It is hard to imagine Bangkok's streets without cars. Cars have long been a dream - sometimes a fantasy - an indication of social status, and a necessity in a city where public transport is far from adequate. But there was a time, long ago, when the Thai people had a craze for another kind of vehicle: Bicycle.
IN THE LIMELIGHT
The first commercial bank in Thailand, the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), led by CEO Thailand Willie Tham and CEO Asia Pacific Sandy Flockhart recently hosted "HSBC Thailand's 120th Anniversary Gala Dinner: The Founding of Banking Services in Thailand" to celebrate its 120th anniversary in Thailand and commemorate the establishment of the Thai banking sector, at the Hotel Plaza Athe'ne'e, Bangkok.
EARTH ALERT
As I've always said, global warming is now, and we can't wait for public consensus or government initiatives to start changing our lifestyles to prevent further damage. We each have to start doing our own part to make a difference and if everyone in the world felt the same way, or even half the world's population - all right, I'll settle for 10 per cent - things would gradually improve.
PHOTO BREAK
Our photo break this week is a wonderfully whimsical picture sent in by one of our readers, Margret Anujapad. The picture, which she calls Beautiful Rubbish, really puts a big smile on your face and sets you in a good mood for the rest of the day.
GREEN FINGERS
Douglas Clapperton wants to plant trees of nutritional value on his ocean-front property in Satthahip. "But apart from coconut palms we don't seem to have many options," he writes.
THE PET FILES
This is a story about a rescued soi dog from Bangkok.
PET PROJECTS
As a big party was held at Pinyo Thipsukhum's house several decades ago, something terrible happened to Pinyo and his best friend. Yet, such a shocking event inspired Pinyo to save a lineage of his feathered friend that was teetering to the edge of extinction.
PET PROJECTS
Ploy is a well-mannered female dog. She is already neutered and vaccinated. She is friendly with other dogs and can make a good companion for the elderly.
GADGET GUY
Jetliners out of Bangkok will soon begin carrying their annual loads of Thai students to North America for another school year, and all of them will spend hours in the coming year on the phone back to Thailand.
SAVVY SHOPPER
Listen up, Bangkok girls! If you love to accessorise yourselves uniquely, the recently opened Fiange Boutique on Thong Lor Soi 20, is where to go.
THE PLEASURE OF EATING
It seems to be the fate of the parsley family of herbs to be downgraded as "just a garnish". Pakchee roey nah (garnished with coriander), a saying arising from Thai cooks' habit of sprinkling coriander over every dish, is such a pithy observation. It is used to describe all acts of shallow merit that are high in face-gaining value, and also to expose the glossing over of shoddy acts with a false sheen. In my foolish youthful days, influenced by these negative connotations of coriander garnish, I used to treat this inoffensive greenery with contempt, and would pointedly pick it out and throw it away. It's only when I was well into my cooking career that I began to value the garnishes for the many serviceable roles they play in food presentation and taste enhancement.
POSTSCRIPT
It was about 9am on my day off last week. I sprinted down the stairs - well okay, tottered - and headed for the kitchen in search of that first precious morning cup of tea, a life saver if ever there was one. There was nothing urgent to be done and I contemplated the not unpleasant prospect of lazing away the whole day, not doing much of anything.
