Sao Jiang Mai

A group of expat and Thai budding artists, English speaking, are looking for an art teacher to come and advise us once a week, around 2.5 hours. We have gallery space and all equipment. We are also all fairly proficient but just need some casual guidance, artist can work at the same time, just be there to help out. If anyone is interested please get in touch with <email removed> Expat artist or Thai with good English speaking skills please. Thanks! Pim

My parents are having their 40th anniversary next week while we holiday in Phuket. Mum is recovering from a brain op, so nothing hectic. I was trying to book the sunset cruise of Phang Nga Bay on teh junk boat, but it is low season so they don't have it on the dates we want (2nd). Do you have any ideas at all of what I can do for them for one special evening? We will be on Nai Harn, so it can't be too far from there and definitely not strenous, we have a car, so we can drive somewhere as long as its no more than 40 mins max. Anything would be fab. A romantic dinner somewhere, a wonderful sunset experience, something! I can afford a decent amount, but nothing as much as a private yacht or anything! If you can help suggest anything, I would be so grateful. Thank you!

I do hope I am allowed to post this. Two young people contacted me (Japanese American) over a week ago wanting to organise a small concert to raise funds for Japan. This is NOT a Citylife or business thing at all, but I offered our help and our garden to hold the event. So, on the 2nd of April there will be a fundraiser at Citylife garden (email pim@chiangmaicitylife.com for map and directions) where ALL profits will go to Second Harvest Japan, an NGO working for long term relief in Japan. Basically everything is donated, so there are no costs involved and ALL monies received will go to Japan. We have so far received donations for posters, which we will start sticking up around town, light and sound and stage, and an AMAZING (yes, I know caps are annoyng, but it is amazing!) 300,000 baht's worth of donated prizes for auctions and raffle tickets (20 baht a ticket) including nights at Amari Bangkok, at Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, Shangri-la, dinner at Le Crystal, paintings from Art Space, spa packages, handbags from Miguel La Salle, even three months free rental at a JJ Market unit and more more more. All of this will go on the night and you can get great deals and steals. Payap university as well as many other musicians are donating their entertainment. Glass Onion is running a bar at cost and tons of Japanese and other restaurants are also going to be selling food at cost. This is an incredible amount of giving being done by Chiang Mai, and all so far in only a week. So, now we just need people to come! Great music, great fun and for a great cause. Plese come along Sunday 2nd April between 4 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. Oh, by the way, the monies collected will initially go into a new bank account at D Foundation (yes, in full disclosure, I am a director, but we didn't know where else to put it in for now, and the Foundation is heavily audited) and we will immediately transfer it all over when we tally up the numbers. If you have other suggestions on how to do this we will be happy to listen (we tried to ask the Japanese Consulate, but I think they are too busy).  Anyway, this is really really a great cause and I do hope that I am allowed to post this and that you all bring your friends and family for a great day. Oh, I almost forgot the most important bit! 300 baht entrance ticket. And yes, it too ALL goes to the Second Japan Harvest. Thanks! Pim

Have finally got around to think of Christmas and was wondering whether anyone has good recommendations for home catering. I don't coook - ever. And don't even want to heat anything up very much! So, if you know who can supply the whole deal: turkey, stuffings, christmas crackers, brandy butter, vegs, mince pie, xmas pudding, etc. I would be so grateful. They don't have to deliver, I can pick it up. We will only have about 8 people, so it shouldn't be a hardship (well, for someone else, for me it would be!) Thanks.  Pim

I eat Thai food at home and at work, so when I go out about once a week or fortnight for dinner I like international food - Japanese, Indian, farang, whatever - and was wondering if there were any exciting new places to try out. Being a creature of habit I tend to go back to the same places over and over and while it never gets boring, I should force myself to try new places too!  Anyway, if anyone knows of any new places that would be great. Different budgets fine; as long as the food is good, I don't care about the atmosphere so much. Pim