Popular actor Jesdaporn “Tik” Pholdee has been named as the Campaign Champion and will be travelling to the hardest-hit areas in Mozambique next week to visit some of the affected communities and see first-hand Unicef’s relief efforts there.

More than three million people in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe are currently affected by the aftermaths of Cyclone Idai and Cyclone Kenneth, the most devastating disasters to hit southern Africa in the past 20 years. Homes, health facilities and schools have been destroyed, leaving thousands sheltering on rooftops, and thousands more crowded into camps and schools and other public buildings. Three months on from the first cyclone, and more than 1.6 million children are still in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, including healthcare, nutrition, protection, education, as well as water and sanitation.

The devastated infrastructure has left communities in a race against time to prevent the spread of diseases. In this image, Lucio Carlos, a volunteer social mobiliser, carries Luisa Daniel, 5, suffering from fever and vomiting to a medical tent where she was tested for Malaria.

“Many children have lost their homes, schools, friends and loved ones. The cyclones took everything away from them,” said Juan Santander, deputy representative for Unicef Thailand. “Over the past few months, Unicef and partners have been racing against time to provide urgent assistance to save children’s lives. The needs remain urgent and massive, as any prolonged interruption in access to essential supplies and services could lead to disease outbreaks and spikes in malnutrition, to which children are especially vulnerable.”

Last month, Unicef Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom visited Mozambique, the country most affected, where more than 1.1 million of children are severely affected by the cyclones.

Displaced people rest at the Samora Machel school in Buzi, Mozambique, where children and families were brought to after their homes were destroyed and flooded.

Following Bloom’s mission, Tik Jesdaporn, will be travelling to Beira, the worst affected area where he will meet children and families at temporary shelters to learn more about their urgent needs.

“I heard heartbreaking stories of many children who have lost everything,” said Jesdaporn. “Although they survived the cyclones, many aspects of their lives have been wrecked. While the crisis is happening far away from Thailand, I want to tell their stories and speak out about their needs. I truly believe that the support from Thai people in times like this will become a vital force that could save thousands of children’s lives. Together, we can help the survivors overcome obstacles and return to normal life again.”

Unicef is supporting children and families affected by the cyclones, so they can return home or relocate to safer places. Unicef is also providing healthcare, nutrition, education, water and sanitation and protection services. Shortly after the disaster hit, Unicef and its partners restored water supplies to thousands of people in Beira and procured and administered 1 million doses of cholera vaccine to curb the disease outbreak.

Unicef and its humanitarian partners are working hard to implement solutions – such as establishing temporary learning centres – to get children back in school as quickly as possible. In this picture, a Unicef staff interacts with children in a temporary classroom in Chipinde.

In Thailand, Unicef hopes to raise a total of Bt25 million, in contribution to the organisation’s global funding appeal which has been set at US$122 million to deliver humanitarian assistance to children and families affected by the cyclone. The donations will be used to provide safe drinking water, vaccines, treatment for malnutrition, as well as quality education and psychosocial support.

To help children and families affected by Cyclone Idai and Cyclone Kenneth:

SMS: Type 100 and send SMS to 4712225 (Bt100 per one SMS) or visit http://www.unicef.or.th/cyclone.

Bank Transfer: Bangkok Bank Account no 2013013244.

Please send your contact information (name, address, mobile phone number) together with pay slip to Unicef and indicate “Cyclone” to unicefthailand@unicef.org fax: (02) 356 9229.

The American fashion brand has just launched its re-imagined mascot in a collection dubbed “Rexy Remix”, for which it collaborated with four contemporary creatives based in China. First seen on the runway during Coach’s Pre-Fall 2019 show in Shanghai, the collection, available in Coach stores globally and on Coach.com, fuses the creative energy of the city with the bold attitude of New York. Sui Jianguo’s T-Rex sculpture is photographed to create a distorted photo print. Music collective Yeti Out incorporated Rexy into their signature graphic round face. Zhu Jingyi playfully recontextualized the brand’s mascot in an authentic ink drawing and graphic artist Guang Yu reinterpreted Rexy in a fierce hand-drawn graffiti print.

In celebration of summer

Finnish brand Marimekko recently launched its pre-fall 2019 collection that explores different interpretations of boldness and empowerment through joy and self-expression. Inspired by the great female authors of the 20th century, the new styles shout out creativity, open-minded and fearlessness. In the collection’s prints, two counterforces create an interesting dialogue: freedom meets regularity. The colour palette of the season blooms in blue, pink and green with Marimekko’s signature flower prints by Maija Isola, Unikko (poppy, designed in 1964) and Juhanas (midsummer, designed in 1966) coming alive on dresses and sun hats. Artist jackets with a meaningful message of “love” and head-to-toe looks in scribble prints tell a story of boldness.

Shades of good fortune

Japanese beauty brand Jill Stuart celebrates its third anniversary in Thailand with the launch of three new collections. “Pink Bling” lipsticks present a pinkish sparkle that dazzles with a hint of sexiness and comes in ten colours and two limited editions. “Diamond Time” made with such ingredients as kiwi, lemon, avocado, coconut oil, and coco-butter offers body jelly and body milk that give a glorious glow to the skin while also moisturising it, while “Something Pure Blue” is a special limited-edition collection featuring the blue butterfly to bring good luck, especially to bride. The collection includes an eau de perfume with the pure floral fragrance of little spiderworts and forget-me-nots. The cap is decorated with a bouquet of three crystal blue flowers, each with five petals and has a light sapphire Swarovski crystal in the centre.

A younger you

A complete anti-ageing product that plumps, smoothes, hydrates, nourishes and protects while combating dark spots, Sisley’s new Anti-Ageing Concentra SPF30 Concentrated Firming Body Cream is packed with active ingredients including Persian acacia and lindera extracts, yeast and soy protein complex that help restore optimal cell life. A lightening action acts deep down within the melanocyte to target melanin synthesis, while also protecting against pollution.

Find out at your nearest Sisley counter today.

A FREQUENT visitor to Chiang Rai, a province rich in art and history, Kreingkrai Kanjanapokin, chief executive of Index Creative Village, often finds himself standing in front of the central clock tower, admiring National Artist Chalermchai Kositpipat’s stunning Buddhist contemporary art and its magical night lights.

A creative figure, Kreingkrai has always wanted to take this magical illumination further afield so that others might too enjoy the exquisite works by the national artist, who is known the world over for his masterpiece, Wat Rong Khun or the White Temple.

Chalermchai has long been an inspiration to the new generation through his unique creations of Thai visual and Buddhist contemporary arts. They include the murals at Wat Buddhapadipa in London and his drawings illustrating the “Mahajanaka” story, written by His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

So last year, the owner of the world-renowned creative event organiser, decided to approach Chalermchai with a view to experimenting with 3D mapping to illuminate the temple and bring its story close to the hearts of all those who visit it.

“My temple is all white, as if it had been waiting for magnificent lights to paint my art and the story of my life. It might be a contemporary art expression that will not last for long, but the world will be stunned and remember,” said Chalermchai.

With the artist’s agreement for the Wat Rong Khun Light Fest project, Kreingkrai gathered a number of artists from various fields to help create this contemporary masterpiece. They included Scenario’s renowned writer/composer Sarawut “Nann” Lertpanyanuch, whose work has brought to many musicals to life, among them “Banlang Mek the Musical”, “Si Pan Din” (“Four Reigns”), and “Tawipob”, and Nipon Wannamahin aka “Jo Variety Dance”, an internationally-acclaimed dance director and choreographer who was behind “Mahajanaka”, a live show honouring His Majesty the King.

Also brought on board was LightSource, a leader in the entertainment lighting industry with 30 years of experience in handling such talk-of-the-town events as Mahanakhon Bangkok’s “Rising: the Night of Light” and Show DC’s grand opening.

Their creations combined with 3D mapping technology from Panasonic have been under preparation at the temple for months and will be ready to present to visitors by the end of this year.

“I fell in love with Chiang Rai Province when I laid eyes on this magical temple, which has become the pride of Buddhist art. That feeling inspired me to create this project, which has been in the pre-production phase for more than a year,” said Kreingkrai, adding that thanks to the use of new technology, it would be totally immersive for children as well as adult arts.

The world-class, Bt100-million multimedia show titled “The Illumination of the White Temple” will feature more than 100 lasers as well as 3D mapping. The story of Chalermchai’s life and his world-class art pieces will be told through both the multi-coloured laser lights and a troupe of performers moving around the White Temple.

At the pre-show event held in the temple grounds last weekend, participants were able to enjoy the magnificent laser light performance against the night sky with Wat Rong Khun as the backdrop.

Two of six scenes in the Wat Rong Khun Light Fest’s episode “Begins” were presented, starting with “The Sins”, which dwells on the horror of hell before crossing the overpass to gleaming heaven through the spectrum of laser lights. Only those with enlightenment attained in their mind are destined to journey towards the place beyond all suffering.

“The Way to Heaven” is a replica of the exquisite heavenly land of Dhipaya Viman, welcoming those who have discarded lustful greed like a lotus rising out of the water. The pre-show then took spectators to the grand finale “Wat Rong Khun Begins” at the Ganesha Hall, where spectacular multimedia light shows through water curtains portrayed the inspiring story of Chalermchai in pursuit of his great dreams and path to becoming an internationally renowned visual artist.

SEAWrite Award poet and writer Chiranan Pitpreecha, who also attended the pre-show event, described it as an integration of art that delivered the delicateness of Chalermchai’s art and his Buddhist beliefs and philosophies with the help of technology. Unlike other light shows, this integrated art piece could be expressed with delicacy because the technology of lighting is today highly advanced and sophisticated.

“Thanks to all these materials, we can all appreciate this delicate artwork and gain a more comprehensive knowledge of what art appreciation really means,” Chiranan said.

Chalermchai agreed, commenting that while the show was unlike to make a substantial profit given the cost involved, he was hopeful that the work that invested in art would generate a greater value of art appreciation in people’s hearts.

“Let’s think of it this way: we are creating a great art piece and we are doing this to boost art appreciation among our people and our children. Let’s them enjoy the masterpiece, If people see that it’s great, then I believe support will follow,” the artist said.

Wat Rong Khun, which Chalermchai designed, decorated and runs, is among the most popular tourist attractions and is listed as one of the top 10 Thai landmarks, as well as one of the 10 Most Beautiful Temples in the World.

The artist said earlier that millions of tourists visit the North and the temple gets 10,000 visitors a day, averaging two million a year.

The Wat Rong Khun Light Fest will mark the first time the temple will be open at night.

ALL AGROW

– The Wat Rong Khun Light Fest runs daily from November 22 to December 22.

– Tickets costing from Bt400 to Bt1,150 are now on sale at Thai Ticket Major counters and online at http://www.ThaiTicketMajor.com.

– Part of the proceeds will go to Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital.

– For more information, visit http://www.WatRongKhunlightfest.com, and keep up with the latest news and updates at Facebook.com/Watrongkhunlightfest and Instagram: Watrongkhunlightfest.

 The 255-square-metre store has been fully renovated to celebrate the arrival of the first Bottega Veneta collection

designed by creative director Daniel Lee. It has a new sense of openness and modernity, with the interior designed

around the theme of lightness.

Walls are painted bright white or covered in plaster with a Roman travertine texture. The floors are covered with dark

ivory limestone and pale carpets, while the ceiling is pure white.

A pale-hued Antique Oak is used throughout the store to create linear shelves and glass-topped display tables.

Distinctive visual elements such as brushed brass racks, colourful jelly cubes and cement pillars for product display

and vintage-inspired leather seating complete the renewed decor.

Bottega Veneta established its presence in Singapore by opening its first store at Takashimaya Department Store in

2009. It now has four branches in the city state.

JUST AN hour’s drive from Lausanne, the Vallee de Joux, Le Brassus and its forests, lakes and the magnificent Jura mountains, is home to Audemars Piguet, a highly regarded watch manufacturer whose passion and craftsmanship have ensured for more than 144 years. This year, the skilled craftsmen are busy mastering their latest innovation, the Code 11.59, which is already one of the most discussed watches of all time.

Winderen at work in the Vallee de Joux that connects listeners to the sounds, both accessible and in accessible to the human ear, of the ecosystems at Vallee de Joux.

Writing a new page in the manufacture’s long history, the new collection represents its genetic code, which stands for challenge, own, dare and evolve. The brand offers 13 models, including five complications and six calibres of the latest generation in one go, with Code 11.59 representing one of the most important and comprehensive launches ever.

“The idea is to craft the round watch but not the round watch,” says Olivia Giuntini, chief brand officer.

“It comes with an unconventional design, which proposes a new language of the former design yet still bears our history. That’s why we named it Code 11.59. The C is for ‘Challenge’ because we always challenge the limit of our craftmanship, the O stands for ‘Own’ because we own our roots and we are really proud that our business is still in the hands of the founding family and here in Le Brassus, the ‘D’ is for Dare and represents our mission to create bold and unique complicated watches, while ‘E’ is for Evolve because we never stand still. We propose a special design and unique materials with highly technical insights that means our watches appeal to the connoisseur. Code 11.59 is another way of telling who we are and where we are now. It is being talked about because no one expected it,” she adds.

While the new collection is very different in many ways from Audemars Piguet’s iconic Royal Oak timepieces, Giuntini stresses that they share the same DNA. Both push the limits in terms of technological innovations, new movements, and the play on shapes at the very core of the watches. Royal Oak uses steel as a new material while the Code 11.59 is about the precision in the details.

“The more you look at it, the more you see the details in this watch, and the more your appreciation grows. For example, the collection is immediately recognisable. Its case boldly embeds an octagonal middlecase within a round case, and the upper part of the open-worked lugs is welded to the extra-thin bezel, while the lower part leans delicately against the caseback in perfect alignment. The double curved glare-proof sapphire crystal has a tense, arched profile like a dome, playing with depth, perspective and lights to give a visually extraordinary optical effect. Meanwhile the 3D logo created by Atom and applied by hand. Each letter is connected with links approximately the size of a hair and placed by hand on the dial with tiny legs that are almost invisible to the eye,” she explains.

Fernando Mastrangelo

Faithful to its legacy since 1875, Audemars Piguet is the oldest fine watch-making manufacturer still in the hands of its founding families – Audemars and Piguet. To underline its commitment to craft, creativity and innovation, in 2013 the brand entered into partnership with Art Basel to support the world’s premiere contemporary art show held annually in Hong Kong, Basel, and Miami Beach. For each of the Audemars Piguet Art Commissions, an artist-curator duo is selected to explore the link between the traditions of Haute Horlogerie and Art, namely complexity and precision while enlisting contemporary creative practice, mechanics, technology and science.

Art Basel 2019 was held recently in the Swiss town for which it is named and Audemars Piguet used the occasion to unveil a new site-specific sound installation by Norwegian artist Jana Winderen at the brand’s stand in the Art Basel’s Collectors Lounge known as “The Vallee”, designed by the Brooklyn-based artist Fernando Mastrangelo.

Winderen’s sonic artwork “Du Petit Risoud aux profondeurs du Lac de Joux” takes visitors on an acoustic journey across the Vallee de Joux from sunrise to sunset in a symphonic collage of interwoven layers. It explores what she refers to as the “disharmony” between the audible and the visible and results from two comprehensive visits to the Vallee de Joux forest and lake region. Windersen, who thrilled art lovers here in Thailand last year with “Through the Bones” presented at the International Art Biennale in Krabi, used hydrophones, an ultrasound detector and other highly sensitive tools to amplify these sounds, making a new dimension of the environment accessible to all.

The work encompasses the indigenous sounds of the Vallee de Joux, from the 300-year-old slow-growing spruce trees of the Risoud forest, known for their excellent sound transmission properties, to a plethora of mammals, birds, fish, insects and plants living in the valley. The piece also notes the inescapable sound of human activity, highlighting the fragility of the environment, as well as humanity’s part in its gradual degradation.

The Optical Crystal Experience: The Manufacture has created a complex double curved glareproof sapphire crystal, whose tense, arched profile embodies the watch’s contemporary design.

Winderen gave a live public performance at Art Basel organised in collaboration with the House of Electronic Arts.

Lakes in the mountains, says Winderen, create enormous, overwhelming noise, “I share with watchmakers a fascination for and attention to the very smallest of details. When you listen to the environment, it is the sound of protecting a habitat, So when you put the headphones on here in the lounge, it takes you somewhere very different, a place where you can relax and be nothing but yourself. It resonates with the materials used in the craft of watchmaking, a frequency you can hear but can’t see. Through this focused listening, I can sense my immediate surroundings. Watchmakers, too, have increased sensitivity to sound. The watch comes alive with its ticking.”

Mastrangelo’s design, The Vallee, was also inspired by Audemars Piguet’s origins. First unveiled at Art Basel in Hong Kong earlier this year, it will continue its evolution in Miami Beach and into 2020. It symbolises a journey across the Vallee de Joux with each part of the journey punctuated by sculpture and furniture. Visitors walk through the spruce tree forest, watch the sunset from the Vallee and feel the texture of the Vallorbe Caves. Each part is handmade and cast using materials as a metaphor for the awe-inspiring landscape. The design element that debuted in Basel was a chandelier made of crushed glass, referencing the limestone stalactites in the Vallorbe Caves suspended above the watchmaker’s desk.

“The space for me is about the journey across the Vallee de Joux,” Mastrangelo explains. “We all have different ways of thinking about time. For me it was geological time, so I translated the idea to rocks, the layers of the strata, the earth and the cave, all elements that take millions of years to develop. I want to approach time in the geological sense and create a metaphor about how time allows things to grow bigger.”

Both artworks blur the boundaries between contemporary art, design, and craft and, through their creative interpretations of the geographic origins in the Vallee de Joux, perfectly mirror the technical mastery at the heart of Audemars Piguet’s fine watchmaking.

The AN515-54 is powered by the high-end Intel Core i7-9750H processor with six cores based on the Coffee Lake architecture (2019 refresh, CFL-HR). The processor clocks in at between 2.6 and 4.5 GHz (4 GHz with 6 cores) and can execute up to 12  threads simultaneously thanks to Hyper-Threading.

It is equipped with 8 gigabytes DDR4 of working memory or RAM and it comes with a one-terabyte hard drive. The graphics horsepower comes from NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphic engine with 3 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM.

The fast CPU has plenty of memory, a fast graphic engine and large storage result ensuring fast gaming performance and beautifully rendered graphics.

The laptop uses a 15.6-inch display with IPS (In-Plane Switching) technology that has 1920×1080-pixel resolution. To ensure a blur-free game playing experience, the display has a high refresh rate of 144Hz and very fast 3 millisecond response time. It also provides lifelike colours using a 72-per cent NTSC system and a height screen-to-body ratio of 80 per cent with narrow 7.18mm bezels and has 300-nit brightness that adds to the images.

During the test, I found that the AN515-54 was really fast for game playing. I used the Superposition Benchmark based on the UNIGINE 2 engine for extensive graphic games performance testing and the laptop scored high with 4,798 points. And the laptop achieved an average display rate of 35.89 frames per second and maximum rate of 48.31 fps.

The display showed beautiful game graphics rendered by the GeForce GTX 1050 processing unit. Thanks to a high refresh rates and lifelike colours, it was also great for watching HD video clips and high-resolution photos as well as browsing web pages,

The laptop has good sound system for both gameplay and the movie experience, using Waves MaxxAudio and Acer TrueHarmony technologies to enhance sound and make it deeper and richer.

Most online games now require fast Internet connection. The new Nitro laptop comes with superfast Ethernet E2500 LAN port and Gigabit Wi-Fi 802.11ac with 2×2 MU-MIMIO technology.

If you want to experience the game playing on bigger screen, you can connect the laptop to your TV using its HDMI 2.0 port. You can also expand its functions with a provided USB Type-C Gen 1 port.

The laptop looks sleek and beautiful wit n Obsidian Black body and a red LED-backlit keyboard. The keyboard uses NitroSense Key technology and provides a tactile feel on the keys with a travel distance of 1.6mm.

The new Nitro 5 laptop is not for travellers because it is quite large and heavy. It has a footprint of 363.4 x 255 (D) x 25.9 (H) mm and it weighs 2.3 kilogrammes. That large size ensures better ventilation using a twin-fan deign.

Even at the height of gameplay, the laptop didn’t overheat thanks to Acer CoolBoost technology and the dual exhaust port design. The CoolBoost increases fan speed by 10 per cent and CPU/GPU cooling by 9 per cent compared to the auto mode of the operating system. Acer also provides NitroSense utility for you to monitor and manage your system in real time to adjust fan speeds.

The Acer Nitro AN515-54-76TH has a suggested retail price of Bt31,990.

Key specs:

OS: Windows 10 Home 64-bit

CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H processor

Memory: 8GB DDR4 RAM

Storage: 1 TB (5400 RPM) hard drive

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050  with 3 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM

Display: 15.6-inch display with IPS (In-Plane Switching) technology, Full HD 1920 x 1080, Acer ComfyView LED-backlit TFT LCD

Audio: Waves MaxxAudio sound technology, featuring MaxxBass, MaxxVolume, MaxxDialog

Webcam: HD webcam with 1280 x 720 resolution and 720p HD audio/video recording

Wireless and networking: Intel Wireless-AC 9560, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac wireless LAN; Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0; LAN port: Gigabit Ethernet Realtek RTL8118ASA-CG

Ports: 1x USB Type-C 3.0 (3.1 Gen 1), 1x USB Type-A 3.0 (3.1 Gen 1), 1x USB Type-A 3.0 (3.1 Gen 1) with Sleep and Charge function, 1x USB Type-A 2.0, HDMI, Ethernet LAN Gigabit Ethernet

Battery: 55 Wh 3580 mAh 15.4 V 4-cell Li-ion battery pack with up to 8 hours battery life

Power adapter: 3-pin 135 W AC adapter

Dimensions: 363.4 x 255 (D) x 25.9 (H) mm

Weight: 2.3 kg (5.07 lbs.) with 4-cell battery pack, one hard drive

JABRA ELITE 85h is an award-winning pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones with SmartSound technology for both wireless calls and the very best music experience.

The phones have won several awards for their technology and design, including the Best Headphones of CES 2019 award and CES Editors’ Choice Awards: The best and coolest tech to expect in 2019 from USA Today.

Certainly, the SmartSound technology has a lot going for it. It uses Artificial Intelligence to analyse the sound environment and automatically applies personalised audio, Smart Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and HearThrough settings to optimise best sounds depending on the situation.

Jabra SmartSound is based on audEERING’s context intelligence technology, which uses real-time acoustic scene analysis of environmental sounds. The technology can detect more than 6,000 unique sound characteristics and uses these to adapt audio output to each specific context. This means that when moving from a noisy train station into a quiet train carriage, the context intelligence technology will take notice and automatically adjust the audio to the changed surroundings. It will select one of the three moments: “Commute”, “In Public” or “In Private” to guarantee a consistent quality for your audio experience.

You can also personalise your calls and music settings even further by using Jabra’s Sound+ app, which will remember your preferred settings within the mode for future similar situations.

When SmartSound is active, the Elite 85h’s microphones will make a short recording for the AI to analyse and automatically change the settings profile – Moments as they are known – within the Jabra Sound+ app. When SmartSound is not active, you can change Moments manually in the Sound+ app. Or you can change the sound profiles by using the Sound Mode button on the left ear cup.

The SmartSound technology is really useful especially when you walk out from your quiet room into a street. It will switch from the In Private mode to In Public Mode. When the headphones are in the In Private Mode, it turns off Active Noise Cancellation and HearThrough modes to focus on sound quality. In HearThrough, the headphones allow you to hear surrounding ambient noises, for example vehicles coming up behind you.

The Elite 85h is 100 per cent hands-free with Alexa. You no longer need to touch a button on the headphones to interact with Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant – all you need to do is speak and you’ll be connected immediately. Jabra is the among the first to feature this capability, allowing you to access Alexa by invoking the wake word. You can also press the voice button on the right ear cup to activate the voice assistant feature or mute microphones of the headphones.

During the test, I found that the SmartSound effectively detected that I was in a room and switched to In Private mode to yield good music sound quality.

The good sound quality came from custom-engineered 40mm drivers. I found that the headphones reproduced clear instrument sounds with good details and powerful bass.

And thanks to the adjustable headband, the headphones were comfortable to wear for hours on end.

I also found the Elite 85h’s Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) worked efficiently. The Digital Hybrid ANC uses four of the headphones’ eight microphones to cancel the noise. And for making calls, the Elite 85h uses advanced six-microphone call technology for crystal-clear sound. The technology also blocks out wind noise and background distractions.

And the Elite 85h is engineered to withstand the weather. The nano-coating of the internal components, combined with a two-year warranty against water and dust means you can be confident your headphones are ready for rainy days.

The headphones come with sensors that recognise when you remove them from your ears. With the smart sensors, the headphones automatically power on when the earcups are rotated to the wearing position and the Elite 85h automatically powers off when earcups are folded flat.

The Elite 85h is designed to allow you to conveniently control music playback and calls. The multi-function button is located in the middle of the right earcup with the volume up and down buttons above and beneath, allowing you to conveniently adjust volume and play music and answer calls.

You press the multi-function button to play or pause the music. And when there is an incoming call, you can choose to press multi-function button or just say “Answer” to accept it. Then, you press the multi-function button again to end a call. If you want to reject an incoming call, double-press the multi-function button or say “Ignore”.

You press and hold the Volume up button to skip to the next track, the Volume down button to restart the current track or press and hold it twice to play the previous track.

When not listening to music or not on a call, you can press the Volume up and Volume down at the same time to hear the battery and connection status of the headphones.

You can recharge the headphones’ battery by connecting a USB-C charging cable to the port on the right earcup of the Elite 85h.

The Elite 85h’s battery can last up to 36 hours on a single charge with ANC function turned on. It also comes with fast charging technology that allows you to have five hours of battery from just 15-minute of charging. But if the battery runs out, you can also connect the headphones with the provided audio cable. A 3.5mm audio jack port is located on the right earcup.

Jabra Elite 85h is available in Black, Beige, and Navy for Bt10,990 from RTB Technology and can be bought at iStudio, iStudio 7, .Life, Mercular.com, Shoppe, Lazada and GadgetThai.net.

Key specs:

Speakers: 40 mm customengineered speakers

SmartSound: Audio that automatically adapts to your surroundings

100percent handsfree: Voice Assistant access without pushing a button

Battery: Up to 32hour battery with ANC activated and 35 hours without ANC

Microphones: 8 microphones in total. 6 dedicated for calls, 4 for ANC and 2 hybrid mics for both calls and ANC.

Durability: Unique IP52 dust and rain resistance, backed by a 2year warranty against water and dust

Weight: 296 g

In the Box: Headset, USBC cable, audio cable, flight adapter, carrying case

KNOWN FOR its orchards that produce such popular fruits as durian, mangosteen, rambutan and longkong, the eastern province of Chanthaburi is working hard to showcase its potential as a culinary destination where visitors can learn about the unique local produce, savour recipes cooked up by the old generation and sample the creative twists dreamt up by younger natives.

Of course, not everyone grows fruit on this fertile land. On her 30-rai farm in Klong Plu sub-district, about 40 kilometres from Muang district, Sivaporn “Bess” Iamjitkusol practises organic farming based on an integrated and sustainable agricultural system. Garden vegetables such as coriander, long bean, cucumber, kale, chilli, holy basil and water morning glory fertilised with bio compost are among her main produce.

Sivaporn Iamjitkusol, far right, leads visitors to learn about her organic farming based on integrated and sustainable agricultural system in Klong Plu sub-district of Chanthaburi. 

“My farm has 10 water gates to generate water flow to the crops. Growing rambutan requires a lot of water. It means that I have to open all my water gates for about two days to provide enough water to nurture the trees. For my vegetables, I only need to open the water gates for 15-minute sessions in morning and evening,” says Sivaporn, 65.

A severe drought three years ago caused tremendous damage to fruit orchards throughout the province but Sivaporn’s farm was able to survive the crisis. Mixed crops, she stresses, help in managing risks from unpredictable weather.

The practice involves multiple cropping and keeping different types of animals such as ducks, geese and cows. Some mangosteen, longkong and rambutan trees also grow but are not the main crops. Hardwood trees like takien thong (malabar ironwood) provide shade for the mangosteens and the fruit responds to its natural umbrella with a shining and smooth skin.

Visitors are also served foods prepared by the descendants of the Chong – the indigenous people of Chanthaburi.

A Bangkok native, Sivaporn worked in construction and lived in a polluted environment for several years. Her health suffered and she decided to quit her job and left the metropolis to buy this pot of land 28 years ago, following the sufficiency philosophy conceived and developed by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej to sustain Thailand’s agricultural sector.

“I want to develop the organic products that are good for my own health and other people’s. Food should be produced with safe, quality materials, while the production process should be environmentally friendly, without the use of chemicals. I can guarantee that my products are 100-per-cent organic,” Sivaporn says.

She is happy to share her farming practices with interested visitors and also offers farm stays. She also promotes the culture of the Chong – the indigenous people of Chanthaburi – through their cuisine to anyone who visits her farm. Sivaporn can arrange a farm tour for a group of visitors (15 people up) and provide a set menu of five or six dishes prepared by Chong descendants together with fruit. The cost is a very reasonable Bt350 per person.

Papaya salad

Chong people are also found in the neighbouring provinces of Trat and Rayong and it is believed they have lived in the area since the Ayutthaya Kingdom. It is also thought they were early inhabitants of Cambodia, probably pre-dating the Khmer.

They were known as cultivators and gatherers of cardamom – the herb that is largely grown in Chanthaburi. In the past, they lived in small, remote, isolated villages that were often located in heavily forested areas. Only a handful of elderly people still speak the language that is linguistically similar to Khmer.

“There are still thousands of Chong descendants living in Chanthaburi’s three main districts of Khao Khitchakood, Pong Nam Ron and Makham as well as in Trat and Rayong. In the past, the Chong hunted animals for their antlers and tusks for merchants to export to China,” says Chong descendant Chern Panpai, the head of the Cultural Council of Chanthaburi’s Khao Khitchakood.

During the farm tour, Chern and his neighbours prepare Chong-style dishes such as coconut and shrimp paste dip and chicken curry with pumpkin and serve them with fermented rice noodles and boiled fruits like bananas and papayas, as well as shredded papaya salad.

“Herbs and vegetables are the primary foods of Chong, which is why they are healthy and live long lives. Nam prik kati (coconut and shrimp paste dip) is prepared in almost every home. The coconut cream is slowly simmered with shrimp paste until almost dry and the dip is eaten with fresh or blanched vegetables and boiled fruits. Minced pork or fish can be added,” he explains.

“Shredded papaya salad is also unique. The shredded papaya is seasoned with ma-euk (hairy-fruited eggplant), chilli, ground dried fish, and shredded onion. Grated coconut can also be roasted with salt and eaten with steamed rice,” says Chern, 82.

A variety of fresh seafood and local favourite ingredients are available at Charoen Suk Market in Muang district.

The best spot to learn about local produce is Charoen Suk Market in Muang district that is open daily from 2 to 8pm. Home to more than 200 merchants, the market was renovated four years ago and took its clean market model from the Aor Tor Kor market in Bangkok. The carefully selected products are categorised into sections and range from fresh seafood, meats, herbs and vegetables to cooked-to-order food and consumer goods.

At the Lek-Khiew Seafood stall, Pairoh Pohthong gathers fresh seafood sourced from the eastern part of the Gulf of Thailand. Her wares include longtail tuna, grouper, sea bass, squid and shrimp – all selected for their freshness and large size. Next door to her is a stall run by Nongkhran Satjasai who proudly presents the tiny-shaped mollusk the locals call hoy med krasun, which literally translates as bullet-shaped mollusks.

Cha muang leaves

“The rounded and ribbed shell is similar to hoy khaeng (cockle) but not as strong. These mollusks live in the deep sea and can normally be fished in June. However, for five years, fishermen didn’t find any. They seem to have come back this year. The locals normally blanch them and soak for a while in fish sauce before eating them,” says Nongkhran.

Cardamom

Kra waan (cardamom) and cha muang (garcinia cowa leaves) – the two main ingredients that Chanthaburi locals use in the curry and salad – as well as a variety of curry pastes can be found at the stall Paa Nual run by Suthida Thopsri. If you want to cook the popular local delicacy of gaeng moo cha muang (pork belly curry with sour cha muang leaves), Suthida can arrange a set of ingredients and explain how to prepare it.

The legendary restaurant Chanthorn Pochana, whose second branch is shown here, offers a variety of local delicacies.

If you don’t want to cook but prefer to try different local favourites, look no further than the legendary restaurant Chanthorn Pochana that has been in business for nearly 60 years and was the first restaurant in the province to receive the culinary hallmark of Shell Chuan Chim. The restaurant now has two outlets in the Maharaj and Benjama Rachutit areas. Here you can find pork curry with cha muang leaves that is cooked to order or packaged in a can to take home.

Som tum with durian

“We want to promote local favourites to a wider group of people and also use local fruits in both savoury and sweet menus. Our restaurant brings together many food products from different communities in the province to promote local wisdom,” says Noztagon Vananan, the manager of the Benjama Rachutit branch.

Chicken massaman with durian

This season, diners can sample som tum with shredded young durian, chicken massaman with durian, stir-fried long bean with shrimp paste and dried shrimp, as well as pad thai with the province’s unique chewy rice noodle called sen chan. Pad thai sen chan is normally cooked with crispy fried whole baby crab but the taste is relatively sweet.

The 100-seat chef table event called Proud Chan was held last weekend to promote local cuisine with creative twist.

To promote local cuisine with a contemporary twist, the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Chanthaburi office organised the 100-seat chef table event called Proud Chan last weekend and invited two young Chanthaburi chefs to present a five-course menu based on local ingredients.

“Chanthaburi foods normally have sweet taste and make use of herbs such as cardamom and black pepper. They are partly influenced by Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. We want to reinterpret the local delicacies like pad thai sen chan, moo liang (braised pork in herbal broth) and rice slightly stir-fried with fleur de sel – the salt that is largely available in the province,” says 30-year-old Peeranat L Lorrasamee who also operates the Garage Cafe in Muang district.

 Peeranat L Lorrasamee, left and Nisayanun Pinkachan prepare dishes for the chef table-style dining.

He worked with 23-year-old female chef Nisayanun Pinkachan to present the local cuisine in a contemporary style while maintaining the authentic tastes.

Local ingredients like raew hom (bustard cardamom), brown sugar, ma pued (calamondin), cinnamon, hoy takom (Pacific oyster), as well as different kinds of fruits from durian, mangosteen, mango, longan, malva nut and salacca had a starring role.

The first course was moo liang served with Chinese-style, boiled sticky rice shaped into triangles and drizzled with brown sugar and chilled mangosteen in syrup. Chanthaburi-style stir-fried noodles with crab were served with a forgotten part of pork called lai lee – a chewy cut from the diaphragm – that was grilled and seasoned with cha muang sauce, together with durian-flavoured kanom jak. Kanom jak is made from ground coconut mixed with sticky rice flour, coconut cream and palm sugar and poured into long nipa leaf lengths, then grilled over a charcoal fire.

Moo liang served with Chinese-style, boiled sticky rice and chilled mangosteen in syrup

The large hoy takom were served fresh and seasoned with Chanthaburi-style seafood sauce while the patong ko (deep-fried dough sticks) were lightly seasoned with sour-and-sweet clear sauce and served with mango sorbet.

Pacific oyster with Chanthaburi-style seafood sauce

“The theme was a one-day trip in Chanthaburi through a culinary journey. Diners today are increasingly interested in locally grown produce, artisanal and hand-crafted food and Chanthaburi has potential to match this food trend. I’m going to launch chef table-style dining called ‘One Night: One Table’ in the next two months at my own place for about 15 people at a time. So far, 20 groups have already booked,” says Nisayanun who trained at the Frog Hoxton restaurant in London.

The writer travelled as a guest of Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Chanthaburi Office. 

A DECADE after arriving in Bangkok, the Barbara Barry flagship showroom has undergone a comprehensive facelift, vastly expanding the space to display fresh ideas in home decor.

Exclusive distributor Chanintr Living operates the showroom on the third floor of Siam Paragon. What customers now find resembles a simple yet elegant house filled with a wide range of luxury furniture, refined tableware, bedding and other products both from Barbara Barry and other manufacturers around the world.

Founder Barry, an experienced American interior designer, praises Chanintr Living for taking her brand “to another level”.

“This is like having my own beautiful home in Bangkok, where I live very well,” she says. “When people come to Barbara Barry, we now can get them not only the furniture but also pillows, sheeting, pyjamas and so many other things. Customers can get ideas for mixing and matching all these new things.”

The model living room is cosy and elegant with an Obi lounge chair that feels like it’s “hugging” you while you sit. The sculptural upholstery of cotton and linen atop a rounded wooden base has lovely topstitching details.

The Kukio chair has a tight seat and mahogany legs and is available in five finishes. At the back of the contemporary upholstery are two decorative vertical seams.

The tailored Surround Sectional sofa with a supportive seat and durable bronze legs features inviting loose seat cushions and a tight back with arms and throw pillows for extra comfort.

“My furniture is casual but elegant,” Barry says. “I take my inspiration from nature. When I look outside or walk in the garden, I just think about the shapes I see and how nature is so perfectly composed in an array of neutral earth colours that complement one another. I’m not a designer who uses bright blue or red or yellow.

“What’s most notable about nature is that everything is timeless and soft.

“The showroom isn’t too feminine or masculine. It’s balanced. Perhaps the husband wants modern furnishings and the wife wants ‘pretty’. That can cause friction, but here they can come together.”

For their mealtimes, the Encircle dining table with an octagonal base has a subtle veneer and patterned top. The sensually coved edge all round is accented with burnished gold leaf, while light plays off the rhythmic fluting of the base sitting on bronze pads.

The Canyon Swivel dining chair is as versatile as it is functional, inviting conversation in all directions. The X-form base ensures stability and the seat floats on a floral stem. The back is barrel-shaped tightly upholstered for comfort.

In one corner of the showroom are fine porcelain and ceramic tableware by Augarten and striking leather lifestyle products from Italy.

“My whole career and my whole life have really been spent in appreciation,” Barry says. “At the end of the day, it’s all a matter of how the house comes together and how it feels.

“I’ve done many homes and I can teach people how to put a room together in layers. A good tip is to ‘dream’ the feeling you want in the room.

“I don’t believe in trends. I love circles and curves. I like softness and colour changes, but it’s always neutral colours, easy to live with. We don’t need too many things, but we need nice things. We need quality and things in simple shapes.”

Barry also offers a wide assortment of products exclusively designed for her, like the Pink Peony Catchall shopping bag made from upcycled sailcloth, BB Basic Bed linens and cotton towels and BB loungewear inspired by the softness of marshmallow gauze.

MORE THAN A MERE HOME

>> The Barbara Barry showroom by Chanintr is on the third floor of Siam Paragon. It’s open daily from 10am to 7pm.

>> Find out more at (02) 129 4577.

SONY RX0 Mark II is a premium, tough digital camera that allows you to capture good-quality photos despite its tiny size.

The RX0 II has a footprint of only 59×40.5x35mm and weighs just 117 grams without the battery or microSD card, but it can capture 15-megapixel photos in 3:2 format and good-quality 4K video.

Its diminutive size and weight allow you to carry it in your pocket all the time, ready to grab images whenever you encounter something interesting.

The camera can capture beautiful images even in dim light thanks to the powerful 1.0-type sensor and low-distortion Zeiss Tessar T lens.

The camera can also send the photos and video clips to your phone for instant sharing on your social networks.

The RX0 II is so compact that it rests comfortably in the palm, but it’s amazing what you can accomplish.

There are two separate shutter buttons on top, one for stills and the other for video, but if you buy an optional shooting grip, you can much more conveniently press the shutter buttons.

The shooting grip has a USB cable to link to the camera and the grip also provides a button for zooming in and out, making it more convenient to switch between telephoto and normal focal length.

The camera has no optical zoom, but instead 2x digital zoom of good quality. It will reduce the resolution from 15 to 7.7MP.

The excellent quality of images coming out of this tiny camera is attributed to the 1.0-type Exmor RS sensor and low-distortion wide-angle Tessar T 24mm-equivalent lens with an f/4.0 aperture and improved 20cm minimum-focus distance.

The LCD screen can be tilted 180 degrees to take pictures of yourself and video for your vlog. With the Picture Profiles feature and S-Log2, you can set the overall tone of movie productions from the camera body, adjusting parameters that affect the final look.

I found the RX0 II captured nice photos in most lighting conditions and the video taken using the grip was clear and not shaky.

The camera has a Soft Skin mode that reduces small facial wrinkles and improves skin dullness while preserving the clarity of your subject’s eyes and mouth.

The Eye AF function automatically focuses on your subject’s eyes, so portrait shots will not be out of focus.

The super-slow-motion mode running at speeds up to 1,000fps lets you to capture split-second action and enjoy it really slow. You can even shoot in full HD resolution at up to 120fps.

And the continuous-shooting capabilities allow you to better capture decisive moments of action and fleeting facial expressions. Up to 12,916 JPEG (Standard) images can be shot in one burst.

The Anti-Distortion shutter is capable of speeds of up to 1/32,000 of a second and is designed to minimise the “rolling shutter” phenomenon, which can distort images of fast-moving objects.

The Mark II version has a new interval-recording feature that enables continuous shooting at a set interval, anywhere between one and 60 seconds. These still images can then be edited into a time-lapse movie on a PC.

The RX0 II comes in a rugged and robust construction with a duralumin body. The body is built to withstand the impact of a drop from a height of two metres.

The camera is dustproof waterproof in both fresh water and seawater. There’s no need to safeguard against rainwater or splashed drinks, and you can also shoot comfortably in beach settings with sand blowing around without needing a special case or other accessories.

It’s also crushproof, rated for up to 200 kgf/2000 N, so you can carry the camera around without worrying about damage.

The camera can be wirelessly controlled from a phone or tablet with Sony’s Imagine Edge Mobile app. This gives you greater flexibility in positioning your cameras to create stunning shots or videos.

It links to your phone with the same app so you can download the video and then edit it with the Movie Edit app. This add-on will also keep your subject in-frame automatically, even when you crop movies for phone portraits and sharing online.

The app works the camera’s gyro sensor and image stabiliser for editing the videos to look smooth, as if they were shot with a gimbal. You can create videos with multiple aspect ratios from one video file for efficient posting online.

Sony’s RX0 II has a suggested retail price of Bt21,990. The VCT-SGR1 Shooting Grip costs Bt3,190. Get them packaged together for Bt23,990.

KEY SPECS

Sensor: 1.0inchtype (0.52 x 0.35 inch) Exmor RS CMOS sensor, aspect ratio 3:2, with 15.3 MP resolution

Lens: Zeiss Tessar T Lens, 6 elements in 6 groups (6 aspheric elements), 24mm focal length, f/4.0 aperture

Screen: 1.5inch (4:3) / 230,400 dots / Clear Photo / TFT LCD

Image processing engine: Bionz X

Electronic shutter: 1/4 in, 1/32000

Focus type: Contrastdetection AF

Focus mode: Singleshot AF, Preset Focus, Manual Focus

ISO sensitivity: ISO12525600

Video resolution: 4K 30p (3840×2160)

Interface: Multi/Micro USB Terminal10, HiSpeed USB (USB2.0), Micro HDMI, Microphone jack(3.5mm Stereo mini jack)

Wireless connectivity: WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.1

Battery: 240 shots per charge, 60 minutes of video shooting

Dimensions: 59×40.5x35mm

Weight: 132g (battery and microSD card included)