It was business and poetry at the Sunday, July 6, meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club (PCEC). First up was the business. The PCEC holds its Annual General Meeting on the first Sunday of July.
Club Treasurer Judith Edmonds opened the AGM noting that it would be a short meeting since the chairman gave her annual report last week because of travel plans. She called on Electoral Officer Wilson Fletcher to announce the filling of vacancies on the Board of Governors. Wilson announced that since the number of vacancies exceeded the number of candidates, that Roy Albiston, Jerry Dean, Judith Edmonds, and Lawrie McLoughlin, all incumbents from the previous Board, were acclaimed for another two year term. Judith then presented the annual treasurer’s report, solicited comments from the membership, and then adjourned the AGM.
Treasurer Judith Edmonds gives the annual financial report as part of the PCEC’s Annual General Meeting.
Then it was time for poetry. Indeed, for 40 minutes, PCEC member Ian Frame regaled his audience with what he modestly described a “poetry of sorts.” The poems were presented on slides, accompanied by cartoons, and were recited by Ian. Ian has spoken previously at the club on building a family tree and on his experience working and living in Brunei. He has also shared his beautifully done nature photographs on another two occasions.
Ian’s career as a poet started in 2004 when he entered a competition for a travel company advertisement in a Scottish newspaper. This was his winning entry:
As part of the PCEC’s Annual General Meeting, Electoral Officer Wilson Fletcher announces the results of nominations for the Board of Governors and that the four candidates, all incumbents, were acclaimed for another two year term.
“Travel in Easy Coaches to Donegal or Aberdeen,
Or Take an Easy Break in romantic Gretna Green.
Dinner, B & B, and entertainment too,
So much satisfaction, so many things to do.
With deals for every pocket there is no need to delay;
More details can be provided – contact us today.”
Ian Frame explains how he started writing poetry by winning a poetry contest when on a visit to his native Scotland and why he considers it fun to do.
Ian then recited a poem he called “Rules to Live By”:
“Never eat a plate of food bigger than your head.
Never eat a hearty meal when there’s weight to shed.
Never scratch a lion’s nose if it has not been fed.
Never pull a tiger’s tail if it isn’t dead.”
Roy Albiston conducts the PCEC’s Open Forum where members and guests can ask questions about expat living in Thailand or provide comments and observations on movies, restaurants, or other items of interest.
The highlights of the session were two poems about Thailand which touched on a lot of the things many of us like about the country along with some things we may not like as much. The first poem was titled simply “Thailand”:
“Thailand has culture, sun, and smiles,
And sandy beaches that stretch for miles.
Magic temples decked with gold,
Plus silks and gems one wants to hold.
Where the food is spicy and often hot,
And vehicle accidents occur a lot.
Where street dogs many have bodies thin,
And car & truck audio systems make a din.
Where “falang” retirees may have a base,
And the pace of life is not a race.
Where women are elegant and move with grace,
And it is so important to not lose face.
Where motorcycles can transport five,
And the fish in markets are kept alive.
Where elephants have trouble finding a place,
And the smell from drains could be used as mace.”
The second poem was about Songkran:
“Songkran it is here again,
A time that I don’t like.
When hooligans spray water,
And I say “Take a Hike!”
When sitting on a baht bus,
And past some louts I go.
Buckets of water get thrown in,
And my anger it does grow.
After two weeks it will finish,
And for that I can hardly wait.
A time of no more worries
When I step outside my gate.”
The audience enjoys the humorous poems and their accompanying cartoons presented by Ian Frame at the PCEC meeting.
Although he writes the poems mostly for fun, Ian has made an effort to publish some of them on a very small scale. Ian explained that he took a collection of his poems and created a booklet using cartoons drawn by artists on Pattaya’s Walking Street. He had 200 copies of the booklet printed. In addition, Ian has had a few of his poems published in Pattaya Mail, in the letters section.
After the recitation, Master of Ceremonies Richard Silverberg brought everyone up to date on upcoming events and called on Roy Albiston to conduct the always informative Open Forum where questions are asked and answered about expat living in Thailand, especially Pattaya.
For more information on the PCEC’s many activities, visit their website at www.pcecclub.org.
