, but to give them the opportunities that enable them form and offer informed opinions based on their own direct experience. This is so valuable for them as people as well as providing them with an extra reservoir of understanding, beyond examination results, that top universities are looking for.”

As I tour the school with Mick we reflect on our own school experience, some 40ish years ago in England, both amazed at the change, in terms of the range of possibilities, within the educational experience of today here at Harrow Bangkok. “The students get

tired of hearing me say that I would have given my eye teeth to have had the opportunity of a similar education!” muses the Headmaster. “However, I am pleased to say that our students really are grabbing these opportunities and making the most of what they are offered; outcomes are incredible.”

In January Mick will hand over to Jon Standen, currently Head of Plymouth College in England.

“Naturally I will be very sad to say goodbye to this marvellous school.

The community here is so strong and so giving. However, I know the school is in great shape, and I know, that Jon will come in with fresh ideas and settle straight into the challenge of taking the school to the next level for our children, ably supported by a fantastic teaching faculty, administration team and engaged parents.

I will be continuing to work with the Harrow Asia group at a regionally strategic level, based in Hong Kong. It’s very exciting contemplating founding schools. Harrow School in London has stood for 450 years, imagine founding an institution that will, at its inception, already be linked to 450 years and more of history. That’s what the future holds.

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Meet the Principal Expat Life sat down to talk to Amanda Dennison, the Principal of the Shrewsbury International School Bangkok City Campus opening in August 2018

W

here are you from?

I’ve lived and worked in Bangkok for 8 years now, having formally been a Head Teacher in London, but originally I’m from a small seaside town called Morecambe in the North of England.

Is anyone in your family also a teacher? Role model?

I was actually the first member of my family to go to university. My mother was extremely supportive and encouraged me to follow my dreams, and in turn that inspired me to achieve things I never thought possible. She was a strong believer in the power of education and the opportunities that stem from a good education. Ultimately, it is an outlook that has shaped my life and my career; my mother is my inspiration.

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What attracted you to teaching?

How has your background influenced you as an educator?

I was attracted into the profession for a number of reasons. I absolutely loved school and was lucky to have many great teachers who left a positive impression on me. That said, school was not always easy for me as a child, but I believe these experiences have actually helped me to become a better educator in my adult life.

Education should be fun, and allow children to explore their creativity. They should also be given the time, opportunities and support to develop their emotional intelligence and values, and to learn to build positive relationships through them.

Guidance from adults is of course invaluable, but ultimately this cannot happen unless children understand the impact of their

choices and are allowed to make mistakes. Only then do they have the chance to reflect, recover and put things right if possible, and then to move on. This nurtures resilience and character, and helps children to become respectful, kind and compassionate members of society; qualities which define a Shrewsbury education, and create the foundations of success in life beyond.

When did you first become a Principal?

My first Headship came 15 years ago when I was appointed the Head of The Millennium School in Greenwich.

It was a fabulous place to work; a fully inclusive inner city Primary school with children from all over the world, and my experience there led to my appointment as Head of Junior at Shrewsbury Bangkok’s Riverside Campus in 2010.

Education

“At the heart of this is my firm belief that all children are capable of being successful in their learning, and that schools should do everything in their power to remove any barriers that may lie in the way”

What do you consider your greatest success in schools before coming to Shrewsbury? What was the most challenging teaching/administration situation you faced before coming to Shrewsbury?

In London I oversaw the relocation of my school to a brand new site with double the student enrolment. It was my greatest challenge as an education professional, but something I am incredibly proud of.

The school was chosen to be the ‘heart’ of a new community on the Greenwich Peninsula because of its strong, caring ethos, which had shone throughout our ‘excellent’ Ofsted inspection report.

It was important that throughout the move we remained true to our objectives and values, but also to adapt and embrace the opportunities that came with changes to our physical environment, technology, size, and the

community around us.

We did this so successfully that the school was awarded ‘Beacon Status’, especially for our outstanding work in the areas of inclusion, ICT, the creative arts, emotional well being and pupil voice initiatives. In turn we became heavily involved in supporting other schools and became a showcase of good practice to visitors from other organisations within London, across the UK and internationally.

Although this was a very challenging time in my career, it was also extremely exciting and rewarding. Little did I know that the experience gained through the project - from design, delivery and into the operational phase - would prepare me so well for the adventure I am currently enjoying halfway around the world.

It gives me strength and confidence that I can, with the support of the excellent team around me, deliver everything that we’re trying to

achieve here at City Campus; to build on the experience and exceptional 15 year track record of Riverside campus, and to deliver the very best primary education in Thailand.

Your philosophy: Do you have a personal educational philosophy?

My educational philosophy is grounded in nearly 30 years as a teacher. At the heart of this is my firm belief that all children are capable of being successful in their learning, and that schools should do everything in their power to remove any barriers that may lie in the way; no school should allow themselves to set limits or restrictions to the things that pupils can achieve. Sound policies that reflect the wide-ranging needs of the student community, as well as co-curricular opportunities and comprehensive pastoral services that remove barriers to learning are all key to ensuring a rich educational experience.

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Outstanding schools are built around core values, which permeate the whole school community. They define the culture of a school and creates a sense of purpose, hope and optimism.

Core values help nurture a climate where learners take risks and build confidence in a trusting environment.

As educators, we have a moral imperative to enable learners to hone and demonstrate citizenship skills; to become engaged, positive and proactive members of society. A school’s curriculum and values should reflect a world where inequalities are evermore evident and the planet increasingly fragile. The curriculum should provide learning opportunities that develop empathy and understanding of social, economic and environmental issues, whilst enabling students to build independent learning skills that lead to creative problem solving and to finding solutions that benefit society.

Aligned to a school’s values, should be a firm understanding and clear vision of what quality learning and teaching means in practice.

Learning is deepest when pupils are able to learn from experience and make real connections with the world, whilst successful teaching is multisensory and shows awareness of, and makes provision for, the full range of

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individuals’ learning styles.

A high quality learning environment, meanwhile, must reflect these wide-ranging learning preferences and allow itself to evolve and respond to good practice, informed by sound research and advances in technology, to maintain optimal conditions for learning. The design of the curriculum and physical environment here at City Campus reflects this thinking.

The last central tenet of my educational philosophy is that learners must take ownership of their learning.

Assessment for learning is the driving force for pupils leading learning.

This means pupils being allowed to work alongside teachers to develop the success criteria for lessons, pupils having a clear understanding about what high quality work consists of and using language at every opportunity to extend cognitive thinking.

About City Campus: What is the unique selling point of City Campus for prospective parents?

From inception, the Campus has been designed and equipped specifically for Primary aged children, and that makes a big difference to how effectively they learn. It is a spacious, secure, and technologically advanced

learning environment, positioned in a convenient city-centre location that also benefits from extensive natural landscaping and carefully designed spaces for recreation and play.

More importantly though, Shrewsbury has always been about people. Like Riverside, children here will be guided by caring and supportive teaching professionals, who are themselves part of a growing, collaborative network of teachers in the Shrewsbury family that brims with experience and expertise. And of course, this will be school where values matter; where children are given opportunity to explore their passions, to become engaged, responsible and confident young people, to find their potential inside and outside the classroom… to thrive.

Ultimately, it is a unique prospect for families seeking the best international Primary age education in Thailand, coupled with all the benefits of Shrewsbury’s extensive experience and track record in Bangkok and an assured pathway into secondary education at the School’s renowned Riverside campus.

131 TOP 50

OFFERS UNIVERSITIES

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OFFERS

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TOP 100

OXFORD & CAMBRIDGE OFFERS

UNIVERSITIES

MEDICAL PLACEMENTS

CLASS OF 2018 CELEBRATE 425 OFFERS TO UNIVERSITIES WORLDWIDE World top 100 University / College University of Oxford University of Cambridge Imperial College London University of Pennsylvania Columbia University University of California, Los Angeles UCL University of California, Berkeley Cornell University Northwestern University University of Michigan University of Toronto Carnegie Mellon University London School of Economics and Political Science University of Washington University of Edinburgh University of California, San Diego University of Melbourne Georgia Institute of Technology University of British Columbia King’s College London McGill University University of Wisconsin-Madison The University of Tokyo University of Texas at Austin Brown University University of California, Santa Barbara University of California, Davis University of Manchester Purdue University University of Sydney University of Southern California Boston University University of Bristol Pennsylvania State University University of Glasgow University of New South Wales University of Warwick Durham University University of California, Irvine

Contact: Ilka Hodapp 02 675 1888 ext. 1404 or email admissions@shrewsbury.ac.th * Based on Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2018

World Ranking*

Number of Offers

1 2 8 10 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 25 27 31 32 33 34 36 42 43 46 49 50 53 54 54 60 61 66 70 76 77 80 85 91 97 99

3 5 15 3 1 7 33 3 1 1 4 1 1 6 6 9 3 3 1 1 16 2 1 2 1 2 2 1 15 2 2 2 2 18 1 2 1 13 13 1

Be part of our journey to success www.shrewsbury.ac.th facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 77

Early English language education

by Rose Marie Wanchupela, Rose Marie Academy English language instruction has been an integral part of the curricula of Thai schools since the 1950s. Successive Thai governments have been fully aware of the importance of English in the modern world, especially in the ASEAN region. With the support of the governments of the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, and New Zealand, the Thai Ministry of Education has gone to great lengths to assure that Thai students gain English language proficiency. While significant strides have been made, the success envisioned has been elusive.

Perhaps because it took off at the top educational levels – teacher training colleges, universities, technical schools – gradually descending to the secondary and primary levels. Had the process begun at the preschool level, the goal of English proficiency might well have been realised by now. This theory is being born out by the neuro-linguists who are making important discoveries about brain mechanisms and second language acquisition and are reporting 78

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about the right time to begin second language instruction, and it is early.

Laura Clark has reported: “….. Studies

by Harvard University confirm that the creativity, critical thinking skills, and flexibility of the mind are significantly enhanced if children learn a second language at a younger age.….”

(Clark, L., 2016) Catherine Ford has reported: “….. for years it was thought that teaching foreign languages to children as young as three was futile. Research findings indicate quite the opposite.

Longitudinal studies by Harvard University confirm that learning additional languages increases critical thinking skills, creativity and flexibility of the mind in young children...

Dr Pascual-Leone professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, provides an important first step in understanding the impact of leaning a second language and the ageing brain. This research paves the way for future casual studies of bilingualism and cognitive decline prevention. But why should leaning

another language be started at such a young age? Simply, the younger the learners, the better they are at mimicking new sounds and adopting pronunciation. The brain is open to new sounds and patterns in preadolescence. At this age, young children have time to learn through play-like activities. Language lessons can be informal and children’s minds are not yet cluttered with facts to be stored and tested. Before children become self-conscious they can try out their newly acquired languages without fear of embarrassment.

Children who grow up learning about languages develop empathy for others and a curiosity for different cultures and ideas; prepared to take their place in a global society…..”

(Ford C., 2014) In light of these and similar research findings, the following pilot project for English language acquisition for Thai students at the preschool level is proposed.

Children from the age of

Education three to five will be placed in childcare centres under the guidance of fluent speakers of English together with Thai co-teachers. Together they will exchange English conversation while their young charges absorb the exchange as they play and engage in stimulating lessons designed by the co-teachers. The activities take place in a warm nurturing atmosphere and include storytelling, music, dance, art, physical activities and free play.

Reading and writing are introduced at a developmentally appropriate time and on an individual basis.

The school structure and schedule would be as follows: K1 – 3 years old Attending from 8am – 12 noon three days a week K2 – 4 years old Attending from 8am – 12 noon five days a week K3 – 5 years old Attending from 8am – 12 noon five days a week Sessions are to be held in as natural environment as possible with ample opportunities for children to commune

with nature. This would be their first experience with formal learning in an institution outside their home.

Therefore, it is imperative that they have enjoyable experiences from the start – the centres should be seen as joyful places to be. Caregivers should accompany the children and stay with them until such time as the children know they will not be abandoned and will, in fact, be picked up and taken home. A bond forged between the home and school at this early stage bodes well for the children as they continue in school.

It is recommended that when children leave the preschool and enter grade 1, they return to the centres for a few hours during the weekend to maintain the level of proficiency they attained during their three years in the preschool.

This reinforcement will serve to perpetuate their interest in English as they progress through primary school. By the time they reach secondary school, they will no longer need to “learn English” – English will be part and parcel of who they are.

References: Clark, L. (2016, April 27). The Best Age for Kids to Learn a Second Language.

Retrieved from https://www.mother.ly/ parenting/the-best-age-for-kids-to-learna-second-language Ford, C. (2014, October 10). Children should start learning languages at age three. Retrieved from https:// www.telegraph.co.uk/education/ educationopinion/11151726/ Children-should-start-learninglanguages-at-age-three.html Kuhl, P. K. (2010). Brain Mechanisms in Early Language Acquisition. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2010.08.038 Schmid, M. (2016, February 8). The best age to learn a second language. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/ news/education/the-best-age-to-learn-asecond-language-a6860886.html Shiver, E. (2011, April). Brain Development and Mastery of Language in the Early Childhood Years. Retrieved from http:// www.idra.org/resource-center/ brain-development-and-mastery-oflanguage-in-the-early-childhood-years/ Zhang, Q. (2009). Affective Factors of Native-Like Pronunciation: A Literature Review. (Chung-Ang University, South Korea). Retrieved from http:// cau.ac.kr/~edusol/see/list/Vol27-2/ CAKE027-002-4.pdf

“Studies by Harvard University confirm that the creativity, critical thinking skills, and flexibility of the mind are significantly enhanced if children learn a second language at a younger age” facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 79

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England’s teachers heading overseas

by Daniel Sencier The English National Curriculum is widely recognised as the gold standard for education in numerous countries distant from its shores and delivered by an increasing number of teachers who have abandoned ship for a better quality of life. Why? It’s not just the money but the dramatic change at home in, “what it means to be a teacher!”

Today, endless government bureaucracy still churns away in a futile effort to continuously compare one school with another, sacrificing everything in its path. Over 3,700 teachers were signed off long term sick last year due to pressure of work, anxiety and mental illness, not being able to keep up with having to justify almost everything they do. English children are some of the “most overassessed in the modern world,” and this assessment process continually changes, the rules being relentlessly tweaked at the whim of passing government ministers, just to make their mark.

Many years ago, money mattered, but now in England we see a society where, sadly, only money matters.

Teaching, along with nursing has always been seen as two of the main vocational groups, people who do the job for the love of what they can achieve for other people, however, in a business led society they have become as sheep to the wolves.

For decades now, schools have been squeezed to make savings and at first, there were viable savings to be had, but now the juice has gone and all is dry, but the squeeze continues.

Of course, there are many factors in play when we look at ‘well-run schools’ but when times are tight, where are the cuts made?

• Pay • Staffing levels • Special educational needs (SEN) staff • Building maintenance (external/internal) • Training/courses • The basics (pens, pads, paints, etc.)

When you start to freeze or reduce any of the above, it’s only a matter of time before the whole house comes tumbling down. To add to this problem, schools are often run by unqualified head teachers, no longer a requirement under law, and managed by a board of governors, who although sometimes comprise of some excellent candidates, often attract the most ‘unqualified’ individuals who know little to nothing about educating children! It’s not a job that many in the community want, more for status and power, a very different reason for being associated with the school than the teachers who often fall victim to

these mini-regimes. So, is it any better overseas? Surely these problems must exist everywhere?

Using Thailand as an example, when a teacher starts with an international school in Bangkok, they might be surprised to expect the following: • Similar or higher pay than in England • Free or subsidised accommodation • Around 30% less tax 45 hour week • Class sizes around 16 • Free medical insurance • Paid annual flights back to the UK • A general cost of living less than half that of England • A yearly bonus equivalent to one month’s salary • Respected as a high-ranking member of society • Sunny and warm all year round • Close to many countries that their friends dream of going to • Free school places if you have children • On the downside, no pension provision, but they can start their own

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So, does that sound too good to be true? There must be a catch, surely? “Will I be worked like a dog with no spare time?” No, that was your nightmare back in England: • Buried in paperwork, planning, assessments, data gathering and reports for class sizes up to 40 • Working a +55 hour week (often more) • Dipping into your own pocket to make things special for your children • Being part of a system where you don’t feel valued or respected, just tired and disillusioned Teachers in Thailand are highly respected and valued members of the community. When you greet a teacher, you use the title “Kru” and hold your palms together as high to your head as you would for monks or older people.

The late King Bhumibol stated that, “Education and those directly responsible for it, namely teachers, are of great importance. The people’s education is the indicator of the advancement or the decline of a country. The work of teachers, therefore, means the life or death of the country. Teachers have to be equipped with three significant qualities,

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So, throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour.

Catch the trade wind in your sail. Explore.

Dream. Discover.”

– Mark Twain

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namely good knowledge, good morality and good ability and should perform their duties completely and well.”

The standard of international schools in Thailand is exceptionally high with graduates moving on to universities both locally and around the world. As a teacher in one of these schools you can expect to be ‘valued’ and it comes as a shock to newcomers, their eyes starting to fill when realising what is expected of them and what they’ll get in return. They double check everything that’s being said, the weight almost visibly lifting from their shoulders as their hopes for the future reignite!

Many young teachers in England are now seeing their training as a means to an end; the end being a great life working abroad. They embark on a degree course followed by a teaching qualification and the only thing that keeps them going is the thought that one day, they’ll be at the airport! Travel expands the mind like nothing else can, seeing the world, meeting people of other nationalities and cultural backgrounds help to make you a better, more rounded adult.

Doing this before you have children makes sense, but as many have found, raising a young family in

Thailand can be a marvellous adventure for all concerned. Yes, you might feel homesick, and you’re sure to miss family and friends, but your family will love to visit, and you’ll soon make loads of new friends in what will most likely turn out to be the biggest adventure of your life!

About the author: Daniel Sencier, writer/copywriter, has lived in Bangkok for over three years with his wife Beverley, Head of Kensington International School.

He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media, is a CELTA qualified teacher and recently partnered with ‘English for Thais,’ a project pioneered by Thailand’s Ministry of Education. He is also founder and organiser of the ‘Bangkok English Speakers Lunch Group,’ encouraging others to improve their English while exploring this fascinating city.

Contact: www.englishproofreader.org

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“I was able to meet some of the most best and brightest minds... Not only were they able to give advice that was salient and relevant to our shared identity... but their stories inspired me to better myself.”

A conversation with UniGlo

K

engo Shigeta is a current student at the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating from Bangkok’s NIST International School with an International Baccalaureate diploma, he went on to found UniGlo, and has recently held a student conference that Expat Life featured in May. In light of the event’s success, we caught up with Kengo to know more about his experiences, motives, and vision for UniGlo in the coming years.

Tell us a bit about yourself They say that we’re often the product of the environment we surround ourselves – and I think that this has been exceptionally true in my case.

From Tokyo, Japan to Herndon, Virginia, I’ve had a lot of exposure to the different types of education that are offered around the world. When I moved to Bangkok in 2009 and started my education at NIST International School, I was introduced to an amazingly forward-thinking system at one of the best international schools in Thailand: and it’s here where I begun my exploration of education. It just happened to be that NIST was a hub for

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education innovation in Asia, and eight years of studying at the regional hotspot for educational events, coupled with my past role as a student ambassador, had distinctly positioned me to observe the development of pedagogy (education philosophy) in practice.

At NIST, I had attended professional education-related conferences including the IBO-AP Workshops and the Alliance for International Education conference, and being a part of these events has developed my pedagogical philosophy: to push towards curricula that furthers student empowerment through teaching critical thinking over factual knowledge. From advocating for this idea in a TEDxTalk to creating a student initiative on student teaching, the environment I was in had driven me towards taking action on my passion for education, and has guided my continued efforts to push these ideas towards fruition through UniGlo. What is UniGlo? UniGlo is a recently founded organisation that hosts events to help current students in Bangkok through the rigorous and sometimes confusing

application process for highly selective US and UK universities. As an entirely student-run initiative, we’re the first organisation that exclusively harnesses the power of capable students and youth in our mission to help Bangkok applicants. UniGlo hopes to help Bangkok applicants become more informed, to dispel stereotypes and misinformation, and to reduce the pressures of the anxiety-inducing application process – and with the help of generous organisations and companies that sponsor our events, we are able to offer free conferences, seminars, and workshops for students looking to study abroad at some of the best institutions in the world.

Our most recent event was the annual student conference and recent admits forum, where a panel of recent admits to top US/UK schools share insights into the process from a qualitative rather than quantitative standpoint. With a diverse range of speakers representing a myriad of universities, high schools, majors, passions, and more, this year’s event drew a large crowd of almost 250 attendees, and was hugely successful!

By showcasing the stories of the to-be college freshman that have just

Education

gone through the application process, the UniGlo Student Conference hopes to not only celebrate the accomplishments of each generation of graduating students from schools around Bangkok, but also aims to connect current high school students with those who can help advise and guide them through the process from a student perspective.

How did you conceptualise this?

Applying to universities overseas was definitely not an easy process for me. I found myself scouring through dozens of websites and articles in trying to understand the academic and social nuances of each college, only to find vague or even conflicting information about the campus culture or opportunities at each university. I know that my experience isn’t a novel one.

The application process is something that many of Bangkok’s students find to be convoluted and extremely challenging.

One approach that I found to be exceptionally helpful in finding out more about universities was to talk to older students that are currently going to college.

To understand the point of view of individuals that have just gone through the application process, or hear from the alumni who currently attend your dream university, can provide extremely relevant and valuable insights from what I believe to be the most important perspective – the student experience. I realised that current students are the often overlooked experts of college life, and harnessing the power of our peers was the best way to gain access to a wealth of knowledge! facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 85

Having gone to a large international school, I was fortunate enough to be able to reach out to the NIST alumni network to gain some knowledge from past graduates: but I knew that for smaller schools, this wasn’t a common privilege. I wanted to make this learning opportunity available to all students in Bangkok, while also streamlining the process by having one central event that brings together Bangkok’s future applicants and alumni alike – access to finding out about the realities and nuances of college, applications, and more was amazing in making my college choices, and my hope is that I can harness this “for students, by students” approach to help as many of Bangkok’s highly motivated students as possible.

We see a lot of education and university-related organisations in Thailand. What makes UniGlo different?

While many organisations conduct other informational events such as conferences and workshops, most events will use case studies of nearperfect students with great grades, stellar extracurriculars, and a keen interest in a particular field of study.

I feel as though this approach fails to consider the more human side of each applicant, including their flaws and the challenges they face.

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passionate people who are keen to guide and encourage future generations of students. We believe there are a lot of grey areas in students’ minds when it comes to understanding the application process, and UniGlo events are a way for us to address them in an open, informal, and friendly atmosphere.

To actually be able to hear about individual experiences, challenges, and tips from a diverse range of amazingbut-imperfect speakers, and then be able to converse with them through an open panel Q&A or in-person, is something truly unique. Allowing students and parents to interact with presenters and gain real, firsthand insights through this platform can help keep them grounded in reality amidst the chaos of the application and admissions process.

This event has occurred for two years now, what’s the feedback been like?

We have had huge successes with the event the past two years, and I’m extremely happy to say that the concept that we’ve initiated has steadily gained traction! The first conference we put together was a purely US based, highly selective university-oriented event.

With an audience of 250+ students, parents, and teachers, we received positive feedback about the specific and well-articulated insights given by the speakers, and the structured, yet casual, flow of the event that allowed for a comfortable environment between recent admits and current highschool

students especially.

In what I find to be the most amazing and fulfilling part of what UniGlo accomplishes, I’ve even had past attendees reach out to me to express how UniGlo has helped them personally, and share their amazing stories of how they’ve gotten into their dream universities. For example, my good friend Justin Potisit, who attended our first event in 2017 as a rising senior at the International School of the Eastern Seaboard, sent me a message on how UniGlo helped guide him towards an offer from Georgetown University – he said, “Entering the American college application process, I felt a lot like Alice when she was first dropped in wonderland. Dazed and confused, it felt easy to be sucked into the blur of rankings and unsolicited advice from relatives and friends.

Attending last year’s UniGlo, I was able to meet some of the most best and brightest minds that Bangkok had to offer. Not only were they able to give advice that was salient and relevant to our shared identity as cosmopolitan teenagers seeking to study in the USA, but their stories inspired me to better myself. UniGlo truly is a unique event available nowhere else; I’m so thankful that I was able to attend.”

While we managed to capture a large audience last year, we realised the importance of expanding our approach and focus to be able to discuss the university application and admission process on a larger scale.

Education

Your child will experience unique learning opportunities because we are one of the Nord Anglia Education family of schools, the leading provider of international education.

Your child will get all the benefits of global collaborations with world class organisations like the Juilliard School of the Performing Arts and the Massachusetts Institue of Technology (MIT).

Your child will have the best teachers who encourage them to be ambitious in their learning.

Your child will have all of these advantages and more at Regents International School Pattaya. Join the most sought after boarding and day school on the Eastern Seaboard that believes there are no limits to what your child can achieve.

Come and experience the difference for yourself.

Visit our website to book a tour or call +66 (0) 93 135 7736.

Find out more – www.regents-pattaya.co.th / Follow us on facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 87

Thus, this year, we came back with a whole new panel of speakers attending varied, highly-selective liberal arts colleges and universities across the US and the UK. We also increased our collaborative efforts with sponsors that included Crimson Education, NEXT Step Connections, Whapow, Ampersand, The White Room, Saturday School and Cultural Collective Studio.

With an improved diversity of speakers and support from our incredible sponsors, we received highly positive feedback regarding the smooth execution of the event and the unique tips given by each of the speakers.

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Plans for the future?

We have been very fortunate to have received such positive feedback over the two years of running this event, but are hoping to grow UniGlo even more as an event and organisation by harnessing the power of students to continue supporting Bangkok’s future applicants. Although we’ve only ran the annual student conference in the past, I see UniGlo expanding it’s events toward becoming a much more comprehensive service organisation. We’re still in the planning stages, but several ideas we’ve considered to pursue in the future

include application planning and timeline-setting workshops in early August, as well as post-acceptance support such as cultural adjustment and visa processes for international students during the following summer.

From the feedback we’ve received over the year as the group of committed students working on the progress of this organisation, we see great potential to continue expanding and connecting students each year so stay tuned via our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/uniglo18/

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Visit tcis.ac.th Email expatinfo@tcis.ac.th

Chinese tourists and international students

by Erich R. Sysak

T

hailand is the third most popular destination in SE Asia for international students. But this is going to change soon. Let me explain why.

The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) puts Malaysia as the number 1 destination for international students, but the market is saturated and the Malaysian government is very introspective about education right now. This means a downward trend over the next few years.

Slot 2 belongs to Singapore and the reasons why Singapore is popular differ wildly from Thailand. We all know Singapore has a reputation for world class universities and research and nothing will change that.

If you want a serious degree in engineering, science, medicine or systems go to Singapore now.

Now consider the fact that the vast majority of outbound students in the world are Chinese (Vietnamese next). According to the UIS again in 2016/17 there were over half a million! Of course, Thailand is not on their top 10 destinations list.

But wait. Thailand is actually the number 3 destination in the world for Chinese tourists. 1.2 million visited in February alone. And here is where the trends connect. Chinese tourists know Chinese outbound students. Of course, many of these tourists are parents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. They are comfortable in Thailand. They can afford to visit. To some extent, they understand it.

We also know most of these outbound undergraduates want degrees that lead to jobs. If you can afford it and have the grades go to Singapore, the US or somewhere in Europe. What’s left? Degrees that are hard to market, that’s what. Some people call them

soft degrees. We all know what that means: marketing, management, business, hospitality and tourism and English.

These degrees are seen as less rigorous and therefore less appealing. But guess what? The English degree is a gold box.

Most Asian international students in Thailand (as well as Thais) do not understand fully how a degree in English will get them a meaningful, wellpaid job in the same fields they desire and in the same companies.

Yes, they understand they should speak and read English, after all their parents have been tourists in Thailand and used English as a bridge, but a degree? No. How many jobs fill this box? Here are just a few: Under the broader category of Writing, there are copywriters, editors, travel writers, translators, and journalists. 1 example: script translation and editing.

Translating TV and film dialogue (subtitles) from English into a variety of languages or vice versa is in huge demand.

The pay ranges from 20 to 35 dollars an hour to start. And the top writers become editors and earn well over these figures, also eventually entering many high paying creative positions.

A degree in English meets the broad demand for communication skills across every industry.

Advertising, marketing and PR are probably the most well-known fields where communication skills are the same as talent.

Most of our tourist parents do not fully realise English is the front door to law, the public sector, and even business. A talents for words and numbers cannot be overlooked. facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 91

Education After working in these writing and communication fields for a few years you will also become an expert in storytelling or narrative. Think this is just for art? Wrong!

Narrative is a magic wand you can wave over anything you wish.

The SEO, web content development and social media spaces have enough job opportunities to fill our entire gold box. One huge advantage of this space is you can freelance… which frees up plenty of time to do other tasks either more work or more fun.

Do not forget: libraries, publishing houses, media and marketing firms, the film industry, advertising and even sales.

An English degree gives you a ticket to enter any of these fields, anytime.

Educators can help students understand the benefits of an English degree by teaching practical, useable skills and showing students how these skills connect to real jobs. The quality of all written content, media, publishing and communications is on a continuous arc of radical improvement during the next 10 years or more in SE Asia.

Accept it.

And the students are coming because the trends are clear. Let’s steer them where they really want to go. http://uis.unesco.org/UNESCO Institute for Statistics

“Narrative is a magic wand you can wave over anything you wish... Do not forget: libraries, publishing houses, media and marketing firms, the film industry, advertising and even sales. An English degree gives you a ticket to enter any of these fields, anytime.”

About the author: Erich R. Sysak is originally from New Orleans and wandered the Southern United States most of his adult life. After grad school he flew to Bangkok to start a new life as an English language instructor and expat. He never looked back. His 2 novels, Dog Catcher and Stage IV, were published in print by Monsoon Books long ago.

All of the eBooks about expat life in Thailand, including Water Heart, are now available at Amazon and have been chugging along for almost 10 years. amazon.com/author/expatthailand

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Connection to self as a means to solving parenting challenges

by Judy King

H

ow many times have you heard someone say, “Gee I wish there was a manual for how to raise a child”?

How many times have you thought or said this yourself? The responsibility for raising a healthy, happy child in the 21st century can often feel overwhelming for many parents. Raising a child in a foreign country can bring on a completely new set of challenges as well.

We are bombarded with information from so-called experts, social expectations, social media messages, opinions from family and friends. Just when we think we are doing things ‘right’ someone will cast doubt in our minds. Mix this in with financial and relational pressures and it becomes hard to focus clearly on what we should be prioritising for our families.

A topic that is commonly discussed in and amongst all of this is the behaviour patterns of children, and how to tackle each situation as they arise with the various sexes and age groups. What do you do when your child is playing up? How do you teach them the important lessons of looking after self and positive social interaction without limiting them? What about discipline?

There are often some key elements completely overlooked in all of these discussions that I would like you to consider today.

Parenting is a two-way conversation between you and your child. In the saying this, the most important thing to understand is your children are modelling you. You are their first and most important role models and so they model everything you say and do (from 0-7 years is the imprint period and they soaking up everything up, they are little unconscious minds taking in EVERYTHING! That includes what you don’t even see in yourself.)

Though you may think that your child has no means of communicating with you effectively or rationally, children tend to be more in tune with truth and have a greater sense of self than we do as adults. They have not

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Family and relationships

“Scheduling offline time with your family where you are sharing in an activity, or completely focused on the conversations of others is a key to strengthening bonds.”

had years of conditioning. They have generally not developed all the limited coping mechanisms that we have from stressful or painful experiences.

They have not learnt the behaviours of disconnection, pretence and ego.

What you are going to get when you do take the time to sit down and listen to your child is raw and real.

Getting present to their body language, their trigger points (for playing up, for laughter, for sadness etc), the words they do speak to you, and the topics they choose will communicate with you a lot about what they need.

Then, on the flip side, though you may feel like you can’t have an ‘adult conversation’ with your child, you will be surprised at how much they can understand if you show up honestly with them and explain to them what’s going on for you too.

Everything our child does is usually mimicking your own behaviour.

If you struggle to talk with your child because they are constantly distracted, or you feel like they are not taking you seriously, consider how many

times your child has been trying to communicate with you, and you have been on your phone, reading a paper, or folding the clothes, watching TV etc. Each moment that you are in communication with your child while doing other things is signalling to them that this is how they too should communicate.

Focus your attention. Help them to understand the power and the purpose of good communication. Build these times into your daily routine for each member of your family. Imagine how much better your relationship with your spouse would be also if you took the time to focus on each other, actively listen and remove all distractions!

This leads me to the next point...

Be present with your family Disconnected relationships plague our societies. So, it comes as no surprise that depression is on the rise, and loneliness is the disease of today. One of the key areas where our disconnection has been most significant is within

the family unit. Technology, and heightened work pressure (time management pressure) are the two main factors at the heart of this.

Research shows that adults spend over 12 hours a day staying connected through various social media apps. The human brain is being bombarded with signals, and we are only equipped to focus successfully on one task. Once our focus is divided, so too is our real engagement with others. Our minds are always somewhere else, and so this too leads to disconnection from self.

By first getting present with yourself and creating a habit of mindfulness around all of your daily activities and relationships, you will soon start to realise how disconnected you are from others, and how dissatisfied and unfulfilled you feel because of this.

Scheduling offline time with your family where you are sharing in an activity, or completely focused on the conversations of others is a key to strengthening bonds.

facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 95

Creating rituals, or daily routines of family connectedness can be as simple as turning off all devices, including the TV during dinner (in our family we put our phones in the basket and be with each other), or reading a book together before bedtime. We also like to practice a little ritual every night called “three things”. We each have a turn of saying three things from that day that we are grateful for.

It is so interesting to hear what my daughter comes up with – and this little exercise alone gives me so much insight into the activities and experiences that please her and bring her joy. It also taps me into the positive energy of my day too, and is brilliant for ending the day on a high note. We focus on truly being grateful for the big and small things daily, not just go through the motions.

When the heat is on, ask yourself – what’s going on in me? What am I missing here?

Kids do play up at times. This is purely just feedback. It is interesting to observe their behavioural patterns in relation to your own. Get curious as to what is going on inside of them and what needs do they have in that moment. I bet the last time your child 96

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was having a tantrum, you didn’t think to ask yourself if they were reacting to a certain energy or situation that you had going on in your life at the time. Most probably you felt a heightened sense of frustration, or anger and reacted to it, leaving the situation to eventually fizzle into a simmer with very little resolved in it all.

Most psychologist agree that misbehaviour in children comes from a need to be seen, or heard, attention-seeking, or a frustration of miscommunication/misunderstanding.

The state you operate in will directly affect your child. They are mirroring everything from you back to you. Recognise your own emotional intelligence. Do you have a hissy fit every time things don’t go your way?

Are you constantly complaining about your work, or your situation? Are you yelling and screaming at other family members? Are you constantly distracted?

Getting present to your own state, when you are in a disempowered state, shift this quickly to an empowered state and take responsibility for bringing positive energy into your family environment. This will greatly effect

the reactions of those around you, especially your children. Interestingly, the more you understand your own self, the more you will understand them.

Consider unfulfilled expectations In relationships, unfulfilled expectations are the key factor in the breakdown.

Between spouses or partners, this is often much more easily recognised. But we can quickly project expectations onto our children as well. If we are operating out of our disempowered default state, we will quickly limit those around us with the negative beliefs that we are holding onto. You may have an expectation around how your child should behave, the interests they should have, the level of ‘success’ they should reach in their schooling, or the person they should become.

All these things can be coming from your own disappointments or regrets, or merely from a giving into the opinions and pressures of those around you. You most likely learned these behaviours from your parents too, so I want to remind you, you are doing the best you can with the resources

Family and relationships

“Awareness is the beginning of transformation.

To reinvent your relationships with your partner and your children, you just need to tap into the love and freedom in your own life first.”

you have available (this is an important belief in NLP.) Behaviour is learned, so the good news is you can learn new more empowered behaviours anytime you choose.

Consider for a moment if the messages you are sending to your children are from a place of love and freedom, or a place of expectation.

Operate out of integrity ‘Do what I say not what I do’ is often the message we give our children from the way we act out life in front of them. This causes a lot of confusion with children who are trying to understand from you, their parents, the way they should be living.

In the development stages this can often result in misbehaviour simply because your child is pushing the boundaries simple to see where the limits actually are. How about lying?

Why do children lie? Well… are you true to your word? Do you always do all

the things you say you are going to do, especially when it comes to promises you make with your kids? We can easily justify our position in all these things, but if you make the shift to being true to your word, and always acting out of integrity, you will see that your child will also mirror this example.

At times, we don’t mean not to keep our word, and things get in the way – that’s life. The thing to do is clean up. What I mean by that is say, I said we were going to do this and now things have changed. You clean it up by speaking into it and either recommitting or explaining you’re not going to do it now. If you take nothing away from this and only apply this, your life will make a significant and powerful shift.

Lighten up

Awareness is the beginning of transformation. To reinvent your relationships with your partner and your children, you just need to tap into the love and freedom in your own life first. When was the last time your family had fun, and laughed, just for the sake of it? When was the last time you danced around the kitchen with your little ones?

Surrender the seriousness of it all and realise that nothing is ever permanent. Be patient with yourself as a parent, and then be patient with your children. It’s all learning, and the key to growing together is… growing together.

In love, with a high level of communication, integrity and a gentleness towards each other.

We all take life way too seriously. Even this article should be considered, and integrated as you choose to. facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 97

Award-winning story

Life itself

by Athena Intanate, Bangkok Patana School Winner, Neilson Hays Young Writers Awards

M

ama always told me that the past is not a linear sequence pulled out like a line behind us; that it is an indiscriminate collection of memories that we have grabbed in our fists, and decided to remember as being complete. The New parts, so New that they are only granted recognition at the end of a pointed finger; the Happy parts, wrapped in yellow velvet to keep for other days; the Angry parts, the Sad parts, to pick out from under our skin and learn from. ‘It is futile,’ She said, ‘to remember everything’.

‘Life is never what you want it to be.’ And life truly is never what you want it to be. Because Mama is gone, and all I want to do is remember every part of her. Her laugh; the way She held me; the last colour She painted the thin moon crescents of her fingernails.

The French name of Her perfume: Le Sillage - the five o’clock smell of syrup and oranges.

Ovarian cancer, They said. Spread like melted butter, They said. I’m so sorry, They said.

And then They unhooked Her from all the machines and the poles and the needles and the pipes that had buried Her for so long, burrowed under Her skin and jammed down Her throat and Breathing and Eating and Living for her, so much so that She didn’t look like Mama anymore because She was half made of metal. Except when they dug Her up again, She wasn’t Mama either, not really, not anymore.

Someone had kicked open the

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door of Her soul and switched off all the lighting.

The kid’s in the chapel again. He’s been there all day – russet curls fallen to the sides of his face, milky skin on the nape of his neck. He looks so small.

Funerals are hard on kids: it’s as if they aren’t allowed any space to grieve, because the room is filled to the brim with the sadness of strangers who have a sense of entitlement to more grief than children do. Adults haemorrhage their heartstrings: as if we suddenly feel the need announce our loss, our suffering.

“Hey, kiddo.” I slide in the pew, lightly touching the side of his shoulder because I need some sort of reassurance that he isn’t made of glass, isn’t going to crumble as soon as something touches him. Nothing.

No motion – just the bowed head, and his fingers shredding a hangnail on one thumb. He doesn’t cry; a 12 year old, who has watched his entire world slowly decay, doesn’t cry.

“I want to be with Mama,” he whispers, and a bit breaks inside of me to hear him so quiet. It’s as if he’s folded his skin inside out and zipped himself shut – some self-imposed penitentiary.

“Kiddo,” I tell him, “There is so much left in the world for you to see.”“But I want to see them with Mama.”

I gaze over the pews, and see the white casket he’s refusing but also yearning to look at. She still looks like a painting, even reluctantly pushed into

the silk lining and pale confetti dress.

But she looks like a Klimt now - half here, half there, as if I could just reach out and gently press my fingers onto her forehead, only to have a film of dust come off on my skin. A layer of the dead on top of the living: the gritty and pervasive reality of a humanity that ceaselessly forgets and moves on. A gust of wind runs through the chapel across the floor; through the polished oak, devoid of mourners; through the thick layer of lingering regret. It runs through the lavender folds of her dress, and the frosted waves flutter momentarily, but her chest made of cancer never moves, her lungs made of cancer don’t inhale, and her ribs made of cancer stay stubbornly closed. It makes me want to strangle the life out of Death – I want to beat him up, I want to holler into his face and tell him he’s got the wrong person, that he can’t just do this, can’t just pluck perfectly healthy people of out our lives and make them sick, can’t just - “Do you think she’s an angel now, Uncle Bobby?”

Kid’s looking at me, and in that moment I feel as though I am looking at her again, 20 years ago.

The anger bubbling inside of me recedes. Fists unclench.

And suddenly I am laughing, so hard that the emptiness in my stomach keels over with the light such a short, sweet sound can bring. The kid looks confused, hurt, but I can’t help it; the laugh squeezes its way out of my lungs, out of my throat.

“Why are you laughing?”

“I don’t think she’s an angel, kiddo.”

“What? Why?” He’s looking at me fully now, his brown eyes drilling holes through me, the same eyes that she had, shaded by the lashes so thick God must have scythed down a forest just to create them.

“Because she told me so.”

This is it: the legendary Sistine Madonna – Raphael’s greatest artwork, looming over the both of us, as if to judge our worthiness to look upon it.

We aren’t.

There’s Sixtus and Barbara; the two cherubs peering up from the altar; the baby Jesus in the warm arms of Mary. Everything glows with etherealness, as if Raphael had taken a brush and dipped it into a vat of light, and simply pulled darkness off the canvas. The malachite and the vermilion seem to fold and flutter, and if I just reached out with a fingertip, maybe I’d touch fabric instead of paint: velvet, satin, si-“Isn’t it great that we all become angels when we die?”

Un. Believable.

Here I am, silently ingesting one of the greatest artworks known to mankind, only to have my train of thought suddenly derailed by another Crusader of The Faith (Amen). I turn to look at the perpetrator, and don’t have to cast my gaze far. He’s right next to me: hunter green sweater, no more than 5’4’’. And suddenly I can’t help but laugh, short and abrupt, managing to

catch and stuff it back into my mouth before it expands to fill the room. But he’s heard it, he’s heard me laugh, and he looks as though I’ve just announced that he’s the largest idiot in the world.

“Why are you laughing?” he frowns. Skin puckers on his brow.

“Why do you say that?” I muse. He doesn’t really look like a bible thumper.

A scholar. An artist. But not a Purveyor of Faith.

“If you’ve led a good life, everyone knows you become an Angel. Do you think that we just stop being as soon as we’re dead?” I pause. What happens to an atheist when they die? Do we simply cease to exist – wiped off like a chalk drawing? No, it can’t be – there has to be a place for everyone. We are more than just flesh and bones; we transcend those boundaries. “It’s not that I think we cease to exist,” I say after a pause, “I just don’t think I’d ever be an Angel.”

“And why is that?”

“Angels are so overrated.” I get a faint tug on the right side of his face for that.

“Then what would you want to be?”

I tilt my head, perusing through all the options: picking a name, discarding it, seeing how it fits onto my tongue.

“When I die, I reckon I’ll be a rock star.”Now it’s his turn to stare.

“Can you even sing?” As soon as it comes out of his mouth, he blanches at the bluntness of the comment, but it’s hilarious, and I only laugh more.

“I can’t.”“

Then why a rock star?”

“Because I never got to be one in this life.”

I rivet my attention back to him, only to find him smiling, genuinely smiling. His face is even lovelier when he does.

“Life is never what you want it to be, is it.” He chuckles. So God-fearing sinners do have a sense of humour. And suddenly, he holds out his hand.

“I’m Robert” he grins, “but you can call me Bobby.” I laugh, and take his hand into my own.

“Anna.”

“You can call me Anna.”

There are many things I do not know in Life: Mama actually loved to sing; She just wasn’t any good at it. She wanted to perform on a stage.

But, there are also many things I do know in Life: Mama wears French perfume called ‘Le Sillage’. She colours her nails deep, deep Blue.

That when Uncle Bobby takes me by the hand, and we are walking down the aisle together, I know that there are pieces of Her in Everything, and Everyone.

Because Life is never what you want it to be. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make it Yours.

“Adieu, Mama,” I kiss Her, one Last Time.“See you.”

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Jerry Hopkins light shines on – like the moon, and the stars, and the sun …

by Robin Westley Martin

J

erry Hopkins – who recently passed away in Bangkok – was best known for being one of the journalists in at the beginning of the Rolling Stone story, and even more so for penning the biography of The Doors enigmatic front-man and vocalist Jim Morrison, No One Here Gets Out Alive. This was a multi-million seller that Oliver Stone bought the rights to, and made the cult movie about the band, with Val Kilmer playing Jim, to great critical acclaim. Jerry was a Rolling Stone staffer for 20 years, and he also wrote biographies on Elvis, David Bowie, and Jimi Hendrix.

But his heralded past is not the end of the story by any means. I only came to know Jerry after this much travelled guy had landed in Thailand, in 1993. I had been in Thailand myself since 1988, working for various newspapers and magazines, but it was quite a few years after Jerry had settled here that I was introduced to him by a mutual friend, photojournalist Mikel Flamm. I did not really know anything about Jerry’s past or current work, but it was just one of those things that happen sometimes. We just clicked, and enjoyed each others humour and company. I didn’t question him about his past, about his exploits with the rock

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icons he had met and interviewed, I was content to just sit and chat with this guy who was so observant about life and everything going on around him, even though he was in his late seventies. It was an easy friendship to fall into, and he seemed interested in my exploits too… but this is not my story, it’s his.

As we got to know each other better, of course the conversations did turn to his rock n’ roll past… and I found it to be an extensive one. Up until the time he passed away I had heard only a fraction of the stories he had to tell, I am sure, and in his times of recall names such as Frank Zappa, Keith Moon or Jimmy Page tripped easily off his tongue. But I had come to know Jerry in his Thailand phase, where he had made his life for twenty five years, before exiting stage right, and it was this part of his life that we most talked about.

When Jerry arrived in Thailand in 1993 he had made the decision to give up writing about the music scene and those who populated it, and was looking for an alternative outlet for his sharp mind and literary skills, and he decided that food and travel would be his ticket to ride. In this newly found focus he became energised anew, and he certainly did make an impression. By the time

his literary and travelling life’s journey came to an end in June this year he had authored a total of 39 books, had penned more than a 1,000 magazine articles, and had lived in or visited dozens of countries. Apart from the biographies of Yoko Ono, David Bowie, Jim Morrisson, Jimi Hendrix, and Elvis, and a book detailing the history of the Hawaiian Hula, his Bangkok period gave rise to Bangkok Babylon; Extreme Cuisine; Strange Foods: Bush Meat, Bats, and Butterflies; Asian Aphrodisiacs; Thailand Confidential; Romancing the East, and several others, an eclectic collection that had soon made him a stalwart of the expat writers scene in Bangkok.

This was the Jerry I knew, and in the early days of our friendship we would go out to the famous (infamous) red-light bar areas such as Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza (which was only just around the corner from his apartment).

All the locals knew him – foreign residents and Thais alike, and he would give them all a cheery wave and a “Sawaat dee Khrap” (the standard way to say ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye’ in Thai) on his way up the Soi to the always busy Sukhumvit Road. His favourite place to frequent was at a bar called Big Dogs, at the entrance to Nana Plaza, which provided Jerry with

People

the perfect vantage point to observe the comings and goings of the workers in the bars, and also the arrivals and departures of their customers, into the bargain. He loved people watching, and his keen eye took in everything.

He once mentioned to me that Bangkok had some of the worst traffic congestion of any city he had ever visited, but that there was a strange lack of horns being pipped, or noisy remonstrations from frustrated motorists. I had missed this observation, it had just become normal to me and I had absently just come to accept it as the way things were. Jerry had brought it to my attention, and we had several interesting discussions as to why this was the case. Was it the Buddhist temperament and philosophy … no, because the noise from horns and such was ever present in nearby Vietnam, also predominantly Buddhist … we never did really decide why Thai people simply seemed to accept that they were stuck in a traffic jam, that they could not do anything about it, so they just ‘went with the flow’. Maybe that is just exactly what it was!

Once Jerry had settled himself down at Big Dogs, or another bar with seating giving a good view of the street he would order a Beer Chang and start his favourite pastime – people watching.

It was surprising how many of the people passing by that Jerry knew… this was not one shy, retiring homebody – he liked to be out in the thick of things,

and it was this – combined with his keen mind – that gave him so much material for his writings.

People from all walks of life had sat with him over a few lazy afternoon beers… businessmen from multinationals with their offices in Thailand, bar owners and their workers, diplomatic staff from the Embassies, ladyboys from the transgender community, journalists and others from the writing faction, musicians… as well as the odd tourist who were lucky enough to find themselves sitting next to this engaging and entertaining mine of local information.

Jerry told me once that he did not think of himself as a natural interviewer, and that he sometimes found it difficult to just relax and let things flow. He said he liked to know something about the people and subjects he was writing about, and I understood this, as his apartment was full of hundreds of documents he had typed out while doing his research, meticulously catalogued and placed in his grey office filing cabinets. But I think he served himself ill when he said he was not a natural interviewer: I saw him in action and the people he engaged with always seemed to be at ease when talking to him, and that is the essence of the exercise. To do the background research, know what to ask about, and then just let the interviewees have their head. Jerry was good at that.

Jerry enjoyed the craziness of Bangkok, and the crazy people in it, but he also looked forward to his trips upcountry, to his farm in Surin, where he lived with his Thai wife Lamyai, and her family. He liked the tranquility there, and just chilling out with the locals, away from the always busy and buzzing Bangkok. On a recent trip there he told me how proud he was that he had found water on his land, and had built a well for his farm. This would help out Lamyai

and her family and he was full of this news. Something as simple as a well is a big deal in the arid upcountry. But Jerry was a city boy at heart… he liked the hustle and bustle, and after about a week to 10 days away he always started to feel restless, and headed for the bus station for his trip back Bangkok. For 25 years he juxtaposed these two very different lives, with a great degree of success.

Some of the stories I could relate about Jerry are a little risqué, and I will them leave for the movie about his life that should definitely be made… it would have to be at least a trilogy, I think, given the exciting life he lived, in so many different places and countries, and the enormous amount of people that he knew. One of whom was Anthony Bourdain, the famous TV chef, who passed away only four days after Jerry.

Jerry was the only celebrity who appeared twice in Bourdain’s TV programmes as a guest. Even Barack Obama only appeared once. Jerry was a larger than life character who will be missed by his friends from Thailand, and around the world, whether they knew him personally, or only through his books.

If you want to meet or renew your acquaintance with Jerry, please visit the Tree Roots Retreat resort on Mae Ram Peung beach, Rayong, where you will find the Jerry Hopkins Memorial Library, with over 1,000 books and files upon files of Jerry’s research and correspondence.

See ya around, Jerry!

About the author: Robin Westley Martin is a journalist who has lived in Bangkok, Thailand, for 30 years.

His first position was as News Editor at Business in Thailand, before moving on to edit and write for the Thai Airways domestic in-flight magazine Kinnaree, and also for Hotel & Travel.

He has been published in newspapers in Thailand and overseas, such as The Nation and The Sunday Times, and continues to work in Southeast Asia and Thailand on a freelance basis, covering a wide range of genres. robinsiam@yahoo.com Facebook: Robin Westley Martin Line: robinsiam555

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Oh no, it’s time to move again!

by Layla Shaw

O

h no, it’s time to move again!

Although relocating to a new city or country is very exciting, regardless of whether this is your first or fifth move, the prospect of making such a transition can be a daunting experience, wrought with career, personal and family considerations.

In my standard premove nightmares that cause me to sit bolt upright in the middle of the night the shipping containers get lost on the way to Mombasa and we had not thought to purchase moving insurance, the car isn’t sold and is parked in your best friend’s driveway till forever, we have to leave the dogs behind with neighbours till they could be shipped, the airline loses the suitcase containing all our critically important personal documents (and our young son’s favourite stuffed animal), the kids are not enrolled in school at our new city and our travel carry-on is overstuffed with those two matching crystal vases given to us as a farewell gift on the night before we depart. There are of course many things that could go wrong with any move, but many of these nightmares are easily preventable with adequate preparation and research and if you get organised.

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Remember that you and your family are all in this together and will all experience a variety of emotions, so make sure to provide opportunities to talk often about people, places, food, smells you will miss and very importantly, the new adventures you will have and the new friends you will make in your soon to be new home.

Try to include children in all aspects of the planning and moving process.

One of the great joys of the global nomadic lifestyle is meeting wonderful people some of whom become the “family that we choose” around the world. Make sure to tell dear friends early as they will help you with every step in the process, wipe those tears when they happen and throw you the best farewell party ever.

As soon as you know where and when you are moving, focus on logistics so start making that To Do list. I always find it useful to create a timeframe that helps me keep track of not only what I have to do, but also when and in what order. This way I make sure everything critical gets done and still have fun in the process.

120 days prior to departure •

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Make sure passports are not expired, make request for any visas that will be necessary.

If you are renting your house or apartment notify your landlord as soon as possible to avoid having to pay penalties.

Tap into your network of friends to see if anyone has contacts in your city who can help with recommendations for schools and places to live.

Research neighbourhoods in your new destination and contact real estate agents to start looking for places to rent or buy.

Notify current schools that your children will be leaving so they can make arrangements, prepare any needed paperwork or interim evaluations and assist your children emotionally with the transition.

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“There are of course many things that could go wrong with any move, but many of these nightmares are easily preventable with adequate preparation and research and if you get organised.”

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In consultation with your children, select a new school and make sure you to apply for admission in a timely manner.

Advertise your vehicle for sale to ensure enough time to sell it at a decent price.

Do a very thorough spring clean, organise a yard sale and/or donate items to charity.

Make a list of things you still want to purchase from Bangkok Plan that final family trip that you have been putting off.

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Make a final trip to Chiang Mai for furniture shopping.

Contact moving companies for a pre-pack survey and to book the pack out date for your move.

Do not forget to purchase insurance to cover your household effects while in transit.

Take photos of all your valuable

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items and furniture to document their condition before shipment.

If you are following your spouse to a new destination, make sure to dust off your CV if you are planning to look for work and update your LinkedIn profile.

Start networking.

Use social media to find potential clubs and social groups that will help you and your family transition.

Feel free to reach out to people you find with similar interested even though you have never met.

Many people have gone through this themselves and will be happy respond and can help you get oriented.

If you have pets, check all import/ quarantine requirements in your new home and ensure their vaccination record is up to date.

Contact travel agent to book tickets while seats are still available and find out if you can bring any pets on the same flight.

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If not, contact a pet transport company.

Make sure children have the opportunity to spend time with their friends.

Finish that Yoga Instructor certificate course that you have always been talking about completing while here in Bangkok.

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Schedule a final appointment with your healthcare provider/ dentist and request them to prepare any needed medical records.

Notify household help of your plans for departure.

Begin cleaning out the pantry and making any repairs to items to be shipped.

Buy that always wanted item of Blue and White pottery.

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Go to Chatuchak Market and splurge.

Arrange some time with your family to go and take selfies and video in your favourite Bangkok hangouts.

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Make time for farewell parties, lunches, dinners with special friends. Keep tissues handy to wipe those tears!

Organise a party for children to say goodbye to friends. Take lots of photos and videos.

Finalise any last minute projects at work and start your handover notes.

Ensure you have briefed your replacement on all the Boards and Committees you have participated in.

Arrange plenty of sleepovers/ bonding for your children and their best friends.

Make arrangements for a hotel or other alternative place to stay once your pack out is completed.

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Pick up items from dry cleaners, photo shops, repair shops, frame shop, etc.

Make arrangement for termination of any services subscribed, i.e. cable, internet service, newspaper etc.

Plan an outing with family… you deserve to relax for a couple of days before the next leg of your journey begins.

Pack your suitcases well before the movers come so you will know that everything fits in your luggage.

Give any houseplants to some lucky neighbours and friends.

Provide letters of recommendation to household staff and prepare a release of claims letter in which they will confirm receipt of final wages due.

Children should pack their hand carry bag making sure that favourite stuff animal can be hugged during the flight and help with the transition.

Consider personally packing any

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family memorabilia or heirlooms at this time.

Assemble important documents to be handcarried.

Here is a suggested list of documents that should be included.

It is a good idea to either scan these or take photo of them so that you have an electronic backup copy.

Automobile: Driver’s licence, car registration and title, insurance papers Birth certificates: Naturalisation certificates, citizenship papers, adoption papers Finances: Money, chequebook and extra cheques, credit cards, tax papers (put copy of last year’s in a fireproof safe), addresses and phone numbers of accountants, lawyer, banker, broker, etc.

Household Inventory: Storage/shipping information Keys: to house, safe deposit box, or car that is in another country Medical: Shot records, medical and dental records, prescriptions as necessary,

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medical insurance card and policy number, proof of physical exam Pet Records: Vaccination records, medications, etc.

Personal Papers: Resume, transcripts, recommendations, certificates, awards, any Power of Attorney or Guardianship School: Records and report cards, transcripts, recommendations, test scores.

Other Important Papers: Wills and other trust agreements, deeds, or mortgage papers (or renter’s lease on your house), stock certificates/bonds, life insurance policies, list of credit card numbers, marriage certificate

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To help with closure it is important for children to be part of the packing process.

Watching your life getting packed into boxes can be quite stressful, so build in lots of time in your last week for hugs with friends and loved ones.

Have a final bottle of bubbles on your balcony!

Conduct a move out inspection with landlord or agent and return keys.

Move into a hotel.

3 days prior to departure Relax. See friends! Eat at your favourite restaurant! Have a final girls’ gathering with wine. Have a final foot massage.

1 day prior to departure Meet up with good friends to say farewell (but not goodbye) till you see each other again in this crazy lifestyle of ours!

7 days prior to departure •

Empty out your refrigerator and pantry.

• Complete your pack out with the moving company.

• Designate an area of your home “Off Limits” to the movers where you can keep your suitcases and hand carry bags and other valuables so that they do not get inadvertently packed.

• Make sure to compile an accurate inventory list during the move. facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 105

Happiness

by Isabel Valle

W

e all aspire to be happy, and yet happiness eludes many of us. But why is that? Nowadays we live such busy lives that we seem to have lost touch with those things that truly make us happy.

We know that people that are happy enjoy more satisfying lives and are more likely to be healthy, productive and socially connected. Just like everyone else, I strive to be happier, so I created my own 7 commandments of happiness that I would love to share with you, in the hope that it will help you as you go about your daily life to make better decisions that will lead to a happier you. Here they are:

1. Be grateful Live your life with the attitude of gratitude. Rather than focusing on those things that aren’t working so good for you, focus on the things around you that you appreciate and are grateful to have. The more you practise this, the more grateful you will become about your life. Understand that happiness cannot be found on the outside and that true happiness must come from within ourselves; so if you are trying to find your little bit of happiness on the outside, you are looking in the wrong place.

2. Live in the present moment Do not become a victim of your past. Do not give more power to your past or future than to your present. Nowadays we are so quick to react to all circumstances out there we find ourselves snapping at everyone in our paths. Catch yourself at those moments, pause and breathe. Ask yourself, can I change the situation, improve it, or remove myself from it?

If so, take action. But if you can’t, just let go. Learn to control your mind or your mind will control you. Become aware of which thoughts are not serving you and ditch them or change them for better ones.

3. Be yourself and believe in yourself Stop pretending to be someone that you are not just because you think it is expected of you. Honour your values and never let the fear of being rejected stop you from doing what’s really important to you. You don’t need to change to be accepted by the outside world. Instead, work at becoming the best version of yourself. Learn to listen to your gut and make decisions based on how you feel, not just how you think. Follow your intuition and do things that feel totally right on the inside, regardless of how irrational they may seem on the outside.

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Mind Matters 4. Take care of yourself on all levels physical, mental, emotional and spiritual There’s no other way about it. We need to take care of ourselves and do those things that really make us happy.

Treat your body as your temple. Cultivate a positive attitude.

Learn to ride the whirlwind of your emotions by letting go of all trapped anger, resentment and guilt, and take the time to nourish your soul.

5. Have less to feel more Material things cannot replace feelings. We get so caught up with all the things we want, but we don’t really need, that we end up strapped for cash and struggling to figure out how to pay for it all. It’s OK to splurge on little things every once in a while, but ask yourself: “Do I need this? Can I really afford it?” and be mindful about every purchase you make. The less clutter you have, the freer you’ll feel.

6. See the good in people People are not malicious by nature. With that said you need to let go of those harmful relationships that are intentionally stopping you from becoming your best. Forgive those who hurt you in order to move forward in your life. Not being able to move on from our past will stop us from feeling happy. Choose to focus your thoughts not on the violence and chaos around, but in the goodness of human kind.

Learn to connect with others with kindness, without passing judgment, with respect and appreciation.

7. Always choose happiness You have the power to make choices that make you feel happy. We may not be able to control things around us, but we can always choose how to respond towards them all.

Learn to make choices that work for you, instead of against you. Do those things that make you laugh and those little things you take pleasure in. Life is too precious to spend it being sad and regretful.

Happiness depends on ourselves, and you can be as happy as you make up your mind to be. So ask yourself: “What gives me meaning and purpose? What do I really enjoy doing? What are my gifts and talents, and am I putting them to good use? And if not, what’s standing in the way?”Happiness is a choice, so have the courage to follow your heart and pursue those things that truly make you happy.

May you find happiness!

With love, Isabel x

About the author: Isabel Valle is a certified Executive and Leadership Coach. She is also a mentor and the Founder of Global Room. She specialises in leadership development and building organisational culture and has held senior positions within the hospitality industry in countries around the world.

You can contact Isabel on: contact@isabelvalle.com More information available on www.isabelvalle.com facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 107

How going through tough times can bring beautiful lessons

by Isabel Valle

M

y absolutely worst nightmare was finally happening. As soon as I woke up early that morning, something made me go straight to my phone. My mum had been in hospital for over 10 days, and her situation was serious. I had been talking on the phone with my brothers to try and make a decision on whether I should fly to Spain. The situation was made worse by the fact that at that time, my husband had already relocated to Bangkok to start his new assignment, and I was left behind in the Borneo jungle by myself with my two little ones.

If my husband had been at home with us, I wouldn’t have thought about it; I would have taken a flight and gone to be by my mother’s side.

A similar situation happened some years earlier, when my Dad had a stroke. We were then living in Australia, and my family had decided not to tell me that Dad was going through very serious times. I found out by chance, when a friend sent me a message to ask me if my Dad had been taken out of intensive care. I was a rollercoaster of emotions. Angry that my family decided to keep me in the dark. Frustrated that I was almost 2 days travel away from him and at the time, I couldn’t afford a ticket to go and see him, incredibly sad and ashamed that he was going through all that, and I wasn’t there with him, letting him know how much I loved him. Conversations with my family only made things worse. “We all agreed when you moved to Australia not to tell you about the bad news and worry you for nothing. It’s not like you’d be able to make it on time if anything was to happen.” I had never been so mad at them before, and their thoughtless lack of consideration. “That’s not your choice to make. I deserve to know everything that’s going on, and you let me worry about what I decide to do”. A month after that call, I was able to travel back to Spain and spend time with my Dad. I am so very grateful that I did, as that would be the last time he would recognise me. That time with him allowed us to right our wrongs, to speak our truths, and to bond in a way that we never could before.

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Fast forward to that morning in Borneo. I immediately saw that message from my brother and, without reading it, I felt instant panic. What the message conveyed was far worse than I could have ever imagined. “I am really sorry Isabel, Dad died. Please don’t bother looking for flights, you won’t make it anyway.” I can’t even being to express how I felt at that moment. Such painful memories as I relive them writing this. The only way to describe it is as if I was chained to a wall, and I had no vote or say on how things were going to take place. I thought the message would be about Mum. Instead, as fate would have it, it was my Dad who decided to end his time here first.

My Mum was so sick that her doctors refused to let her leave the hospital. So my brothers signed a waiver form so she could leave and bury her husband. Because of that,

Mind Matters

the funeral was arranged in less than 24 hours from his passing. Unfortunately, that left me with no time to find any kind of flight combination that would take me to my Dad in time to kiss him goodbye. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so ashamed in my entire life.

My biggest fear as an expat was being far away from my loved ones at times when they really needed me. I guess I had always imagined that even if things took a turn for the worse, I would always be there to say farewell. I can’t begin to explain the emotions that I went through. As I cried uncontrollably for over 24 hours straight, trying to process what had just happened, I couldn’t remove the guilt and shame that I wasn’t able to be there with Mum, consoling her and being there for her, and Dad, honouring him in his last moments with us. I still carry that pain. I didn’t dare to talk to anybody, I was so remorseful. My Mum went back straight to hospital and life just went on.

It wasn’t long after the funeral that I started receiving many messages from friends and loved ones, offering me their condolences. I felt like the only thing I could do was to apologise to them all. For not being there, for having decided to move so far away from my nest. Their responses allowed me to release some of my shame. The first message said: “You better stop that nonsense. Nobody in the funeral thought any less of you. If anything, we all knew just how agonising these moments must have been for you. You don’t owe anybody any apologies. Yes, you did move away, and you have since made it a point to come home every

year, to spend your entire summer with your loved ones, to care for your parents during that time, instead of choosing to do anything else. That was all he needed. He needed you then, not now. We all know it wasn’t easy for you to leave your husband and take your two small children to travel incredible distances to care for them every year. Your Dad will remember that, just as we all do. You have shown more love and affection for him since you left Spain, than you could have ever done if you were close by. The funeral was just a few hours. What you had given him before that was much more precious to him.”

It felt so good to be able to take a step back and see the situation from a whole different perspective. It felt so good to finally be able to breathe. Had I not left my country, I would have probably moved to another city, visit sporadically, whenever I had a few days, perhaps on special occasions. Being an expat however, it allowed me to be able to go back every year, for at least 6 weeks, and I spent all that time trying to make out from all the time I wasn’t there during the year.

I would have given anything to be at my father’s funeral. Instead, I get to visit him for a whole 6 weeks every year when I get back home.

In the years prior to his passing, I spent my summers caring for him, and creating lifelong memories. Every time I left, I made sure to give him a proper farewell, not having left anything unsaid, just in case that was to be the last time I saw him.

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The last time I saw him alive, just before I left once more for Bangkok, we said our best goodbyes yet. For a brief moment, he called me by my name and told me that he loved me. Not easy words for my Dad. Considering that he had not recognised me in over 6 years, in that moment, I left feeling like our farewell gave us the most perfect memory to hold onto forever.

Now, we go back home to visit Mum, acutely aware that we are on borrowed time with her also. This fact only makes our time together even more precious.

We enjoy her every day we are there, as if it was our last.

Let me assure you, that when I was living back home, that was never the case. You get so caught up with daily annoyances, it makes it difficult to appreciate what you have.

Growing up in a small village in Spain was very challenging for me. I was considered the black sheep in the family, as I always struggled fitting into the conventional way of living, mainstream ideas and societal conditioning. I found it hard to belong, and very often I’d be at odds with my loved ones.

Since becoming an expat, I have made peace with it all. I needed the freedom to go out into the world and gain perspective, to have a chance to miss them, to know myself outside of the family unit so that I could get to know each one of my family members objectively, and to accept their imperfect beauty, just as I did with mine.

The longer I spend out of my home, the more I feel I belong with my family.

Because being an expat has made me acutely aware of how precious family is, and has made me become extremely grateful and so lucky to have my family. Our love for each other only grows more every year, and I am convinced that being an expat allowed me to see the beauty of what I left behind.

We all have fears, some bigger than others. We get so caught up on them, that we are unable to see the big picture, to accept what is, and to let go of what we cannot control. Going through this traumatic event showed me a place of beauty that, had I not gone through it, I wouldn’t have discovered.

“My biggest lessons in going through this was to appreciate what you have, and share each moment with your loved ones as if it was your last.

I hope that through my story, you are able to see the beauty of what you have too.”

With much love and admiration, Isabel x

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About the author: Isabel Valle is an accredited ICF PCC Coach, Leadership Mentor and Facilitator currently based in Bangkok. Isabel has held senior positions within the hospitality industry in countries around the world, and facilitates a holistic approach to leadership, growth and success. She specialises in virtual coaching and online mentoring that inspires action and helps leaders from all walks of life around the globe bring their gifts to life to help them create professional excellence and personal fulfillment.

You can contact Isabel on: contact@isabelvalle.com More information available on: www.isabelvalle.com

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How to get into the fashion industry?

by Hanim Dogan-Jain

E

ver thought about pursuing a career in fashion?

Or starting your own clothing or jewellery business?

How about creating a new brand or product?

What if you are in your 30s, 40s or even 50s and you would like to switch your current profession by entering the fashion industry? All of the above is possible. I did it and followed my passion. So can you…

At the age of 25 (now many moons ago!), I co-founded an IT software company just after my degree in Economics from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands. My dream was always to start my own business, create jobs and contribute towards a better world. In my head, my father’s saying, “be a creator not only a consumer”, was the main driver behind my entrepreneurial spirit.

After working very, very hard, we managed to have a couple of successful years during the internet boom. Like so many others in the IT Industry at the time, we decided to sell our business in order to move on to the next challenge.

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By that time, I was in my early 30s. Although enjoying the IT world, I felt I was missing something more meaningful.

Taking the time to reflect and contemplating what I wanted to do was a wise decision. It didn’t take long before I knew I had to go into fashion! Fashion has always been my passion but I had completely ignored it. I grew up in an environment where you needed to pursue a “real” profession and get a degree that would help you to enter the employment market. Looking back, my initial study and my experience in ICT contributed significantly to where I am today in my life.

Let’s get back to the decision making process of switching careers. Of course, I struggled with the thought of how am I going to cope with starting at the bottom and working my way up. Learning a new profession, diving into a new industry without prior experience, just a passion is not an easy journey. On top, I was used to being my own boss at my own company and later on running a team at an international corporation with many responsibilities.

Not to mention the financial consequences. Earning a decent income plus the comfortable lifestyle does not make it easier. On the contrary, it encourages your rational arguments to win. When it comes to such a major step in my life, I tend to take a pen and paper so I can write down calmly the pros and cons on a list. Nevertheless, I gathered all the courage I had, put my ego aside and took the final call. In my case, I chose to do a course in fashion in Paris so that at least it would give me a theoretical framework. That course was a turning point as from there my career took off and I never looked back.

Of course, my journey into fashion has had and still

Feature has many challenges every day. At least now, I feel fulfilled and blessed that I am doing what I love to do. Therefore, I can cope easier and better with setbacks or obstacles, as they are learning curves for me. I keep focused on my goals and move on swiftly. My main goal is to make a difference and contribute towards development of women entrepreneurs. Therefore I recently founded the Women Entrepreneurs in Fashion (WEIF) platform, which aims to connect, inspire and empower women in the fashion industry all around the globe.

I have been so passionate about following your dream and inspiring others that I wrote down my story and shared my experiences in a book. This book is a guide for people that want to start a career in fashion or those who want to switch at later stage in their life.

It explains in a simple and easy way ten steps you can take to enter the fashion world. Many successful professionals and entrepreneurs from all around the world have contributed towards this book as well. It gives you a global perspective and in any case it does not matter where you are in the world nowadays since technology has brought us all closer.

Here I will give you a few possible questions you might have in your head in case you want to pursue a successful career or set up your own business in the fashion business. I will answer them for you briefly.

do as a child. Most of us adults have hidden our dreams and passions in our subconsciousness. Allow it to come out now.

Here are a few examples of jobs, professions or business areas in fashion you can look into: • Buying • Sourcing • Manufacturing/production • Retail • Logistics • Ecommerce • Editor/writer/journalist • Law/finance • Marketing/social media expert • Supplier/agent Sometimes you might not know what your end job or work will be. Do not worry. You will find out what works for you along the road. I worked in many different areas within the global fashion business and it made me appreciate

each part of the chain. But if you know your specialist ambition and you love to be a pattern maker your whole life, enjoy it! Most importantly be guided by your own choices and skills. Not by the expectations of other people.

2: What kind of training and education do I need?

Before I answer that question, I would like to share with you my view on “Do I need an education at all? I am a living example of a generation that made a significant improvement in life circumstances due to education.

My role models were my parents who sacrificed a lot, so that their children could study.

From a very young age, I was determined to achieve a degree and that paper would open up doors. It was a “must” in order to fulfil my dreams and goals.

1: What kinds of professions and jobs are there in fashion?

One huge misperception about the industry, I would like to explain here.

Most of the time when people think about working in the fashion, they think about becoming a designer. Obviously, that might seem like a dream job but remember, not everyone is made to be Coco Chanel or Karl Lagerfeld. Do not be discouraged!

There are dozens of other incredible fascinating jobs and roles in the fashion world. So, in answering the question, I would like you to think first about your own passion. What makes your heart beat faster? Take the time and reflect on what you loved to facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 113

Yes, I do believe in educating, training yourself and upgrading your knowledge. At any period or any age in your life. You truly are never too late to learn. How you learn and how you educate yourself is different for each individual. Some people love books, studying or reading. So they would go for a more theoretical learning process. In that case you would search for schools or courses that give you a foundation of fashion.

Others love learning but feel more at ease with practical, on the job experiences. Getting back to the original question. “What” kind of education? In the information technology world (and sometimes even overload of information) we live in, you really can find an incredible wealth of education options.

First of all, you can decide if you would prefer to follow an education online or offline. Many countries around the globe have specialised education platforms for the fashion industry. There are a few top schools in fashion, which are located in cities like Paris, London, Milan or New York.

If you are a starter then search for schools or education programmes that support a broad range of subjects.

Unless you know very specific that you would like to become for example a fashion designer then find an education related to designing.

If you want to switch career from your existing industry to the fashion business then search for a link with the kind of work you want to do in the fashion industry. Would you want to become an international buyer then find studies or programmes specialised in buying.

The kind of education also depends on your existing education level. Do you prefer part-time or full-time?

How much do you want to spend on the new education?

Do an extensive research, talk to ex-students, and engage with people who work in your field of interest. Then summarise all your outcomes on paper and analyse them. If you need support in your decision-making, present your outcomes with a friend or mentor.

Remember you are in charge of making the decision.

3: Is it all about glitter and glamour?

Let me talk about the “real” fashion industry. Assume you work for the biggest fashion house or designer in the world (like I did working for Karl Lagerfeld’s own fashion house). Is your daily work really glamorous? I will be gentle on you…the answer is a big NO.

“Do not go into fashion just because your think is all about glitter and glamour. You will be very disappointed. One thing I can guarantee you, no matter in which country you work, the fashion industry is tough, very tough. You must be in it for the long run, for the passion and for making a difference.”

Without exception, when we hear the word “fashion” we immediately associate it with glitter and glamour.

Is it because we are all influenced by Hollywood movies and movie stars, or are fashion and glamour really connected?

About the author: Hanim Dogan-Jain is an authority on retail fashion, global entrepreneur, author, philanthropist and business strategist. She started her fashion career at Karl Lagerfeld’s company. She has over 25 years experience in executive positions and advisory roles in the fashion industry within Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe. She also founded the Women Entrepreneurs in Fashion (WEIF) platform. She currently resides with her husband and daughter in Bangkok.

For more information see: www.hanimdogan.com The book “10 Successful Steps Into Fashion” written by Hanim-Dogan-Jain is available on Amazon.com, Lulu.com or iBook App.

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Arts and Culture

Mixing it up in Bangkok – the arts scene is alive and well

by Robin Westley Martin

“Live Lounge BKK has been up and running now for about 16 months, and is starting to become known amongst the eclectic community of musicians, artists, poets, dance troupes, comedians, writers, and journalists – from Bangkok and beyond.”

W

hen I used to live or travel in the UK and Europe I was always out and about – I get a buzz from meeting people – in London I visited Ladbroke Grove; in Paris, the left bank of the Seine; in what was then Czechoslovakia, the Charles Bridge; and in Berlin the Schwartze (Black) Café. These were all places where musicians, poets, artists, street performers, writers, and journalists all used to hang out, and they were the spawning grounds for acts that later became famous around the world, in their respective genres.

Every large city around the globe had similar enclaves that drew creative people towards them, and Bangkok was no exception. When I arrived in the city a good few years ago the place

in question was the Rain Dogs Café, named after an album by American singer/songwriter Tom Waits. One of the founders was Cartoon, an accomplished Thai artist and musician, who had many other friends in the music and writing community, and it became a popular hangout for the creative types of the city, both Thai and foreign. But sadly, a few people who had been involved in the place from the start left the city, and it closed down a few years ago, leaving a vacuum.

But now the vacuum has been filled, thanks to a new arts-dedicated venue in Bangkok, Live Lounge.

Two young guys, friends since their schooldays, hailing from Britain’s Northeast, Max Rapkin and Davey Charlton, had noticed that there was a large space on Sukhumvit Soi 13, right in the middle of the city, that was not being utilised. They had a dream… and they thought that this space would be the perfect place for somewhere to showcase the underground culture in Bangkok. They asked the owners of the space (The Sportsman Bar and Restaurant) if they could take it over and develop it into a venue that would

showcase Bangkok’s vibrant arts scene.

The owners were (and are) supportive of their vision, and Live Lounge BKK was born.

Live Lounge BKK has been up and running now for about 16 months, and is starting to become known amongst the eclectic community of musicians, artists, poets, dance troupes, comedians, writers, and journalists – from Bangkok and beyond.

When they first opened up for business they put on a mini variety show featuring live music and comedy. The programme of events has developed well since the early days, and continues to do so, presently featuring music from solo and group performers, comedy stand-ups, dance, art exhibitions, poetry, urban beats, and DJ’s, such as Bangkok favourite Rory Breaker-Morant.

Max and Davey said that they aim to be a home for the artistic community in Bangkok, envisaging Live Lounge as Bangkok’s go to place for live performance, and to foster not only one, but the whole genre of artistic expressionism. It has been from the beginning – and always will be – a hub for creative development.

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“The ultimate goal of Max and Davey is to facilitate and nurture the arts scene in Bangkok”

The tailor made events you can see at Live Lounge are designed to encourage artists and performers to be innovative, and help them to showcase their talents and skills by connecting to a wider audience. As a venue, Live Lounge BKK would like to collaborate with other spots in the city that share their love of the arts – the ultimate goal of Max and Davey is to facilitate and nurture the arts scene in Bangkok.

Very soon it will be opening for 5 days a week, from Mondays to Fridays; there will be something for everyone, and a 7 day programme should be online by the end of the year.

Check this out… join the crowd of Live Lounge friends on Mondays to drink craft beer and listen to house band ‘The Stars of Bizzare’, or even join in and jam with them – you will be made welcome. Tuesdays is for movie lovers, featuring film screenings and postmovie discussions focusing on cult and independent cinema.

Wednesdays is ‘fun’ day – a weekly open-mic comedy gig, which will occasionally host international stars. Thursdays features the wellestablished poetry and spoken word happening. ‘Lyrical Lunacy’, ably hosted

by Pablo Leroy Jenkonius, whilst Fridays are most often dedicated to live music, with events produced in 116

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house such as ‘Freshly Squeezed Sounds’ and ‘Spotlight’. This is the day to see the city’s up and coming solo or group performers, where you can expect to listen to new bands every session – recent acts have been the urban folk of Nathan Lynch, the poignant love ballads of John Lindsay, the superb Czech/Thai duo Bang Sue Electrix, or the jazz-fusion of Jinda John, all the way to the rock vibes of Gold Wolf.

Fridays are also occasionally used for collaborating with other live music venues in the city to put on shows with some of their own performers.

I count myself lucky to have become a Live Lounge ‘friend’ quite early on, and have enjoyed some memorable nights there, including shows from international acts such as the Anglo-German band Das Fluff, or the rap set by New Yorker Fabian Farbeon Saucedo. I am still astounded when I think back to the exquisite performance of self-penned poetry and dance, set to haunting music, by the elegant (and beautiful) Aarti Saikia.

Catch her next performance if you possibly can.

The increasingly popular Freshly Squeezed Sounds, showcasing four different groups or solo artists, is more

often than not presented by MC and performer Danny Taro, who always does a great job of connecting with his audience. Max and Davey (who’s performer moniker is Charlie Banks) are the consummate hosts… go only once or twice and they will remember you on your return.

Live Lounge BKK is on the right track – buy a ticket, and join them on their journey!

About the author: Robin Westley Martin has been working as a journalist in Thailand and Southeast Asia for nearly 30 years. He first worked as News Editor for Business in Thailand magazine, before moving on to edit and write for the Thai Airways domestic inflight magazine, and also Hotel & Travel. He continues to work in Thailand and Southeast Asia as a freelance writer for several magazines, covering a wide range of genres. robinsiam@yahoo.com Facebook: Robin Westley Martin Line: robinsiam555

“Eggs are one of nature’s most perfect foods... They are good for you, easy to prepare, high in nutrients, healthy fats and they contain high quality protein.”

All about eggs

by Monique Jhinghon

E

ggs used to be a weekend thing in our house when I was younger, for those lazy mornings when we had time at hand and wanted to enjoy a more elaborate and leisurely breakfast. Having eggs for breakfast was more like a special “treat”. Surely this also had something to do with the fact that we were told not to eat more than 2 eggs a week because anything more than that was supposed to be bad for your cholesterol.

I now know that eggs are one of nature’s most perfect foods and prepare them often. They are good for you, easy to prepare, high in nutrients, healthy fats and they contain high quality protein.

Protein is essential for building and repairing body tissues and for overall healthy function. It should play an important part in every meal and especially our “modern” breakfasts are often lacking in protein.

Eggs are a perfect, versatile and easy way to ensure an adequate and high quality protein intake. In this article I will give you a breakdown of the nutrients, health benefits as well as a more detailed look at the different

types of eggs you find in stores today and which ones you should choose.

The nutrition angle Protein Eggs contain the complete range of essential amino acids, which makes them a perfect and high quality source of protein. On three of the four scientific scales for protein quality used for the past few decades eggs consistently score the highest, beating other foods such as milk, beef, whey and soy.* Fat Eggs have been avoided for years by people because of their high levels of saturated fat and the effect it was supposed to have on cholesterol levels.

We now know that there is a difference between dietary sources of cholesterol and blood levels of cholesterol. In fact, studies have shown that egg consumption has no effect on overall blood cholesterol levels and what’s more: another study found that eating whole eggs actually increased HDL which is the heart-protective, “good” cholesterol.

You will find eggs in stores that claim higher levels of Omega 3s which is the kind of fat we need more of in our diets. Some companies add Omega 3 oils to the hens’ diet to increase the level. If the diet is unnatural to begin with, this does not make for a superior egg. There are ways to naturally increase the Omega 3 levels in eggs and that is through pasture feeding where the hens are able to consume generous amounts of legumes that are high in Omega 3 fatty acids such as clover and alfalfa.

This is obviously a better practice and if you can find eggs that have higher levels of Omega 3s through pasture feeding, you should go ahead and buy them.

Choline Eggs are one of the best sources of choline which is essential for cardiovascular and brain function as well as the health of your cell membranes. Additionally, it has been linked to the production of the so-called “happiness” hormones: serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. One study has indicated that 90% of Americans are deficient in choline.

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Lutein and Zeaxanthin

Sulphur

Lutein and zeaxanthin are two types of carotenoids that are important for eye health. They are often prescribed as supplements to help prevent eye diseases as well as age-related eye conditions such as macular degeneration and cataracts. As with most nutrients, bioavailability of these nutrients is higher when consumed through natural sources such as eggs compared to taking supplements.

The high sulphur content in eggs helps with the absorption of Vitamin B, with liver function as well as the production of collagen and keratin, which helps to create and maintain shiny hair, strong nails and glowing skin.

B Vitamins B vitamins are essential for growth, development, and a variety of other bodily functions. They play a major role in the activities of enzymes, proteins that regulate chemical reactions in the body, which are important in turning food into energy and other needed substances.

Eggs contain all B-Vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9 and B12.

Minerals Eggs contain trace amounts of more than 15 vitamins and minerals. Some of the minerals they contain are difficult to obtain from other foods.

Examples are selenium and iodine.

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The whole egg An egg is a complete, whole food and should be eaten like that. Eating egg white omelettes will have you missing out on an important part of the nutrients that are in the yolk. Eat the whole egg.

The origin of the eggs on your plate As with all the other food on your plate, it is important to know where your eggs came from. The hens that laid the eggs should ideally be leading a natural lifestyle, which enhances their health, welfare as well as the quality and the nutritional value of the eggs they produce. A natural lifestyle in this case means they should be spending time outdoors walking, nesting, pecking, wing-spreading etc., and eating a natural diet that consists of worms, grubs, insects, legumes and grasses.

Unfortunately, most eggs found in stores today are from large-scale

factory farms that use practices that are the complete opposite of being natural.

Hens are packed into cages with little to no outdoor access and debeaking and forced moulting are still common practices in large-scale egg production.

Although there still is a lack of regulatory standards to ensure natural lifestyles for hens, labelling provides us with a bit more insight into the origin of the eggs we choose to consume. Labelling laws do vary from country to country and whereas there is a bit more transparency in places like the US and Europe, there is little to none in many countries in Asia. The labelling terms that you find on egg packaging can be quite confusing. Some of the terms used are: • cage free • free range • free roaming • pastured • pasture raised • organic • Omega 3 • Omega 3 enriched Next is an explanation of some of these terms, taken from www.whfoods.org: Organic eggs – The label organic requires feeding with certified organic feed. It also requires outdoor access but exact standards are not well defined.

Free range eggs – Hens must have outdoor access but not continuously.

Pastured eggs – Hens must have continuous access to the outdoor during day and night but this does not exclude the use of pens.

Cagefree – The legal use of this term does not exclude indoor confinement, nor does it require outdoor access.

Nutrition

Omega 3 – Omega 3 is a polyunsaturated fat that we generally get too little of in our diets. As explained before, eggs can have higher levels of Omega 3 fats through supplementing the hens’ diets with Omega 3 oils or through pasture feeding. Pasture feeding is a much better way as it will ensure a generally higher nutrient value as well as better living conditions for the hens.

Which eggs do you choose?

Your best bet would be to choose eggs that are organic (which lowers the risk of contamination and ensures a higher nutrient quality) and pasture raised (with continuous outdoor access). If you really want to know what you are putting on your plate, you should try and find a small, local farm that keeps smaller flocks and that takes care to ensure their hens lead natural lifestyles and eat natural diets. It might take a bit of effort but it is possible do to so.

While living in Mumbai for example I managed to find a way to get great eggs although it wasn’t easy. They are very different from the standard mass produced eggs: they are not squeaky clean, the shells are all of different sizes and colours, their yolks are deep orange and they taste

absolutely delicious. So from experience I can say that it is well worth the effort to try and source the right kinds of eggs. It feels good to know you are eating something pure, healthy and wholesome.

Egg allergy Since we are covering eggs in great detail, it is important to point out here that eggs are on the list of 8 foods that are most closely associated with food allergy according to the US Centre of Disease Control. If you are allergic to eggs, you will probably know it by now and if not, this is something to be aware of. Furthermore, eggs can be inflammatory for some people.

Nutrition is all about bio-individuality so be mindful of that.

Egg storage Eggs have a porous shell with a protective coating and washing eggs removes this protective coating. If at all they need to be cleaned before storage, wipe with a dry cloth. You can wash the eggs before using them but with room temperature water. Store eggs in the refrigerator in their original carton or in a covered container so that they don’t absorb odours or lose moisture. Storing

them with the pointed end down will prevent the air chamber and yolk from being displaced.

So there you go: all you ever wanted to know about eggs. Enjoy them. As always, tune in to your body to know when to eat your eggs and choose them well.

Be well,

About the author: Monique Jhingon is a Functional Nutrition & Lifestyle Practitioner who offers select private coaching to expats whose health and digestion has been compromised as a result of transitioning into new environments, cultures, climates and foods. You can read more on her website and sign up for a free nutrition breakthrough session here: www.moniquejhingon.com

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Finding myself, alone

By Jacquelyn Jeanne

I

am always in awe of the way my time in this beautiful country shapes me. I often think I have a good understanding and have found my footing (so to speak) then along comes a nice big surprise that takes me in a whole new direction. I have weathered some big challenges in my 9 or so years here and I think there is no single selfhelp guru in the entire world that could have taught me more.

I love the independence, calmness and inner reflectiveness Thailand has taught me. My darkest of times that have brought me to this point included illnesses, communication breakdowns and relationship difficulties. I sit here today with open arms in fear and anticipation of what else may come.

As one of my greatest teachers, my current husband, told me “never give your problems your power but let your problems give you power”.

More problems more power? Well, I defiantly prefer that over loosing to life’s challenges.

Now that I am thinking about it I have been through more than my fair share of physical problems in this country. I have experienced a five minute long seizure (ate WAY too much spicy food when I first arrived), had a scratch get infected went gangrene and went into sepsis, broke my back in two different places one month before moving to Thailand, passed out and

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cracked my head open in a restaurant from heatstroke, been hospitalised two times for a problem with my eye, had dengue fever twice and that’s the quick short list.

Normally I would either run to the comforts of the familiar (i.e. back home) or call my family for help but when you are all the way across the world lying on an emergency room stretcher and they tell you that they need to operate immediately because your leg has gone gangrene well, you kind of surrender. There is of course not much else you can do but accept where you are and receive the help that you are able to get in a completely uncomfortable and unfamiliar environment with out the ones who love you most by your side. Sounds horrible, and yeah, it was. I remember feeling so alone, scared and almost completely hopeless that I just wanted to cry for my mommy.

One morning I woke up in a complete shaking cold sweat and vomited off the side of my bed. I had no idea what was wrong but when I tried to walk to the bathroom I realised that my foot had swollen to the size of an elephant’s foot. I had a small scratch on my ankle which I had kept clean and covered but living on a small tropical island in the middle of the Andaman Sea is not very helpful when you are trying to keep things sanitary.

My daughter went to get help from the local doctor who came to my room to check on me. He said that I was going into shock from the infection spreading into my blood. I was immediately evacuated to the mainland and taken to the emergency room.

Nightmare of a day BUT, and yes that is a big BUT, there were so many things that just worked out to help me along the way.

I happened to run into friends on the beach who were taking their whole family (kids my daughter grew up with) to the mainland for a week. They offered to take my daughter along with them while I went to the hospital. The car that drove me to the hospital stopped to get gas and an old friends face was there when they opened the door. She just happened to work at the gas station and when I saw her adorably genuine smile it brought a much-needed calmness over me.

I reached the hospital ready to hear that they were going to put me on an IV, clean the wound and I would go back the next day but that is not what happened at all. I was told that they needed to operate immediately because the infection was so deep that they needed to remove part of my ankle.

I literally sat there on a stretcher in the emergency room with tons of other people around and watched as they stuck one local anesthetic needle

Mind Matters

in my ankle and started to cut me open. I did my best to keep quiet but WOW that was incredibly painful.

Unfortunately, that was not the end of it.

I ended up having a second surgery because the infection kept spreading, the wound was splinted open for about two weeks to allow doctors to clean deep inside and it took about 45 days of treatment to kill the infection and close the wound again. There I was, a single mom in south Thailand, all alone with my daughter, my gangrene leg and no family or friends around to lean on.

Of course, I was not able to go back to my management position on the island until the wound was completely healed either, so I was intensely feeling the financial crunch.

I must admit that it was incredibly humbling to be so weak and dependent upon strangers but also so connecting and humanising.

My lack of ability to speak Thai (this was less then a year after I arrived to Thailand) didn’t matter when I looked into the eyes of the nurses that were taking such loving care of my wound. We spoke through our eyes and bodies and I felt so grateful for my angels (the nickname I gave the team of woman who took care of me for the 45 days of daily treatment

after the initial surgery). I managed to find my way through the complicated government hospital system and learned a lot from watching the Thai people there.

One day I wrote “I was walking out of the hospital when I saw an elderly man being pushed in on a bed. He did not look responsive and I assume he was in very bad shape. Just behind the man was a woman who appeared to be his wife. She had another woman helping her walk as she too was getting up there in age. I looked at his wife right in the eyes and the way she smiled back at me said more than any words could ever say. She had this true happiness in her smile, it said to me that she had it all and enjoyed it and she knew this too was another beautiful part of her life.

She did not look worried at all for the split moment where we connected.

I fell in love today with the part of myself that could receive that moment and I’m forever grateful for the example of the life of this couple and especially this wise woman.” I was able to turn this horrible experience into one of learning and loving the cycles of life even the painful parts. Thai people showed me to remain calm in the face of very intense physical pain and for that I am so grateful. They have a truly amazing ability to stay “Jai Yin” (cool hearted).

I have been through my fair

share of relationships in the western world, but nothing prepared me for the reflections of an Asian man. I mean talk about complete enlightened amazingness mixed with totally unaware aloofness. It still boggles my mind and interests me to no end how they can be this way.

I am completely attracted to that which I do not understand so for me this is a huge bonus in my relationship because I am not sure that I will ever understand.

This will keep me interested in the long run but on the other hand this also leaves me feeling utterly alone at times. Communications has its difficulties when two people speak the same language but imagine how many misunderstandings there are when two people do not. At times this exhausting jumble of cultural differences and language barriers leaves me feeling out alone in the cold. That, I assure you is no small task when its 35C outside.

The vast number of examples of the times when I have felt defeated and alone in my relationship leaves me hard pressed to choose just one to share.

I suppose in the end it is not about the details of the experience as much as it is about the overall way the experiences enlightened and shaped me. Almost every day I recognise that I am not able to completely express myself or get my points across. In arguments I feel that it is easier to give up before even starting. I feel not heard and misunderstood daily.

You might wonder at this point why I would even choose a relationship like this? Wouldn’t it just be easier to be with a partner that can understand me and help me feel listened to and come from the same cultural background?

Yes, it would, in some ways. I have always enjoyed taking the path less travelled with more obstacles along the way because I enjoy the great rewards at the end.

Communication. I must laugh out loud when I think about this subject because it has so many misunderstood facets. One time I read a quote that said “the single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place” – George Bernard Shaw.

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This is great because it really sums up the lack of clear communication and connection through our words.

We often assume that because we said something to another person that they, 1. understood and 2. took in and absorbed what we said. I am willing to bet that often the other is not even listening at all. The nice thing about my relationship is that we do not assume that we ever understand each other.

We know that we are totally different and use different languages and we are always open to misunderstandings and finding new ways to connect then by just using simple words.

The strength that I have gained from not feeling like I need to be heard all the time is amazing! I recall living in Canada thinking that it was so important that my partner listened to me! Now I laugh at myself because so much of what I thought was important really didn’t matter at all. My current partner may not hear or understand a lot of what I am saying but through actions we show that we are caring and functional. The words we use are not valued as highly as the actions that we chose to take. I never could have understood that unless I lived it and

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went through the pain of letting go of the importance of words. I could not imagine going back to a relationship where everything is talked about in detail until my head literally explodes from trying to jam my own thoughts into the head of my partner and vice versa.

There is also great value in just letting things go sometimes.

I recognise many situations where I try to explain something and the person I am talking to doesn’t understand so they just say “mai mee”(don’t have). It is the typical answer in Thailand when someone doesn’t want to deal with me, the foreigner. It used to bother me a lot and I would even go back and show that person when I found what I was looking for. I guess I felt I needed to prove a point or open that persons mind to not giving the shut down answer of “mai mee” next time. This only left me feeling angry and separate and I’m sure never helped the Thai person save face.

When I finally let go and just smiled I was able to make friends, find things on my own and or learn more fun ways to communicate that helped me to connect with the people I was trying to communicate with.

In the end being here “alone” has taught me to value myself and rely more on my own abilities, value connection and actions over communication and to value calm stillness even in the darkest of times. I may have learned these life lessons back at “home” but there is something very special about doing this on my own so far away from everything I know, and I look forward to my next visit back to my original family to see how much I have truly grown and changed.

About the author: Jacquelyn Jeanne currently resides in Thailand where she came to be a stay at home mother. She fell in love with the culture and the opportunities that Thailand presented her for self improvement so she stayed. Her passions include writing, natural foods, holistic healing and the arts. She is a certified NLP coach and Ruesi Dat Ton yoga teacher. She enjoys her time at home in the garden or with family.

Mind Matters

“In the end being here “alone” has taught me to value myself and rely more on my own abilities, value connection and actions over communication and to value calm stillness even in the darkest of times.”

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When diet changes don’t work

by Monique Jhinghon

L

auren seemed to be at her wit’s end. We had been spending quite a bit of time recently trying to find a connection between her diet and her frequent headaches, fatigue and joint pain but despite eating a healthy and wholesome diet and doing “everything right” for a few weeks, she was still dealing with debilitating headaches, pains and extremely low energy levels that demanded frequent rest, which was next to impossible as an expat mom with small children. She mentioned feeling low and unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel, which was all very understandable.

While many people start feeling a lot better when they clean up their diet and start to prioritise self-care, some are slow to respond or even feel worse. This can be very confusing and frustrating. Making diet changes can be hard as it is and if you don’t see any improvement you start to wonder why you should be bothered to continue.

There are a number of possible reasons that cause this “setback” and sometimes it is related to food sensitivities that are becoming more pronounced as you replace certain foods with healthier choices that are simply not right for you (yet).

The process of identifying trigger foods requires putting on a nutrition detective hat and getting really methodical about tracking food intake and symptoms.

What makes it challenging is that food intolerances or sensitivities can be delayed and varied and can show up in a variety of different ways, ranging from digestive issues to skin itching, hives, sneezing, a runny or stuffy nose or as in Lauren’s case headaches, tiredness or joint pains. What’s more is that it can be about quantity or sometimes it’s not just one food, but an entire food group that causes these symptoms.

I have worked with clients who reacted to foods that have high levels of phenols such as histamine, salicylate or glutamates. Others reacted to FODMAPs, which are naturally occurring types of carbohydrates and sugar alcohols found in what are otherwise predominantly healthy foods.

To most people these terms sound like a foreign language, which is why it can be very valuable to have the support of a nutritionist who knows what to look out for and so that you don’t feel like you’re going it alone.

Knowing how frustrating it can be to work through this process I asked Lauren to simply use a food journal to write down when and what she was eating and when she was experiencing symptoms so that I could find the connections.

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Nutrition

“When you’ve tried changing your diet, and things felt worse or no better, it may be time to go deeper and check for and eliminate food sensitivities. The best way to start is by optimising gut health, which includes your microbiome.”

More importantly, I showed her how to simultaneously heal and seal her gut and support detoxification. Because the questions to really ask are these: what is going on in there that is causing these reactions? Why is the immune system so hyper reactive? How is the microbiome, or gut health, impacting all of the symptoms? And how can we rebalance the microbiome so that food sensitivities go away naturally.

Lauren is doing a whole lot better right now. We removed from her diet foods that are known to contribute to inflammation and joint pains in some people. We have been working on supporting top to bottom digestion, immune system support and she has incorporated detoxification support practices that include Epsom salt baths and lymphatic drainage massage.

As a result, her energy levels have improved, her headaches much less frequent, her joint pains are almost gone and she is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

When you’ve tried changing your diet, and things felt worse or no better, it may be time to go deeper and check for and eliminate food sensitivities. The best way to start is by optimising gut health, which includes your microbiome.

This is a very common challenge, and it’s easier when you have the right support and nutrition “detective” on your side that can find the connections for you and show you the way out.

If you feel you need my support with this, sign up for a free nutrition breakthrough session on my website and let’s see how I can help.

Be well About the author: Monique Jhingon is a Functional Nutrition & Lifestyle Practitioner who offers select private coaching to expats whose health and digestion has been compromised as a result of transitioning into new environments, cultures, climates and foods. You can read more on her website and sign up for a free nutrition breakthrough session here: www.moniquejhingon.com

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O

ne of my great pleasures of living in Thailand is the abundance of exotic fruits.

One fruit that is a staple in most Thai kitchens and is used for most Thai dishes are limes. Lemons and limes are best known for their acidic taste and their high vitamin C content. Let’s have a look at some of their benefits: They keep wrinkles at bay

Health improving ways to use lemons and limes

by Judith Coulson-Geissmann

It’s all that vitamin C, which is also known as ascorbic acid. Your body can’t create it, so you have to get it from food.

It helps make collagen, which keeps your skin springy and full. Without enough, it’ll start to wrinkle. Sure, that’s also a natural part of ageing, but you can slow it down with the right vitamins and nutrition.

They rev you up Thiamin and riboflavin, part of a group of vitamins called B complex, turn your food into the energy you need. They also help the cells in your body to grow and do their jobs. Just one medium sized lemon or lime gives you a small portion of what you need every day.

They serve up antioxidants Vitamin C, flavonoids, phenolic acids, essential oils, and coumarins are all plentiful in lemons and limes. They’re part of a team of superhero substances called antioxidants. They band together to fight free radicals, which damage your cells, and lead to diseases and other health problems.

They can help your baby grow They have a small amount of a B vitamin called folic acid or folate. It helps the foetus form in the womb.

Cells use it to divide to make more cells.

It also creates genetic material in both your bodies that tells your baby’s cells how to develop.

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They can kill nasty bugs Their high acid content adds the perfect sour bite to your salad greens. It also helps kill salmonella bacteria that might be on your food, your cutting board, or your kitchen counter. That might be the difference between a pleasant evening and a long, long night. Don’t plan on scrubbing the bathroom with it, but if you want to make sure your greens are clean, a mix of half vinegar, half lemon juice mix should zap most of the bacteria in about 15 minutes.

They can lower blood pressure Both the juice and the peel of lemons or limes can do the trick. Squeeze some in your water before and after you go for a walk. You may get more benefit from each. Talk to your doctor if you take blood pressure drugs or other meds.

Citrus can interfere with them. Never adjust medication unless the doctor tells you to.

They can prevent cancer While there’s no evidence that lemons or limes can fight the cancer that you already have, they’re full of antioxidants that may help keep you from getting it in the first place. This is particularly true for cancer of the liver, bone, stomach, breast, and colon.

They pump up your heart It’s all about those flavonoids. Work more of them into your life and you’re less likely to get heart disease. That’s partly because they help keep the fats and sugars in your blood at healthy levels. Too much of either is bad for your blood vessels.

They boost your brain Lemons and limes have special chemicals that may keep brain cells safe from toxic substances in your body. And because they also protect against general cell breakdown and inflammation, they may help prevent brain diseases like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s.

Health and Nutrition They keep your gums healthy

Can they help losing weight?

Swollen, bleeding gums and loose teeth are signs of scurvy. It was common long ago when people didn’t have easy access to foods with vitamin C. But you could get it now if you’re older, a smoker, or are addicted to drugs or alcohol.

Before you chow down on citrus to prevent it, know this: Citric acid is good for what ails you but bad for tooth enamel. Wait at least 30 minutes after you eat or drink something with acid before you brush your teeth.

Polyphenols, a special kind of antioxidant found in lemons and limes, may hold off weight and body fat gain. Scientists think these substances change the way your body processes fat and improve its response to insulin. But before you trust your weight loss efforts solely on drinking lemon water, know that this study was done on mice, not people.

They get you over that cold

If you’ve ever had one of these painful little rocks block the tubes you use to pee, chances are you’re already halfway to the local lemonade stand.

The stones form when minerals in your body clump together. Substances called citrates in lemons, limes, and other citrus fruits can help stop this buildup. It is a good idea to add this cheap local fruit to your daily diet in one or the other form.

Vitamin C in lemons and limes will maybe not prevent a cold. But you do need it to keep your immune system running at peak levels. Taking a high dose of Vitamin C (up to 5000mg divided by 5 doses, 1 every 2-3hours) at the first sign of the sniffles, always helps me feel better faster or avoid a full blown cold.

They can improve your Cholesterol A combination of garlic and lemon juice (like in a salad dressing) could be good news for people with high cholesterol. Unhealthy levels of LDL are linked to hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), which can cause heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes.

They prevent kidney stones

About the author: Judith Coulson-Geissmann is a Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist, Positive Psychology, Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach, working with individuals, executive teams, schools and companies based in Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Judith@lifestylefoodclinic.com

“One of my great pleasures of living in Thailand is the abundance of exotic fruits... Lemons and limes are best known for their acidic taste and their high vitamin C content.”

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What alcohol does to your body

“Moderate alcohol use for healthy adults means up to one drink a day for women of all ages and up to two for men 65 and younger”

Diarrhea and heartburn

by Judith Coulson-Geissmann

T

hirty seconds after your first sip, alcohol races into your brain.

This timeframe might differ depending on what and how much you ate before drinking alcohol and how much fatty acids flow in your blood as such. The alcohol slows down the chemicals and pathways that your brain cells use to send messages, altering your mood, slowing your reflexes, and throwing off your balance. You also can’t think straight, which you may not recall later, because you’ll struggle to store things in long-term memory.

Your brain shrinks If you drink more than a moderate consumption for a long time, alcohol can affect how your brain looks and works. Its cells start to change and even get smaller. Too much alcohol can shrink your brain resulting in a non-reversible effect on your ability to think, learn, and remember things. It can also make it harder to keep a steady body temperature and control your movements.

What is a moderate alcohol consumption?

Moderate alcohol use for healthy adults means up to one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than age 65, and up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger.

Examples of one drink include: • Beer: 12 fluid ounces (355 milliliters) • Wine: 5 fluid ounces (148 milliliters) • Distilled spirits (80 proof): 1.5 fluid ounces (44 millilitres) Restless sleep Alcohol can make you drowsy, so you may doze off more easily. But you won’t sleep well. Your body processes alcohol throughout the night and once the effects wear off, it leaves you tossing and turning.

You won’t fall into a REM stage your body needs restore itself and you are more likely to have nightmares and vivid dreams.

More stomach acid Booze irritates the lining of your stomach and makes your digestive juices flow. When enough acid and alcohol build up, you get nauseated and you may throw up. Years of heavy drinking can cause painful sores called ulcers in your stomach.

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Alcohol irritates your small intestine and throws off the normal speed that food moves through them. Regular drinking can lead to diarrhea, which can turn into a long-term problem. It also makes heartburn more likely – it relaxes the muscle that keeps acid out of your oesophagus, the tube that connects your mouth and stomach.

Frequent urination Your brain gives off a hormone that keeps your kidneys from making too much urine. But when alcohol swings into action, it tells your brain to hold off. That means you have to urinate more often, which can leave you dehydrated. When you drink heavily for years, that extra workload and the toxic effects of alcohol can wear your kidneys down.

Liver disease Your liver breaks down almost all the alcohol you drink. In the process, it handles a lot of toxins. Over time, heavy drinking makes the organ fatty and starts to build up thicker and fibrous tissue. That limits blood flow, so that the liver cells don’t get what they need to survive. As they die off, the liver gets scars and stops working overtime leading to a liver cirrhosis.

Health and Nutrition

Thin bones, less muscle

Pancreas damage and diabetes

Body temperature

Normally, the pancreas makes insulin and other chemicals that help your intestines break down food. But alcohol jams that process up. The chemicals stay inside the pancreas. Along with toxins from alcohol, they cause inflammation in the organ, which can lead to serious damage. Over time you won’t be able to make the insulin you need, which can lead to diabetes and pancreatic cancer.

Alcohol widens your blood vessels, allowing more blood flow to your skin.

That makes you blush and feel warm and toasty while you are drinking. In the long-term, heavy drinking boosts your blood pressure and increases the release of stress hormones that narrow blood vessels, so your heart has to pump harder to push blood through.

What is a hangover?

That cotton-mouthed, bleary-eyed morning-after is no accident. Alcohol is dehydrating and expands the blood vessels in your body and brain, often leading to headaches. Your stomach wants to get rid of the toxins and acid that booze churns up, which can result in nausea and vomiting. Because your liver was so busy processing alcohol, it didn’t release enough sugar into your blood which can cause the feeling of weakness.

An offbeat heart One night of binge drinking can jumble the electrical signals that keep your heart’s rhythm steady. If you do it for years, you can make those changes permanent. Alcohol therefore can literally wear your heart out. Over time, it causes heart muscles to droop and stretch, like an old rubber band. It can’t pump blood efficient enough anymore, which impacts every part of your body.

Weak immune system You might not link a cold with a night of drinking, but there might be a connection. Alcohol puts the brakes on your immune system. Your body can’t make the numbers of white blood cells it needs to fight germs. For 24 hours after drinking, you are more likely to get sick. Long-term, heavy drinkers are more likely to get illnesses like pneumonia and tuberculosis.

Heavy drinking can throw off your calcium levels. Along with the hormone changes that alcohol triggers, and the loss of restorative sleep, that can lead to the loss of bone density in men and women. Alcohol also limits the blood flow to your muscles and gets in the way of the proteins that build them up. Over time, you experience a lower muscle mass and less strength.

About the author: Judith Coulson-Geissmann is a Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist, Positive Psychology, Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach, working with individuals, executive teams, schools and companies based in Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore. coach@lifestylefoodclinic.com

Hormone havoc Hormones manage everything from your sex drive to how fast you digest food. To keep it all going smoothly, you need them in the right balance. But alcohol throws them out of kilter. In women, that can knock your periods off cycle and cause problems getting pregnant. In men, it can mean trouble getting an erection, a lower sperm count, shrinking testicles, and breast growth.

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How alcohol affects our fitness

by Rishi Haria, Strength & Nutrition Coach at The Lab

A

“Apart from feeling terrible, what are the actual negative effects on our health and fitness? It’s a question that would be relevant to a lot of people that try to keep a healthy lifestyle but also like to enjoy a drink or two..... or three”

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lcohol has barely been a part of my life for a few years now.

I drank for the first time in 2018 a couple of weeks ago. I’ve become such a lightweight that my tab was as small as my skinny calves and I couldn’t even make it to midnight. Having a kid definitely changes things. I can’t say that I miss it much at all. I started to feel healthier and more energetic once I put those heavy party days of my youth behind me. Not that I’m exactly old but after reaching the end of my 20s (I’m 31 now) I felt that it was the right time to say goodbye to hangovers. Some might call me boring. Others would call me very boring.

Apart from feeling terrible, what are the actual negative effects on our health and fitness? It’s a question that would be relevant to a lot of people that try to keep a healthy lifestyle but also like to enjoy a drink or two…. or three.

There are 7 calories per gram of alcohol, 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate, 4 calories per gram of protein, and 9 calories per gram of fat.

When you consume too many calories it can result it weight gain regardless of where these surplus calories come from.

The alcohol calories themselves do not directly convert to body fat. The alcohol gets absorbed by the bloodstream and then goes to the liver. Our body will start to use the alcohol as its primary

energy source because we cannot store alcohol in the body. The problem is that alcohol slows down fat oxidation.

Carbs and dietary fats are now directed to storage rather than being burned off. More often than not we tend to choose less healthy/higher calorie options when our inhibitions are lowered. Not only are we eating too much because of the alcohol, our ability to burn off the extra calories is reduced while there is alcohol in our system.

This is why eating high fat junk foods is such a bad idea when you drink alcohol.

A chicken breast salad with no dressing anyone?

There is no real physiological benefit of drinking more than a glass of wine in one sitting. It is the least satiating nutrient that you can grab your hands on. It even makes you feel hungrier in most cases. 200 calories that you get from a beer will not suppress your appetite more than 200 calories worth of a tuna steak. If you use up too much of your daily calories on alcohol then it leaves little room for real nutritious food, unless you’re willing to exceed your normal calorie intake.

Of course this will lead to weight gain based on the reasons discussed on the first point. On the plus side, a glass of red wine a day is said to improve heart health by reducing blood clots and lowering blood sugar.

Health and Fitness

Excessive alcohol consumption over a long period of time can reduce testosterone in men by up to 45%.

Reduced testosterone has a terrible effect of metabolism, ability to build muscle, libido, and overall energy levels.

Effects on testosterone is less of an issue for women. The negative effects on your liver health should be a concern for both genders when it comes to binge drinking. If you want to keep improving your health and fitness then excessive drinking should be avoided.

When we train it’s important for our recovery that we are able to rebuild and build muscle effectively. This takes place within the process of protein synthesis. Protein synthesis is strongly reduced when you consume a lot of alcohol. Although adequate protein consumption can help offset some of the negative effects from alcohol, protein synthesis will still be affected.

Cutting down on alcohol from my life made it much easier to take my training to the next level.

The hangover from drinking will always make training the next day an arduous task. I’d recommend planning a rest day after a night out drinking. It’s hard to get a quality night’s rest because our rapid eye movement sleep (REM) sleep gets shortchanged with alcohol in our system. REM is the period of sleep where people dream and rejuvenates

us mentally. Some people use a late night drink as a sleeping aid. While this can potentially help you fall asleep, the quality of your sleep will be disturbed.

This is the reason why we wake up feeling groggy after drinking the day before. Feelings of tiredness will certainly lead to lacklustre workouts.

In addition to this, bad sleep decreases the appetite controlling leptin hormone in our body. This causes people to feel hungrier and more likely to overeat. This is not the recipe for improved fitness.

Marijuana will also reduce our REM sleep interestingly enough.

The purpose of this article is not to try put people off from drinking. Far from it. It’s just important to know how it can affect our health and fitness goals.

Moderation is key and when we want to truly maximise our fitness and health progress, it’s probably better to cut down our alcohol intake as much as possible. A couple of glasses of wine on the occasional date night with my wife still has its appeal, even to me!

“Moderation is key and when we want to truly maximise our fitness and health progress, it’s probably better to cut down our alcohol intake as much as possible.”

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Podcasts provide endless entertainment

by Barbara Lewis

I

love holding a physical book in my hand and although Kindle and all ebooks are much more convenient somehow I just don’t like them and I return to the paper version. Some people say in the future there will be no paper version of anything and I think that would be a shame. There is something about holding a book or a magazine in your hand that just doesn’t get captured through other media.

So, what does this have to do with podcasts you might ask – well I can’t read while walking and quite honestly, I don’t think anyone should as it is fundamentally dangerous.

I walk my dogs everyday for between 6-10km and I like to listen to something on my phone while walking. Of course, I could listen to books through Audible or something of that nature and sometimes I do but mostly what I love to listen to is podcasts. I especially like true crime podcasts. It is also much easier to listen to podcasts in the car and even more fun when you can cast them into your car speakers so everyone can listen.

Serial started my interest in true crime podcasts. My son’s girlfriend knew I loved mysteries and suspense thriller films. She found out about Serial first and told me I needed to listen to it because she knew I would love it. If you haven’t listened to Serial you have to listen to it; Sarah Koenig, a journalist from This American Life, tells the story of a young Asian girl’s murder, Haymen Lee, and the conviction of her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, who 18 years later after exhaustive appeals claims he was poorly represented and that he is

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innocent of the crime. Sarah lays out the information for you and it is up to you to decide if Adnan is guilty or not.

This American Life released Serial one week at a time and it was so compelling I couldn’t wait for the next episode to come out. The first season of Serial was so wildly popular that it got all kinds of people talking and wanting to find out who the real killer was if it wasn’t Adnan.

Legal experts tried to poke holes in both the prosecution’s and the defence’s case and experts from different crime fields wanted to comment on different aspects of the case. This led to a number of spin off podcasts to try to either prove the prosecution’s case or prove someone else killed Haymen Lee. There were also lots of online chat groups and Facebook and Twitter groups that continued to discuss the case well after Serial was finished.

From Serial I started listening to two other podcasts: Undisclosed and Truth and Justice. I came late to Serial so there had already been several episode produced by the time I started listening; Truth and Justice podcast had also been going for awhile before I started listening to it. Truth and Justice is a podcast that is hosted by Bob Ruff who is an ex-fire chief. He believes crimes can be solved by crowd sourcing and sought to do just that with the Adnan Syed case. Another spin-off of Serial came from Adnan Syed’s friend Rabia who is a lawyer and family friend. She has always believed Adnan to be innocent of this crime and developed a podcast with two other very accomplished litigators whose knowledge of criminal law is very advanced: Collin Miller, a professor and Dean at South Carolina School of Law and Susan Simpson, a lawyer also accomplished in the technicalities of criminal litigation and detail.

These three break down the problems with the prosecutors case from a legal standpoint and try to explain what the defence did wrong and what evidence was missed and why. Both podcasts are very engaging for very different reasons. Undisclosed is very technical about aspects of law which I find intriguing and they also examine the flaws in the US criminal justice system. Truth and Justice, on the other hand, tries to set out solving a crime using the common sense and intelligence of everyday people. Both podcasts have gone on to other cases since the Adnan Syed case because this case is now hung up in the court on appeal and has been for years.

Serial had a second season with Sara that was extremely different from the first; for one thing the main character was not nearly as likeable: Bowe Bergdahl who was the only solider captured and held by the Taliban for five years before he was finally released in a prisoner exchange during President Obama’s time in office. He was considered to have walked off base and basically into the Taliban’s hands. It was considered desertion.

Entertainment

I liked the second season but did not find it as compelling as the first and many people I spoke with totally went off Serial altogether and stopped listening because they didn’t find the second season engaging. This American Life put out another Serial like podcast called S Town or so they touted it to be. I enjoyed S Town because the people in the story are so odd it seemed their stories couldn’t possibly be true and yet they are.

These three podcasts have got me into so many more, mostly true crime but not always. One that I have recently begun listening to and just love the podcasters is Crime Writers On. This reviews other podcasts, films, Netflix series, books, almost anything that deals with true crime or surrounds true crime. They have lead me to some really wonderful ones like: Empire on Blood, ESPN 30 for 30 (an investigation into Bikram yoga), Caliphate (an amazing journalistic investigation into ISIS and how they recruit from abroad) and In The Dark to name a few extremely well produced productions.

Undisclosed led me to Real Crime Profile which is one of my favourites. In this the podcasters are professional profilers and their focus is on the victim. They are especially concerned with exposing crimes of domestic violence, cohesive control, and stalking. Almost all of them will briefly talk about what they feel is worth watching, listening and seeing. This has led me to some truly fascinating entertainment: Finding Cleo was about a native Canadian that was taken from her home and adopted by a family in the US. This was a huge scandal for Canadian society. The government took many Native Canadian children out of their homes and put them in residential schools where many of them were abused. They were also adopted and fostered out to people all over North American often to farms where they were used as cheap labour and treated almost like slaves.

Some others that I listen to and love are Actual Innocence by Brook who is a social worker and started doing

a podcast of people who are convicted and incarcerated but are actually innocent. Many of them spend decades in prison before they are released and then once released they have to learn how to live in the outside world again and are given very little help. Actual Innocence is such a refreshing series because it is real bare bones.

She started producing the programme in her closet and she gradually brought on sponsors when she realised she couldn’t afford to have it as a hobby and live. She was very conflicted about that and talked about it on the recording.

Another that deals with a similar subject matter: is Wrongful Conviction. This is a bit more professional but also very informative. It is simply amazing how many wrongful convictions there are based on all kinds of misconduct on the part of law enforcement and justice.

Another that is very good but different from all the others that I have mentioned because it focuses on the crimes themselves and how they were committed and the criminals that committed the heinous acts: Sword and Scale. Sometimes however, this can be just too graphic and that particular episode I will skip. It is not for the faint of heart.

We were recently given the opportunity through Audible to listen to West Cork. It is an absolutely brilliant audible book about Sophie Toscan du Plantier’s unsolved murder in 1996 and the investigation surrounding it in West Cork, Ireland. It is an Audible original.

Recently, simply by chance, I downloaded Oprah’s Super Soul Sundays and it is fantastic. Each episode she has someone on that she finds inspirational in some way. Quite often what they have to say has led me to other references and so it is with all that I listen to. There is such a wide variety of information out there right now that if you have an interest I am sure you can find a podcast discussing it and if you can’t maybe you should develop one like many of the people I listen to have done.

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Evolution did what to us?

by Amornrat Sachdev

Evolution – the concept that explains how we evolved from apes to humans – is an experience all living beings can not escape. The idea of evolution is simple: we are all different to one another and we all compete to survive.

W

hoever is the fittest, and thus survives, will pass on their genes to the next

generation.

Human beings have benefited from bigger brains, opposable thumbs, and no tails due to evolution. Weirdly enough, evolution has also made life much harder for us in some ways.

It made us hate veggies Our ancestors relied on taste sensations to guide them to foods that would help them survive, and stay away from foods that were toxic. Humans today have inherited this screening system from our ancestors – you can see it clearly in toddlers and children. Two to 6 year olds are very picky when expected to eat vegetables like saag (spinach) because their inherited screening system detects meat and plant toxins that poisoned our ancestors, particularly when they were children.

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It’s a mood switcher

A human being’s primal instinct towards food is that ‘bitter’ tastes suggest poison (spinach, broccoli, and kale are all bitter), ‘sour’ tastes suggest toxic acid, ‘sweet’ insinuates great energy sources, and ‘salty’ implies the presence of sodium, which is vital to our biological processes.

Not only did the evolutionary process prime humans to detest vegetables, but it prepared them to love monosodium glutamate (MSG), which caters to ‘umami’, the fifth taste sensation. Sugar is to sweet as MSG is to umami. Human beings enjoy ‘umami’ flavours because they indicate the presence of vital proteins that repair tissue. Unfortunately, our primed love for umami coupled with the overuse of MSG in Thai food and flavourings are hurting people due to the negative longterm effects of MSG (i.e. memory loss).

TIP: Children can be trained to accept new meats and vegetables through repeated exposure in small amounts.

Only with experience do we learn to select and accept plants that are good for us.

Human beings, when aroused or excited, are primed to express emotion. Scientists have found that arousal is the base for all major emotions: anger, excitement, fear, and sexual passion. Arousal feeds emotion. However, occasionally our arousal response to one event overflows into our reaction to the next event.

Imagine returning home after an energising gym session to find that your child broke the TV. Here, your brain would most likely channel this arousal into anger when it could have easily been expressed as a different emotion with another trigger. Moreover, with arousal remaining from the workout, you would feel much angrier with your child than if you had just woken up from a nap. Similarly, those that are sexually aroused respond to angercausing situations with much more aggression than those who are not.

TIP: The arousal that stays after a heated dispute or scary occurrence can be channelled into and amplify sexual passion.

Mind Matters It made daydreaming good for us When I was younger and asked to think of a daydreamer, I thought of a student staring out of a window with his/her face resting on his/her arms.

Now, I think of an office employee doing the same thing. In both cases, the daydreamer gets reprimanded for wasting time and being inefficient – and fair enough, right?

However, daydreaming, or better yet, the correct way of daydreaming is extremely good for you. Mental practice can help you achieve your goals and refine your skills. Pianist Liu Chi Kung scored second place in the 1958 Tchaikovsky piano competition.

One year later, he was caught in China’s cultural revolution and was jailed for 7 years. Critics applauded him for his improved craftsmanship, despite him never touching a piano throughout his sentence. He said, “I rehearsed every

piece I had ever played, note by note, in my mind”.

In one study, psychologists asked female basketball players at the University of Tennessee to continually imagine scoring foul shouts under various contexts, including being put down by their competition. Their success rate increased from 52 % to 65 % after mental simulation – leading them to win the national championship game with free throws. Thus, it is no surprise that that mental rehearsal is now typically included in training sessions with Olympic athletes. Does this mean that daydreaming, or mental simulation, is still detrimental to that student or office worker? No. A study required students to either perform outcome simulation or process simulation. Those that performed outcome simulation had to visualise achieving an ‘A’ on their mid-term and feeling pride daily. Those that performed

process simulation imagined themselves efficiently studying under various conditions such as writing notes, reading them over, ignoring distractions and more.

Those that conducted outcome simulation accumulated only an extra 2 marks to the exam score average compared to the control group who performed no mental simulation at all.

The second group performed even better – they totalled an extra 8 points to the average mark. Imagining successfully going through the process of achieving that ‘A’ encouraged them to start studying earlier and harder than their peers in the other groups.

TIP: Set aside at least 5 minutes in the day for some imagination, but make that time productive by imagining yourself going through the process of achieving your goal successfully, rather than on the glowing outcome.

Evolution prepares us to survive our environment. However, our ‘environment’ is changing so fast, that some of the systems that worked for our ancestors are fighting us now. Those are the ways you can fight back, and do what evolution wanted you to do in the first place – survive and thrive.

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An Indian, American and a Taiwanese are meeting at Bus Stop Jo and Prashanti photos

by Daniel Nuss

by Ravit El-Bachar Daniel

I

t could sound as a good start of a joke, but this is not a joke: Indian Prashanti, American Joe and Taiwanese Claudia will meet on stage at Bus Stop – a play by William Inge, which will be performed in September by Bangkok Community Theatre (BCT).

It’s 1am; a bus got stuck during a heavy snowstorm in the heart of the American midwest.

The 5 bus passengers have a weather enforced stop to spend the night hours in a diner, together with 3 locals from the diner, and romance (in all its forms) brews!

This is the set of Bus Stop, a charming romantic comedy (which had been adapted in 1956 to a movie starring Marilyn Monroe).

BCT will bring this American slice-of-life to Bangkok. Jo, Claudia and Prahsanti will be playing the female roles in Bus Stop. We sat for a talk on life, acting and their expat ventures.

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Jo Ella Mathis, “Grace” at Bus Stop Jo, 39, married with two boys.

American born of a German/Swedish/ Czech background. “My husband and I and our 2 boys came to Thailand to continue building relationships with those we come into contact with from around the world”, she says.

Until her move to Thailand, she had always lived in the States, besides one summer during high school years, when she spent some time in Zimbabwe, Africa as a performer.

Where I come from “I grew up in a small town in the US where my great grandmother, grandmother, and mother still spoke some German.”

My romance with acting started when....

“As a kid, I’ve always liked to sing and act. My mother put me in a community

theatre show with her as a kid. The first show I remember watching with both my parents was the re-enactment of a wild west show in South Dakota, USA.” Bits from my acting career“ Northwestern College in Iowa provided me with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. In Nebraska I worked as an assistant booking agent at a modelling and talent agency, while also taking my own jobs acting in commercials and modelling. After work hours, I volunteered as an actor in community theatre.

My last projects in the States were playing the role of Cousin Cora in Life with Father, and working on CMT TV series - NASCAR – The Rise of American Speed.

In Bangkok, my boys and I are currently appearing in ads celebrating the Good and Great Friends for the 200 years of US and Thai friendship.

I just completed working on a Platform Theatre performance

Arts and Culture “I enjoyed the outcome of our team effort to create our own script in a process, we had no makeup, props, or scenery pieces, and we all wore black, each brought our own style.

A beautiful combination of individuals becoming one movement.”

during The Fringe Festival with BCT. I enjoyed the outcome of our team effort to create our own script in a process, we stayed in close proximity to one another throughout, had no makeup, props, or scenery pieces, and we all wore black, each brought our own style. A beautiful combination of individuals becoming one movement.”

My Bus Stop character – Grace Who is she? In what way we relate?“ Grace is the owner of the diner, and is the mother hen watching over all the business to be tended to. She is a divorcee who has got used to being on her own. She’s friendly, but has attachment issues and does not easily trust people.

In my childhood town, we as well had a small cafe like the one Grace runs, where everybody knew everyone, and when it snowed, the roads shut down until cleared.

I think I’m similar to Grace in some ways; I pray to God just as she

says, enjoy having my own space that I manage, tend to end up mentoring younger women, and I don’t usually keep cheese in my fridge (however, in my case - the reason is because excluding myself - my family is lactose intolerant).

But there are some differences between Grace and I: I have never worked in any type of food service position, and I don’t think I’d enjoy staying in the same place with little diversity, running a small business by myself for any amount of time.”

When I’m not on stage...“ I take piano lessons and learn Thai.”

Hsuan Liu (Claudia), “Elma” at Bus Stop Claudia, 38, single, moved to Bangkok from Taiwan 15 years ago with her family after they came to Thailand for a short vocation and found Thailand very hospitable.

She’s a JSD Candidate (working on her Doctor of Laws degree) and working as a law lecturer at Thammasat University.

“As a child I thought I’d grow up to be a martial artist, senator, lawyer or an activist”, she says, “I was quite an independent child, who liked to make everything fun”.

My romance with acting

My top tip to inspire other expats women in a foreign city “Go visit those in prison when you feel like you’re stuck. Learn to make your own yoghurt and peanut butter.”

“I have enjoyed talking on stage since seven. My first acting experience was in high school, in which I was appointed as the assistant director and acted in two plays. Since then, I’ve often involved in role plays and I particularly love that method of teaching.

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Last year, I played a few characters in The Vagina Monologues: ‘the Crooked Braid’, ‘Angry Vagina’ and ‘Happy Vagina’.

Recently I played a supporting role of a concubine in a promotional movie trailer Siam (film in development), directed by Tom Waller from De Warrenne Pictures.”

My Bus Stop character - Elma. Who is she? In what way we relate?

“Elma is a high school girl and works at the diner alongside Grace. She’s intelligent, curious and excited about life and she embraces humanities.

I believe that this is why she somehow enjoys conversing with Professor Lyman, who is a very educated person.

I think we are similar in part because I am an academic, I also enjoy reading and yes, super stupor excited about life! We both love generating ideas to make life unconventional.

In one scene, there is a part when Elma comes up with the idea of stage show and pulls people into this impromptu stage performance, I think I would do absolutely the same in real life.

However, I think Elma is a more calm

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than me, I’m quite hyper and less serious.”

Prashanti Subramaniam, “Cherie” at Bus Stop

When I’m not on stage...

Prashanti is celebrating her 4th year in Thailand. An opportunity to work with the UN brought her to the city of angels, from London where she was studying at the time. Her homeland is India, but she has lived in a few countries in the past, including Singapore and Oman.

If you had watched her in one of the many recent theatre shows she played in Bangkok over the past few years, you would think she has over 10 years of theatre experience; You would never guess however she started her acting career only 3 years ago...

“Besides pursuing my academic work in Law, I’m also a cartoonist and I’m in the process of branding my cartoon character, a pig, called Pigigi; I’m also serving as the President of the Capitol Toastmaster Club in Bangkok, which grants me the opportunity to speak on stage every week and it is a club which helps you to become a better speaker and enhance leadership.”

My top tip to inspire other expats women in a foreign city “chill!”

As I child I was...

“I’m told I was a very talkative and imaginative child growing up. I distinctly remember getting into trouble with my teachers for distracting other students by telling them random stories.

I have to admit I was also quite nerdy and a little bit of a know-it-all. All very Hermione Granger-like. Speaking of, I’m sure I wanted to grow up to be a witch at some point. But I always

Arts and Culture

“It can be daunting to be in a foreign city, but find an activity that you loved doing or you want to try a hand at and take a giant step outside your comfort zone.

That’s where all the magic happens!”

wanted to be a bunch of different things at once - I wanted to be an astronaut, a singer, a writer/magazine editor, a traveller of some sort.”

How did I start my acting career in Bangkok?

“Over the summer of 2016, I happened to see an audition call for a sweet romantic-comedy called ‘Almost, Maine’ by Bangkok Community Theatre. I had been part of choirs and debates in high school but had found theatre and acting to be way out of my comfort zone.

While I was never into “theatre”, I loved literature and reading plays (Shakespeare!). So in 2016, I took a chance on ‘Almost, Maine’ and I had some wonderful folks in the Bangkok theatre scene who took a chance on me.

Since then, I’ve acted in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2017), As You Like It (2018) and the Fringe Festival shows (2017, 2018). I’ve also had the chance to work with Culture Collective Studio in Miss Julie (2017) and The Vagina Monologues (2016).”

My Bus Stop character - Cherie - who is she?

“The character I play, Cherie, a small time nightclub singer, has come from very humble means. Though young, she has locked away a part of her heart and isn’t quite sure what she wants.

When the play begins, we find her running away, leaving behind Bo, the young passionate cowboy who is head over heels in love with her.

There is a part of Cherie that is very down-to-earth and practical, even about matters of the heart and we find out that being respected in a relationship really matters to her.”

When I’m not on stage.... “...(Or anywhere near it!), you’ll find me working with folks about climate change, environmental sustainability and human rights. There’s also a good chance that you’d run into me at a karaoke bar!”

My top tip to inspire other expats women in a foreign city “It can be daunting to be in a foreign city, but find an activity that you loved doing or you want to try a hand at and take a giant step outside your comfort zone. That’s where all the magic happens!”

Bus Stop Written by William Inge; Directed by: Michael Allman; Produced by: Charles Chester and Don Harrelson Conference room, BNH Hospital 3rd floor 7:30pm, September 20, 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29 Tickets: 500B at www.bangkokcommunitytheatre.com info@bangkokcommunitytheatre.com Recommended for audiences aged 12+

Want to be on stage as well?

Then do not miss the auditions to BCT’s show Snow White!

Auditions are open for English-speaking adults aged 16+ (of any nationality), who can sing, dance or act.

Show is planned for late November/early December.

Auditions will be held on Saturday, August 25th and Monday August 27th, 2018 at Bistro 33 on Sukhumvit Soi 33.

For more info please email: info@bangkokcommunitytheatre.com or visit: www.bangkokcommunitytheatre.com

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Family resemblance

by Georgia Knapp

“

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Y

ou and Sophie share a lot of mannerisms.” I cock my head.

“We do?” My friend nods. She looks around the table at my other two friends. They also nod. It’s Spring Break of our senior year at university.

I’d convinced three of my midwestern friends to road trip from our snowy Michigan college town to my warm, sunny coastal home. We spend our afternoons on the beach, and our evenings sharing drinks around my parents’ dining room table.

“What mannerisms?” I ask.

My friend swirls her Margarita.

“It’s hard to explain,” she says.

“You move your head the same way,” the second friend adds.

“It’s your demeanour,” says the third. “You two act alike.”

“You make the same expressions.”

I cock my head again.

“Right there!” The friend who first brought up the subject points at me.

“That is such a Sophie thing to do.”

I look beneath the table. Sophie is stretched out, so that her body touches everyone’s foot. Having heard her name, and sensing me looking at her, she wags her tail.

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to look like their pets. People with ferrets can have small, pointy faces; those with bulldogs can look surly; cat owners look stately. Whenever I meet someone’s furry or scaly sidekick I search for the resemblance. More often than not I find it, but whether that’s because it is actually there or I just want it to be there is another story. When it comes to my own pets, I’ve never noticed a physical resemblance. But a resemblance in everything else? That I do see.

As an only child, I grew up as a military brat/agnostic in the Deep South (AKA the Bible Belt)—the perfect recipe for having loads of alone time.

Both of my parents worked so my playmates were our pets: dogs, cats, and the occasional hamster or rabbit.

Although I included the hamsters and rabbits in my moments of make believe, it was the dogs who played the most active role.

The first dog I mimicked was a grey mutt named Susie. Dad and I adopted Susie when we lived in Cuba.

I called her a dingo because she looked wild. We explored our neighbourhood together, often with Susie pulling me along on my rollerblades. She lay patiently when I surrounded her with

stuffed toys. In my dad’s truck, we duelled like siblings over who got to sit next to my father. I picked fleas off her belly while she lay on her back. When Dad and I moved from Cuba to grey, dreary Germany, to a town where few of our neighbours spoke English, Susie and I whiled away our time stomping on crab apples in the walled-in backyard.

My mimicry of Susie started small. First, I copied her habit of shaking her head after a sneeze. Then I gnawed at my arm to scratch at an itch, just like Susie did to her legs.

Susie sniffed her food before she ate it; so did I. We both lay on our backs with our feet sticking straight up in the air.

I even adopted her personality quirks, like how she snorted when she was mad. I started snorting loudly whenever I didn’t want to listen to my dad. When my mother flew from the States to visit, she listened incredulously as Dad scolded both Susie and me: “Don’t you snort your nose at me.”

When Dad and I moved back to the States, I had the added influence of my parents’ other dog Shadow, a British golden retriever who

Family and Relationships

looked more like a Great Pyrenees.

I continued to pick up traits and mould my behaviour after both dogs.

It seemed like only a matter of time before I asked someone to throw a ball for me (perhaps that’s the reason the only sport I like playing is baseball?).

Thankfully, I wasn’t a total dogchild freak. I picked up traits from my parents, too. I scrunched my face when trying to make a decision, just like my mum. I sometimes hummed

to a tuneless song in my head, just like my dad. According to friends, the way I spoke sounded like my mother, while my demeanour mirrored my father.

The problem was that these traits didn’t stand out as much as what I had gleaned from the dogs. Sure, I laughed like my father, but that was nothing compared to feeling calmed by belly rubs, referring to my water bottle as my water bowl, or bringing Ziploc bags of Milkbones to school.

It wasn’t until college that I realised acting like my dogs could be seen as unusual. More and more friends pointed out my habit of sniffing food and drinks before consuming them. I joked that I was basically Mowgli from The Jungle Book, having been raised by dogs. The thing was – I was serious. I didn’t see my dogs as having parented me, but rather I saw them as having raised me like an older sibling to a younger one.

We played together, spent our free time together, hid from loud thunder and lightning together, and, as noted earlier, we fought together. I felt loved and protected when I was with them, which I assumed people felt with their siblings, too.

Just like people can look like their pets, we also tend to mimic the environment around us. Kids take

after their parents. Siblings mimic siblings. When you live in a new place, your accent may change slightly and you might pick up habits that aren’t from your original home. When you date someone, you might pick up some of their sayings and perhaps a quirk or two. Because I travelled and moved so much as a kid, my environment consisted primarily of my parents and my pets. Wasn’t it only natural that I started to resemble them?

I look under the dining room table. Sophie’s hard tail thumps loud against the tiled floor. As a puppy, she’d belonged to one of my neighbours, but repeatedly dug her way out of the backyard to trot down to my house to wait until I arrived home from school.

When my neighbour decided to move in with her boyfriend, whose apartment building didn’t allow pets, she gave Sophie to me. She said, “I think she’s chosen you.” Since then, Sophie and I had been inseparable.

Although I couldn’t totally see the resemblance between Sophie and me (the way I had with Susie and Shadow), I hoped my friends were right. Sophie was calm and loving, always quick to sit beside me when I had a bad day. When two stray cats had kittens in our garage, Sophie lay with the kittens and cleaned them whenever the mothers needed a break. She was never mean or vicious, and she could just as easily lay around the house all day or run in and out of the waves on the beach.

If I acted like Sophie, which I was sure I did, then that was okay. As far as family resemblances went, taking after loving, loyal dogs wasn’t so bad.

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Giving back to the British community

by Jeremy King

A

s a long term resident of Asia, with extensive stints in Hong Kong and Thailand, my wife from the Philippines, two children at Bangkok Patana, I consider Asia, especially Thailand, to be my home. However, I often think of Britain, with my happy childhood in Durham and Perthshire, and key family members still in Edinburgh and Durham. I like to think we bring part of what is good about Britain to these distant shores…

The British, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand community in Bangkok is quite tightly knit, with Embassies and Chambers of Commerce functions, Rotary Clubs and The British Club, and the varied international schools bringing us together. Overall, most of us can be thankful for a standard of living rarely enjoyed in our home country.

In Thailand, there are 600 members of the British Chamber of Commerce, approximately 60,000 British nationals resident in Thailand, of which over 10,000 are living in Thailand on retirement visas. In 2015 there were over one million British arrivals, the majority of them tourists with whom we have relatively little interaction.

It came as some surprise to me, whilst attending an Embassy Consular briefing by the British Consul, Layla Slatter in 2015, just how much good work their office does: apart from processing 7,646 notarisations for the resident community in 2016, the team also handled over 1,400 assistance cases, including 334 deaths, 46 missing persons, and 259 hospitalisations (and unfortunately 161 arrest cases).

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The Embassy helps distressed British visitors in a number of ways, firstly in terms of immediate assistance, from an emergency relief fund, which survives entirely on charitable donations, and generally dishes out between 1,000-5,000B to the most urgent cases, and did so for 37 cases in 2016.

The next level, are cases where the person is just a bit short of funds for a ticket home, or in unfortunate cases where someone dies, but relatives lack the funds to arrange transportation; in these cases the Embassy can lend money against a “promise to repay”, for only the most vulnerable customers but there is an internal policy limit per individual and specific policy requirements to be able to apply for this. Thirdly, are the more financially demanding cases where patients cannot afford their medical bills, but often have reserves back in Britain that they cannot access. We cannot use a UTR to pay medical bills.

Ms Slatter MBE, mentioned a number of examples of cases where which had somehow “fallen through the cracks” of normal process, where despite the British Embassy’s desire to help, they had either reached budgetary limits or couldn’t move quickly enough.

In these cases British subjects became stranded in Thailand with no financial lifeline to access urgently needed medical care, or lacked the price of a ticket home, or were even desperate for a basic meal after being pickpocketed. Hard to imagine amongst BCCT members, but who knows, it could happen to any of us (and probably did when we were students!).

Travel Many readers may expect this should be taken care of by the Embassy itself, but it is not always possible for reasons stated before.

Having taken all this on board two years ago, I decided I would like to help bridge any of the gaps in the system, and the thought occurred to me that other BCCT members might like to contribute too. As a result, we established The British Community Charitable Fund (BCCF) in March 2016, administered by the British Embassy. The Embassy offered to have representatives from the British community to participate in the decision making, but we felt it would be better to rely on their judgment. Instead, the Embassy consults with me on some of the more serious cases and produces a quarterly report, with a simple tally of inflows and outflows and real life examples of beneficiaries.

Since inception in March 2016, the BCCF has received 793,238.66B in donations, and given out a total of 49,900.00B in emergency relief, and 737,904B for 15 underfunded medical and repatriation cases.

The BCCF generally looks to fill any gap up to 50,000B per case where the Embassy has reached its “promise to pay� limit for repatriation or. A reasonable estimate of money needed to fully fund the programme is about 1 million Baht, much of which would be more like a revolving facility: effectively making loans to recipients which would generally be repaid at a later date. So the annual inflow needed is about

500,000B per annum.

In conclusion, there is an opportunity to share your good fortune, in a small way, to assist your stranded or distressed countrymen return home, after a sojourn gone wrong. The Embassy will issue receipts and recognise larger donations in the form of embossed certificates.

If you would like to learn more about this programme, please email: Sarah.Peth2@fco.gov.uk at the British Embassy or myself at: jk@skfm.com If you already feel able to make a donation, please transfer to: Bank of Ayudhya Public Company Limited,Ploenchit Branch Account name: DBN WELFARE FUND Savings Account number: 001-9-38820-5 Swift Code: AYUDTHBK The British Embassy will send you a receipt.

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Japan – a flying visit

by Daniel Sencier

M

y knowledge and impressions of this country had been painted as a child, watching World War II films and then later when transfixed by the TV series, ‘Shogun.’

Having made many Japanese friends in Bangkok, I knew that without exception, they were honourable, friendly people with a set of social standards that I respected but didn’t pretend to understand.

Their national cuisine was even more challenging to me than my growing Thai repertoire, so I was looking forward to being tested!

Visiting Japan had been a lifelong dream, and because of distance one I thought I’d never fulfil, but as good fortune placed me in Bangkok, once distant lands became close neighbours.

I’m here at the end of a two week flying visit, now in my hotel room on the final day; so, was it as I’d expected?

People often compare countries… “Austria is similar to Switzerland,” “Cambodia is a bit like Myanmar,” but Japan is like no other country I have been to! Having been cut off for centuries in self-imposed seclusion until about 150 years ago, it developed in its unique way to become what we see today, an ultra-modern society still cemented by deep traditional and cultural values.

First, I noticed that everything here works, it’s so organised and efficient, so clean and safe, dare I say, a bit like England once was? I saw many a school empty out and very young children setting off for home, not an adult in sight, a happening of the past now in my own country where everyone is afraid their child might just disappear one day! I did see a policeman once, but this is a self-policing society where the public know what behaviour is acceptable 144

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Travel

and tend not to go off-piste.

In England it is completely acceptable to be drunk in public, so it’s a common occurrence and some city centres resemble war zones on the weekend with police stretched to their limits. Here, it’s not acceptable, so it’s something you rarely see and when you do, it’s just ‘silly’ drunk, not ‘violent’ drunk. Doesn’t that make things a bit, well, robotic? Not at all, it makes it very Japanese, and though I’m not sure how it works, it does.

As in most parts of Asia, you get massive society bonus points as you get older, so at 66 maybe I just sensed that and felt very at ease here.

The food had to be the number one thing I wasn’t looking forward to, coming from a very sheltered background where everything was wrapped in pastry, I had no idea I was even eating part of an animal until the age of twelve. Thailand had been

a good training ground, and I soon found I could eat most things as long as it’s glazed dead eyes weren’t staring from the plate. Having pointed that out in one small hotel, they had great fun making sure there were no eyes involved in any of my meals, with alternatives, such as sliced pork in place of baby squid.

The things that stand out most in any country you visit are those that differ most from your own, so forgive me when I dedicate space to this subject. Toilets! Around the world they have their own designs, the more you travel, the more surprises there are, from the 3 bucket system in Zimbabwe to the standup toilets of France. A world league table, however, would see Japan sitting firmly on top with international demand for their Rolls Royce of small rooms always on the increase.

As you open the cubical door,

the toilet lid rises to a single chime, as if to salute, then blue/white light floods the bowl as a fragrant mist hisses in, sanitising the immediate area.

That came as a shock first time, as I was reluctant to sit on any electrical/ mechanical device hovering too close, but you soon develop trust as you’re touched by the warm welcoming seat.

As the sensors locate you, the water flushes gently to remove any possible trace of the last person, and that’s when I noticed the ‘control panel.’ So that nobody outside could hear my ‘toilet sounds’ I could press to make a rumbling wind/water noise, like a small aircraft quietly ditching into the sea at distance. When the main performance had passed another button allowed warm water to wash, pulsating, before being gently blow-dried; an awesome experience, if like me, you had never used a hi-tech bidet.

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This was not a 5 star hotel exception but a magic delight installed even in public toilets, and if I ever return to my own ‘cubical challenged’ country, I’ll source immediately!

The bullet trains travelling at over 200 miles per hour (320km/h) are impressive to most, but as a train enthusiast, I was in heaven. Make sure you get a ‘Japan Rail Pass,’ only available from your own country before you travel, as this can be used on not only most trains but also on buses and other forms of transport nationwide, saving

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you a lot of money. Sixteen carriages of luxury, soundproofed, always on time, travelling through the countryside and numerous mountain tunnels at speeds normally associated with flying machines; I was spellbound. Even photographing one passing through a station, you had to be very prepared, because as soon as it came into view, whoosh, it was already too late!

Cities are cities wherever you go, and that’s the same in Japan, plenty of interesting stuff but finding your way around, not easy! We did our best, but

you could spend a week in every one and still not do them justice. In general, the smaller the town, the better things were, if only because the smaller places here hadn’t been completely wiped out during the war, so they had far more history/buildings standing.

Yes, visit a castle or two, a few geisha houses and some shrines, all synonymous with Japan, but unless you have a particular interest in these, you’ll soon become “castled and shrined out.” Spend time travelling through the different areas, meet the people and visit the markets of today, and you’ll begin to know this wonderful country.

Get involved in the culture, take part in a ‘tea ceremony,’ try/hire a kimono or hoari, learn some basics of the language before you go, stay in a ryokan and bathe at an onsen; soak in Japan.

We travelled from Tokyo in the east as far as Hiroshima in the west, zigzagging on the super-efficient transport system, staying in large cities, smaller towns and mountain villages. If you go to any of the ‘top places to visit’ there’s the inevitable ocean of tourists, and sometimes you’ll just have to go with that, but it’s better to wander off the track a bit to feel the spirit in your bones of this beautiful, unique country.

It’s expensive, far more so than Thailand, more on a level with Australia

Reading Travel and the USA but you can keep costs down if you research for the best hotel offers and book tickets for tourist attractions in advance.

Hiroshima had to be the highlight of our visit, not only because of the terrible thing that happened on that dark day in 1945 but also to witness the beautiful city that has risen from those ashes. It was an extraordinary feeling standing at ground zero where so many died back then, and so many more in the years that followed.

People looked knowingly at each other, there was no need

About the author: Daniel Sencier, writer/ copywriter, has lived in Bangkok for over three years with his wife Beverley, Head of Kensington International School. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media, is a CELTA qualified teacher and recently partnered with ‘English for Thais’ a project pioneered by Thailand’s Ministry of Education. He is also founder and organiser of the ‘Bangkok English Speakers Lunch Group,’ encouraging others to improve their English while exploring this fascinating city.

Contact: www.englishproofreader.org to speak, it was the strangest of experiences, as if there were souls all around observing us.

Hiroshima now stands as a world monument for peace and a hope that no other population will ever have to face that experience again, and we can only hope!

I’d like to return one day, for longer next time and perhaps take in some of the areas we weren’t able to visit. For now, I leave at least knowing that I know Japan.

She’s no longer a mystery across the seas that I’ll never be lucky enough to visit, I’ve kissed her on the cheek, and she’ll stay deep in my heart forever.

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Appreciation and reflections about my home country Sweden

“What I especially appreciate now is the fresh air, the number of cars,... the flowers fragrance here in Europe, the birds singing in springtime – the blackbirds especially. Open fields. The light.”

by Monica Nilsson

W

hen you live in Asia as a Swede after a large number of years, I often feel that I value different things in life now, than what I did before. What you felt like a tremendous adventure almost 20 years ago when moving abroad for the first time, you now find that certain things shadowing the glory of the expat life. The past year I even have written a book about our adventure years. A lot of words and pages became a book that I also at last had gotten printed via Solentro.com as the main purpose to give it to our two daughters as a memory, a gift. Their mothers view on different things and happenings that we shared together as a family. It almost took a year to write it, read it, correct it again and again and finally decide and accept that it was “good enough”, which was the hardest part.

Southeast Asia is a jewellery box for sure and has so many diamonds inside when you open the box that it´s almost sometimes unbelievable. So many places there are to discover and travel to and that you want to explore. We will forever appreciate all of that. All the beaches, the islands, the people, the food, the culture, the climate.

But. There is always that but, isn´t there? The last year(s) the pollution has been difficult to cope with for us, especially if you are born in countries where you never even think of something like air pollution, because it hardly exists. Not if you compare with real pollution. I am talking about the dangerous and terrible haze and smog in India and China but

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also in Vietnam and Thailand the recent years.

There might be other things that annoy us when living in Europe because we always need something to complain about, don´t we? What else should we talk about and discuss with each other. The positive things doesn´t create debates in that sense, sadly and ironically enough.

As for myself I was rather sick and tired of air pollution already in February, all the chaos, the noise and too many people and was more than ready in early May to go home for my four month summer vacation in Sweden. This would be the very last one going back and forth since we will move home for good next summer.

When you travel to Sweden and especially to the southern part, in May you know almost for certain that you will go home to something really good. But this year I must say it was the best May I have ever experienced in my life. Not since 1947 when Sweden started carry out statistics of the weather, has the temperature been that high and the weather been as consistent as this year 2018. Every day sunny, a clear blue sky and 25 degrees – for five weeks. Five weeks!

You almost felt that you were in Tuscany, Italy or in Provence, France. Almost too good to be true and people started to worry about their job vacation.

Should the summer end even before Midsummer

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this year, or what is happening here? The flowers like bird cherry and common lilac e.g. that normally starting to bloom and flourish right before or at least in time for the school to finish – they are already gone.

Every day I took my bike and went out for a ride.

Sometimes a very long one, like 40km and some days maybe 15-20km. But biking I did almost every day for 5 weeks. Now being home for 6 weeks I have biked 430km and yes, I keep track of the distance. I draw one diagonal line for each Swedish mile (10km) on a piece of paper on the door inside of the pantry(!).

The nature in Sweden is so beautiful and of course I knew that of course since in fact 58 years but I think, not until you travel a lot out of your own country and also live abroad for a longer period of time, you start for real to appreciate your home country for what it is and what is has to offer. You often find people back home complaining about a lot of different things that you find almost hilarious since you see so much that is worse, if you know what I mean.

What I especially appreciate now is the fresh air, the number of cars, which is more bearable than in big cities, the flowers fragrance here in Europe,

the birds singing in springtime – the blackbirds especially.

Open fields. The light. The Swedish light is amazing and by Midsummer in the northern part it is almost not dark at all, whilst in the southern part we have the sun up between 4am and 10:30pm in the evening. You never get tired. Some find it even disturbing because they can´t go to sleep but I find it just amazing. The light and the sun give me energy, even more energy than before. I almost feel a bit silly when I am biking around the yellow canola fields smiling to myself almost in euphoria. I am just so happy being at home again. Knowing that after all the wonderful memories in Thailand and other neighbouring countries we´ve visited, it is this country we will go back to.

Growing old in Sweden. Yes. Travelling of course we will do for sure as long as we can, but I truly feel that I will enjoy going back home. And this is a nice feeling, which gives me comfort and peace in my sometimes quite restless soul.

I just spent a weekend in Malmö and walked around the city. Malmö is Sweden´s third largest city and I have lived and worked there twice over the years. I had a nostalgic walk and took a lot of photos and got the response later on Facebook “wow, such nice pictures of my home town, I don´t see it that way!!” Well, that is the problem. facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 149

We don´t see the beauty in places we live in every day.

I always say to friends: Don´t forget to look up in cities on all the wonderful architecture, the fantastic buildings. We tend to only look down or right in front of us, because we are so busy, we stress too much and are always in a hurry somewhere. But when you bring your camera you will find yourself seeing things with different eyes because you are looking out for and searching for the beauty, for details, flowers, small things, people, faces, kids laughing and playing.

Southern Sweden has so much to explore. Österlen in the south is sometimes called Sweden´s Provence. There are many small cities quite close to one another, just 20-30km in between them. Lund, Landskrona, Kristianstad, Malmö, Helsingborg, Ystad, Trelleborg, Simrishamn and SkanörFalsterbo are all within the distance of 100km. There is just so much to see and this part of the country. And if you ever get tired of Sweden and live in the south, it is just 45 minutes by car or 25 min by train from Malmö to Copenhagen. Not bad at all to have this variety so close by.

Gothenburg and Bohuslän are also fantastic favourite places to visit and of course Stockholm, Sweden´s capital city and the number one summer city if you ask me. Stockholm has its archipelago and it is so nice to take the ferry out to

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Fjäderholmarna or to Vaxholm for example. To stroll around in Stockholm is simply fantastic. The Old Town, Haga park, Djurgården, Kungsholmen etc etc. I could go on forever mentioning favourite places and also restaurants in Stockholm.

Once many years ago I travelled with my friends that I know from our Singapore years as far up north as to Kvikkjokk. The distance from Malmö to Kvikkjokk is 1,750km. Sweden is in all around 2000km long. We always learned in school as kids that if you turn our country upside down you would come to the “tip of the boot” of Italy. It was simply wonderful, all of it. We saw reindeers alongside the road, big preys flying in the sky, a moose swimming in a lake (yes that´s true!) and a nature that is magic. I will not forget this trip as long as I live.

Now I guess almost all of you would like to come to Sweden and visit next year. And you know what?

You are all very welcome.

Travel

Galaxy Tailors has now moved its shop to Petchaburi 47 (the road leading to Bangkok Hospital) opposite the Amari Residences.

Quality bespoke tailoring with the finest materials and prompt first class service.

Galaxy Tailor 5/14 Phetchaburi Road Soi 47 (Soi Soonvijai), Bangkapi, Huaykwang, Bangkok Thailand. 10310 Mobile: 095 003 8770 Email: galaxytailorbkk@gmail.com Mobile: 087 414 2443 What’s App: 095 003 8770 Website: www.galaxytailor.com

Dalby, Skåne June 18th

“When you bring your camera you will find yourself seeing things with different eyes because you are looking out for and searching for the beauty, for details, flowers, small things, people, faces, kids laughing and playing.” facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 151

What it means to be a “long timer”

by Laura Bagin

W

hen I first moved to Thailand I was in awe of the people I met who had lived here for several years. I couldn’t imagine living away from home for five, eight or even 15 plus years. Even though I knew my stay here was expected to be between three to five years that time just did not register. I was trying to find my new normal and looked to these women as an example of how to do that. Their friendship and guidance made all the difference for me making an easy transition with the move versus brooding and wanting to go back home.

Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to be considered a “long timer” with regard to my expat life. I have been in Bangkok a mere 3½ years and I am the experienced person. I am one of the people who welcome new women and help make them comfortable. They look to me for answers to the tough questions... Where do you get a VISA picture? What tailor should I use to recreate a favourite outfit? How do you get to the Chatuchak weekend market?

There is an air-conditioned area at the market??

While none of these are earth shattering matters it is nice to be able to share my experience, to help out those

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who have just arrived. Coming to a new country, leaving that which is familiar, can be challenging. But knowing someone is there to help you makes the transition so much easier. It is comforting to know that there are others who can help traverse the everyday life struggles, real or perceived.

I have met some amazing people over the past few years. People from all over the world. Some are on their first posting like me. Some have lived a nomadic life moving every 3-4 years and are on their eighth, ninth or fifteenth assignment. It is so interesting to learn what it is like to live in North Korea or Iraq, countries that do not scream warm and fuzzy. Or to know that there really are places that are hotter than Bangkok! All of these women have an inspiring story to tell and like me have learned to start fresh and build a new life wherever they end up.

Some of these women have come and gone from my life and others will remain lifelong friends.

To me this is the challenging part of being an expat, making strong connections and then having to

Mind Matters

say goodbye sooner rather than later. I have said goodbye no less than four times to people I considered “my” person in this transitory environment. I have sent them on their way to their new adventure, sometimes back to their home and other times to places I hope to go visit. Each time I have said goodbye it felt as if I would never find another person to fill that gap. And each time I have met yet another person to make that connection with. Some may be older than me, others may be younger than me. Not all of them may be fellow Americans. But we are all in the same boat. We are away from “home” and looking to make friends and find a community that we fit into.

Finding these friends was easier than I expected. There are a multitude of groups that give access to a whole world of interesting people. Women’s groups, expat groups and Meet-up groups can be found on the internet. Pick one, pick two, or go to them all. They are the link to a new life. And even now, as someone who has lived aboard for a while, they can still be a lifeline to new friends.

As old friends leave we need to meet new friends.

We too need to start over yet again.

I wouldn’t trade my current life for anything.

I know I am blessed to have the chance to travel seeing new places and having new experiences. Four years is a long time to be away from “home”. But I have come to believe that home is wherever you make it. It is where your important people are. It is where you live your day to day life and make your friends. Your first home may be where extended blood relatives live. Your NOW home is where you make it.

About the author: Laura Bagin moved to Bangkok in Nov 2014 as a trailing spouse. Prior to coming here she owned her own business selling health insurance to small businesses in the US. She is an active member of the American Women’s Club of Thailand and has been the AWC Scholarship Chair for the past 2 years. She enjoys travelling this part of the world and feels immensely blessed to have the chance to be in this part of the world.

This is her first expat experience.

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A day at Chatuchak

by Johanna Stiefler Johnson

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n an overcast Saturday, a humid breeze drifts with the threat of rain over Chatuchak Market’s hustle and bustle. Some vendors call out from the entrances of their booths and shops, while others wheel rickety carts along the narrow streets. Customers who have come from all corners of the earth to walk from shop to shop with their wallets out, hungry for cheap deals that can’t be found in their home countries.

With its crowds, noise, and sometimes unbearable heat, the sprawling weekend market is not for everyone. But for those who can tolerate a certain amount of stress, Chatuchak is a wonderful and unique place fit to satisfy one’s shopping needs. Lose yourself among the extensive selection of clothes and shoes, art and home decor, jewellery, and delicious food – to name just a few of the products offered there – for a successful trip to the largest market in Thailand.

Clothes and shoes The taxi driver drops me off at the Mo Chit BTS station, and I walk through the park to the entrance of Chatchuak

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that I know best. I usually need to be on the main street to orient myself; I can’t go wrong if I have JJ Mall, the big building under construction, or the clock tower in my line of vision. When venturing into a maze like Chatuchak, it’s good to be aware of familiar landmarks that can keep you from getting lost.

The first store I stop at is blue with vintage denim – as are most of the shops that line the alleyway. Levi’s saturate shop walls in the form of jeans, shorts, jackets, skirts, overalls, and more. Denim fades into leather and suede, along with other high-end materials sold at a fraction of their worth. Floor-to-ceiling shelves house Converse, Vans, and Birkenstocks, while hangers display coats, tops, and bags from brands that are famous worldwide.

Across the alley from my favourite denim shop is a shop that overflows with t-shirts, polos, and Hawaiian shirts so cheap, they will barely dent your wallet. Further up the main street is another favourite secondhand store of mine, which is full of gorgeous dresses sold for just 200B each. It is also often full of women just like me, amazed at the low price of these beautiful items.

Chatuchak also has an endless supply of new brands of clothing, most of which follow trends that are popular worldwide. You can find shirts depicting abstract art on the front, strappy summer dresses decorated with floral prints, and pretty hand-braided sandals – all for 200B or less – along with sportswear, bags in every shape and form, and bathing suits. In what I consider a more high-end section of the market, due to the sleek look of the shops, there is a wide array of linens.

Tailored suits are also available for a much lower price than you’d expect, and traditional Thai garments are sold all over the market in an endless array of colours and designs.

Needless to say, when it comes to clothes at Chatuchak, there are plenty of options to choose from.

Travel

Art and home decor After I’ve exhausted myself clothesshopping, I like to wander into the alleyways that house artworks. Shop walls are covered with large paintings in a range of styles and from many different cultures. These shops are pleasant to explore because they are in the shade, and many are air conditioned, so you can cool off after the outdoor humidity. Of course, the art section is only for those who are looking to make a substantial investment.

Beyond this area, there are also plenty of shops devoted to home decor.

Many people choose to shop here because they can find more affordable pieces of furniture than elsewhere, without sacrificing the quality.

Chatuchak is home to a wide range of home decor products, including full

room sets in many shades of stained wood – enough to style any room in the house. If you’re looking for new pieces to furnish your home, Chatuchak could be the place for you. This is also true for those seeking simpler decorations, such as picture frames, clocks, or string lights, all of which – and more – can be found there in abundance.

Jewellery Jewellery merchants are a prominent part of Chatuchak. Some focus on the sale of antique jewellery, with rings and necklaces from previous eras available to anyone who is interested in old-fashioned items. Other shops throughout the market are lined from floor to ceiling with bohemian-style bracelets, anklets, and necklaces, with beads and stones in turquoise, scarlet, and other colours.

“For those who can tolerate a certain amount of stress, Chatuchak is a wonderful and unique place fit to satisfy one’s shopping needs.”

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These items are usually handcrafted locally, and are sold for just a few Baht each. The anklets, whose tiny charms tinkle when you walk, are perfect to wear for a few weeks when you are in a fun, summer-soaked mood. I like to walk among the stalls trying on different pieces, to see which best suit my skin tone; there’s something for everyone.

If you’re looking for jewellery to last longer, you won’t be disappointed.

There are also more high-end jewellery shops in the market. These elegant spaces with clean white walls offer simple displays of silver and gold. Here, the price of pieces can get into the thousands, if you wish to purchase something of high quality.

That said, it’s important to be aware that many items at the market are fake, so if you are seeking an original Rolex, you might want to take your shopping endeavours elsewhere.

Along with jewellery, accessories such as sunglasses, headbands, and pins are available throughout the market.

Food I don’t believe a trip to Chatuchak to be complete without a snack to top it off. This may be because the food at the market looks so appetising, it’s impossible to resist. One large section by the entrance closest to Chatuchak is constantly sizzling and steaming with yummy treats. Fried shrimp, fish balls on sticks, spicy pad thai, vegetable spring rolls, and mangoes with sticky rice are just a few of the options you can find there.

Throughout the market, stalls offer cold sodas and juices from fresh local fruit, including pineapples and mangoes - wonderfully refreshing bites during the blistering summer months. There are stalls that sell sweet coconut ice cream you can eat straight from the fruit, fried roti that drips with Nutella and sweetened condensed milk, and chocolatecovered bananas. Iced coffees are available, too, if you’re looking for a cold refresher along with a caffeine boost.

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main attractions is the paella from Viva 8, which often draws crowds with its world-famous reputation and blaring upbeat music. Other restaurants along the alleyways offer perfect dishes to satisfy Thailand cravings, like fried rice and noodle soup tinged red with chilli peppers. Venturing into one section, you will find a number of restaurants, many of which are enclosed in plastic tarps to hold the air conditioning. These spots are suited to those looking for more refined service, and a place to sit down and relax for a while before resuming your shopping spree.

Clothes, accessories, art, and food – these are just a few of the items that Chatuchak has to offer. The market is full to bursting with products ready to please eager customers from all over the world. A trip there, especially if you’ve never been, is certainly worthwhile.

Venture there one weekend, to shop or just to experience the wonderful world of Thailand’s largest market.

About the author: Johanna Stiefler Johnson is Danish and American, but grew up moving around Asia, Europe, and the United States because of her father’s work with the UN. She is currently an undergraduate at Boston’s Emerson College, where she majors in Writing, Literature, and Publishing and minor in Environmental Studies. Her fiction work has appeared in The Greensboro Review, Blacklist journal, and Polaris magazine. Her main issues of interest are the environment, animal protection, and feminism.

Travel

Prachuap Khiri what

by Nori and Scott Brixen, Two Twins Twavel

P

rachuap Khiri Khan is unknown and unpronounceable outside of Thailand. But it couldn’t be one of Thailand’s “Hidden Gem” provinces – not because it isn’t worthy, but because so many people go there without realising it. Confused?

In Thailand, most provinces are named after their capital city. The royal retreat and resort city of Hua Hin (which everybody knows) is actually in the north of Prachuap Khiri Khan province (which few foreigners know).

So is Pranburi, a more low-key beach area forty minutes south of Hua Hin. But few travel beyond Pranburi for a very simple reason. It’s too far to drive for a weekend getaway from Bangkok.

That puts the capital of PKK city and the southern half of PKK province in an access “dead zone”. You need time to get here. On a weekday, in good traffic, it takes four hours to drive to PKK city from Bangkok. On a weekend, that could easily stretch to six hours. Your whole weekend would be spent driving.

PKK province is shaped like an hourglass. From Hua Hin, the Myanmar border is roughly 50km to the west as the crow flies. That distance contracts to just 12km near PKK city, the province’s waist. That was our goal. Nori had prepaid for a few nights at the Tri Shawa Resort, two bays south of the capital.

The resort was beautiful and the room was perfect for us. But the beach was a trash-strewn mudflat. I understand that hotels aren’t responsible for the rubbish that washes up on their beaches, but a twice daily trash pick-up would do wonders for aesthetics, and perhaps shame neighbours into cleaning up their act too.

In the morning, I ran down the main street towards the karst pinnacle that loomed over town. I got a lot of strange looks from the locals; foreign tourists aren’t so common there. But everyone was friendly as I stopped to investigate the street food carts in front of the wet market. I noticed that the street signs had whale figures atop them, but I hadn’t seen anyone offering whale-watching tours. I cut down a soi towards the shoreline and followed a path to a small inlet jammed with colourful fishing boats. But I couldn’t find a way to the trail that made its way up the peak and there was no beach here to speak of.

Nearby Ao Manao (“Lime Bay”) was unusual in several respects. First, it was located inside an Air Force base (Wing 5). There were only two, guarded entrances to the base and no big hotels or apartment buildings near the beach. Second, the beach was a long, graceful ‘C’ of sand framed by high limestone headlands.

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“I can’t believe this”, I remarked to Nori as we absorbed the view, “it looks like Rio de Janeiro! How have I never heard of this?”

While I filmed the surroundings with my drone (risky-stupid inside a military base), a tan, rangy foreigner approached. I assumed that he was American, but he was from Victoria, Canada and had lived in PKK for seven years.

“When I first came here it was like paradise. Nobody came here. My friends and I climbed Khao Lom Muak whenever we wanted. We actually helped maintain the trail and the fixed ropes. One guy, a crazy American, used to climb it every day.”

Khao Long Muak was the tallest and most Brazilian of the headlands. Looking across the bay, I could see where the trail must go. It looked like an easy walk for the first 20 minutes and then it would get steep, really steep. A small pagoda crowned the sharp peak. The views from up there must be incredible. I had to climb it.

“Then it got too popular and they were afraid someone was going to get hurt. So they’ve gated it off and only open it up on holidays.”

Drat! But I wanted to make sure the situation hadn’t changed, so on his suggestion we drove out along the road that followed the northern arc of the beach. A large troop of dusky langurs lives at the foot of Khao Lom Muak.

We had to stop to let an airplane take off from the Air Force runway that bisected the peninsula. It didn’t take long to locate the langurs: there were dozens of the mildmannered creatures eating bananas offered by visitors. We watched a troop of them scamper atop a fence, mothers with pink babies clutching their bellies still acrobatic enough to

leap over lolligaggers.

Unfortunately, the trail up Khao Lom Muak was truly closed: barbed wire had been stretched across the access road and there was a soldier stationed in a guard post nearby. As we drove back along the bay, I marvelled that such an incredible beach could be mostly free of hotels and restaurants. Unintentionally, the Air Force was protecting the environment from the ugly free-forall that happens all along Thailand’s coast. But how long could they resist the money that developers must already be offering? I agreed with the Canuck: “If the Bangkok people get a hold of some land here, this place is in trouble.”

He was also worried about the local tourism authority’s attempts to brand the area as ‘The Three Bays’, encouraging more Thai tourists to visit. “Domestic tourists are the worst: they all want to do the same thing and they have no respect for the environment.”

It’s condescending and even colonial to suggest that Thais shouldn’t see their own country because they’re herd-following litterers. But there is some truth to it. All over the country, we’d seen beautiful places despoiled by locals. They’d picnic on the beach and leave all their rubbish behind when they left. They tossed empty water bottles and candy wrappers on the side of hiking trails.

Random stretches along rural roads became unofficial trash dumps. The water anywhere near fishing villages was clogged with trash. Of course, foreign tourists could be filthy too, but Thais were often shamefully neglectful of their environment.

“The views were extraordinary: a series of bays bookended by towering karst peaks. We could see all of PKK City, underwater ‘dunes’ shaped by the tides, long piers and the smudgy blue mountains to the west marking the border with Myanmar.”

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Travel One set of PKK locals was unquestionably filthy: the malevolent macaques of Khao Chong Krachok. The jagged rocks and shit-covered stairs were teeming with nasty, thieving, diseased monkeys. Our ascent to the temple-topped mountain just north of downtown PKK city will be forever known as “The Assault on Monkey Mountain”. Even with a bamboo switch I was on guard.

The boys, especially timid Tai, were terrified to walk past the larger, aggressive macaques, who seemed to enjoy baring their teeth, hissing and feigning attacks.

I love animals but they needed a good kicking.

Thankfully, running the primate gauntlet was worth it. The views were extraordinary: a series of bays bookended by towering karst peaks. We could see all of PKK city, underwater ‘dunes’ shaped by the tides, long piers and the smudgy blue mountains to the west marking the border with Myanmar. I was sweating and parched when I reached the top. So a trio of kind youngsters offered me a swig of beer and my boys a gulp of Sprite.

Hua Hin certainly isn’t undiscovered. But much of southern PKK province is, and the parts we’d seen had surprised us. Mass tourism will come to PKK city and Lime Bay, but I hope it comes slowly.

Tourists need infrastructure: big hotels, whalewatching boats, restaurants and nightclubs. This part of PKK wasn’t virginal, but it still felt unspoiled and perhaps even naive about the total impact of tourism.

I happened to see the Canadian on his way back from his beach walk. I made a beeline for him; I had another question.

“We’ve not been to the south of Prachuap Khiri Khan province or to Chumphon province at all. Anything to see there?”

I asked him.

“Oh man,” he smiled. “You’re missing the best parts!”

About the authors: Two Twins Twavel Scott & Nori are avid travellers and knowledge seekers who have travelled to 110 plus countries across all 7 continents.

Now they’re sharing their wanderlust with their two sets of twinboys, Tai, Logan, Drake and Kiva. Follow their travels at: www.twotwinstwavel.com

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Events / social pages What’s been happening Viva la Casa collection exposed by Francesca Steffen at Shiva Tower, Wednesday 17th June

IWC International Food & Tourism Fair” luncheon at Novotel Hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 20, Thursday 10th May

SWEOR get together at Volvo Cars in their new office at Emporium Towers with food from Mamma’s Kök

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The Colombian Embassy ran a successful event on Thursday 12th July at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. World Salsa champion’s Swing Latino was enjoyed by VIP guests of the Embassy.

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Farewell dinner for Annika Jonasson, of “Hang on hangers” charity project, at About Eatery restaurant, 24th May

“Intellectual tea party” by H.E.Mr. Kirill Barsky, Russia’s Ambassador at the Russian residence, 30th May

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Piano recital hosted by the Hungarian Ambassador Peter Jacab and his wife Krisztina at Sala Sudasiri Sobha in Lao Prao, 3rd June

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Ambassador Francisco Vaz Patto’s talk about Portugal’s 500 Years of Enduring Friendship with the Kingdom of Thailand at The Siam Society, 31st May

Italy National Day celebration hosted by H.E. Francesco Saverio Nisio and spouse Elisabetta Vono at Oriental Mandarin Hotel, 1st June

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Russia National Day celebration hosted by Ambassador Kirill Barsky and his spouse at Oriental Mandarin, 13th June

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Portugal National Day celebration hosted by H.E. Signor Francisco Vaz Patto and spouse Kevin Colleary, 7th June

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Philippine National Day at Shangri-La hotel, 12th June

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20th Bangkok’s Best Restaurants Awards, Grand Ballroom of Shangri-La Hotel, 11th June

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Queen Elisabeth’s birthday celebration hosted by Ambassador Brian Davidson at the British residence, 15th June

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German movie “Willlkommen bei der Hartmans” viewing, hosted by German Ambassador Peter Pruegel and wife Lucia, 9th June

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BANGKOK PATANA SCHOOL CLASS OF 2018

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176 47

USA

CANADA

Celebrates Global University Offers

USA

UK 5

21

THE NETHERLANDS

1

IRELAND FRANCE

1

1

CHINA ITALY

3

1

HONG KONG

THAILAND

2

OUR 126 GRADUATING STUDENTS HAVE RECEIVED

SINGAPORE

453 OFFERS

3 AUSTRALIA

NUMBER OF OFFERS

BY COUNTRY

From 184 selective universities and colleges (Data correct as of 22/05/18. Southern hemisphere applications are still in process)

Over 100 offers were made by the following institutions listed

in the Top 50 of The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2017-2018 UK Universities Imperial College London King’s College London London School of Economics and Political Science University College London University of Edinburgh

USA Universities Carnegie Mellon University Columbia University Cornell University Georgia Institute of Technology New York University Northwestern University Princeton University

Rest of the World Peking University University of British Columbia

University of California, Berkeley University of California, Los Angeles University of California, San Diego University of Chicago

University of Melbourne

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Toronto

University of Pennsylvania University of Washington University of Wisconsin-Madison Yale University

A proud tradition of learning excellence Bangkok Patana School is a not-for-profit, IB World School, accredited by CIS and NEASC

643 Lasalle Road, Bangna, Bangkok | T: +66 (0) 2785 2200 www.patana.ac.th | admissions@patana.ac.th facebook.com/expatlifethailand.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 171

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