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HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]: 

Shenanigans 70’s Night “Absolutely Fabbalous”!

First Chaine des Rotisseurs dinner for 2002 smelling very sweet

BCCT Networking Night and the pedagogues are pleased

The Scandinavian connection – helping those in need

PILC elects news president and board

Shenanigans 70’s Night “Absolutely Fabbalous”!

Last weekend, Shenanigans Pub was the venue for another of those great Pattaya parties that people will talk about for many months - or at least until the next one. With DJ “Sly” Ken slipping in the occasional Chicago number while keeping the 70’s music thumping (the music was louder than his jacket, so that’s saying something, and it wasn’t a fashion statement either!) while the crowd, in some of the most outlandish costumes never seen in the 70’s, were wildly appreciative.

Burly Chassis meets Kiss at the Shenanigans 70s night.

The imported group FABBA (well, imported all the way from Bangkok - that’s all that landlord Kim Fletcher could afford) produced a great concert and there is no doubt about the staying power of the ABBA hit numbers. There was also no doubt about the staying power of some of the revellers, some of whom were seen trying to remember the dance steps they did in the 70’s while others were seen wondering about the sanity of their parents who were still attempting to recreate their heydays.

Harpic came as Ziggy Stardust, or was that Toya Wilcox?

Costumes were almost as colourful as their owners with special mention having to be made of Evel Kneivel (or was it Awful Knawful?) in the complete leathers and helmet, but the motorcycle was not to be found, probably nicked by Wolfgang if the truth be known. The helmet came in very handy later when he attempted stage diving, but hit the roof instead during a phase of negative gravity.

(L to R) Oanh, Evel and Sarah shortly before Evel made good use of his helmet in a stage diving attempt, but hitting the roof instead during a phase of negative gravity.

Another colourful character was Kim himself, complete with glitter, hair, cape and shoulders and long white boots which obviously fit their owner perfectly, but for Kim was a little more problematical.

The Pattaya girls all came resplendent in sequins or long hair and Indian beads or anything that was totally outrageous. Harpic, who thought she had come as Ziggy Stardust, but looked more like Toya Wilcox, did her usual trick of dropping full bottles of beer on the dance floor, while others later just dropped full. Kannikar Ottesen came as Janet Jackson.

In a strange time warp, Elvis shares a dance with Janet Jackson, who was only 11 when Elvis died.

The best dancer on the night was Francois Lombard, a South African Frenchman (if you believe all that, you’ll believe anything) complete with goatee, who then donated his trophy back to Shenanigans. Graham Macdonald was seen applying wigs to his skull fracture which he had received while trying to find his way out of the ISR at the BCCT evening the night before.

Not quite believing what was happening was Mick Tucker (Sock’s brother) the ex lead guitarist from the Suzi Quattro band, who found himself unwillingly transported back to Devil Gate Drive.

ISR teacher Ben Shield does his best John Travlota impersonation.

The Pattaya Mail Channel was there with Dr Iain and the Nite Beat crew in full swing. The good doctor was also swinging well, complaining that he was suffering from sexual harassment and finding out that having come as Shirley Bassey (or was that Burly Chassis?) he had turned into a lesbian.

The night was a rip-roaring success and “AbFab” said Patsy and Edwina who surprised many people with their presence at the Shenanigans 70’s bash. Well it was Patsy and Edwina, wasn’t it? Oh, who cares! When’s the next one, Kim?


First Chaine des Rotisseurs dinner for 2002 smelling very sweet

The first dinner for the newly re-vamped Chaine des Rotisseurs in Pattaya will be held at the Amari Orchid Resort on the 24th of February. The new local president is Pattaya personality Marion Vogt, who, for her initial dinner, has come up with something novel. This is a dinner based on edible flowers!

The use of flowers in cooking goes back several centuries, according to the executive chef of the Amari Orchid Resort, Stefan Heller. Stefan, who spent part of his training in Austria, said that the use of flowers in that country was widespread; however, many people are unaware that what they are eating contains flowers. For example saffron, a very common cooking ingredient, comes from flowers. Even in native Thai cooking, banana flowers are commonly used.

However, not all flowers are edible, and the Chaine des Rotisseurs Dinner will feature dishes made from flowers imported from Australia and Europe. Even the mid-meal sorbet is one of rose flowers served with rose liqueur, but how does a dessert of Grand Marnier cream with orange flowers sound?

The 7 course dinner and wines specially selected to complement the food is truly something magnificent and would be one of the gastronomic experiences of the year. It is possible to attend this dinner, even if you are not a member of the Chaine des Rotisseurs, the best known gourmet group in the world with a history that can be traced back to 1248 AD. The all-inclusive cost is 2,900 baht for a dinner that will remain in your memory for the rest of your life. For more details, contact Marion Vogt through the Amari Orchid Resort, 038 428 161 or email [email protected].


BCCT Networking Night and the pedagogues are pleased

The very active British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT) Eastern Seaboard section organised another networking evening last weekend. Rather than having it in a traditional pub venue, the International School of the Regents (ISR) were first to put their hand up and were rewarded with the right to host the evening.

(L to R) Mike Devany, Graham Macdonald, Ken Sly, Simon Leslie, Greg Watkins, Andrew Wood and Kim Fletcher “go back to school” for the BCCT Networking Night at the International School of the Regents last week. Kim was heard to say, “Before I couldn’t even spell stoodent, now I are one ...”

Simon Leslie, the headmaster of the ISR welcomed the chamber members to his house in the spacious ISR grounds (so spacious that some members claimed they were lost for 30 minutes until being found by the school boarders patrolling party). The school’s kitchen supplied the finger food for the evening and teaching staff were even manning (well, “girling” would be better) the bar.

The business mood at the BCCT networking evening was buoyant with Simon Leslie even stating that in the education business, not only were numbers steadily increasing, but they were also having to expand the buildings at his school to cope with the increasing numbers and ages of the students. Mention was also made of the new Bangkok ISR campus which was also showing good growth potential.

One factor that had increased the numbers attending the private schools was attributed to the 1997 economic crash, when, through poor currency exchange rates, many parents took their children out of overseas schools preferring to educate them locally at similar standard schools at a fraction of the total cost.

The next BCCT networking evening will be in March at Shenanigans on Pattaya Second Road. The date will be announced in the Pattaya Mail.


The Scandinavian connection – helping those in need

Vagn N. Christensen is a retired captain from the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) who, having piloted aircraft through the vagaries of the weather in the skies around the world, now concentrates on his earth-bound role: guiding children through the vagaries of life. Together with his Danish compatriot, Viggo Madsen and some 12 most attractive Danish women volunteers, Vagn is helping a number of disadvantaged orphans at Fr. Ray Brennan’s Pattaya Orphanage.

Rotarians Viggo Madsen (back left) and Vagn Christensen (back center) with the Danish volunteers at the Pattaya Orphanage. Both Vagn and Viggo said they are delighted to help the children, and the Danish women said they truly enjoy volunteering and can’t do enough for their charges.

It has been a ‘labour of love’ for Vagn, who has used his piloting skills and initiative to raise money for disaffected Thai children over many years, sometimes arranging unusual flights in 747s - and even in a Concorde - to raise money for their welfare. His selfless dedication has accounted for some 80 million baht raised for charity. (please see this week’s “Successfully Yours” for more details)

Last week, the Pattaya Mail teams visited them to have a first-hand report on the activities.

It was, indeed, a most animated - and dedicated – group, all of whom are volunteers. Vagn gave an overview of the activities and appealed, in the strongest terms, for sponsors to help the children.

Laura was representative of the girls and said that she had been working for more than two years, teaching several subjects, including English, and was most happy to donate her time to helping the children. The girls are happy to have a bed, some food and some of life’s basic amenities. Each and every one of them was a great role model for the children in their care.

It was a most cordial environment, with the girls looking fondly at their charges playing in the orphanage compound. Perhaps it was Laura who best echoed the sentiments of the other eleven volunteers, “I am happy here; I like to stay; I do not want to go back (to Denmark),” she informed us - rather frankly, I would say.

Both Vagn and Viggo are past district governors of Danish Rotary District 1440 and thus it was appropriate that Peter Malhotra, past president of the Jomtien-Pattaya Rotary and Peter Cummins of Rotary Bangkok South, were able to meet and interview these two men.


PILC elects news president and board

by Elfi Seitz

The PILC held its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, February 5th at the Amari Orchid Resort. This was the day when the members of Pattaya’s International Ladies Club elected their new president and board of directors.

(Right) PILC’s new board (back row from left) Judy Hoppe, Judy Clausen, Arlette Cykman, Isis Natal and Gundi Clement-Setz. (Front row from left) Bronwyn Little-Carey, Laurence Fatus (president), Pat Dickson, Lynne Russel and Mireille Dijkstra.

Julie Garret, a great person, was a great president for the last two years, and before the election, she and her board of directors gave their reports for the last year, announcing that it was financially as well as socially a very successful year.

All the members thanked Julie and the old board with thundering applause, and the successful ladies left their seats to the newly elected president, Ms. Laurence Fatus and her board.

Laurence Fatus, a very lively and high-spirited lady, was born in Mauritius before she moved to Paris, France where she married a French man. She has three children and five grandchildren, whom she misses a lot when she is in Thailand. Laurence, a former public relations officer at various hotels and the French airport, has lived in Thailand for over two years, and has spent 18 months in Pattaya. Her husband worked for 35 years for Air France and recently retired as well.

Asked how she will enjoy her new job as the president of such a big organization as the PILC, Laurence said, “I have worked all my live with people. Even after I stopped officially working I always did volunteer work of some kind. I always enjoyed the contact I had with people and, in Paris, I worked with English and Japanese expats to help them settle down in France.”

Laurence’s aim for her year as president is to build great solidarity between all the members of so many different nations and at the same time create a warm and homely place where everybody can feel happy. “I want to create a very friendly environment for the ladies, where newcomers feel welcome and where people can actually talk to each other,” she explained. “And to make this happen, I will be available for every single member of the club, regardless of time.” Good luck Laurence, to you and to the members of your board!