We are heading into the silly season when schedules are as busy as a traffic policeman’s before payday.
We here at Citylife also have a few exciting events lined up, and since writing about a certain government department that has people waiting in line from 2am – which I really really want to do – will cause me more pain than I am able to absorb, I am going to make this edition the EditorialLite and take this opportunity to make sure that we get our events booked into your calendars before anyone else!
First off we have our upcoming Citylife Wine Crawl (yes, we are living on the edge with this one, after last year’s shameful dilution of the name to the Grape Appreciation Walk following yet another confusing government crackdown on alcohol). This event will be held on the 9th October all around Nimmanhaemin Road. If you love wines and a good night out, this is for you. Teams of two to six can join simply by emailing us, no registration fee involved. You will be asked to go to any – or all – of the 12 partner bars where you will have to buy at least one drink each (orange juice, if you must) and pass a challenge set by each venue. Teams will crawl back to Sangdee Gallery for the 10pm finish. No driving of any kind is allowed!
Our other event, and a far more encompassing and important, one, is the upcoming Citylife Garden Fair which will be held on the 21st of November.
It all started ten years ago in early 2005 when a few of our readers asked to use our then-garden to hold a fundraiser for the victims of the tsunami. It was a resounding success and for the first seven years the fair was held twice a year, each time raising money for between one to three charities. This will be our tenth year!
Five thousand of you turned up to our fair last year where we had over 120 booths selling all sorts of goodies from freshly baked breads to Christmas gifts, arts and crafts to second hand goods. It is a fun day out for the family with numerous volunteer performances by musicians, dancers and singers throughout the day. This year we will be holding our silent as well as live auction again and hopefully we will be able to offer you at least as many prizes and deals as we did last year _ over 550,000 baht’s worth of goods kindly donated by the Chiang Mai community, which raised a total of 220,000 baht for local charities.
So if you want to join us on the day by opening a booth (300 baht), would like to come and perform (we will get you a one day work permit if you need one), are interested in donating anything at all which we can use to raise money (hotel, restaurant, spa vouchers, furniture, jewellery, etc.) or simply come along for some great food, shopping and entertainment, please do so. We are just finalising the two charities which we will donate to this year, but will have all the information available by the time you read this.
Visit us on our web site www.chaingmaicitylife.com for more information or on Facebook at Citylife Wine Crawl ’15 and Citylife Garden Fair ’15.
Citylife this month:
Aydan Stuart talks to three bar and shop owners to see how they have been affected by the government’s latest head-scratchingly frustrating alcohol crackdown. Dustin Covert leaves us this month to return to the United States with two final stories, one an interview with a self-proclaimed social deviant and another taking a look at the great work being done to help Thailand’s autistic children. Cai Chengyi, a student from the National University of Singapore, spent some time in Chiang Mai’s mountains and has written an enlightening piece on the realities of corn farmers. And our young Thai writer Waraporn Jaipon writes her first feature story on a man whose collection of junk has turned so valuable that he was investigated by the National Anti Corruption Commission.
Thank you Dustin, we really enjoyed having you here with us.