City Buzz
Paak Dang will tickle your taste buds with its famous spicy noodle soup, well acclaimed as one of the most delicious noodles soups in Bangkok, Paak Dang is the only place in Chiang Mai serving this unique dish. Paak Dang also offers a range of Thai and international dishes. This is a great restaurant to take friends and family for a relaxing evening, against the beautiful views across the river Pi … Continued
City Vibes
Artist: Kate Bush Album: 50 Words for Snow Rating: This album marks Kate Bush’s second release of original material in 17 years and reminds us that good things come to those that wait. For those familiar with Bush’s works (and who can’t instantly recall the haunting and hypnotising ‘Wuthering Heights’) there will much to celebrate here. ’50 Words for Snow’ is wintery, delicate and introspective, a … Continued
Chiang Mai on the WWW
In collaboration with Chiang Mai University’s College of Arts, Media and Technology, Citylife has created THE definitive app on and about Chiang Mai. Whooooo! None of this off the shelf design, we have designed a really funky, fun, pretty and informative app which is easy to use and filled with information. Simply go to the app store in iTunes and search for Citylife Chiang Mai to download your ad … Continued
Your Say
A Cautionary Tale I read your article Handsome Men and Invisible Women with interest. I am an independent 73 year old Canadian expat living in Chiang Mai. I mean this article with no disrespect, malice or rudeness but where would one contact a ‘sie lie’ lady? [Ed. Citylife article Handsome Men Invisible Women, November 2011] I would like a young lady to come and dally for a couple of hours and the … Continued
The Life of Wine
One of the most intimidating areas of wine for many – but unfortunately useful for those working in the trade for conveying, well, what a wine tastes like – is the terminology. I say intimidating, because that’s usually how people feel about things they don’t properly understand – a bit like T.S. Eliot poems, or trouser presses. Other words that might be used are ‘pretentious’, ‘annoying’ and ‘poi … Continued
This is Thailand
1. I thought there was supposed to be fewer mosquitoes in the Thai winter time? Anyway, I still seem to be getting attacked by them, are there any remedies or methods of prevention you can recommend? Grace: Mosquitoes are one of the most annoying insect pests on this earth, and unfortunately the winter does not kill them off. The mozzies are still around, though perhaps slightly less in number. Mo … Continued
Out in The City
2012 is here. All the doomsayers are drumming their fingers, full of anticipation. The Mayan calendar runs out of steam on December 21st. Runes have been cast; tealeaves and seaweed have been read and the green movement issue dire warnings of ‘the tipping point’ having been reached. All those placard-bearing souls are hoping that they will soon be vindicated and that the end really is nigh. The Di … Continued
City Women
A New Year and with it comes a new beginning for many people – not to mention all those resolutions to break! I love the countdown to a new year, so much excitement and no one knowing what it will bring. But, I decided a long time ago never to make any resolutions that I would break as all I ended up with was a whole lot of guilt. I was always back smoking by the 2nd January, putting joining the g … Continued
Notes from Joe’s Kitchen
People seem to enjoy proselytising for pasta and noodles – everyone has a favourite. I know of two Japanese noodle movies and one Italian pasta movie. The plots usually involve a search for noodle/pasta perfection. This month, I begin a search for the best khao soy, Chiang Mai’s ubiquitous noodle dish. Khao soy is a delicious curry soup. However, to call khao soy a curry soup is like describing a … Continued
What’s Happening?
ARTS & EXHIBITIONS Now – 11th January VERNISSAGE – NORDIC LIGHT @ Dokmai Garden, Hang Dong info@dokmaigarden.co.th Norwegian artist Erik Ask will display his paintings at Dokmai Garden. The exhibition is open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesdays to Sundays. Free entrance. Now – 2nd February INTERNATIONAL ARTIST: PAINTING EXHIBITION @ Tita Gallery 053 298 373 Internationally renowned artist Thep Tavonsouk … Continued
Clients’ Spot
The Imperial Mae Ping Hotel is as popular as ever, and has a few new additions. ‘The Chang Garden’, has been revamped and now offers Mexican grilled chicken, smoked sausages, and of course, a bit of delicious som tam. It’s now open from 5.30 p.m. – 12 a.m. every night, and there is always live music as well as big screen TV. We also recommend you try their lunchtime and dinner dim sum buffet at th … Continued
Community Services
01 Informal Northern Thai Group Tuesday, 17th January: ‘Getting Real about Food in the World: Food Security and Small Farmers’ by Professor Lindsay Falvey, FTSE, Former Dean of Land and Food and Chair of Agriculture, University of Melbourne, Australia. For further information, please call 053 117 319 or email gabaudel@loxinfo.co.th. 02 Nicotine Anonymous Want to stop smoking? It works! Meetings on … Continued
Hear it, See it, Speak up! Combating Corruption
If you even vaguely follow Thai politics, you would have heard of the National Anti Corruption Commission (NACC). What with its monumental case a few years back against ex Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s hidden assets, its ponderous pursuit of the ex Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Juthamas Siriwan’s under the table deal with Hollywood, and most recently, its attempt to wangle the case … Continued
Crackers Anyone?
“What did your last slave die of?” I asked Mrs. D as she told me to go and get the mop and bucket from the outside cupboard. “Disobedience” she said in an icy tone. Fair enough and so I got the aforementioned items and set about helping to clear up the bottle of red wine that I had spilt on the tiled dining room floor. The lab was busily lapping it up by the time I got back. And so was the poodle. … Continued
Spirituality beyond Mae Chaem
After a dizzying ascent into the clouds shrouding Doi Inthanon mountain, we took a sharp left and dived hood-first into the Mae Chaem valley; crawling around hairpin bends, slicing through plush greeneries and drinking in heart-stirring views. Mae Chaem is charming; a one-karaoke-bar town with beautiful temples, some lovingly restored by our personal guide for the journey, Ajarn Vithi Phanichphant … Continued
An Illustrated Guide to a Possible Future
If the world doesn’t end December 21st 2012 we will have to get on with our lives. Some interpretations of the Mayan calendar have said ‘the end’ means not destruction in a literal sense, but in a figurative sense, meaning we will start a ‘New Age’. If that’s true, we might wonder what new age is ahead of us. The ancients could not imagine how we live now, so can we imagine the future of the world … Continued
Citylife’s things to do before you die
Citylife’s things to do before you die: Everyone we know, and your good self, will be brown bread (dead) come December this year. So we have devised a ‘bucket list’ of things you might do before the world ends. Go into Space. Space Tourism: So far there have been only seven space tourists who have visited the International Space Station. It’s thought they paid about 30 million dollars each. You mi … Continued
The Last Supper
If you knew you could only have one last meal, what would you have? We ask some of our city’s finest chefs what they would make for their last supper? Marisa Agrasut Thai/Chinese/British – part-owner of Café Compassion Last Meal: Veggie Burger for main course and banana bread ice-cream sandwich with butterscotch sauce for dessert. How to make it? For the veggie burger get some mushrooms, some TVP … Continued
Citylife’s Annual chat with the Lord Mayor
Tassanai Buranupakorn the Lord Mayor of Chiang Mai is known for his youthful good looks and a landslide victory into power, though governing the city has never been an easy ride. Mayor Tassanai admits the central government dominates laws and policies in Chiang Mai, and usually get the final say. He believes in self-reliance and setting achievable goals to be completed using discipline. In this in … Continued
Editorial
Is this the beginning of the end? End of world scenarios have haunted and entertained us for centuries. Hedonistic bucket lists elbow one another for ‘ultimate’ titles on the internet. Cult leaders stuff offshore accounts with donations desperately made to secure those cushy afterlives, as do gooders over-filleth their cups with karma credits. Magazines such as ours get great mileage by sensationa … Continued