The Pattaya City Expats Club (PCEC) was entertained with a diverse program of fascinating facts and melodic music at their New Year’s Eve meeting on December 31, 2017. There were also poignant farewells to PCEC members and speakers who had passed away during the year.
Roy welcomed all present and wished all a happy, healthy New Year. The meeting began with a Vale (written or spoken farewell) to Club members and speakers that passed away during the year with a silent reverence being shown as the photos and names were presented on the big screen. Also, a song written and performed by Bertil Goldberg was sung as a tribute to the much loved, missed and respected board member Jerry Dean who passed away suddenly in the latter part of 2017. His widow was on hand to receive a certificate which expressed the Club’s grateful thanks for all Jerry’s hard work and commitment over the years.
Then it was the turn of Ian Frame. Ian organized the genealogical special interest group and has previously given several presentations to the Club on searching your family tree and other subjects. Ian explained that there are several sources that can be very useful in a hunt to find ones ancestry. These include: census records; birth, marriage and death records; family history stories; newspapers; military records; church records; passenger lists; city directories; court and prison records; immigration and naturalization records; photographs and scrapbooks; oral histories; workhouse and union records; tax records; cemetery records; compiled genealogies; wills and probate records; land records; local histories and funeral home records. However, Ian warned to beware. Although a lot of sites are free to use, some do charge for information.
This time he focused the spotlight on the lineage of the very well-known Donald Trump. Ian gave a fascinating talk on his family tree, but did not delve into his political and other activities. With German ancestry from his father and Scottish ancestry from his mother, he was born to Frederick and Mary MacLeod Trump in Queens, New York on June 14, 1946. He learned the real-estate business firsthand from his father who, himself, began in the family construction business at the age of 13 when his own father (Donald’s grandfather) died in the influenza epidemic of 1918.
Ian was followed by some entertaining music and lyrics from Marcus Tristan & Bertil Goldberg. Marcus and Bertil form a song writing team. Their songwriting adds a theatrical twist, slightly off the mainstream of popular music. This talented pair of composer/musicians had joined forces to compose New Songs for a New Year; dealing mostly with the Expat experience in Thailand. As they played and sang, words were displayed to enable their audience to join in if they so wished.
First, they sang ‘Bugs’ (yes, a delicacy for many Thais), which was followed by the toe taping ‘New Songs for a New Year’. ‘Lady Boys’ slowed the tempo somewhat and finally, a tribute to Thailand – ‘Ancient Land’, ‘Cheery Lips’ and ‘Expat Blues’.
They left the stage to applause and were followed by Ben Rudolf, a child-prodigy who has entertained PCEC in the past. He sat behind the keyboard as an expectant hush came over the room. He began his solo performance with a rendition of the Pink Panther – Inspector Clouseau Theme. He then sang and played John Cale’s ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon. He wished the assembled crowd Happy New Year and surprised us all by lying on his back, extending his hands upside down to the keyboard, and playing Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer to rapturous applause.
Completing the program Eva Johnson, cofounder of the Soul Club in Pattaya, spoke about their practice of holding charity fund raising events at local venues. Eva explained that Northern Soul had its roots in Northern England. It developed out of the 60’s Motown sound and is a fun dance movement that continues to this day. These “Souled Out” events feature DJ’s and free flow beer and wine with the proceeds going to events support many smaller charities in Pattaya. She invited everyone to attend their next event at the Robin Hood Tavern on January 6th.
After the presentations, MC Roy Albiston brought everyone up to date on upcoming events. This was followed by the “Open Forum” portion of the meeting, where questions are asked and answered and comments made about expat living in Thailand.
For more information on the Club and their activities, visit www.pcec.club.
