Showing 1 - 10 of 16
Tranquil beauty
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 14/09/2023
» A powerful earthquake that struck the northwest of Kathmandu in 2015 sent a ripple of destruction through the country. Not far from its epicentre, Bhaktapur bore the brunt of the natural disaster that damaged houses and religious structures. After years of reconstruction, despite lingering signs of ruin, this ancient town continues to preserve harmony between the old and the new.
Snowy peaks and vibrant culture
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 07/09/2023
» Debris remains the lingering evidence of a massive earthquake in Nepal in 2015. With the epicentre in the northwest of Kathmandu, followed by hundreds of aftershocks, the natural disaster killed around 9,000 people, injured over 100,000 and impacted around 8 million. As Nepal began to recover, the coronavirus pandemic brought the world to a complete standstill and tourism cracked and collapsed like people's homes.
A creative plan to restore the glory of Khon Kaen's business district
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 01/06/2023
» 'Chuka, chuka, chuka." Gone are the days when people made their own garments, but sewing machines still hum from a narrow corner of an old shophouse. Stacks of different clothes and mannequins take up space on the ground floor. Staff cut fabric, engrave names and sew white uniforms in an assembly line. Aunt Wan graces them with buttonholes, producing hundreds of hospital gowns for doctors in Isan.
The many tastes of rice
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 10/04/2023
» For several decades, cracked ground in Isan or the Northeast of the country captured the public's imagination. In the 1970s, readers submitted their poems to Satri Sarn, the country's first women's magazine, recounting tales of drought, crop failure and hardship. Some were forced to eat leaves and grasshoppers, not rice, while others who fled their villages in search of jobs in Bangkok were duped or exploited by agents.
Curtains for Chinese opera?
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 27/02/2023
» "Hurry up," shouted a crew member who climbed up onto a makeshift stage. Casting sidelong glances, performers, half-clad, looked in the mirror and concentrated on applying layers of make-up. Nearby, a motley bunch of musicians and technicians double-checked their instruments. A stream of chatter from a growing audience -- without any partition between the theatre and real life -- put unintended pressure on the band.
A creative accounting
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 13/02/2023
» Sophie, a young pianist, dreams of performing at a concert hall. When she gets an invitation letter, she feels overjoyed and begins to prepare for a debut, though with a sense of foreboding. On concert day, the sound of music comes from nowhere. She finds that it is created by the ghosts of past performers, yet continues to play her instrument. Her performance brings the ghosts peace, and they gradually disappear. As time goes by, Sophie becomes a successful pianist, but she never forgets the event.
Buzzing with creativity
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 13/12/2022
» The eighth edition of Chiang Mai Design Week, a nine-day cultural festival that wrapped up last week, was a manifesto of the melting pot that is this northern province. At an out-of-use warehouse in Chang Moi, a group of local artists who took part in a homecoming project exhibited objects from their neighbourhoods in the style of Renaissance curiosity. Here, Achariyar Rojanapirom and Ratthee Phaisanchotsiri curated personal items from their cupboard, including a bowl of stir-fried salted chilli from a nam ngiao shop in the old town, to show how they remain contemporary.
Will AI replace artists?
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 05/12/2022
» What were you doing at 25? The quarter-life edition of the Singapore Writers Festival has opened up an opportunity for artists to reflect on their creative life. When the question came up in our conversation, two of them laughed (I am still 25!). In those days, Oniatta Effendi taught drama, while Chow Teck Seng taught Chinese literature. It was not until recently they quit.
Facing uncertainty head on
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 14/11/2022
» What do you feel at 25? Many young adults are struggling to navigate through a muddle of insecurities, whether it be jobs, relationships or something in between. Similarly, so does the 25th edition of the Singapore Writers Festival. After two years of being digital, the annual literary event is back full scale. Despite grappling with a quarter-life crisis, she is laughing out loud, celebrating the time of her life.
Bringing paper to life
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 29/08/2022
» Many months ago, I took up a forsaken hobby. I drew and painted an adaptation of my childhood cartoon. A rough sketch in watercolour smudge is a reward in itself, but it opens up new possibilities. I have just discovered an inspiring creative pursuit. Paper art can provide a much-needed refuge from distraction.