Save Energy Save Gas - More TBH

John LINDGREN


With gas or petrol, benzene, diesel fuel prices going through the roof, here are some advice that can help you to save your hard earned TBH, and extend the time before your next pit-stop, "top-up" at the Jet-Jiffy, the PTT or the Caltex pump.

I. Avoid High Speed Driving!

The faster you go the more wind resistance you'll encounter and the more fuel your vehicle will consume. As your acceleration and speed increases, your aerodynamic drag also increases in an exponential mode. Driving 100 km/h versus 120 km/h will reduce fuel consumption by about 15 percent. Also higher RPMs (revolutions per minute 'engine speed') the engine, the cylinders work harder and need more fuel supply. That's why the red hot F-1 Ferrari's need pit stops - for refueling (tire changing) up to five times during one race.

II. Progressive, Smooth Driving

Fuel efficiency is all about smoothness, and keeping calm is absolutely crucial to achieve fuel economy. By anticipating the traffic, controlling your breathing, applying slow and steady acceleration and smooth braking, fuel economy may increase by as much as 20 percent. Plus your passengers will feel significantly better and in case you’re hauling pets; the dogs and the cats will not get car sick.

IV. Keep the Pressure, the Tire Pressure

Keep the tire air pressure at the level recommended by your car manufacturer. It's marked on a sticker on the doorjamb of the driver-side door, or in the owner's manual (if you can find it). A single tire under inflated by 2 PSI, increases fuel consumption by 1-2 percent. Check your tire pressure every two weeks.

V. The Air Conditioner a Necessary Cooling Device

If you don't want to sweat your butt off you must use the air conditioner. But the A/C compressor puts extra load on the engine and burns up to 20 percent more fuel. Do drive al-fresco, sans A/C sometimes. The late afternoon in the sunset by the sea is recommended. Open the windows, (if you have a moon-roof open it) and activate your olfactory senses.

VI. Service Your Car Regularly

Take your car to the service center: whether it is the Mercedes Benz authorized garage or Somsak's un-authorized "Auto-Fixx" behind the "Aroy" noodle shop. Poor fuel economy can be related to simple items such as dirty air filters, old spark plugs or low lubrication oil levels. This applies specially to second hand (pre-owned) cars.

VII Use your " Tom Cruise Control"

Today's modern saloon cars, especially the coveted European sedans have a feature called the cruise control this gizmo will maintain a constant speed over long distances saving liters fuel and letting you take your foot off the accelerator (gas pedal).


VIII. Avoid Unnecessary Loads
Remove the golf bag, all the shoes, the camping equipment, the skateboard and old the newspapers and magazines you carry in your trunk (boot) or in the rear seat. A lighter car consumes less fuel. And the trunk, the back seat looks nice and orderly.

IX No Excess Idling

If you anticipate being stopped for more than one minute (60 seconds), turn off the engine! In the ueber environmentally correct, zero tolerance Sweden drivers will get a 6-12 months prison sentence if the car is idling more than 60 seconds. And if caught idling outside a kindergarten, primary school most likely death penalty. And remember re-starting the car uses less fuel than letting the engine idle.

X Buy a Fuel Efficient Vehicle

If you buy a new car don't get carried away by the cool styling, the free tires, the new car leather scent or the crispy PVC smell, the cruise control, the CD, the DVD, the MP3 features, the moon roof and the ultra smooth and sweet talking sales consultant. Check at the fuel consumption! Simple: How many kilometers per litre! How many? A manual transmission (stick shift) will give 20 percent more mileage. That’s why all the pick-up trucks and all commercial vehicles have stick shift. The bigger the engine the more it consumes. Super cars drink enormously. A "Lambo" Lamborghini Murcielago less than 6 kilometers per litre. The little Honda Jazz can get about up 13 kilometer per liter.

DRIVE & RIDE Safely: Take a Deep Breath! Buckle up! Wear Helmet! Do Not Drink and Drive! (Drink Yogurt- Low Fat)

The Egg - The Republic of Fritz Hansen

John LINDGREN



Embassy of the REPUBLIC OF Fritz Hansen opens in Bangkok

Have you ever heard about REPUBLIC OF Fritz Hansen? Fritz who? A furniture company! The organization behind the Ant, the Egg, and the Swan, an exclusive, Danish, design driven minimalist furniture company.

To investigate this intriguing republic, Prestige Magazine meets one of the Ambassadors of this republic a fit, slim and youngish, impeccably suited and booted Vee Pee. His ROFH business card reads: Frederick Moller Vice President International Sales, Asia -Pacific Region. Singapore.

Fredrick Moller recently flew into Bangkok for the ribbon cutting of the first republic of Fritz Hansen /AVIVA showroom in Bangkok located at the All Season massive grey M-Tower.

Moller explains: “Our the company employs 215 people and our turnover is approximately 400 million (DKK) Danish Kronor. Around 70 percent of our production is exported, and we have designer showrooms in Amsterdam London, Milan, New York, Oslo Stockholm, Tokyo and now in Bangkok, voila! We are expanding”, says Moller.

“At University I read liberal arts; English, French, German and also marketing. After graduating Fritz Hansen was my very first job. I started in the customer service department. After that I was sent to Japan. We are big in Japan”, says Moller. “Today we’ got twelve dealers and a flagship a store in Tokyo. And my wife is Japanese so my son is half Samurai and half Viking. And, I am also a warrior – a road warrior with 200 days per year on the road – working for the republic.”

Thailand’s first contact with Fritz Hansen was in the 60s when HM King Bhumipol visited the small furniture factory situated thirty minutes north of Copenhagen, the Danish capital. From that visit there is a black and white photograph dated 1961 of a young Nai Luang sitting, relaxing in the Egg chair.

Could it be the same unit he received as a gift from Arne Jacobsen the designer of the Egg, the Ant and the Swan. Look for the photo it’s on the wall in the showroom.

Fritz Hansen was a master cabinet maker who established the company bearing his name in 1872 in Copenhagen.

In 1915 the first Danish chair in steam bentwood manufacturing technique was launched at Fritz Hansen's new factory. But, it was the laminated light weight, stacking chair, the Ant rolled out in 1952 that became the biggest global hit in Danish furniture history. The Egg and the Swan also by Jacobsen were launched in 1958.

“Today, our key focus is still beautiful and original design and supreme quality. We highly respect our heritage and history” Moller explains. “But also branding. We have thirty persons working in the branding department, also looking after our website www. fritzhansen.com site”, says Moller.

“You’ll find our furniture on “youtube”, MoMA Museum of Modern Art, New York as well as in government institutions such as the Danish embassies round the world, they all have the Ant, the Egg and the Swan chairs and also Bang & Olufsen audiophile equipment and Louis Poulsen designer lighting. The Royal Danish embassies are our government run showrooms” explains Moller”

“And Brad Pitt is an Egg owner! Pitt has a steady taste”, says Muller. “He bought his Egg at the Sotheby’s auction and Jennifer Lopez, ‘Jay Lo’ is also a citizen of the Republic of FRITZ HANSEN.

Frederick Moller’s interview is over and his Bangkok business agenda is almost complete. In few hours he will be bound for S’pore - his residence and regional office.

And in Bangkok there is now a new Embassy on Wireless Road, beside the Vietnamese and opposite the Dutch diplomatic corps - the REPUBLIC of Fritz Hansen. Open every day from 10.00 to 20.00 hours. 2nd floor All Seasons Place.

END TEXT

Sin to Hel by Finnair

Finnair’s Silk Road from Helsinki to the Far East

By John Lindgren

Kuala Lumpur will in May 2007 be added to Finnair’s Asian destinations. Vietnam may soon get on the list of destinations too! And there will be more flights on the existing Bangkok and Singapore route. “Starting December 4th we will increase our flights to Singapore via Bangkok from 7 flights a week to 13 flights a week due to high demand from both leisure and business travelers,” says Markku Oravainen, Finnair’s Sales Director South East Asia & Australia. By he end of this year Finnair will also introduce the new fuel efficient Airbus 340 to replace our current MD-11’s on this sector, he adds. Finnairs Asia expansion started with scheduled Helsinki-Bangkok flights some twenty years ago followed by Singapore, which resulted in a rather unique advertising campaign: From Sin to Hel fly Finnair. “We are negotiating landing rights in Seoul, Korea and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in Vietnam. Finnish companies have a strong presence in Vietnam since the last twenty years,” Mr. Markku Remes, Finnair Product Manager, Intercontinental routes, explains to ScandAsia. “Flights to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, via Bangkok will start in May 2007 with three flights a week. This will bring the total number of Finnair flights to Asia from eight flights to ten,” he elaborates. Today, Finnair ranks third in terms of passenger numbers between Europe and Asia, exceeded only by the big players Lufthansa and Air France/KLM. “In 2005 Finnair flew totally 708 000 passengers to Asia and 70 percent of our passengers are non Finnish nationals,” Christer Haglund, Senior Vice President Corporate Communications Finnair told ScandAsia during a recent interview in Helsinki. “Our Asia market share has grown with 30 percent last two years. Our balance sheet is strong and we are one of the few debt-free airline companies with over 9,000 employees. Our passenger load factor was 73 percent last year,” Mr. Haglund elaborates. “A key part of Finnair’s Asia strategy is Helsinki’s geophysical position; closer to the North Pole than the Equator. Closer to Asia than Europe. Helsinki is unique as a link between East and West Europe,” says Christer Haglund. “Another factor is our super short transfer times - approximately 35 minutes from gate to gate – from intercontinental to inter European flights. This is what makes Helsinki International Airport Vantaa and Finnair the fastest and most direct connection between Europe and Asia.”

Dijon Burgundy

John LINDGREN

A Gastronomic Heaven in the Heart of Europe - Bangkok to Dijon


"Final call for Mr "Linngleenn " AF 169 destination Paris – Final call…" “Final call for…”


I heard my name announced and left the ultra modern and luxurious new Air France business class lounge after my second glass of Champagne Duval Leroy Fleur de Champagne, non vintage, and headed swiftly for Gate E65, Suwarnabhumi International Airport. Air France 169 the “night flight” is the daily service to Paris departure at 23.05 hours.

As soon as we reached cruising altitude of 10.000 meters, the food trolleys rolled out of the galley loaded with a choice selection of gourmet meals. Impeccable service by a cabin crew smartly dressed in Christian Lacroix haute couture uniforms. The in-flight menu and wines are absolument, veryy French! Hors d'Oeuvre: Duck foie gras terrine with gingerbread and marinated dried fruit. To match the goose liver I chose Nicolas Fuillante Blancs de Blancs, Champagne.
Main Course: Lamb noisette accompanied by bean puree and snow peas with olive oil the tender lamb was washed down with a red Bordeaux Haut-Medoc Chateau de Villambis 2005 Cru Bourgeois. And for dessert: Selection des Fromage, of course; Camembert, Comte and Saint Maure with a glass of Port Tawny 10 years old. The Illy coffee and XO cognac was tempting but I decided to have another glass of the Nicolas Feuillante Champagne, nv produced entirely from the vitis vinifera Chardonnay grape.

Approximately 10 hours later Captain Jean-Paul Bouchard smoothly lands the white tricolor liveried Airbus 340-300 with a full payload at "CDG" Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, the ever expanding hub and HQ of Air France/KLM one of world's largest air carriers since the merger with the Dutch airline Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, in 2004. Paris ground temperature: 7 degrees Celcius or 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Bonjour Paris!


Off the plane and on to the train. But, first a steaming hot shower at the AF arrival lounge "Salon de Arrivee " at Charles de Gaulle hall-B. A comfortable, secluded business class area with wood paneled changing rooms, high tech shower facilities cubicles, big fluffy white towels and delicious RogeR&Gallet bathroom accoutrements.


The lounge snack/breakfast counter shelves filled with freshly baked chocolate croissants, fruit and hot coffee, muesli, yoghurt, juices, and a plethora of glossy French, international magazines and newspapers and complimentary a high-speed internet access. I think to myself "arrive in better shape” the old Cathay Pacific (CX) slogan as I bounce out of the arrival lounge showered, shaved, booted and suited.

The underground train station is situated next to the CDG arrival hall. A 35 minute train ride to the legendary Gare de Lyon and hop on the TGV "Train de Grande Vitesse" the original French version of what the Japanese call the bullet train "Shinkansen". The British may have invented the locomotive but it was the French who smashed the 300 kph barrier for passengers trains. The TGV high tech network now serves all corners of France. For the wine aficionados and gourmets there are 2-3 hour high-speed train connections from Paris to the coveted vineyards of Bordeaux, Strasbourg (Alsace) and Dijon (Burgundy). From my window seat, 1er classe on the TGV Dijon-Lausanne (Switzerland) I notice as we as we shoot down the tracks running parallel with the auto route motorway that the cars driving in slow motion at 120 kph and we overtake like a wind in speeds 250 to 300 kilometers per hour.


As I step down from the train at Dijon station (La Gare) I see my man from Burgundy Tourist promotion Board. Monsieur Claude on the platform with his sign held high. Mr LINDGREN, correctly spelled in upper case. " Bonjour Monsieur, he exclaims, surprised that I speak the language of Moliere and Rabelais. “Monsieur. No! English, please!” I refuse to communicate in English, when I am in France. “Francais s’il vous plait, Monsieur ”!

My first impression, emerging from the grey, nondescript railway station, was of another dreary, congested bleak modern city. But alas, I was wrong. Dijon (Dee-sho-onn ) the ancient capital of Burgundy was a city of a hundred Gothic churches, palatial splendor, medieval timbered villas and cobble stoned narrow alleys and also the seat of power for one of the mightiest states in Europe.
Led by the Valois dukes les ducs, these lands stretched through present day Belgium and the Netherlands. The guide book tells me and Monsieur Claude adds "the dominance of the Valois dukes lasted for 113 years and through the Hundred Years’ War and ended when finally falling to France in 1477."Five hundred-thirty years ago. But more than 600 of the Romanesque castles, thousands of churches and chapels have miraculously survived the urban development”.


He adds: "And look how well we have preserved the old Dijon!” No high rise office towers, no condominiums, no mega-Cineplex shopping malls – and no Starbucks - yet”! "Today our peaceful and still provincial Burgundy is one of the most prosperous regions in France, historically, gastronomically and culturally. Our logo is the escargot, the snail (Helix pomatia) he says. "The logo of Burgundy Regional Tourist Board (CRT) www.bourgogne-tourisme.com " It's here on my business card. Voila! - Escargot!" After being delivered by Mr Claude to my hotel, Sofitel La Cloche. I write in my notebook: "Another vintage four star Sofitel property. La Cloche dates from 1885. A "Grand Hotel" par excellence with flags flying from the balcony, grey stone, fin-de-siecle conservative elegance, complete with high ceilings, pink-and-gray marble floors, Oriental carpets, comfortable and elegant rooms and a guest list as impressive as Sofitel Hanoi including King of Belgium Albert the I st, Ferdinand de Lesseps (Monsieur Le Suez canal), Joan Baez (60s folk singer), the Sultan of Morocco and Grace Kelly, the iconic movie star who became the Queen of Monaco).


The hotel décor was favored by Napoleon III who checked in on the 1st June 1856". I checked in on 19th of September 2007 and my guest room is certainly smaller than the emperors – but has a balcony overlooking Place Darcy, a park and a bus-stop.


For a first time visitor, a Burgundian dinner should commence with a with a kir because Dijon is the birthplace of Canon Felix Kir, a priest who was both mayor of Dijon and a resistance fighter during the German occupation of France.

The famous aperitif which would later carry his name kir consists of two parts dry white wine, traditionally aligoté, a lesser Burgundy varietal and splash of crème de cassis, a sweet liqueur made from the local blackcurrants (Ribes nigrum) that grow on the Burgundian hillsides. His favorite drink was a mix of white Burgundy wine and cassis. The dinner venue is the elegant dining room of Sofitel La Cloche overlooking the a small garden with a pond ans a statue. My aperitif, kir is accompanied by a selection of amuse bouche; foie gras, canapés and Burgundy's picnic classic, jambon persillé. jellied ham with parsley which is or ham cooked in a terrine with fresh parsley and served cold. A short walk in the garden and the hors d'ouvre: 12 escargots or edible snails , swimming in butter garlic and parsley on a hot, black heavy cast iron pan. A chilled bone dry Chablis 1er cru Vaucoupin, 2005 Domaine Alain et Cyril Gautheron to wash down the mollusks and the main course Beef Bourguignon ( "bour-gunn-gjonn") sounds complicated but it's simply a stew with a bit of red wine thrown in. You can't beat a good, hearty, rustic meal which is as French as La Baguette, Le Peugeot and the Eifel Tower. To match the slow cooked beef a Pinot Noir, of course. Our maitre d’hotel chose Moray-Saint Denis, 2005 Domaine Alain Jenanniard. Burgundy in the glass and on the plate. Gastronomic heaven: Vive La Cuisine Bourguignonne!


Since I am in the land of cheese Fromage I reminiscence Charles De Gaulle who said “How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?” So a cheese platter for dessert, a must. There is the Époisse, the grand cru of Burgundy cheeses with an overwhelmingly strong smell and 'melt-in-the-mouth', velvet texture.

Emperor Napolen Bonaparte was a particular fan of Époisses and the legendary epicure Brillat-Savarin classed it as the "king of all cheeses". Another classic stinker is the semi-soft cheese Citeaux produced by the monks at the Abbaye de Cîteaux. Annual production 70 metric tons. Also a raw cows milk cheese but with milder aroma than it’s cousin Epoisse.
So the adage "Bonne appetite et large soif " fits perfectly for Burgundy. A tad lost in translation it means: "Good eating and good drinking". Hence, when in Dijon, you should do as the Dijonnais are said to do - eat & drink. Burgundy, Dijon has the ambiance, the food and the wine. Trust me .



The wines some of the finest in the world – such as Romanee Conti, La Tache, Richebourg, Le Musigny and Le Montrachet. One bottle of the ‘78 vintage of this Grand Cru “super Chardonnay” was sold at a Sotheby's New York auction in 2002 for whopping 23. 929 dollars.



Even Bob Dylan mentions Burgundy wines in his 60s Tom Thumb’s Blues: “I started out on Burgundy but soon I hit the harder stuff”.
Today, Burgundy has 3.000 estates (or domains) 113 vine merchants (or negociants) and produced 1.5 million hectoliters or 200 million bottles with 63 percent white wine and 37 percent red wine. But only two grapes. Chardonnay for the white and Pinot Noir for the red. The wines being divided into four quality/price levels: Regional Appelations, Communal Appelations, Premier Crus and the super star Grand Crus accounting only 2 percent of the total production.
One of the Grand Cru labels is Chateau Romanee Conti or Domaine Romanee Conti (DRC) a legendary Burgundy red wine; 100 percent Pinot Noire produced in small quantities, 7.000 bottles per year creating a huge worldwide demand.


That is why a bottle (75 cl) of Chateau Romanée Conti will set you back USD 3,000 and even more. A well stored bottle of the DRC 1978 vintage was sold at USD 25. 000 in at an wine auction also in New York.
Last, but not least the Dijon mustard Le moutarde de Dijon, the "condiment of kings". Dijon has reigned as France's mustard capital since Gallo-Roman times. Burgundy still produces about 70 percent of France's premium mustards.

Today, Dijon mustard comes in many different flavors including walnut, blue cheese, raspberry, cognac, tarragon and colors such as yellow, blue, green red and a super strong lime green tarragon blend which will immediately make your legs tremble, your scalp and throat itch and your eyes water. The most sought after brands are Grey-Poupon and Maille.


My favorite since my student days in France is “GP” Honey Mustard made with white wine. Its fat free, low carb loaded with a powerful mustard seed flavor. Delicious on hotdogs and turkey or ham sandwiches. Not every one would appreciate this strong flavor but it is certainly worth a try if you like the true, natural unadulterated mustard seed flavor.

Make no mistake; Dijon the capital of Burgundy is a charming pedestrian and bicycle friendly town with filled with landmarks of Romanesque architecture the perfect ambiance be a gourmand, a hedonist and wine bibber at a fraction of Paris restaurant dining and wining prices. After my dinner I retired to my room and started digesting my first day impressions of Dijon, Burgundy, France.
I closed my notebook, capped my ball pen and fell asleep on the heavenly featherbed with duvet and four pillows in room 101 Sofitel la Cloche.
RESOURCES:

AIR FRANCE KLM
www.airfrance.co.th
www.airfrance.com

Sofitel La Cloche
14 Place Dijon
2100 Dijon
www.hotel-lacloche.com

Maison de la France
French Tourist Office South East Asia
541 Orchard Road # 11-02
Liat Towers Singapore 238881
www.franceguide.com/sg



END TEXT

Haute Horology

Bruno Grande of Wyler-Genève - the Watch that fell from the Eiffel Tower

In the rare, fine stratosphere of Haute Horology filled with matte platinum limited editions, COSC chronographs,
grand complications, double tourbillions, timepieces selling at astronomical retail prices there is a lesser known yet exclusive star by the name of Wyler, established in 1896 by a Swiss master watch maker and the 'Inca flex" inventor Monsieur Paul Wyler.

In 1954 two Wyler Incaflex wrist watches were dropped from the top of the Eiffel tower in Paris, a 300m vertical plunge. The time pieces survived the highest wrist watch free- fall in the world putting the Wyler Incaflex balance wheel concept firmly in the horology history chronicles.

Today, Wyler-Geneva is a prestigious Swiss watch marque still manufacturing the most robust, complicated, mechanical and shock-resistant timepieces.

Prestige Magazine recently interviewed Bruno Grande, Deputy-CEO of Wyler-Geneva. Mr Grande is an Italian married with two kids who has been living and working across the border in Switzerland for seven years.

Extracts from the Prestige interview:

Do you remember your first wrist watch? "I remember receiving my first watch from my godmother - but unfortunately I cannot remember which brand it was”.

What is your latest watch purchase? Bruno Grande says "since I started working with Wyler-Genève I am not buying any watches. I am constantly experimenting by wearing different prototype Wyler-Genève models, changing the dials and the bracelets in order to gauge opinions among my friends and business partners."

All watch professionals are inveterate collectors and Mr Bruno Grande has his private horological acquisition of 250 pieces.

About this year's BASEL WORLD THE WATCH & JEWELRY SHOW April 3-10 what about the trends in sport & dress watches?

Bruno Grande explains, "in the run-up to the BASEL WORLD watch fair, all of the world's major watch brands like to play their cards very close to their chest. As such, the trends only become apparent after the fair and it is difficult to predict them. However, I think there will be a continuation of the trend towards "tone-on-tone" models, which maintain a consistency of colour tone in all aspects of the watch; case, dial, hour markers and hands, bracelet etc."

Regarding the materials; gold, steel and platinum Wyler-Genève Deputy CEO explains "my favorite material is titanium, for it's light weight, it’s robustness and anti-corrosion properties. I also particularly like its "self-healing" property".

Any highlights at the coming 2008 BASEL SHOW?

"For the reasons I have already mentioned, it's difficult to predict the highlights at the Basel Show, because all the brands will be competing against each other to set themselves apart. But, Wyler-Genève will be presenting an interesting world-first-in-the industry that will be difficult to match".

We all know the big automobile exhibitions of the world: the Detroit, the Geneva, the Frankfurt and the Tokyo motor shows. What about the watch fairs do you attend except Basel?

"Aside from Basel, we are also present at the JCK Show in Las Vegas, the Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition in Qatar and the Antalya Jewelry, Silver & Watch Fair in Turkey, says Grande.

Prestige Magazine being an Asian based magazine asked Bruno Grande how important is Asia and the Thailand Wyler-Geneve?

"Both Asia and Thailand are very important markets for us. The keen interest in the W-G brand after our Asian launch in Beijing last year which coincided with the 100th anniversary of the 1907 Wyler-Geneve, Paris-Beijing car race, for which we were the official timekeeper. And our recent Singapore launch in resulted in significant number of regional orders, including Thailand.

How many percent of your business is in Asia? "The Asian markets account for 20 percent of our business" explains Bruno Grande.

Tell us about the Wyler-Genève collection? "This collection is based on a unique three-piece shock-absorbing case that houses the movement in a titanium container. All the models in the current collection use this case: a limited-edition of 3,999 self-winding chronographs featuring the inimitable Incaflex balance wheel invented by Paul Wyler in 1927, which is available in 18-carat red gold, titanium and stainless steel; a manual-winding Tourbillon with manufacture movement available in 18-carat red gold and titanium with a limited edition of 24 pieces, including 8 special Paris-Beijing units and also the limited edition of 25 Wyler-Zagato watches, featuring a dial designed in co-operation with the famous Italian super car designer company Zagato.

The watch uses a new manual-winding movement with an 8-day power reserve". With "F" for full and "E" for empty (tank). Just like the fuel gage of a red Ferrari 250 GTZ.

"I'm very proud of the Wyler-Zagato watch. We signed the partnership with the automotive design consultancy Zagato, known for the design of the Spyker C12 at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2007. The first watch was launched in October at the Atelier Zagato in Milan”. From super cars back to watches. “Your favorite watchmakers”? Bruno Grande answers "I like Patek Philippe, Omega, Hublot and Jacquet-Droz".

“You have not yet visited Thailand but you say you like the Thai cuisine – which are your favorites dishes”?

"My favourite Thai dishes are Pad Thai and Panaeng Muu" explains Monsieur Grande.

And finally what would be your business philosophy - your motto?

Personally I like the adage: "the best strategy for the future is to ensure that there is a future" this motto has meanings on different levels, for example that we should always be looking ahead long term, but we should consider the future of our planet, mother earth in a wider context.

This is why W-G became the first Carbo Neutral watch company in the world. And Wyler-Genève will continue to carefully consider the environmental impact of all its actions with proactive reductions of all carbon dioxide emissions".

END TEXT

Vee Rubber Steel Radials

John LINDGREN

Vee Rubber Steel Radials 15’

Test Drive Report

The mileage on my midnight black Nissan Sunny Neo reads 150.000 km. The new car smell has long disappeared. Driving my Sunny is no longer as exciting as it used to be, even after the weekly TGIF double Macciaho Espresso from the new Nawamin Starbucks.

Now, how to get the “the new car feeling” back? Simple, new tires! Four new pneumatic tires (tyres), front and back. That’s all it takes. Trust me on this one.

End of Feb 2008 at the B-Quik service center beside the TESCO LOTUS Rama IV Khun Paiboon outlet manager showed me my Nissan Sunny Neo 1600 shod with four shining, brand new Veee Rubber Steel Radial 15 inch tires. The wheels electronically aligned. Ready to rock and roll.

I pushed the shifter to D (drive). Tap on the accelerator. Wow! As soon as I hit the tarmac on the Rama IV it was like driving a new a Nissan Sunny Neo! First of all the traction and the grip. What a major difference. Now, it was fun to drive again with maximum control and tight traction. And less noisy, too. Up on the Raminthra Express Way, Khlong Toey tollgate: BHT 40. Acceleration, speeding up to 90 kph. Wow! Overtaking confidently. Less lateral roll. “ I’ve max got grip, I’ve got brand new tires”! I say to myself and step on it.

Near, the new suburban ‘hi-so’ life-style center Crystal Park on Kaset-Nawamin road a rusty, semi broken down Isuzu appears from a dirt road and drives on to K-N four lane main road – without looking. Without stopping. I slam on the brakes. The grip again this time with stopping power! And easily I steer away from the pick-up avoiding an accident. Breaking with new tires – can be lifesaving.

Verdict: The Vee Rubber tires passed the driving test with flying colours. All departments: 10/10.

END TEXT.

Thai slang L' argot Thai - Thai slagia & Thai Slang...

Thai Slang A-B-C &&& A B C…

Everyday Thai – Thai Tammada

Thai Chao Baan, Thai Baan Nookk,

Thai Wai Runn, Thai Borann,

Thai Aray go-dai

This is the outline for the script:

Usuful Thai words and Thai Slang – Colloquial the modern man and the modern woman.

From A-Z … ay 2 zedd…

Start with AAAAA

“Arai wah!!!” Arai? Arai? Arai? In English What, what the ….?

“Anakott” THE FUTURE Sanskrit

One of the few words in know in Cambodia:
“Anakott” and Pol Pott or Paul Poutt, Monsieur Paul Pout

“Anakott – arai wah”!

Antarai – is the antarai? DANGEROUS.

“Aii Jaah”. Thai Chinese expression


ngat: to bring some long-kept thing out


Nawtlut: to lose one’s temper

Chae, poetpoong: to reveal or to divulge a secret

“Diew, diew”: to cut in when a friend is speaking

Ma: policemen
Puan-sanitt. Puan mai japp puan


“Khun Pan”: Kind of the Thai equivalent of Don Juan, this term for a ladies man comes from a work of literature by Thailand’s most famous writer, Sunthorn Pu. Most Thai men will take it as a compliment.

“Mao sut”: drunk as a skunk Literally, drunk animal, it is used to describe a state of extreme intoxication. Definitely don’t try this one out on the parents of your Thai girlfriend or boyfriend.

“M 16” Some Thai dog owners have named their after the assault rifle: M16 howabout “aka” Kalashnikov AK 47

Dek Theep

Dek Pum Namaan

Dek RCA


Mia Noi and KIK