HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]: 

Freemasons embrace the blind children of Pattaya

A New Year Trip

The Deverana Spa and my Donald Duck feet

Decorum builds kitchens, too!

Freemasons embrace the blind children of Pattaya

Story and photos by Peter Cummins

The tradition of the outgoing Right Worshipful Master of Lodge Pattaya West Winds (LPWW), to undertake a charitable cause upon leaving the Chair of King Solomon, was certainly not only upheld but, rather, surpassed last Saturday, as RWM Peter Malhotra at the end of two years of office and with a full complement of Lodge Brethren regaled the children of the Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind at the institution they call home in Naklua.

“You are my sunshine...”

Peter and Middy distribute the gifts to the children.

A blind boy receives his package from Stan and Middy.

“You are my sunshine...” was sung to some damp eyes among the LPWW Brethren.

The charity was mooted by Brother Stan Parsons who had emphasized at the Lodge meeting, held immediately prior to the school visit, that the children needed all the things normal children need: personal items for the boys and girls, toiletries, snacks, drinks, food and toys. In this case, toys that made sounds, which would please their aural faculties. Even with their sightless eyes, nevertheless, the children, ranging in age from eight to around 16 years of age, unpacked all their bags of goodies, feeling the outlines of the toys, enjoying their snacks and playing, as all children have a right - but so few in this troubled world have the chance - to do!

RWM Peter and Bro. Middy Campbell worked tirelessly in the heat, filling the bags and distributing the gifts, all the while the marvellous staff of the School and the Lodge Brethren, spouses and offspring moved around among the excited little ones, catering to their every need, walking them around the attractive school compound and offering them, as Bro Stan had asked at the Lodge meeting, “a little love, human contact and warmth which they all need”.

The LPWW members responded overwhelmingly to the physical, spiritual and material needs of the children - even if only to help put one day of “sunshine” in their permanently dark world.

The school was founded in 1986 by Father Ray Brennan, director of the Redemptorist Social Welfare Centre and Aurora Lee Sribuapun. Being blind herself, Khun Aurora, who is manager and principal of the School for the Blind, realized that the only way forward for the blind is through education - something denied to some 95 percent of blind Thais.

Play time ak...ak...ak...the louder the better.

Enjoying bar-b-que chicken, chips and orange juice.

What’s in here, I wonder?

This amazing person overcame all obstacles to obtain a Master’s Degree of Special Education for the Visually Handicapped from the USA and has dedicated her life to helping others similarly afflicted.

On May 14, 1992, the school moved to its present site, with HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presiding over the installation of the four-storey building of classrooms, auditorium, dining hall and facilities, situated on a four-rai plot of land donated by the Pattaya Cemetery Association.

Approved by the Ministry of Education in 1991, there are some 150 children following the education programme, ranging from first year kindergarten up to ninth grade.

The school’s special programmes include promoting ninth-graders for further studies; supporting students wishing to continue studies under the minister of education’s non-formal programmes; and numerous audio-oriented programmes, such as transferring recorded messages, special computer training, telephonic operations and similar auditory skills.

As the LPWW afternoon came to a close, the children stood before the Lodge Brethren and sang “You are my Sunshine”, with the last verse particularly touching in the realm of the sightless: “Please don’t take my Sunshine away!” There were not a few moist eyes as the able-bodied took their leave.

The LPWW Brethren surround the RWM Peter at the close of the party.

A School volunteer leads the children away after receiving their gifts.

Some of the children in the school courtyard.

The Lodge initiative was but a microcosm in helping to bring joy to the blind children and their keepers. There are many ways of assisting the school and the children. Cash donations can be made to “Barom-Rajgumari Fund for the Blind”, initiated by HRH Princess Maha Chakri’s personal fund for the school, equipment, consumer items, hosting lunches and volunteering for the school’s programmes.

Encouraging Families with blind children under 20 years-of-age are encouraged to enrol their offspring in the school. All enquiries should be made to: The Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind, 285/103 Soi 16, Pattaya-Naklua Road, Moo 5, Naklua, Banglamung, Chonburi 20150, tel. (038) 225479; 225963.

A New Year Trip

Part II

Lesley Warner

This year I was determined that I didn’t want to be in Pattaya for New Year. I wanted to enjoy my few days off, relaxing in the country. I thought carefully about all the places there was to go, and decided to avoid the busy tourist areas and travel up to the north of Thailand.

Welcome to the Chatemp Siam Winery.

One can walk through the vines, and then taste the end result.

As we traveled on we came across several vineyards. I stopped to taste the wine at Chatemp Siam Winery and was very impressed with the dry red. There appears to be a strong French influence in the area.

There are several tourist attractions on this route including the Chet Sao Noi Waterfall and Muak Lek Lake. We stopped at one of a group of restaurants on the side of the road that surrounded the beautiful Lamtakhon Lake. There is plenty of interest in the area to make it a worthwhile sightseeing trip as well as being able to enjoy the wonderful traditional culture of the area.

I found that from Lopburi to Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat) the whole area appears to be quite affluent. I’m not used to seeing this in the northeast. I put it down to the diverse selection of business activities I witnessed, from chicken farming, wine, horse breeding, stone, bee keeping, milking cows, tourist attractions, the sunflower industry, and other smaller family activities.

At this point in our journey I was becoming a little suspicious, as we were getting closer and closer to Nakhon Ratchasima; therefore closer to my partner’s home in Buriram. It didn’t take long before he said, “Can we go home just for one night?” Needless to say I gave in.

We stopped at a roadside food vendor to get some food to take to the family, and this was run by a merry lady that sold everything. We bought whole barbecued chickens, corn, biscuits, pomelo’s and paichons (salted catfish). It was New Year’s Eve but when we arrived at the family home the party had been the night before, so everyone was very much the worse for wear already.

The feast begins...

The great hunter primes his gun.

We sat drinking throughout the afternoon and as the previous night’s partygoers revived they came to join us. Later in the evening someone suggested rat hunting, and our young hunter ‘Cat’ volunteered to see what he could do to supply this supposedly sought-after meat to everyone. He primed his gun first by putting in grated coconut shell, then gun powder, then came more grated coconut shell, and last the pellet. This was all firmly packed into the barrel of the gun with a long metal rod (it was like watching a soldier loading his gun in the movie “Last of the Mohicans”). I asked why the combination and was told that when the powder ignites it lights the coconut shell which creates a good flame to send the pellet at speed into it’s unlucky victim.

After some considerable time ‘Cat the hunter’ came back with his catch. I said, “Only one after all that time?” So they took me out to show me just how difficult it is to catch a rat in the dark, in a rice field. I soon got bored, not having the male patience for hunting, so I spent my time laying on a mat in the middle of the rice field gazing up at a sky heavy with stars, stars like I have never seen before. They looked like thousands of fairy lights draped across the blackness of the night sky; I said it was like Buddha’s Christmas tree.

While my imagination was running wild, I did pause to consider the safety of lying alone in a rice field at midnight, but those stars were worth it. I could have reached out and plucked one from the sky. To make it even better I saw a shooting star and made my wish for the New Year.

In the end everyone got bored and the only rat that had been caught was prepared. This was achieved by yanking out the fir (which looked pretty tough) and periodically it was put in the flames to make it easier, thus creating the most disgusting smell. The head was removed; it was then gutted, opened out and barbecued; the tail remained for the convenience of having something to hang onto while it was eaten. I firmly declined to try this meat but I’m told it resembles no other meat but is delicious. I have to say I found this one of the most disgusting things I had ever seen and decided it was down to my cultural upbringing and our Western views on the rodent rat, even one living in a rice field.

“Cat” proudly presents his catch.

For the remainder of the evening we went to a neighbouring village where they had a very professional show but as all the dancing appeared to be done by the rather worse for wear men and the ladies were nowhere to be seen, I felt a little out of it. We made our way back to the house where the elders of the village were having a karaoke night - the youngsters had all given in and gone to bed.

The next day we set off for home and had an uneventful journey, the roads are constantly being improved and the journey has been reduced by an hour over the last 2 years.

The Deverana Spa and my Donald Duck feet

By Dr. Iain

I must admit I have never been one to indulge in spas. I am not really what you could call a ‘macho’ type, but always considered that it wasn’t ‘manly’ in some sort of strange way. Having spent three hours in the Dusit Resort’s Deverana Spa might just have changed that a little!

At the invitation of Resident Manager Ingo Rไuber, my good lady (MGL) and I descended to the Dusit’s spa area, past the sign that told us that we were entering a quiet zone and please lower our voices, to be met by two delightful ladies who whispered us to our seats. You are seated in an ‘art gallery’ with subdued lighting and the pleasant sound of the Dusit’s Atrium waterfall behind you. At that point, my life changed.

We were offered a drink, hot or cold, with the choices including matoom, which regulates blood pressure I was told, or lemongrass which is good as an anti-flatulent amongst other things or krajeap which stimulates circulation and is good for scratchy throats. Since I have been out of circulation recently, I went for the krajeap, which is slightly sweet like blackcurrant juice and very pleasant.

Our choices of various massages, treatments and indulgences were explained - and importantly, how long they took. The Deverana Spa is not a place for rushing (or loud noises)! As we had decided upon the half hour Luxury Milk and Roses bath (after all, this is the stuff of fairy tales, surely) we looked through the 16 choices of treatments and added the hour and a half Deverana massage item to follow. This, the leaflet promised us, was a combination of techniques including Swedish, Ayurvedic, Aromatherapy, Shiatsu and Thai.

Since aromatic oils are used, you get to choose your own oil as well. With my motor racing background, I naturally looked for Castrol R, but the Deverana Spa is not the place for such anti-environmental pursuits. A pleasant blend of lavender, ylang-ylang, geranium and grapefruit in sweet almond oil was chosen for its energising potential, but there were another three types for the discerning.

Now for the Donald Duck feet. You are asked to remove your shoes and socks and special slippers are provided for you to slip the tootsies into. Being small of foot and the slippers of the ‘One Size Fit All’ variety the end result was Donald Duck, but having gone this far, who cared? I certainly did not. While wiggling the toes, you also fill out a brief medical questionnaire to ensure that you do not have anything that spa treatments could exacerbate, and to give the staff an idea of where you needed help. There was no question asking “Are you short of money?” so all my answers were in the negative, as were MGL’s (I peeked). Formalities over, we made our way to the Grand Suite, over the stepping stones with the water flowing gently underneath, and into our palace for the next two hours.

And what a palace! A central circular bath with sandstone steps leading up to it in the main area, with the massage room off to one side and the changing room, shower and steam room off to the other. We were escorted to the change area where we were shown the little niceties like the box for your jewellery and a pair of boxer shorts for the modest male (which I didn’t bother with, my equipment being the same as 99.9% of all males, no matter how much we might like to lie about it) and a natty paper G-string for MGL. We divested ourselves of the fetters of daily workwear and suitably wrapped in kimono style robes approached the tub.

Milky white warm water with rose petals scattered all over the surface awaited us. We slid beneath the surface and luxuriated, painted our toes with rose petals, made rose petal balls and threw them at each other and otherwise just nestled. By the time the 30 minutes were up we were totally relaxed, and ready for our Deverana massage.

With the ultimate in decorum, our massage ladies positioned us on the towelled tables, wrapped us up in more yellow towels and began the treatment. Hot towels and soothing aromatic oils and soft hands gently massaged away the troubles and cares of the world. I floated off and away, to be gently woken with a request to turn over. I did and the soothing sensations again lulled me away with the fairies. Since it has been reported that I tend to snore, I just hope that I did not shatter the quiet area too much!

Woken again, we were kimono wrapped and returned to the dressing area where I had one of the best showers of my life. The shower head rose was a full 300 mm across, out of which came warm water at a flow rate that would make Niagara Falls seem like a trickle. Living in Jomtien, where the water flow is so poor you chase the individual drops around the shower, this was the final touch of heaven!

Dressed and duck walked back to the reception area, we had another refreshing drink and were given an invitation to write in the visitors’ book. I inscribed therein, “A totally wonderful out-of-body experience.” It is there for you to read, and I meant it. Thank you Ingo and the Deverana Spa for a sensational sensory evening!

Decorum builds kitchens, too!

A new concept now being introduced at Decorum is called “Kitchen Innovation”. However, customers need not innovate because they can order brand new kitchens built to their personal needs and preferences.

One of the new kitchens at the Decorum.

Decorum, the very elegant furniture shop, has been around for a few years. When it first opened some people thought the shop wouldn’t last long because the furniture displayed was out of the ordinary. But they did make it, becoming one of the best furniture shops in the eastern region. Meanwhile, they have attracted costumers from all over Thailand and overseas.

Decorum’s custom-made kitchens allow their customers to make their own choices, no matter which shape, style, or color - just like in Europe. The material used is fiberglass which is pliant, strong and robust, yet elegant. And a German company builds them right here in Thailand.

Georges Razon and Nicholas Michel, the owners of Decorum, are truly proud of their new acquisition, and said “Actually these days kitchen are more than simply utilitarian rooms. It’s the impression that counts when one has guests. They see a beautiful, fantastic kitchen and they like it.”

Beautiful ceramic-metal decorations.

The prices for designer kitchens are flexible, starting at approximately 100,000 baht and up. And customers always get what they ask for. Designer accessories and eye-catching decorations made of ceramic with metal inserts can make a kitchen a unique and beautiful room. The craft of combining ceramic with metal is very difficult and is produced by Italian art students. “We always try to bring something new to our designs. This is our duty towards our customers,” said Georges.

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