|
Jomtien-Pattaya’s fast Rotarians
Forget about the stuffy image of a Rotarian. Today’s
Rotarians are vibrant members of society, people who know about life and
living, and who appreciate what life has to offer. It is probably that
knowledge that gives them the need to help those less fortunate than
themselves, those people who are unable to enjoy their lives to the same
extent.
 Matti
Kaikkonen – a fast Rotarian and a fitting champion.
One of those Rotarians, who lives life to the full, is
Matti Kaikkonen, a Finnish national, who in his 40’s took up the sport
of motor racing. He did more than just take it up, he embraced it and at
the end of his novice year had won the Thailand AIM Racing Concept I
series.
At the Jomtien-Pattaya Rotary Club meeting he told his
enthralled fellow Rotarians just what a fantastic feeling it was to get
out on to the race circuit, something that had just been an “impossible
dream” until last year. With encouragement from fellow Rotarian, the Pattaya
Mail’s Dr. Iain, himself an ex-racecar champion in Australia, Matti
took the plunge and embarked on the fastest learning curve of his life.
Within two meetings he was challenging for the lead on the track, and the
lead in the points score. For the final meeting in December, Matti was
equal on the leader board with a young and fearless Thai driver, more than
20 years his junior. Everything hung on that last race. Showing a coolness
that might come from Finland, or more likely from being over 40 years old,
Matti never put a wheel wrong and led from start to finish, to become the
first non-Thai to win the AIM Concept I championship.
Dr. Iain said at the end of Matti’s address that
there are old racing drivers, there are bold racing drivers, but there are
no old, bold racing drivers! Matti was seen to be taking this to heart as
he enters his second year of motor sport, this time in the Sport Grand
Champion class, the next step up from Concept I. Rotarians everywhere can
applaud this member’s tenacity and skill. Matti Kaikkonen, a fitting
champion.
Hans immortalized
Hans-Dieter Westphal, the genial MD of Rieckermann Thai
Engineering, had his likeness set in sponge cake by his employees last
weekend. During Hans’ 51st birthday celebrations held at his wife’s
Chan’s Bistro, a cake bearing a photographic likeness of the MD was
produced by the Rieckermann staff who were on hand to wish him all the
best. Amongst those were Barry Soames, who was claiming loudly that their
MD was actually 55, but this was vehemently denied by Hans.
Hans-Dieter
Westphal (left), and his Rieckermann Thai Engineering team having a great
time at Hans’ birthday.
Many friends and customers were also seen dropping in
during the evening, which extended well into the small hours from the mid
afternoon commencement of festivities.
When Hans was interviewed recently for the Successfully
Yours column in the Pattaya Mail, he said, “By nature I am an
optimist.” Thinking that he would escape a hangover the day after his
birthday was extreme optimism!
Pattaya’s UK Club donates to Redemptorist Vocational College
Members, guests and friends gathered at the Sportsman
Pub and Restaurant in Soi 13 for an informal gathering of the UK Club of
Pattaya.
 Father
Patrick Morrisey (left) gratefully accepted a donation of 44,950 baht from
the UK Club, represented by chairman Ron Hall (2nd right) and charity
chairwoman Christina Boden (right).
During the evening, the UK Club also donated funds to
the Redemptorist Vocational College for the Disabled and the cheque was
accepted by Father Patrick Morrisey. The 44,950 baht will go towards
refurbishing the ladies dormitories and was raised from various functions
held in previous months.
The next UK Club meeting is scheduled for Valentines
Day. Contact the club for details.
The Royal Cliff Wine Club visits Italy
by Miss Terry Diner
On Tuesday 29th January the Royal Cliff Wine Club will
be having a tasting of Italian Cesari wines. The Cesari vineyard was
founded in 1935 by Gerardo Cesari. Franco Cesari, Gerardo Cesari’s son,
joined the company as well in 1957, following his degree as an oenologist,
and long training in France in the Bordeaux area.
 The
Wine Club members will have the opportunity to taste the following
stunning examples:
1) Mitico - Chardonnay delle Venezie 1998, Barrique
aged Chardonnay
Mitico Chardonnay is the result of years of extensive
research aimed at determining the optimal marriage of vine and vineyard.
Special attention has been given to clonal section, trellising, soil
composition and vineyard exposure. Controlled fermentation is followed by
two years of ageing, much of which is spent in 225-liter barriques. This
wine is served chilled but not cold.
2. Mitico - Merlot delle Venezie - 1998, Barrique aged
Merlot
Mitico Merlot is produced from carefully selected
grapes grown on gently rolling hills near the town of Verona. The
vineyards southern exposure allows the grapes to attain a complexity,
which is tempered by 14 months of ageing in 225-liter barriques. The
intense colour and elegant bouquet give way to a rich, full-bodied wine
with ripe fruit and polished tannins.
3. Franco Cesari Barolo d.o.c.g. 1995
Obtained from Nebbiolo grapes grown in a narrow area
called “Langhe” and takes the name from the homonymous town Barolo. A
wonderfully rich wine yet velvety and delicate. Dark red colour. Ripe
fruits, leather, cedar and smoky spicy complexity on the palate. The wine
is aged for 3 years, with at least two years in oak barrels before
release.
4. Cesari Amarone della Valpolicella, Classico 1997
A stunning red wine produced from Corvina, Rondinella,
and Molinara grapes. Its production is a long and precise one requiring
the grapes to dry before pressing and aging.
5. Cesari Recioto della Valpolicella, Classico 1998
Deep crimson. Sweet, seductive, slightly burnt nose.
Hugely concentrated and firm with cooked fruit dominated by juicy blank
cherries. Dry almond finish and good length.
The evening will start at 6 p.m. with a sparkling
Italian wine reception and registration at the Siam Ballroom A in the Main
Building, with the tasting itself commencing at 6.30 p.m. sharp. The
tasting will be run by the Wine Club captain, Ranjith Chandrasiri and wine
connoisseur Joao Carlos Vale of Cesari wines in Italy who will fly in to
conduct the event. He will be assisted by Erik Cornetet and Kritkasem
Panyarachun of Ithalthai cellar, Cesari Wines’ local agent in Thailand.
This looks like being another of the Wine Club’s
excellent wine appreciation tastings, and is highly recommended to anyone
who enjoys fine wines, but bookings are essential and it is restricted to
wine club members only. However, the Royal Cliff Wine Club is still
accepting members. For applications or inquiries, call 038 250 148 or
email [email protected]
Mama Anne Marie Fuchs celebrated her 90th birthday
It was an evening of joyful excitement, emotional
felicitation and merriment. The 1,500 staff and a large number of regular
guests of the Royal Cliff Beach Resort joined in celebration of a jubilee
unlike any other. Mrs. Anne Marie Fuchs, an extraordinary lady, recently
celebrated her 90th birthday at the Grill Room of the Royal Cliff Beach
Hotel. Accompanied by her daughter, Ms Isabella Fuchs, she was welcomed by
friends and well-wishers, flying in from all over the world to join in
this happy occasion.
General
manager Andrew J. Wood (left) and managing director Panga Vathanakul
(right) extended their heartfelt wishes to Mama Fuchs on her 90th
birthday.
A regular visitor to the RCBR for more than a decade,
Mama (as she is affectionately called) is one of the most well-liked and
respected guests at the resort. In spite of her age, she travels
extensively and remains a very active and lively person, known for her
remarkable joie de vivre.
Those who know her well are quick to point out that the
years have had little effect on her happy and cheerful disposition. Still
witty and intelligent, Mama Fuchs displays a great sense of humor, as well
as a keen grasp of world events.
This lovely Swiss lady from Baden has had a wonderful
time at the resort during her annual 2 month vacation, with sunset cruises
around the bay, regular dinner parties with friends and frequent trips
downtown to visit her many friends.
The evening started with champagne and flowers,
followed by a special birthday dinner cooked by executive chef Walter
Thenisch. In order to make Mama’s 90th birthday celebration truly
special, the Royal Cliff Beach Resort’s own staff choir was called into
action. This 20-member choir spent much of their own time practicing a
beautiful rendition of the Thai song “Auay Porn Wan Kerd” [Happy
Birthday] by Arisaman Pong Ruang Rong. The choir, as well as the executive
team and other members of the staff, greeted Mama Fuchs at the stairs
leading to the Grill Room restaurant, but when she saw them holding lotus
candles, emotionally singing the dulcet birthday hymn, it brought tears to
Mama’s eyes, so overwhelmed was she by the outpouring of love and
affection.
This affection is certainly well-deserved. Mama has
touched the hearts of many people from different corners of the world,
many of whom came to Thailand especially for this joyous event. They
fondly recalled many occasions when Mama provided a sympathetic ear,
invaluable advice and much needed support in difficult times. Their
sentiment is universally shared by all members of the resort’s staff,
who know Mama as a wonderfully kind and charming lady.
It is the first time in the history of the Royal Cliff
Beach Resort that so many members of the staff came together in order to
express their genuine admiration and affection for one of the resort’s
guests. Such display of affection, however, is not at all surprising. Over
the years, Mama Fuchs has not only become a regular guest of the resort,
but many here think of her as a dear friend.
The celebration ended with a specially commissioned
cake from the bakery of the Royal Cliff and a 3-metre wide birthday card,
presented by managing director Panga Vathanakul, general manager Andrew J.
Wood, and the entire executive team of the resort, who wished Mama Fuchs
good health for many years to come.
BCCT still cautiously optimistic
The British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT) held
another of their networking evenings on the Eastern Seaboard last weekend.
The venue was Shenanigans, who were also the sponsors of this first
networking evening for 2002.
 Asian
University of Science and Technology was well represented by (L to R)
Thomas McNeill, Ph.D., Paul Bland Ph.D., Michael Catalanello Ph.D. and
physicist Dr. Donald Burridge, who has more letters after his name than
space permits, all of whom were veritable fountains of knowledge.
The range of industries and interests covered by the
BCCT members is always amazing, from people such as engineer Paul Williams
of MVA (Thailand) consulting in traffic solutions, to Shaun Burke from
Cromwell Tools who arrived complete with an illustrated brochure covering
his company’s products, Gordon Sutton of the promotions company the
Sutlet Group who was sporting new business cards with his new address, to
quiet academics such as Dr. Donald Burridge, a physicist who now works
with the Asian University of Science and Technology.
 (L
to R) Shenanigans landlord Kim Fletcher (a pillar of the business
community who not only helps shape the future of business on the Eastern
Seaboard by bringing into Shenanigans the area’s top businesspeople, but
also instigates and/or supports much of the charity work done in the
area), Dham Dhamodharan, plant manager of TRW Chassis Systems, Paul Dobbs
of Santa Fe Global Silverhawk, and the man voted to once again lead the
Eastern Seaboard division of the BCCT, Graham Macdonald, are all smiles
during another successful event.
Chairman of the Eastern Seaboard division of the BCCT
was the ever-affable Graham Macdonald, voted in for another year, to be
ably supported by Paul Dobbs of Santa Fe Global Silverhawk. In an
interview, Graham said that the various sections in the BCCT had some
divergent views on the rate of recovery of the local economy, but said
that the consensus was that much would depend upon the government’s
decisions over the next few months. All agreed, however, that the economy
would continue to improve, albeit sometimes slowly.
 (L
to R) Daniel Cavin of Unithai Shipyard and Engineering Ltd., David
Eggleston of TwinTek Solutions, Greg Watkins, chairman of BCCT and George
Leslie of Smith Hodgkinson talk business at Shenanigans.
The next local BCCT networking night will be held in
February, and advance notice of the date and venue will be given in the
Pattaya Mail.
(L to
R) Shaun Burke from Cromwell Tools, David P. Davey of Kiwi Fire
Protection, Kim Fletcher from Shenanigans and Poonsawat Panichwarapun if
Colbree Thailand toss back a pint or two in the spirit of the evening.
|
