More than just a ‘piece of cloth’

Posted on August 18, 2016 by SoClaimon

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/More-than-just-a-piece-of-cloth-30287684.html

FASHION

KUPLUTHAI PUNGKANON
THE NATION June 9, 2016 1:00 am

Issey Miyake’s much-loved collections find a new home in the brand’s first Bangkok boutique

POPULAR JAPANESE fashion house Issey Miyake recently celebrated the opening of its very first store in Bangkok with a grand bash at the newly renovated Siam Discovery where it now occupies a duplex boutique on G and M floors.

The interior has been carefully conceived and designed by Tokujin Yoshioka who designed the Issey Miyake stores in London and Tokyo, to give the space a modern, casual look in line with the spirit of the brand. Yoshioka focused on creating a space that could bring out the views of each brand carried in the store to their fullest extent.

To ensure that the clothing exists as the main feature inside this space, he used fixtures that appear to be floating in mid-air, and kept the design as simple as possible. The store offers the full range of the house’s brands including Issey Miyake, Issey Miyake Men, Pleats Please Issey Miyake, Homme Plisse Issey Miyake, me Issey Miyake, Bao Bao Issey Miyake, and 132 5. Issey Miyake.

The designer introduced his first collection to New York in 1971 and began participating in Paris Fashion Week from 1973. His unique concept of clothing as “A Piece of Cloth” has been widely acclaimed since the very beginning. An inexhaustible explorer, he has continued to open up new horizons for making clothes through research, experimentation and development while constantly reimagining the relationship between the human body and clothing.

Over the years, Miyake debuted several epoch-making designs, including the original pleated pieces in 1989 that would later develop into Pleats Please Issey Miyake. He developed the basic idea and process of A-Poc in 1997, this time in collaboration with Dai Fujiwara, which soon evolved into a design solution called “A-Poc Inside” and was incorporated into all the brands owned by the group.

In Thailand Pleats Please Issey Mikaye and the famous Bao Bao bag have enjoyed massive success. “Pleats” was introduced in 1989, and has been developed every season thereafter. By 1993, it was ready to be launched as a complete and stand-alone brand and appeared as Pleats Plese Issey Miyake for the Spring-Summer collection. The true value of the design lies in its integration with the everyday life and comfort of the wearer in a highly functional modern product – light in weight and easy to wear and handle.

The Bao Bao Issey Miyake bag was conceived from the Thai word “Bao Bao” which means lightness. Both light and soft, it folds, accommodates and transforms itself after handling to create dramatic new shapes. A line of bags and pouches with the theme of “shapes made by chance”, the Bao Bao series has a flexible functionality that’s perfect for the busy modern lifestyle.

“Homme Plisse Issey Miyake” is a new concept of clothing for the contemporary man, made possible by the development of Issey Miyake’s original pleating technology. The line has not only chosen wrinkle-resistant and quick-drying fabrics, but also uses uniform pleats in order to prevent the garments from clinging to the skin. As a result, the clothes are comfortable, easy to care for, and lightweight.

The new store also shines the spotlight on the experimental and eco-friendly 132 5 Issey Miyake line developed by Miyake and his Reality Lab team.. A new evolution of “A Piece of Cloth”, the line is made using recycled PET products, sometimes in combination with other recycled fibres, through a new process that creates garments designed to expand from two-dimensional geometric shapes into structured shirts, skirts, pants and dresses.

This new creative challenge is based on the ideas of “Regeneration and Re-creation” and is a continuation of the Japanese designer’s perpetual search for new ways to make “clothes that bring joy and happiness to wearers”.

Growing up in Switzerland

Posted on August 18, 2016 by SoClaimon

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/Growing-up-in-Switzerland-30287683.html

FEATURE

KITCHANA LERSAKVANITCHAKUL
THE NATION June 9, 2016 1:00 am

A new TV documentary looks at the childhood of His Majesty the King to mark the 70th anniversary of his accession to the throne

FOR THE FIRST TIME in history, the fascinating childhood years in Switzerland of His Majesty the King are coming to the small screen in a documentary series, “Paendin Wai Yao”, that premieres tonight at 8 on Channel TNN 24.

Two years in the making, it marks the 70th anniversary of His Majesty’s accession to the throne.

“Chalermpol Thanchitt, former Thai ambassador to Switzerland, and Phithak Chaiboon, founder of the firm Thai Documentary, came up with the idea for the series two years ago and put me in charge of writing the script and collecting historical facts,” says Sukanya Chaipasi. “The documentary pays homage to His Majesty through the story of his young years and the influence this had on his duties later in life.”

Sukanya and her production team spent a month in Switzerland, visiting several towns and places related to the royal family and speaking to those who had been associated with the King in some way.

“It was a challenging task,” says the scriptwriter, who is also the author of a book about the coup d’etat of 1932, which occurred while the King was at the family’s summer home in Hua Hin. “The change from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy resulted in some members of the royal family leaving Thailand for Lausanne in Switzerland,” she says.

The nine-part series begins with “Pathombot Soo Muang Lausanne”, essentially an introduction to Lausanne, which is the second-largest city on Lake Geneva and home to the International Olympic Committee headquarters as well as the Olympic Museum and Archives.

“It presents the story of Mahidol Adulyadej, Prince of Songkhla, who was the father of Kings Ananda Mahidol [Rama VIII] and Bhumibol Adulyadej [Rama IX] and is regarded as the father of modern medicine and public health.

“The Prince Father was invited by Prince Rangsit Prayurasakdi, later Prince of Chainat, to have a look around his Siriraj Hospital before deciding to study public health at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. During his earlier travels in Europe, he had made a stop in Genoa, a port city and capital of the Liguria region in northwest Italy, which was linked by train to Geneva, Zurich and Lausanne.

“After Prince Mahidol married Sangwan Talaphat in 1920, they went together to America but stopped over at the Hotel du Boulevard in Lausanne,” Sukanya explains.

The second episode “Flat No 16 and Villa Wattana in Lausanne”, traces the early days of Prince Mahidol and his young family in Switzerland and their life in that three-bedroom flat. “When Ananda – who was nine at the time – was recognised as king after King Prajadhipok’s abdication in 1935, they moved to a bigger house called Villa Wattana.”

In Part 3, “Education and Rearing”, the focus is on Bhumibol”s studies. Sukanya found historical evidence in the form of a handwritten application covering several subjects and fees completed by the King, who listed himself as “Monsieur Bhumibol Adulyadej”.

In the segment called “Summer Camp”, the documentary looks at how the King first learned about nature and how this later inspired him set up the royal irrigation department, while “Rudoo Nao Kap Cheewit Bon Phukhao” shows the royal brothers having fun on skis.

“King Ananda Mahidol had an allergy and a doctor suggested that the pure mountain air could help him breathe easier. Both had skied since they were young and carried their skis themselves. There were no ski lifts in those days,” Sukanya says.

“Ngarn Silapa Pradit Soo Karn Tham Ngarn” reflects on King Bhumibol’s photography and carpentry skills.

“The King is also a great composer,” says Sukanya. “Professor Rapee Sagarik, who was a member of the band Aor Sor Wan Suk, says the King was always very happy when he was playing music.

“During his honeymoon at Klai Kangwon Palace in Hua Hin, the King ordered the band to play music all night long and royal guards danced along until the morning.”

“Phra Sahai”, the seventh part, presents a friend of the King who agreed to meet with Sukanya, while “Lysandre C Seraidaris” features the youngest son of Cleon C Seraidaris, a lawyer who served as private tutor to King Ananda and Prince Bhumibol in Switzerland.

The series closes with “Relations between Thailand and Switzerland”, which shows how the Royal Family has cemented ties with the alpine country over |the years.

n “Paendin Wai Yao” will|air every Thursday at 8pm |on TNN 24 (TrueVisions Channel 16 and 777), on True4U (TrueVisions Channel 24).

Planting seeds at the palace

Posted on August 18, 2016 by SoClaimon

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/Planting-seeds-at-the-palace-30287680.html

FEATURE

KUPLUTHAI PUNGKANON
THE NATION June 9, 2016 1:00 am

How His Majesty the King turned his residences into sustainable agricultural demonstration projects

THE FIRST RAYS of dawn have yet to appear in the skies over Dusit Palace and already the team at Royal Chitralada Dairy Farm is hard at work, transporting the fresh milk from the farm’s own cows to an adjacent plant where it will be pasteurised and put into cartons.

It’s a routine that has been in place since 1962 when His Majesty the King was presented with a few head of cattle. Always interested in agriculture and agricultural industries, the King invested his personal funds into establishing a dairy herd of some 40 cows for demonstration purposes.

Today, the herd produces between 200 and 300 litres of milk a day and while some of the milk and milk products are sold to create a revolving fund, much of it is delivered to schools where it nourishes thousands of young children.

Throughout 70 years of his reign, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej has dedicated his efforts to accumulating knowledge, committing personal resources to advance the wellbeing of the people of Thailand.

The transformation of His Majesty’s private residence Chitralada Villa, which is part of Dusit Palace, into experimental plots began in 1961 and has helped the King to find solutions to a variety of agricultural problems affecting farmers.

A recent talk organised by the Office of His Majesty’s Principal Private Secretary and the Pid Thong Lang Phra Foundation at Sala Mahamongkol of Chitralada Villa focused on His Majesty’s lifelong journey to help his subjects develop the skills and know-how to combat health problems and poverty, and become self-reliant.

“As a building, His Majesty’s home is smaller than those of many of our richest men,” says Thanpuying Putrie Viravaidya, His Majesty’s deputy’s principal private secretary.

“Chitralada Villa has just two floors and the main hall is where His Majesty welcomes guests and sometime dines. Otherwise, there are just bedrooms and a study like in any regular house. The compound of the palace is large and houses many departments that work for the King including the royal kitchen, the royal pages, the royal security guards and the royal physicians. Their Majesties used to run at least three kilometres around Dusit Dalai pavilion in the grounds when they were on their own. His Majesty always said he had to be strong in order to help others.

“Local folk knew when Their Majesties the King and Queen would visit their palaces upcountry. I remember people queuing up in front of the palace from very early morning to see the doctors. When I asked them why they didn’t go to the nearby hospitals, they told me they wanted the medicinal envelope that featured the royal emblem,” she says.

“The homes of His Majesty here at the Chitralada Villa, as well as at Klai Kangwon Palace in Hua Hin, Bhuping Palace in Chiang Mai, Thaksin Ratchaniwet Palace in Narathiwat and Phu Phan Palace in Sakhon Nakon all house development projects designed to help the people,” she continues.

Each May at the Royal Ploughing Ceremony, the rice seeds cultivated on experimental plots at the Royal Chitralada Projects are brought to Sanam Luang and sown into a furrow ploughed by two oxen hitched to a wooden plough. Farmers will go to great lengths to obtain samples of these rice seeds, which they consider the best available. Right now 49 different varieties of rice are being grown for experimental purposes.

Chitralada Villa is currently home to 36 ongoing projects, both non-commercial (geared towards long-term improvements) and semi-commercial. All surplus funds from sales are ploughed into further development.

In addition to the agricultural experimental plots and milk production, the Royal Chitralada Project team carries out energy conservation, alternative fuel production and fish farming projects. The most spectacular of the projects is the Demonstration Forest project, which His Majesty set up to study tree species after observing a large number of dipterocarp trees being felled for timber. Aware of the need to preserve a ecological rainforest, the King planted dipterocarp seeds at Klai Kangwon Palace and later had saplings transferred to Chitralada Villa as well as other species from different parts of the country. In 2011, this demonstration forest with more than 1,000 saplings marked 55 years as a thriving forest with its own localised climate that induces rainfall over the Villa.

A fundamental part of His Majesty the King’s vision was for each of the royal development study centres (RDSCs) to become “models of success” where farmers and others could learn through example and guidance.

Officials who have served His Majesty on different occasions proudly shared their memories during the talk.

Songsak Wongpumiwat, chairman of the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission, recalls the numerous visits by the King while he was working for the Royal Initiative Project at Nong Phlap sub-district, Prachuap Khiri Khan province.

“The area was suffering from extreme drought and every time we saw clouds of dust rising through the air, we knew right away it was a big caravan of vehicles and His Majesty was coming to inspect the soil survey,” he says.

In the north, a large number of Royal Initiative Projects have been introduced, one of them focusing on nature’s own defensive barrier to soil erosion – vetiver grass.

“His Majesty recommended to his mother, Her Royal Highness Princess Mother, that she cultivate vetiver grass to conserve soil and thereby water on the steep slopes of Doi Tung, Chiang Rai province, Later, when the Royal Family was together, the Princess Mother said her vetiver grass grew better than that of the King, developing root more than three-metres long in just nine months. The trick, she noted, was to plant the grass with a tilt of three degrees,” says forestry specialist Pinit Sornlamp.

Another useful royal initiative in the north, the Huai Hong Khrai RDSC was established in Chiang Mai‘s Doi Saket district in 1982 at the King’s initiative as a result of droughts and forest fires caused by extensive forest poaching.

“His Majesty told me that that I should look forward not just five years but 50 years,” Viriya Chuaybamrung, a specialist in natural resources and the environment, recalls.

He told me, ‘when the land leeches come, you will know your work has succeeded’. Now 33 years later, we have land leeches. I’m so proud.”

Chaiwat Sitthibus, a land development specialist, recalls the visits made by His Majesty to Thaksin Ratchaniwet Palace in Narathiwat between 1973 and 1996.

“His Majesty would stay at his southern palace for one to two months. One rainy day, without any advance notice, he visited Pikun Thong RDSC, which was in charge of the ‘Klaeng Din’ project to study the naturally occurring process of acidification caused by deep-layers of pyrite in peat swamps. I’m a specialist in soil yet I had never thought of monitoring the research during the rain before. It made a lot of sense. His Majesty wanted to see how vetiver grass works in the rain,” says Chaiwat.

Today, His Majesty’s selfless efforts can be measured in more than 4,000 royal development projects undertaken for the benefit and happiness of the Thai people.

“I have been serving His Majesty for more than four decades. I will turn 75 soon. His Majesty used to say that his work would never come to an end, that it was a work in progress. The more the development, the more benefit and the greater the sustainability for the future. You do what you can, for the individual, family, society and the nation. With a good foundation, the prosperity from development will benefit future generations and we should do it with unity and generosity,” Thanpuying Putrie says.

Lost in theatrical wonder

Posted on August 18, 2016 by SoClaimon

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/Lost-in-theatrical-wonder-30287427.html

STAGE REVIEW

Pawit Mahasarinand
Special to The Nation June 6, 2016 1:00 am

Longkon, one of five playlets, promises the drama fans an intriguing experience. Photo/Long Team

Five playlets combine for an intriguing experience

Two decades ago a Singaporean theatre artist friend commented that there were many skillful theatre artists and companies here in Thailand but the problem was they didn’t like working together. The founding of the Bangkok Theatre Network (BTN) and Bangkok Theatre Festival (BTF) has partly changed that notion though there is still some hesitation by members of any group at leaving their comfort zones – the dramatic content, theatrical styles and even venues they’re familiar with – to collaborate with others.

Two years ago during the month of love, Wichaya Artamat teamed up with four playwright and director friends and they, under the name of Chomrom Sutwisai (literally the “out of control” club), presented five playlets under the name “Rak Khon La Khang” (“various sides of love”) at B-Floor Room.

Now they’re back, with a few new members and with “Long” (literally, “lost” or “obsessed with”), another quintet of plays at Democrazy Studio. And just like the way they used the word “Khang” as a prefix for many words back then, “Long” is used as excitingly differently here.

In Jirakit Soonthornlarpyod’s “Longthang” (“getting lost”), three characters are trapped in an undefined space in total darkness except for the green lights from their helmets. In Wichaya’s “Longluea” (“remaining”), the two sibling characters from the award-winning “Three Days in May” return to discuss who should get their father’s favourite bowl. Jaturachai Srichanwanpen’s “Longlai” (“infatuated”) cheekily satirises the Thai fascination with the supernatural and that of young Thai women with love. Veteran stage actresses Sawanee Utoomma and Jarunan Phantachat hilariously show us a glimpse of themselves a few decades from now in Parnrut Kritchanchai’s “Longluem” (“forgetful”). Finally, Dujdao Vadhanapakorn delivers another performance of the year as a blind woman in her “Longkon” (“tricked”). She shares with the audience a truly passionate personal story and, with Thai radio’s current no 1 hit playing at the beginning, a subtle political satire.

Most of actors are truly natural, and it seems that many of the playwrights/directors also allowed their actors to help create their dialogue, making their stories even more convincing and touching. Apart from being linked by a navigator, joyfully performed by Sethsiri Nirandorn who masterfully shifts in and out of different costumes and characters and gives a brief introduction to each playlet, the five share a few common props and references, and I wish here there were more. The fact that most playwrights/directors also performed in others’ plays also helps glue these five different works together.

A sheer delight and big surprise was that the five playlets were staged in four different spaces – two in the studio, one in the backyard, another in the small foyer, and the last on the sidewalk next to the small bar/cafe. Each was set up in accordance with the content and the style of each play and despite problems with the audience’s sight line in some of the space, shows that size never limits the artists’ imagination and creativity.

Two hours passed before I realised that I had been suffering from another stomach problem. “Long” didn’t heal it of course: I was mesmerized by its wonder only to be better guided in my real life.

Last performance tonight

Long” is at Democrazy Studio, Soi Saphan Khu, Rama IV road (5-minute walk from MRT Lumphini, Exit 1).

The last show is tonight at 8pm.

It’s in Thai with no English surtitles. Tickets are Bt550 at (081) 701 7992.

Find out more at Facebook.com/DemocrazyStudio.

A true taste of Japan

Posted on August 18, 2016 by SoClaimon

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/A-true-taste-of-Japan-30287426.html

STAGE REVIEW

Pawit Mahasarinand
Special to The Nation
Singapore June 6, 2016 1:00 am

“Songs of the Ryukyu Islands” by Unaigumi in SIngapore

The Durian’s first-ever “Super Japan” festival was an instant hit

Last month, the Esplanade-Theatres on the Bay added a new festival to its already packed calendar – the “Super Japan-Japanese Festival of Arts” – packing out the bayfront arts centre and delighting the crowds who simply couldn’t keep away.

Indeed, the last three days of the 10-day festival were so popular that I thought I had taken the wrong MRT exit and ended up in a department store taking part in the early Great Singapore Sale. I was later informed that it was partly because of the Matsuri, a street food bazaar and a Singaporean journalist colleague was quick to point out that whenever “street” and “food” are put in the same phrase in a country where street hawkers are never seen, this kind of response is only to be expected.

Of course, most people were not there just for food – the queue was too long and the food ran out soon anyway – but for the variety of ticketed and free-admission dance, theatre and music programmes, from traditional to contemporary, at all corners of the Esplanade. Even Pikachu, the short, chubby rodent who used to be called Pokemon, flew in from Japan to meet and greet fans.

The festival made sure that there was something for anyone and demonstrated that there’s a lot more to Japan and its culture than what is already so familiar. And like with so many cultural festivals, it provided an opportunity for me to go out of my artistic comfort zone and learn more.

The programme also drew on connections with Singapore, as evidenced in the “Music with Scenery” concert at the Recital Hall, featuring Japan’s Haruka Nakamura Piano Ensemble and it frequent collaborator, Singapore’s ASPIDISTRAFLY. Tickets for the show sold out so quickly that one more performance needed to be added.

The Singaporean duo appeared on the low-lit stage first and was followed after the intermission by the Japanese ensemble. The two acts then joined up for a set of their collaborative numbers, playing contemporary jazz compositions filled with ambient sounds and rhythms that didn’t differ much from one song to another. And even though their collaboration sounded like they were completing each other rather than creating something new from their encounter, the experience was enchanting.

Three evenings later at the same venue, the mood completely shifted at another sold-out concert “Songs of the Ryukyu Islands” by Unaigumi. The ensemble represented Okinawa, a part of Japan with a distinctive culture with which few of us are familiar. Okinawan goodies bags, with a map and souvenirs, were also handed out at the door. Performing both traditional Okinawan and new folk songs, the four women singers also played on the three-stringed sanshin (lute) with backing from their producer Kazuya Sahara, who was on the keys. Thanks in part to the fact that three out of four were members of the internationally renowned Okinawan group Nenes in the 1990s, Unaigumi exuded both the spirit of their sisterhood and their islands, and the new folk songs showed the audience how folk music traditions continue to develop. The fact that member Misako Koja is married to Sahara also made his introduction of songs and their conversation hilarious at times. And like in many traditional music concerts, the audience was invited to get up and dance along at the end.

Originally planned as a one-off festival, the popular and critical success of “Super Japan” might well make the Esplanade change its mind.

Next big hit

– As part of the Esplanade’s da:ns series, Sir Matthew Bourne’s “The Sleeping Beauty” will be at the Esplanade Theatre from August 4 to 7. Tickets are from SGD 40 to 125 (SGD 30 and 55 for students and seniors), at http://www.Sistic.com.sg. For more details, visit http://www.Esplanade.com.

Music for all the senses

Posted on August 18, 2016 by SoClaimon

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/Music-for-all-the-senses-30287319.html

MUSIC

Rungroj Yongrit
European Press Agency June 6, 2016 1:00 am

Members of the Thai Blind Orchestra perform during a Rotary Cub charity event benefitting aid projects for the blind at a Bangkok hotel. EPA

Blind student Kanya Phu-ard, aged 12, a member of the Thai Blind Orchestra, giggles during a rehearsal. EPA

Members of the Thai Blind Orchestra practise with their violins prior to a band rehearsal at the School for the Blind and the Blind with Multi-Handicaps in Lop Buri province. EPA

The Thai Blind Orchestra delights with their show at a Rotary Club dinner

Thailand has an abysmal record in initiating projects to help its disabled members of society so it comes as something of a surprise to see a group of children, all of them blind or severely visually impaired, appear on the stage at a recent charity dinner ready to entertain the audience through their music.

The kids, aged between nine and 18, are members of the Thai Blind Orchestra, the country’s first music ensemble of its kind and which brings together young musicians either blind, visually impaired and/or suffering multiple disabilities. The brainchild of Alongkot Chukaew, director of the Thai Elephants Research and Conservation Fund near Khao Yai national park, the orchestra has been delighting fans of classical music since its inception in 2014.

Chukaew, who is also a classical musician, teaches disabled children as part of his Elephant Education Programme for Blind and Disabled Children, by using audible aids and the natural environment. During his classes, he noticed how music caught the attention of his young charges and with the help of Kritsanapan Punsuk, a Thai volunteer, decided to introduce his students to classical music.

The young musicians are taught by 23-year-old Kritsanapan Punsuk, who also conducts the band, as well as other young music graduate volunteers.

“None of the children had any musical skills before. It’s not easy to teach them because they cannot read music scores or see the musical instruments,” Punsuk says.

The children were introduced to a braille system to read music and are taught individually to memorise the positions of their fingers when playing their instruments. Some of the children need up to two years to learn how to play an instrument and perform music.

The orchestra is funded by several charitable organisations and all the musical instruments are donated. Every year, the orchestra performs several shows to raise funds to benefit the blind and visually impaired.

For the most recent, a Rotary Cub charity dinner, 16 visually impaired children gathered regularly for rehearsals at the School for the Blind and the Blind with Multi-Handicaps in Lop Buri province. Their programme comprised four Thai classical songs, including one composed by His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej, as well as scores by Mozart. As with every show, they also performed a modern Thai song called “A Starfish Tale”, the closing lyrics of which have important message for the youngsters as well as their audience: “Don’t be afraid to be unlike others. Although you are different, you are only yourself”.

In Thailand, Buddhist devotees believe in karma and attitudes toward disability suggest that disabled people should surrender to and accept their fate. Alongkot and his volunteers challenge this notion and through the Thai Blind Orchestra use music to encourage children and help change negative attitudes toward disability.

Legacy in blue

Posted on August 18, 2016 by SoClaimon

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/Legacy-in-blue-30287312.html

CRAFT

Patcharee Luenguthai
The Nation
Sakon Nakhon June 6, 2016 1:00 am

Natural indigo-dyed scarves

Indigo dying pots at Non Rua Samakkee Farm Women’s Group in Sakon Nakhon

Master Waree Chaitamat

The indigo or kram plant

Two villages in northeast Thailand showcase national wisdom through beautiful indigo-dyed fabrics

For more than 40 years, Wongduan Udomdechawate’s nimble fingers have been busy weaving the beautiful silk cloth and indigo-dyed cotton that have become synonymous with Na Wa district in the northeast province of Nakhon Phanom. A former nurse, the 76-year-old Wongduan today spends much of her day at Wat Phrathat Prasit Community Enterprise passing on her skills and knowledge to the women and girls in this mainly agricultural area in the hope that they will continue a tradition that dates back more years than she can remember.

Like other women of her generation, Wongduan learnt the hand-weaving techniques from her mother while she was still a child. She recalls with pride the day in 1972 when His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Her Majesty the Queen Sirikit visited Wat Phrathat Prasit to present Kathin robes to the monks. “My elder sister and I were among the six villagers chosen to present our silk to Her Majesty,” she says.

The Queen was impressed by the shimmering pineapple-patterned silk and shortly after named Baan Na Wa the first hand-weaving group under the Foundation of the Promotion of Supplementary Occupations and Related Techniques of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand, better known as the Support Foundation.

In 1978, Wongduan gave up her nursing career and returned home, joining a small group of weavers in producing the indigo-dyed fabrics for Support. The group gradually grew, going from its 25 founding members to 90, making improvements to both its management system and quality control and, in 2005, formally registering itself as Wat Phrathat Prasit Community Enterprise.

The group’s hard work has paid off too and last year, Wat Phrathat Prasit Community Enterprise was selected by the Queen Sirikit Sericulture Centre (Sakon Nakhon) as a smart farmer model for sustainable development.

Thanks to the continued development in the design and production process, Na Wa’s indigo-dyed fabrics have steadily increased in popularity, gaining more buyers and making a name for themselves among foreign tourists.

“Our enterprise has been recognised by leading firms and today we produce indigo-dyed clothes for Jim Thompson and Lemon Farm,” Wonduan says.

In addition to developing the weavers in the group, Wongduan also invites students from various universities to practise the weaving process, allowing them to stay at her home at no charge.

“I intend working as a master weaver for as long as I can. I am very proud to be able to help the poor earn extra so they can enjoy a better quality of life. I also want to transfer our heritage to the young generation so that the tradition of hand-weaving is preserved and this career can be further developed in the future,” she says.

Like Wat Phrathat Prasit, Non Rua Samakkee Farm Women’s Group in adjacent Sakon Nakhon’s Phanna Nikhom district is famous for the natural indigo-dyed fabrics.

Waree Chaitamat, 72, is head of the group and like Wongduan, a Support master who constantly develops the production process.

She also works hard to create new patterns and products to meet evolving market trends and today the group offers a wide variety of goods including clothes, scarves, shawls and sarongs, both in the original blue and in other shades obtained by mixing the dye with other natural products.

“Our weavers produce the indigo-dyed fabrics at their homes while Non Rua Samakkee Farm Women Group serves as a centre for coordinating orders and sales,” she explains. “We provide training and also maintain quality control through the entire production process, thereby ensuring that all products meet the same standards.”

The secrets of natural indigo dying – kram as is known locally – have been passed down through the generations. Today Sakon Nakhon is home to more than 20 communities experienced in indigo dyeing and pattern creation.

The cottage industry continues to enjoy growth, not least because indigo-dyed cotton is very popular as the demand for all things organic, chemical-free, and natural expands worldwide.

Considered the “king of blue”, indigo-dyed cotton has a beautiful deep blue colour that doesn’t wash off. The traditional process of indigo dyeing does not require any chemicals, which means the dye does not damage the fibre of the fabric and so the clothes last longer.

In addition to their twin roles as community businesses and learning centres, both Wat Phrathat Prasit Community Enterprise and Non Rua Samakkee Farm Women Group are becoming popular destinations for cultural tourism. This is being further promoted by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, which has entered into a partnership with Pid Thong Lang Phra Foundation under Royal Initiative (The Royal Initiative Discovery) and the Association of Domestic Travel Agents to create meeting packages, offering members of public and private organisations the opportunity to experience project development under the royal initiatives in all regions of the country after their meetings.

Such initiatives underline that even in a fast-growing digital society, Thai wisdom and knowledge heritage is as proudly preserved as it ever was.

Just drop by

+Wat Phrathat Prasit Community Enterprise is at Moo 4, Tambon Na Wa, Na Wa district, Nakhon Phanom. If you’re driving, the GPS coordinates are N 17.485010, E 104.098016. Call (042) 551 094 or (087) 220 2260

+Rua Samakkee Farm Women Group is at 218, Moo 13, Tambon Hua Bo, Phanna Nikhom district, Sakon Nakhon. Call (084) 355 0490 or (082) 1071109 or e-mail parkramsk@hotmail.com.

Fashion in a funk as temple togs fail to catch on

Posted on August 18, 2016 by SoClaimon

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/Fashion-in-a-funk-as-temple-togs-fail-to-catch-on-30287228.html

SOOPSIP

The Nation June 3, 2016 3:15 pm

Yui

Avert your eyes, because Kanthicha “Yui” Chimsiri has been stripped of her “Suwan Chedi” costume.

Okay, you can look again, because the sponsors of her bid to become Mrs Universe 2016 have come up with a much less controversial outfit for her to wear at the pageant in Guangzhou in August.

The most eyebrow-raising costume ever proposed for a Thai contestant in a “beauty” pageant, the Suwan Chedi replicated the sacred Sri Rattana pagoda at Wat Phra Kaew. The Culture Ministry was appalled and devout Buddhists everywhere were frothing.

A new outfit for 31-year-old Yui is now being prepared, a relieved Culture Minister Veera Rojpojanarat announced at a press conference this week.

“On the international beauty pageant circuit, Thailand is known for national costumes that reflect our abundance of cultural assets,” Veera said, “and we have won several prestigious awards.

“There are many other cultural elements that can be used to create a magnificent costume [besides, you know, venerated Buddhist monuments]. The new costume for Mrs Universe will have no religious references and instead take its inspirations from the palm-leaf-fish mobile and ears of rice to reflect the typical agricultural way of life. And it will be made with traditional Thai fabrics.”

Yui is naturally delighted to be getting a new wardrobe. “I’m very proud to be representing Thailand and showcasing our beautiful culture before the world,” she says. “The design and fitting process is underway and 70 per cent of the costume will be golden in colour.”

Singer In alters course

Nattarinporn “In” Yuenyong, singer for the all-female pop-rock group Budokan, has just got married – to a guy, surprisingly enough.

In has always dated girls and been quite open about that particular gender preference. But earlier this week it was a man, lucky restaurateur Suppachai “Jon” Prommin, who was swapping wedding rings with her. He’d proposed to her last year.

“It was love at first sight,” In sighs to Sanook.com. “He’s very handsome, and he takes great care of me. I’ve never met anyone – man or woman – who treats me the way he does.

“And I wanted to get married too. I’m 41 and an only child, so my parents were fretting that I’d end up alone in life. It was just perfect timing that I met Jon.

“Of course he knows about my past relationships. We’re both mature adults and we know better than to dwell on the past.”

The wedding was a humble affair with just family and friends – and not even an Instagram snap to share with the multitudes.

“I didn’t want to make a big fuss of it,” In says. “To be honest I don’t know how to explain myself to the fans or the public. I am who I am, and I don’t need a gender label to uphold my identity. It’s just not relevant, especially when it comes to love. I’m just the same person, but now with a husband!”

Club Scene

Posted on August 18, 2016 by SoClaimon

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/Club-Scene-30287221.html

AFTER DARK

The Nation June 3, 2016 2:05 pm

Negroni Week Thailand starts on Monday

Find good parties in Bangkok

Shake a Latin leg

Dance all night to African, Latin, Caribbean and Baile beats tonight at Studio Lam on Sukhumvit Soi 51. DJs Kusto from France and Bhayology from the US are delivering pulsating tropical rhythms. |The sensory invasion starts at 9 and admission is Bt200.

Scholarships in fun

The Comedy Club Bangkok on Sukhumvit Soi 33/1 has improvisational-comedy workshops tomorrow and Sunday. Learn how to get the crowd in an uproar with the award-winning joke specialist Drew McCreadie, a veteran of 20 years’ experience. The workshops last four hours with an hour’s break to catch your breath and cost Bt1,000. Ask Drew@ComedyClubBangkok.com.

The G turns two

The G-Spot party series celebrates its second anniversary tomorrow at the Vertigo Too Banyan Tree Hotel on Sathorn Road. Go say happy birthday in your silver, black and gold galactic outfit and enjoy the show by Pangina Heals with ’90s dance tunes from DJs Yui and Steven G Knight. The bash starts at 9. Call (087) 015 6600.

Dragon breathes anew

The latest Phatfunk party is at Glow on Sukhumvit Soi 23 tomorrow with guest DJ Dragon from Dubway. Responsible for introducing Bangkok to all styles of bass music since 1997, Dragon is unearthing his crates of old-school jungle (on vinyl!) for a long-overdue return to his roots. The cover charge is Bt250 and includes a drink.

A week of helping

Have a negroni and help raise money for charities during Negroni Week hosted by several venues around Bangkok. The launch party is on Monday at the House on Sathorn, where the Bt1,000 admission fee gets you free-flowing Campari cocktails, all proceeds going to the Operation Smile Foundation. Call (02) 344 4025. Find out more at NegroniWeek.com.

Every sip SENSATIONAL

Posted on August 18, 2016 by SoClaimon

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/Every-sip-SENSATIONAL-30287219.html

AFTER DARK

MANTA KLANGBOONKRONG
THE NATION
HONG KONG June 3, 2016 2:00 pm

Sam Chong (left)

Innovative Thai stemware Lucaris earns more fans at Vinexpo Hong Kong

THE LUXURY crystal wineware of Thai-owned Lucaris was last month again named the official wineglass of Vinexpo Hong Kong.

The top wine-and-spirits trade show in the region since 1981 saw fairgoers sampling wines from Lucaris stemware and also attending a master class in making the glasses, led by the brand’s design team.

“Lucaris is the only world-class, Asian-made crystal-glass producer that’s maintained this sponsorship,” said Silparat Watthanakasetr, deputy managing director of Ocean Glass Thailand, which makes the stemware.

“With wine consumption continuing to grow dramatically in Asia, Vinexpo Hong Kong is a must-attend event for importers, distributors and sommeliers. Lucaris crystal, which utilises the latest technology from Germany and Japan, is excellent in quality and design – and therefore a matter of great pride for Asia.”

Since its debut in 2009, Lucaris has taken on the long-established crystal-glassware brands, Silparat said.

“We’ve consistently made big investments to elevate our premium wineware to compete on the global stage, and meanwhile we also strive to increase our potential to respond to Asians’ changing lifestyles and palates. Mostly we want to deliver a world-class wine-drinking experience through our unrivalled lead-free, barium-free crystal glass, in which eastern expertise meets western know-how.”

The design of Lucaris stemware and wine accessories is a collaborative effort among Ocean Glass, Toyo-Sasaki Glass and Martin Ballendat of Germany. Their combined knowledge and skills have resulted in crystal glasses that are lead-free and yet share the same physical aesthetics as conventional lead-based crystal.

The key innovation is Aerlumer, the patented engraving of four curled lines at the base of the bowl, which encourages micro-oxidation and softens the wine as it’s swirled in the glass. The etching is intentionally subtle to avoid hampering assessment of the wine’s colour.

In Hong Kong, award-winning sommelier Sam Chong, a member of the design team, showed off the “master’s choice” collection, Desire, as part of a presentation called “The Unprecedented Glass Tasting Experience”.

“If you look at the appearance of all six glasses in the Desire collection, they don’t seem to even come from the same collection,” Chong said. “Desire is all about the functionality of the glasses, so we don’t care too much if they all look the same or be the same height. We want to ensure they have the best tasting effect.”

The Desire Sparkling glass is a flute with a flared mouth and the Aerlumer at the bottom.

“The optimal height of the glass allows bubbles to be released and softens punchy, spicy agents in the wine, while the flaring mouth fans the wine out to the sides of the tongue, bringing out the forward-fruitiness of the wine.”

Sparkling wine can be enjoyed as is or with extra fragrance if you activate the Aerlumer with a gentle swirl of the glass.

The are separate Desire glasses for white and red wine. Robust Red and Elegant Red are crafted to cover all the wine’s personal traits.

For the robustness of a young, full-bodied red, the glass has an oversized bowl as well as the Aerlumer to maximise surface space and aeration. The taller bowl softens the sharpness of the wine, making it subtler and more aromatic.

For aged and elegant wine, though, the glass needs to be shorter and flatter, allowing the nose to get closer to the wine to pick up the real notes of the aroma.

Full-bodied, creamy white is a good match for the Desire Rich White glass, with its larger but shorter bowl and Aerlumer. It encourages oxidation and enhances the bouquet.

“And Desire Crisp White, with its optimal height and smaller bowl, is designed for young, fresh wines, where the notes of green herbs are accentuated and the pleasant acidity is retained in the bowl,” Chong explained.

Desire Universal is suitable for both reds and whites. The medium-size bowl and Aerlumer allow for thorough oxidation while softening and rounding out the wood tannins of young wine. A more elegant, older wine should be sipped without swirling, though, lest the wine’s unique characteristics be lost.