New Year Resolutions 2009

 |  December 26, 2008

January, 2009

Save money, lose weight, get fit, eat healthy, work harder, work fewer hours, be happier, love more, read more, travel lighter…whoever we are, we always seem to need to be better. For most of us much of these self imposed disciplines are gratuitously mumbled and soon forgotten. Perhaps once a year, traditionally, we make a list, fuel our determination, and spend a few days…weeks, or even months trying to attain our lofty goals. Let’s see what a few Chiang Mai residents have to say about the past twelve months and what their resolutions are for 2009.

1. What was your greatest achievement of 2008?
2. What is your resolution for 2009?
3. What is your biggest wish for Chiang Mai in 2009?

Mom Luang Preeyapun Sridhavat

Voted one of Chiang Mai’s Good Personality and Best Dressed of 2008, this elegant dancer, and very busy woman, is also the Honorary Consul for Peru, Owner and Director of the Chiang Mai Ballet Academy, Associate Judge at the Juvenile and Family Court Chiang Mai, and recently a commentator on Channel 3’s Children Singing Academy Contest 2.
1. Receiving the ‘National Woman of the Year _ 2008’ award from the National Council of Women of Thailand. My students receiving several dance awards from international dance competitions (New York, Perth and Singapore).
2. I have been engaged with a lot of work and sleep late at night (after midnight). I will find time to exercise harder for my health and my heart, I will sleep earlier _ hopefully before midnight _ so I can have lower cholesterol.
3. Chiang Mai should become more of a cultural city. I would like to see our beautiful town decorated with flowers, trees, tung banners, and architecture that is in Lanna style. I wish for less traffic and pollution and zoning to preserve old traditional culture. Will my dream come true?

Henry Quick

A charming Brit who luckily retired very early in life (though refuses to give his age, insisting that it depends upon where you look) from his Managing Director role of an export company, is now a private investor, writer and aspiring artist who spends much of his time contemplating his land in Chiang Dao where he has been threatening to build a house for many years.
1. I achieved my 2008 resolution, which was to shed 16 kgs and to reduce my blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels by over 25% each.
2. I closed my heart some years ago, so no surprise that I’m still single. I’ll open it and invite true love back into my life. I’ll also give more.
3. Peace, prosperity and happiness. If I had to pick one, it would be peace. Local politics is in turmoil, economic recession looms and both may be the root of violence.

Melissa Rossi

A best selling, award winning American author who penned Penguin Book’s series ‘What Every American Should Know About…’ Her books include ‘What Every American Should Know About Who’s Really Running America and what you can do about it’; ‘The Middle, East’; ‘Who’s Really Running the World’; ‘Europe and The Rest of the World’.
1. Conquering my fear of heights enough to eat at Vertigo _ the open-air restaurant on the 61st floor of the Banyan Tree Bangkok. It was fantastic, but a psychological ordeal to get there.
2. To fully appreciate the richness of life here and wherever I travel.
3. That women here would quit hitting on my ‘significant other’ when we’re out. Waitresses to stewardesses, their sneaky attempts to slip him their numbers are outrageous and make me despise them! Some Chiang Mai women are fantastic. But the conniving ones taint Thailand for me.

Lamorna Cheeseman

A very confusing (though in no way confused) young lady of 30 who is a British citizen, sounds Australian, and speaks Thai and northern Thai like a native, Lamorna grew up in Chiang Mai and is currently the manager, co-owner and designer of Studio Naenna.
1. Having the family home renovated and made into The Patricia Cheeseman Collection Gallery, a space dedicated to textile art, which is a new concept for art in Thailand.
2. To make amends with time. In the world today we are constantly trying to do things in time, we have lost track of the rhythms of nature, and the capacity of the human mind and body, expecting ourselves to be as fast as the high tech machines that surround us.
3. No more big roads!!!!! That the plans to expand the roads do not get through and the current city plan is implemented and prevents any more high rise buildings.

Tanit Chumsang

This very dynamic and terribly dapper president of the Architects Association of Lanna is also one of the founders of the iconic Good View Restaurant (Chiang Mai and Bangkok) and the successful Maze Cafés.
1. I was honoured to be the president of the Architects Association of Lanna and it has given me the privilege of helping to promote Lanna architecture. I also opened the Khong View Bar and Restaurant in Vientiane (Laos) a restaurant pub which seats 500. I have sustained my businesses through the economic downturn.
2. I wish to conserve the integrity of my current businesses during the hard times and will spend my time making my businesses better for my clients and will work harder and more selflessly for society.
3. I wish that Chiang Mai people will take this opportunity to turn the bad economic times into something positive. I have a new project, ‘Chiang Mai Nam Jai’ (Chiang Mai Kindness/Compassion) for residents and for visitors.