Tiga James Sontag, or simply Tiga, has not aged in terms of music, although he’s fast approaching 40. His tunes are consistent with his preferred choice of soundscape: Exuberant electro bleeps with a techno charge. “I can’t and I won’t,” was all the DJ could say when asked to define his sound. Raised in Montreal, Tiga was involved in rave-party promotion duties as early as the 90s. From helping set-up world-renowned club SONA to opening his own record store DNA Records in 1994, the all-rounder has literally, been there, done that. “I liked the fact that the scene back then was less musical, more open, more energy and fewer words. My real love affair (with dance music) started in 1992, right around the time Freejack came out.” Yes, the man is referring to the science fiction movie starring Mick Jagger.

In 1998, he founded the label Turbo Recordings, currently housing a stellar cast of heavyweights like 2ManyDjs, Felix The House Cat, Erol Alkan, Boys Noize, Seth Troxler and Zombie Nation (and that’s just half of them). “It has stayed quite true to the original idea—music I love, with nice artwork—but it has also evolved quite a lot in terms of networking and promotions,” he says with regards to the label’s growth.

“I would like to make a law that limits Internet use to one hour per day,” he says of the current state of dwindling music sales. “And I would like to be the public face of getting that law passed. I think people would love me for it.” That said, he is quick to add that although technological advances have disadvantageous, music in its entirety has gotten groovier. “I think it's pretty healthy. And the current state of healthy music? More danceable than ever!”

“(A perfect set is) one that makes the most out of the records. One where you don’t know a single tune, but they are all amazing. A set where strange records make sense. A set where sensible records make strangers pregnant with energy,” he adds. Something to look out for when he dishes the groove at Zouk.

Rev it up with Tiga during the F1 weekender on Sep 25. Zouk, 17 Jiak Kim St. 6738-2988. $35 includes two drinks.

Joy Yap, 27
PR Consultant

Aug 6, Fri
Woke up at 10am and went for an 18km bike ride and feeling pretty chipper! Headed to Lantern, Fullerton Bay Hotel, for a Belvedere “White” party and me and my crew rocked up in multi-hues of anything but white. I’m with one of my best friends who just moved to Singapore and we caught up over drinks. Guys in white bathrobes and slippers pour us champagne all night.

Aug 13, Fri
It’s the official La Maison VIP opening and there’s an open bar. Had a few Belvedere cocktails and headed upstairs where the DJs were serving up some good tunes. But I am really exhausted tonight, decided to head home to read a book.

Aug 18, Wed
In a hotel in New Delhi, India. Didn’t sleep well, woke up disoriented and tired at 9am and have to get ready for a work conference. Hung out with my 10 all-men team and we hit up a bar in New Delhi to try out some local delicacies. I made it a point to try out the local beer, Kingfisher, and I liked it!

Aug 21, Sat
Feeling extremely tired this morning from traveling and working on that huge pile of laundry. Dread! Headed to Mr. Punch Winebar (which has a fantastic view of the city) and then to Lantern (again). Had two farewells tonight. A friend leaving to Hong Kong (her third and final farewell party) and another friend leaving for England. That just brought the night to a low; I can already imagine the void these friends will leave behind.

Aug 25, Wed
Woke up to a pulsating headache at 3am. Been waking up every hour in a hotel in Ho Chi Min, Vietnam. Went to dinner with my Japanese colleagues. Forced to drink shots of Vietnamese wine. It looks potent but has only about 15 percent alcohol content. It tastes like rice wine and goes down smoothly. My colleagues got smashed and started singing and dancing in the restaurant. Boy can they drink! It was around 9pm when I got back to the hotel and passed out absolutely drunk.

Aug 27, Fri
Have a slight headache waking up and feel super dehydrated. In the evening it was friend’s company’s second year anniversary and birthday at dbl O. Jagerbombs are the tradition with this bunch. I knocked back a couple and headed off to La Maison for another farewell. I got pretty wasted and got into a verbal bitch fight with a chick at the bar. I’m usually a super happy drunk but tonight I’m an angry drunk since I’m pretty sad that my friend is leaving and I want so much to bust my Muay Thai moves on this girl. Unfortunately she was passive despite my attempts at goading her. I gave up and went upstairs to hold my friend’s hair while she puked in the ashtray.

Total drunk this month:
• 25 glasses of liquor
• 10 shots of liquor
• 6 bottles of beer
• 6 glasses of cocktail
• 5 glasses of champagne
• 4 glass of wine

Sarah Ismail, 21
Promotions Executive

Aug 6, Fri
Woke up bloated and craving for McDonalds. Still hung-over from Wednesday, I kid you not! The cumulative effect of late night drinking, partying and working at SingFest during those three days. Had dinner at Lucas and drinks at Fabrika, followed by Silk and then Blu Jazz.

Aug 8, Sun
I feel like I need a Redbull and am looking forward to a lazy Sunday. Headed to Azzura in the evening.

Aug 11, Wed
Woke up feeling restless, it’s mid week! Looking forward to Delphic at Zouk. This is a guilt trip week right here! The week has been rough, particularly with work backlogged from SingFest. I keep telling myself that I’m way smarter to avoid mixing drinks, but I do it anyway. Glad I didn’t get smashed.

Aug 13, Fri
I feel like eating toast, I have many morning cravings. But I feel perky. Headed to the following today: The Beam Cellar, Boulevard, Home Club, Esplanade and La Maison. Had many glasses of wine as it was a wine appreciation class and some beers after.

Aug 14, Sat
Woke up at 5pm! The evening is rainy and I am feeling cold and hungry. No hangover, pretty contented. Stayed home today with a round of Rose Wine to accompany my fruit tart.

Aug 15, Sun
I am feeling powerful this morning! Heading off to Marina Bay Sands for a girlfriend’s 21st birthday. So far I had wine, 21 seconds shots of awful vodka and a few rounds of awful mixes.

Aug 17, Tue
I am so tired this morning but still managed to head to Cuscaden and Home Club after work. Why? Because the girlfriend said that I need to drink and eat chicken wings.

Aug 19, Thu
Woke up feeling pretty crazy actually. Was at CM-PB in the evening for a night with the girls. It has been pretty lightweight this week, which is always good right? And it’s the whole shenanigans of the holy month, so most of my friends are not drinking. At this drinking rate, I won’t go fat! Let’s see next week.

Aug 21, Sat
Headed to a girlfriend’s pad at Sixth Avenue for some champagne.

Aug 23, Mon
I am officially sick and on two days medical leave.

Aug 26, Wed
Woke up feeling like a slug but had some beers later on during the day. The week was horrid, being sick and restless. Falling ill is such a chore.

Aug 28, Sat
I am ready and charged but got out of bed with a sore throat. Headed to Zouk for the closing of Worldwide Festival and also Radio Heineken and had loads of drinks (tough to recall!). It was an amazing party weekend for me. Rest of the week was plain and simple and I discovered ice cream and beer are really not best friends in any circumstance. Ga!

Total drunk this month:
• 39 bottles of beer
• 20 glasses of wine
• 5 glasses of champagne
• 36 glasses of liquor
• 11 shots of liquor

NEXT: Joy Yap, 27. PR Consultant

Stas Madorski, 23
DJ/Brand Manager

It’s my first day in Tokyo and I’m feeling pretty tired this morning but not too bad. Didn’t end up drinking much as my travel companions had some other plans. Waking up sober on a holiday feels stranger than Jay Leno’s chin. I will use this renewed energy to contemplate philosophical issues and seize the day. First night here calls for some sort of celebration/liver damage.

Aug 7, Sat
I slept through the morning. This morning was meant to be Two Door Cinema Club, Delphic and Passion Pit: The three reasons I bought tickets to the Summer Sonic festival here. Instead, I was woken up in our hotel’s lift, passed out, going between floors. Best of all, my friend was dressed in a bear costume the whole time. He (a less experienced drinker) had an even worse morning, throwing up in a Tokyo train whilst people sprinted for the door like they just saw Godzilla. Needless to say, I won’t be repeating this tomorrow; my liver is emotional and I want to catch some of the morning and afternoon bands on day two of the music festival. Had a sake, vodka Coke, over five tequila shots and who knows what else. Shots are a terrible idea. Don’t tell a Japanese rapper you like his tunes, or you’ll end up drinking way too many shots. I was also DJ-ing in Tokyo; the alcohol acts as lube, awesome lube that enables me to feel what the crowd is feeling at a given point in time which enhances the full experience. I also get more courage to try new tunes and unfamiliar genres/mixing techniques.

Aug 8, Sun
Déjà vu; got absolutely wasted again last night. I was still up in the morning (music festival’s first day finished at 5am). I don’t recall this, but apparently I proposed to two Japanese girls on the train, then Russian danced. Missed the acts I wanted to see again at Summer Sonic. Had vodka Cokes. I don’t even like vodka Coke, but somehow there’s no concept of a vodka lemonade here. It was genius marketing; for every drink you buy, you get 50 fake cash-moneys. You can use this moolah to gamble. The top eight gamblers at the end of the night win sexy prizes. I wasn’t planning to drink but this won me over.

Aug 10, Tue
A sharp pain in my brain. Will rest up tonight so that I can do some cultural shit tomorrow. Instead, I headed to a private Ed Banger party at Le Baron de Paris, Tokyo, attended by Busy P, Uffie, Brodisnki, Surkin and Fafi, and had a bottle of Belvedere IX.

Aug 11, Wed
Woke up in the morning feeling like P Diddy. Well, not really. Headed to a club called Gas Panic and had my drink spiked at the seediest bar in Tokyo. A girl snatched my drink and gave me hers. I stupidly drank a bit from hers, then got my drink back after the exchange. Luckily I didn’t drink much of her drink, but it was enough to put me in a very weird, oddly agreeable state. My friend mentioned that I wasn’t being coherent.

Aug 12, Thu
Neither drank nor ate much today. The week has been crazy and insane. One of the biggest weeks of drinking I’ve had in my life. Even bigger than my penis! I may not remember all of it, but paradoxically, alcohol made it more memorable.

Aug 14, Sat
My mouth tastes like an ashtray, my liver feels like an epileptic hooker and my spleen—don’t even get me started on my spleen! The night started out relatively sober, mainly because I was DJ-ing and it was challenging getting drinks. After my set and a few shots later I was ready to leave with a bunch of people, including a Japanese actress that we’d met, and headed to Le Baron de Paris. As soon as we entered, bottles came flying out and into my mouth. By chance, I ended up DJ-ing at that club, which meant that people started feeding me drinks. We left the club when it was bright and sunny outside.

Aug 21, Sat
It’s the Twelves! Woohoo! The Twelves were killing it at Zouk back in Singapore. Obviously, this was accompanied by mass consumption of alcohol. Another contributing factor was the 2-for-1 drink special on jugs.

Total drunk this month:
• 2 bottles of beer
• 1 bottle of wine
• 3 bottles of liquor
• 52 glasses of liquor
• 5 shots of liquor

NEXT: Sarah Ismail, 21. Promotions Executive

Robert Kos, 24
Teacher

I’m feeling quite good this morning. Had a pleasant Thursday relaxing and caught up with some friends for dinner. I didn’t drink last night because I find that on the weekends, I’ll drink enough for my fill (and liver) for the entire week.

Aug 7, Sat
It was a friend’s brother’s birthday and my friends and I wanted to catch him for a few drinks. Since we avoid Clarke Quay like expired cheese, we negotiated to meet him at Blu Jazz for a while earlier in the night for a quick dinner and to catch some of the music there. The DJs weren’t what we expected but we were enjoying the jazz band. However, come midnight we were ready to move on, and headed to Home Club for what we expected to be some relaxed conversation and a relatively early Saturday night. However, a couple of beers later we started feeling more and more like catching the electro music they would be playing at Butter Factory. Since a friend was with us who hadn’t been to the club before, it seemed like a logical choice and the night ended at a somewhat respectable 3:30am.

Aug 8, Sun
Feeling pretty painful after a heavy night at Butter Factory. Hadn’t intended to drink much or stay out late but the revelry of the night took an unexpected turn. I had intended to go to La Maison tonight and catch some friends spinning on the decks there, but ended up heading to a friend’s place in the early evening for what was a short catch up, since they had needed to fill me in on some recent happenings.

Aug 9, Mon
Woke up feeling like a freight train derailed into my brain but it’s the National Day weekend—and what better way to honor Singapore than being out with the thousands of partygoers hell bent on reverting themselves to complete infantilism via grog. Things started early in the afternoon at Café Del Mar and Tanjong Beach Club and kicked up well into the single digit hours of Tuesday morning. I think I’m feeling more destroyed as a result of a solid day of sun exposure rather than the drinking (though tdrinking dehydrating liquids in the sun isn’t particularly smart either).

Aug 12, Thu
Knocked off work and met some friends down at Camp Pong because (a) playing ping pong is always fun on a weeknight and (b) Camp Pong was hosting a Brazilian news crew who were filming a story on the phenomenon. After a few beverages were passed around, our ping pong naturally improved. It has definitely been a fun week.

Aug 14, Sat
A friend was in town from Spain, so we were showing him around. We had planned to check out 1-Altitude down at Raffles Place, but because he had given his shoes away to a poor kid in Bali the day before and only had a pair of second hand flip flops to wear, we weren’t allowed in. If they understood his altruism it might have been a different story. So we moved on out to Home Club for Beat! Great fun. On that night, the dancefloor was packed and definitely conducive to getting a few drinks down on the floor.

Aug 15, Sun
My friend’s father had left some fantastic Irish whiskey for us. I forget the brand, but it was obviously quite expensive. And went down very smoothly, too.

Aug 27, Fri
I hadn’t meant to drink so much i don’t particularly like drinking outdoors, especially if I’ve been in the sun all day, but a friend joined us after work and brought beers for all of us, so we tucked in.

Aug 28, Sat
Once again, catching up with my friend who has been away the past couple of months and enjoying his fruited rum from Barbados, bizarrely called “Four Square Rum.” I was not too drunk, but it was a very late night because the hours disappeared as we caught up over the last few weeks.

Aug 29, Sun
Had an exhausting skating session (on the ice for two whole hours) so with those sore legs, the beers were manna from heaven. It’s a pity that Singapore doesn’t have more casual spots to grab a quick drink after a workout or between social commitments, ala the cafes in Italy or France where people can stop for a quick drink or a more extended one in a relaxed environment. Instead, we made do with beers from 7-Eleven and our own impromptu picnic spot on the wall by the river.

Total drunk this month:
• 34 bottles of beer
• 21 glasses of liquor
• 5 glasses of wine

NEXT: Stas Madorski, 23. DJ/Brand Manager

Remember that time last month, when you were carried out of the bar with a facial expression like a strange creature from the depths of the ocean? Or what about last week, when you realized you’d maxed out your credit card on drinks you can’t even pronounce at a joint you swear you’ve never even been to? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. We got together five willing individuals of varying gender, age, background, profession and drinking preferences and asked them to jot down what they got up to throughout August. The results? More than a little worrying.

Melvin Kuek, 39
Advertising Manager

Aug 6, Fri
Looking forward to catching up with my mates tonight for a bit of mischief and revelry given that it’s a Friday and the start of the National Day long weekend. Happy days! We headed down to KPO just before 6pm to start off the fun and games. It’s nice to see the sun still out and knowing that there’s still an entire night to stumble through. At around 10pm we decided to head down to Zouk’s Wine Bar to round up chapter one of the long weekend.

Aug 9, Mon
I woke up with a slight headache. Guess it’s all starting to catch up a little. I am also feeling a tad crappy thinking about the work day tomorrow. Downed a glass of 100 Plus to replace the lost fluids. Got a call from my friend K and discussed the possibility of meeting up in Shanghai this coming weekend to do his birthday bash at either Mint Club or Muse. Somewhere in the midst of that conversation, we decided that it would be a swell idea to do a KFC and champagne pairing dinner at my place to salute the nation and hopefully catch the fireworks from my balcony.

Aug 11, Wed
Woke up at 7:30pm feeling fresh. Decided that I will head out for a Muay Thai class before that as the restaurant was around the same vicinity. Headed to Botan at Far East Square for my business lunch. Had my usual Chirashi and split two bottles of cold sake with the client. Talking shop is so much easier and more productive under the influence of alcohol.

Aug 17, Tue
A little buzzed still but I am not sure if it’s from the sake or the coffee I had prior to going to bed the night before. It’s going to be a rather trying day managing client meetings and planning the logistics for my buddy’s surprise birthday party at Quarubar tonight. Should be a nice close knit gathering tonight with friends and family, and the surprise was going fine until he saw the mountain of champagne chilling on the table.

Aug 19, Thu
I felt “clean” after the self imposed alcohol ban yesterday (and also from the healthy diet of mainly salads and tuna wraps the entire day). Decided to make plans for a sumptuous Japanese dinner tonight at Mimigar, Gallery Hotel. Obviously a much lighter week compared to the previous one. Apart from the birthday bash, there was no real danger of red lining on the alcohol consumption. I did have a real sake craving this week which I was able to gratify.

Aug 20, Fri
Took a half day in the afternoon to chill and laze about. The birthday boy from Tuesday decided to throw a Thank You Party for all of us party organizers at Wild Oats. Over at the bar, Mitch, who runs the joint, decided to make us all guinea pigs for his new shooter experiments, mixing various potent liquors with sorbets.

Aug 22, Sun
After the alcohol free day yesterday, I woke up early. Some of my buddies decided to pop over in the afternoon to have a couple of beers.

Aug 23, Mon
Got up at 6:30am to attend Muay Thai training to sweat out the alcohol from the past week. Had a couple of Mojitos and a glass of champagne to go with the oysters and fabulous bone marrow risotto at Pierside.

Aug 24, Tue
Second early morning Muay Thai training in succession. Felt super alert and positive after the workout; all set for a good day at the office. Decided to “ta-pow” the crab bee hoon and roast pigeon from Crab Delicacy and spend the night in with a friend. We were a third of the way through before deciding to open a bottle of Veuve to go along with the great food.

Aug 25, Wed
Planning to head down to Zouk tonight to meet some friends. Haven’t been to a Mambo Jambo night in ages and it’d be interesting (and hilarious) to see what’s new in the sign language department. Had five to six whiskey drys, two bottles of Vueve and the same amount of martinis for the ladies at Wine Bar.

Aug 28, Sat
Reminded myself to chill some of the new Vueve that I had bought, before heading out to buy tulang from West Coast Market. We had three bottles of red wine, five bottles of champagne, and free flow of beer through the night. I had about 18 cans of Stella and Carlsberg and there were only two cans left by the end of the night.

Aug 30, Mon
Woke up bright and early and decided to head down to Jalan Tua Kong for some mee pok before work. Was walking towards the carpark when I got a call from one of my clients who was at Nueva Cuba at Customs House; a drink or two wouldn’t hurt I suppose. Had three glasses of mojitos each. Would have stayed but it was starting to drizzle. I did finish off the last can of beer in the fridge when I got home though.

Aug 31, Tue
Yet another action packed day in the office. Was seriously tired. Headed home when a buddy of mine texted and asked if I wanted to pop down to Quarubar on the way home. There was already a bottle of Nikka and wine on the table when I arrived. Had a glass of wine and three whiskeys with water before deciding to call it a night.

Total drunk this month:
• 52 bottles of beer
• 4 bottles of liquor (shared)
• 20 glasses of liquor
• 10 shots of liquor
• 31 bottles of champagne (shared)
• 14 bottles of wine (shared)
• 13 cocktails

NEXT: Robert Kos, 24. Teacher

NEXT: Stas Madorski, 23. DJ/Brand Manager

NEXT: Sarah Ismail, 21. Promotions Executive

NEXT: Joy Yap, 27. PR Consultant

Why did you decide to become a Buddhist monk?
I ordained after going to temples and doing meditation retreats for several years. It seemed a natural step, and I was immediately at home in the temple environment. I also never had too much ambition for worldly things.

Can you tell us about The Little Bangkok Sangha?
The Little Bangkok Sangha started because there were Westerners in Bangkok who were interested in Dhamma, but there were no organizations doing any teaching. I approached different Thai organizations but they were either uninterested, or else had no idea how to go about setting up a group for English speakers. Eventually I decided to go ahead and do it together with a few lay friends. It was a lot of work—learning how to use a computer, set up a blog, manage an online calendar, use Photoshop, start an email list. The PR takes a lot of work too. It is not enough that people are interested. You have to get the word out so that people hear about it.

What aspect does this year’s event focuses on?
Each year’s talks have a rough theme, but really are designed so that anyone can join and follow. You don’t need to be a Buddhist or a scholar. Everything should make sense right from the start. Buddhism is good like that. The teachings stand up by themselves. This year’s focus is on mindfulness. This is currently an important topic as it has been taken up by psychology. Mindfulness has proven results. However, by cutting out the religious side, is there something vital being lost? Buddhist meditators will tell you that meditation is not just for relieving stress.

Who do you think will benefit the most from the event?
Some people come regularly to different events, others come once in a while. Mostly they are expats from Europe/America, but also from Asian countries too. There is an inner core of people who all know each other, and a wider group. There are about 2,000 names on the email list. The other group that the Talks are set up for is regular folk who have been in Thailand for a while and have a good feel for the Buddhist aspects of the culture, but have had no chance to go deeper into it. This program is always in a neutral place, such as a yoga studio, library, or this year in the Pharmaceutical Society, so that everyone can feel at ease. There are no rules/traditions at these places unlike temples. Also I can relax more myself and have fun with it. The talks should be informative, but also fun and easy going. By keeping each event under 2 hours, people can call in on their way home from work. It is nice to provide a forum for good people to come together in a wholesome way. Sometimes we just meet socially.

How did Somewhere Thai come about?
Somewhere Thai marks the second year of a project called I Am a Thai Graphic Designer which I initiated in 2009. Last year’s event saw a seminar and an exhibition, but we decided to make it more of a forum this year under the theme “Somewhere Thai.”

Why Somewhere Thai?
“What’s the Thai identity in design works?” is probably one of the most asked questions among graphic designers and clients. I personally never thought to look for an answer, but the question got me interested in finding out what others think. It’s not necessarily a quest to find the answer, but more like one big brainstorming session.

What can we expect at the forum?
There are actually two parts to this year’s event. First we invited designers from across the country to submit their works under the concept Somewhere Thai, which are now being shown on our website. The second part is a two-day forum, joined by graphic designers as well as professionals in other fields like writers, editors and musicians. Concluding the event will be a talk summarizing all the things we’ll have discussed up to that point. The talk will be part of the podcast show called Design Pai Bon Pai.

Editors and musicians, too?
The concept of Thainess differs from one person to another. That’s why it’s so interesting to have people from other lines of work at the forum as well. For example, to me, a street hawker is more Thai than a kanok pattern. So, sometimes when you think something is uniquely Thai, it might not be the case for the next person. Also, graphic designers never work alone, so I’d like to pick everyone’s brain.

In your opinion, where’s the Thai identity in design?
I’d say it’s with the designer.

What’s next for you?
Next year we’ll be focusing on vernacular design and how it’s been applied to modern design. Think traditional Chinese calendars, the movie Fah Talai Jone and the Chok Dee shopping bag.

Catch Santi Lawrachawee at IMTGD 2010: Somewhere Thai

What was your most memorable food experience from childhood?
Because she was off from work only on Sunday, my mother would prepare a meal for us. She would cook all kinds of dishes, such as kaeng jued woon sen soup with minced pork, stir fried morning glory, steamed fish with ginger, ped palo, steamed crab with chilli sauce, koong ob woonsen, fried rice with seafood. The thing that made her food memorable was the chance for me to help her in the kitchen. It was also a chance for all seven of us to eat together as a family.

How do you balance your Microsoft office job in Copenhagen with your restaurant responsibilities? 
Every day is different, but normally I get up at 8 am, then go to work at Microsoft from 9 am to 5p m (or sometimes work from home). Then in the evening, I will drop by my restaurants in Copenhagen, greet all the staff and see if there are any problems. I eat dinner at one of the restaurants to check the quality, taste and freshness of the food. I can achieve so many things in one day because there are no traffic problems here in Denmark. I drive around from place to place. It only takes 5-20 minutes. To be honest Chef Henrik [Yde-Andersen] and I do pretty much almost everything by ourselves. I want to understand all the tasks in the restaurant so that I can give advice to staff effectively. And I can understand their pain, too.
What do you think it is about Kiin Kiin that earned it a Michelin star?
One big factor is Henrik. He is very creative and he interprets Thai food in a different way than I do. This is why I think we are a good team—not totally biased to the Thai or European side.

Why was it important for you to have a restaurant in Bangkok?
Because I just think that there are some Thai people who like Thai food the way I do. Normally, people tend to look at food like something that they have to eat so that they can survive. But for me, I sometimes look at food as art which can be enjoyed both visually and in terms of flavor. You can be entertained by food just like you can be entertained by a show, music or a movie.

In your cuisine, are you aiming for authenticity, or something else?
We are aiming for an authentic taste with a modern look and a twist.

What are some dishes that we can expect at Sra Bua?
Frozen red curry with baby lobster, the harvest with green curry (which will involve freshly harvested vegetables with the tops still on, served covered with edible soil so that guests can harvest their own food by pulling it out of the soil), spicy salad with orchids and sankaya ice cream.

I was an unconventional kid. I always did things that my parents never wanted me to do like dye my hair, get piercings and tattoos.

My teenage life was pretty punk. That and partying. I used to push my car out of the house then start the engine so no one could hear that I was sneaking off to go out.

My dad is my main ally. People might think that because he’s a big policeman he might be tough, but he never scolded me once. He always backed me up.

I even had secret code with him. “Eating out at soi 38” meant I would go party that night.

My mom is quite strict but I was too extreme to follow her rules.

My rebellious thoughts may have come from England where I grew up.

I used to dream of being a chief of police like my father but I didn’t care to climb the long ladder to that position.

My first album was not really rock. It was just fun pop. Thai people, though, saw it as rock because of the performance and yelling.

England is like my second home. I absorbed English music while I was studying there. I became one of them, and that mixed in with my Thainess.

I feel repressed and blow off steam through music. I share my feelings with the audience.

I started my own record label because I am older and my family owns KPN Music School. It would be nice if we had records of our own with me as the number one artist of the label. Now I’m preparing for my 12th anniversary concert on Oct 9.

I don’t have to be afraid to make my music anymore. I don’t have to worry whether someone like Surachai Chetchotisak, chief executive of the RS, will like it or not. If I want to feature with someone, I can do it right away. I don’t have to limit myself.

I was born to be a singer. I never thought to do something else.

The music industry has had a lot of changes over the last 10 years, from tapes to CDs, from copyrights to piracy. There is both good and bad in this era.

I don’t blame anyone about the piracy problem. The records companies are the ones who have to change. You can’t expect to sit and wait for people to buy your song. People don’t buy anymore.

I’m really crazy about brand name accessories. I don’t believe in cheap stuff. Good stuff has to be expensive. You can really see the difference, especially in the materials used.

The most expensive accessory that I bought was a watch. It was in the seven digits.

My father taught me that if you want to spend a lot you have to earn a lot. Otherwise your life will be ruined.

I always wear sunglasses because of my dry eyes and myopia. I used to wear contact lenses but had to stop because my allergy medications made my eyes very dry.

Love is good but it’s hard to find someone to be with. If I can’t find the right one, I’d rather be alone. I want the perfect one. Whatever happens, it happens. Let nature find the right one for me.

I let people say whatever they want to say about my gay look. I’m happy to when I’m around friends and family. That’s it.

I don’t see homosexual people as different from others. You should judge them only on their talent and behavior.

We’re all human. We have to live on our own and do good for others.

Think pink, think positive. Happiness is everywhere. It depends on you to see that it’s all around. You have to see everything in a positive way otherwise you will destroy your own happiness and suffer alone.

I would rather be Prime Minister than Governor because of my leadership instinct. I love to be the one who makes the decisions.

Dharma makes you understand life better, makes you let go of things too, and not suffer.

Make Thailand a better place. Give to charity, make merit or anything you can do.