FOR RICH corporate executives, fine food, expensive wine and five-star hotels come as standard.

But one discerning top boss with a spare $300,000 (Bt9.97 million) will give up creature comforts for a night in the cramped prison cell that was Nelson Mandela’s home for 18 years.

That is according to organisers of the annual CEO sleepout, an initiative which raises money for various charities.

South Africa’s first democratic, black president was kept on South Africa’s Robben Island prison off Cape Town for much of his 27-year incarceration.

A night in his iconic 2.4 metres by 2.1 metres concrete cell will now be auctioned for charity to mark the centenary of prisoner No 46664’s birthday.

A candle burns in the former cell of Nelson Mandela on Robben Island, Cape Town. Now a local charity is auctioning a night in the cell as part of the annual CEO Sleepout initiative. /AFP

“The suggestion was to auction the cell to raise money to fund the Prison-to-College Pipeline… educating incarcerated people in South Africa,” says Liane McGowan, spokeswoman for the CEO SleepOut South Africa, adding that details of when the one night only fundraiser will take place, had not been finalised.

Online bidding started at $250,000 and has already attracted three bids, reaching $300,000 with the sale set to close on July 16.

The winner will spend one night in Mandela’s cell number seven, while up to 66 other bidders will sleep elsewhere in the island prison that is now a museum and World Heritage site.

The Museum’s management could not be reached for comment. The Nelson Mandela foundation said it was not a part of the initiative and could not be responsible for the usage of Mandela’s cell.

Sixty-seven was chosen as Mandela dedicated 67 years of his life to the fight against the racist apartheid system that governed South Africa until Mandela won the first democratic non-racial elections in 1994.

The initiative is part of the CEO SleepOut movement which auctions nights in unusual locations to wealthy business leaders to raise money for charitable causes.

The Robben Island event will raise funds for the Prison-to-College Pipeline (P2P), a scheme that began in New York to help prisoners access university-level education. The P2P initiative will be launched in South Africa on July 18, Mandela’s birthday.

A similar event will be held on July 11 at the Liliesleaf Farm in northern Johannesburg which was used as a safe-house by several anti-apartheid fighters including Mandela.

The base was raided by apartheid security forces in 1963 and several anti-regime leaders faced the courts at the so-called “Rivonia Trial” which resulted in Mandela being jailed for life.

Executives have previously spent the night under the Mandela Bridge in central Johannesburg to raise awareness of poverty and homelessness.

The event was criticised online and in the media by some who accused it of mocking those forced to sleep rough.

Shown to be safe in humans, the candidate vaccine has now advanced to the next phase of the pre-approval trial process, and will be tested in 2,600 women in southern Africa to see whether it prevents HIV infection.

While the results so far have been encouraging, the research team and outside experts warn there are no guarantees it will actually work in the next trial phase dubbed HVTN705 or “Imbokodo” — the isiZulu word for “rock”.

“Although these data are promising, we need to remain cautious,” study leader Dan Barouch, a Harvard Medical School professor, told AFP.

Just because it protected two-thirds of monkeys in a lab trial doesn’t mean the drug will protect humans, “and thus we need to await the results of the… study before we know whether or not this vaccine will protect humans against HIV infection,” he said.

The results of the Imbokodo trial are expected in 2021/22.

“This is only the fifth HIV vaccine concept that will be tested for efficacy in humans in the 35+ year history of the global HIV epidemic,” added Barouch.

Only one so far, RV144, yielded some protection. RV144 was reported in 2009 to reduce the risk of HIV infection among 16,000 Thai volunteers by 31.2 percent — deemed insufficient for the drug to be pursued.

For the latest study, published in The Lancet medical journal, Barouch and a team tested the candidate drug on 393 healthy, HIV-free adults aged 18 to 50 in east Africa, South Africa, Thailand, and the United States.

The participants were randomly given one of seven vaccine combinations or a placebo “dummy” alternative. They received four shots each over 48 weeks.

– Needed ‘badly’ –

The study used so-called “mosaic” vaccine combinations.

These combine pieces of different HIV virus types to elicit an immune response — when the body attacks intruder germs — against virus strains from different regions of the world.

The vaccine “induced robust (high levels of) immune responses in humans,” said Barouch.

The tests also showed the vaccine was safe. Five participants reported side-effects such as stomach pain and diarrhoea, dizziness, or back pain.

In a separate study, the same vaccine offered complete protection from infection in two-thirds of 72 trial monkeys each given six injections with an HIV-like virus.

“I cannot emphasise how badly we need to have a vaccine… to get rid of HIV in the next generation altogether,” said Francois Venter of the University of the Witwatersrand Reproductive Health and HIV Institute in South Africa.

Approached for comment on the study, which he was not involved in, Venter urged caution.

“We have been here before, with promising candidate vaccines that haven’t panned out,” he told AFP.

“This one is novel in many ways so it is exciting, but we have a long way to go.”

Could be ‘phenomenal’

Jean-Daniel Lelievre of France’s Vaccine Research Institute said the vaccine was likely not the “definitive” version, but may represent “a phenomenal advance.”

An estimated 37 million people live with HIV/AIDS, according to the World Health Organization.

There are about 1.8 million new infections and a million deaths every year.

Almost 80 million people are estimated to have been infected since the virus was first diagnosed in the early 1980s.

About 35 million have died.

A vaccine has proven elusive as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) mutates easily and can hide away in cells, evading the immune system, only to reemerge and spread years later.

For now, people infected with HIV rely on lifelong virus-suppressing anti-retroviral treatment (ART) to stay healthy.

Condoms are still at the frontline of efforts to prevent infection — mainly through sex and blood contact — though more and more people use ART as prophylaxis.

The latest results come ahead of the International Aids Conference to be held in Amsterdam from July 23 to 27.

IN THIS fast-paced, cut-throat life, most of us experience moments of extreme stress. While not necessarily life threatening, such responses to stress as a rapid heartbeat and nausea can be controlled by focusing on our breathing for a few seconds.

Longer lasting benefits come with a few hours at a spa and while the traffic build-up and frustrating navigation through cars, motorbikes and pedestrians on Sukhumvit Soi 11 ramps up my personal stress levels, I can feel my heart slowing as I draw up to Divana Nature Spa, Thai Retreat and Longivity.

The treatment rooms boast a modern design along with a steam room, en-suite bathroom, and two large lotus motif baths.

As an effective preventive measure against the stressors of everyday life, Divana Nature Spa integrates traditional Thai medicine and oriental wisdom with a modern holistic approach to wellbeing. Elegant and tasteful in design, the spa offers treatments based on four fundamental principles of “Wellness Life”, both psychological and physical, by ridding the body of toxins and impurities and healing mind and spirit through natural methods.

The theme of this one-rai property is the lotus blossom, symbolising the bloom of youth and longevity. The mansion zone boasts a courtyard, an inner healing glass house called Anatta, an alternative treatment room called Arokaya, a reception area, product corner, and treatment rooms whose names represent the meaning of lotus. The villa zone meanwhile is detached from the main property and flanks the mansion on both sides. It has 16 double treatment rooms with 32 beds and an en-suite bathroom as well as a steam room.

The lotus motif, representing a harmonious blend of lotus flowers, petals, leaves and patterns, comes n forms and lines that depict the stages of unfurling (the abstract) and display (the concrete) throughout the compound. The furniture is contemporary Thai in design and reflects the subtle craftsmanship, which is particularly evident in the bas-relief walls in the interior and the baths.

The reception area

The features of the lotus flower are incorporated into the design of all 36 treatments, which range from 70 minutes to 210 minutes.

One of the recommended treatments, “Organic Golden Silk Royal Pampering” indulges guests with the ultimate luxury of natural skin nourishment – silk. The 210-minute journey start with a detoxifying Ashiyu Foot Soak and Refreshing Foot Toner using Divana’s organic products and is followed by the Prana lemongrass scrub that combines the citrusy scent of Siamese’s signature herbs (kaffir lime, ginger, galangal) with an Acupressure Point massage of the legs and feet.

For the body, the therapist uses organic tanaka to cover the whole body and then flicks the skin lightly with sericin silk thread. Thai silk is endowed with beneficial properties and this golden silk thread is rich in protein while the mulberry leaves, contain significant vitamins. The golden cocoons contain a total of 18 essential silk amino acids known to be good for the hair and skin. More fresh, natural and organic ingredients are added during the massage including a Milky Compress and a Honey and White Pearl body scrub.

Guests are then escorted to the steam room for a 15-minutes mulberry detoxifying treatment that stimulates circulation, drains lymph nodes, and opens pores.

Organic and fresh ingredients are used to rejuvenate body and mind. 

Back on the treatment bed, the therapist relaxes muscular tension with a massage using organic silk and warmed Korean ginseng oil. This is followed by a Golden Silk Moisturising Facial Mask to disperse the free radicals, nourish the skin, and reduce signs of ageing.

The treatment ends with a carefree soak in a flowery Golden Cocoon Luminous milk bath, leaving the skin smooth, healthy-looking and reinvigorated.

Each programme is an innovation in its own right. Thanks to the integration of traditional Thai remedies, warm herbal compresses and massage with acupuncture, yogi massage, ayurvedic massage and medical technology, you leave the spa feeling pampered, relaxed and ready to battle the traffic once more without getting stressed.

SMOOTH AS SILK

>> Organic Golden Silk Royal Pampering is priced at Bt6,950.

>> Other programmes cost between Bt1,450 and Bt9,850,

>> The spa is open from 11am-11pm on weekdays and from 10am on weekends. Bookings are accepted until 8pm.

>> Book your session by calling (02) 651 2916 or find out more by visiting http://www.DivanaSpa.com/NurtureSpa

FROGGIPEDIA, an iPad app, could help your kids get a head start in biology.

The app teaches youngsters about the life cycle of a frog and best of all it will let children perform a virtual operation to learn the intricate anatomical details.

The app is divided into three parts: Life cycle, AR Anatomy and Dissection.

The app lets kids observe the life cycle of a frog, such as how it turns from a single celled egg in water to a tadpole, which turn metamorphoses into a froglet and eventually a full-grown frog.

The life cycle starts with a picture of a fertilised egg on Day 1. It says the egg is encased in a gelatinous capsule that extends on coming in contact with water.

On the left side of the screen is a progress bar with seven dots. When each dot is tapped, the app shows each stage of the life cycle. These are, as displayed in the app, are Day 1, Day 3: Tadpole with external gills, Week 4: Tadpole with internal gills, Week 6: Tadpole with hind limbs, Week 9: Tadpole with forelimbs, Week 16: Froglet, and Week 17: Frog.

The app also provides a short description for each stage of the frog’s life cycle and also lets you rotate the frog at each stage to see it around. When I tested it on iPad Pro 10-inch, the rotation was smooth and fluid and the graphic was splendid and realistic.

The AR Anatomy lets the child observe seven layers of a frog’s anatomy, namely integumentary, muscular, skeletal, nervous, urogenital, respiratory, circulatory, and digestive. You need to use the iPad Pro’s camera to scan on a flat surface of your environment or room and the app will superimpose a frog’s photo as if the frog is the room with out.

With the dissection component, the child can virtually cut open a frog to see its internal organs. The app supports Apple Pencil for performing the virtual dissection. The app will guide the youngster to pin the frog’s forelimbs and hind limbs and guide him or her to use a finger or Apple Pencil as a knife to cut it open.

Once there, you can learn to identify the internal organs of the frog through a series of questions. You identify and drag the organ to the tray in accordance with a question. For example, the question says: “It is the largest digestive gland. Can you locate it?” You kid will have find and drag the liver to the tray. There are eight organs to be identified in this game. Froggipedia sells on App Store for US$3.99.

>> Seller: Designmate (I) Pvt. Ltd.

>> Size: 144.1 MB

>> Category: Education

>> Compatibility: Requires iOS 11.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, 12.9-inch iPad Pro, 12.9-inch iPad Pro Wi-Fi + Cellular, 9.7-inch iPad Pro, 9.7-inch iPad Pro Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (5th generation), iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (5th generation), 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2nd generation), 12.9-inch iPad Pro Wi-Fi + Cellular (2nd generation), 10.5-inch iPad Pro, 10.5-inch iPad Pro Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (6th generation), and iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (6th generation).

>> Languages: English

>> Age Rating: Rated 4+

A NEW and thoroughly modern modular tri-band Wi-Fi system, Linksys Velop Intelligent Mesh WiFi System is very easy to set up and guarantees strong Wi-Fi signal throughout your home.

The mesh system uses a node to function as a router to beam a strong wireless signal around a 185-square-metre area. If you have more space than that, you simply add more nodes to cover the entire house though the radius of each node must intersect with another node – the second node with the router node and the third node with the second node, for example.

You don’t need LAN or any knowledge of technology to set up the system, just a wall plug for each node and your mobile phone and the Linksys app.

Using the Linksys app, setting up Velop Intelligent Mesh Wi-Fi system is a piece of cake. You can buy more nodes to add if the 3-pack Velop system doesn’t provide enough signal coverage for the entire house.

Three packages are available – one-node pack, two-node pack and three-node packs, depending on the size of your house. For example, if you live in a condominium room, you buy the one-node pack. But if you live in a two-floor townhouse, you would be better opting for the two-node pack.

Each node is designed in such a way as to look like a compact speaker with a status LED on top. The nodes are small, measuring just 7.8 cm x 7.8 cm x 18.5 cm and look elegant placed on a shelf or desk. The white model I tested looked really cool with the blue LED status light when the system was online.

And each node has two auto-sensing Gigabit Ethernet ports hidden under it and a slot behind it for stowing cable.

Each Velop node uses Tri-band aC2200 with MU-MIMO technology. It operates with 2.4GHz + 5GHz + 5 GHz bands providing bandwidths of 400 + 867 + 867 Mbps respectively.

Linksys Velop Intelligent Mesh WiFi System is equipped with several technologies to make sure the Wi-Fi connection remains smooth with strong throughput and fast Internet connection speed, though that will of course depend on the speed of your Internet subscription.

Each Velop node is equipped with a powerful quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor that supports multiple, simultaneous activities across all its wired and wireless interfaces. Moreover, each node has 4GB of flash and 512MB of DDR3 RAM to provide more than enough resources to host a large variety of features and functionality, and to execute all its tasks efficiently and quickly.

The Velop system also supports MU-MIMO (multi-user multiple-input and multiple-output). The Velop system transmits to two MU-MIMO-capable clients simultaneously. This increased efficiency improves the Wi-Fi experience for all 5GHz clients.

The Velop system supports transmit beam-forming to deliver a better network range and faster Wi-Fi speeds in the home. This technology precisely adjusts, steers and monitors the direction and shape of Wi-Fi signals for better performance with any wireless device.

A nice feature that avoids Wi-Fi congestion in your home is Velop’s cross-channel solution. Normally, access points (routers, range extenders, etc.) and client devices (laptops, smartphones, etc) communicate on the same channel. But channel congestion and a busy collision domain can slow down Wi-Fi performance. Each Velop node connects to a downstream node on a different channel, reducing Wi-Fi collision and delivering more reliable Wi-Fi performance.

The beauty of the Velop system is that it provides seamless roaming. When you deploy two or more Velop nodes, they will communicate with each other to form a single, unified wireless network. No matter where you are in your home, you can move freely between each node’s coverage area and maintain a stable, uninterrupted connection.

The Velop system also uses Intelligent Wi-Fi Mesh Network to ensure the connection will remain as strong as possible. The nodes can connect to each other over wired or wireless links, and will choose the best path to route data between a client and the internet. If a node loses connection to another node, the remaining nodes will self-heal and re-establish internet connection through other nodes in the network.

Spotfinder technology recommends the best placement to reduce latency, maximise throughput, and improve range and signal strength.

I tested the Linksys Velop three-node system on True Online’s True Super Fibre 50/20 Mbps package and was impressed by the fast Wi-Fi speed throughout the house.

The set-up was a breeze too thanks to the app. First, I connected a LAN cable from True Online router/modem to a LAN port under the first node.

Then, the app guided me to connect to the Wi-Fi name of the node with the password printed under the node. The rest of the connection was done automatically. I then set the Wi-Fi router and password to be the same as those on my previous router so that all clients, my notebook computers and mobile phones, could reconnect in a blink without any hassle. The app then guided me to add the second node and third node – one at a time – without any trouble.

To add the second node, I simply plugged its power adapter into the wall plug and tapped a button on the app and the rest was done automatically. Likewise with the third node. I placed the second and third nodes in bedrooms on the second floor of my two-storey townhouse.

The test found that a Sony Android 4K TV could stream from YouTube and Netflix smoothly without a network bottleneck.

The Wi-Fi signals in bedrooms on the second floor were very strong.

Using Apple TV 4K box to stream movies from Netflix on the second floor was smooth. Likewise, I used an Android box to watch iflix movies on the second floor smoothly.

The Linksys app also comes with Speed Check function. I used it to measure the Internet connection speed and it reported that my download speed was 54 Mbps and upload speed 23 Mbps.

Linksys Velop Intelligent Mesh WiFi System’s one-node pack retails for Bt7,990, two-node pack Bt12,990 and three-node pack Bt17,990.

>> Wi-Fi Technology: Tri-Band AC2200 (867 + 867 + 400 Mbps)‡ with MU-MIMO and 256 QAM

>> Network Standards: 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac

>> Wi-Fi Bands: Simultaneous Tri-Band (2.4Ghz + 5GHz + 5GHz)

>> Number of Ethernet Ports: 2x WAN/LAN auto-sensing Gigabit Ethernet ports

>> Antennas: 6x internal antennas and high-powered amplifiers

>> Processor: 716 MHz Quad Core Memory: 4 GB Flash and 512 MB RAM

>> Wireless Encryption: WPA2 personal

>> Security Features: WPA2 personal

Love & Co is affiliated with Singapore’s SK Jewellery Group and focuses on sparkling accessories for proposals, weddings, anniversaries and other romantic occasions.

“We’ve come a long way in our commitment to turn romantic experiences into modern jewellery and creating the perfect retail experience to celebrate our customers’ love journey,” says group CEO Daniel Lim.

“The opening of our CentralWorld store marks a significant milestone for us as we continue our expansion into new markets.”

For the grand opening, areas were set out evoking the different stages of a romance, from puppy love to dating, the proposal and the wedding, and finally the affectionate anniversaries. Models showed diamond engagement rings, wedding bands and glittering gifts.

The Lovemarque – billed as “the most romantic diamond in the world” – bears a perfect rose at its heart with an inscription invisible to the naked eye. It can only be seen with a special viewer.

Love & Co is the first jeweller in Asia to partner with the International Institute of Diamond Grading and Research, a De Beers Group company that certifies the excellent cut of each Lovemarque diamond. The institute adds its own ID number.

WITH MORE than half of the year spent in near darkness, the Finns understandably like to get the most out of their two-month summer. Some head to music festivals, others enjoy a slow life at their summer cottages, swimming, fishing and cooking while still others enjoy picnics with friends and family.

And in true Finnish fashion, Marimekko is inspired by these summer picnics for its latest line of home accessories.

Tanachira Group, the brand’s sole distributor in Thailand, recently launched the Marimekko summer 2018 “Sweetness Home” collection, mimicking a fun and vibrant picnic ambience for Thais to enjoy at home.

Lifestyle guru Panida “Tukta” Iemsirinoppakul was on hand at the launch to demonstrate a table setting that showcases Marimekko’s fabulous prints. These combine new takes on the iconic archive patterns created in 1960s and 1970s by Maija Isola and Annika Rimala with contemporary prints by younger-generation designers Carina Seth Andersson, Maija Louekari and Aino-Maija Metsola in a colour chart that varies from sky blue to summer yellow and vibrant pink.

Sitanan “Jib” Wuttivej completed the summer picnic with specially curated drinks and desserts including Peach Caramel and Orange Earl Grey scones, Orange Chocolate Weekend Cake and Apple Pear Crumble served on Marimekko’s plates and trays while Jiranya “Yi” Srisawek, the owner of Furawa Desu, was on hand to create flower arrangements for the picnic table.

“It’s winter almost all year round in Finland, so when the temperatures go up from May to August, and the sun doesn’t set at all, people celebrate their all-too-short summer,” says Praewpailyn Aimaksorn, marketing manager.

“For the collection, the design team took their inspiration from personal growth stories – the path they have walked to become who they are today. They also looked to Marimekko’s rich heritage that serves as a seedbed for its designs of today. The prints of all woven cotton and linen items in the collection were finished at Marimekko’s in-house factory in Helsinki, where around a million metres of fabric are printed every year. The printing mill serves both as a factory and as an innovative hub for Marimekko’s creative community,” she adds.

For the table Panida mixed and matched the new prints with the brand’s timeless design home collection, using Oiva/Mynsteri mugs and plates decorated with the blue lace-like flowers of the Mynsteri pattern.

Also making an appearance was the yellow glass vase Urna, which is mouth-blown and designed by Carina Seth-Andersson, the classic Pieni Unikko pattern in beige, off white and blue, stoneware and accessories including cotton cushion covers, tea towels, pot holders, aprons and oven mittens. All fabrics go through an environmentally friendly printing process.

“Marimekko homeware is colourful and boasts prints that not only looks beautiful but also have strong characters. Surprisingly though, the patterns and colours never clash, even if you choose to mix purple with orange. Customers can have so much fun mixing and matching,” says Panida, who admits to being a long-time fan of the Finnish brand.

“For the picnic theme, I added cool items like a Panama hat, woven bag, and Marimekko scarf. The scarf is versatile, it can be used on the shoulders, to cover the table or on the ground. Picnics at home are a great way for guests to enjoy the summer’s inspirations and vibrant dining.”

The experiential pop-up store, which runs at the Eden 2 zone from today until Sunday (July 8), will transform your outfit from any colour into white and also offers a commonly designed ensemble in a distinctive new design through the “No Service” clothing brand to help get you ready for the world-class “Sensation Rise 2018” taking place at Bitec Bangna on July 29.

“Our brand is based on the concept of fast fashion – it is like coming up with an innovative design all the time. Here, you can revive your boring and old clothes,” says Bordin Aphimarn, one of the owners of No Service brand.

The experiential pop-up store is designed to provide a brand new experience in preparation for the world music festival. The white fashion phenomenon is back and will “mutate” clothing in any colour into brilliant white through three special techniques: “Collage”, creating new patterns by adding a montage of white fabrics with special patterns and shapes; “Painted”, use of a special dip-dyeing technique as well as through free hand painting by expert artists; and “Coated”, which irons white rubber sheets on clothes to create new graphic prints and textures such as Heineken, White Mutation and big and small stars.

“Our brand emphasises graphics, so this coating technique helps to sharpen the letters and the patterns. For the collage, we cut and sew a few old clothes to form a new one. This can make an innovative outfit with two collars or four sleeves that we can select to wear on the different days,” says Bordin.

The launch of the pop-up store was attended by celebrities Passakorn “Pok” Chirathivat, Aerin Yuktadatta, and Nont “Mickey” Allapach Na Pombhejara, who will be bringing their passion for fashion to the music festival and showing their own individual styles.

“I’m a huge fan of Sensation. I’ve been to the Sensation party twice in 2012 and 2014. It really is a huge white fashion phenomenon. Fashion is very important to me, so I won’t miss the chance to get ready before having a blast at the party. I’m really impressed with the way Heineken pays attention to every detail, even with this activity prior to Sensation. It builds excitement for the event and incorporates a fashion splash. Offering this special service to party-goers to mutate their outfits into white through these special techniques will create outstanding designs while allowing each person to remain unique, and I believe will also bring more buzz to the party,” says Aerin.

“I’m excited about Sensation Rise 2018. I went to the festival four years ago and was blown away. I have to give a big shout out to Heineken for bringing back this phenomenal music experience and allowing us to experience this legendary white party. Wearing white for me is all about being unique but at the same time it brings us together. I think that the Heineken Star Hive White Mutation popup store is a brilliant concept because it builds on the excitement by providing some cool ways to mutate clothes in any colour into white, it’s really impressive. July 29 is going to be intense!” says Passakorn.

“If you want stylish and unique outfits, don’t wait. Just drop off your clothes at Heineken Star Hive White Mutation at Central World and let Heineken work its magic. Stay tuned as Heineken is sure to roll out more surprises for fans at Sensation Rise 2018,” adds Nont.

Sensation will bring ‘Rise’ all the way to Bangkok to transform Bitec into the world’s biggest nightclub for just one night with the lineup of DJs that includes WHOISJODY, Dirty South, Mr White, Ko:Yu, Dannic, Sam Feldt, Dash Berlin, and host MC Gee.

Find out more about the “Heineken Star Hive White Mutation” at Facebook.com/heineken or No Service’s Instagram: @noserviceservice.

For tickets for Sensation Rise 2018, visit http://www.Sensation.com/cities/bangkok/.

The Power Green Camp – a collaborative exercise held annually by the Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University, and energy giant Banpu – is now in its thirteenth year and is inviting high-school students majoring in science to make the most of their available time during the midyear break to by learning about biodiversity while also making new friends at the camp, which runs from October 18 to 25.

“Banpu firmly believes that learning is the power of change and development. For more than a decade, the Power Green Camp has focused on developing the new generation’s potential and skills and preparing them to grow up to become important forces in driving their communities and society forward by using the knowledge and experience they gain from the camp and adapting these to best suit the rapidly changing world. This year, we are placing emphasis on developing the economy and society while conserving the environment and ensuring stability of the country’s fundamental resources. In designing the camp’s activities, we have focused on creating a balance between environmental conservation and utilisation. We need to connect cooperation between every sector by supporting the new generation to make use of biodiversity in line with market demand by developing and increasing the value of products that enhance traditional wisdom. This will result in a wellbalanced and sustainable society,” says Udomlux Olarn, head of Bangpu’s corporate affairs.

Themed “Managing Biodiversity and Creatively Increasing its Economic Value”, the Power Green Camp 13 is open to 70 high-school students in Grade 10 and 11 majoring in science, who can demonstrate their passion for protecting the environment. The camp will be held at the Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University, Salaya campus.

In addition to learning the theoretical aspects of environmental science, participants will be able to combine their artistic skills and environmental science knowledge to put together creative works. They will get to listen to real experiences from entrepreneurs in various businesses who apply biodiversity to generate income in a creative way and also take part in excursions to role model communities in Nakhon Pathom and Kanchanaburi provinces to learn more about how they can creatively utilise biodiversity to add more value to their local products.

Under the Power Green Camp’s concept “Enviscience: Learning through Actions”, all 70 selected students will participate in the activities, which kick off with lessons conducted by lecturers of the Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University on the importance of preservation and creating value added for biodiversity. Students will learn in practical terms how to create value added through the experiences shared by various businesses entrepreneurs, and further extend their knowledge by participating in different activities during the camp, such as a photography and painting workshop with naturalist, environmental writer and photographer Dome Pratumtong.

They will also go on trips to learn about the commercial usage of natural resources with local business owners and learn in depth the process of organic farming with local farmers at Sookjai Market and Chao Suan School in Nakhon Pathom’s Sam Phran district. The students will also travel to the community forest of Kanchanaburi’s Lum Sum sub-district, where they will see first-hand how the locals have been able to utilise biodiversity in their sustainable careers through efficient management of resources.

At the end of the camp, students will compete for a Bt30,000 scholarship through the environmental scientific group project contest and will also get a chance to join an environmental excursion overseas.

Science major high-school students in Grade 10 and 11 can download the application from http://www.PowerGreencamp.com and submit a handwritten application no longer than one sheet of A4 size paper or a 1-minute video clip plus other documents as indicated. Applications must be received no later than August 31, 2018.

For more updates and information on the camp, along with required qualifications and additional criteria, visit Facebook.com/powergreencamp or call (02) 441 5000 extension 2112.

A traditional form of dance-drama known as lakhon phanthang that first made its appearance as commercial theatre under royal patronage in the nineteenth century comes back to life this weekend through an adaptation of the Thai literary classic “Rachathirat”.

The production celebrates the 85th anniversary of the Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theatre, which was built on the orders of King Rama VII who funded it out of his personal budget as a gift to the Thai people.

“The budget for the construction of the theatre was Bt9 million and it was built to mark the 150th anniversary of the founding of Bangkok. The framed pictures on the walls show King Prajadhipok and Queen Rambai Barni laying the foundation stone and inspecting the construction site,” says Narumol Lomthong, managing director of the royal theatre.

“At that time, Sala Chalermkrung was the most modern theatre in Southeast Asia. It had air-conditioning, a capacity of 2,000 seats, and had no pillars. It was renovated in 1992, with the stage widened and the installation of a hydraulic stage lift system, which reduced its capacity to 600 seats. The second floor used to hold two long balconies but these were made much shorter because of the instability of the walls. At that time, movie tickets cost just 25 satang.”

In fact, lakhon phanthang is a hybrid form of dance theatre, representative of non-Thai ethnic groups such as the Chinese, Burmese, Mon and Muslims and drawing on the costumes, movement styles and stereotypes of these ethnicities.

“Lakhon phanthang became a new kind of a play. Most were based on Asian chronicles. A member of Chao Phraya Mahintarasak-Thamrong (Peng Penkul)’s dance troupe, Luang Pattana Pongpakdee (Tim Sukhayang) was a playwright who adapted a chronicle into a play. The first adapted chronicle was “Rachathirat”, which is a Mon tale and used a mixture of Mon, Burmese and Chinese in the songs and dialogue as well as in the movements and costumes. The language was Thai but spoken with the accents of other Asian nations. There were many popular theatres during the reign of King Rama V, with “Rachathirat” and “Saming Phra Ram Arsa” the most played episodes of the Ramakien,” says Pramate Boonyachai, a specialist at Bunditpatanasilpa Institute.

Chao Phraya Mahintarasak-Thamrong lived through the reigns of three kings from 1821 to 1894. Born under King Rama III, he served as a government official under King Rama IV and died in the reign of King Rama V.

A confidant of King Rama IV and trusted by King Rama V, he played a key role in developing Thai dance theatre troupes to meet the tastes of Thai nobility.

The creativity of Chao Phraya Mahintarasak-Thamrong’s dance theatre troupe, which was founded during the reign of King Rama IV and became popular while King Rama V was on the throne, can be seen in the new approach he adopted for the artistic dances and performances. This approach was associated with foreign characters and consisted of newly invented components in terms of plays, costumes, musical instruments, and performing places. Apart from the traditional royal dance passed on since the reign of King Rama II, a new kind of dance called “Chao Phraya Mahin’s approach” or “Ram Ok-Parsa” was initiated to suggest the nationality of each foreign character.

This approach contributed to the development of many new theatrical dance performances. The theatrical performance of Chao Phraya Mahintarasak-Thamrong’s dance theatre troupe opened the door to the world of limitless performances. It was also a precursor to the approaches later developed by the Fine Arts Department and dance education institutes, enabling Thai dance to remain a key part of Thai national arts even though the society was dramatically changing.

After his death, his artists, among them his wife wife, Kru Krue, became dance teachers in Chao Khun Phra Prayurawongse’s troupe, a large ensemble that trained and produced many skilled theatrical artists. Four of them – Kru Phan Morakul, Kru Sa-Ad Saengsawang, Kru Charoenchit Pattarasewi, and Kru Yorsaeng Pakditewa went on to become dance teachers at the Fine Arts Department and were instrumental in preserving Chao Phraya Mahintarasak-Thamrong’s approach.

Krisana “Mom” Pakdeeteva remembers those days with fondness. “I used to work on the role of Kamanee with Kru Phan. To perform Kamanee, you must have a beautiful face and be smart and seductive. At that time, we would perform 110 rounds of “Rachathirat”. It all faded when the Fine Arts Department’s theatre burned down in 1960 and was rebuilt as the National Theatre in 1965.

“For me the highlight of the performance as wielding the mai thuan, a long stick. I would practise moving with the stick with Khru Amporn Chatchakul from 7-8am before I went off to my studies. After lunch, I would perform in front of my teachers then return after dinner to work on the moves until 9. It was the heart of the play. It was through the play that I met Thanongsak Pakdeetewa, who was in the audience every Saturday,” recalls the 83-year-old, who performed as Kamanee back in 1952 and is directing this weekend’s production.

In this new version of “Rachathirat”, Panot Pangsamut, an official with the Culture, Sports and Tourism Department, plays Kamanee while Phoomarin Maneewong, an instructor of Thai performing arts at Bunditpatanasilpa Institute, takes on the role of Saming Phra Ram.

“I’m one of Ajarn Krisana Buasuang’s students and as my instructor in performing art, he thinks I’m the most suitable to play Kamanee. In fact, I have performed in ‘Rachathirat’ before but in other roles. It’s very hard to fight with the long stick while dancing and singing and I’m still rehearsing two hours a day. Kamanee is a great Chinese warrior who is intelligent, valiant and strong,” says Panot.

“Saming Phra Ram must be nimble and small, smaller than the Chinese warrior. Saming Phra Ram is proficient in fighting with the thuan or long stick while on horseback and uses his intelligence to overcome the enemy. I’ve been working with Panot on the moves, which are far from easy as we have to hit each other’s stick with the same rhythm. I personally think the best scene is where we fight with the sticks in both Mon and Chinese styles,” says Phoomarin.

The play itself deals mostly with conflicts between the Mon and the Burmese as they fight for power and territory. The chronicle clearly portrays the virtues of the heroes, their gratitude and love for their country and the honour of Saming Phra Ram.

Two days of tradition

– The lakhon phanthang “Rachathirat” is being staged at Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theatre tomorrow and Sunday at 2pm.

– Tickets cost from Bt300 to Bt1,000 at Thai Ticket Major. Call (02) 262 3456 or visit http://www.ThaiTicketMajor.com.

– For more information, call the the¬atre at (02) 225 87578 and (02) 623 81489.