Nai Em, star achiever of our ‘Next Step Program’

Two fabulous flights of fancy at La Dolce Vita

Youth campers plant trees

Nai Em, star achiever of our ‘Next Step Program’

Lewis Underwood
If only Mike Franklin could see Em now! Em was a favorite of Mike’s and for the rest of us, as he was our star pupil determined to achieve greatness. Em followed through recently when he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Technology Rachamongkul in Nakon Pathom.

Em in 1999, shown here in the old Fountain of Life Center.
It is a fantastic result on its own, but even more so given the fact that Em is our very first candidate to go from the Fountain of Life Center up and through university. And Em did it with his sheer determination fueled by his unerring desire to succeed.
We now hope that he will serve as an inspiration for scores of others who are also trying to rise up from humble beginnings.
Nai Em, now 24, came to the Fountain of Life Center when he was 12 years old from a broken family, poor and nowhere else to turn. The Sisters took him in and got him back into his learning process and pursuing his dreams.

Em with George and Golf, two up and coming candidates who will hopefully go the same way.
Coincidently enough, his admission into the Center was about the time that the Jesters Care for Kids came into existence in 1998. In fact, the Fountain of Life Center and helping kids like Em was the very reason we came into existence.
Em wrote this letter back in 2003:
“My Name is Komsan Muengkaew, my nick name Em.
I was born on the 10th August 1985, in Chantaburi Province.
I came to Fountain of Life in 1997, when I was 12 years old. At that time the Center was opposite Regent Marina Hotel. My mother died on 18th April 2001 and in 2002 my father passed away. Since then the Sisters at the Fountain of Life take care of me.
Now I am working and studying. I am working in a garage and I live there with other workers. I work from 8.00am-5.00pm. After that I go to study from 5.50pm-10.00pm, from Monday to Saturday. I am studying Technical Engineering in Aksorn Technology School, Pattaya.
My dream! I would like to study as much as I can. I would like to get a University Degree so that I can get a good job. I would like to open a garage and do car repair. I would like to be a good example for the children of Fountain of Life. Thank You.”
Em has certainly been a good example, in fact an exemplary one, especially for kids who previously could only dream of such achievements.
Our ‘Next Step Program’ provides special scholarships for kids and young adults who want to continue their studies into secondary and beyond. We believe this is the best way to give promising individuals better options in life and open more doors to a brighter future.
As a graduation present, we gave Em the blue Isuzu bus the Jesters donated to the Fountain of Life back in 1998 that he liked so much. This vehicle transported kids back and forth from the Center for 10 years. Em always lauded the attributes of this particular model and told us the engine was known for longevity.
The day we took the photos at the Center was memorable. Em came driving up decked out in his graduation robes in the shiny blue bus looking as good as ever and sounding like a well-tuned machine.
We wished Mike could have to have been there for that moment too as this vehicle was the very same one he used when he staged his masterpiece, ‘A Day at the Fountain of Life Center’ in 2007. Still we like to believe that Mike was there too, beaming with pride just like the rest of us.
Well done, Em!
If you would like to help others following in Em’s footsteps, please join our Jesters Care for Kids 2009 and check out our website: www.care4kids.info.

Em, shown here with Sister Joan, Woody, and Sister Jemjit, came driving up decked out in his graduation robes in the shiny blue bus looking as good as ever and sounding like a well-tuned machine.

Two fabulous flights of fancy at La Dolce Vita

Paolo Nota
“Two Fabulous Flights of Fancy” marks the return of Caravan Theatre to children’s theatre. Last May saw their first production for adults in Bangkok: the enormously successful “Xpat Blue”, an original dinner-theatre, dramatic cabaret about life as an expat here in Thailand. The show, written and performed by 8 actors, musicians, writers and singers, won critical acclaim for its clever fusion of satire, song and dance, and dramatic monologue.

Before that show, it was “Alice in Wonderland”, which put 50 children aged 5 to 18 years on stage in a theatre-school production which mentored professional theatre practitioners with the youth, who explored the ins and outs of acting, costume and set design, make-up and the other technical aspects of play production.
Caravan’s first show in Thailand, back in 2006, was the world-premiere of “The Adventures of Frog and Toad”, performed by 2 actors and a puppeteer and based upon the popular series of children’s books by Arnold Lobel.
On what does France base her choice, from year to year, of Caravan’s next production? “Well, to be frank,” France admits, “there’s no thought of what will sell, or what the audience would want... I simply decide that there’s a certain theatrical style I’d like to explore, or a particular person I want to work with, and presto! A project is born!”
With “Two Fabulous Flights of Fancy” that theatrical style was dramatic poetry. “The challenges of bringing poetry to life on stage are immense,” explains France. “One actor plays many roles and voices, with little or no costume changes to help in the differentiation of each from the other.”
“It needs to be a seamless but clear transformation from one character to the next, from one locale to the next,” agrees Guerin, who stresses that keeping the transformations on stage, in full view of the audience, adds to the magic of the theatrical experience.
Another element France wanted to explore was found puppetry, a style of puppeteering in which ordinary objects can be combined or handled creatively to create unusual, and non-traditional puppets. “In my show, a can opener, a comb and a grey blanket are quickly transformed into a wolf, for whom I provide the voice,” says France.
In Guerin’s piece, scarves and bits of material morph into animals, rainbows and people... a tug here, a tweak there and a character is born! Guerin expands, “With found puppetry there’s a kind of magic: anything has the potential to become something else... with just a dash of imagination and some clever handling!”
“It’s the theatrical side of theatre!” France says and laughs.
“Two Fabulous Flights of Fancy” will be performed Sunday May 24 at 1:30 p.m. and at 6:00 p.m. at La Dolce Vita - Italian Cuisine, Soi 18 Wong Amat, Naklua. Tickets are available by calling 038 488 838 or emailing info @ladolcevitapattaya.com. Tickets cost 899 baht for adults and 499 baht for children, inclusive of a rich buffet for adults and children. 10% group discounts apply to groups of 10 or more. Due to the advanced nature of the poetic language, this show is recommended for ages 7 to young teens.

Youth campers plant trees

Children, nieces and nephews of government officials take part planting trees.

Patcharapol Panrak
General Sathien Permthonginn, commander of Army Development, assigned General Prasit Onnchuay, deputy director of Army Development, to take 70 youths on a camping trip to plant trees around Mah Jo hills near Samaesarn Bay in Sattahip on April 29.
Lieutenant Commander Jumrong Pooleun, an expert speaker, gave a welcome speech.
General Prasit said that the Army Development Unit at the Thai Naval Base had organized a camp for children, nieces and nephews of government officers to take part in a beneficial activity during their summer holidays in planting trees for our environment and doing good deeds for society.
This also promotes cooperation among the youngsters while they plant the 200 trees and clean up garbage along beaches. They also had a chance to see the beautiful local landscape as well as go snorkeling to see coral reefs.

The youths gain some valuable insight from high ranking officers.

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