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The Tom and Jerry show at Taverna Pascal
Miss Terry Diner
Forgive some poetic license with the names, it wasn’t Tom and Jerry, but
really was the Tom and Gerry show, celebrating the turning 60 of ESC general
manager Gerry Germanis last week.
 Gerry
and Gail Germanis
Gerry, who thought, with wife Gail being overseas, he could just quietly
slide into the 60’s without people really knowing, had quite a surprise
coming, for behind the scenes were many plotting and arranging a birthday
party of trans-world proportions.
He had many friends in South Africa who wanted to celebrate this event. He
had many friends in Pattaya who also wanted to be present, so many hours of
secret negotiations by email ensued. Secrecy was the name of the game, as
this would make Gerry’s “quiet” birthday something really memorable, and
wife Gail was a principal plotter.
Gerry is a South African of Greek descent (and looks decidedly
“Zorba-like”), so if there was to be a dinner celebration it was going to be
Greek. Enter Pascal and Kim Schnyder, neither of whom could be thought of,
or mistaken as being, Greek, but as supreme professionals were ready to rise
to the occasion, and a complete Greek buffet was the order of the evening at
Casa Pascal. “This was something I just wanted to show I could do,” said
Pascal proudly.
The Pattaya connection was being handled by Tom Coughlan, who had told Gerry
that being 60, they should at least go out and have a beer, and that was
agreed upon. However Tom was in the meantime sending out invitations to the
party to be held at Casa (Taverna) Pascal, and insisted on everyone keeping
quiet and being in the restaurant well before 8 p.m. when Tom would bring
Gerry.
That side went well, Gerry laughing to see all his Pattaya friends waiting
for him. But there was more to come. A birthday cake was wheeled in, with a
white coated service staff member pushing the trolley. Gerry was looking at
the cake when he raised his eyes to find that the “service staff” was
actually his wife Gail. Literally, his mouth fell open in disbelief, and a
tearful embrace ensued.
However, there were even more surprises, as the five-strong South African
contingent then came out from behind the screen to congratulate Gerry as
well. Gail, in a short and emotional address for the party-goers said to
Gerry, “I was with you for your 40th, I was with you for your 50th, did you
think I was going to miss your 60th?” She certainly did not!
Gerry responded by reminding people that Gail had been very ill, and twice
he thought he had lost her. Fortunately he had not, and it was obvious to
all that theirs was a meeting of soul-mates.
And so the evening rolled on, with superb music supplied by Rose and Andre,
with guest appearances by an enormously talented entertainer in
Scottish/Irish/South African Danny Fisher who kept the crowd enthralled and
amused with his impersonations from Benny Hill to Ozzy Osbourne!
Gerry Germanis will not forget his 60th birthday, and neither will any of
the guests. Roll on the 70th! In the meantime, Pascal Schnyder is perfecting
his already excellent souvlaki and melomakarona cookies. And next time it
will feature Retsina, for a genuine Greek hangover!
Housewives help needy students
Samran Edwards, 4th from left,
with head teacher Suchada Wutsiri.
Narisa Nitikarn
A kind housewives’ group has given free lunches and medical kits to students
from Khao Pho Thong School.
Samran Edwards, a leader of the Thai housewives’ club, helped raise 20,000 baht
which enabled the group to provide help for 240 students at Khao Pho Thong
School. They also gave medicine kits to the school to help sick students, as
many parents can’t afford medical bills.
On June 2, four of the kind-hearted women from the Housewives’ Club presented
the medical kits and food to Suchada Wutsiri, head teacher of the school, which
is on Soi Siam Country Club.
Mrs Edwards said her child studies at the school and she wanted to help other
students by raising money and making donations. She and her friends asked for
donations from 52 friends and within a week they had raised 19,350 baht.
This is the first time that the club has organized an activity for the
community, and head teacher Suchada Wutsiri said she was very thankful for the
assistance. She added that the school badly needed the medical help as it has no
budget to buy medicine. Most of the students are from poor families whose
parents are construction workers. They can’t afford to go to hospital so the
medicine kits will help the students get well.
During the lunch break, students enjoyed fried chicken drumsticks, ‘laab gai’
and ice-cream thanks to the Housewives Club.
PCEC members learn the
importance of proper nutrition
Dr Montri talks to the PCEC
about the importance of proper nutrition to properly nourish the brain in
order to fend off such debilitating conditions such as stroke.
The Pattaya City Expats Club (PCEC) meeting on Sunday
July 15th at Henry J. Bean’s consisted of another typically full and varied
morning.
MC Roger Fox was welcomed back after a period of absence and started the
proceedings by welcoming those people who were attending the PCEC for the
first time. He then introduced ‘Hawaii Bob’ who was offering a selection of
250 DVDs for free loan. Hans Stroosnuder confirmed that the next visit to
the driving licence centre was to take place this coming Wednesday 18th July
for those who would like a driving licence.
The Bangkok Hospital Pattaya kindly provides a monthly speaker on important
health related topics and today was no exception. Roger introduced the main
speaker of the morning, Dr Montri Luxuwong, a neuro surgeon at the
hospital’s Neuroscience Centre. The Centre is a leading centre for the
diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with a wide range of neurological
conditions.
The theme of Dr Montri’s talk was the importance of proper nutrition to
properly nourish the brain in order to fend off such debilitating conditions
such as stroke. He explained what was needed to maintain a healthy brain and
the foods where these substances could be found. Also the foods to be
avoided where identified. He summarised that while it was important to
remain aware of these sources the key was to maintain a balanced healthy
diet, not to concentrate on ‘brain foods’, and to take regular exercise.
Harry Sigworth, better known as Sig, then announced the popular club dinner
to take place at the new restaurant, the Asian Moon, at a date to be
announced.
Richard Silverberg, the club’s resident computer expert, introduced a new
feature to the proceedings, that of ‘Web Site of the Week’. This week’s web
site was wikipedia. Richard explained that this was a free encyclopedia
containing a vast amount of information, totaling five million records,
which can be added to or edited by anyone. Richard suggested that each week
an interesting web site would be introduced and discussed. The URL of
wikipedia is www.en.wikipedia.org for the English version.
The regular Open Forum was then underway led by the duo of Bob L’Etoile and
Sig Sigworth. They encouraged any club member who wished to participate as
the main speaker to do so. As always the Open Forum proved to be the usual
lively and entertaining session. For more information regarding not only
PCEC Sunday meetings but also the varied mid week activities, please see the
Community Happenings section of Pattaya Mail or, for more details, visit the
Club’s website at pattayacityexpatsclub.com.
Sattahip SAO teaches children to play musical instruments
The children listen intently
to the anti-drug message.
Patcharapol Panrak
Sattahip Sub-district Administrative Organization has launched a project
with the aim of teaching children to play musical instruments.
 Guitar
is the instrument most children want to learn.
The first session was opened on July 12 by organization chief Pairoj Malakul
na Ayutthaya, with the children gathering in the conference room. Guitar was
the instrument most wanted to learn.
Deputy head of the SSAO Akaradet Noochauy said the idea was to give
underprivileged children the opportunity to learn to play instruments and to
use their time productively and enjoyably, rather than being tempted into
anti-social behavior.
He said there is a considerable narcotics problem in the area, and that by
gathering with the wrong type of young people the children of today could
easily follow in the same direction, using drugs and committing crimes.
Pairoj said it was hoped that many of the youngsters would discover a talent
for making music, and added that one aim is to have a band that can
represent Sattahip District.
Top hairdressers bring their
secrets to Pattaya
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Top Thai hairdressers revealed their secrets to the public during a session
organized at the Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital’s Klaokesa School on July 4 in
cooperation with Pattaya District Office.
 Songphol
Bhuseansaad, chairman of the Eastern Beauticians’ Association brought
together top hairdressers to raise money for an old people’s home in Udon
Thani.
Difso Hair Show 2007 was designed to display world-class hairdressing
techniques and was officially opened by Itthipol Khunplome, chief advisor to
the mayor of Pattaya.
Songphol Bhuseansaad, chairman of the Eastern Beauticians’ Association said
that the Difso Hair Show brought together leading hairdressers such as
Acharn Thanakorn Chuovivat, Acharn Niphon Salem, president of the
Beautician’s Association of Thailand, and Acharn Prasertsak Abakorn from
Beauty Company.
The celebrity hairdressers explained their secrets and techniques to more
than 500 hairdressers and beauticians from Pattaya and the Eastern Region,
who attended the event to improve their professionalism and to increase the
potential of becoming amongst the country’s leading hairdressers in the
future.
Booths were set up at the event selling beauty products, and certificates of
honor were presented to the organizers.
The attendees also donated money to help build homes for the elderly, the
first of which will be built in Udon Thani.
From left: Deputy Mayor
Ronakit Ekasingh, Ittipol Khunplome and Dr Pirat Praditavanich, director of
Bangkok Pattaya Hospital at the Difso Hair Show 2007.
Many techniques were
being taught at the hair show.
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