After living in China for 15 years, American Eric Abrahamsen is returning to his hometown, Seattle, late this year. He is the founder of Paper Republic, a company devoted to translating Chinese literature and introducing it to the West.

He plans to go to the Frankfurt Book Fair in October to seek partnerships for publishing Chinese books in other languages.

“In the US we will do the same thing we’ve been doing here – bridging the cultural communication between the two sides,” he says at his office in Beijing’s Dashilan district.

Abrahamsen founded the Paper Republic website in 2007, inviting other people who were learning Mandarin to discuss the books they’d read and translated. In 2011 Paper Republic started to do its own translations, and in the past two years the business has grown.

At first Abrahamsen found it difficult persuading foreign publishers to buy Chinese books. “They didn’t know good books and writers in China,” he says. “They thought it was risky buying Chinese books because, compared with books written at home, they’d have to pay extra for translation and spend more time getting the books out.”

So he developed other ways to provide information about Chinese books and writers. His role has gradually changed from translator to consultant, and his promotions have included “Northern Girls” by Sheng Keyi, which Penguin published in June. He translated sample chapters and wrote the introduction.

“I love the novel,” he says.” The language is very vivid, full of vitality. I love the way the story’s told and how the writer deals with the power that sex has on a girl, which I’ve not seen in other Chinese writers’ work.”

Abrahamsen also was involved in promoting “The Three-body Problem” by Liu Cixin, but decided not to translate it into English because it’s too long. The third book in the trilogy, “Death’s End”, is coming out soon.

Other successful promotions include Ge Fei’s “The Invisibility Cloak”, due in October, and Jia Pingwa’s “Happy”.

Abrahamsen speaks fluent Mandarin with barely an accent. Knowledgeable in both Chinese and Western literature, he’s often invited to translate and interpret for cultural exchanges, such as last year’s dialogue between Irish writer Colm Toibin and Chinese writers in Beijing.

Abrahamsen first visited China at age 10 and still has fond memories of that trip. Ten years later he toured the country’s west, eager to master the language. He majored in international relations at Washington State University because “I wanted to go abroad. But later I found there was no need to study international relations to go abroad – you just buy a plane ticket! I wanted to go to China to study Chinese, so I joined in a programme between our university and Minzu University in Beijing.”

Since 2001 he’s been living in the capital. Early on he tried freelance writing but became frustrated by the uncertainty. Instead he put his hopes in Chinese literature.

After four years of study he could read simple articles in Mandarin, and was eventually able to grasp – and fall in love with – the novels of Wang Xiaobo.

“He was deeply influenced by Western literature, judging from his language, sense of humour and thoughts,” Abrahamsen says. “Western readers can easily understand him – it feels familiar. He’s not only a good writer but also a very promising writer internationally.”

Since Wang is dead, though, it’s hard interesting foreign publishers in his work. In 2008 State University of New York published “Wang in Love” and “Bondage: Three Novellas”, but “they did no publicity, and the translation is not good enough for me”, says Abrahamsen. “So it created little attention in the US.”

He also admires Li Juan and translated one of her essays, which was published by Pathlight, an English quarterly of the People’s Literature Publishing House, which introduces Chinese literature abroad.

“Her language is very good, but very hard to translate,” Abrahamsen says. “Translation can easily kill the subtlety in her words.”

While writers of past generations now seem flat and old-fashioned, he says (“Mo Yan’s narration is creative but his language is too exaggerated”), there’s greater potential for contemporary authors to become accepted overseas.

Paper Republic has bought the copyright to Liang Hong’s non-fiction “China in Liangzhuang”, A Lai’s “Empty Mountain” and several works by Wang Xiaobo. Abrahamsen reckons African and Chinese writers can become better known in the West despite the stark differences in cultural background.

“Western publishers usually bring out a Chinese novel by chance, like Mai Jia’s ‘Decoded’. A British translator came across it at the airport because of a delayed flight and his grandfather happened to be a decoder. How many books have such a coincidence?”

This source first appeared on The Nation Life.

Stefanie Jaerkel
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Gaza, Palestinian Territories August 15, 2016 1:00 am

This source first appeared on The Nation Life.

Born in Hong Kong, Liu Heung Shing studied political science in the United States and soon after began working as a photojournalist for Time magazine out of New York. Then he got his “dream assignment” – he was to return to China to record the astonishing changes taking place following the death of Mao Zedong in 1976.

That original assignment grew in scope to include features for Associated Press on the rapid growth initiated by Deng Xiaoping beginning two years later.

The fruits of Pulitzer Prize-winning Liu’s labour have been compiled in the exhibition “China’s Dream 1976-2015”, which is now showing at the China Cultural Centre in Bangkok until August 21. It’s the first time he’s shown his work in Thailand.

With Associated Press, Liu was also posted in Los Angeles, New Delhi, Seoul and Moscow. He’s currently an adviser to China Daily and last year founded the Shanghai Centre of Photography.

“I arrived in China right after the death of Mao, which marked a whole new beginning – though the Chinese didn’t yet realise it,” the 62-year-old told The Nation at the show’s opening last week.

“But the moment Mao died I just felt an immediate change in the ‘body language’. I said, ‘A-ha, maybe this is a new dawn.'”

Most of the works on view were initially published in the 1983 Penguin pictorial book “China after Mao”, and the show itself appeared in the China Pavilion at the 2013 Shanghai Expo. The Bangkok edition is smaller – just 41 photos – but ably covers Deng Xiaoping’s dramatic economic reforms that gave the country modernity it has, quite literally, capitalised on ever since.

The images are mainly black and white from the mid ’70s to early ’80s, but colour shots befit China’s rise to wealth in more recent years.

One of the more memorable pictures features an enormous mural that was displayed on the Shanghai Bund. It shows Mao handing power to Hua Guofeng, the reformer subsequently sidelined by an even greater reformer, Deng.

The mural towers over a pedestrian on the street below it. Liu said the sense of disproportion was deliberate.

“It captures the relationship between the private individual and the state government. That’s how China seemed when I arrived in 1977.”

The show is arranged just as deliberately to illustrate the rapid pace of China’s development over the course of 30 years.

“The first part covers the mid ’70s to early ’80s. I was there again from 1983 to 1989, when the Tiananmen Massacre too place, and returned again in 1997 to take in more of the progress that had occurred.”

The changes he witnessed included the return of Coca-Cola (banned

under Mao), the first Sony advertising billboard in Shanghai, and the first time a fashion shoot took place on the street, the model clad in Dior. Capitalism had found a fresh marketplace – or rediscovered a lost one – as is clear enough in Liu’s 1981 shot of a young man flaunting a bottle of Coke in front of Beijing’s Forbidden City.

With economic and political change came shifts in social behaviour. Liu photographs the first transgender to become a popular television personality and peeps at a couple being clandestinely affectionate amid city park shrubbery.

“It shows how little privacy Chinese couples had – this was the only place they could go on a date. What you don’t see are other couples nearby, waiting for their turn!” he laughs.

Three men in modern attire, complete with sunglasses, were spotted near the Thai border in 1980. “As a result of the open-door policy,” the caption explains, “from the late 1970s, modern fashion began to influence China’s youth. Here, ‘cool’ Yunnan style, as three hip young men in Kunming capture the trend of the moment.”

Liu said such images illustrate “people coming out from under Mao’s shadow”.

Again, the metaphor becomes literal in a shot of high-school kids study

ing for their university entrance exams under the streetlights in Tiananmen Square, the best-lit spot in the capital in 1980. Electric lighting in homes was still rare.

No one took college entrance exams during Mao’s suppressive Cultural Revolution, Lui pointed out. “To get this shot I lay on the ground and had to use a 23-second exposure because the light was so dim.”

Liu said China is filled with “very complex truths”.

“I came to understand China better when later on I watched the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989” – for the coverage of which he shared the Pulitzer. His book “USSR: Collapse of an Empire” was published in Thai in 1992.

“I realised how political Chinese society was, where ideology predominated so much that it interfered with people’s daily lives, and yet the people had grown inured to it.

“The changes came very rapidly. The rest of the world wondered where all the energy came from. If you look at these photographs spanning 30 years, you can see that the Chinese had little room for personal aspirations. So, once the gate was raised, they all started running.”

The closing section of the exhibition captures in colour the startling rise in wealth in what had been an impoverished nation.

Liu took portraits of artists such as Zhang Xiaogang, Liu Xiaodong and Ding Yi, who have become internationally acclaimed and whose work sells for millions of dollars. He has pictures of the urban nouveau riche, like the women yuppie cruising along “the Wall Street of Shanghai” in a sports car and another woman talking on her mobile with the soaring Shanghai Tower in the background. The wife of China’s wealthiest man poses in an evening dress of shocking pink.

“I titled the show ‘China’s Dream’ because a big portion of the population has achieved its material dreams, though not yet the spiritual dream, which will take a longer.”

THE SWEEP OF HISTORY

– The exhibition “China’s Dream: 1976-2015” continues at the China Cultural Centre, next to the Thailand Culture Centre on Rachadaphisek Road, until August 21.

– The show is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8am to 5pm.

– Find out more on the “cccbkk” page on Facebook and from the Shanghai Centre of Photography at www.SCOP.org.cn.

This source first appeared on The Nation Life.

“Bagism: We Are All in the Same Bag!” is the name of an exhibition at the chi K11 Art Museum in Shanghai and not quite what John Lennon and Yoko Ono had in mind when they coined the term in 1969. On display through October 10 are more than 300 handbags dating back 400 years.

Celebrity-owned totes are represented among the antiques, historical pieces and very modern bags created by 15 contemporary artists. If Lennon and Ono, in the midst of their peace campaign, were trying to show the futility of race, class and gender stereotyping, well, at least the Shanghai show is diverse in its wares.

Co-curator Penny Liu says she utilised the term “bagism” to address the social and cultural significance of bags. She and Frenchwoman Elisabeth Azoulay have borrowed handbags from more than 70 museums and private collections around the world, including the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, Palais Princier de Monaco and the Simone Handbag Museum of Seoul. Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Hermes have also contributed pieces.

Azoulay notes that the handbag first appeared as an accessory in the 1600s, at the beginning of the Renaissance. “Aristocratic people wanted to keep their secrets,” she says, meaning their political correspondence, love letters and so on.

The earliest bags were made of fine fabric with lots of embroidery, jewellery, lace and other decorations, reflecting the owner’s wealth and status. But when the French Revolution made everyone equal, men began relying on pockets integrated into their garments, leaving women holding the bag, as it were.

In modern times women began wearing less jewellery, hats and gloves and hid less behind fans or umbrellas. The handbag is a “survivor of the period”, Azoulay says, in fact more in demand than ever as women entered the workforce and had to travel more.

In terms of standout bags, Azoulay says, French couturier Coco Chanel was the first to give a bag a name. In February 1955 when she was 72 years old, she designed the “2.55”, so designated for the month and year.

Only in the early 20th century did firmer, more durable leather begin replacing silk and other fabrics as the bag material of choice, and Chanel used quilted leather and lambskin in hers, inspired by the jackets worn by stable hands – and the stained-glass windows she remembered from convent school.

More “iconic” bags followed, often named after royals or celebrities, such as the Kelly bag honouring Princess Grace (nee Kelly) of Monaco.

In recent decades, as clothing became more unisex and featured less colour and decoration, the handbag was the holdout in signifying social status and style choices. The luxury fashion brands began producing “it bags” bearing their logos. “You can make a good impression with a nice bag even if you wear cheap clothes!” Azoulay says.

And, as handbags became more expressive, new possibilities arose. Artists participated in designing them, such as surrealist master Salvador Dali to acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid, samples of whose work is included in the exhibition. You can even see a bag used by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.

Among the contemporary artists featured are Zhang Enli and Xu Zhen and younger talents Pixie Liao and Peng Wei. They’ve used various media and styles, projecting the handbag as a vessel for desire, a metaphor for the human existence, even a demonstration of values and ideas.

K11 Art Mall founder Adrian Cheng says the exhibition is likely to trigger a trend in fashion-and-art crossover shows. “We hope people get inspired to know more and talk more about the concept of art and the history of fashion design and see the relationship between the two, and how it inspires Chinese contemporary artists and society.”

This source first appeared on The Nation Life.

Samroeng Chotipibulsup and his tuk-tuk. Kanin Srimaneekulroj

Ever since its release on August 6, Pokemon Go has taken Thailand by storm, prompting hordes of enthusiastic players of all ages and genders to take to the streets in search of these virtual critters. It has also come with news of accidents (or near-accidents), a national security debate (seriously?), a ban threat (already denied) and academic seminars on the impact of the game on society.

Using GPS-tracking technology, players, or “trainers”, must capture a lot of little monsters at locations superimposed on the real world. Players (those who walk around the streets looking at their phones) must search for “Poke Stops”, which are scattered throughout the game’s Google Maps-powered virtual world. Once the player approaches one of these spots, they may acquire in-game items such as “lures” or “Poke Balls” (used to capture Pokemon), or they may encounter a randomly generated Pokemon, which they may capture and train in order to battle other players at special locations called “Gyms”, also superimposed in real-world landmarks such as temples, mosques and buildings.

An innovative game that encourages people to go out, or a social nuisance that engenders trespassing and disturbance? No matter which side of the argument you are on, there is no denying the social impact that Pokemon Go has had on Thailand in the short time it has been available. To gauge Thai people’s opinions and feelings towards the game, Life recently spoke to a variety of different Pokemon Go players of various ages and backgrounds.

Training new trainers

Grom, a 56-year-old player.

Take a stroll down the U-Dormitory complex on Chula 42, and you’re bound to see entire classes of students from the nearby Satit Chula middle-school sitting around the dormitory’s modest garden, which — while close to a fair amount of Poke Stops — is also the location of a Gym.

“We always gather around here after school to defend the Gym,” said a 14-year-old 8th grader, who asked to remain anonymous. Sitting with the student was a group of almost a dozen of his friends with smartphones in their hands, bickering and boasting to each other about the day’s haul of virtual critters.

“It’s just another way for us to hang out with each other after school,” added a second student, who said that — contrary to what many people seem to believe — most of his classmates who play Pokemon Go were never actually fans of the comic franchise (which was first released in 1996, before he was even born). Instead, their interest in the 2016 AR game stemmed mostly from the overwhelming social media attention the game received, coupled with the pressure of seeing their classmates play together after school and on weekends.

“You’re hanging out with your friends, going to different places together to achieve a common objective. That’s probably the best aspect of the game,” he said.

However, the young aren’t the only ones pulled in by Pokemon Go’s allure. Security Guard Pol, 30, who works at the Voice TV headquarters on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, is also among those pulled into the world of Pokemon for the very first time.

“I saw a lot of the employees playing the game, so I got curious and asked them about it,” he explained, saying he initially downloaded the game just to see what it was all about, only to get hooked himself.

“My job doesn’t actually let me get up and walk around too much, but there’s a Poke Stop right near the office, so it’s not really a problem,” said Pol, who also said that the employees regularly use lure items and such at the office.

“Since I downloaded the game on Sunday [Aug 7], I’ve caught more than 100 Pokemon so far between my days at the office and on my walks home,” said Pol.

“It makes my walks home more enjoyable, as I sort of have something to look forward to along the way.”

As much as he enjoys the game, however, Pol would also like to implore fellow trainers to be sympathetic to security guards like him and avoid getting into places they shouldn’t be in.

“I’d be pretty annoyed if I had to deal with people trying to get into the building’s Poke Stop without permission. There are plenty of Stops around the road, please be considerate of other people’s property when you are playing this game.”

First-generation ‘trainers’

Eiad’s roster of Pokemon. Kanin Srimaneekulroj

Contrary to popular belief, most of the people who are considered to be serious Pokemon Go players aren’t young kids, but adults who have grown up with the Pokemon videogames and cartoons, according to Eiad, 31, a freelance artist working from his home near Ratchawat Market.

“I’ve spent at least 600 baht of real money on the game,” said Eiad. Most of that money is spent buying “lure modules”, items that can be placed on Poke Stops in order to attract Pokemon for 30 minutes.

“We can just hang out and talk or drink while the Pokemon just come to us.”

Eiad is also a staunch defender of the Gym near his home, on the Pichai road intersection. For the freelance artist, defending his Gym from challengers while having his afternoon coffee has become a common routine for him, as players from surrounding areas often pass by the intersection, which has a healthy amount of Poke Stops nearby.

“Poke Stops refresh themselves pretty regularly, so if you are lucky enough to have a lot of Stops readily available, then you can just go through and collect all the items a dozen times an hour, while others have to spend money on in-game items to achieve the same result in the same time.”

Nontouch Promsri, 28, a freelance filmmaker, commonly gets together with his friends to visit places where Poke Stops are easily found, which most often happens to be around places with high foot-traffic.

“The more people that visit an area, the more ‘lures’ are placed,” he said, with examples being places like the Siam Square area, Chatuchak Market, CentralPlaza Lardprao or even Suvarnabhumi airport.

“The airport is particularly bountiful when it comes to ‘lures’. A lot of bored tourists waiting for their flights I guess.”

Poke Stops aren’t clustered exclusively around Bangkok, however. In Yala, along the Southern Border, Asama told Life that she plays the game just fine, despite the constant news of unrest in the region.

“It’s actually all normal here. We’re all playing Pokemon Go like everyone else does. Not like we’ve ever been careful or scared to begin with.”

You’re never too old to start an adventure

“This game is going to change the world!,” said Grom, a 56-year-old TV advertisements producer whose enthusiasm for the game would put younger trainers everywhere to shame.

“The way the game makes you actually travel to places before using your phone to find and capture the Pokemon; it’s such a brilliant way to simulate the experience of the cartoons. I’ve never imagined games being like this.”

Grom, who plays the game with his grown daughters, says that the game has now dominated most of their conversations, which has allowed him to spend even more time with his family.

“We’re always sending each other pictures of the Pokemon we find through Line.”

Much like Grom, Kai, 51, is a parent introduced to Pokemon Go by her adult daughter, and now sees the game as a way in which she can spend time with her daughter.

“I’m always excited when I find a new Pokemon. It’s like finding a coin on the street. You just feel like you’re such a lucky person.”

Much like coins on the street, however, Kai believes the joy of finding Pokemon comes from that little surprise that accompanies a random encounter. To actively go out and drive around exclusively to find Pokemon can be excessive and, in some cases, dangerous.

“Instead of just driving around just trying to find Pokemon along the way, I think its better if you decide on a specific place like a park, and just feel happy to find Pokemon there.”

Another parent with a slightly different perspective, however, is 59-year-old tuk-tuk driver Samroeng Chotipibulsup, who believes that it is always better for parents to drive their children around than it is for their children to do it themselves.

“It’s dangerous to drive and play, so I’m always happy to drive my sons and their friends around whenever they want to play,” said Samroeng, who is also known for offering on-demand rides for Pokemon Go players in the Samut Prakan area. There are no extra charges involved with the service; Samroeng says he charges his passengers based on the real distance they travel, as he is doing this mostly to give children a safe way to travel to and from Poke Stops.

“I only do it on the weekends, when children don’t have school, so they won’t skip classes to play the game.”

Samroeng also reminded parents to be open-minded about the game, and try to turn the game into a family activity they can do with their children instead. This way, they can keep their children from entering dangerous or forbidden areas, while also spending quality time together.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

Since Pokemon Go, an augmented reality game hunting for Pokemon, has arrived in Thailand, it has been greatly used as a financial and income booster at certain businesses — from cosmetic shops to restaurants.

The game is without a doubt an effective marketing tool that helps boost the economy. New business ideas have also been initiated such as a transport service offering passengers a ride to catch Pokemon while some tour packages also promote Pokemon as a part of the trip’s attraction. But of course, there are two sides to everything. While staring at their smartphone screen, players have to be aware of their surroundings otherwise they could encounter some dangers. The government has recently expressed its concern over the game’s security and as to what kind of consequences it could cause.

A basic explanation about Pokemon Go for those who are not yet familiar with the game — it requires a smartphone and an actual walk (or any mode of transport) in search of cartoon monsters. With augmented reality (AR) and GPS technology, Pokemons are around us but they are visible only if looking through the screen. However, the virtual Pokemon will appear only when players venture into real-life places and, sometimes, they could enter sensitive areas.

The authority’s concern starting from Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon who said state agencies will consider whether the game harms security and causes public danger. Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) also was assigned to inspect whether the game’s server invades users’ privacy.

And then we have the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) secretary-general Takorn Tantasith who has demanded no-go zones for four restricted areas due to complaints concerning safety and trespassing. The demand came within less than a week after the game was released. The area includes state properties, temples, private properties and dangerous areas including roads, waterways and railways. The NBTC also asked True, who holds exclusive rights for Pokemon in Thailand, to co-operate with game developer Niantic in requesting them to remove sensitive areas from the game’s scope. The NBTC secretary-general also has an idea of restricting playing at night time as it could be dangerous.

Of course, it’s understandable to ask players to not enter certain areas that require tranquillity and privacy or asking them to not play in certain situations. There are cases in Cambodia where authorities asked people to stop playing the game in the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, while in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Japan, Pokemons were removed from the area.

However, the approach the NBTC is attempting to take, by asking the developer to remove Pokemons from some places, seems hardly practical given “dangerous areas including roads” as they put it seems to cover expansive spaces.

Pokemon Go has become the fastest phenomenon among augmented reality games. But as this virtual reality world becomes so real it may make authorities panic as it struggles to take control of it.

The conspiracy theories — sensitive data being collected through smartphone cameras while playing and that it can be harmful to national security — have also been mooted.

Undoubtedly, the cyberworld can sometimes be dangerous. Either with or without Pokemon Go, in the future we will surely have new innovations that make use of augmented reality technology which will present another challenge for the state to cope with.

Pokemon Go may just come and go like other fads or it could be constantly developed and stay for awhile. But instead of trying to ban it, even just in some zones, it sounds more rational to inform and suggest people how to play it smartly as well as providing enough need-to-know information apart from cautions. For example, advise players to read the game’s terms and conditions clearly before allowing the app to access some private information.

At the end of the day, on an individual level, Pokemon Go players should be careful and responsible for their own actions. The state and the public, on the other hand, should take it as a good opportunity to understand the nature of augmented reality so that they can follow the technology wisely.

But for now, let the Pokemon Go players enjoy their childhood fantasy with their presence of mind, they gotta catch ’em all.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

Songsamai Rajthevee made the Thai team’s uniform for the opening ceremony.

‘That is the type of design we need,” Thailand’s shooting athlete Tanyaporn Prucksakorn says of Team USA’s opening ceremony look.

Anyone would agree: the US are the uncrowned best-dressed at this year’s Parade of Nations at the Rio Olympics opening ceremony. The stylish ensemble was smart but not stuffy. An eye-catching, striped tee worn underneath the blazer offered a pop of fun. And the whole team looked undeniably American in their patriotically-coloured boat shoes. Give it up to Polo Ralph Lauren, the brand behind this sartorial win.

There may be no concrete dress code for the opening ceremony, as we can decipher from the sea of tracksuits, saris, seersucker blazers and rainforest-patterned dresses that packed the Maracanã Stadium on Aug 5 (and again at the closing on Aug 21). But with a runway that draws more audience than all the fashion weeks of the world combined, it is unavoidable that the parade turns its athletes into something of a fashion statement and cultural showboat.

Team USA’s closing ceremony outfit comes in three colours athletes can choose from.

Scoring any points in the national image department requires a uniform that is stylish, smart and makes instantaneously clear which nationality the wearer is from. This means going beyond the nondescript minimum of a mere suit and slacks or tracksuit. At the very least, do it for the athlete’s confidence — it’s a simple fact that nice clothes can work like an armour to make you feel good from looking good.

Most notably in the west, big fashion names, both high end and high street, shower their support to dress their country’s national teams, be it Polo Ralph Lauren for USA, Emporio Armani for Italy, Lacoste for France or H&M for Sweden.

In poverty-ridden nations like Cuba, designers and clothing brands are actually unwilling to be known as the official outfitters of the national team, for fear of local protests, but in others, being known as the fashion brand who dresses the national team is PR gold. So much politics and potential surrounds this one single outfit that it is fair to say that they can be seen as a reflection of a country’s taste, with fashion value that is worthy of speculation just as much as the actual sports competitions.

In Thailand, Grand Sport is the sponsor for the training and competition clothes, but a budget is allocated by the National Olympic Committee of Thailand (NOCT) to pay for the athlete’s formal uniforms. Songsamai Rajthevee, a respected tailor house, is employed to make the formal attire Thailand’s national team wore at the opening ceremony — although in Thai, they are referred to as “travelling outfits”.

“Athletes sometimes wear this too at the airport when they are on their journey to the host destination,” says Songsamai Rajthevee’s managing director Kollavat Kongruangkij. “It is also the outfit that is worn when they go and bid farewell to royalty or the prime minister before going off to competitions.”

This explains the stifling formality that has limited the Thailand’s uniforms to a look of jackets and slacks for the most part, with some years altering for more casualness — but never anything too fashion-forward or outside of the box.

For the past 30 years, this branch of the Songsamai empire has been dressing Thailand’s athletes, not only for the Olympics, but also for the Sea Games and Asian Games. As members of the NOCT were customers of their spotless suits themselves, they have continuously returned to Songsamai year after year to tailor the national team’s uniforms. “Back in the day, there was just us who was completely involved in the tailoring business and had our own factory,” recalls Kollavat.

Serbian female athletes were decked in striking skirts.

“I guess we have the experience and expertise that the pooyai (elders) of NOCT knew wouldn’t let them down. With sports, there’s also the issue of last-minute substitute athletes shuffling in and out. They know that we can deliver outfits for last-minute changes in time and have entrusted us with this honour.”

To many, the very word pooyai is a built-in code for old-fashioned. Usually Songsamai, which belongs to the old-school tailor class, comes up with a handful of designs for the pooyai of the committee to choose from — a somewhat bureaucratic process that usually takes months before the end product is hatched.

“They may not be too focused on flashy fashion,” says Kollavat. “They prefer something of international standards, something timeless that can be used for a long time.”

As an athlete who has to wear these clothes, Tanyatorn, the shooting athlete, says, “We usually stick to a traditional formal blazer, but it would be nice to have something smart casual for a change, because these ceremonies usually take a long time and require participants to be standing for hours.”

She name drops that Serbia and Ukraine had “cute dresses” worth looking into, but what’s interesting is that this year, the Thai team had four women and four men who were selected to wear the traditional dress made of blue silk and pink silk. The Thai silk touch is a nice one. “I think it would have been nicer if they are able to design an outfit to be both modern but also show the traditional Thai dress for the other athletes.”

This year’s Thai ensemble consisted of a snazzy, synthetic-silk gold blazer, a white shirt, dark slacks and orange ties for men and scarves for women. All athletes had to come in to get measured and synthetic silk, rather than real silk, was used to ensure the ease of being wrinkle-free for packing. The team could easily have passed for a 50s jazz band, but a deeper meaning — one that cannot be understood at a mere glimpse of the television screen — is attached to the usage of gold. Kollavat explains that the gold was used this year to honour the King, and other nations’ uniforms too hold stories or functions invisible to the eye. H&M’s colour-blocking ensembles for the Swedish team (which look like an Abba wardrobe malfunction crossed with jogging gear) are made from recycled bottles and garments, while South Korea’s painfully frills-free blue blazers and white slacks are infused with insect repellent to ward off mosquitoes.

But we all know that technology aside, first impressions are more lasting. The closing ceremony is another opportunity for teams to leave a lasting impression, even if this event is quieter because many athletes already have left Rio. Depending on how deep-pocketed or sophisticated each nation can afford to be, some nations may have a completely new outfit to parade around in on the last day, while others may wear the same outfit they did for the opening or simply come in the team’s tracksuit.

The Thai team has been known to sport tracksuits in the past, but we know that the US team will still be popping in new preppy numbers come the closing ceremony. Polo has conjured a more casual look where slacks turn to chino shorts and a blazer is swapped for a long-sleeved shirt to be worn over another striped tee. Yes, our national heroes should still be looking good, but this time, there’s leeway to be more casual and celebratory. The superhuman wins the medals, but the better dressed ones wins the hearts — and sometimes all it takes is the uniformity of some tri-coloured boat shoes.

Songsamai Rajthevee made the Thai team’s uniform for the opening ceremony.

Team USA’s opening ceremony uniform by Polo Ralph Lauren.

Korea’s uniform attempts to ward off the Zika virus.

Sweden’s team is dressed by H&M.

Team USA’s closing ceremony outfit comes in three colours athletes can choose from.

Many times, national committees fail to take matching shoes into account, which strengthens the uniformity of the total look. Above are shoes by Emporio Armani for the Italian team and Polo boat shoes for the US team.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

First a kingdom ruled by kings, then a republic ruled by senators, there was a growing feeling that Rome should be a kingdom again — well, not exactly a kingdom, but an empire as befits an expanding state.

Contenders for the crown were lining up: Julius Caesar, Pompey the Great, Marcus Crassus. Each had supporters and opponents. Awards and positions of high places to the former by the winner, exile or even death to the latter. Changing sides — betrayal — was common and unforgiven.

It was the first century BC and British historical fiction author Robert Harris focuses on it in his Cicero trilogy Imperium, Lustrium and Dictator. They are in the form of a biography of famed philosopher and influential statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero, Sr. by his long-time secretary Tiso.

This reviewer received only the third volume, Dictator. In it, Cicero is ageing but still active. Harris leaves the reader in no doubt his work, though well-researched, is more fiction than history. His saving grace is that he’s an outstanding writer. I’ll not compare him to anyone. His style is his own.

Acknowledged the best lawyer in Rome, his legal reasoning led to the passage of new laws. Alas, his political views were less well received. Though on different sides, Caesar and Pompey felt Rome would be better off without him. There was nothing for him but to flee for his life. He stayed away for 10 years.

Returning, couldn’t resist the political arena. The assassination of Caesar had mixed reactions — Mark Antony took on Brutus. Pompey went after Antony. Indeed, Pompey became emperor. For a time he was lenient with Cicero. The author indulges in Tiso’s nostalgia. “Remember when …”

However old and lonely, fate catches up with Cicero. He is condemned to death and executed (read dismembered).

A true story. Plus a more than fair amount of imagination. Battles are more observed than described. Truth be told, I would like to have read the earlier two books first, yet less enthusiastic having perused the third and final one. If you’re an ancient Rome buff, don’t pass the trilogy by.

FYI: Robert Harris has written a few World War II novels you may well enjoy.

Worth a gander

Married stateside novelists Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman usually write crime thrillers separately, with children’s psychologist Dr Jonathan somewhat more popular. Occasionally they join forces. Their styles are rather different, but not conflicting. Fans can identify their respective contribution.

Jonathan’s plots are interdenominational, Jesse’s tend to have a Jewish Bent The Golem of Paris favours her type. The term Golem hearkens back to medieval Prague, where anti-Semitism was particularly harsh. The victims created an inhuman defender who subsequently turned on them.

This contemporary-set plot eschews the metaphysical, introducing Dmitri Molchanov, a psychopathic Russian. Why kill men, women and children outright when torturing them to death is more fun. His favourite sport is trapping the police hunting him, beating them to a pulp, then strangling them.

Detective Jacop Levy of the LAPD, who never lack for literary heroes, is the protagonist sent to Paris on another assignment, where he becomes involved in the Golem case. The gendarmes regard it as interference, until his input proves vital. Dmitri puts him on his hit list.

The story expands to include the German invasion of Czechoslovakia during the World War II, followed by its liberation by the Russians. While not as savage as the Nazis, the Red Army rule wasn’t short of atrocities.

Dmitri was a commander then. Relatives of his victims are tracking him. Levy squares off and their encounter runs through several chapters. Levy gets the worst of it for the most part.

A follow-up book, The Golem of Hollywood, is on the stands. This reviewer has yet to read it. The Kellermans are on a role. Don’t be surprised if a pack of golem books awaits us. Their fans couldn’t be more pleased. Any of them is worth a gander.

The authors offer a number of insights: The French commissioner to fellow Detective Levy — criminals are rapidly adapting to scientific advances. All we are doing is playing catch-up. We learn of a few cases of domestic violence. Wives fear divorce more than they do abuse.

The reason collaborators were over looked after the war is that they were the only ones left to run the country efficiently.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

It is also crucial to ensure you stay hydrated. The organisation recommends water, unsweetened fruit or herbal teas and diluted juices. Dry mouth often leads to difficulties chewing, talking, swallowing and can sometimes even cause dental problems.

There are many causes of dry mouth, one of the most common being medications. Many drugs, including antidepressants, sleep aids, painkillers and antibiotics, list dry mouth as a common side-effect.

Under no circumstances should you stop taking medications without first consulting your doctor, says the German Green Cross organisation.

Go big on breakfast, roll with later hunger pangs

An ideal eating schedule does not exist, but for those who want to optimise their metabolism and cardiovascular system, there are guidelines.

People are tied to their internal clocks more so than previously thought. Sunlight and darkness not only impact a person’s sleep cycle, but they also regulate metabolic hormones. This changes the way a person’s body responds to food.

“A meal eaten in the morning will be metabolised faster than in the evening, regardless of the meal,” says Andreas Pfeiffer, a top German endocrinologist.

“A healthy breakfast is basically good,” agrees Hans Hauner, a top nutritional doctor. “However, it is debatable whether breakfast must be the largest meal of the day. A person should take into account preference and individual eating patterns.”

A main meal in the evening?

Following a pure metabolically based approach, the largest meals should be enjoyed in the morning and at noon. Dinner ought to be the smallest meal of the day. This way of eating would take advantage of the metabolism’s efficiency.

However, many workers have developed a different rhythm because they cannot prepare large meals for themselves during work.

“For many people it is normal to have the big meal after work in the evenings,” Hauner says. “It would not make any sense to ban dinner. An eating pattern like that would not last.”

Nutritionist Silke Lichtenstein also discourages radical approaches to food: “Someone who imposes a strict food ban after 6pm will start eating in advance at 5pm to make sure they are not hungry later.”

“That would make no sense,” Lichtenstein says.

Most experts agree that snacking can be a problem. “We’re getting to the point where people are eating eight to 10 times a day,” says Pfeiffer. “By constantly supplying our body with food, the energy resources stored in our cells are not being consumed.”

Studies have also shown that eating frequently, even if the amounts are smaller, results in an intake of more calories than the daily recommended amount.

Incorrigible nibblers should at least take care to avoid eating anything after dinner, the nutritionists advise.

The human body never evolved to cope with frequent servings or regular meals. Strict daily mealtimes are more of a cultural development.

“Hunger phases are quite healthy as long as they do not cause malnutrition,” Pfeiffer says. “Alternating between hunger and eating phases will support metabolic flexibility, which has a long-term positive impact on health.”

“We should reject the idea that hunger needs to be satisfied immediately,” Lichtenstein adds. Instead of snacking on something unhealthy, people should think about enduring the hunger until they can treat themselves to something healthy and nutritious.

This source first appeared on The Nation Life.

Members of Siam Sinfonietta perform at a church in Germany. Photo: Nath Khamnark/ Opera Siam

Opera Siam and the Siam Sinfonietta are in Bayreuth, Germany, home each year to the famous Wagner Festival, for the European premiere of Somtow Sucharitkul’s opera The Silent Prince, which forms part of the Bayreuth Annual Young Artists Festival. Before the opera opens members of the ensemble have performed concerts in Bayreuth and some small Bavarian towns nearby.

At the festival’s opening ceremony late last month, featuring musicians from many countries, the Siam Sinfonietta started the programme with the Thai National Anthem, sung by the chorus of Opera Siam, in honour of the presence of Ploypailin Mahidol Jensen, granddaughter of His Majesty the King, and of the Thai Ambassador to Germany H.E. Dhiravat Bhumichitr. This was followed by two excerpts from The Silent Prince, beautifully sung by Nadlada Thamtanakom and Jak Cholvijarn.

A few days later singers from the opera gave a concert in the historic Schlosskirche in the centre of Bayreuth. The recital featured some of the very talented young singers in the opera’s chorus. Especially notable were Raphael Ayrle in the treble solo Chi M’in Segna from Handel’s Alcina, who sang with great purity and control; the popular Thai song White Lotus by Puangroi Apaiwong, charmingly sung by Areeya Rotjanadit; Schubert’s Du Bist Die Ruh, sung by John Tneh; and a beautiful performance of Mendelssohn’s Blumenstrauss by Patcharanat Aunkaew. Finally, Colleen Brooks, from Milwaukee’s Skylight Theatre, sang Dora’s aria from Somtow Sucharitkul’s opera The Snow Dragon, a role she sang both at the work’s premiere in Milwaukee in March 2015 and in Bangkok in July of that year. She gave a powerfully sung and nuanced interpretation of Dora, the complex child counsellor.

Instrumentalists from the Sinfonietta gave two concerts in nearby small towns, Bischofsgrün and Speinshart. In Bischofsgrün an audience of 300 squeezed into the town church. The programme was the same in both venues, and started with the wind quintet of Pannita Chalermrangroj, flute, Ratchanon Intarasahit, clarinet, Kijjarin Pongkapanakrai, oboe, Thanapak Poonpol, horn, and Tanakan Theerasunturnvat, bassoon, playing Jacques Ibert’s jaunty Three Short Pieces with technical excellence and great élan.

Next came an unusual item. Richard Strauss wrote his famous tone poem Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks for an orchestra of more than 100. The Austrian composer Franz Hasenörl created an arrangement, Till Eulenspiegel — Einmal Anders, for just five instruments, which requires top-class players to “impersonate” the whole orchestra, and lasts eight minutes rather than the original’s 15. The sinfonietta quintet of Chalat Limpisiri on violin, portraying the prankster Till’s more romantic side, Pongsathorn Surapub, whose double bass takes on most of the music for both strings and percussion, Thanapak Poonpol, who played the very difficult horn solos immaculately, Kijjarin Pongkapanakrai on oboe and Tanakan Theerasuntornvat on bassoon gave a witty and enjoyable account. The Bavarian audience greeted this highly accomplished performance of a piece by their fellow Bavarian Strauss with great enthusiasm.

The final, and most substantial, item in the official programme was Shostakovich’s Eighth String Quartet, played by the Shounen Quartet of Chot Buasuwan and Pittaya Pruksachonlavit on violin, Atjayut Sangkasem on viola, and Wishwin Sureeratanakorn on cello. This dark work was written by Shostakovich in three days in 1960 when he was in a deep and suicidal depression, having just been coerced into joining the Communist Party, and discovering he had an illness (later realised to be polio) that prevented him from playing the piano.

Both in Bischofsgrün and in Speinshart, the mutual understanding and the maturity, intensity and empathetic playing of these remarkable young musicians engaged the audiences profoundly in both venues, and in both they received prolonged ovations.

In Speinshart the concert took place in the Baroque splendour of the 17th century chapel of a large (and still functioning) monastery, where the demand for places was so high that the chapel was already full to the seams with several hundred people half-an-hour before the start. At the end of this concert, such was the sustained applause, and to lighten the mood on what was a glorious summer’s evening, the sinfonietta’s string players played as encores three of His Majesty the King’s charmingly lyrical love songs, received with great warmth by the Bavarian audience.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

How often is it that international LGBT films get a screening in Thailand? Not often at all, except when there’s a film festival. This week, wonderfully strange as it may be, we’re seeing not just one but two LGBT films on our silver screens. And the two couldn’t be more different.

Our first contender landing in is Front Cover, written and directed by Ray Yeung (Cut Sleeve Boys). Korean-American actor Jake Choi plays Ryan, an openly gay fashion stylist who’s living it up in the Big Apple. Enter Ning (James Chen), a movie star from China who becomes Ryan’s latest styling subject. Cultural identity and ethnicity clash. Ryan is very disconnected with his Chinese ancestry, while Ning demands someone who’s Chinese enough for the job. Also enter Ryan’s parents who seem okay with their son being gay. And they mistake Ning for their boy’s new beau, to which Ning decides to play along with. Needless to say, the two men later develop romantic feelings for one another.

This romantic dramedy opened for the Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival last year, and has made its way to different festivals around the globe. It’s now seeing its US city premieres, and will head to Vancouver Queer Film Festival later this week.

From modern NYC, we transport ourselves back to 1930s Korea under Japanese colonialism in Park Chan-wook (Oldeuboi or Oldboy’s) latest work Ah-ga-ssi (The Handmaiden). A pickpocket Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri) poses as a handmaiden to the heiress Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee) in order to aid Count Fujiwara (Ha Jung-woo)’s seduction towards her lady. But it’s all a game of deceptions. Fujiwara is not after the lady’s heart, but rather her fortune. His plan for the money is however, foiled by an unexpected turn of events as the lady and her handmaiden fall in love.

Adapted from Sarah Waters’ novel Fingersmith, this erotic thriller features elaborate lesbian sex scenes and slight violence. The film was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or, and was also eligible for the Queer Palm at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

It’s like two opposite ends of the spectrum collide. While one is a lighter tale of fashion, flairs and cultural hiccups, another gives an uncomfortable feeling that no one is to be trusted. The tone and style of the two films vary a great deal and that should satisfy different types of audiences. Do you seek romance, drama, humour or anything just to take some time off of catching Pokémon? There is definitely something for everyone.

As with many other LGBT films before it, Front Cover and Ah-ga-ssi are seeing a limited release, only showing at a few selected cinemas. While it shouldn’t be a problem for Bangkokians, it’s a nuisance for anyone living outside the capital as they need to travel far and wide just to see movies other than those of mainstream Hollywood stints. Make haste wherever you are. The films will most likely not be here for long.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

At annual awards ceremonies such as the Oscars or the Grammys, stars shine. Among those who graced the red carpet in a sea of ballgowns, there was a handful of individuals who deserve our two thumbs up for gracefully defying the cruelty of gravity and the depravity of time. The magic behind the stars’ youthful and timeless glow? The science of well-defined facial contour.

Courtney Cox, Kim Kardashian, Halle Berry and Jennifer Aniston admitted that they went through a procedure that uses ultrasound-based energy technology to tighten their skin. At present, the technology is considered the gold standard in skin lifting and tightening treatment. Let’s take an in-depth look at this procedure then.

Skin ages for a variety of different reasons including our environment, health, the food we eat and more. It starts from around the age of 25 when ageing signs such as small wrinkles, loss of volume and density become apparent on the surface of the skin. The supporting structure that defines facial features is comprised of the outer skin layer, the inner skin layer or the dermis, and the deeper connective tissue covering the muscle aka the Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System (SMAS). Over time, the components of the supporting structure become less elastic causing excess loose skin, drooping eyebrows and sagging jowls.

The micro-focused ultrasound-based technology offers non-surgical treatment that targets both the SMAS and the dermis. This is the only procedure that affects the SMAS layer at the depth of 4.5mm, the same depth where plastic surgeons commonly perform facelift surgeries. The treatment yields gradual results that include an improvement in new collagen production that directly benefits the facial supporting structure.

Similar to ultrasound used in medical imaging, the focused beam of ultrasound energy can be made to pass harmlessly through the skin allowing the beam to target deeper tissue than any other technology. New clinical studies conducted on new software systems along with new treatment guidelines have shown that by decreasing the ultrasound energy level and increasing the density of ultrasound lines during the treatment, a more effective result can be achieved with a high rate of patient satisfaction.

After the procedure, patients can return to normal activities immediately because no downtime is required. The skin may appear flushed at first, but the redness will disappear within a few hours. Noticeable improvements will take place over 90 to 180 days.

The micro-focused ultrasound based-technology is not meant to be a replacement for an invasive facelift, but it offers a viable alternative for those with different preferences and for those who cannot have surgery. The treatment is not only for celebrities but for everyone who wants to feel their best and to be “red carpet ready” every day of the week.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

Aziz Shokhakimov. Photos courtesy of Nestlé

The music landscape of Salzburg, Austria’s fourth largest city and the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is more vibrant now than anytime of the year with the Salzburg Festival, which stretches until the end of this month.

Through the festival, the city internationally recognised for classical music now plays host to an array of opera, drama, classical concerts and music-related programmes — one of which was the Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award, which wrapped up last week. A joint initiative between Nestlé and the Salzburg Festival, the Young Conductors Award was inaugurated in 2010 with the objective of discovering young talented conductors and to contribute to the development of their careers.

For the 2016 award, applications were open to young conductors, aged from 22 to 35, who sent in DVDs of a performance and a complete repertoire list with special focus on 20th century pieces and contemporary music.

This year, three finalists, Ciarán McAuley, 33, from Ireland, Alexander Prior, 23, from Great Britain, and Aziz Shokhakimov, 27, from Uzbekistan, were selected from 86 candidates across five continents. After the award concerts earlier this month where each conducted the Austrian chamber orchestra, the Camerata Salzburg, at the Mozarteum Foundation, Shokhakimov was selected as the winner of this year’s award.

The Uzbek conductor said it was a fantastic opportunity for him to be able to make music with a renowned orchestra like the Camerata Salzburg. Considering music as his “religion”, Shokhakimov said his professional motivation is to serve music as the purest energy of God.

“Music is my religion,” said the 2016 Young Conductors Award winner in a statement. “What I hope to achieve in life is to bring peace and joy through music.”

The Salzburg Festival — one of the world’s prominent festivals of music and drama — was established in 1920 and is held in the summer. For 25 years, Nestlé has partnered with and sponsored the festival to enable further its development and help make it known outside Austria.

Realising the importance that youth can play in keeping the festival going, festival organisers created the Young Conductors competition as well as hosting several concerts for young musicians.

In the end they decided to start the Young Conductors Award as the next step of their youth initiative, said Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Nestlé’s chairman of the board.

“Those [young conductors] who have been in this award before have made a fantastic career,” said Brabeck-Letmathe. “It’s a good example that with this award, we have really achieved not just the competition for the best quality but created a platform for those young conductors in an outstanding international arena. And this has direct impact on the lives of the future generations of great conductors.”

Artistic director of the Salzburg Festival, Austrian pianist and a member of the jury Markus Hinterhäuser said the first round of judging, which required them to watch 86 DVDs sent from candidates, was indeed an exhausting task given the many judging factors to be considered.

“Conductors are not just to be heard, but to be seen,” explained Hinterhäuser. “The audience 80% of the time sees the conductor’s back. So he has to communicate with the orchestra and people watching his back. He must have a strong aura, which has to go to the orchestra, and a strong aura, which has to go to the audience.”

At the award concert, Shokhakimov chose to conduct works by German composer and clarinettist Jörg Widmann along with Mozart and Beethoven, which helped land him the title.

Apart from a cash prize, Shokhakimov will have a chance to conduct the world-renowned Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Felsenreitschule theatre as part of the Salzburg Festival next year. His prize-winning concert this year also will be recorded and released on CD.

Hinterhäuser believes the Young Conductors Award is one of the festival’s more fruitful and enriching initiatives. He says the judges’ task is not just to find the most talented young musician at the festival but also to discover a rare gem for the music world as a whole.

“This [The Young Conductors Award] is an award, not a competition,” he said. “It’s a big difference. It’s quite a process to select one conductor and give him this award. Young conductors usually don’t have the opportunity to have a high-class orchestra in front of them.

“So as a jury, it’s a great responsibility to see what kind of capacity they have and how well they can communicate with the orchestra.”

The 2016 Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award Winner

Aziz ShokhakimovAge: 27  Nationality: Uzbek

Age 13: Made his debut conducting the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan

Age 18: Appointed chief conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan

Age 21: Won second prize at Mahler Competition of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra

Age 26: Conducted a highly acclaimed new production of Eugene Onegin in Bologna and a revival of Carmen.

Ciarán McAuley. Nestlé

Alexander Prior. Nestlé

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

Charlie Puth Live in Bangkok 2016 Photo: soundbox

While the series of bombings on Mother’s Day last Friday brought down the mood of the country, singer-songwriter and hitmaker Charlie Puth, for the brief moment he performed that night, gave the Bangkok crowd a much-needed boost of joy and positivity.

His smooth, velvety voice (which is even better live) and his cheeky, boyish charm caused roars of laughter and awws of endearment. He got the sold-out crowd at the GMM Live House to sing and dance in unison to both his hit and not-so hit songs.

Known best for writing Furious 7’s tribute soundtrack See You Again, the 24 year old got his start on YouTube and only released his first full-track album Nine Track Mind in January of this year. His stop to Thailand may be a surprise to many, but he had his reasons for making his first trip here.

“When I first started YouTube, I noticed that there were so many Thai fans!” he mused after hyping up them up with first hit-song Marvin Gaye. “You guys led the way!”

The show, he said with clear excitement and gratitude, was sold-out in minutes, and was one of the biggest venue’s he’d played so far.

The stage and lighting design was simple and did nothing to distract from the main reason fans were there: his voice. What was most memorable of the young singer was the use of the blue colour of different hues throughout the show as a tribute, he says, to Her Majesty the Queen’s birthday. The blue headband that he wore, thought by many to get his hair out of his face, was a tribute to Her Majesty too.

After six songs, Puth switched it up to an acoustic set. Standing centre stage with only the spotlight on him, he sang Up All Night and Then There’s You, with his voice mesmerising and almost silencing the crowd. He then switched back to his full set, riling up the crowd with staple songs for every radio station for the past year We Don’t Talk and his last song of the night, One Call Away.

Leaving the audience hanging and chanting his name for more songs, Puth came back on stage a few minutes later and performed the song everyone was waiting for: See You Again. With the singer repeatedly expressing his desires to come back and perform at a bigger venue, the Bangkok crowd hopes the same, so he can bring back his infectious joy and happiness to our slightly troubled times.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

It’s widely accepted fact that Thailand is a nation whose population truly have a sweet tooth. Considering common dietary guidelines for daily sugar intake, which recommends only four to six teaspoons, each Thai consumes 20 on average.

“Thai people consume way too much sugar, especially from sweet beverages. Even though it is true that sugar is the body’s main source of energy, it does not mean people are recommended to just eat it,” said Asst Prof Wantanee Kriengsinyos, head of the Human Nutrition Division, Mahidol University Institute of Nutrition.

Late last month, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation released its latest study on the consumption of sugar among Thais. According to the study, which was conducted with almost 20,000 people above the age of 15 to those above 60 in 21 provinces, including Bangkok, Thailand did see some improvements in some major health areas such as consumption of alcohol and smoking habits. But despite such a positive change, many Thais were still found to be addicted to sugary drinks. The study also found that children between the ages of 10 and 14 drank more sugary beverages.

This new finding is not just appalling but also puts an accent on the fact that a very large number of Thais find sweetness a truly satisfying palate-pleaser. Thais sprinkle sugar on many edibles they put in their mouth — from the usual coffee and tea to even savoury dishes like pad Thai.

Referring to the recently released study, Wantanee said inadequate public awareness on the issue of unbalanced diets is among the factors to blame.

“Thai people have better awareness when it comes to food safety such as diarrhoea and other food-borne diseases because consequences of poor food safety standards can be quite acute and consequently receive lots of attention. But when it comes to nutrition, it takes time to see the impact, meaning if we eat a lot of sugar now, we don’t get fat now.”

The country has also seen a sharp increase in the number of people falling victim to overnutrition — the overconsumption of nutrients and food to the point at which health is adversely affected, added the nutrition expert. Recent statistics from the National Health Commission Office of Thailand also showed that during the past two decades, Thai people’s average weight has doubled. When compared to other Asian countries, Thailand ranks second only after China in the number of women with obesity. People in Bangkok are at higher risk of developing obesity than those in the provinces.

In terms of diabetes, the 2014 figure from the Bureau of Non-Communicable Diseases revealed more than 670,000 cases of diabetes, a painful rise from around 500,000 cases in 2007 and 607,000 in 2010. Also based on health examinations and data collected by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation during the past five to six years, approximately 4 million Thais in total were found to suffer from diabetes.

Poor eating habits — including of course excessive sugar intake — are held responsible for these non-communicable illnesses, said Wantanee. Despite the fact that blood glucose enables blood and brain cells to function, the body should receive it from carbohydrates such as rice, flour and grains instead of pure sugar.

“Carbohydrates are essential because they are converted to glucose and the body runs on glucose. Glucose is a simple sugar [monosaccharide], which is easy to absorb. Pure sugar only benefits when the body does not get any food for so long and therefore pure sugar will quickly rise the sugar level in blood. This, however, should not be a common scenario,” explained Wantanee.

The change in Thailand’s culinary culture is also another driving force behind excessive sugar consumption, she added. In the old days, desserts would only be served on special occasions like religious and celebratory ceremonies. These days, people opt for sweet stuff almost every day, resulting in them being accustomed to the sweet taste and causing a diet imbalance.

“The food industry also creates more availability and accessibility for consumers,” she said. “Thailand is a country where food can be found anytime and anywhere. If people do not realise how important it is to eat properly or cannot control their urge to eat, then they will end up being unhealthy.”

“Imagine you drink a bottle of sweet beverage. You might get energy equal to that from a bowl of noodles. But does the drink make your stomach full? No. Then you still need to eat some other things to keep your hunger at bay. This is how the body receives excessive calories, excessive sugar, which leads to dietary imbalance.”

Natural food also contains sugar too, added the nutritionist, which means consumers should also be vigilant of their food choices. Milk does contain sugar naturally, and so does fruit. Therefore, the consumption of fruits for weight loss is never a recommended recipe.

“Of course, Thailand is a tropical country abound with delicious fruits. But nutritionally speaking, fruit should only be consumed as a snack after mealtime because naturally it contains sugar, some more than others. But this does not mean diabetes patients cannot eat ripe mango, for instance, which is known to be high in sugar. They can but in a restricted portion. Those who do not suffer diabetes and usually eat few vegetables can eat a bit more fruit so that they get fibre from them.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO)’s guideline for sugar intake released last year for both adults and children, it recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy needs. Free sugars refer to monosaccharides (such as glucose, fructose) and disaccharides (such as sucrose or table sugar) added to foods and drinks by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, and sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.

“The amount of recommended sugar intake also depends on how much energy is used in a day,” Wantanee explained. “The recommended amount of four teaspoons a day is for small kids. But for adolescents and adults, the number can go up to six teaspoons. And if your daily activities involve labour, you might consume up to eight teaspoons.”

Under normal circumstances, sugar cannot be flushed from the body. It can only be absorbed regardless of the intake amount and be stored in the kidneys in the form of glycogen — the body’s energy bank. Nonetheless, if the kidney fails to function properly resulting in high blood sugar levels, some glucose may spill into the urine. Diabetes is the most common cause of glucose in the urine.

To cure this sugar headache, especially in the long run, Wantanee says collaboration from all sectors involved is key. Schools, parents, the food industry and retailers as well as consumers themselves should first be aware of the consequences of poor eating habits and take any action needed to curb them. While the increase of taxation for sugary beverages has been discussed, Wantanee said that a legal approach alone is not enough to fix this national health agenda.

“Education is paramount,” she suggested. “While the law does its part, we must ensure the availability of affordable healthy food choices for consumers too. One possible way might be the issue of a healthier logo on foods so that customers can see and choose for themselves. This not only shows collaborative efforts from food manufacturers but might also be an effective means to build awareness among people.”

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

Marie Claire Thailand editor-in-chief Piyada Nanta. Marie Claire Thailand

Overwhelmed by a plethora of beauty products, one can be baffled when finding a high-performance facial cleanser, whether to lather up with an affordable whip foam or invest in a pricey liquid formula.

The pursuit for complexion products is even more perplexing, having to consider the myriad of primers, foundations and powders along with multitasking BB and CC creams.

The cornucopia of cosmetics, however, has been shortlisted by Marie Claire Best Beauty Awards 2016, with the 40 product winners announced last Wednesday night, at the ballroom of Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld.

The local version of the prestigious French cosmetics accolade is in its sixth year, with the award presentation hosted by Marie Claire Thailand and Central/Zen department store.

“Based on the same comprehensive set of criteria as the original Prix d’Excellence de la Beaute, the judging committee had to evaluate 748 entries within three months,” said the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Piyada Nanta.

“The 15 judges had to be committed to testing and comparing them, with the unbiased scoring system giving five finalists and the winner in each product category. This guarantees the credibility and quality of the awardees, which in turn, stimulates the cosmetic industry’s R&D to offer superior beauty products that serve consumers’ needs.”

Of the 40 awards, four were determined by popular vote from Marie Claire‘s readers while another four Insider’s Choice were based on a blind test. Skincare for Men awards recognised the best cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen that males basically require for their grooming routine.

The fairer sex are unlikely to be minimalists though, with their sophisticated beauty routine involving many more items, leading to the addition of new product categories to this year’s awards.

Cosmetic junkies are tempted to keep up the latest trends updated by magazines, bloggers and celebrity influencers, or merely by word of mouth — with the enthusiasts checking out the recommended must-haves. Big spenders may well find themselves with a redundancy of make-up, skincare and hair products that may not work their magic as claimed.

“The results of Marie Claire Best Beauty Awards 2016 will help women save time and money as well as from making mistakes purchasing cosmetics. This has become even more relevant with the increasing number of beauty brands and products that have consumers spoiled for choice,” said Piyada.

“The Think Smart, Look Amazing Marie Claire women, however, select the best beauty solutions according to their needs, based on quality and cost-effectiveness, without wasting money on hoarding trending products.”

Ongoing trends include micellar cleansing water, cushion compacts, treatment masks and non-sticky lip oil.

“Women cannot wait and want express beauty, leading to product trends, such as the treatment mask which is one of the product categories of the Marie Claire Best Beauty,” noted Pilan Sriveerakul, who has been in the judging committee since the launch of the awards in Thailand.

“Over the years, the country’s competitive beauty business constantly attracts newcomers. Consumers may not be aware or are reluctant to check out their products, but the judges have done that for them, with a couple of this year’s surprising winners coming from the new brands,” said the beauty expert.

Besides the densely-occupied cosmetic departments, drug stores and beauty retailers, such as Sephora and Eveandboy, stock a wide variety of enticing product to expand the options.

“In the past, Thais may have to go aboard to buy these items. But today, they can easily buy all kinds of cosmetics, not to mention the online shopping. However, consumers have to make smart choices according to their beauty budget, with the Marie Claire Best Beauty serving as a primary screening,” Pilan said.

The countless cosmetic reviews on the internet may to a certain extent serve as a screening. But the Marie Claire Best Beauty is a more systemic review involving judges of different ages and professions, including dermatologist and anti-ageing specialist Dr Thidakarn Rujipattanakul.

“Unlike their mothers, who tended to stick to one skincare brand, today’s women may be cross-brand users because they want to literally try everything, with the abundance of beauty products,” said Dr Thidakarn. “The formulas from different brands are not designed to work together, with the probability of synergistic or antagonistic ingredients causing skin problems.”

The dermatologist had to test the over 700 entries herself, which had her study the products in detail, especially the ingredients. It kept her abreast with the latest technologies, especially when scoring the Special Awards Hi-Tech Heroes.

“I have to constantly update on beauty trends to know what consumers are using. Some patients show me the cosmetics they have been using, of which the formulas may have caused their skin condition such as acne or allergy,” she said. “Consumers, particularly those with sensitive skin, have to read the product label in choosing beauty products that work best for each individual.”

Most Popular Vote in Service: Chanel cosmetic counter. Chanel (Thailand)

Marie Claire Thailand editor-in-chief Piyada Nanta. Marie Claire Thailand

Pilan Sriveerakul. Marie Claire Thailand

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

The 2016 Rio Olympics is in full swing, with six more day to Sunday’s closing ceremonies. Watching the games from Bangkok is Gilberto Fonseca Guimaraes de Moura, Brazilian ambassador to Thailand.

Brazilian Ambassador Gilberto Fonseca Guimaraes de Moura. photo: Thiti Wannamontha

Given the political and economic uncertainties facing Brazil, he said the South American nation has managed to rise above the occasion to thus far organise what is turning out to be a memorable Olympics in which Thailand so far clinched two gold medals, one silver and one bronze medal. But the run-up to the games, as widely reported, was dogged by a string of obstacles, such as the Zika virus, safety issues, water/air pollution, infrastructure delays, to name a few.

As an ambassador, he said it was his duty to be transparent about the negative news his country has generated about the sports extravaganza, though it’s also known that this is hardly the first time the Olympics host had to face such problems.

“Ever since the Zika virus emerged a year ago, we have worked very closely with the World Health Organization to address this issue.

“Also all the venues where the Olympic Games are being held are closely being monitored round the clock. Any means by which mosquitoes can be bred are being plugged. All efforts are underway to eliminate the possibility of anyone getting affected to zero percent.”

“It is winter time in Rio, so the temperature is low, around 20°C, which means the chance of mosquitoes to breed is more unlikely. So the chances of a small mosquito bite is very marginal. However, we are doing everything in our power to keep the situation under control and not taking this issue lightly. Campaigns and research are ongoing to lessen any chance of anyone contacting the virus.”

On keeping criminals at bay, de Moura, who has been in Thailand for two years, reported that a record 86,000 police officers and soldiers have been deployed during the duration of the games to keep the peace.

The ambassador believes public safety issues have been blown out of proposition by the media.

“While I do agree that Rio has a high crime rate, it doesn’t mean that you will be mugged at the drop of a hat. I have never been mugged in Rio de Janeiro, but have been in Europe and North America, where it is supposed to be safe. So it is only fair to surmise that if you don’t draw attention to yourself and take safety measures, you are less likely to become a victim.”

During the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, he said there were no major crime-related cases because not only did the country put its law enforcement on full alert, athletes and tourists alike were warned to take precautions when travelling alone.

“Like everywhere you go today, you have to be cautious. Visitors are told to not walk in deserted areas of the city, flaunt jewellery, valuables and money, which is customary to any place you visit, and opt for organised tour excursions instead of travelling alone,” remarked de Moura.

Brazil also has stepped up security for possible tourist attacks, said the diplomat. The country has been working closely with France, the US and other countries that are well versed in global intelligence.

On the work front, de Moura said Thailand is as strategic a bilateral trade partner as their neighbouring Latin countries, so fostering closer relations with the kingdom on all levels has always been prioritised.

In the remaining two years of his tenure, he said the focus will be on solidifying ongoing trade between both nations. He has worked closely with his counterpart in Brazil to bring about better awareness of each country’s bankable commodities to the respective business sectors.

“The Thai ambassador to Brazil and I share a close rapport, and so we are constantly inviting businessmen from each other’s countries to visit,” said the Brazilian.

“We hope to work together to not just improve the quantity but also quality of the products that are being exported. Personally, I would like to see a more equal trade balance in which we can have Brazilian manufacturing products here and a wider presence of Thai products back home. There is also great potential in encouraging joint ventures in such areas as science and technology, agriculture and more. In September, we will have the Brazilian minister of agriculture visit Thailand, which I believe should further strengthen bilateral ties between both our nations.

“I am hopeful that by the time I leave Thailand, Thais will know Brazil for not just our football team but also products.”

De Moura, whose diplomatic career spans three decades, described being in Thailand as one of his most memorable assignments. The local culture, kindness and friendliness of the people has made him feel right at home, he said.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

Alex Trimble will lead the Irish indie rock band Two Door Cinema Club to rock Bangkok on August 18 at Show DC Oasis Outdoor Arena in the city’s eastern suburbs.

Founded in 2007, this power trio from Northern Ireland is recognised for their hit singles “What You Know”, “Something Good Can Talk”, “Undercover Martyn” and “Sleep Alone”. Alex Trimble, Kevin Baird and Sam Halliday will play these and other tracks from their hit album “Tourist History”.

For more information visit www.ThaiTicketMajor.com

This source first appeared on The Nation Life.

Want to try watching an Indian movie but don’t quite know where to start? Now’s your chance with the Indian Film Festival of Thailand, where you can relive Bollywood’s biggest blockbusters for 150 baht per movie, as opposed to the 350 baht that the tickets usually cost on regular release. Perhaps better retitled the Deepika Padukone Film Festival of Thailand (she’s in three of the seven films showing), some of the most popular movies from India’s Tinseltown within the past three years will be showing at Paragon Cineplex from Aug 22-28. In this event hosted by MVP Entertainment, Zee Entertainment and Siam Paragon, the festival’s opening will also see flash mob dances and interviews with Thai stuntmen who have worked in Bollywood. Prangthong Jitcharoenkul, author of India Mee Arai Ja Bok, will also be sharing her experiences while studying in India.

Photo courtesy of MVP Entertainment

A good selection of historical epics, masalas (an Indian genre that mixes action, comedy, romance and melodrama all in one) and comedy-dramas will be showing every night at 7.30pm. All movies feature soundtracks with both English and Thai subtitles.

On Aug 22, the festival kicks off with a film starring Padukone called Chennai Express, where she and Bollywood king Shahrukh Khan must escape mafia goons down in the south of the subcontinent. If you’re not too much of a song and dance fan, the films showing on 23-24, PK and Piku respectively, offer a less “filmi” vibe, with contemporary characters and plot lines.

On Thai shores, PK is one of the most well-received movies, which follows the story of an alien who gets stranded on earth and tries to understand different religions. We see Padukone in Piku again, in a tale of a taxi driver who is stuck with driving a dysfunctional father-daughter pair to Calcutta.

But to get a real feel of what the glitz of Bollywood is all about, go for any of the films showing from Aug 25-28. On the 25th there’s Dilwale and 26th Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Both are set in the modern day, but are filled with high-octane action scenes and dance numbers that probably cost more than the average Thai movie’s budget. If you’re looking for a feast for the eyes, the festival closes off with historical epics: Bajirao Mastani on the 27th and Bahubali on the last day. Starring opposite of her real life beau Ranveer Singh, Padukone plays Mastani, a Muslim princess based on a real figure from the early 18th century. It’s a love story of majestic proportions, with magnificent sets and costumes that will make your jaw drop. There’s more war scenes in the other period film Bahubali, but in no way are there any less visual effects and stunning cinematography.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

The Ferry Gallery. Photo: Kawita Vatanayankur

A watermelon is in the centre of the screen, and we watch it being gradually squeezed as two pairs of hands continuously put rubber bands around it. On another screen, a woman is in the middle of nowhere and suddenly takes out a toaster before hurling it away with all her strength like a hammer throw.

The former is a 30-minute video by New Zealand artist Steve Carr while the latter — a series of short absurd sketches featuring a woman and household tools going on loop — is by Australian artist Tania Smith. It’s not, however, only the work that fills us with a sense of wonder and suspense but also the space of the exhibit itself. Bobbing against the currents of the Chao Phraya River, they are the latest shows on The Ferry Gallery, a public ferry stationed at Tha Tien which has since 2014 served also as a gallery space devoted specially to video art.

“I think both works are about patience,” said Kawita Vatanayankur, The Ferry Gallery’s director. “But while Carr’s work Watermelon is about patience in terms of time, about waiting for something to change, Smith’s Domestic Gestures is about patience concerning the woman’s role in the household.”

In a recent interview with Life, Steve Carr talked more about his work and what it’s like to be exhibited on a boat.

What is your background in art?

I studied my Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Dunedin School of Art, New Zealand, and then after my completion I started an artist-run space in Dunedin called the Blue Oyster Gallery. This space is still running and is a major space dedicated to showcasing emerging artists throughout the country. I then moved to Auckland and I completed my Master of Fine Arts, majoring in sculpture. My works fit between the mediums of moving images, photography and sculpture. I have never been interested in focusing on a singular discipline as I think that it can limit the potential of an idea.

How did the idea for Watermelon come about?

I first thought of the idea of making the watermelon work when I was on a residency in Sapporo in 2010. I was really interested in using super slow motion cameras such as the Phantom HD and it was my intention to make this work when I discovered that it was a common game played by Japanese children. I really enjoyed the link between fun, anticipation and the relationship between the two people involved and the excitement generated from the audience watching the event unfold. It wasn’t until years later that I decided to make the film. I dropped the idea of shooting it in slow motion as I realised the interest of the work was in the waiting, not the final effect.

How do you see this particular piece of work in relation to your other works?

My previous films, whether Transpiration or American Night, are about the passing of time, watching the object change from one state to the next. I am interested in filming the process and representing it back to the viewer in a way that makes them feel like they are seeing it again for the first time. Transpiration takes a simple kids’ science trick of dying flowers in coloured water and applies time-lapse photography and installation strategies to amplify the experience. American Night uses theatre lighting to speed up time showing the transition of dusk and dawn in 15 minutes. With all these works, time is both slowed up and slowed down at the same moment.

Tell us about the making of Watermelon?

We did a few takes but I knew I had it on the third take, as I was really happy with the way the watermelon burst in the final moment. The important thing about the work to note is that it is a highly considered and well constructed film. Everything is considered: for a start, the two girls who are in the film are cousins. I liked that this gives a synchronicity and rhythm to the piece; they act as one. Their nails are painted with watermelon coloured polish; as mentioned earlier the work is not about the final moment but the anticipation and knowing what is about to happen. The coloured nails remind us of this. The brown card in the background is a nod to Japanese design and to allow the rubber bands to disappear slightly into the background and make the focus more on the hands.

How do you feel about the context of your current exhibit space, in Bangkok and on a ferry gallery?

I like the audience to feel like they are interacting with the film. I see film as a physical material for the viewer to engage with, like they would a live performance, the surface of a sculpture or the texture of a painting. I am excited that the Ferry Gallery heightens that experience; travelling makes you think about duration, it is about the passing of time. I am interested in how many people will get to see the film to its final conclusion. I still don’t know how many rubber bands it took to burst the watermelon: perhaps someone could count the amount on his or her trip and let me know.

Still from video work Watermelon. Photo courtesy of Steve Carr

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.