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Maxim’s maxim: Music
can work Miracles
Story and photos by Peter Cummins
Bangkok is always a city of surprises - most of them
pleasant. But, at the Shangri-la Hotel last week, there was not just a
surprise; there was an overwhelming display of artistic talent which
transported a most appreciative audience to a musical plateau of excellence
rarely achieved in this city.
 Thai
children pose with the UNICEF Ambassador H.E. Anand Panyarachun and Envoy
for Youth Kathaleeya McIntosh
UNICEF Envoy for Music, Maxim Vengerov took the assembly
through a violin interlude, ranging from Tchaikovsky’s echoes of the
awesome power of the Steppes of his native land, to the fathomless depths of
the 19th Century Italian violin virtuoso Niccolo Paganini, to the haunting
strains of the gypsies.
 On
the “wings of song”: Maxim concentrates and lets the violin bring the
message
But it was not just a musical journey. In his virtually
accent-less English, this charming and soft-spoken man presented the guests
with a panorama of his 25 years of life, beginning from his childhood of
harsh days in Novosibirsk, the capital of Western Siberia where he was born
in 1974. Maxim told of his anguish for the millions of innocent children,
the REAL victims of wars, civil strife and exploitation.
“Music,” he pointed out, “is an international
language that everyone understands. It goes from soul to soul. Words are not
needed. The energy of music is a miracle.”
Appointed the first-ever UNICEF Envoy for Music in July
1997, Maxim has spent these past three years performing “his miracle”
for the world’s children. “Music is the most positive energy to heal
people, to heal their wounds and heal their souls,” Maxim added.
 Maxim
puts some of the youngsters through their paces - Cossack style
His dedication to children has taken him to Bosnia,
Herzegovina and Kosovo among many other devastated places where children cry
out for help. The concerts, which he performs free for the cause of children
traumatised by the chaos around them, have raised huge amounts of funding
for the children and for UNICEF’s role in such assistance. “Helping
children in need and sharing classical music with young people is perhaps
the greatest responsibility of my life,” he confessed. “I know the joy
and meaning that music can bring to children - even those in the most
difficult circumstances.”
 Proud
father, Mr McIntosh poses with UNICEF and Maxim (R)
He is one of those rare characters who, in spite of his
world-acclaimed talent, has remained unaffected to the extent that he is
almost self-effacing. He has never forgotten his humble origins.
In fact, on a recent fund raising visit to Sydney with
his parents, Maxim wanted tickets to see the finals of the Olympic
weightlifting. But, there were no prerogatives - even for someone as
renowned as the violin prodigy. No! He had to stand in line, quiet, well
disciplined in the Aussie style and shuffle three hours to the ticket
counter where he finally had the tickets he sought, to see an Olympic Gold
in the making.
 Ambassador
Anand Panyarachun addresses the guests: children are our future
“No big deal, there,” he assured the audience. “I
would much prefer to queue up once in a lifetime for tickets to see a Gold
Medallist weightlifter, than to line-up EVERY DAY for three hours or more
just to buy meat and vegetables back in the grim days of Novosibirsk,” he
recounted, with a broad grin.
Maxim was born to an oboist father and a music-teaching
mother and began to play at age four, on a sixteenth-size violin. So
determined was he to succeed that he practiced seven hours a day and, at age
five, he gave his first public recital, playing works by Paganini, Schubert
and Tchaikovsky. At the ripe old age of six, Maxim played his first concerto
with a full orchestra.
 UNICEF
Representative Thailand, Gamini Abeysekera (L) and UNICEF Ambassador H.E.
Anand Panyarachun enjoying the violin
He recalled, with wry humour, the day his father brought
home a dilapidated grand piano which would not fit into their tiny two-room
basement apartment. The dividing wall had to be knocked down to accommodate
the piano which then jutted into the kitchen. “But that was fine,” he
said and laughed, “because we could also use it as a chopping table:
onions, tomatoes and other vegetables took their place among the cadences
emanating from within the instrument.”
His many honours, which seem to be too numerous to have
been accumulated in his brief lifespan of just 25 years, include the
“Gramophone Magazine” Record of the Year award - the youngest musician
ever to win this - and two Grammy nominations for “Classic Album of the
Year” and “Instrumental Soloist with Orchestra”, all in 1996.
 H.E.
Anand Panyarachun and Envoy for Youth Kathaleeya McIntosh pose with
guest-of-honour Maxim Vengerov
Even earlier, in 1990, at just 15 years-of-age, he won
the most prestigious Carl Flesch International Violin Competition - the
catalyst which set him on the road to a full-time professional career.
In the course of his dedication to UNICEF’s aims, Maxim
has travelled extensively in the United States, where he spread “violin
culture” to inner-city children, Europe, Africa and Australia and had a
music exchange with children at the Luciano Pavarotti Music Centre at
Mostar.
As UNICEF’s Envoy for Music, Maxim joined a long list
of celebrities and leaders in their respective fields who apply their
talents to furthering the goals of UNICEF dedicated to helping the world’s
children: Sir Peter Ustinov, Harry Belafonte, Judy Collins, Julio Iglesias
and Thailand’s own Anand Panyarachun, to name a few, are all UNICEF
Ambassadors-at-large.
H.E. Anand addressed the group gathered at the Shangri-la
with an impassioned plea for all the children everywhere - tomorrow’s
citizens of the world. The Ambassador also had the obvious pleasure of
introducing UNICEF’s newest appointment: beautiful Thai actress, model and
talk show queen, Kathaleeya McIntosh who, that very night, agreed to act as
UNICEF Thailand’s “Envoy for Youth”, to the delight of the crowd and
of her proud father.
In this capacity, Kathaleeya will assist former Thai
Prime Minister Ambassador Anand to increase awareness of young people’s
rights and problems and solicit support for projects aimed at youth.
UNICEF Representative to Thailand, Gamini Abeysekera also
pointed out UNICEF’s role in making the world a better place for this and
future generations of youth.
After an intensive three days in Thailand, Maxim, who
lives in Israel when he is not “globe trotting” around the frontiers of
disadvantaged young people, flew on to Germany where he will spend some
months tutoring in music.
Loy Krathong very
buoyant this year!
The annual festivity of Loy Krathong has been and gone,
leaving flotsam and jetsam on the ocean floor as a scant reminder of all
the troubles and woes and hopes that were floated away out to sea.
 Mayor
Pairat Suttithamrongsawat congratulates world record-breaker Subhachai
Koyasap upon his return from the “11th Paralympic Games” in Sydney.
While all of Thailand celebrates this event, in Pattaya
it was done with a vengeance, with thousands of people streaming down from
the nation’s capital to fill the hotels and line the beaches with merry
makers.
 Pattaya’s
international spirit was heralded with a warm welcome home to all her
international champions.
Being a 700-year-old celebration, Loy Krathong does
then assume some significance in the hearts of the nation. The small boats
(krathongs) being first fashioned by the beautiful and talented Nang
Noppamas, the Brahmin wife of King Phra Ruang. It was this king who then
dedicated the krathong to the memory of the Buddha, and decreed that the
event would be called Loy Krathong and that it should become an annual
celebration to commemorate the skill and beauty of his consort.
 A
little Miss Noppamas
It seemed that every girl in Pattaya was fashioned in
the living memory of Nang Noppamas last Saturday, wearing elaborate
traditional costumes with hair and make-up that must have had a veritable
army of beauticians hard at it all day. Even the shyest wallflower
blossomed last weekend.
Our hotels all outdid themselves to present for their
guests some traditional entertainment, banquets and the opportunity to
float their own krathongs away. For the tourists it was a spectacular
evening.
 Every
parade needs a queen, in Pattaya the position was filled by none other
than “Miss Queen of the Universe” Chanya Moranon.
However, for the locals who thronged the beaches of
Pattaya and Jomtien, it was a carnival. Hot air balloons, fireworks and
krathongs, and that other ingredient so popular in Pattaya - Fun (with a
capital F). The deckchairs were still there on the beach with the vendors
walking up and down selling their wares, but this time it was not steamed
crab or gai yang, but it was baskets full of fireworks or hot air balloons
with candles at the ready. A steady troupe of krathong bearing people
waded out to sea to see off their small crafts, while another troupe of
sidewalk artisans were fashioning yet more for the next wave of
celebrants.
 A
local family exhibits the spirit of the holiday as they float their
Krathong out into Pattaya Bay and send their dreams and wishes with it in
hopes they will be granted.
Meanwhile, the city of Pattaya celebrated the event by
combining four occasions: Loy Krathong, honoring Thailand’s Paralympic
athletes who did themselves proud in Sydney, and jet ski champions who
also did well at the “World Championship Jet Ski” competition in
Arizona, and saluting the world’s best looking “girl of the second
category”, Chanya Moranon, who won the title of “Miss Queen of the
Universe 2000” in Los Angeles.
Loy Krathong has passed and Nang Noppamas has been
remembered. Let us hope we never forget her.
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Local children also got
caught up in the fun of the holiday
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The
atmosphere was festive and colorful along beach road all day long.
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Champagne revisited
by Ranjith Chandrasiri
When I lived in Europe quite a few years ago, I enjoyed
visiting the Champagne area frequently, but after having moved to “Down
Under”, the journey became longer and difficult. However, revisiting the
Champagne area recently was a real joy.
The production region of Champagne, established by law in
1927, is 90 miles northeast of Paris. Spread over 312 villages, la Champagne
comprises only 2.5% of all French vineyards. Three grape varieties are
exclusively grown - Pinot Noir, Pinot Meuniere and Chardonnay.
I was very pleased to receive an invitation to Veuve
Clicquot Champagne house to do an extensive tour of their production and
cellar, as well as taste various base wines in their laboratory with the
wine maker. The next day I was invited for a gourmet lunch with company
executives and the wine maker in the wonderfully decorated Veuve Clicquot
dining room. Veuve Clicquot Grand Dame 1993 was first offered as an aperitif
wine and during the extensive gourmet lunch, Vintage Reserve 1995, Rose
Reserve 1995, Demi-Sec, etc., were perfectly matched with fine food prepared
by the master chefs of Veuve Clicquot. Their experienced butlers expertly
executed the service in a very upmarket style. Even the Demi-Sec Champagne
to go with the dessert was decanted in front of me as per the traditional
method, which is nowadays very rarely seen anywhere in the world.
Born in 1777, Nicole Barbe Ponsardin married Fran็ois
Clicquot in 1798. Widowed at the age of 27, she took over her deceased
husband’s business. She was a bold, imaginative woman, who presented her
champagne in all the great courts. A commercial success at the start, her
product became a whole myth. A stickler for perfection, she would inspect
the cellars at night to make sure everything was right. She invented the
“remuage” (riddling), bought plots of land in the best vineyards and
fought fiercely against counterfeits. Madame Veuve Clicquot died in 1866 at
the age of 89 and left behind an empire devoted to French excellence and the
enjoyment of fine food and wine.
 Ranjith
Chandrasiri during his visit to Veuve Clicquot
I was fascinated when visiting the underground cellar.
The temperature never rises above 10ฐ C. Forty million bottles age
quietly in the cool twilight. Along the way, magnificent Gallo-Roman chalk
quarries soar above us like cathedrals, each bearing the name of a person
who worked in the house for more than 40 years.
The art of making fine champagne is certainly not an easy
task. But serving and storing are also very important in order to get the
ultimate pleasure of enjoying it.
How to chill
Before serving, chill the wine well, but do not freeze
it. Champagne is best chilled by placing the bottle in a bucket filled with
ice and water for 30-40 minutes, or in the vegetable bin of the refrigerator
for several hours.
How to open
Slant the bottle at a 45-degree angle away from guests.
Put a thumb on the cork, untwist and loosen the wire muzzle. Grasp the cork
firmly, twist the bottle slowly and let the pressure help push out the cork.
Allow a light and merry pop.
How to serve
Champagne is best served in a tall flute or tulip
glasses. Tiny bubbles will rise in a continuous stream. When serving, pour a
small quantity of wine into each glass and allow it to settle. Then fill
each glass two-thirds full.
How to store
Champagne wines should be kept in a cool, dark place away
from heat, light, vibrations and severe temperature variations. Unlike the
best wines from Bordeaux, Champagne wines are ready for consumption when
they are shipped to the market. However, some wine lovers also enjoy
cellaring their Champagne for a few extra years.
Most Champagnes will age well if properly stored.
Typically, Classic Champagnes can be kept for about 5 years, and Vintage
Champagnes for about 10 years from their release. But make sure to keep in
mind that, like other wines, Champagnes change as they age. These changes
will become more pronounced after five years.
As Champagnes evolve, the fruit aromas of a younger wine
will evolve into dried fruit, honey, nutty and toasty flavors. Champagnes
also take on a deeper golden color as they age and tend to lose some of
their effervescence. While many consumers prefer fresher, younger
Champagnes, some Champagne lovers appreciate the characteristics of older
Champagnes as well.
Like all wines, Champagnes are particularly sensitive to
abrupt changes in temperature and to exposure to light. Keep Champagnes at a
cool, steady temperature in a damp (but not too damp) environment. It’s
not recommended to store Champagne in the refrigerator for more than a few
months. The air in a refrigerator is too dry, and the bottle will be exposed
to vibrations as well as the internal light at frequent intervals. However,
keeping a bottle in the fridge for a few days or even weeks will not affect
the quality of the wine. In fact, it’s a great idea in case of unexpected
guests. If you don’t have a wine cellar, the best place to store your
wines is the coolest, darkest and least dry closet in your house.
For the benefit of the Veuve Clicquot Champagne lovers in
this part of the world, I invited the wine makers of Veuve Clicquot to host
a Champagne Vintner’s Dinner in collaboration with the Royal Cliff Beach
Resort in the future. The invitation was enthusiastically accepted but due
to their busy schedules for next couple of months, the dates are still to be
finalized. Keep your eyes open when the event will be advertised in this
publication in order to reserve a guaranteed seat.
Around the world in 80
years?
by Mirin MacCarthy
Carsten Janz started an amazing trip, bicycling around
the world 26 months ago. Why would any young man who could be having a
fine time partying at Munich in the Oktoberfest give it all up to cycle
around the world?
Carsten, known as Carl, was born in Hamburg Germany,
and looks much younger and fitter than his 38 years. Growing up Carl felt
constrained to a conventional life; in fact his parents were tax
collectors. “Swimming against the stream was difficult, quite tough. My
mother and father always demanded to know when I was going to settle
down,” he said and smiled.
Carl had his attitude to life and living changed
totally after a backpacking trip to Australia when he was 25. It was that
six months trip doing casual work fruit picking that made Carl decide not
to return to his career in insurance. “That trip really changed my life.
Australians are more relaxed, easy going and happier. The adventurous
outdoor life of wide open spaces that you don’t get in Europe
appealed.”
On his way back home he backpacked through Canada,
Alaska, South America and Latin America.
 Carsten
Janz in Pattaya
While mountain climbing in Peru he met the owner of a
Swiss Ski resort who offered him a job. In between travelling and mountain
climbing in Europe and Ecuador, Carl worked there earning a lot of money
driving a snow cat, preparing ski runs and doing avalanche rescue work.
“I had the idea for this trip in ’94 when I cycled
through South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho for three months. I enjoy a
challenge and being by myself. I liked the idea of a daily work out,
travel and adventure. I decided then and saved my money for the trip for
four years.”
After saving fifty thousand U.S dollars or about five
years’ travelling money, he set out on his world trip in August ’98.
He sold his motorbike and flat and said goodbye to his first girlfriend.
Carl says, “Seven thousand U.S dollars a year is plenty for good living.
I have my tent and I get invited to stay with the locals often. It’s
when I am in developed places like Pattaya that I spoil myself with good
food and accommodation.” Carl now carries all the possessions he owns,
sleeping gear and water and clothes on pannier bags on his cycle.
He cycled through the Middle East, Turkey, Syria, Egypt
and Jordan and along the silk route to Beijing. They didn’t let him
cycle through Luxor and middle Egypt, so he flew from Cairo to Karachi. He
had some problems along the way, attacked by dogs in Turkey and had stones
thrown at him by fundamentalist kids in Pakistan and Jordan but was
generally undeterred.
Carl spent six months crossing China from west to east
and pedalled six thousand kilometres “I had no restrictions in China;
the police there were just very curious, they even escorted me into
Beijing when I was lost, but it helped when I spoke a few words of
Mandarin. I make it a point to talk to the locals. I try to learn 20 basic
words in every country. You are treated very differently when you can
speak a few words - the atmosphere changes. Although they have staring
squads all through China - people stare at you unwaveringly. They even
surround you while you are eating, just watching. It makes you very
uncomfortable at first. I went to Tieneman Square to take a few photos
with Mao in the background and 200 people surrounded me. They cycle
themselves and they appreciate the effort. They all wanted me to sign
autographs and pose for photos holding their babies. It got a bit out of
hand. Then the police asked me to leave and the people dispersed.”
Carl caught a boat to Korea and spent two months
cycling through there and Japan, then it was on to the Philippines for
four months of unique island hopping with 7 thousand islands to choose
from. “It was very relaxing and the Filipinos are very friendly. They
have a saying, ‘A smile brings more light to a room than a light
bulb’.”
He covered all of South East Asia, Vietnam, down
through Sihanoukville and then took a boat to Koh Kong, a big smuggling
outpost, and from there pedalled up through Trat and now to Pattaya. He
spent a few days here waiting for his visa to Laos, then intends to cycle
all through Northern Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
The route will take him through five continents, after
Indonesia to Australia, New Zealand. Then on to Alaska. And then taking
the Pan American Highway to Freeland in Southern Argentina. Then spend a
minimum of two years riding through the Andes Mountains.
Carl cycles an average of 100 Ks a day, depending on
the terrain. “Happiness is leading the adventurous life I always wanted
to lead. I want to use this trip around the world to discover more about
myself and how I react in different situations. Many different things
confront you each day and you only have yourself for motivation. After the
trip I will write a book and hopefully make money out of it, though that
is not why I started the trip. As you go you discover so many
possibilities, heaps of opportunities open up. I will probably end up
living in another country.”
Carl has certainly turned his back on convention and in
the words of an Irish blessing, ‘More speed to you Carsten Janz, may the
road rise to meet you and wind be at your back.’
The German Thai Chamber
adopts a wait and see attitude on investment
At the Stammtisch (networking evening) held last
weekend at the Amari Orchid Resort, the executive director of the German
Thai Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Paul Strunk indicated confidence in the
future of the Eastern Seaboard but did herald a slowing down in German
financial investment until after the Thai general elections.
 (L
to R) Dr Strunk GTCC, Michael Vogt GM Amari Orchid Resort, Stefan Buerkle,
GTCC
As with most countries, there is a pre-election slow
down, and German investment has seen some slowing down as well, he said.
However, he was very bullish about the future of the Eastern Seaboard,
saying that German technology transfer would continue unchecked,
especially since the Thai workers have proven themselves to be excellent
technicians, in particular in the auto industry. He cited the world class
results being shown by the BMW factory here and mentioned that the German
automotive industry is looking forward to the implementation of the AFTA
agreements, when, he predicted, Thailand would become the hub of the Asian
motor car market.
Pattaya City Bike Rodeo
and concert this weekend
Jesters MC staging region’s first
motorcycle rodeo
The region’s first motorcycle rodeo event will be
staged by the Jesters MC, in conjunction with Pattaya City Hall, followed
by a concert in the evening. The site for this event will be the school
next to the Banglamung District Office on Sukhumvit Highway north of
Pattaya. All profits will be donated to Pattaya City’s educational fund.
 Pattaya
City Bike Rodeo 2000 will be held this weekend.
The event will be officially opened at 11:00 a.m.
November 18 on the soccer and track field at the Banglamung School. The
daytime format will consist of 4 different motorcycle activities; such as
a keg push race, a slow race, hot dog bite by female pillion rider and
water balloon toss by same. Winners and runners-up for each activity will
receive trophies.
There will also be a motorcycle show for all
categories, as well as best paint, antique, radical, touring, as well as
people’s choice and rat bike. There will also be recognition for the
rider who came the furthest to attend the event, biker babe and best
dressed biker couple.
Tented stalls will be included on the day where food
and drink will be sold, as well as specialty tents doing tattoos and
selling motorcycle paraphernalia and various club support gear. The
infamous Jester beer tent will also be in operation right next to
Rockin’ Ron’s Dyno-testing stall.
After the motorcycle activities and trophy
presentations, the concert portion of the event will commence in the early
evening. Headliners for the musical extravaganza are Carabao, Lam
Morrison, Olan Project and Bastard. The music will play as long as
permission is granted.
The Pattaya Bike Rodeo 2000 is open to everyone and all
bikes big and small. Admission will be 100 baht. Ample and secure parking
for cars and non-participating motorcyclists will also be provided.
For those wanting to rent stalls at the event or seek
more information, please visit our site at [email protected]
Rick, Harpic and lb do
it again
 Harpic
and Ib belt out the tunes
The Captain’s Corner BBQ Restaurant was the setting
for another of the musical nights to highlight local talent and unearth
some others. Spearheaded by the dynamic duo of Rick and Harpic with their
up-tempo numbers, the packed house certainly enjoyed the evening. Ib
Ottesen entertained with his C&W numbers, including a great duo with
his resident keyboard singer George Sinatra. And the evening did not stop
with just the “names” - again Julie showed she has a very rare talent
and is moving rapidly towards professional standards, as others who
overcame their shyness to entertain the appreciative crowd.
Ploenchit Fair Saturday
November 25
Everything is in place for the 2000 Ploenchit Fair -
even the weather!
The Ambassador, H.E. L.B. Smith will officially open
the gates, accompanied by the 1st Battalion Scots Guards, Thailand’s
Olympic heroes and members of the Magic Circus.
Among the attractions of this family fun-day, known
throughout Asia as the start of the festive season in Bangkok, will be a
very special opportunity for just one hour to meet the Olympic heroes -
Lt. Wijan Ponlid - Boxing Gold Medallist, Lt. Pornchai Thongburan - Boxing
Bronze Medallist and Lt. Alpinya Paksupo - Olympic weightlifter. Come
along early to get a signed Reuters photograph between 10.30 and 11.15
a.m.
Apart from the Fairground booths and attractions, the
Magic Circus of international entertainers will have three shows at 11.00,
1.00 and 3.00 p.m.
The full entertainment schedule, including the Pipes
& Drums of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards, international bands and
Dance Studio Salsa will begin at lunchtime and conclude with Thailand’s
leading saxophonist Khun Tewan at 5.00 p.m. International cuisine is
available throughout the day including Britain’s favourite ‘Fish &
Chips’, Pepsi, ice cream, candyfloss & popcorn!
Tickets for the Grand Raffle, including holidays in
Britain and other destinations are available from the British Chamber of
Commerce 651 5350.
Come along and join us - all proceeds raised at this
British extravaganza are used to support over 40 Thai charity projects
throughout Thailand. Have fun, spend money and assist those less
fortunate. See you there.
NOTE: Traditionally, those entering the Fair have
queued in one line from the British Embassy Ploenchit Road gate along
Ploenchit Road towards Central Department Store. With so many coming to
the Fair (26,000 in 1999) it can take some time queuing in the hot sun
before entering. This year the BCTFN committee has decided to organise a
second line along Ploenchit Road heading towards Sukhumvit Road for those
who have purchased entrance tickets in advance.
Tickets will be available in advance from the following
places: British Chamber of Commerce office - from Monday 13th November,
Bangkok Pattana School (contact: Anna Whitcraft) - from Monday 13th
November, Watson’s stores in town and on the Skytrain - from next week
(start date to be confirmed), British Club - to be confirmed. Tickets are
priced at Bht 50 for adults and Bht 20 for children (aged 6-18), children
5 and under enter free of charge.
New date for FCCT
special meeting
This is an important reminder to all FCCT members that
they should please try to attend the crucial extraordinary general meeting
at the clubhouse at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday November 21. There has been some
confusion caused by the date being changed. But the meeting, which will
deal with the club’s survival, will be definitely held on November 21.
The Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand,
www.fccthai.com Penthouse, Maneeya Center Building, 518/5 Pleonchit Road,
Patumwan, Bangkok 10330, (Adjacent to BTS skytrain, Chidlom Station), tel.
652-0580-1 fax. 652-0582 e-mail: [email protected]
Tibet, Land of Mystery
by Cherie Schloemer
Sharing borders with India, Nepal, Burma and Bhutan,
Tibet is a sacred land of mystery and splendour, awesome views and
extraordinary people. Shrouded in secrecy and forbidden to foreigners for
centuries, Tibet, the so-called Roof of the World, with its ancient
treasures and spectacular landscapes, can now be experienced by the
ordinary traveller.
Tibet has often been fantasised as the Shangri-La; a
Utopia of peace and spirituality. Its isolation from all but a few
intrepid travellers continued until 1951, when the People’s Liberation
Army of the Chinese Communists reached the Tibetan capital of Lhasa after
conquering the Kuomintang forces of Chiang Kai-Shek and Chinese rule from
the mainland was established.
 The
Patola, Dali Lama's Summer Palace
Historically, the people of Tibet enjoyed not only
cultural and religious freedom, but political autonomy as well. Following
the communist take-over and the evocation of rule from Beijing, the 15
year old Dali Lama, Tibet’s Devine Ruler, fled his homeland in 1959, and
lives in exile to this day. Although China’s sovereignty over Tibet has
forced changes in this region, Tibet, the once forbidden and legendary
land on the rooftop of the world is open to visitors.
 Author
with Pilgrim in Tibet
Bold young travellers from all over the world now
back-pack and bicycle, or even hitch hike on trucks, and have penetrated
nearly every corner of Tibet. A trip to Tibet, however, it must be stated,
is definitely not for everyone. It is still remote and undeveloped.
Facilities are basic, and medical care in case of illness barely exists.
Travel outside Lhasa is difficult and expensive. Because of Tibet’s high
altitude, travellers with a pre-existing health problem should consult
their doctor before travelling to this destination. Healthy individuals
who are reasonably fit will acclimatise to the altitude within a few days.
An overland trip through Tibet is generally considered a rough journey.
And some people do not have the same tolerances for high altitudes. Warm
clothing must be brought to accommodate erratic changes in temperature and
weather in this beautiful but severe country.
Tibet is a Buddhist country. The people of this
extraordinary land have been called the most religious people in the
world, probably because religion governs all aspects of life and
behaviour. They cling to the idea of the efficacy of prayer. The more the
better. Prayer flags flapping in the wind keep constant prayers flying to
heaven. Hand-held prayer wheels are constantly twirled and the 108 beaded
rosary which all Tibetans finger, one by one, keep these people communing
with the gods in conversations which last a lifetime.
 Tibetan
Pilgrims in Market
The topography of Tibet is harsh and forbidding. And it
is cold, even during the short summer months. Fierce winds, rain and ice
have sculptured the landscape in some regions in a remarkable similarity
to photos of the moon. Southern Tibet has vegetation similar to that of
neighbouring Nepal. However, the road through the Himalayan mountain
passes reach altitudes of 5,500 meters (18,000 feet). Entering the plateau
of the great central region, one realises why Yaks, the famed hairy
oxen-like bovines of the Himalayas, are some of the only animals who can
exists on such scraggy vegetation.
All across Tibet one will see small villages clustered
together. A few stone or mud dwellings ringed with thorny bushes fashioned
into corals confine tiny herds of goats. The rooftops are covered with
drying Yak dung which the Tibetans use as fuel. Surrounding these family
settlements are fields of barley, which along with tea and Yak butter is
the staple Tibetan diet. The Yak butter is mixed with steaming tea and as
many as twenty cups a day are consumed by individuals. Finely ground
barley is mixed with water and eaten as a gruel. Occasionally this
nourishing grain is mixed with bits of boiled goat meat. Popped barely
adds a bit of variety. But the Tibetan cuisine is spartan and monotonous.
The Chinese have introduced fresh vegetables into the local diet which has
produced better nutrition, thus better health.
Tibetans are generally friendly and amicable. Similar
to the people of Thailand, Tibet is full of smiling, generally happy
people. Rarely does a visitor encounter a scowl. Be prepared for friendly
offerings of food and drink. Refusal implies that the offering was not
good enough.
As Muslims are encouraged to make a pilgrimage to Mecca
once in their lives, so it is with Tibetans travelling to Lhasa. Devotees
walk days, weeks and even months to visit the holy shrines, sometimes
kneeling and genuflecting before and after each step. These pious people
are a remarkable sight as they travel in small family groups or even as a
solitary man or woman. They are a hardy people and sleep out in the open
air even during the winter months while they are on their journey to the
various monasteries and shrines along the way to Tibet’s most important
destination.
The jewel in the Crown of Tibet is the capital city of
Lhasa. And the architectural wonder of this city is the Potala, the Dali
Lama’s former winter palace. Built high on a massive hill, this massive
layout can be seen for miles before actually entering the city. A
shimmering, white vision akin to a mirage of elegant wonder and spiritual
message of mystery, the first sight of the Potala takes one’s breath
away. With over 1,000 rooms, it once contained not only the Dali Lama’s
personal living quarters, but held the offices of government, a huge
printing house for Buddhists scriptures, and housed an elite order of
monks who surrounded the God-King to train government officials. Today the
Potala is a state museum, open to foreign visitors.
Like many traditional cultures, Tibet is experiencing
changes. However, a visit to this land of poetic mystery and esoteric
mythology will be an experience which lives in the heart of all who have
journeyed there.
Secrets of the Hand
by Anchalee
Palmistry through the ages
The origin of palmistry lies shrouded in the mists of
antiquity. This series of articles will attempt to introduce the reader to
the subject of palm reading, its intricacies and its basic concept of
prediction and character evaluation. Research has shown that knowledge of
this art had its golden age at some remote period in the past. Early
reference to the art can be found in Indian literature. For example, the
Vasishtha rule under which an ascetic was forbidden to earn his living by
his knowledge of palmistry and astrology, or by interpreting dreams and
omens.
So meticulous were the exponents of the art in India,
that in statures and paintings, the hands of the various gods were
carefully etched and marked with lines and symbols which bore no
resemblance to those found in human palms. This was intentionally done
since deities were not endowed with human characteristics and must appear
free from signs indicative of a past.
When
there is confusion about present-day interpretations of points arising in
palmistry, or there is no decided authority on such points, guidance is
sought from Indian literature dating back to the Vedic period, which would
be about 3,000 years before the birth of Christ. In China, reference to
such similar points is made to the writings of Chinese authors going back
as far as the 4th Century before Christ.
The claim by Western experts that palmistry originated
in India is not surprising. For centuries before Westerners came in
contact with the East, there was already an established trade route
between India and the Arab countries. These trade routes allowed the
spread of the art through migrating Hindus.
Ancient Egyptians, Sumerians and Babylonians have also
been hailed as the originators of palm-reading. However, there is no
recorded evidence dealing with the actual origin of early palmistry in
this part of the world. Hindu palmists wandered all over central Asia;
some found sanctuary in Persia, and some wandered as far as Greece and
Egypt. The knowledge they brought with them was produced entirely from
memory. Even the Bible alludes to palmistry. The three wise men of the
east who followed the star of Bethlehem were well versed in astrology and
conceivable, palmistry, too, as both are inter-related.
During the middle ages, the church became notorious for
the punishment meted out to persons dealing with persons practising the
occult sciences which included palmistry, astrology, and astronomy. When
the power of the church began to decline in the 17th
Century, interest in palmistry revived, and many books on the subject were
published. At one time, scholars were of the opinion that gypsies learned
palmistry from the Egyptians. But there is no reliable evidence for this
point of view. Arabs, Syrians, Persians and other Orientals exhibited
great interest in this subject even before this period in history. It is
more likely that the Brahma Joshi caste of India, who would appear to have
had the most comprehensive knowledge of hand reading, might have been the
ones who could have passed on the rudiments of the art to the gypsies, who
in turn, spread what they learned during their wanderings in Egypt and
Europe.
Books on palmistry incorporating the latest
developments then, were written during the 18th
Century. Some of them contained excerpts from the Holy Bible. In the 19th
Century, many knowledgeable persons in America, England, France, Greece
and Italy were advocating the study of hand-reading. At the same time,
especially in England and France, heavy penalties were imposed on those
professing such knowledge.
Many great men of the world believed in the information
they gleaned from the occult sciences and their predictions. Hippocrates
predicted a plague at Athens, and indeed, a plague ravaged the city.
Alexander the Great was warned by astrologers to flee from the walls of
Babylon where his evil star prevailed. He ignored the advice and entered
the city to meet his end. Genghis Khan was confirmed by his personal
soothsayer that his army would sweep though half the world. Napoleon,
whose fortuneteller warned him not to march his army into the east, also
ignored the advice, to his peril. The British Museum is said to posses the
earliest known manuscripts on palmistry, which remain in their original
form to the present day, depicting primitive drawings of the palm and its
lines.
Copyright 2000 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260, Thailand
Tel.66-38 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax:66-38 427 596; e-mail: [email protected]
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