1. PEOPLE
LIFE TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2011 Bangkok Post 8
M
SOCIAL SCENE
DONORS THANKED: Professor Dr Rajata Rajatanavin, president of the Ramathibodi
Foundation and dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, held a
congratulatory party for guests who received the 2011 ‘‘giving and sharing’’ Royal
Decorations for their continuous support, at the grand ballroom, Shangri-La Hotel,
Bangkok recently. From left: Prasert and Suphunnee Prasertvanich, Nitaya
Vongsrirungruang, Professor Dr Rajata Rajatanavin, Swang Vongsrirungruang, Ampa
Pankesa and Professor Dr Suwanna Ruangkanchanasetr.
Send pictures to life.social@bangkokpost.co.th
MUMS’ CELEBRATION: Supatra Chirathivat (6th left), senior vice president corporate
affairs & social responsibilities of Centara Hotels & Resorts recently held special activity
‘‘My Mum, My cupcake’’ involving celebrities and their children to celebrate Mother’s Day
at Zing Bakery Shop, Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld. From
left: Suparus Bunkrongsap, Chalisa Bunkrongsap, Sasipreeya Chirathivat, Salisa
Chirathivat, Chanadda Chirathivat, Supatra Chirathivat, Viphavee Khoman with her
daughter Vorada Khoman, Vajee Kaljaruek and Nattaporn Kaljaruek.
MUSICAL LAUNCH: Kriengkarn Kanjanaphokin, co-chief executive of Index Creative
Village PLC. launched Ruk Ter Sa Mer The Musical, a musical featuring 30 all-time-
favourite Thai love songs by Nittipong Hornang, held at the Index Creative Village. The
musical will be performed from the October 28 until November 4 at The Meeting Hall,
Center of Thai Culture. From left: Parn VieTrio, Pichaya Nitipaisakul, Patcha Anake-ayuwat,
Nittipong Hornang, Mr Kriengkarn, Peerapat Thanewong, Titima Sootsontorn and Mac
Veeronant.
ASTROLOGY SEMINAR: Sakulthai Magazine led by editor Nareepop Sawatdirak recently
hosted a luncheon to discuss the seminar on ‘‘Chantra Yatra, Hot politics, Overlap
Astrology’’ at the Lin Fa Chinese Restaurant, Siam City Hotel. Seated from left are:
astrologer Kallayoke, National Artist Krisna Asokesin and Thavorn Suwan. Standing from
left are: Pichamon Chaidaroon, Nareepop, Panatda Lertlam-umpai, Varaporn
Songsermsawat and Kanokpan Sunthornkamolwat.
BOOK RECEPTION: A coffee table book titled King Chulalongkorn’s Centenary Memorial,
published by The Post Publishing PCL and a project of Thailand’s leading historian
Krairoek Nana (4th from left), was recently launched following a panel discussion and
cocktail reception in the Regency Room of Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok. Pictured from left
are: ML Dhanavisuth Visuthi, EVP, marketing & circulation of Post Publishing; Vasu
Sangsingkaew, a diplomat; Supakorn Vejjajiva, COO, Post Publishing; Krairoek; Ongorn Na
Ayuthaya, FEVP, division head, corporate communications division, Siam Commercial
Bank PCL; and Kridsada Paiwan.
SMALLPEOPLE
WAITING IN THE WINGS
 STORY & PHOTO: PATARAPHAND CHIRATHIVAT
Thispicturerepresentsthelongestbutbestweekof
mylife.Igotinvolvedinamusicalplaycalled Intothe
Woods,whichfeaturedthefourspectacularstoriesof
Cinderella,Rapunzel,LittleRedRidingHood and Jack
andtheBeanstalk.
Thefourtalesweretiedtogetherbyanoriginalstory
involvingabakerandhiswifewho,afterbeingcursed
byawitch,couldnothaveachild.Inorderforthem
tohaveachild,thewitchwouldneedfouringredients:
‘‘thecowaswhiteasmilk,thecapeasredasblood,
thehairasyellowascorn,andtheslipperaspureas
gold’’.Soyouseehowallthecharactersfromthefour
storiescametogether:Thebakerneededanitemfrom
themaincharacterofeachstory.
About30studentswiththecouragetobeonstage
participatedintheshow.Wehadarehearsalevery
weekdayforthreemonths.Studentshadtomemorise
theirparts,anditwasamusicalplay,whichstrainedthe
maincharacterbecausetheshowranfortwo-and-a-half
hours.
Studentsoftentookabreakbackstage,allowingthem
torestbeforeanotherlongrehearsallikethisstudent
onherfavouritetable,whileotherswerechattingabout
theirdailylivesatschool.
Wespentsomuchtimetogetherinthetheatreduring
thatperiod,itbroughtusveryclosetogetherandledus
tofeellikepartofafamilythattrustseachotherand
helpseachotherwhenevertheyencountertrouble.
West Coast girls are just too hip
DEAR ABBY
ABIGAIL VAN BUREN
DearAbby:Icomefromaforeigncountry
andliveasalegalalieninSanFrancisco.
IgrewupreadinggreatAmericanauthors,
watching AmericanTV andHollywood
movies, soI thoughtI hada goodun-
derstandingaboutWesternsocietalstruc-
ture. I’vemade manyfriends inthis
greatcity,butthewomendrivemecrazy.
Iam aromantic atheart, butnot
desperate. However,my gesturesare
often misunderstood.One timeI gavea
feminist/radicalgirl abook aboutthe
feministmovementandshefreakedout.
Shesaidshewasn’tlookingforanything
serious anddidn’t wantme toexpect
anythingfrom her.Abby, itwas justa
book, nota diamondring.
Iwasinarelationshipforfourmonths.
Itwas fine,until Itold herI wasmadly
inlove withher. Shefreaked outand
said shedidn’t wantto gettied down.I
wasdumbfounded andheartbroken.
AmI beingcompletely ignorantto
believeinromance?Oristheresomething
wrong withme?
CaliforniaDreamer
Dear Dreamer:There isn’tanything
‘‘wrong’’ withyou, butI suspectyou’re
comingon abit toostrong, tooquickly.
Gettingto knowsomeone takestime
— sotake moretime beforedeclaring
you’remadly inlove. Thenext timeyou
feel theurge togive someoneflowers,
send themto herhome becausesome
women preferto keeptheir privatelives
separate fromwhere theywork.
Kissanddon’ttell?
DearAbby:Anacquaintancerecently
announcedshe’spregnant. Noneofus
knewshewasin arelationship.Isthere
apolitewaytofind outwhothefatheris?
JustCurious
DearCurious: Ican thinkof twoways:
The firstis towait forher totell you.The
other isto justask.
Notthedatingkind
Dear Abby:I’m a25-year-old malewho,
forthe mostpart, hasfigured outwhat
I wantto dowith mylife. I’mcurrently
working,andIamalsoconsideringenter-
ing themilitary toboost mycharacter
andresume.Iwanttoeventuallybecome
a lawyerso Ican helppeople.
Somethingthat irritatesmy familyis
myrefusal todate. Isuffer fromanxiety
attacksjust atthe thoughtof talkingto
a womanor askingfor adate. Myolder
sisterasks mewhen Iwill marry,and
my dadclaims I’dbe agreat father.How
canI getmy familyto understandI’m
notinterestedinmarriageandchildren?
Loveless
Dear Loveless:I respectyour desireto
enterthe military,boost yourcharacter
andresume andearn alaw degree.But
please don’tuse themilitary asa wayto
escape dealingwith yourinability tobe
comfortablewith halfthe humanrace.
If andwhen youenlist, youwill bein
awork environmentwhere thereare
femalesandsituationsinwhichyoumay
berequired towork asa team.That’s
why Istrongly suggestthat youtalk toa
mental healthprofessional aboutyour
anxiety aboutwomen beforeenlisting.
Marriageandchildrenaren’tforevery-
one. Youmay beone ofthose menwho
shouldbe aconfirmed bachelor,but
notbecause you’reafraid ofwomen.
Weightymatters
DearAbby: Iam extremelyoverweight
(168cmand 150kg).I am38 yearsold,
and ithurts toget upin themorning.
My kneeshurt walkingup thestairs,
and Ican’t bearto lookat myself. Ihave
started topull awayfrom myfamily.
I don’tknow whoto turnto, butI
knowI needhelp.
Too Bigto EnjoyLife
DearToo Big:The firstperson tocontact
isyour physician,and tellhim orher
that youare readyto takeoff theweight
andyouneedhelp.Thenaskforareferral
toapsychologist,tohelpyouunderstand
the emotionalreasons youhave puton
so muchweight.
You willalso haveto makesome
lifestyle changes,but theywill saveyour
life.
Andremember,losingweightwilltake
time.You didn’tput iton overnight;it
won’tcome offovernight.
British punk in role reversal
Punk rockers once wanted to smash
the state. Now they’re helping preserve
stately homes.
The National Trust charity, which
oversees Britain’s castles and historic
houses, hasreleased afundraising album
of punk classics.
Never Mind the Dovecotes — a play
on the title of the Sex Pistols album
NeverMindtheBollocks—includestracks
by the Pistols and other vintage noise
merchants, including GBH, Siouxsie and
the Banshees and X-Ray Spex.
It means Mod band The Jam — which
has two tracks on the album — will sit
alongside jars of jam in gift shops at the
Trust’s300properties,whichrangefrom
Roman-era structures like Hadrian’s Wall
toruinedabbeys, medievalcastles,grand
country mansions and Victorian pubs.
The album is a collaboration between
the trust and Decca Records, and a
change from previous joint efforts such
as Celtic Collection, Classic Voices and
Land of Hope and Glory — Great Songs
from the British Isles.
But the trust’s brand licensing man-
ager, Phlippa Green, said recently that
the album makes sense.
She says people who were teenagers
in punk’s late-1970s heyday are now
middle aged and enjoy ‘‘outings with
their children and families at parks,
beaches and historic houses’’.
Punk, in turn, has become a much-
loved part of Britain’s heritage, although
the music has lost much of its power to
shock since the Sex Pistols burst forth
35 years ago demanding Anarchy in the
UK.
Punk’s surviving participants have
mellowed, too.
Vivienne Westwood, who designed
the ripped and safety-pinned punk style,
is now the grand dame of British fashion
— as well as an actual dame, the female
equivalent of a knight.
Sex Pistols singer John Lydon, the
former Johnny Rotten, has dressed up
as a country gentleman for a series of
TV ads for butter.
National Trust spokesman Andrew
McLaughlin said the punk album was
part of a bid to ‘‘get people to think
again’’ about the organisation, as well
as a fundraiser.
Proceeds will go to the Trust’s con-
servation work.
‘‘I think people have quite a set view
about the National Trust,’’ he said. ‘‘Over
the last few years we’ve loosened up
quite a lot as an organisation.
‘‘It’s not just all about the past. We
are very relevant to people’s everyday
lives today, not just a museum window
on the past.’’ AP