Best known as the two of the Top 3 finalists from Season 8 of the widely popular drag queen competition show, “RuPaul’s Drag Race”, both queens have since left their mark on the competition with their distinct styles.

Kim Chi is a live-action anime character and high-fashion model. Born in the US, raised in South Korea, and currently based in Chicago, Kim is a cultural hybrid with a preternatural understanding of style and conceptual fashion. She deftly absorbs and interprets our contemporary cultural milieu with unflinching focus. An ever-evolving chameleon, Kim never fails to surprise and delight with her larger than life looks and her high standard of work.

Her drag career started in November 2012. Joined by a team of creative visionaries, she quickly blossomed into a fixture of the Chicago drag scene. Kim started working with party-production company Neverland in 2012, becoming the Chicago-based party’s main host. Kim has been invited to perform in numerous locations across the US.

Kim’s work encapsulates the transcendental nature of drag, as the seemingly simple act of a man putting on a dress is transformed into fine art.

Naomi Smalls is a glamazon, inspired by 90’s supermodels, pop culture and fashion. Her name hails from the edginess of Naomi Campbell coupled with the freshness of Biggie Smalls. As a fashion-obsessed teenager who followed Thierry Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier, and V Magazine, Naomi entered her first drag competition at 340 nightclub. After several months of attempts she finally won the competition, gaining the confidence that she could go further with her drag.

Born Davis Heppenstall in Redlands, California, Naomi has had to travel to LA or Riverside to perform, due to the lack of a drag scene at home. She describes herself as “bubbly but very chill”, and treats everyone as she’d want to be treated. She has an enormous family of 11 brothers and sisters, so she learned early how to cope with teasing and shade-throwing!

Tickets costing from Bt1,500 to Bt3,000 are on sale at Thai Ticket Major counters and online at http://www.ThaiTicketMajor.com.

These little head-scratchers are among the questions that will be circulating at the first “Big Talk” to be held in Bangkok.

The session, taking place on March 14 at the Hive co-working space on Sukhumvit Soi 49, is billed as “End of Small Talk: Bangkok Big Talk”. Bnow.org, a Bangkok-based social enterprise whose mission is to link and inspire people, is the organiser.

Bnow founder Pacharee Pantoomano explains that Big Talk is a social experiment (and video project) that Kalina Silverman launched in the United States in 2014. She wanted to see what would happen if she skipped mundane small talk and plunged right into deeper topics of conversation.

The emotional stories that people shared with Silverman inspired her to work on making Big Talk a global movement.

“The idea resonated with me,” says Pacharee. “I was so inspired by the impact it’s had in communities around the world and how it connects strangers that I decided to try it in my city.”

The questions are universal, open-ended and, above all, meaningful. They dig for more than just a yes or no response.

The evening will begin with two Bangkok-based “life coaches” explaining the benefits of Big Talk and why it should become part of our daily lives. Then the attendees will split up into smaller groups, each drawing a card bearing a question and sharing their answers.

The coaches are Alessandra Marazzi, a “mindfulness educator” and entrepreneur and the founder and programme creator at TheResiliencePath.com, and Ann Wiame, founder of StandCoach.com and a trained teacher in MMS (motivation management service).

“By comparing ‘big talk’ and ‘small talk’, we question where we intentionally put our attention and how we redirect the flow of energy,” says Marazzi. “If big talk means we consciously direct our energies towards meaningful exchanges, with the intention of getting closer to each other, it can be transformational.”

Wiame says big talk requires “bravery”.

“With big talk, we can have true conversations with ourselves or others. There may be some embarrassment when sharing answers, but this humbling feeling provides the possibility to connect with ourselves and others.”

Bnow.org has been around since 2003, begun by a group of friends and professionals seeking to make a difference in the community. It supports start-up and SME entrepreneurs and annually distributes awards for the best in Thailand.

“Bangkok Big Talk” starts at 6.30pm on March 14 in the Hive’s sixth-floor Rooftop Garden.

Tickets cost Bt350 at Eventbrite.com until March 13 and Bt500 at the door. The price includes a snack box.

Find out more from info@bnow.org, (02) 105 4217 and http://www.Bnow.org.

Activities included a four-kilometre run-walk, a seminar that explained the disease and its prevention, especially in women and free health check-up and screening for diabetes risk factors.

All proceeds after deducting expenses were donated to help support children with Type 1 diabetes in the care of Diabetes Association of Thailand.

Statistics show that more than 199 million women are now suffering from diabetes and so the importance of personal health care and diet is becoming increasingly important.

“The current rate of women with diabetes is getting higher, especially in those who are overweight or obese,” said Dr Wannee Nitiyanun, president of the Diabetes Association of Thailand.

“Women are at greater risk for diabetes than men because of their physique, eating habits and lack of exercise. The risk of diabetes increases during pregnancy if the mother doesn’t take good care of herself. In some cases, the risk continues even after childbirth, while there is a chance of diabetes returning within 5 to 10 years. The first 24 weeks of pregnancy put women at higher risk due to the development of placenta, which involves an increase in hormone production causing insulin resistance. Other risk factors include genetics, being overweight and history of abnormal pregnancy or miscarriage. It is important to have regular check-ups for gestational diabetes and always follow the doctor’s instructions. Moreover, women are also more likely to develop ovarian cysts, which also can cause insulin resistance. These are the factors that make women more vulnerable to diabetes than men.”

A survey of Thai people’s health revealed that between 2009 and 2014, the number of diabetics rose by an average of 200,000 each year. It also showed that the new generation has a higher risk of becoming diabetic due to poor lifestyle choices.

The occasion of World Diabetes Day was therefore used to emphasise the importance of women’s role in the prevention of diabetes for themselves and their families as the person who oversees the wellbeing and diet of the whole family. They also play an important role in reducing the cost and burden on government in taking care of diabetic patients.

“We hope this event will help raise awareness and prevention of the disease. The campaign is aiming to help people, especially women and their families to take care of their health while also benefiting diabetic patients, especially children with this disease,” said Punya Kitchareonkarnkul, managing director of Merck Thailand.