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“St Andrews Superstars”
Karn Lertchaipattanakul,
Year 8
Friday June 24 marked the end of the beginning of the St
Andrews Performance Arts Department as we held our first fund raising
concert, “St Andrews Superstars”.
As Mr. Andrew Watson stood up to announce the beginning
of the concert, we performers knew it was soon to be our turn to perform.
Before that moment arrived, crowds of spectators were flocking into the
multi-purpose room which had been magically transformed from a great big
space into our venue for the concert! The walls were lined with magical
Afghan carpets in order to absorb the sound.
The spotlight shone onto the stage which revealed where
we would be performing as well as one of the highlights of today: The Yamaha
pianoforte.
 Blue
and Mary Lou
Before going any further, I would like to reveal to you
the main reasons for this concert. The first reason was to celebrate our
musical talents from beginners to advanced levels. And of course,
everyone’s talent will not stay at the same place forever because there is
always room for improvement. It is important to recognise that we all have
to start at the same place in order to become as good as Mozart or Beethoven
so for this concert, we are actually seeing the steps a composer will have
to take before they can become very good. So in this case, we showcased
talents right through from Reception to Year 9. We also showcased the
talents of other musicians in the community by inviting Tim and Wendy Weng
from GIS to play the piano.
Secondly, this concert is to raise awareness of the new
Performing Arts Department in general and music in particular. The
fundraising element of the concert was to raise money to pay for the very
instrument many of us would be playing – the piano.
 Catrine
from Year 5 performed a hilarious version of Elvis’ “You are the devil
in disguise”.
You can imagine how your stomach can churn when it is
your turn to perform, especially when you are the first performer. Gabriel
from Year 3 did extremely well to overcome his feelings and went on to
deliver a superb performance on his recorder. Well done Gabriel for
withstanding the challenge of being first!
In the first half, the variety of pieces and instruments
made the ambience exciting. Jay from Year 3 showcased her talents by putting
on a spectacular performance of Mozart. Then, we witnessed the start of
one’s journey to become an excellent musician with Blue from reception
playing her piece. The first half ended with Tee from Year 4 giving a
performance of “Can’t take my eyes off you.”
Then came the interval. Mr. Frost and our Year 11
students put in a great deal of effort to create their own wines which the
audience was invited to judge and taste. All tasters were advised not to
swallow the wine and to prove it, there was a giant skeleton saying it would
not have gotten to become a skeleton if it hadn’t swallowed the wine! I
hope that’s a joke!
 More
than two glasses impairs judgment!
As part of the Chemistry of Wine project, our Year 11
students had to design labels for the wine as well as to give it a name.
They had to ferment the fruit to make the wine, test its pH (acidity and
alkaline). The candidates’ wines that were tasted were called, “Banana
Paradise”, “Peach Mist”, “Kiwi Heaven” and “Apfel (Apple)
Hock”.
Judging was done by the bravest of the audience and they
had to give points for both the presentation and the taste. In the end,
Steffi’s Banana Paradise won both prizes. The PTG also provided some more
wine, food and drinks. Mr. Frost promised to produce some more wine next
year with more advanced technology!
Superstars
one and all.
The interval ended and people refilled the multi purpose
room for the second half of the concert. Naz from Year 8 put on a very
spectacular dance which she had choreographed. Sinead from Year 9 calmed the
audience with her flute, Jackie taught the audience how good poetry can be
when combined with Mozart by reading 2 poems composed by Emily Dickinson.
Shamayim from Year 8 played Fur Elise beautifully and Catrine from Year 5
performed a hilarious version of Elvis’ “You are the devil in
disguise”. The victim of this performance was Miss Bennet who was accused
of being the devil in disguise! Perhaps, Catrine is Elvis in disguise!
The French trio, Lucie, Margaux and Celine showed the
real French connection by playing beautifully. Mr. Janssens, our special
guest, played Bach on his flute with great skill. Mrs. Marielle Belboech
played a soft gentle piece on the flute and Mr. Watson played the powerful
Israeli anthem Hatikva (The hope).
The show ended with Jodie, Anna and Tanya from Year 7
singing their song. After that, there was a group photograph. This concert
as announced by Mr. Watson, marks the end of the beginning of the St Andrews
new Visual and Performance Arts Department. St Andrews will of course
develop to become the centre of excellence for these subjects. The ‘end’
shall never exist for we can never stop improving ourselves, just like we
can’t learn something new so be prepared for another concert soon!
Thank you to all the audience and the people who made
this lovely evening possible, including Mrs. Belboech, Khun Nok, the
maintenance team, Mrs. Birgit Pahl, the PTG, Khun Seesa-ang and Mr. Frost.
Thank you also to Mr. Muhammad Ali Baba of Afghan Carpet
House (our sponsor) for all the carpets as well as Khun Thavee Kongthongkrai
of Piano House service, Bangkok for bestowing the piano. And lots of thanks
go to Tim and Wendy Weng for their effort into this performance as well as
their support for this evening. And thank you once again for the audience
who realised the importance of a musical concert like this. And of course,
may praise go to our performers for this event as without them, the event
wouldn’t exist just like a fire wouldn’t exist without oxygen! And to
name them, they are: Blue (Reception), Paulina, Paula and Nara (Year 2),
Gabriel, Naomi, Tam, Twanya (Year 3), Malia, Saki, Lizzie, Peace, Tee, Jay
(Year 4), Margaux, Cathrine, (Year 5), Lucie, Tip (Year 6), Robert, Jodie C,
Tanya, Anna (Year 7), Shamayim, Naz, Karn (Year 8), Jackie, Celine, Sinead
(Year 9), Tim, Wendy, Mrs. Marielle and Mr. Alex.
Let’s hope there shall be another musical show like this soon - so be
prepared!
Asian U visits U-Tapao
This week, students and staff from Asian University were privileged to
be able to visit the Thai Airways maintenance facilities at U-Tapao. Over
thirty students were able to see some of the many departments where
maintenance and overhauls are carried out.
Asian U
students learn about Thai Airways maintenance facilities at U-Tapao.
The deputy director of the facility greeted everyone and
gave a brief presentation of the facility. It covers an area of 240,000
square metres, and was opened in 1999. He explained that the hangar has
three maintenance docks, which can accommodate two wide bodied (for example
Boeing 747 or Airbus 310) and one narrow bodied (such as B737 or BAE146)
plane at any one time.
Services provided include capability to repair aircraft
components and accessories inside passenger cabins, which are made out of
sheet metal and fiberglass, such as the gallery, parts used in assembling
passenger seats and other related work. The Aircraft Maintenance Facility
has international certification from Europe, the US and elsewhere, and is
able to conduct major maintenance as defined by C-Check and D-Check.
The current number of employees on the site is just under 600. Thai
Airways has recently introduced a new livery, and the Asian U visitors were
able to see one of the planes that is used for the direct flights to New
York painted in the new colours.
Students
learn about the materials used.
Jesters ‘Caring For Kids’ – More Than Ever Before
Mike Franklin
The organization of the 8th annual Jesters ‘Care for
Kids’ Charity Drive is well ahead for our two fund-raising events in
September, and we cordially invite you to come along to the Jesters
Children’s Fair at the Diana Garden Resort & Driving Range on Sunday
11th, and Pub Night at Jameson’s on Saturday 17th. Last year was
exceptional for our Jesters ‘Care for Kids’ campaign when over 5.1
million baht was raised and, since its inception in 1998, our charity drives
have raised and distributed over 19 million baht to needy children’s
causes, mostly on the Eastern Seaboard.
 Percy
Panda, who has traveled all the way from America courtesy of the US Navy,
was recently seen pulling into Jameson’s on Woody’s Harley.
Our latest letter seeking corporate sponsorship has
brought the total of Platinum Sponsors (donors of 100,000 baht) to 16:
Baltex Industries, BlueScope, The Classroom, Club Nevada, Honourable Golf
Society of Hog’s Breath Masters, Jameson’s Irish Pub, Laem Chabang
International Terminal (LCIT), MBMG International, Mike Koerner, Nirvana
Resorts, Nova Park, Pattaya Mail, Pattaya Sports Club, SCC-Dow Group,
SJ Lake Consulting Services, and Tetra Pak Tubex Inc.
The design for this year’s Jesters ‘Care for Kids’
Event T-shirt will feature a colorful design of a clown juggling 8 balls
with the names of our beneficiaries on the front and the names and logos of
the 16 Platinum Sponsors on the back. The shirts at 300 baht each, or two
for 500 baht, will be available from August 1st for purchase in many sizes
at various outlets in Pattaya, including Jameson’s, Pattaya Mail, Viking
Beachcomber and TQ.
Children
at the Fountain of Life take a mid-day siesta. Since 1998, the Jesters Care
for Kids charity drive has done wonders for this organization.
This year several new beneficiaries have been added to
our ever-growing list, including Rayong and Chonburi Shelters (for abused
children, young unwed mothers), Khao Bai Siri School (includes facilities
for autistic children), Baan Sai Jai Project (new housing construction with
BlueScope for elderly people looking after grandchildren whose parents have
died of AIDS), as well as the escalation of our ‘Next Step’ program,
(providing scholarships for teens and young adults at higher education
levels).
We continue our unwavering support for the Fountain of
Life Center, which provides an invaluable service to the poor kids of the
community, by obtaining birth certificates for those born outside hospitals;
elementary education, medical and dental care and scholarships for entering
government schools.
We also maintain our assistance for the Pattaya
Redemptorist School for the Blind and the Rayong Youth Training Center in
Rayong, where we continue to enhance living necessities and support
educational and vocational programs.
Valuable assistance with the provision of services and
facilities is again being provided by our ‘Charity Drive Partners’.
Namely: Baltex Industries and Christoph Balzli donating the first 450
‘Care for Kids’ 2005 Event T-shirts. Pattaya Mail, thanks to
Peter Malhotra and his team, providing effective weekly press coverage in Pattaya
Mail & Pattaya Blatt with linked televised reports and
interviews broadcast on Pattaya Mail TV through Sophon Cable.
The Diana Garden Resort & Driving Range again
provides the ideal setting for the Jesters Children’s Fair & Family
Day on Sunday September 11th, thanks to the continuing support and
co-operation from Khun Sopin Thappajug and Diana Group management. Finally
Jameson’s, thanks to its energetic landlord, Kim Fletcher, will host the
Jesters Pub Night on Saturday 17th September, to bring the 2005 Jesters
‘Care for Kids’ Charity Drive to a climatic and successful conclusion.
This year, the Jesters Children’s Fair will include
over 60 food and merchandise stalls, a children’s arcade, games, family
entertainment and live bands. The renowned Children’s Raffle, sponsored by
Pattaya Sports Club, will once again offer many valuable prizes and be
hosted this year by the very cuddly ‘Percy Panda’, who has traveled all
the way from America, courtesy of the US Navy.
Six days later on September 17th our Jesters Pub Night
will provide an evening of exciting entertainment with live music, and
feature the Grand Auction with a wide range of ‘lots’, including Tiger
Woods’, Arnold Palmer, Michael Schumacher and Pele signed memorabilia, and
the Grand Raffle with a myriad of valuable prizes including 6 airline
tickets (5 international and one domestic package with hotel.)
To learn more about us, our beneficiaries, projects
under-way and planned for later in the year, and how you can help, please
visit our website: www.care4kids.info
An on-line donation facility is also now available at the
website.
If you would like to help us help the needy children in our community, in
any way, please contact us by e-mail at [email protected]
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