It is common for visitors to hesitate when asked to guess which of the two yellow buildings - both standing on a large compound at the end of the narrow Sukhothai Soi 6 - is the actual Varitchaves Mansion.
IN THE LIMELIGHT
It was a night full of glitter - and laughter - at the Aksra Theatre last Wednesday as jewellery designer and entrepreneur Chuchai Chairitthilert brought out big names in the entertainment industry to showcase his new line of work.
GREEN FINGERS
I was surprised at the overwhelming response to the articles on Moringa oleifera (drumstick tree, horseradish tree, or marum in Thai) in "Green Fingers" of June 1 and 8. Several readers sent emails to give testimonies, share their knowledge or ask questions about this wonderful tree.
EARTH ALERT
Protecting forests is an important carbon storing initiative. Forests also protect wildlife and provide homes, food and livelihoods for the people who live in them.
PHOTO BREAK
Our "Photo Break" today comes from one of our readers who has digitally enhanced the picture to get a really beautiful and striking effect as well as unusual colours.
THE PET FILES
As Parichatr Kaemsuwan packed the car for the day's outing, she found that the luggage of Golden, her one-year-old golden retriever, was bigger than hers. But she couldn't remove any of the essential items.
PET PROJECTS
Sang is a two-year-old female cat. She is looking for a new house since her former owner just died. Now she is in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. Sang is already vaccinated. She is polite and well mannered.
PET PROJECTS
When Tanongsak Niemprem, Kritsada Pienpermpat and Dr Chatchawan Silpakit joined a two-day search and rescue rally recently, they did it for their dogs, not for themselves.
SAVVY SHOPPER
Like every summer, fruit stalls are filled with vibrant colours - green durians, red sweet rambutans and deep-purple mangosteens. If the durian is known as the "King of Fruits" then the mangosteen should be dubbed the "Queen of Fruits". To keep a balanced diet, the light sweet flesh of mangosteen is recommended. Though the white interior may satisfy eaters' taste buds, it is the dark-purple rind that contains most of the fruit's nutritional benefits. The main element is xanthones, a powerful anti-oxidant, which is believed to strengthen the immune system, neutralise free radicals that cause ageing, maintain intestinal health, assist cartilage and joint functioning and regulate the respiratory system, among other things.
PAGE TURNERS
In a foreword to Marc Hom's Portraits, written by Lauren Bacall, the acting legend expressed she "had a hard time" trying to choose her images taken by Hom.
THE PLEASURE OF EATING
It is always gratifying to realise that you have done something just at the right time. I retired from the rat race when the skyline of Bangkok began to resemble a pin cushion, with ever taller buildings jabbing down into the uneven surfaces. It meant a world of vertical existence and elevator (lift) dependence. It did not mar my fascination with skyscraper architecture, but it brought home a new recognition that my awe and admiration were only very detached, that of looking at it and not of living in it. To stand in front of a bank of elevators in a busy office highrise, eying the crowd surreptitiously while angling for a better position to insert yourself as fast as possible into an impatiently awaited car is, to me, a very demeaning act.
POSTSCRIPT
There has been some entertaining correspondence in the letters section of the Bangkok Post during the past week about a most unlikely topic - sunsets. What prompted the debate was a letter complaining about condos advertising watching sunsets over the sea in Cha-am, saying this was incorrect as the coastline at Cha-am faces East. A subsequent letter took issue with this, but as other correspondents have since pointed out, the key words in the original letter were "over the sea". I've been fortunate enough to witness several sunsets in Cha-am and the sun always disappears behind the mountains close to the border with Burma. Anyone who sees the sun sink over the sea in Ch-am must have consumed a few too many sundowners.
