Yorkies expands

Dr. Iain Corness
The name “Yorkies” became an institution in Pattaya with Norman and Eileen Denning the hard-working proprietors. This year, they moved to Chaiyapruek 1 (five doors down from the new Coco’s Bistro) and expanded the butchery.

Eileen Denning has been expanding Yorkies.

With the death of Norman, the duo’s hard work was inherited by Norman’s widow Eileen, but in the Yorkshire tradition, she has continued and in fact, expanded the business. According to Eileen, “Because we have expanded the shop it gives us more room to offer more products. All our own ready meals, such as lasagna, liver and onions with mash, beef cobbler, cod in sauce, apple crumble, bread and butter pudding and a large range of curries and Indian accompaniments are available. On the shelves are gravies, English tea, Yorkshire pudding mixes, and a huge range of English biscuits. In the cabinet we also now stock Parma ham, Proscuitto, and Salami Miliano, and a range of English and Italian cheeses.”
Not only the regular items, but Eileen says, “We are now gearing up for Xmas with crackers, imported tinned biscuits from the UK, Xmas puddings, Xmas cakes, and of course the usual turkeys, hams, etc. With Thanksgiving arriving first, turkeys will be available for that too along with pumpkin pies and pumpkin cheesecakes.”
Yorkies, 143/158-159 Soi Chaiyapruek 1.

Miss International Queen contestants raise funds for Fountain of Life Center

Screaming contest winner Stefania Cruz (left), along with Ripley’s World Pattaya Marketing Manager Pathommarat Yimprasert (standing left), and Miss International Queen 2011 Sripassorn Attayakorn (standing center), present cash won from Ripley’s Screaming Contest to children from the Fountain of Life Center.

Warunya Thongrod
Contestants from the Miss International Queen transvestite beauty pageant helped raise funds for underprivileged children at the Fountain of Life Center.
Tiffany Show spokesperson led the 21 contestants to the Halloween party at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! at Royal Garden Plaza Oct. 31.
The women of the second category participated in the Ripley’s Screaming Contest, which was won by Filipino Stefania Cruz. “She” was selected to present 10,000 baht from Ripley’s World Pattaya to the Fountain of Life Center.
Contestants then enjoyed Ripley’s Haunted Adventure and shopped around the Halloween-decorated mall.
Miss Tiffany Universe winner Panvilas Mongkol, who finished third in the International Queen pageant, said everyone enjoyed the day and that it felt “amazing” to help out the children.

First Family Fun Day a great success

Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh presides over the official opening ceremony. He also presented medals to games winners, joined by Stewart Fraser (2nd right) and Russell Jay Darrell (right).

Stewart Fraser
On Saturday, October 20, the 1st Annual Family Fun Day was held at the beautiful Horseshoe Point with the disadvantaged children from the Hand to Hand Foundation being special guests. This event was arranged by some local businessmen who spared no cost to treat the children to one of the most amazing days of their lives. With free hamburgers, hot dogs and as much candy floss and ice cream they could eat for free, this was a great start. All of the children were given money to play games, ride on the toy train and have fun on the bouncy castle. They were also transported to and from the venue in a huge double-decker bus and even this was an adventure for the children.
All day there was a competitive cricket match between the Australian and English teams. At the half time interval the children had the opportunity to play some games such as an egg and spoon race, wheelbarrow race and tug of war. At the end of day the Aussies were victorious champions.
The raffle had an incredible range of prizes and generated a lot of excitement when the prizes were drawn at the end of the day.
The proceeds of the day went to help support the Hand to Hand Foundation and the Sawang Boriboon Foundation.
A big thanks to all of the sponsors and supporters who made this day so special, especially thanks to Acorn our major sponsor!
We raised 638,000baht.

Steve Graham (right) MD of Acorn Distribution, the major sponsor of the event.

Family fun day is truly fun for the whole family.Family fun day is truly fun for the whole family.

The Pattaya Yoga Club demonstrates various yoga techniques.

A competitive and fun cricket match between the Australians and English.

Many interesting prizes are up for grabs in the grand raffle draw.

It’s the little things that make the difference.

PCEC given Islamic history lesson

Author and publisher John Elray speaks to PCEC members & guests about his historical novel ‘Khalifah’, telling the story of how the son of Muhammad’s archenemy took control of the Muslim empire in the 7th Century.

It was a history lesson for the Pattaya City Expats Club (PCEC) at their meeting on Sunday, October 28, as author and publisher John Elray spoke about writing his historical novel Khalifah telling the story of how the son of Muhammad’s archenemy took control of the Muslim empire in the 7th century. He was introduced by Master of Ceremonies Richard Silverberg.
John is a native of Canada and an avid world traveler. He earned his Master’s degree while residing in New England, and has had 25 years of technical writing experience. Since publishing his book, he has discussed his craft at conferences, book signings, and during radio interviews. In his spare time John enjoys playing tennis and guitar. John currently splits his time between Canada, Hawaii and the countries of East Asia.
The novel is about a forced Muslim convert who defies all odds to become the supreme ruler of an empire that stretches from Egypt to Persia. The book describes the Muslims’ rise to power. The primary character Mu’awiya was a real person of that time. He was the son of the most vehement foe of the Prophet Muhammed, and amid the treachery, war, and political intrigue that follow the Prophet’s death, Mu’awiya embarks on a 30-year odyssey to redeem his family’s name and realize his ambition to be a leader in the new order. John gave some insight into the inner workings of a movement whose conquests rivaled those of the Romans and whose influence on modern-day life spans the globe.
John said the spark for his interest in learning more about Islam and the area was Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990. He started researching the fascinating history of the area which motivated him to write this historical epic new to the West.

John has published his books on Amazon.com, including his earlier book ‘Pattaya Beach’. Here he listens to one of the many questions arising from his research & presentation for new book ‘Khalifah’.

He began his presentation by giving an overview of Islam which is the second largest religion after Christianity. He noted that Islam has five pillars; they are faith (the Shahada), prayer (5 times each day), almsgiving, fasting (during Ramadhan), and the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). It was founded in the early 7th Century by Muhammad and is based on the religion of Abraham and the Old Testament. The Qu’ran is based on revelations to Muhammad. There are two primary sects, Sunni with around 940 million followers and Shia with about 120 million.
Prior to 610 AD, John noted the society was mostly pagan and polytheistic. Early Muslims were persecuted and forced to flee Mecca in 622 AD. They returned when they conquered Mecca in 629 AD. Muhammad died in 632 AD. After Muhammad’s death, the first Kahlif, Abu Bakr took over the movement and he sent armies across Arabia to reign in the Bedouin Tribes.
John then gave an overview of the Caliphate and the rise of their empire which spanned the years 632 AD to 661 AD. He then briefly explained the split between the Sunni and Shia sects, the impact of the crusades (1095 - 1270 AD), the Mongol invasion (1220 - 1259 AD), and the rise of the Ottoman Empire which lasted till World War I. At its height, the Caliphate Empire stretched from the mid-east through North Africa and into Spain and Portugal.
John then spoke about the factual versus the fictional portions of his book. He said that he did a lot of research and tried to keep his story as close to actual history as possible. His major and semi-major characters actually existed and the personalities he attributed to them while fictional have some historical basis. His minor characters and, of course, his dialogue among the characters are fictional.

Member Jerry Dean describes one of the difficulties of being an American in Thailand - the lack of suitable pumpkins for Halloween.

John then gave some tips on writing historical fiction which can take several approaches and noted the extent of your research will depend on which path you take. He also said that writing is re-writing and you should not be afraid of cutting text. Once you have the manuscript, you will have an editor or editors and will find that they can give you a fresh viewpoint.
John has spent a significant amount of time in Thailand, traveling extensively, and has firsthand knowledge of the country at large, its people, their culture, and the events which he portrays in his latest novel Pattaya Beach. John also mentioned that he was giving a special promotional offer to the PCEC. For each Kindle eBook of Pattaya Beach purchased from Amazon.com on November 26, John will give 20% of the net to the PCEC.
After John answered many questions, MC Richard Silverberg provided an update on upcoming events and called on Jerry Dean to conduct the Open Forum where questions are asked and answered about expat living in Thailand; Pattaya in particular.
You can learn more about the PCEC and its many activities by visiting their website at www.pattaya cityexpatsclub.com.

Jerry overcame this in fine Thai style with his ‘Sapparot - O - Lantern’.

Hilton GM leaves for Bangkok posting

Staff-members say farewell to Harald Feurstein (middle back).

Elfi Seitz
Employees of the Hilton Pattaya said farewell to General Manager Harald Feurstein with a party filled with speeches and good wishes for his new appointment in Bangkok.
Feurstein, who oversaw the Beach Road resort’s opening and spent two years at the helm, is taking over at the Conrad Hotel Bangkok.
At last month’s party, Feurstein promised he will return to Pattaya to visit. “Bangkok is not out of this world. It’s just a two-hour drive away,” he reminded friends.
Staff members lined up to present roses to their departing boss and wished him the best in the future.
No successor has yet been named.

Elfi Seitz presents flowers in the name of Pattaya Mail to Harald Feurstein.

Veterans around the world celebrate Veterans Day Nov 11

Eric Larsen
Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the name to Veterans Day as a way to honor those who served in all American wars. The day honors military veterans with parades and speeches across the nation. A national ceremony takes place at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Veterans Day ceremonies are also held across the world wherever US veterans are serving or living.
Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day.
The day is a celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.
For more information contact: Eric Larsen, Post Commander, Fred J. Estes Post 9876 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States of America, Pattaya, Thailand E-mail: [email protected] or visit our website at vfwpost9876.org.

Time to get wet for charity

Join the Pattaya Cross Bay Swim

Strong swimmers compete in the 3.5km swim across the bay from the Siam Bayshore Beach across to Chaba Beach during the last event.

WIt is the time of year for the annual Pattaya Cross Bay swim, now in its 9th year, which this year will be held on Sunday November 25. This event is arranged each year by the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya to raise funds for their Children’s Fund, which is used to improve the life of the young of our community.
There are three swims in this event, ranging from a short 600 meter short fun swim from the Hard Rock Hotel to Central Festival Mall; to a competitive short swim of 1.5km from Hard Rock Hotel to Chaba Beach at the Dusit Thani Pattaya,; and for the strong swimmers, a 3.5km swim across the bay from the Siam Bayshore Beach across to Chaba Beach.
As well as the water sports, this year we are holding a children’s afternoon on the beachside plaza at Central Festival, where young members of our community will entertain you while you see clips of the swim on the big screen. Presentation of the trophies to the winners of the competitive swims will take place in the late afternoon.
With the help and blessings of City Hall, water safety by the Marine Department’s Sea Rescue staff, and a surprise VIP guest at Central Festival, it will be an event that you do not want to miss.
Sponsors are always welcome, and swimmers for all three events can still sign-up. More information on www.crossbayswim.com - email swim@rotaryjomtien pattaya.org or call either Brendan Key on 08 4033 6296 or Graham Hunt-Crowley on 08 1340 8852.

PWA promises to solve Fah Mi Aad Kan Village water problems by January

Pattaya PWA Manager Araya Ngamwongwan (left) and Waterworks Director Sarayuth Thonghieng (right) show plans to fix the broken pipes.

Vittaya Yoondorn
Provincial Waterworks Authority officials said an East Pattaya neighborhood plagued with water shortages and broken pipes will see their problems resolved by the end of January.
Waterworks Director Sarayuth Thonghieng said Oct. 30 that the problems experienced by nearly 100 homes in Fah Mi Aad Kan Village have been caused by old concrete pipes and PVC piping that is too small to service the area. Both problems are being addressed, he said.
Sarayuth said that part of Pattaya is served by 15cm concrete pipes at the mouth of Soi Pornpraphanimit 13 that are more than 30 years old. The PWA has switched most water distribution to 10cm PVC pipes laid at Soi Pornpraphanimit 15, but the pipes are not big enough.
Thus, he said, residents experience water shortages during heavy daytime use. But at night, the drop in usage results in higher pressure, breaking pipes.
As for the current reserve plans of the waterworks, there has been initial problem solving by fixing the breakage areas, damaged areas as reported by residents. Officers are not sitting idle during the times citizens are facing difficulties, he said, officers are inspecting and working to correct the disabilities and as for long term problem solving, there will be new pipes laid.
Sarayuth said plans are underway to lay 16cm PVC pipes and further inspections are proceeding to alleviate the village’s problems. He predicted all new pipes and construction would be complete by January.