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It’s Showtime! The
dates for the Jesters Children’s Fair, Sponsored Cycle Ride and Pub
Night have finally arrived
by Lewis Underwood
People ask us about the level of our anxieties with the
events of the Jesters Care for Kids Charity Drive rapidly approaching, and
our answer now is, ‘Bring them on! We’re ready.’ After 8 months of
vigorous planning for this year’s Charity Drive, we are indeed ready for
the Big Show to begin. Besides, getting the support of an unprecedented 6
Platinum Sponsors this year from Chonburi Siam Steel Mill Services, Pattaya
Mail, Shenanigan’s, Orkide Ekspressen, BJ Services and Siemens
Westinghouse, is a great anxiety reducer!
The Jesters’ Children’s Fair is this Sunday,
September 16th, which commences at 10 a.m. in the rear of the Siam Bayshore
Resort on the grassy stretch next to the tennis courts. The Sponsored Cycle
Ride, which should have 200 + riders, will leave from the front of the hotel
at the Bali Hai on the beach side at 8 a.m. (registration starts at 6 a.m.
on site, while pre-registration will occur the day before at Shenanigan’s
on Saturday, September 15th, between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.).
The fair site, which is next to the tennis courts in the
back of the Siam Bayshore, can be accessed from 2 points: Beach Road or
Pattaya 2 Road. The front entrance to the hotel is located towards the south
end of Beach Road across from the Bali Hai Chinese Restaurant on the beach,
near where the construction of the new marina is in progress. The rear
entrance off Pattaya 2nd Road is located between the Baiyoke Hotel and OD
Bowl and is more difficult to spot unless one is actually looking for it.
There are now signs on the power poles near the entrance to make it easier
to spot. On the day, there will be a huge arched sign over the entrance with
balloons and tall tube sacks powered by fans.
Parking may present a bit of a problem on the actual
grounds of the hotel. Though there is parking available inside, it is
limited and will most likely be filled quickly with vehicles from event
staff, stallholders, equipment transport and rubbish removal. Parking is
doable, however, on Beach Road in the front of the hotel and along Pattaya 2
Road.
After brief welcoming addresses from the VIP’s, the
Fair, with more stalls than ever and a chockablock program of events, will
be officially opened. The opening time will most likely coincide with the
arrival of the front-running cyclists from the Sponsored Cycle Ride. Live
music will ensue followed by the start of the children’s programs.
Special features this year for the kids are a full-length
puppet show on stage and Royal Garden Spa and Fitness Center’s Hanna with
her aerobics show, mini-Olympics and other fun and games. Simultaneously,
hubby, Sean, will be doing his tennis carnival on the court next to the Fair
site.
Moreover, once again there will be the climbing wall
sponsored by JVK Movers under the shade of the trees next to their
volleyball net put up for impromptu games. The bouncy castle and clown on
stilts with his balloons will also be present to augment the 7 school
stalls, each with their own children’s activities. Ripley’s will also
have a stall again this year featuring 4 different games.
The Children’s Raffle booth run by Mike Franklin and
the friendly staff from Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital has the greatest list of
prizes ever collected thus far, including the giant teddy (Bertie Biker), a
child’s size Harley, TV, DVD & CD players, bicycles, etc. Tickets for
which will be 20 baht apiece, 200 baht for a book of 12, or 3 books for 500
baht and will only be sold on the day between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. For a
complete list of the prizes, please visit our website:
www.care4kids.freeservers.com. (Note: please remember that for the
Children’s Raffle drawing, circa 2:30 - 3 p.m., the holders of the winning
tickets must be present.)
There is plenty to see and do for adults, as well, with a
variety of stalls offering international cuisine, handicrafts, used books,
knick-knacks, in addition to the Jesters beer tent, which will be selling
donated beer from local businesses. Live music this year will be provided by
Rick and Harpic in addition to a one-hour set from Flow, who are on a promo
tour for their new CD, ‘Seeds’. And to top off the day’s event, there
will be the resumption of the legendary tug-of-war contest. Yes, the rope
has already showed up this year.
Entrance fee to the Jester’s Children’s Fair is free
for children under 12 and 50 baht for adults, who receive a 64-page fair
program guide with one free Children’s Raffle ticket inside.
The weekend after the Children’s Fair will be the Pub
Night on Saturday, September 22nd, at Shenanigan’s beginning at 6 p.m.
This fun night of raffles and auctions interspersed with live music will be
the culmination of the Jesters Care for Kids Charity Drive 2001. This
celebratory evening will see the drawing for the Grand Raffle prizes, the
top of which consist of 2 air tickets for Bangkok-Sydney return on British
Air/Qantas, 1 air ticket for Bangkok-Vienna return on Lauda Air, 2 air
tickets for Bangkok-Samui return with 2-night/ 3-day hotel package, year
membership at the Royal Garden Spa and Fitness, year membership at Dusit
Resort Gym, TV and DVD set, Tibetan ‘Tiger Skin’ carpet, etc.
Some of the items to be auctioned this year will be
children’s paintings from the Fountain of Life Center, engraved mirrors
from Stephen Gormley, a large Burmese tapestry donated by McAllister’s, a
year membership from Eastern Star Golf and Country Club, the giant pasty
from M&M, Formula One collector’s car, and much more.
Also this year, since the Shenanigan’s staff expects to
be inundated, and the Pattaya Panthers want to generate more money for
charity, they will hold a ‘slave auction’ at the beginning of the
evening. This unique auction will involve providing rugby team members to
the highest bidders to act as personal service staff for the night. Again
for a complete list of raffle prizes and auction items, please refer to our
wonderful website constructed by Susie Ngamsuwan listed above. (Note:
Holders of the winning tickets for the Grand Raffle on Pub Night prizes need
not be present to win.)
The house band, The Zone, as well as Rick and Harpic and
Pop’s All-Stars will provide live music on the night. Parking at the Pub
Night is not the problem it may seem to some, as the underground lot at the
Royal Garden Plaza is open until 2 a.m.
The stage is now set for both the Jesters Children’s
Fair and the Pub Night; so let the show begin!
Bike Ride registration
There will two registrations for the Jesters Care 4 Kids
Charity Bike Ride, the first one which, if possible, we would like people to
use will be at Shenanigans from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. on Saturday 15th September.
For their 300 baht entry fee the bicyclists will receive their Charity Bike
Ride 2001 t-shirt, their number for the bike ride, registration of
sponsorship, which will allow them unlimited water and police escort on the
day.
Registration will also be possible on the Sunday at the
Siam Bayshore Resort from 6 a.m. - 8 a.m.
The bike ride will start at 8 a.m. behind a police
escort. Remember, this is not a race, but a bike ride to raise money for the
Fountain of Life. A certificate of completion will be given to all riders.
Events coming up at the
FCCT
The following events are coming up at the Foreign
Correspondents Club of Thailand, Penthouse, Maneeya Center Building, 518/5
Ploenchit Road, Phatumwan, Bangkok 10330, adjacent to BTS skytrain, Chidlom
Station, tel. 652-0580-1, fax: 652-0582, www.fccthai.com e-mail: [email protected]
Cracking Thai Fundamentals
First Session 5.45-9 pm, Tuesday, September 18
Second Session 5.45-9 pm, Tuesday, September 25
Third Session 5.45-9 pm, Tuesday, October 9
Another chance to participate in Stuart Raj’s course.
Through the use of imagery, sign language, mnemonics, mind mapping,
sensory/spatial association and story telling, this twelve-hour programme
spread over 3 days provides a workable foundation in speaking, listening,
reading and writing Thai - an ideal platform for launching an effective
self-learning plan. More than anything, Cracking Thai Fundamentals breaks
down psychological barriers that many of us have when it comes to learning
languages, especially for those coming from non-tonal and roman-script based
languages. Skills developed as a result of the workshop can be used to go on
to learn other tonal and non-tonal languages including Chinese, Vietnamese
and Indonesian.
The investment for the programme is 3,500 baht. FCCT
members receive a 15% discount (2,975 baht). For more information, contact
Stuart at [email protected] and visit the website at http://dcthai.stjohn.ac.th/stu/thai.asp.
Contact K. Noi at the FCCT for enrolment.
HIV/AIDS In Asia - The Crisis Continues
7.30 p.m., Wednesday, September 26, dinner from 7 p.m.
dinner Bt 280 members; Bt 400 non-members - please book in advance for
dinner. Call the FCCT on 652-0580-1.
Despite the successful HIV/AIDS intervention projects in
some countries, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is far from over in Southeast Asia.
HIV prevalence among injecting drug users is a serious trend of transmission
and intervention with sex workers who see clients outside of brothels is an
urgent need. The increase of drug use among Asian youth increases their risk
of HIV infection. While the condom campaigns have been partially effective,
the risk of women infected by husbands and the alarming rise in the number
of children orphaned by AIDS will pose enormous social challenges on Asian
societies. Panellists will address the need for political will to sustain
intervention in the general population, increase care and support for HIV+
families and their children and the fact that the HIV/AIDS crisis in Asia
may worsen in the near future. Join a panel of experts prior to the UN
International Convention on AIDS in Asia-Pacific slated to convene in
Melbourne early October.
Panellists include: Paul Cawthorne, country director of
Medecins Sans Frontieres, Belgium addressing the controversy around generic
drug distribution in developing countries and the challenges of access to
anti-retroviral drug treatment for people with HIV/AIDS; Dr Graham Neilsen,
senior technical officer on STDs and Care, Family Health International, Asia
Regional Office giving an overview of sexually transmitted infections and
their relationship with the HIV epidemic and scaling up - what is the
expanded comprehensive response? And Dr Myat Htoo Razak of Johns Hopkins
University Department of Epidemiology working as the project director of the
research project on HIV/AIDS among opiate users at the model Northern
Thailand Drug Treatment Program and a grassroots representative of People
Living with AIDS to discuss social stigmas and issues faced by HIV+ people.
Liquid Gold!
by Ranjith Chandrasiri
Marketing wines is as essential as the wine making
process itself. In fact, most wine owners spend a lot of money just to
advertise and promote their produce. But the proud owners of Chateaux Petrus
- Bordeaux’s most expensive wines - use a unique marketing strategy. That
is, not to have any.
“We do not advertise nor do marketing because, luckily,
we do not need to. Our company doesn’t even have a website nor use
emails,” said Chateau Petrus part owner Edouard Moueix, son of Christian
Moueix, during his recent visit to Bangkok.
 Edouard
Moueix and Ranjith Chandrasiri during the tasting of liquid gold
Until he came, no one from the Moueix family had ever
been to Thailand.
On the night of his one day visit, Moueix hosted a very
exclusive wine dinner and tasting that I was privileged to join. As we all
know, Chateau Petrus wines are always included in good wine lists around the
world. Those in the know actually consider these wines as “liquid gold”.
One should also understand that Petrus wine lovers should
not only have a thick wallet but should posses an educated palate as well.
Mind you, a good vintage bottle of Chateau Petrus would be well over 100,000
baht in Thailand.
The Moueix family has become so successful that they have
extended their exclusive wine making to California and are currently
enjoying huge success with their premium class, Dominus wine.
Petrus, Chโteau, the most famous wine of Pomerol
and today the most expensive wines produced in Bordeaux. In the heart of the
small Pomerol plateau, Petrus was partly bought in 1925, by Mme Loubat, wife
of the owner of the Hotel Loubat in Libourne, but not totally acquired until
1949, when it consisted of 6.5 ha planted with 70 percent Merlot vines and
30 percent Cabernet Franc. In 1969, 5 ha were purchased from the adjoining
Ch Gazin, and gradually the balance between the two vine varieties was
altered until by 1977 it was 95 percent Merlot and 5 percent Cabernet Franc.
Although it won a gold medal at the 1878 Paris
International Exhibition, and the London-based Wine Society listed the 1893,
Petrus received little international attention until the remarkable, tiny
crop of 1945, and the much more widely distributed 1947. Its exceptional
concentration of colour, bouquet, and richness of flavour derives from a
pocket of clay in the middle of the vineyard and the subsoil which affords
exceptionally good drainage. Average production is 3,500 to 4,000 cases.
However, its fame is largely owing to M. Jean-Pierre
Moueix of the Libourne merchants, who started his business before the Second
World War. He took over the sole distribution of Petrus in 1945, and, when
Mme Loubat died in 1961, he acquired 50 percent of the shareholding, while
Mme Loubat’s niece Mme Lily Lacoste inherited the other 50 percent. The
property is managed by Jean-Pierre Moueix’s son Christian, assisted by the
distinguished Oenologist Jean-Claude Berrouet. The limited size of the
property, and the availability of the Moueix team of pickers, mean that all
the grapes can be harvested, at optimum ripeness, in half a day.
Fermentation vessels are neither wood nor stainless steel, but mundane
cement.
There is no official classification of Pomerol, but
Petrus is unofficially recognized as a Premiere cru, and is distributed only
through Moueix, with exclusive agents in the UK and restricted ones in the
USA. It fetches a much higher price than any other red Bordeaux, and at
auction achieves even higher prices relative to the rest.
Dominus Estate
The Dominus Estate is the Napa Valley’s equivalent of a
First Growth Bordeaux and it is owned and run by Edouard’s father,
Christian Moueix. The quality of the Dominus Estate made in the last few
years has soared in quality. Their 1991 and 1994 were absolutely
spectacular!
Dominus is the red wine produced from the historical
Napanook vineyard, 124 acres in size, in Yountville, mid-Napa Valley,
California. Christian Moueix began producing Dominus with the 1983 vintage.
The wine is essentially made from Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of
Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
It has now obtained worldwide recognition and although
Californian by birth with its opulence, spiciness and rich fruit, it clearly
has a French reference with its emphasis on elegance and refinement. A
winery - designed by Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron -
was built on the site in 1997, and is closed to the public.
Dominus will release a second wine under the name
Napanook, which is the name of the vineyard where both of the wines come
from. Production size has also increased greatly, the most recently released
vintage, the superb 1994 weighed in at a whopping 10,000 cases! The quality
at this relatively new Napa establishment is getting better every year.
I enjoyed the company of these liquid gold makers for
dinner and I look forward to see them soon in Bordeaux.
Ranjith Chandrasiri is the resident manager of the Royal
Cliff Grand, Royal Cliff Beach Resort, Pattaya, Thailand, email: [email protected]
or [email protected]
Updated every Friday
Copyright 2001 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
Updated by
Chinnaporn Sungwanlek, assisted by Boonsiri Suansuk.
E-Mail: [email protected]
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