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St Andrews choir works with an Australian conductor at a recent choral festival in Bangkok
Learning to barn dance.
Jade and Nicole, Year 9
Recently students from St Andrews School, Green Valley
travelled to Bangkok to participate with Harrow, St. Andrews Bangkok, Patana
and of course us in the Bangkok U14s choral festival. The choir was very
fortunate to have the conductor Miss Reka who flew all the way from
Australia to work with us. We had to learn these songs: Gaudete; Marvelous
house wife; If all the skies…; Old Abram Brown; April Fools; Spring is…; and
some warm up songs.
During the event we weren’t constantly singing as we also
had to do some activities. One of them involved some barn dancing because on
one night we all had to dance at the mass barn dance. It was great fun!
On our last day in Bangkok we performed in the theatre at
Bangkok Patana School - it was a full house - parents and teachers of the
choir members from each school came to hear us sing our songs and watch some
videos of our few days at Bangkok Patana. The performance was amazing. We
all couldn’t stop smiling backstage in the green room after the show. What
an amazing experience. We would like to thank all the teachers that were
involved in our visit and a huge thanks to Miss Reka who was definitely one
of the best conductors ever!
Students who attended the
choral festival.
St Andrews students sing in
the final performance of the choral festival.
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Ric O’Barry and The Cove Presentation
Interview with Ric O’Barry,
Dr. Virachai Techavijit and Mr. Mike Walton.
Emily Kay
Love Wildlife, ACRES of Singapore and Goldfish PLC, the
Regent’s School of Pattaya’s student enterprise displayed their wide array
of merchandise as dozens strolled in to the Globe Theatre for an evening of
excitement, heartache and activism. Ric O’Barry, the trainer of Flipper the
dolphin and the star of the movie-documentary, ‘The Cove’, through the
combined organisation of the Love Wildlife Foundation and Earth Island
Institute, was to give staff, students and the public of Pattaya an evening
they would not forget for a very long time.
The presentation began with a harrowing showing of ‘The
Cove’, a movie that will move the coldest of hearts. Many tears were shed
but the beauty of the movie is that it is not all about sadness. Through the
efforts of Ric O’Barry and his activist team they have brought to light a
darkened corner of a tiny fishing village in Japan, Taiji. After opening the
eyes of those that want to see what happens in ‘The Cove’, many people have
stood up and spoken out.
Fyona thanking Ric for an
amazing presentation to staff, students and parents of the Regent’s School.
As the movie drew to its dramatic end with the climactic
score echoing in the background of the theatre, Ric was welcomed to an
extremely well-deserved standing ovation. He clearly answered the abundance
of questions asked of him by students ranging from primary school to the
sixth form students in secondary, to staff and parents. Asked such questions
as, ‘Do you agree with dolphin breeding for captivity?’ ‘What were
Seaworld’s reactions to ‘The Cove’?’ and, ‘Why did you spend ten years
training dolphins to now be dedicating your life to saving them?’ Ric was
unfettered and detailed in his answers. The Questions and Answers session
ended on what Ric stated to be his favourite question of the evening, ‘What
can I do to help?’ A question that was asked by many in the audience.
After presenting the school with his book, and Nancy from
Love Wildlife giving the school a copy of ‘The Cove’, Ric spent the next
forty-five minutes signing autographs and taking his time to answer
individual’s more in-depth, personal questions. Each person in that theatre
left having learnt something new, sad and yet they were explicably left with
a desire to make a difference and spread the word.
For me, having asked Ric, ‘Do you ever feel like you are
fighting a losing battle?’ his answer was the simplest and most obvious of
all, and one of which I had not yet thought about. ‘It isn’t about winning.’
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Light-footed Aastha wins award
Launching of the Save the Sea and Free Dolphins Project.
Mark Beales
Primary student Aastha Sawarkar has received an
Honours Trophy for her ballet dancing skills.
Aastha, a student at Garden International School in
Ban Chang, Rayong, came top of her class at an awards ceremony on
October 9, which included a performance of Swan Lake.
Ballet star Aastha
Sawarkar.
The trophy was awarded to her by Mayor Itthiphol
Kunplome after Aastha danced in a performance of Swan Lake at the
Tiffany Theatre in Pattaya. Aastha is a member of the Dance Studio
Pattaya, which performed the famous ballet in honour of HM the King’s
forthcoming 84th birthday.
Aastha is in Y3T at Garden and her class teacher is
Miss Tina. She has been learning ballet since 2010 at the Dance Studio
School in Pattaya. Aastha started from Pre-Primary Ballet in 2010 and
was then promoted to Primary. She then took her ballet exam for Primary
in June 2011 at the Dance School, where she topped her group with a
distinction.
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Helping others is a great experience
Cooking Thai food for the masses can be
quite dangerous.
Ulrich Werner
After leaving Asian University almost in the middle
of the night, students and staff were quite groggy when meeting with
TV3’s host Siripoon Nattapan and her team at 6 a.m. in Bangkok to
prepare for helping the flood victims on Thammasat University’s Rangsit
Campus, and with Kong Roi Num Wan, a group of women police officers, who
organized the transport.
“I was like very lifeless until I arrived at
Thammasat Rangsit and saw all the refugees who suffered from flood. I
felt vigorous and wanted to help those people,” said Asama Kittimanont,
a second year Multimedia Design student. “Each volunteer had different
duties. I was responsible for taking care of kids. My main work was
telling them stories.”
Groggy at the end of a
long day - but happy and proud to be Thais.
“We started with dividing into 4 groups: taking care
of the children, helping to carry things, giving out the medicines, and
giving Thai massages. We spent our time with those people and helped
them; it was very nice to see Thai people helping each other. We did
everything that we could do. We saw the value of life on this day and
were very proud to be Thai,” reported Chakrit Jedsadavisuit , president
of the First Year Students at Asian U.
San Wannasri, the president of Asian U’s Student
Union, summarized the experience of all students and staff when he said,
“I have understood the real feeling of those flooded victims, I have
realized how much they suffered. I agree that my friends and I were
really tired at the end of the day but, again, thinking of those people,
they are having a much harder time than us. For me, I have learnt to be
a giver.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the
president of Asian University, Dr. Viphandh Roengpithya as well as the
staff here for supporting us. Last but not least, a real big thanks to
the Thai people that are always there for each other, no matter how
severe the situation is,” San Wannasri added.
Asama Kittimanont agreed, “I have obviously seen the
spirits of Thai people who are always stay beside each other.”
What might the kids learn
from a Student Union’s President?
A TV interview with the
president of the Student Union in the center of help.
Asian U students ready to
work at the Thammasat Rangsit Stadium.
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Haven Hotel hosts pool
party for Ban Jing Jai
Children are having a
great time enjoying the pool.
Manoon Makpol
More than 80 children from the Bang Jing Jai
orphanage hit the pool at the Haven Hotel, which is assisting the
shelter in securing a new home.
Hotel owners Stephen and Lamyai Beard hosted the Oct.
16 pool party for 84 orphans, supervised by Piangta Chuamnoi, and
supplied all the kids with a healthy meal.
Ban Jing Jai, which currently rents its Pattaya
facility, is seeking 15 million baht to build a new orphanage in Nong
Plalai. The Haven owners have so far donated 1 million baht. They are
concerned funds are not coming as fast as hoped and that rent on the
three homes has increased, putting more pressure on orphanage
management.
Founded in 1997, Ban Jing Jai announced plans in
March to relocate its infants, children and teens from three rented
houses to 4.3 rai of land off Highway 7 near Regent’s School that will
offer two, 1,350 sq. meter homes funded through donations and loans.
Each of the houses would be able to accommodate 40
children and teens, as well as 20 infants and toddlers. The designs,
drawn up by a sponsoring architectural firm for free, call for nursing,
music, art, and recreation rooms, a kitchen, administration office,
playground, and garden. Those wishing to donate can call 084-614-4389 or
visit the Baan Jing Jai shelter at 82/1 Moo 6 Nongprue, Banglamung,
Chonburi; contact Mrs. Piangta Chuamnoi (Kru Ta), manager of Baan Jing
Jai.
Stephen Beard (center,
back) brings the children together for a group photo.
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Bangkok flood victims
arrive in Pattaya
Safe and dry, the young
flood victims from Bangkok.
Derek Franklin
When government officers in north Bangkok gave the
warning to evacuate their orphanage, fifty young children and their
carers had nowhere to go. They thought the flood water would be just a
few centimeters in depth, but were informed that it could be as high as
two meters.
On hearing of the plight of these young children,
Suppachai Sathirasilpin, director of the Father Ray Children’s Home,
picked up the phone and invited them all to Pattaya.
After throwing as much food, water, clothing and
bedding as they could in the back of a pick-up, the youngsters then
climbed on board their coach and traveled to Pattaya.
The young orphans are enjoying their time at the
Father Ray Children’s Home. They are making new friends, learning to
take care of the fish and chickens and grow vegetables. There is plenty
of space to ride bikes, climb the trees, play soccer and watch TV on a
big screen.
But as the children are having fun their carers worry
about what will be left once the water has drained away. Will they have
a home, how much will repairs cost and will they ever be able to replace
what is lost? No one knows what condition their home will be when they
return to Bangkok, but until that time they have a new home in Pattaya
for as long as they need one.
For almost four decades the Father Ray Foundation has
opened its doors to children who need help, and it continues to stand by
its mission that ‘we never turn a needy child away’.
More information can be found at www.fr-ray.org or
email [email protected]
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