What’s Happening?
4th-30th September DRAWING & PAINTING OF DREAMS @ 9 Art Gallery, Chiang Rai 053 719 110 artgallery9@yahoo.com, www.9artgallery.com Features an exhibition of paintings done by Somyod Khamsaeng, Suwit Jaipom, Banjob Putipin and Sujin Suriyanaparuk. The opening will take place on 4th September, 7 p.m. 15th -30th September 60 DAYS AROUND THAILAND EXHIBITION @ Kad Suan Kaew 053 224 444 This photo … Continued
Community Services
Tuesday, September 8th: Alexander Horstmann will talk about his work on religious diversity and coexistence in southern Thailand. The talk will focus on the Manooraa as a ritual cycle between the private and the public. For more information, call 053 117 319. We, Chiang Mai International Group of AA just developed and published a new website. Please visit us at www.chiangmaiinternationalgroupofaa. … Continued
The Chiang Mai Gym Review
So you might have been enjoying the culinary side of Chiang Mai a bit too much – spoiling yourself with too many plates of greasy pad thai and hyper-calorific sticky rice with mango. As you bend over to tie your shoe laces you find yourself panting with exertion; your tummy is beginning to resemble Doi Suthep! Don’t worry about it…there are several places in the city where you can drop the excess … Continued
City Buzz
A combined art gallery and coffee shop. As you nibble on tasty, sweet treats and sip on a freshly brewed coffee, you can enjoy colourful, naturalistic paintings, which are dotted all around the place. The gallery/coffee shop consists of two floors: the actual café is located on the bottom floor, which also contains several paintings. The top floor contains artwork only. This charming place … Continued
City Sport
This is the Chiang Mai community sports page, please feel free to send your sports news, results and any announcements you wish to make to james@chiangmaicitylife.com. [left][/left] This month’s football column is dedicated to the new Prem football academy, which, if you are into the beautiful game, sounds very exciting. The academy starts on the 17th August 2009. They will be using 3 coaches who … Continued
Anti-Age
My forehead bares resemblance to a squeezed grapefruit – “these are muscular lines,” says the doctor. The wrinkled skin around my eyes, or rather the ‘crow’s feet’ are ingrained so deep they collect dust – “these are stress lines,” he continues ruthlessly. My hair is falling out leaving me looking less primal-hunk and more effete English Conservative Party geek – “transplants” the hair doc suggest … Continued
Your Say
Storage Space for Sale: Bang Kwang Prison C’mon Mr. Farrell Sir, 3×3 m of storage space for just 1,000 baht a month. Are things really that much cheaper in Chiang Mai _ you’re joking of course? (Citylife TIT July 2009) Myself and other farang and Nigerians are currently paying 1,500 baht for 1×1 m of storage space to the GM of the Bangkok Hilton here in Nonthaburi. Will the Chiang Mai better busin … Continued
Editorial
It used to be, and it wasn’t long ago, that Thai society was firmly structured. One knew where one stood and with it what prerogatives and limitations one could expect in life. Those fortunate enough to be on the higher levels of this sturdy yet complex structure knew what privileges they were entitled to and those at the bottom, knew what burdens they had to bear. It was clean cut, it was concise … Continued
Surfin’ Lessons
As I write this I have a surgical mask on lest I catch any nasties from my computer! Seriously, the H1N1 epidemic has prompted a media frenzy of misinformation, thank goodness we have the web to set things straight. The World Health Organisation has a frequently updated section at who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/ and a regional SE Asian office that has Thailand specific info at searo.who.int/. Tha … Continued
City Vibes
This is another release on Warp. The rest of this review is actually superfluous because just to mention Warp is to state that this album puts the lizard in the bottle and then smashes the bottle over one’s head whilst shouting “Warp!!!!!” The record label is simply unmatched in the contemporary era. Bibio has produced a wondrous addition to this label with a finely-crafted, diverse album of folk, … Continued
A Retiring Attitude
I recently returned from a short visit to the U.S. During my brief visits back I like to observe the differences between my old home and my new one, just to see if I have made the correct choice of moving here permanently. When I am in Thailand, one of my favourite pastimes is people-watching. I like to count how many men and women who walk by, could be in the super model category (it’s an aesthet … Continued
Cultural Insight
The Chiang Mai Chronicle ends in 1828. Thereafter we hear little of events in the north of Thailand until the 1870s. But they were troubled times with dacoits in the Shan States beyond the Salween and horrific atrocities committed by Chin Haw bandits throughout the lovely and prosperous lands beyond the Mekong and to the north of Luang Prabang, which resulted in many families fleeing to the safer … Continued
This is Thailand
For those of you with any questions regarding Thailand, Thai culture, history, tourism, laws, rules, food, nightlife, sub-cultures, dating; generally anything as long as it is relevant, we have a panel of three experts who will respond to your enquiries. Email: james@chiangmaicitylife.com. 1. I watched a film lately about farang in Thailand – US director I think. Not the staple Thai flick where al … Continued
Interview with Kanyapak (Dj Aom) Maneejak of Chiang Mai Rak 51
Kanyapak (DJ Aom) Maneejak is one of the founders and spokespersons for Rak Chiang Mai 51 (Love Chiang Mai 2008), a group of Chiang Mai ‘red shirts’ loyal to ex Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The group has gained a certain notoriety over the past year or so for being involved in violent incidents, yet remains popular in Chiang Mai, with a reported 60,000 registered members. Citylife asks Kanya … Continued
The Martial Art of Tai Chi Mistress: Julie Hastings
It was a pitch dark-moon night in Guangxi Province, southern China. Julie Hastings and a Spanish colleague were walking home from the town of Yangshou to their small village on the outskirts when they heard the thumping of footsteps rapidly approaching. The two ladies, Hastings soon to be sixty and her friend in her mid thirties, whirled around to see two men clad in black rushing up to attack. “T … Continued
From Waste to Value
Decorate you kid’s room with newspaper furniture, wear a factory waste handbag on your arm when you go out on a shopping spree, or store your dirty clothes in a laundry basket made by surplus rubber from flip flop production! This is what, ‘Chiang Mai Green Product” is trying to convince you is an excellent idea. And it is hard to disagree with them. Researcher from the Social Research Institute a … Continued
Jin Design Scoop
Our clients often raise an eyebrow or two when they hear that we draw our inspiration from philosopher, social scientist and our hero Abraham Maslow, rather than from famous architects such as Peter Zumthor and their brilliant ilk. “What? Why?” It really is simple: Maslow talks of needs and the prioritising of such needs. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs expounds the theory that we have five levels of … Continued
Shaking off Demons in Hang Dong – with Dr.Dr: the spiritual masseuse
It’s been said more than once, and one would have to agree, that here in little old leisurely Lanna a person might succumb to wasting significant parts of his life talking about variations of curry with strangers or staring into bowls of noodle soup listening to bad actresses bawl on the TV. And so, after another evening of plasma screen disenchantment and soap operatic melancholy, it was decided … Continued
From Mud to Beauty
After a few months of working hard, neglecting sleep and stressing too much, it was time to get out of Chiang Mai for a few days – and naturally, cover myself in mud. The motorbikes, the traffic, the cockroach that lives under my bed, these things were getting to me. And what better way to relax than a trip to the sleepy town of Mae Hong Song to pamper myself at a mud spa I had heard good things a … Continued