HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]: 

PCEC members go on safari

Mixing business with pleasure at Jameson’s

Rotary Club of Pattaya Marina boosts Y.W.C.A. scholarship drive

Guest Chef at Bruno’s Restaurant 1-31 August 2009

Happy Birthday Judy Hoppe

PCEC members go on safari

The Sunday July 12 meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club got underway at the Amari’s Henry J. Beans Restaurant when Master of Ceremonies Judith Edmonds welcomed everyone to the meeting. After the usual announcements, emcee Judith introduced the guest speaker, Hal Carpenter and said he would be taking everyone on safari to Africa.

Hal Carpenter shares with PCEC members the realization of his lifelong dream - not one, but two safaris to Tanzania - one in the dry season, the other in the wet.
Hal started by saying that when he was a seven year old boy in upstate New York, they did not have television or other means of entertainment. So, he browsed copies of National Geographic magazine he found at his neighbor’s house. He was mesmerized by the pictures of game animals in Africa and promised himself that “one day” he would go there and see them for himself. Fifty years later, after moving to Thailand and settling in with his Thai partner, he decided to go after his long time dream.
He said he spent several months planning the trip. Through internet searches he found there were many companies that offered African safaris. However, most of these offered package tours. These packages required that you join a group and conform to specific travel dates. Hal said this wasn’t what he was looking for. After much searching, he found a company, Africa Green Safaris, that let you plan your own itinerary for however many people you wanted to take along and traveling on the dates you chose. He said this company only operates in Tanzania, which was acceptable because Tanzania has almost all of the animals that one would want to see. Not only did he pick his itinerary, but was also able to select the quality of the accommodations where they would stay throughout the safari. Since he considered this to be the fulfillment of his lifelong dream, he said he chose more upscale, thus more expensive places to stay. Although it cost about US$5,000 each for him and his partner, he felt it was well worth it.
Their first trip was in 2006 during the dry season. He said they enjoyed the trip so much, they wanted to repeat it. This they did in 2008 during the wet season; this time accompanied by his sister and her friend. Hal said he chose the wet season because this is the only time you can see the “great migration” of wildebeest.

PCEC Board member John Fishback capably handles the ‘open forum’ - where you can have answered most questions about life in ‘LOS’ - the ‘Land of Smiles’.
Hal said the hardest part about preparing his presentation for the club was in deciding which photographs to show out of some 3,000 that he had available. For their first trip, he said they flew on Kenya Airlines to Nairobi. From there, they went on to Tanzania where they were met by a representative of Africa Green Safaris. They then took a small aircraft across the Serengeti where they picked up their vehicle and the guide.
The vehicle and guide were with them throughout their trip, which was arranged to “fly in” and “drive out.” During their safari they were able to go off road and observe the many different wild animals. His plan was to see at least five specific types - lions, elephants, leopards, rhinoceros, and cape buffalo. They saw these plus many more, such as giraffes, hyenas, and hippos, along with many varieties of birdlife. Hal said that one had to have patience as they often would drive two or three hours before coming across any game.
Hal’s excellent photographs and commentary had most of the audience feeling that they too had been on safari. Hal’s descriptions of the photographs and their experiences kept the audience keenly interested. Although the photographs probably did not do them justice, everyone agreed with Hal that the sunsets and sunrises over the Serengeti were awesome. In addition to the wild animals in their natural habitat, Hal also showed several pictures of their different places of lodging including two nights in their own “private” tent. Hal pointed out that although a tent, they did not lack for all the amenities.
Hal mentioned that if one did not have a significant amount of time, he would suggest a visit to the Ngorongoro Crater. There he said, one can see all the different species except the giraffe. The reason there are no giraffes is because they cannot climb down the sides of the crater. Hal also noted the difference between the dry and the wet season. He said if one had to choose only one time to go, he would suggest the dry season. Although you would miss the great migration, you are able to visit more areas since you can drive off road, which is not possible during the wet season.
After Hal answered the many questions posed by the audience, emcee Judith updated everyone on upcoming events. She then called on John Fishback to conduct the always popular and sometimes humorous Open Forum, where questions can be asked and answered about living in Thailand and Pattaya in particular.

Mixing business with pleasure at Jameson’s

Paul Strachan
The Lighthouse Club recently held their monthly get together at Jameson’s the Irish pub.
For a low entry fee many enjoyed free beer, wine and a buffet laid on by Kim Fletcher and his team at Jameson’s.

Paul Strachan interviews Jameson’s landlord Kim Fletcher (right) about the great food and beverages at last month’s Lighthouse Club event at Jameson’s the Irish pub.

It was also chance meet key business people working in real estate and construction.
The lighthouse Club raises funds to assist children who live in the community - one such case is organized by Tracy Cosgrove from the Mellissa Cosgrove Foundation. She builds day centers and shelters for children who live in the construction workers’ camps. Tracy’s work gives them a safe and clean place to stay whilst their parents are working on the various building projects around town.
If you have any items you would like to donate to the raffle of the Lighthouse Club then please contact Mark Thomson on 084 7783304.
Come along to there next event on the last Friday of each month - it could be the best thing to happen to your business in months! Tonight’s event is at Shenanigans in The Avenue Mall on 2nd Road in Pattaya.

Rotary Club of Pattaya Marina boosts Y.W.C.A. scholarship drive

The Rotary Club of Pattaya Marina presents 18,000 baht to the Y.W.C.A.
Warm Family Project to support youth education in Pattaya.

Vimolrat Singnikorn
40 is the magic number for this year’s Y.W.C.A. Bangkok-Pattaya Center scholarship drive and members of the Rotary Club of Pattaya Marina have put the organization at least six steps closer to its goal.
Marina President Florent Pellegrin July 14 presented Y.W.C.A. Chairwoman Nittaya Patimasongkroh with 18,000 baht for the group’s Warm Family Project, which has provided scholarships for underprivileged primary- and secondary-school students for 20 years. The money will fund 6-10 scholarships.
The Y.W.C.A. this year is aiming to fund 40 scholarships of 1,800 baht for primary-school pupils and 2,800 baht for secondary-school students with good grades, but little money to continue their educations. More than 290 grants have been made in the past two decades with this year’s donations to be presented Aug. 25 at Mike Shopping Mall on Beach Road.
The association is also collaborating with Pattaya School 7, the Redemptorist School for the Blind, tourist police volunteers and the city in a “bring nature back to the sea” event to be held July 21. Marking HRH Princess Soamsawalee’s July 13 birthday as well as the Y.W.C.A’s 24th anniversary, participants will plant coral at Samae San Temple from noon until 4:30 p.m.

Guest Chef at Bruno’s Restaurant 1-31 August 2009

Following on from previous years when owner Fredi Schaub has brought in some of Europe’s leading chefs, Bruno’s Restaurant has now gone further afield and has asked star chef, Patrick Zellweger, to come over from Australia and create a new menu for the restaurant for the month of August.

Chef Patrick Zellweger will be starring at Bruno’s Restaurant in August.

Patrick is Swiss. He was born in Locarno and has been brought up with food. Indeed, Patrick’s dad, Bruno, was Fredi’s boss at Hotel Bellevue in Arosa Switzerland and at the Hotel Casa Berno in Ascona.
Fredi remembers Patrick when he was a little child, “Even then, you could see that Patrick was fascinated by food and all the things you could do with it. However, I never thought I would end up asking him to come to my own restaurant. It just shows what a small world we live in.”
Fredi went on, “I have always stayed in touch with Bruno and talked three years ago about Patrick coming to Thailand. Last year, he finally arrived and I knew then he just had to come back and work in my kitchen. For someone so young he has so much talent.”
Patrick has extensive experience. Recently, he has been working at a casino in Melbourne which employed three Michelin star chefs so he has learned a lot from them. However, he was no novice before this. Patrick has gained a magnificent reputation already for his innovative and stylish cooking. The menu for August in Bruno’s will be predominantly French along with Italian and Australian influences. This has come about from working in such well known places as Hotel Giardino, Hotel Kulm, Hotel Alpenhof and Schloss Neuweier.
For the last four years Patrick has been based at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia and has already worked his way up to Deputy Executive Chef. He also took a working holiday and was in charge of one of the exclusive restaurants on the Queen Mary II.
Patrick has also excelled in competitions. In 2004 he won the Gold medal at the Swiss cooking championships. Later, he came second which qualified him for the Professional World Championship in Helsinki.
Patrick will arrive in Thailand towards the end of the month so as to get used to his new surroundings. The new menu will start on Saturday, August 8 and on the 8th of August Chef Patrick will help Fredi with the Alois Fassbind Memorial Night whereby all money raised will go to charity.
Patrick has already given Fredi an idea of what the new menu will be like and Fredi is very excited. He said, “Patrick has come up with some very exciting dishes which I know will appeal to the palates of people in Pattaya. Some of the food is, literally, mouthwatering and I cannot wait to introduce him to my clientele.”
For further information please contact Chef Fredi at [email protected]

Happy Birthday Judy Hoppe

Judy Hoppe celebrated her 39th birthday at Bruno’s Restaurant with her husband and close friends, Jim and Pui Phillips, Peter Malhotra and Fredi Schaub, the kind host. Fredi baked a beautiful birthday cake for Judy and furnished a fine bottle of champagne, this after he served an exquisite dinner for his guests.

Picture shows Pui and Judy (seated) and (l-r) Bruce, Jim, Peter and Fredi.

Judy is a past president of the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya and is also an active member of the Pattaya International Ladies Club (PILC).
Her work in raising money to help the poor and needy in Pattaya is well known. Currently, she is helping to organize the “Fassbind Memorial Dinner” to be held on August 8, 2009 at Bruno’s Restaurant.
Last year this was a sold out event that raised several hundred thousand baht for the Fassbind Medical Home at the Banglamung Home for the Aged in Pattaya. This was the late Alois ‘Louis’ Fassbind’s favourite charity.
Please do attend the charity function this year. Book your seats now by calling Fredi Schaub at 038- 364-603.

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