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Community supports Fountain of Life Christmas party
Underprivileged children share season of joy
Suchada Tupchai
Managed by Sister Joan, teachers and volunteers organized
a Merry Christmas party for over 100 hundred children under the care of the
Fountain of Life Center, including groups of parents.
 Sister
Joan addresses the crowd at the opening of the presentation.
During the party held on December 15, the kids put on
special shows to the delight of the Pattaya International Ladies Club
(PILC), the Jesters Care for Kids headed by Lewis Underwood, and other
kindhearted foreigners who helped provide a joyous event to include the
children in the Christmas season and spread the message of cheer for
disadvantaged youngsters who sorely need society’s acceptance.
Sister Joan presented an opening speech to welcome the
children and guests. Addressing the group she said, “This project was set
up to help children, boys and girls, who have been sold into prostitution,
children addicted to drugs, those who are neglected by their families or
come from poverty stricken backgrounds living in Pattaya’s congested
community. These children deserve our love and care and are no different
from more fortunate children, other than their unhappy circumstances. The
Fountain of Life Center held this Christmas Party to provide happiness for
the children, including their parents who also attended.”
 Lewis
Underwood presents gifts to the performers.
The highlight of the event were the charming shows the
children in different classes performed, which started with a “Birth of
Jesus” show and followed with other delightful performances. The audience
was charmed and entertained, and spectators laughed and applauded the
children’s enchanting performances.
Children in the shows and those who participated in the
games received gifts. The Fountain of Life Center also offered a delicious
meal to all in attendance and everyone, young and old reveled in the warm
and friendly atmosphere which marks the true meaning of the season. All kids
love Christmas and this party was one the children will not forget for a
long time.
PILC
members hand out gifts to the youngsters.
Shows
given by children provided smiles and laughter for the spectators.
Smiling
faces on the little angels brightened everyone’s day.
Gourmet group slips
the anchor chains
Miss Terry Diner
While the Chaine des R๔tisseurs food and wine
connoisseurs group is most often thought of as a rather up-market gourmet club,
the local ‘bailliage’ can have a break from formal tuxedos and cummerbunds
and let their hair down a little.
In December, for an end of the year function, it was decided
that a cruise could be a fitting end. With some sea air to aid the appetite and
digestion, the idea was endorsed by Bailli Louis (the ebullient) Noll, mein host
at the Mata Hari Restaurant, and the members informed.
Calm seas, a
cool breeze, warm friendships and hot romances ruled the waves
With a final tally of 36 seafaring gourmets, the catamaran
set sail from Jomtien Beach to cruise up and down a slightly choppy Pattaya Bay.
A couple of members were seen looking for some sea-sickness pills, and the
catamaran’s crew, were only too happy to dispense. Nervous stomachs settled,
many were seen trying some pre-dinner distilled spirits or wines.
Despite being all ‘at sea’, the kitchen staff were
obviously on top of their game, with diners being tempted with Norwegian salmon,
with capers of course, and some rather nice oysters for an entr้e.
As tradition requires that any Chaine des R๔tisseurs
dinner must have some roasted meat, the cruise was no different, with some
Australian lamb chops, some beef and some pork all having benefited from the
meat roaster’s skill.
The food finale included fresh fruit or petit fours, after
which many of the Chaine members settled down into some serious guzzling, with
Chaine treasurer Jan Olav Aamlid seen handing large wedges of money to the
liveried wine waiters for several bottles of white. He was also not short of
drinking mates, a strange phenomenon that seems to happen when you open wine
bottles! MBMG’s man on the spot Geoff Burrowes told me he was finding the same
situation.
Hugh Millar, of the wonderfully modulated Scottish brogue was
seen entertaining Brian Wiggley and Olivier Mueller, or at least allowing them
to enjoy the ambience.
Showing the family dentition as the Bailli was Louis’
sister Tielle Noll, sitting happily chatting (and munching) with Ian and Pat
Dickson who had rushed back from Vietnam to be there before cast-off.
Local wine buffs Rick and Janet Smith were also seen tasting
the wines on offer. If there’s wines, there’s the Smiths! They have been
very lucky in the past, winning bottles of delectable wines at the wine club,
but on this cruise they won Dietrich Sarx instead!
At the end of the cruise, the members, in various states of sobriety were
deposited back at Jomtien Beach where transport awaited to whisk them back to
their parked cars. A memorable end of year function, which unfortunately many of
the members were unable to recall the next morning!
Wine Club hosts Yuletide Dinner for wine aficionados
The Royal Cliff Wine Club’s last gourmet offering this year turned out
to be one of its biggest. Coinciding with the festive season, a Yuletide
Wine Dinner was hosted by the club on December 17 in the Grand Ballroom of
the Royal Cliff Grand.
Over 170 members and guests filled the festively
decorated venue and were treated to a seven-course gourmet dinner whipped
up by the Royal Cliff Beach Resort’s gourmet team, led by its jolly
executive chef, Walter Thenisch.
From
left to right: Gerhard Hoffschlaeger, Graeme Moore, Zena Marie Tarasena,
Ranjith Chandrasiri, Pat Burbridge, Jan Olav Aamlid, Ib Ottesen (all Wine
Club members).
The menu ensemble was heavenly as each course brought
out by the service staff elicited adoring approval from the merry guests.
This began with smoked salmon cone on braised leek and
chilled mushroom tea followed by pan seared tuna loin with toasted black
& white sesame seeds on hoisin-balsamico reduction and tomato jam,
roasted venison carpaccio with Valrhona chocolate sauce and seedless Napa
valley grapes as third course leading up to the main course of Australian
prime beef tenderloin accompanied with cannelloni filled with confit onions
and whole grain mustard froth.
The selection of the finest Beringer wines from Napa
Valley was well-chosen to complement the menu and did not disappoint to say
the least. Course for course, each wine was professionally presented and
served in ritual fashion.
Wines served were Beringer ‘Stone Cellars’
Chardonnay 2002, Beringer ‘Founders’ Estate’ Chardonnay 2002,
Beringer ‘Stone Cellars’ Merlot 2001, Beringer ‘Stone Cellars’
Cabernet Sauvignon 2001, Beringer ‘Founders’ Estate’ Cabernet
Sauvignon 2001, Beringer ‘Carneros’ Pinot Noir, North coast 2002, and
the Beringer ‘Clear Lake’ Zinfandel, North Coast 2001.
As a special treat guests were able to purchase these
select labels at cost prices. The wines were such a hit that not a few
members ordered several cases either for their own collection or as gifts
to friends and family.
This mini-wine fair, recently incorporated during each
wine dinner, has been a welcome addition to the Wine Club’s value-laden
events. Purchase of featured wines at cost prices is reserved for
attendees.
Deputy general manager of the Royal Cliff Beach Resort
and president of the Royal Cliff Wine Club, Ranjith Chandrasiri at the
event thanked the club’s members and supporters for their patronage. This
included Cannon Pacific, Co., Ltd. which co-sponsored the event and was
represented by its managing director, Ekachai Mahaguna.
Chandrasiri also thanked club members and friends for
their support of the resort’s fine-dining venues and special events. He
also shared exciting news of the opening of Royal Cliff Beach Resort’s
newest wining and dining outlet – the trendy Caprice Restaurant and Bar.
Located on the 1st floor of the Royal Wing & Spa,
Caprice boasts “pure style” as its mantle and has been designed to be
the trendiest restaurant and bar this side of the Eastern Seaboard.
All in all, the perfect combination of the menu and wines, along with
the festive mood at the venue was nothing short of being magical. The
Yuletide Wine Dinner will no doubt be remembered for many seasons to come.
Norwegian Embassy representatives meet with compatriots in Pattaya
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
The Norwegian community in Pattaya had a chance to meet
with their consular representatives earlier this month.
 Bjorn
Bjerkaas, Norwegian Consul met with members of Pattaya’s Norwegian
community earlier this month.
On December 3, representatives from the Norwegian
Embassy, led by Bjorn Bjerkaas, Norwegian Consul, Stig Vagt Anderson from
the Pattaya Consul and Hilde Simes, Norwegian Pastor at the Scandinavian
Church in Bangkok, met to discuss an agenda with Norwegians residents and
tourists in Pattaya.
The meeting was held at the Jomtien Garden Resort on
Jomtien Beach Road and was well attended by the Norwegian community.
The purpose of this meeting was to let the Norwegian community meet with
the embassy’s officers. The meeting included a question and answer
session exchange between embassy officials and the public to inform
Norwegians, tourists and residents, of the benefits and services offered by
the embassy to Norwegian citizens in Thailand.
Fish & Garden celebrates grand opening
Beautiful fish and latest equipment for exotic aquariums
Decha Chalermyart
Fish & Garden had its official opening on December
18. This new business caters to fish lovers interested in exotic sea life
and setting up their own lavish aquariums.
Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn presided over the opening
ceremonies and attendees received a first hand view of the fish and marine
life, aquariums, equipment, fish food and plants available for customers to
design and stock aquariums specifically for their individual and creative
needs. Distinguished guests included Chanyuth Hengtrakul, advisor to the
Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Pattaya’s local politicians and
businessmen.
Mayor
Niran Wattanasartsathorn, Chanyuth Hengtrakul, advisor to the Ministry of
Tourism and Sports, Sinchai Wattanasartsathorn and friends cut the ribbon to
officially open Fish & Garden.
In the morning a Buddhist ceremony with 9 monks was held,
including a lunch provided for all in attendance. Sinchai Wattanasartsathorn
manages Fish & Garden. The shop sells quality exotic fish, which are
hand picked from their fish farm. They have all the necessary equipment for
aquariums, fish food, water plants, and an outside service for gardens and
aquariums. This includes procuring all exotic fish as per customer requests
at a friendly price.
“Fish & Garden” has many different models of
aquariums and exotic fish breeds, such as fighting fish, Deva fish and many
others. They also construct unique designs of beauty and natural habitat so
that customers can have the aquarium of their dreams and be assured that the
fish and marine life are healthy and compatible.
Fish & Garden is located at No. 64/78 Village No. 12, Thepprasit
Road, about 50 meters away from the PTT gas station. For more details,
telephone or fax 038-488000.
Ursula’s Antiques celebrates 1st anniversary
Special things for special people
Elfi Seitz
Ursula Rothstein’s Ursula’s Antiques has just marked
their first anniversary of operation and a joyous celebration was held to
applaud a successful year for her shop. To celebrate the anniversary in a
proper and special way, she rented the Casa Pascal Restaurant for a day and
moved her furniture in.
 Ursula
Rothstein (middle) greets Kim Schnyder (left) and Somsak Martin (right) to
the celebrations.
As guests arrived at the restaurant last Saturday, they
were charmed to see the venue elegantly ‘refurnished’ with antique
tables, chairs, chests, and other decor items which magically turned the
restaurant into an antique exhibition. Ursula has her own version of magic
and those who attended the anniversary party were astounded.
The facelift was an eye-popping surprise, and the lavish
party was a huge success. Plenty of delicious food and drinks were
available, since Pascal had a marvelous buffet prepared and both Ursula and
Pascal took care that the champagne glasses were never empty.
 Exquisite
range of decor items at Ursula’s Antiques.
All day long the visitors came and looked at the
exhibition of the beautiful furniture, before they went to the buffet to
treat themselves. After this very special one-year-anniversary celebration,
Ursula’s friends are already guessing what she has in mind for the
anniversary next year.
By the way, Casa Pascal was in complete function the very next day, when
customers arrived for their Sunday brunch. Presto! Just another wave of
Ursula’s magic wand!
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