A series of concerts featuring the great artist of the world is being held in memory of Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, the latest of which was entitled Italian Serenade and was held at the Thailand Cultural Centre in Bangkok on Thursday the 12^th of June.

On stage was the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, however leading the orchestra was the Venezuelan conductor Antonio Cipriana.

All the music featured on the night was of Italian origin and the first half of the evening was highlights from famous Italian Operas where  the orchestra were joined on stage by Carmen Ferraioli.

Ms Ferraioli is the principal Soprano with the Rome Opera in Italy and delighted the audience with rendition of Verdi's Overture from Nabucco, Puccini's 'O mio Babbino Caro' from Gianni Schicchi & 'Sola, perduta, abbandonato' from Manon Lescaut and then 'Voi lo sapete oh mamma' from Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana afterwhich a breather for the audience and Ms.Ferraioli as the Thai musicians eased into the melancholic Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana. This was music of true beauty and brought back images of the movies in which this piece was used such as Raging Bull & The Godfather part 3.

Then 'Io son l'umile ancella' from Adriana Lecouvreur by Cilea followed by the dark and brooding 'Suicidio' by Ponchiella from La Gioconda and then back to maestro Giocomo Puccini for 'Vissi d'arte' from Tosca. Ms. Ferraioli brought such presence, warmth and passion to all the roles she had to play, a mighty stretch for any musician but one that she accepted with ease and grace.

After the interval guests could be seen checking their programme as to what was coming next, everybody new that it was a selction of famous film music and featured the immensely talented trumpeter Nello Salza and as the orchestra  started to play the opening bars of the theme music from 'Life is Beautiful' everybody was wondering where is the man with the horn? And then in perfect timing coming in from the wings, his trumpet soaring was Nello. Anybody familiar with Italian cinema will have heard the unique sound that Nello emanates from his trumpet. He has played on the soundtrack to some of the most famous Italian movies ever made – some of which he was going to recreate for us with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra.

Life is Beautiful continued from the elegant beginning into the bossa-nova segment of the score in which you could see that Nello was enjoying himself as much as the audience. We were the treated to music from the Sergio Leone epic 'Once upon a time in the west' which was of course penned by the godfather of Italian cinema: Ennio Morricone.

Then another classic, this time the poignant score from Il Postino, again it was impossible not to rekindle the images from the movie.

Nellos playing was so passionate and also so fluid, he was obviously very much at ease and almost made it look like he was busking his way through the set – this can only come from someone who has had a wealth of experience and an ability to identify with the music.

And then we returned to Ennio Morricone, Nello has done the honours on many of Morricone's films incuding The Mission and Once Upon a time in America however the theme was Italian Cinema, so we stayed in Italy as Nello gave an outstanding performance from the movie The Legend of 1900 followed what it my opinion is the greatest movie ever made: Guiseppe Tornatore's Cinema Paradiso.

Nello closed the set with a medley of older pieces by what some may call the founder of Italian Cinema: Federico Fellini, which celebrated his unique partnership with Nino Rota.

The audience had been mesmerized by Nello's performance and for the encore he was joined on stage by Ms.Ferraioli for an energetic duet (he of course used his horn as his voice) of O Sole Mio.

This was a wonderful evening and a befitting remembrance of Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana

A series of concerts featuring the great artist of the world is being held in memory of Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, the latest of which was entitled Italian Serenade and was held at the Thailand Cultural Centre in Bangkok on Thursday the 12^th of June.

On stage was the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, however leading the orchestra was the Venezuelan conductor Antonio Cipriana.

All the music featured on the night was of Italian origin and the first half of the evening was highlights from famous Italian Operas where  the orchestra were joined on stage by Carmen Ferraioli.

Ms Ferraioli is the principal Soprano with the Rome Opera in Italy and delighted the audience with rendition of Verdi's Overture from Nabucco, Puccini's 'O mio Babbino Caro' from Gianni Schicchi & 'Sola, perduta, abbandonato' from Manon Lescaut and then 'Voi lo sapete oh mamma' from Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana afterwhich a breather for the audience and Ms.Ferraioli as the Thai musicians eased into the melancholic Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana. This was music of true beauty and brought back images of the movies in which this piece was used such as Raging Bull & The Godfather part 3.

Then 'Io son l'umile ancella' from Adriana Lecouvreur by Cilea followed by the dark and brooding 'Suicidio' by Ponchiella from La Gioconda and then back to maestro Giocomo Puccini for 'Vissi d'arte' from Tosca. Ms. Ferraioli brought such presence, warmth and passion to all the roles she had to play, a mighty stretch for any musician but one that she accepted with ease and grace.

After the interval guests could be seen checking their programme as to what was coming next, everybody new that it was a selction of famous film music and featured the immensely talented trumpeter Nello Salza and as the orchestra  started to play the opening bars of the theme music from 'Life is Beautiful' everybody was wondering where is the man with the horn? And then in perfect timing coming in from the wings, his trumpet soaring was Nello. Anybody familiar with Italian cinema will have heard the unique sound that Nello emanates from his trumpet. He has played on the soundtrack to some of the most famous Italian movies ever made – some of which he was going to recreate for us with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra.

Life is Beautiful continued from the elegant beginning into the bossa-nova segment of the score in which you could see that Nello was enjoying himself as much as the audience. We were the treated to music from the Sergio Leone epic 'Once upon a time in the west' which was of course penned by the godfather of Italian cinema: Ennio Morricone.

Then another classic, this time the poignant score from Il Postino, again it was impossible not to rekindle the images from the movie.

Nellos playing was so passionate and also so fluid, he was obviously very much at ease and almost made it look like he was busking his way through the set – this can only come from someone who has had a wealth of experience and an ability to identify with the music.

And then we returned to Ennio Morricone, Nello has done the honours on many of Morricone's films incuding The Mission and Once Upon a time in America however the theme was Italian Cinema, so we stayed in Italy as Nello gave an outstanding performance from the movie The Legend of 1900 followed what it my opinion is the greatest movie ever made: Guiseppe Tornatore's Cinema Paradiso.

Nello closed the set with a medley of older pieces by what some may call the founder of Italian Cinema: Federico Fellini, which celebrated his unique partnership with Nino Rota.

The audience had been mesmerized by Nello's performance and for the encore he was joined on stage by Ms.Ferraioli for an energetic duet (he of course used his horn as his voice) of O Sole Mio.

This was a wonderful evening and a befitting remembrance of Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana

Music lovers were treated to a truly virtuoso performance on Thursday the 13^th and Friday the 14^th of March, where the Rotary Club of Eastern Seaboard hosted its 2nd Charity Music Recital for Violin and Grand Piano...: On the stage at the Marriott Resort in Pattaya were two Hungarian brothers, Vilmos and Geza Olah.

Violinist Vilmos Olah is a distinguished graduate of the renowned Franz Liszt Music Academy in Budapest, Hungary. This musical 'Valhalla' has produced some of the world's most revered classical artists including, to name just a few, the conductors Georg Solti, Eugene Ormandy and Ferenc Fricsay; instrumentalists Leopold Auer, Tamás Vásáry, Annie Fischer, Leó Weiner and Jenő Hubay; the composers Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály, and two composer/pianists Ernő Dohnányi and the great Franz Liszt.

A multiple First Prize Winner at more than a half a dozen violin competitions in Hungary, West Europe and Santa Barbara in the USA, he earned a full scholarship to the prestigious Mozarteum Academy in Salzburg where he won the First Concert Prize on his graduation.

During the last three years, he has performed in recitals and chamber music ensembles in Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong and China. He has also performed extensively in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France and in the Eastern European countries.

Vilmos is presently Concertmaster of the Dohnányi Orchestra in Hungary. At the same time, he is the First Violist of the Auer Quartet, a living symbol of the Hungarian string instrument chamber music tradition.

The programme was one that would put the abilities of Vilmos to test, ranging from romantic pieces to compositions that used every aspect of the instruments range.

As the first notes were played the audience could sense that they were about to be treated to something quite special.

The Sonata for Violin and Piano in E Minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart set the standard for the evening, starting off with the opening bars announcing the ceremony of the piece that rapidly weaved its way through the score, Wolfgang wrote this sonata, a work which seems to echo his heartbreak, albeit with some typical rays of heavenly joy Vilmos effortlessly rising to the task as Geza played in absolute unison, underscoring their ties as brothers and musicians.

This was followed by Scene from Czardas No4 by Jenő Hubay, again excellently performed from its opening few bars where Vilmos on violin poses the questions and Geza on Piano supplies the reply, this segways into a rollercoaster of scales, that constantly change key and tempo, again a challenge that was adeptly accepted by the musicians.

Then a very familiar piece: The introduction and Rondo Capriccioso by Camille Saint-Saëns this was written for the famed violinist Pablo de Sarasate in 1863 and is regarded as one of Saint Saens most popular compositions. Its gentle opening was a sombre lullaby that lifts and rises and then in turn becomes a march with the violin leading the way.

It was then the turn of the Italian composer Riccardo Drigo which was short jaunt through Valse Bluette.

Pablo de Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs) changed the atmosphere in the ballroom with this dark piece, which was composed in 1878 and has been recorded by notable violinist such as Itzhak Perlman and Zino Francescatti. Spanish in origin its, Hungarian influences were transparent, filled with yearning and just a glimmer of hope, that again shifts tempo to become a light hearted dance replete with Gypsy Imagery and as the lights came up for the interval, the audience found themselves filled with awe and in need of a few moments of reflection.

Like Mozart, Franz Liszt was also a child prodigy and was one of the most prominent members of the Neudeutsche Schule (New German School) and the second half of the concert was opened with Consolation No3.

Again the audience were transfixed by the music of Hungary in this exquisite piece where the violin sang high above the arpeggiating piano like waves gently lapping against the shore, a concept which 30 years later would be used by the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff.

In complete contrast the Hungarian Dances no 5 & 17 by Johannes Brahms were next on the programme, again brilliantly played by the brothers Olah. It should be noted that the Vilmos had put his music away and was now playing from memory, but he was in safe territory, and eagerly played not from the page but from his heart.

The eastern European theme continued with Gipsy Andante by Erno Dohnanyi, this haunting piece was written in 1924 yet the feel of it evoked the Holocaust and the plight of the Jews.

The next piece was the only one on the programme where the piano and violin were equally matched. Moritz Moszkowski was best known for his compositions for piano and 'Guitar' gave an opportunity for Geza to duet with Vilmos.

Things then took a contemporary turn with the music of George Gershwin with 'Summertime' from the opera 'Porgy and Bess which in turn transformed into 'It ain't necessarily so' yet again showcasing the expanse of Vilmos's repertoire, which he approached with ease and clarity.

However all eyes and ears were ready in anticipation for the final piece La Ronde des Lutins (Dance of the Goblins)

Antonio Bazzini was one of the most highly regarded virtuoso violinists of his time and his operatic fantasy the Dance of the Goblins, is a pure Italian virtuoso delight. Not a bar is at rest, the violinist zips up and down the scale, twirling notes within notes, dazzling with a goblin-like frenzy. The work is only a few minutes long but probably has more notes than a 30-minute concerto, where by many regard this as the most difficult and demanding work ever written for violin.

Vilmos threw himself into it racing thought the score with apparent ease from its energetic beginning to its melodic middle section to its fenetic ending.

Pattaya Mail Media recorded both evenings, A DVD of this unique live performance is in the pipeline and the CD is available now at only 200 baht from the business centre of the Marriott Resort and Spa Pattaya with proceeds helping disadvantaged children in the community, through the Rotary Eastern Seaboard.

This hugely successful event was organised by Ferenc Fricsay, a man with a huge passion for music and a member of the Rotary Club of the Eastern Seaboard, through his diligent work and unending attention to detail, every aspect of the performance was perfect with the audience just posing one question : When will the next one happen?

Norman Vernon, isn't a man to do things by half measures...:

Three years ago he was enjoying his retirement, leaving a lifetime of working in the entertainment industry & amateur football behind him, minding his own business on a leisurely stroll along Jomtien beach, wondering where life's road would take him next. And as luck would have it he started chatting to Geoffrey Hughes who told Norman all about the Camillian Social Centre in Rayong.

After visiting the children and meeting Father Giovanni, Norman felt compelled to channel his experience and his vast network of contacts into hosting a fundraising dinner in Bolton in the UK, to help these poor children whose lives are affected with HIV/AIDS.

That was back in 2005, the following January Norman came back to Thailand and was proud to open the 'Kindnees Corner ' a room replete with comfy chairs, a DVD player and a whopping flat screen TV, actually it was meant to be 'Kindness Corner but the sign writer, got it wrong, but that didn't matter, the whole point was to give the children a place where they could relax away from the sometimes clinical atmosphere of the medical facilities of the Camillian Centre.

It was deemed a great success, so Norman went back to Bolton and did the same again, this time raising a bit more for the kids in Thailand and before you knew it, it was February 2007 and Norman was cutting the ribbon on a games room, where there were pool tables, table football and mini bowling lanes.

So spurred on by this mighty achievement Norman set his sights on his biggest project yet: A swimming Pool.

There were many aspects to turn this idea into a reality, first of all Norman went back to the UK armed with press cuttings from the Pattaya Mail and DVD copies of the PMTV coverage thus yet again demonstrating where the money had been spent, so with guests pencilling the dates in their diaries for another dinner, Norman flew back to Thailand and started negotiating Pattaya Pool to make sure that everything would be finished to the highest standard and on time.

He went back to the UK held his most successful dinner yet and raised what he hoped would be enough to build the kids a pool.

However in the bleakness of an autumn in England very little thought was given to the intense heat in Thailand, the piece of land where the pool was going, was just inside the centre and offered little in the way of shade for the children.

Father Giovanni mentioned as much to Norman, so the plans started to expand so that the pool should really have a roof, then showers were added and a non slip surface on all four sides.

Even with the money raised in England Normans plans were bigger than the amount of bahts in the bank. So on his return to Thailand in December 2007 Norman set about making up the shortfall, he hosted a charity evening at the Balcony in Bangkok, another at Oscars bar here in Pattaya, his friends at the Rolling Stone bar did their bit and as a final measure two fundraising dinners at Luxor restaurant.

So on Saturday the 1st of March the building work had finished and the volunteers at the Camillian Centre were putting up the balloons to welcome Norman and his friends for the completion of this massive project. His old friend Steve Williams was going round with a box to make up the 40,000 baht shortfall, which was a drop in the ocean, or pool if you like as the entire project was now over the 1.1 million baht.

Father Giovanni officiated over the proceedings with his usual flair and emphasized how important Norman's works was, helping the children by giving them emotional health and wellbeing. He explained that when they took the kids to another pool, people were sometimes reluctant to let them in, with the opening of the new pool he said that if people wanted to come and swim here, they were more than welcome.

A beaming Norman gazed around the pool surrounded by his friends and the expectant children from the centre and thanked all of the people who had helped him over the last 12 months and stressed that without them, there was no way it could have happened.

The ladies from the Rayong Red Cross were on hand to help with the cutting of the ribbon and the pool was officially opened.

Four children were selected to be the first into the pool and Father Giovanni said of one young girl ' When you first came here, you couldn't walk – now you can swim' the splashes from the pool eased the embarrassment for those who were crying and after a few laps, the children pulled an unsuspecting Norman into the pool.

Even at the ripe old age of 72, Norman did a couple of lengths with the kids and after he had tried off the sense of satisfaction was emanating from him as he watched the kids make fullest use o this latest addition to the centre.

This was a great achievement by a man whose warmth and compassion cannot be clearly articulated in words, but the look of joy on the kids faces….said it all.

Keeping the Ocean by taking Action

Environmental issues are now the number one priority for governing bodies around the world with concerns about global warming dominating the international headlines. Over the last few years heads of states right down to the man on the street have became more and more aware of the damage we are causing to planet earth.

Natural disasters such as earthquakes and Tsunamis are a constant fear especially as these are events that are controlled than a power greater than man.

Thailand has had its fair share of negative focus affecting tourism in the last couple of years, the Tsunami of course, threats to tourists, the troubled south and the more recent events that seen the departure of Thaksin Shinawatra.

Pattaya however continues to prosper, we know businesses complain that trade is down but there is simply more choice and more competition, more bars more restaurants and a never-ending amount of construction work.

So still they come from all corners of the globe, to sample the delights of Fun City, however due to its rapid expansion it's a bit like trying to keep a child in clothes, as the child keeps on growing the city weaves new fabric to sustain it, the child continues to mature and the city wonders why the clothes it made don't fit anymore.

These accusations should not just be pointed at the authorities, we all bear a responsibility.

Whether you are reading this on holiday, or have chosen to stay in this Land of Smiles, sea of plenty, a tropical paradise….or is it?

When the rain comes everybody complains about the flash flooding they see for their own eyes that the drains can't handle the deluge.

The beaches still leave a lot to be desired and the quality of the water? Well you could run a sink full and there would be more life in there than the whole of China!

One main natural resource is the abundance of seafood that the ocean provides, but a recent study has stated that by the year 2040 seafood will be so contaminated that it will harbour deceases that will deplete its numbers and could in turn, harm us.

However perhaps part of the solution is more immediate than you might think.

Look around the city, everywhere you look you will see people sweeping the streets on the surface it looks like the City workers and private individuals take a pride in their environment.

Rather than depositing the waste into containers, much of it is swept into the drains; look at the amount of building work with the tons of sand being used at dozens of locations around town.

This sand along with the twigs and other debris go through the drain covers tumble into the drain and settle its very much out of sight – out of mind, a problem dealt with, until the rains come and the water erupts out of the drains like a geyser.

On the beaches, again on the surface they look reasonably clean but what lies beneath?

On a recent trip out to a beach just south of Pattaya a man who is fondly known as the Keeper of the Ocean, Gerry Rasmus was doing his daily workout, everyday he 'Waster- Sizes' : bending at the waist to pick up the waste  and get rid of both!

In a space of 2 hours Gerry had pulled out from the water literally hundreds of plastic bags, these had made there way just below the shoreline.

Is this basic neglect, surely a resident wouldn't do this, what about fishermen could it be them, must be the tourist then!

There is only one answer its an animal….its us!

Gerry explained that the plastic bags cause a barrier that stops crabs from feeding; so unable to eat…they die.

Discarded batteries leak their acid into the water.

Another man helping Gerry was Steve Martin (no not that one) he was horrified at the amount of garbage that was coming out of the sea, the sea provides all that delicious fish, prawns, mussels etc.

Makes you think, doesn't it?

What catalyst do we need that makes us, make a change?

Gerry did this work in Hawaii, he stopped smoking gave up Alcohol and is trying to keep fit and do his bit to try and help.

He is not alone in his quest indeed his partner and another man were helping and after the first hour about 10 Thai children came to help.

Looking at the children Steve said that the answer is staring us in the face and that the problem needs to be addressed at its root: Education!

If schools here were to initiate a programme where every lunchtime the children were shown what is recyclable (and therefore of value) and what is not and how it should be disposed with to minimise these problems outlined above.

Our litter has by our own negligence became a killer, a killer to marine life a killer of our standard of living and indeed for many it could be secretly killing our very livelihood.

Only time will tell the injustices that mankind has been responsible.

When we are dead and gone our children and grandchildren will feel the true effects of their ancestors misdemeanours: as temperatures soar, pollution rules and the planet responds.

We could all respond now to quote Herbert Spencer ' The great aim of education is not knowledge but action'.
Paul Strachan

One night in Bangkok with Keane..
The Impact Arena in Bangkok was the venue for the Thai stop off of Keane who were on the road promoting their new album 'Under  The Iron Sea.

Now when I say 'In Bangkok' its worth warning any music lover-contemplating making the trip up to the capital that the Arena is a good 40 minutes north of the city centre.

But its well worth the time getting there it's a great venue with a good layout and excellent acoustics.

In true Thai style the support band came on 30 minutes late and as there was no introduction or mention of them on the tickets they remained nameless – the warm-up band often has a hard act they perform as they play to a cold crowd, singing their own songs to an audience who are waiting for the real deal.

However they got the crowd going and I think it was a special point that they consisted of 4 guitarists where as Keane – have none.

Okay so on to the 'real deal': Keane are a band that has disregarded traditions and as such have taken the public and music journalists by storm.

In 2004 they released their, aptly named debut album 'Hopes and Fears'

It was a brave move: piano based songs with bass provided by a sequencer a real drummer with not a guitar in sight and holding it all together the wonderful voice of Tom Chaplin.

In the UK there is a trend for the press to be at the ready to have a dig at celebrities and despite sales of 5 million worldwide Keane got a kick-in by the British music press.

The album was a runaway success but the press homed in on Tom Chaplin criticizing his baby faced charm and on-stage and on-camera inexperience.

Remember this was a band that had been catapulted into every club – radio and CD in Europe in a very short space of time so the band was somewhat under scrutiny.

This was a smoke screen that was soon dissipated by the strength of the music and Toms enchanting voice.

I was right down the front as Pianist and chief songwriter Tim Rice-Oxley came on and immediately started hammering his Yamaha piano.The electronic jiggery weaved its way in,  as drummer Richard Hughes took his place and then Tom came on, going straight to another keyboard a statement in itself that music can be made without guitars….. the music reached a crescendo that had the adrenaline pumping through the crowd and that was before a note had been sung.

And then you could feel the hairs on your arms stand up on end as Tom burst into song.

Gone was any awkwardness or any uncertainty as the band played full tilt and opened with 'Put it behind you now'

The great thing about this band is that you can't help but like them – with Tom putting everything into every song – Tim pounding his piano and Richard not missing a beat.

Its always interesting watching great singers live, you find yourself wondering if they can hit all the notes that were on the CD and many singers will get the crowd to sing the high ones for them – not so with Tom….its what he does best.

I wasn't all that familiar with the new album on the few occasions I had listened to it I felt it was heavier, somehow darker the their debut but in actual fact the songs have a maturity that the first album lacks.

The songwriting in more assertive yet somehow experimental, yes there are glimpses of Coldplay and early Radiohead but these are worthy stable mates.

As for Tim piano playing, I think my Yamaha must have got damaged in transit as I can't get it to sound anything like that.

I always loved 'Somewhere only we know' and felt it was the best track off of 'Hopes and Fears' however when the band played 'Bend and break' I found myself changing my mind.

By this time the colour had risen from Toms neck up through his face yet he went on relentlessly enthralling the audience with only small breaks to speak a little Thai, needless to say the Thai girls could hardly contain themselves and quite rightly to.

The phrase 'Someone to take home to your parents' I think was coined with someone like Tom in mind.

And so it continued: the set list was a good balance of songs from both albums, with a sequencer providing a guitar loop on the catchy 'Is it any wonder' and when Tom invited the audience to become a massive choir during 'Somewhere only we know' it was a sound to cherish and the smile on Toms face said it all.

These are true 'Pop' songs, Pop meaning popular, you cant help but find yourself singing along – even when you don't know the words.

Tom asked the crowd to use their phones as candles as he sung the moving ballad 'Hamburg Song' its simplicity and structure made you want to close your eyes and cherish the moment and as I looked behind me the hall was lit up like a church.

Song after song with tunes that wound the up crowd and then giving them respite, allowing moments of reflection.

It's a testament that they ended on the lullaby 'Bedshaped' the closing track on Hopes and Fears leaving the crowd with a sense of awe as  the curtain closed on a fine evening.

This is not a rock band by any stretch of the imagination what this is, is well-crafted songs with an excellent vocalist.

If you haven't got these albums: treat yourself, in fact go out and buy them both right now, listen to them over the weekend and tell me I am wrong.

Paul Strachan

Every great journey starts with just one step

As world leaders acknowledge that its time to start raising awareness about the environment, with huge musical concerts being organised in America, its comforting to know that everyday people are starting to take responsibility for the planet.

Last week the children from the Fountain of Life listened attentively to two monks who came in to tell them about how they can make a small contribution to the environment by participating in a clean up, but this time it wasn't a beach clean. The focus was to start at the area immediately around the Fountain of Life.

So the children got ready for the clean up as volunteers from the centre gave them gloves and hats made from newspaper for those who wanted them.

The kids set about cleaning up the street, foraging for litter picking up cigarette packets, paper, plastic and ironically an old broom.

The Fountain of Life believes that poverty is the enemy of these children and education is the best weapon with which to fight it. The clean up was yet another example of how through education and practice we can all do our bit for the community.

Local environmentalist Gerry Rasmus and Steve Martin were on hand to spur the kids on and these guys firmly believe that a difference can be made.

Steve Martin has been volunteering at the centre for some time now and he had developed a series of slides that use images to hit home the message regarding the proper of disposing of rubbish and identifying what can and cannot be recycled.

These slides have now been translated into Thai and adorn the walls within the center as a constant reminder to the children. Steve hope to get other schools in the area involved as the rewards of course could be great.

Gerry gave up his usual 'Wastersizing' on the beach to come up and help the children, he also came armed with 50 gifts which the Monk rewarded to the children who answered his questions on recycling.

This is an enormous task, however perhaps through education we can all make a difference.

On this occasion the kids chose to clean up the area around the center with the belief that hey have to start somewhere and where better to start than on our own doorstep.

One of the centers volunteers is leaving soon and a replacement is desperately need if you have some free time and would like to help out give Sister Joan a call 038361720 or email: folife@loxinfo.co.uk

So combining Buddhism, kids from the slums, the Fountain of Life and a couple of like minded farangs the street around the center are looking a whole lot cleaner, for now at least. 

I distinctly remember the first time I ever laid eyes or ears on Gwen Stefani, I was in a shop in Scotland that had a videoloop playing chart videos. It was the catchy tune that first caught my attention and when I looked at the monitor I saw the blonde beauty and her band. At first I thought Madonna had had some kind of wonder-cosmetic surgery and had went from an aging solo artist to a rejuvenated bombshell with a tight band.

The song of course was 'Don't Speak' and the band was in fact No Doubt.

This was back in 1995 and the track was taken from the album 'Tragic Kingdom', which sold more than sixteen million copies worldwide and received several Grammy Award nominations.

'Don't Speak' was inspired lyrically be Stefani because of the failed romantic relationship between Stefani and bandmate Tony Kanal and in a way was No Doubts swan song, however due to its success two more albums were released: Return of Saturn in 2000, and then Rock Steady in 2001.

Slowly but surely No Doubt had lost the rawness of their Ska inspired songs and audience tastes were also changing. No Doubt had become – if not in name – but in reality :The Gwen Stefani Show.

Her first single as a solo artist was 'What you waiting for' which was a 'heads up' to herself, to show her confidence, appeal and songwriting abilities, indeed the song boasted the line' You're still a super-hot female' and indeed she is.

So Gwen and entourage of musicians and Harajuku Girls descended on the Impact arena in Bangkok with two solo albums under her belt, a successful fashion line and even a small acting part in Martin Scorsese's 'Aviator'.

Anticipation was high from the audience with every seat snatched up by a good mix of Thai and foreigners.

Then we were introduced to the Harajuku Girls – four Japanese dancers who weaved their way through the crowd like little menaces as the five-piece band built up a cressendo on stage.

With every eye now centered on the stage the delectable Miss Stefani watzed in like a catwalk model, self assured with absolute clarity as to what she was going to unleash on the audience.

In high heels, black tights and a short plaid-like skirt that glittered with diamantes, she towered above her dancers with an air of authority as she burst into her first song of the evening: Crash the crowd were stadning on their seats straight away with taking in the show, replete with hip-hop dancers.

Then straight into 'Rich Girl' and the crowd were loving it and so too were the performers. Its hard to imagine how they can present a show with so much enthusiasm when its just one night of a very long tour.

Then into the Tim Oxley Rice (of Keane) penned track: Early Winter – a perfectly formed pop song delivered with ease and charm.

The onslaught continued as the stage show developed in a very theatrical performance, in fact as some points it resembled a musical, and this is the style of Stefani, keeping the crowd scanning the stage for the differing dance routines and of course all eyes were on Gwen for each costume change.

The band went headlong into Hollaback girl with its cheerleader chant and the entire auditorium singing B-A-N-A-N-A-S! then into

Wonderful life, Now that's you've got it, Hey Baby, Let me Blow Your Mind and then Miss Stefani came running through the crowd followed by a couple of guitarists and perched herself at the back of the hall to sing the 80's like feel-to-it: Cool.

This woman delivers on every level, personally I am probably a bit old to appreciate her music and her voice- however her very presence, style and natural confidence is something that reached out to everybody in the audience, indeed more of a Sweet Embrace as opposed to a Sweet Escape.
Paul Strachan

Feemasonry is a word that conjures up images of clandestine societies with ancient rituals, traditions and so many secrets that perhaps for many people seems a world for which they are forbidden to enter.

Recently I was invited to a Harmony evening at the Royal Cliff Grand to get an insight into this surreptitious organization which had for years been a source of intrigue to me.

Being Scottish I felt rather embarrassed that my knowledge of the Freemasons was so little, although somewhere at the back of my mind, I remember years ago climbing up the narrow staircase of the magnificent Scott monument on Edinburgh's Princess Street with the knowledge that this tribute to Sir Walter Scott had been funded by the Masonic Lodge.

But this was a distant memory based on hearsay, so on the night I grabbed the chance to have a chat with Right Worshipful Depute District Grand Master Dr. Daljit Singh Nagreh.

Who quickly pointed me in the right direction as to the values of Freemasonry.

He informed that freemasonry is an honorable fraternal society, which is over 250 years old, whose members share moral and metaphysical ideals.

Nowadays the organization, which is not so much operating, as speculative and uses the instruments of stonemasons as metaphors to teach moral lesson to make good men, into better men. 

He went onto say that it is not an organization that any one can just join, members are selected.

I asked him what traits they look for in seeking new members, he told me that men who are honorable and respectable in society would be the kind of man who could benefit from being a Mason and in turn could benefit fellow Masons.

While it has often been called a Secret Society it is more correct to say that it is an esoteric society, in that, certain aspects are private.

Freemasonry in the 21^st century has become less a secret society and more of a 'society with secrets'

The Right Worshipful Depute District Grand Master told me that the only secret part nowadays was how to identify a fellow freemason.

With the advent of the Internet the secrecy that once shrouded organization such as the Mason's has been lifted to give a wealth of information, to those who seek it.

All of the Grand lodges have websites, another thing that I learnt was that Freemasons meet as a lodge and not necessarily in one.

Most modern freemasons regard the traditional concern over secrecy as a demonstration of their ability to keep a promise.

This evening of Harmony was a celebration of events that had taken place earlier behind closed doors where the new masters of Lodge Lane Xang and Lodge Pattaya West Winds were installed along with office bearers which of course only members were privy to that ceremony.

However the dinner had a number of ladies and non-freemasons such as myself in attendance.

There is a degree of formality to these Harmony evenings and quite rightly so, the traditions are ancient and highly regarded and can only be kept alive by the new brothers adhering to these codes of conduct.

There is great respect between members referred to as brethren which somewhat lured me into this honorable society even if only from the periphery.

It seemed to me that Freemasons are very proud of their heritage and happy to share it.

It was like a great big networking evening where everybody had a common goal to help their fellow man.

As ever the Royal Cliff served up dish after dish of mouthwatering cuisine, replete with some fine wine.

The toasts came fast and furious and through the formality, a clear sense of camaraderie came shining through.

It was then time for some music by way of Brother Peter Malhotra who led the collective through a rousing rendition of the Masters song.

Right worshipful master of Pattaya West winds Mike Johnston thanked everyone for coming to the joint LPWW and LLX harmony.  Most especially, the delegations from the sister lodges and brothers from Morakot and Chula. 

He also gave thanks to the office bearers for travelling from Malaysia at great expense, in time, money and effort to once again provide the lodges with a truly grand installation process.  

His voice softened as he told the audience if you have noticed a bit of deja vau, you're right.  I'm back again.  "They say in songs of yester year, that: "its always better the second time around".  Well, I can't say that for sure, but I will get back to you on that next year. 

He added that being RWM for the past Masonic year has been a real pleasure., and that he had had the opportunity to work with and learn from some of the finest people on the planet. He continued by telling us some of the achievement that had been made in the last year.

Mother Nature again called upon the Brethren of LPWW to respond to the needs of her victims.  IN June a horrific flood and subsequent fire destroyed a major portion of the infrastructure at the Pakanyor Foundation in Chaeng Mai leaving many children without proper shelter for sleep and schooling.  Hearing the call for help the Brethren of LPWW located 2 shelters that had served the original purpose (tsunami relief in Phuket) accomplished there release, de-installation, and transported them to Chaeng Mai where they were rehabbed and installed for use.  The movers and shakers on this job were Bros Kevin Fisher, Middy Campbell, David Doll and Mr. Pakanyor Foundation himself Brother James Soutar. Bro Soutar was seriously injured in a work related car accident. 

This whole scenario was again played out in December 06 when severe flooding required a very similar effort to assist two schools in Ban Yai Nonthaburi.  LPWW Brethren found another 2 shelters that had served there original purpose and went to work on the process of moving, transporting, rehabbing and reinstalling them in two locations in Nonthaburi.  Prime movers and shakers on that job were again Bro Kevin Fisher, Middy Campbell and Tony Shuttleworth.

In September LPWW joined the Charity Club of Pattaya in a Gala Ball to raise funds for use ..ed charities.  LPWW share of the funds raised amounted to B120,000.  LPWW Brethren and general committee agreed that the funds should be split into 2 donations.

One donation of B60,000  was to the Camillian Social Center in Rayong ran by Fr Giovanni who provides shelter and medicine to HIV positive survivors.  The good Fr Giovanni was presented the Camillian Center's donation in late November.   

The other donation of B60, 000, was to the Pakanyor Foundation, which is run by Brother James Soutar.  Bro Soutar's foundation provides a lifeline to the Mon hill tribes in the Chaeng Mai/Rai areas.

He finished by thanking the management and staff of the Royal Cliff and by wishing the newly elected and installed masters: 

RWM Brother Duncan Nivin of Lodge St John,RWM Chris Moore of Lodge Lane Xang and to RWM Chompol of lodge Rattankosin.  Congratulations and that their year in the chair of King Solomon be successful. 

Brother Mike Johnston is obviously a well loved figure and received a warm round of applause form his brethren and visiting guests.

Then something happened that I hadn't seen since a Burn's supper back in Scotland – a haggis was brought into room by three true blooded Scots, and was ceremonially delivered to all those who were able to put their vegetarian thoughts aside for a moment.

All in all it was a wonderful evening and by the end of it I had made new friends and was very grateful to be given an insight into such an honourable organization.

I went home with these words ringing in my ears 'Benevolence and Charity remains our cornerstones; aid to those less fortunate continues to be our prime concern.  The brethren will do everything possible to have a positive impact on our community and improve the lives of those in need, while exemplifying Masonic Ideals'. 
Paul Strachan

It's not often that Thailand hosts A- list musicians and back home being something of a musical snob, I probably wouldn't be seen dead at gig of an ex boyband singer, but even at the hefty VIP price of 4000baht each, we booked online and made our way to the capital to check out every mothers favourite Irish heart throb Ronan Keating.

The Royal Paragon Hall was, I have to say the perfect venue not like the one 30 minutes north of Bangkok.

The VIP tickets promised us complimentary drinks, snacks and a free CD.

However upon arrival we were told that the offer had changed from a CD to a free key ring with the letters RK on it. Not to worry it was time for a quick drink, only to be told that the beer had finished and eh so had the wine..so whisky it was …and then a bottle of white wine emerged…ah well it all slides down the same.

The announcement came through that  the concert would start in 3 minutes, so there was plenty of time to enjoy our aperitifs and there would be a support act surely?.

And then as the wine washed down the whisky we heard Ronan's Irish brogue from the concert hall  - didn't he know this is Thailand and that 7:30 means somewhere between 8 and 9! - the drinks were downed and a scramble was made to our seats.

The auditorium was packed and we had a great view of the blonde haired Ronan who started a rollercoaster set with 'I love it when we do' with all the enthusiasm of a seasoned entertainer, then a brilliant rendition of the Cat Stevens classic: 'Father and Son' and then another cover: 'Baby can I hold you tonight' which he referred to as a Boyzone song which of course they did have a huge hit with, however the credit should really go to Tracy Chapman (see what I mean about musical snob?)

The gig was going great but the audience were still glued to their seats afraid to stand up to Ronan had to work hard to keep the atmosphere developing and the ballads kept on coming in the form of a tune that Ronan said was a simple love song: 'This I promise you' This really sums up Ronan's ability as a song writer. His influences are obvious and appear within his repertoire and it is admirable that he can take key elements from songs and use them in new and exciting ways to create perfectly formed pop songs…this in my opinion is no bad thing for an artist such as Ronan whose loyal fans are well used to the style that he has adopted and refined over the years.

Then it was time to let his backing singer Janet Rainer to shine by way of the now classic: 'We've got tonight' a song that he originally performed and recorded with Lulu.

Then he rocked things up a bit with the powerhouse cult hit 'Iris' and then he got the crowd singing with the beautiful 'If tomorrow never comes'

But the audience were still resisting until he said 'okay lets have some fun' and as the band played the opening bars of Van Morison 'Brown Eyed Girl' we were on our feet - jumping up and down and slowly but surely he got the crowd onside with a cacophony of voices joining in on the chant of 'La la la – lalala – la la da de da etc.

It was the perfect choice showing his respect to his fellow countryman and seeing as the majority of the women in the audience were Thai – he was therefore singing directly to them his Brown eyed Girls.

The hits kept on coming with 'Life is a rollercoaster' and then an encore with Lovin each day and the last song of the evening' When you say nothing at all.

Ronan is a fine performer whose good looks keeps the girls a-ooking the guys (including myself) wishing we had half the looks and just some of his great voice.

In some ways he is an old hand at this game and he certainly took the gig in his stride letting his charm, warmth and obvious enjoyment onstage shine through.

A small point to the promoter, when I called them to ask what time it would finish I was told 10am or maybe 11am so I booked the taxi for 11.

The curtain came down at 9! But not to worry it meant there was time for a quick cocktail at the 64^th floor of Sirocco and a nightcap and some laid back Jazz at Brown Sugar.

And by the way, I tried putting the keyring in my CD player but no dice, but these small problems aside – it was a great gig, and a wonderful night out and who knows next time at the Karaoke I might be able to emulate his voice a bit better – now if a could just do something about the looks – maybe some blonde hair dye will suffice.

Paul Strachan