When UBC Academy Fantasia debuted on June 21, 2004, Attaphon Na Bangxang wasn't at all sure whether there would ever be a second season.
WORLD BEAT
Bangkok's 3rd "Rhythm of the Earth World Festival: World Musiq & World Bar-B-Q" will be in full swing this evening and through the weekend, at its new venue at CentralWorld. Todd Tongdee and his friends are organising the festival again, having moved from the previous site under Rama IX bridge.
FILM AWARD
Here's a good opportunity for young people in the film industry: The British Council is searching for a talented young Thai entrepreneur to represent Thailand at the International Young Screen Entrepreneur (IYSE) awards in the United Kingdom.
Life goes on, but love doesn't conquer all in Aditya Assarat's feature debut Wonderful Town, a non-studio Thai film that has become a muscular award-winning machine since its premiere in Pusan last October. After a long wait, the film will finally get an exclusive release in Bangkok at SF World Cinema, at CentralWorld, on May 15.
MOVIE Review
Accountants are corporate super-nerds, socially awkward and sexually repressed. At least according to the new thriller Deception they are. "I love the order and symmetry of numbers," says Jonathan, an auditor sent to inspect the books at a Manhattan law firm.
The Orpheus Choir of Bangkok and the Siam Philharmonic present "Opera Without Divas", a concert of opera choruses at the Church of Christ in Thailand on May 24 at 8pm.
Those with a passion for bodybuilding are invited to witness the "HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn's Cup (28th Mr Thailand)" at Bangkok Youth Centre (Thai-Japan), Keerawej 2 Building on May 17-18.
BOOK REVIEW
Octogenarian Yank author Elmore Leonard, with over 40 books to this credit, is still at it. His stories alternate between crime fiction and Western shoot-'em-uppers, more than a few adapted to the screen. No other writer gets down the lingo so well. Having lived through much of the 20th century, he remembers things that seemed important at the time but have long since been forgotten by the vast majority.
BOOK REVIEW
I owe Irish author Maeve Binchy an apology. To be sure every writer who doesn't get rave reviews feels that reviewers owe them at least one as well, yet the fact is that I never gave her a poor evaluation.
STATIONERY
The school break will soon be over and curious students can't wait to pack new stationery and school gadgets in their backpacks.
EATING OUT
There haven't been many times that I've felt like a stranger in my own home. But when I paid a visit to Thon Krueng, a well-loved 26-year-old Thai restaurant where my family have been regulars of its take-away service since the 1980s, there was an odd feeling that hit me and I just had to smile but with my eyebrows raised.
WHY WINE
No one handles the fragile pinot noir better than Burgundy. The great wines of the Cote d'Or and Cote de Nuit have an elegance and complexity that surprises me every time I have a chance to taste such a wine. But this perfection comes at a price due to the combination of small plots, the high cost of production and a strong euro.
EATING OUT
Okinawa, located half way between Kyushu and Taiwan, has its own distinct dialect and culture, but what about the cooking? The thought that Okinawan food might be very different from the fare served in most Bangkok Japanese restaurants is something that Ung-aang Talay had never thought about until a Japanese-speaking friend made intriguing mention of an Okinawan dining room on Sukhumvit Soi 69 where, she said, dishes were served that could not be had anywhere else in town.
THIS IS LIFE
Without his super expensive race suit and his helmet, the person sitting in front of me looked more like a Korean pop idol: slim and good looking with small eyes, trendy curly hairstyle and braces tied with red and green orthodontic rubber bands - the colours of The Pizza Company, the latest addition to his roster of sponsors.
Have you heard the rumours? Well, they're true! The Bangkok Community Theatre (BCT) is back this month with another great evening of dinner theatre. Opening on Thursday, May 22, BCT will stage Neil Simon's hilarious comedy Rumours for six nights at the British Club.
Recognised around the world as a major sponsor of various glass design projects, Bombay Sapphire has continually been supporting the inspirational works of international artists - especially in the glass industry - over the last two decades.
