Staff at the Paolo Memorial Hospital Chokchai 4 dressed the babies in costumes in the “Happy Valentine’s Day & Happy Chinese New Year” theme to congratulate families welcoming new babies during this period.

Parents were given framed photo souvenirs of their babies in costume, which reportedly encouraging many to choose the facility to give birth during holidays.

Hospital staff have previously dressed newborns in Santa Claus and Christmas tree outfits for “Christmas Festival 2017”, as puppies to usher in the Year of Dog during the “New Year 2018 Festival” and as baby chickens to mark the “Year of the Rooster” in January 2017.

Passengers travelling on international flights departing from Bangkok where there is lunch and dinner service (except flights departing to the Middle East and South Asia) will be served Valentine desserts. Royal First Class passengers will enjoy a lychee and raspberry sphere with raspberry sauce with roses whipping cream, while Royal Silk Class passengers will be served raspberry cake.

Passengers travelling on domestic flights departing to and from Bangkok (except for flight TG207 Bangkok-Phuket, TG208 Phuket-Bangkok, TG226 Phuket-Bangkok, and TG617 (Chiang Mai-Bangkok) will get to much on Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnuts.

For more information, please make reservation and ticketing at http://www.ThaiAirways.com.

Love letters are the archetype of true romance, and you can write them in style with cool stationery items available at the store. You can also give your significant other some writing tools that might just be the hint they need.

A special letter starts with special tools. Ystudio, a Taiwanese design brand known for minimalistic and simple design, has officially arrived in Thailand with its first pop-up store in Thailand at Another Story with the  “Weight of Words”, a collection of well-designed, minimalistic, yet extremely powerful items that will last for more than a lifetime.

Relive the glory of yesteryear a la Romeo & Juliet with the Brassing-Desk Fountain Pen, carefully crafted from solid brass, designed to remind us of the weight and substance that our words can carry. Better yet, the pen itself carries its very own story – the colour of brass changes with different users and various environments, giving each pen its unique feature. Or create unique art with the brass series which includes ballpoint pen, sketching pen, and adjustable pencil.

Paris-based jewellery brand Atelier Paulin presents accessories shaped out of precious metal wire to help you express your emotions with a unique and entirely handmade piece. The brand offers beautiful and meaningful presents that portray your emotions through heartfelt words crafted using colourful silk thread, silver or gold glitter and precious metal, such as argentium, gold-filled 14-karat wire, and 18-karat gold wire.

Various items include the magical four-letter word “LOVE” with your loved one’s name, and in turn, the recipient can carry this meaningful item with them on their finger, ears, neck or wrist. Simple but elegant, Atelier Paulin jewellery makes a meaningful present, a one-of-a-kind gift that you and your recipient will cherish forever.

Check out the first Ystudio and Atelier Paulin pop-up stores in Asia at Another Story, 4th floor, Helix Quartier, The EmQuartier through the end of February.

The film unites some of the world’s most influential creative talents spanning the worlds of music, style and sport, among them Dua Lipa, Miles Silvas, Playboi Carti, Lu Han, A$AP Ferg, Nick Young, Kaytranada, Florencia Galarza, Marcelo Vieira and Adrianne Ho.

In a metaphoric loop, each individual picks up from where the last left off, building upon the past to create a revolution through evolution.

“With the 2018 chapter of ‘Original Is Never Finished’, we were inspired first and foremost by the theme of complacency, which is by far the very thing that blocks creativity,” says Alegra O’Hare, VP of Global Communication, adidas Originals.

“We wanted to give a whole new meaning to the idea of being never finished. We were fascinated by our own repeated behaviours, and once we disrupted the routine it gave us the freedom to explore the unexpected. The idea of doing things over and over again, is reflected in the repetition of images throughout the film and this adidas Originals “wheel of life” releases the creativity and energy of a new generation of creators including Florencia Galarza, Adrianne Ho, and A$AP Ferg, who embody the lyrics of the 90’s billboard hit ‘Keep Pushin’, a chant to inspire all creators to do the same.”

Geared up in adicolor, music sensation Dua Lipa leads the pack, being the first to disrupt the norm alongside her crew. Upon reaching the pinnacle of their pursuit, they are met by professional skateboarder Miles Silvas who endlessly combines his old tricks with new ones in an unrelenting pursuit of perfection, all while wearing the Adidas skateboarding City Cup sneaker.

Silvas’ trick flips the scene to a lavish setting where rapper Playboi Carti changes from one outrageous outfit to another standing atop a grand piano in an unhumble act of expression befitting of the Crazy 1 ADV silhouette.

As the piano begins to deconstruct, the scene it becomes stripped down to its essentials as musician and creative Lu Han makes his way through the broken down piano parts while wearing EQT BASK ADV.

Lu Han looks up and the scene transitions to hip-hop artist and professed sneakerhead A$AP Ferg who performs ritual unboxings revealing generations of the iconic EQT silhouette, and his newest grail, EQT BASK ADV.

A quick glance by basketball prodigy Nick Young wearing the Crazy BYW silhouette, referencing his infamous meme, leads to producer Kaytranada pressing records in a mechanical repitition. Wearing the NMD_R1 STLT PK, he passes off the final vinyl to footballer and DJ Florencia Galarza.

She passes through a series of rooms, each with its own energy in a nod to the multi-faceted identity of the Arkyn sneaker she wears showing she is the sum of her inspirations and never just one thing.

Picking up the beat of the record in his locker room, footballer Marcelo Vieira performs a victory dance wearing EQT. Continuing the momentum, streetwear icon Adrianne Ho marches ahead through a flickering sequence of self-expressions highlighting the power of any color in adicolor. Moving from fashion’s epicenter to the periphery, a crew of outsiders wearing Prophere run from the gaze of a surveillance camera.

It’s this final moment that finds the collective group of creators climbing in their common and relentless pursuit of evolution. A sudden flash of green takes the viewer back to the beginning of the loop, and just when it appears to be over, the loop is broken again and the next creative iteration begins.

FOR THE past 15 years, the Commerce Ministry’s Designers’ Room and Talent Thai projects have helped more than 600 emerging local designers to enhance their skills and potential. While a noble objective, that philosophy no longer cuts ice as designers today also need to be entrepreneurs if they are to survive in an increasingly competitive market.

So the ministry’s Department of International Trade Promotion has adopted a new approach, founding a new pilot project called Fuze that invites 20 aspiring newcomers to collaborate with three established brands – Painkiller, Erb and Tao Hong Tai – on special collections.

The fruits of the co-branding project are currently on sale at the pop-up store, also called Fuze, on the third floor of Siam Discovery until April 27.

“About 30 per cent of designers participating in the two projects have succeeded in establishing their names both locally and internationally. A designer today is not a service provider, but rather a business man or woman. The shortcut to allowing these young designers to understand the process and be able to translate the value of design into business language is to work with professionals,” says ML Kathathong Thongyai, director of the Thailand Office of Innovation and Value Creation.

ML Kathathong Thongyai

Painkiller, Erb and Tao Hong Tai have all been invited by the department to share their experiences with some 60 young brands participating in this year’s Designers’ Room and Talent Thai, but that’s where its involvement ends. How the professional brands and the emerging labels collaborate is up to them.

Painkiller, the creator of minimal menswear, has joined with 17 young lifestyle brands whose products range from eyewear and sportswear to stationery, jewellery and tableware, while Erb – the leading brand in home fragrances and skin care products – has joined with six brands to help develop such products as a paper diffuser, ink for calligraphy pens and a mobile phone case infused with Erb’s scents.

Jewellery and accessories brand La Orr has worked with celebrated ceramic brand Tao Hong Tai from Ratchaburi on developing eye-catching brooches, partly fashioned from the pha khao ma (loincloth) which is one of Ratchaburi’s distinctive products.

Tao Hong Tai x La Orr

“Consumers today have a variety of choices thanks to e-commerce,” Kathathong says.

“Designers must constantly update to be relevant to the fast-changing market and be able to apply their creations to meet trends like colours, patterns, textures and functionality. I hope this collaborative project will help them diversify both their creations and vision.”

Independent eyewear brand Arty & Fern has launched a collaborative collection of hand-made sunglasses and spectacles with Painkiller based on Painkiller’s latest menswear designs, which highlight patchwork and a colour palette of black, grey and white. Arty & Fern’s artisanal frames are attached with tiny wire-like accessories and partly applied with rubbed colours that mock the patchwork technique of sewing different materials together in one pattern.

Aniknun Eiamong and Chanakan Ukosakul offer custom-made and handcrafted form-fitting eyewear under the brand Arty&Fern.

The brand mingles the nicknames of its two founders, Chanakan “Art” Ukosakul and Aniknun “Fern” Eiamong, who, after taking eyewear manufacturing courses in 2015 at Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Lune- tiers Eyeglass Craftsmanship School in Morez, France, decide to launch the custom-made and handcrafted form-fitting eyewear.

“Our brand and Painkiller share something similar in terms of minimal style and attention to detail. Painkiller has never had its own collection of eyeglasses,” says Art. “Fern and I spent six months attending five courses conducted by master French craftsmen to hone our skills in frame personalisation and the making of artisanal frames with cellulose acetate. We learned anatomy and technical standards applicable to eyeglasses and materials and realised that the key of design is to solve problems faced by individual wearers of specs.”

The co-branding collection of eyewear by Arty&Fern and the menswear brand Painkiller

Their custom-made eyewear is measured to suit customers’ facial features and personal style so that every customer goes home with a pair of glasses adapted to his or her face and style.

“One pair of glasses goes through 260 different processes and takes about 10 days to complete. Customers can mix and match the components to express their own style,” adds Fern. “One of our male customers has a face that’s 160mm wide and that makes it impossible for him to find frames in a market where the standard is 135 to 140mm. For years, he’s worn glasses that pinch his head. Women tend to face problems like a low bridge and high cheekbones so we have to design glasses that fit their facial structures.”

Kalayada Lohacharoenvanich collaborates with Painkiller to launch the first collection of men’s sportswear.

After launching a range of women’s sportswear combining athletic functionality with feminine charm, the two-year-old Kalis Activewear brand has now launched its debut collection of men’s hoodies and pants for everyday comfort and natural range of motion after collaborating with Painkiller.

“Our products were previously available online and catered only to women because men do not shop online for sportswear,” says co-founder Kalayada Lohacharoenvanich.

“The collaborative collection is based on Painkiller’s dark tones – grey, dark blue and black – and both hoodies and pants have reflective stripes down the sides for a casual look. We try to offer a balance between technical performance like muscle compression technology and fashionable casual wear.”

Her partner is in charge of OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), a family-run firm that makes sportswear for many brands. Kalis Activewear’s apparel is designed and produced in Thailand and uses only fabrics that are breathable, soft, lightweight and comfortable for a workout.

The brand’s women’s leggings and running shorts come complete with pockets that allow the wearer to keep her smartphone secure without getting in the way while on the move. The sports bras have an adjustable cross-back design to keep the wearer comfortable and moving freely all day.

Poomsak Teankaprasith, the founder of Painkiller, says the most challenging task in the collaborative project is finding a way to combine the unique characteristics of each brand without losing sight of the roots.

“First I brief them about my style concept, signature colour palettes, and the direction of my brand so that they can apply their products to join with mine and add value. Many of them have no experience in retail and don’t know how to balance good design with commercial business,” he says.

Porana has worked with Painkiller to design a set of two rings inspired by the scarf joint. 

Jewellery brand Porana also works with Painkiller on pairs of rings inspired by the scarf joint in woodwork. This allows the two rings to be interlocked or worn separately. Consumers can design their own pair of sterling silver rings with black diamonds and have them plated with 14K gold, 14k rose gold or dark grey metal. The finish can be gloss or matte.

“My family has run Siamwell Jewelry for 30 years and creates custom-made costume jewellery. I launched my own brand two years ago to offer fine jewellery for everyday use in a minimalist but elegant style, using real gold and diamonds and a high level of craftsmanship,” says founder Ladawan Panyaphacharakul.

Her brand introduces women to stacking small dainty rings together for a unique look. Mixed metals, including white, rose and yellow gold, parallel the mood and tone of the outfits they choose to wear.

Ladawan Panyaphacharakul of jewellery brand Porana has designed a jewellery box that takes both her accessories and Erb’s perfume.

Ladawan is also working with Erb on a small jewellery box finished in synthetic leathers in a choice of black or maroon. Covered with velvet and lined with a floral-printed fabric, the box can store four rings and has two compartments – one to store Erb’s small perfume bottle and the other for miscellaneous accessories like earrings and pendants.

“The 6x12cm lightweight box slides easily into a handbag. It’s suitable for any women who prefers to keep their accessories organised before dressing up for an event,” says Ladawan.

Pica stationery brand by Pichakorn Meedech presents a special box set of calligraphy pen and ink infused with Erb’s aroma oils.

The handcrafted stationery brand Pica by Pichakorn Meedech is also working with Erb on a box set of pen and ink for calligraphy. The pen is meticulously made by hand with a metal holder that helps users control the weight when writing.

The metal holders are also available in brass, copper and stainless steel and come with three bottles of ink infused with Erb’s aromatic oils, namely Summer Maison with a wild fruits scent, Spellbound Rose, and Siamese Jasmine.

Working with Erb whose products mostly cater to women taught Pichakorn to adjust the size of the pen holder to better fit a woman’s hand and how to mix ink with aromatic oil to maintain both the ink property and fragrant scents.

“Erb and Pica share a sense of aesthetics. My passion is to offer an analogue charm to this fast-changing world with a minimal product. Erb products also reinterpret traditional pampering and beauty regimens by bringing old-fashioned bliss to modern life,” says Pichakorn.

PERFECT PAIRINGS

The co-branding products are available at the pop-up store Fuze on the third floor of Siam Discovery until April 27. For updates, check out the “Talent Thai & Designers’ Room” page on Facebook.

Get details about Arty & Fern eyeglasses at Facebook.com/pg/artyandferneyewear

Kalis’ sportswear is available at http://www.KalisActiveWear.com.

Porana’s fine jewellery accessories can be seen at http://www.Porana.co.

Pica stationery can be found at http://www.Picastore.in.th.

THE RICHNESS of Thai culture can virtually guarantee designers here a successful career, says Dr Lisa Hockemeyer, a respected German historian of art and design and author of several critically acclaimed books.

“I’m very impressed,” she says of Thai creativity. “We need to introduce the fresh ideas originating here to Europe and create more connections between Europe and Thailand.”

Based in Milan, Italy, where she coordinates Product and Accessory Design programmes at the prestigious Istituto Marangoni, Hockemeyer has been to Bangkok on several occasions to give lectures.

And she’s optimistic about the future of Thai designers.

There is strong potential for creative growth, she believes, because all the right ingredients are here for designs that could earn global acclaim. The approach to achieving that level, though, should be interdisciplinary and free of tunnel vision, she says.

“What I’ve seen here in design is very straight-ahead vision. Designers must look across different design categories. It’s important to broaden their minds. A fashion designer must look into product design and even car design.

“Design is about creating a fresh mood, about nature and innovation, about materials – and not technology,” Hockemeyer says.

“Thai design can take advantage of the deep cultural roots, history and traditions. It’s in a unique position among Asian countries.”

Lisa Hockemeyer/ Photo:Veena Thoopkrajae

On a recent three-day visit, Hockemeyer gave four lectures on art. It had been two years since her last trip and she was impressed by how Bangkok has become such a vibrant and modern “design city”.

A graduate of University College London, she earned her master’s degree from the Royal College of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum and a PhD from Kingston University, London.

She’s currently “the face” of the venerable Istituto Marangoni, which has branches in Florence, Paris, London, and, as of last month, Miami, Florida.

Asked where she finds her inspiration, she replies that her work involves observing, digesting and reporting.

Students, likewise, must keep their eyes wide open to their surroundings. “Art exhibitions are simply meant for the eyes to understand inspirations. I take my students to fine-art exhibitions, modern-art shows and even opera houses – the more, the better.”

Her motto is “Don’t study in the classroom only.” You have to be looking around as much as possible, Hockemeyer says, and gallery and museum exhibitions give you a chance to learn new things.

As well, she says, to become a good designer, learning the basic skills is crucial. The first year of learning should entail acquiring the skills to draw, sketch and translate any idea onto paper.

“After that, students can start pursuing their inspirations. You draw together your inspirations to create something unique that reflects your own identity – whether a product, apparel or interior design. Never underestimate the importance of expressing your own identity.”

The professor considers it essential to prepare the students for the real world. They need to experience the industry’s realities before entering it.

“What’s really important to me about Marangoni is that we have inspiration all around us. But you have to go outside. You have to have experiences and learn how to see, touch and feel,” she says.

In preparing students for their careers, says Hockemeyer, the environment at the Istituto Marangoni in Milan is wonderful for its gentle prodding. The school stages many competitions for students in second and third year. “It gives them the very first idea of what it likes to do competitive work,” she notes.

Students learn and get ideas from the outside world as much as in the classroom.

“For example, when we take them to Cassina, the furniture retailer where the products are all handmade, they can see a lot of things under one roof. They can understand the importance of design and many things else.”

Hockemeyer says students can also benefit from Marangoni’s study environment. The school holds a lot of talks by designers and other important people in the industry.

In addition, during their final year, students do a master project. “They get to work and do a project with clothing maker Fendi, and one of them won a prize last year. The winner gets a placement with Fendi.”

Once the students graduate, the school helps find them jobs.

“The most difficult sector to get into is jewellery design, because it’s such a close-knit circle. However, three years ago, our students did get jobs in Italy. The easier fields are fashion, product design and accessory design, but they’re evolving very fast. We’re quite strong in placing students in the accessories sector.”

1. Ang pow

Is there a minimum sum that an ang pow should contain? Must the amount always be an even number? Can I put coins or old notes into an ang pow? Can I put a 4D ticket in place of physical money into an angpow?

Angpow, or red packets, are traditionally handed out by married couples to their parents, single adults and children during the Chinese New Year celebrations as tokens of good fortune and blessing. There is said to be no rule in terms of the amount that should go into an ang pow, as the act of giving a red packet is meant to be a gesture of blessing and not a transaction.

According to Chinese tradition, good things come in pairs, so an even number is preferred. You won’t go wrong with the number eight, as the number sounds like prosperity in Mandarin. Don’t give RM4, as it is the Chinese homonym for death.

image: https://www.thestar.com.my/~/media/online/2018/02/10/04/32/angpowfile.ashx?la=en

Dr Kang Ger-Wen, course chair for Chinese Studies in Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Humanities and Social Science, says that in the olden days in China, people would put coins into ang pow without notes. That was because coins were valuable to people then, before paper notes came about. These days, however, he has seen that it is no longer a custom to put coins into a ang pow.

Associate Professor Lim Lee Ching, vice-dean at the School of Human Development and Social Services at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, says there are no rules against putting coins into an ang pow. He adds that when the gold-coloured S$1 coins were first introduced in the 1980s, there was much excitement and people would use them in ang pow because the coin’s colour and its octagonal inset were considered auspicious. He says there are no rules against putting old notes into an ang pow either.

Customarily, people do prefer new notes, which accompany the idea of spring and renewal. However, Prof Lim says if we think back to the origins of ang pow – which were first given by parents in China to their children in the form of coins – there were no banks minting new coins just to meet such demands.

On whether a 4D ticket can be inserted into an ang pow in place of physical money, Dr Kang says it’s perfectly acceptable.

In the event that the receiver of the ang pow wins money from the lucky draw, it will be viewed that the sum won was from the giver of the ang pow.

2. Pussy willow

Why is the pussy willow popular during this festive season?

Because pussy willow plants (also known as catkins) bear their furry buds from late winter onwards, they signify the beginning of spring.

Its Chinese name, yin liu, sounds like “money flowing in”.

Some Chinese also believe that plants with abundant buds will bring good fortune.

3. Yee sang

What are the origins of the custom of eating yee sang during CNY?

The raw fish salad has been the speciality of China’s Guangdong province for centuries and it is eaten there all year round.

image: https://www.thestar.com.my/~/media/online/2018/02/10/04/20/cny-yee-sang.ashx?h=627&w=940&la=en

It was brought to Singapore by Cantonese immigrants in the 1940s, and later popularised as a Chinese New Year dish by chefs from Lai Wah Restaurant in Bendemeer Road. Over the years, the salad has become a riot of colours and flavours, including red-and green-dyed radish strips, candied orange peel, and even the use of salmon.

The practice of eating it, complete with the high drama of tossing the ingredients into the air while loudly declaring auspicious wishes during Chinese New Year, is said to be unique to Singapore and Malaysia.

4. Reunion dinner

image: https://www.thestar.com.my/~/media/online/2018/02/10/04/19/cny-reunion-dinner.ashx?la=en

How did the concept of a reunion dinner come about?

Before modern and affordable forms of transport came about, it was difficult for family members living in different parts of China to return to their hometown more than once a year.

Chinese New Year was the only time when they would make the journey home for a reunion.

Today, the dinner is traditionally held on the eve of Chinese New Year, and serves as an occasion for family bonding.

5. Lion dance

image: https://www.thestar.com.my/~/media/online/2018/02/10/04/20/liondance-reuters.ashx?la=en

Why do we see lion dance performances especially during CNY?

The lion is thought to be an auspicious animal that symbolises courage, determination and resourcefulness.

The lion dance is therefore believed to bring good fortune to those who watch it.

6. Mandarin oranges

Why do we exchange mandarin oranges during CNY?

This began as a southern Chinese custom.

The Cantonese pronunciation of giving mandarin oranges – “song kam” – is the same as “giving gold”, therefore it signifies wishing prosperity upon the recipient.

7. Bak kwa

Why do we eat bak kwa during CNY?

Bak kwa (barbecued pork jerky) is a delicacy that is said to have originated from Fujian province in China, where the people were poor and where meat was a festive treat reserved for Chinese New Year.

To make the treat last longer, the pork was sliced thinly, marinated with sugar and spices, air-dried and cooked over a hot plate.

The delicacy subsequently made its way to Singapore, where the pork slices are usually air-dried, then grilled over charcoal for a sweet and smoky flavour.

Beyond being tasty, the jerky is also called “long yoke” in Cantonese, which means to have good fortune.

8. Goodies

Why do we eat goodies such as pineapple tarts, kueh bangkit and love letters during CNY?

Pineapple tarts are said to be taken from the Straits Chinese or Peranakans’ cookie repertoire, which later found their way to become a must-eat during the festive season.

The Cantonese term for pineapple is “wong lai” – which conveys the idea of ushering in prosperity.

That suggests that Straits-born Chinese or Malays gave the original a local twist.For the same reason, kueh bangkit, which is made from tapioca flour and coconut milk, is likely a Peranakan or Malay invention.

“This award represents part of our wider engagement programme aiming to promote strong role models who can inspire future generations of cooks. Chef Bee is doing just that with her bold and authentic Thai cooking in one of the world’s greatest food cities,” said William Drew, group editor of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.

A self-taught chef, Bongkoch honed her culinary skills while working in her family’s restaurant. Since opening the original Paste in 2013 with her Australia-born chef husband Jason Bailey, Bongkoch has committed herself to educating diners on the complexity, layers and refined flavours of Thai cuisine. The couple went on to open the current incarnation of the restaurant in Bangkok’s Gaysorn Village luxury mall in 2015.

Dedicated to honouring culinary traditions, Bongkoch references centuries-old Thai cookbooks to revive long-forgotten recipes and rare ingredients. Drawing inspiration from royal Thai cuisine, she brings an artisanal approach to her cooking. As well as sourcing fresh produce from local growers, curry pastes are made in-house and food is smoked with lychee wood, coconut husks and coconut meat.

Renowned for her technical expertise and creative flair, Bongkoch creates dishes that are defined by their authentic flavours, contrasting textures and attention to detail. Striking a delicate balance between tradition and innovation, she reinterprets traditional Thai cuisine in a modern context, combining ancient and contemporary techniques alongside surprising twists.

“My dream has always been to introduce the world to an elevated version of Thai cuisine. While I am surprised and shocked to receive this award, it inspires me for the future,” she said.

Previous holders of the Asia’s Best Female Chef title include Duangporn “Bo” Songvisava from Thailand (2013), Lanshu Chen from Taiwan (2014), Hong Kong’s Vicky Lau (2015), Margarita Fores of the Philippines (2016) and May Chow from Hong Kong (2017).

Traditionally, Spring Festival celebrations last for nearly a month, starting from the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month (La Yue in Chinese) until the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month (Zheng Yue in Chinese).

This year, the Chinese New Year falls on Feb 16, which marks the Year of the Dog, according to the Chinese zodiac sign, and the Lantern Festival is to be celebrated on March 2.

The 24th day of La Yue: Thoroughly clean the house

[Photo/CGTN]

According to Chinese folklore, most deities on earth return to heaven on this day to report on their work. It is a perfect occasion for people to thoroughly clean their houses without worrying about offending household gods.

The 25th day of La Yue: Grinding bean curd (tofu)

[Photo/CGTN]

One day after the deities’ review, the Highest Emperor in heaven descends on earth to see for himself if every family is leading a frugal and hardworking life. To show they do, people usually have bean curd on this day. The tradition reflects the virtue of austerity of Chinese people during times of hardship.

The 26th day of La Yue: Cooking meat

[Photo/CGTN]

In an agrarian society like ancient China, most families could only afford to eat meat on special occasions, as meat was considered a sign of affluence. People preferred braising the meat in a brown sauce as the color was believed to suggest a prosperous life for the upcoming year.

The 27th day of La Yue: Showering, washing clothes

[Photo/CGTN]

Chinese people would wash themselves and their clothes on this day according to folk customs. It is said that taking a bath can help you get rid of bad luck and illnesses, so that you can enjoy good health in the year to come.

The 28th day of La Yue: Kneading dough, making cake

[Photo/CGTN]

With the meat dish cooked, people would traditionally begin preparing staples for the upcoming Spring Festival. Since food crops differ between Chinese regions – wheat in the North and rice in the South, the dishes are naturally different. Northerners would knead the dough to make steamed buns, while Southerners pound glutinous rice to steam “year cake” or niangao.

The 29th day of La Yue: Honoring ancestors

[Photo/CGTN]

One day before Spring Festival Eve, people sweep the tombs of deceased family members and burn incense and joss paper at the front doors of their houses to show respect for the ancestors and invite their spirits to spend the night.

The 30th day of La Yue: Spring Festival Eve

[Photo/CGTN]

The 30th day of La Yue marks Spring Festival Eve, when family members gather for a big reunion, which is especially meaningful for those who have been away from home for either work or study. Feasting on a banquet and watching the Spring Festival Gala on television have become an annual fixture for almost all Chinese. People stay up late and ring in the New Year with their loved ones.

The first day of Zheng Yue: New Year greetings

[Photo/CGTN]

The first month of the lunar year is called Zheng Yue. Getting up early on this day is as much a tradition as is staying up later the night before. People pay visits to relatives and friends with gifts and auspicious messages. Popular greetings include “good fortune,” “good health” and “happiness.”

The second day of Zheng Yue: Married daughters visit childhood homes

In the past, married daughters would visit their parents’ houses with their husbands and children on this day. Such a tradition allowed the women of the family to reunite and catch up on each other’s lives. In modern times, however, it is more of a continuity of mutual visits between relatives and friends.

The 15th day of Zheng Yue: Lantern Festival

[Photo/CGTN]

The 15th day of Zheng Yue marks the official end of the Spring Festival and is a festival in its own right – the Lantern Festival. At night, streets are decorated with lanterns featuring riddles waiting to be solved. Also on the menu is tangyuan, glutinous rice balls typically filled with sweet red bean paste, sesame paste or peanut butter.

The price of Sony’s NWWM1Z Walkman High-Resolution Audio Player – close to Bt110,000 – might come as a shock to the ears, but rest assured they’ll soon be soothed by the unit’s impressive build and incredible sound quality. The WM1Z is part of the Sony Signature Series designed by its audio engineers, and at 455 grams it’s quite weighty compared to most MP3 players.

There’s a reassuring sturdiness to it in the hand, a sign that top-notch components are at play inside the 19.9mm casing.

You see the covers of the albums of the music you’re hearing on a four-inch touch-screen display with 854×480-pixel resolution.

The responsive touch screen makes it convenient to operate the player. The classic interface is tailored to make it easy for passionate audiophiles to use.

There are 256 gigabytes of internal storage, enough for libraries of Hi-Res Audio files, and even that can be boosted further with a micro-SD card.

The WM1Z supports the High-Resolution Audio format DSD Native (11.2MHz) as well as popular formats like MP3, WAV, AIFF, WMA, AAC, HEACC, FLAC and ALAC.

DSD (Direct Stream Digital) audio files are made early in the production process and thus retain the most authentic details of the original recording. The ability to play native DSD files means the WM1Z is geared to highlevel performance and sound quality.

The heaviness is due to the high-grade, gold-plated, oxygen-free-copper chassis. Sony believes that copper should enhance the Walkman’s audio performance since it’s so widely used in musical instruments.

The Walkman also uses special wiring and circuit board designs to increase quality, such as four-wire braided Kimber Kables handcrafted to handle high power and improve the sound.

Newly developed FT Caps (highpolymer capacitors) regulate power flow, and a Fine Sound Register ensures effective distribution of power to the circuit components.

Sony’s own DC Phrase Linearizer replicates a wide variety of sonic signatures. It applies digital-signal processing to match the phase characteristics of various types of analog amplifiers for a more analog-like sound.

You can choose from six phase-character settings – Type A low, standard and high and Type B low, standard and high.

A single balanced plug designed for 4.4mm balanced connection cable is provided, as it is with the Z1R Sony Signature headphones. The balanced connection separates left and right sound signals while minimising signal loss.

The WM1Z is great with lossless DSD files because of the new SMaster HX digital amp technology developed to be compatible with native DSD, balanced and high-output power formats to reduce distortion and noise.

It can also upscale normal MP3 files and lower-quality files with DSEE HX technology.

The WM1Z is intuitive to use, thanks to both its touch screen and side-key control. On the right side are controls for volume, play and pause and skipping tracks, and on the left a lock button so you don’t accidentally press the wrong control button.

You can search for files stored internally or on a mounted micro-SD card by Album, Artist, Genre, Release Year, Composer, Playlist, Hi-Res, Recent Transfers and Folder. The option of displaying songs by folder is great, because you can categorise your own songs.

The Sens-Me Channels function automatically groups tracks by theme, so you can play tracks to suit your mood, current activity, time of day and more – but the tracks must be analysed by “Music Center for PC” before they’re transferred to the Walkman.

I tested the WM1Z with the Z1R Signature headphones and Signature headphone amplifier ZH1ES and noted great sound quality in the Hi-Res Audio files, with fine details in the music and powerful bass.

And, when playing DSD files, the music quality was outstanding, both via the headphone amp and directly through the headphones. I spent an hour easily imagining myself sitting in a concert hall while the Eagles performed live.

If you have Sony’s wireless Hi-Res Audio headphones and want to listen to songs from the WM1Z, you can enjoy its LDAC wireless Bluetooth streaming – but the music quality is lower than what you hear when using a balanced audio cable connection to Hi-Res Audio headphones, especially to the Z1R.

The battery life is admirable. Count on listening to FLAC 96kHz/24bit files for 30 hours straight and MP3 128kbps tracks for about 33 hours.  When used with the ZH1ES amp, the amp automatically recharges the battery, so it’s never depleted.

Sony’s NWWM1Z Signature Series Walkman has a suggested retail price of Bt109,990.

Key Specs

– Display: Four-inch TFT touch screen with 854×480 pixels

– USB port: USB 2.0 compatible 22-pin WM port

– Headphones: Stereo mini-jack, balanced standard-jack

– Bluetooth: 4.2, supporting codecs SBC, LDAC, aptX, aptX HD, NFC

– Supported audio formats: AAC (NonDRM), AIFF, ALAC, DSD, FLAC, HEAAC, Linear PCM, MP3, WMA (NonDRM)

– Frequency response: 20 to 40,000Hz

– Storage: 256GB internal storage, expandable with micro-SD card

– Battery: Charging time seven hours, 30 hours of FLAC 96kHZ/24bit files playback

– Dimensions: 72.9×124.2×19.9mm

– Weight: 455 grams