Plearnwan or A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words...

FBF has made a few less than complimentary comments about Plearnwan but folks continue to be drawn to the odd looking structure; thousands of folks every day. There are many expensive cars from Bangkok, VIP buses from the boonies and school kids by the classroom full. In fact, FBF Jr's class is there as this is being written.

The place is so popular that a cottage industry has grown up between the parking lot (second only to Market Village in capacity) and the entrance, selling everything from soft drinks, t-shirts, and sun glasses to noodles and True SIM cards.

Still can't imagine why but did run across a site that pretty much sums up why FBF doesn't intend on going back AND why so many others are continually drawn. It's said that a picture is worth a thousand words so be prepared for 107,000 words from Khun Pan.

11th Thailand International Kite Festival 13-14 March 2010

Painting The Sky

The 11th Thailand International Kite Festival will be held 13 - 14 March at the Rama VI Camp in Cha Am. This is the camp about 15 km north from the Hua Hin Clock Tower on Petchkasem Road.

In past years kite flying clubs from around the world have attended and there are demonstrations of many types of kites.

According to TAT the events begin at 0930 on Saturday and end at 1230 Sunday afternoon. While formal events may end at noon, one would imagine that there will still be many kites aloft throughout the afternoon as the kite flyers will want to take advantage of a (hopefully) beautiful day.

The site is not the Narasuan Camp which is conveniently located opposite a couple of well known Essan Restaurants but the Rama VI Camp which is the home of the Ratchaniwet Marukhathaiyawan Palace (or Teak Palace) just north of the Narasuan Camp.

A few years ago the organizers seemed to be more intent on getting the kites in the air rather than providing amenities for the on-lookers. Food and drink stalls were noticeably absent on Day 1 but were there in force for Day 2. Should that be the case this year, it might not hurt to stop by the Essan places on the way and grab some Gai Yang, Somtom and Sticky Rice (or beer), or even some Naem Nuang before entering the camp to see the kites. Gai Yang and Somtom will never go to waste, even if there is food available at the festival...

Also, in case some members of the party get sore necks from watching the kites, they can always go over and see the beautiful teak palace on the beach. It shouldn't be missed.

Both activities are great for children and families.
Nueng

Art & Culture Come to Hua Hin At Wik (Vic) Hua Hin

The brain cells must be going faster than realized. Had driven by Vic Hua Hin several times in the past few weeks and couldn't figure out why they would build a club/disco so far south of town. It looked like something more for the Bangkok crowds so didn't think much more about it but did note that at least it wasn't as ugly as Plearnwan and certainly had much better parking facilities.

Then last week observed that the new buildings going up just south of Vic were to be a school for the performing arts--Patravadi High School no less and couldn't imagine why anyone would build a high school next door to a club/disco.

But then late, late last night had an epiphany and realized what was what.

It had been years since FBF had commuted in Bangkok. This was long before our current wireless days with iPhones and netbooks so there wasn't much to do while stuck in traffic but read. Long traffic jams often made short shrift of magazines and books and sometimes one had to resort to reading the Post. Even on a good news day it didn't take long to read the first section and one was then stuck with their Arts section. That's where he'd seen the name Patravadi.

The Judy Garland of Thailand. Hair the opposite of Khunying Porntip, often on TV in a special with her name in the title. The name that comes to mind when putting the words Thailand and Broadway together.

The Vic isn't going to be a club or disco. It's either a super club or theater, in the live, so close you can smell them, sense of the word. Original name too, if ว was pronounced like a V.

Late night/early morning research then led to the fact that the Fringe Festival 2010 will be held at the Vic. (It was so late that FBF kept reading the venue in the Thai flyer as Wat Hua Hin rather than Vic Hua Hin and was wondering why all these concerts where being held in the Hua Hin Temple...)

The festivities kick off on the 22nd of January and continue most weekends through late February. There will be concerts, plays, musicals, puppet shows and comedies. Tickets are from free to 1,200 Baht, depending on the show.

There will even be a Thai-US Country music battle with the US represented by a Kyle Dillingham from Enid*, Oklahoma, that little zit off the panhandle of the Great State of Texas.

Kyle ain't no Johnny Gimble or Doug Kershaw but he's one of the featured performers in Patravadi's Phra Lor which debuted last summer at the Patravadi Theater in Bangkok and will be presented in Hua Hin January 29-31, 2010.

So, polish your shoes and iron your suit and get ready to get cultured. If you have teenagers who are aspiring entertainers, check out the high school.

Art and Culture are coming to Hua Hin.



*Two old wildcatters, Wiley and Will, had dug their last dry hole and had just gotten plumb tired of Champlin getting all the good leases. They decided to head west where they'd heard that Okies were treated right nicely in CalifornIa. It was a particularly windy day in the Dust Bowl, and as they headed west they passed a wide place in the road and noticed a couple of buildings almost covered in tumbleweeds. Wiley asked his buddy, Will, "What in blazes was that?" Will was driving as it was the only way he could get even with Wiley for the way he flew, so he looked in the rearview mirror and replied, "eniD."