What’s the background to this production? I’ve always wanted to do something with the classic tale of Kaew Nah Mah. It’s interesting to note that the story doesn’t really have a happy ending like most people think. How can you be sure that the protagonist, who was born with a horse-like face, is truly happy when a magical hermit turns her into a beautiful woman, just to make a prince happy? Are we afraid of being ourselves in order to please others? I wanted to expand on that in this production.

How is it also inspired by Murakami’s novel Hear the Wind Sing? Murakami’s work has the distinct undertones of melancholy, black comedy and a sense of surrealism. It also poses a question: are you content with

where you are in life now? I wanted to incorporate that into Horse.
What category or genre would you say this production falls into? All I can say is it starts off with some black comedy, but at the end you may be shedding some tears.

How does being an actor help with directing? Having worked with so many directors in the past, it’s easier for me to tune in with the actors and understand their capabilities. The challenge lies in the fact that the cast comes from different theater troupes so it takes a bit of adjusting. Also, the play doesn’t tell the story from the beginning. It opens with a crisis, so it’s essential for the actors to really get into the characters quickly and be convincing.

Catch Horse at Democrazy Theater Studio.

The best thing about growing up during my era is experiencing living in both the kampong and the newly-developed urban residences. They’ve made me what I am.

My parents were the only children in the family so they basically lived on their own. We didn’t really have any relatives. They were always very encouraging. The best advice I’ve received from them is to choose the right friends and read the right books.

I wasn’t a good student. I don’t remember ever enjoying my studies. What I do remember is that I really loved reading dance magazines. All I wanted to do then was to join the army and its Music & Drama Company (MDC).

I left Singapore to study dance theater in London. I was 20 when I left. I had received a scholarship from the British Council and stayed there for three and a half years. It was such a great feeling then. I still go back there every year.

When I was in London, I realized how small Singapore truly was. This whole idea of globalization had not yet descended upon us, so it was in London that I truly saw the whole world. It was so cosmopolitan, with people from all over. For a kampong boy, being exposed to such a big city truly shocked me.

My whole life is about people. People are my inspiration. The makcik at the nasi padang stall is my inspiration. The auntie who sits beside me in the MRT is my inspiration. Because I’m a known person, people stop me all the time so that they can start a conversation with me.

A sabbatical, as much as it can be rewarding, is not relevant to me because I work in TV. The best thing to do is to listen to the viewers who have made you the person you are. Being with people and listening to them make me relevant. I don’t need to go on a sabbatical.

You need to be a Jack of all trades and a master of one to be in this business. I’m a master at writing and hosting but I also want to be able to do more things, so I produce. People in the entertainment industry who’ve lasted many years are all still here because they do one thing really well, but they can also do many other things.

Singapore as a consumerist nation doesn’t really push the entertainment envelope very far. People here still perceive entertainment as a mere distraction from which you cannot earn money. It still hasn’t been portrayed that entertainment can be inspirational and help build character. That needs to be brought forward to the people.

My biggest pet peeve is technology—it annoys me. It really drives me crazy having to learn how to use all these new phone and computer applications.

People need to learn how to give time to their happiness. You must give time for your own personal evolution; for yourself to change. Everyone seems to be in such a rush to make it, when they should be slowing down so they can allow growth.
 

I grew up in America. My parents moved to Los Angeles to start a business there when I was three.

My mom didn’t want me growing up with American values, like enjoying wild teenage years or free sex. So she decided to return to Thailand after we’d lived there for ten years.

A big earthquake in 1989 also really freaked us out. It hit many of our neighbors hard, so my parents decided to sell everything and move back to Thailand.

I was in culture shock when I moved back. I really hated living in Thailand. I felt that I was an American. I had to wake up at 5am to get to school by 7am. What’s that all about? I was used to being able to walk to school in just 15 minutes!

I also didn’t understand Thailand’s social constraints. Like juniors having to respect their seniors or the fact I couldn’t go out with boys. So many things that just never happened in the US.

I told my mom I would only stay here until I was 18. Then I would go to study in the US and not come back.

My relatives and friends helped me adjust to Thai culture. I was an only child, with no siblings. Then all of a sudden, I had at least 12 cousins. It’s quite fun. I had to try and remember all my cousins’ names.

I transformed from an American to a Thai girl after four years. I even cried when I had to go back to the US to study.

I was preparing to study at UCLA in California but again, there was a big earthquake in 1994. I was so scared. I ended up driving from California to Phoenix, Arizona in eight hours and managed to get a place at Arizona State University.

Both earthquakes are signals that have directed my life.

I thought it would be easy for me to go back to the US but it wasn’t.

I felt like a second-class citizen. My old friends had all grown up and my new friends weren’t who I wanted to hang out with. So I ended up hanging around with Thais and Asians.

I realized the US was not my home anymore. After graduating in broadcasting, I decided I wanted to go home.

I couldn’t work for Thai TV because my Thai wasn’t good enough, so I went to work with an export company for two years. Then Channel 11 called me to join their English news TV program, News Line.

I was then asked to join The Nation by Suthichai Yoon. I spent three years there, then two years at Singapore’s Network Channel News Asia as their Bangkok-based journalist. I had to be trained in Singapore for a year. I read the news from 8am-5pm, working non-stop for 14 days, then I’d get 4-5 days-off. It was pretty exhausting.

I met Sonthi Limthongkul who wanted someone to host his TV program Muang Thai Rai Subda (Thailand Weekly). I thought it was interesting so I joined him. I was promoted to be the director of TOC before we decided to re-brand TOC to TAN, the first 24 hour English news channel in Thailand.

Managing the news and people behind the scenes is the most difficult job in my life.

I don’t worry about taking sides even though I am a journalist. We’re still human. We have our own ideas and should do what we believe is the right thing.

It’s hard to find neutral media in Thailand but the audience can choose what channel they watch.

We can’t underestimate the audience. They’re smart and know how to find the truth by using the internet or other news sources to fact-check the media. Even the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) watch other media to evaluate the truth.

Divisions in Thai society make people follow politics much more closely but we have to respect other people’s opinion without violence. That will be real democracy.

People may see me as a tough woman; I don’t. I am just a normal person who has experienced good and bad things in life. I also worry about so many things, especially the lawsuits that I’m facing, including one where I am being branded a terrorist. That is the hardest, I even cry when I think about it.

I wish Thais would live more slowly and be less worried about contending so strongly for everything. Then our happiness will return.

BK: What were you doing before becoming a stuntman?
Pod: I decided to drop out of university after two weeks because I wanted to work and earn money. At that time, my father was also very sick. He was in the terminal stage of lung cancer and I wanted to be with him, more than worrying about studying.

BK: Why did you want to become a stuntman?
Pod: My father was an action actor but I was also inspired by Ja Panom [Tony Ja]. I was just amazed by his performances so I asked my mom to call Panna Ritthigrai, Thailand’s famous stunt master, to see if he could help me become a stuntman. Luckily, Panna was in the process of forming a new team of stuntmen so he asked me to audition.

BK: How did the audition go?
Pod: I had studied taekwondo, so I performed those moves for the audition. There were around a hundred people taking part but only eight people got picked.

BK: How did they train you?
Pod: We had to train intensively for three months. I think it was harder than military training. The first day, I couldn’t eat because I was so tired and would throw up if I ate anything. We covered everything from gymnastics and muay Thai to how to make a fight look real or how to avoid injury while still making things look great for the camera.

BK: What was your first job?
Pod: I helped out the stuntmen in King Naresuan II and then appeared as a stuntman in Chocolate and Somtam. Then I played the spirit of Ramil (Athip Nana) in Opapatika—the make-up took 4 hours! I also played the stunt double for Metanee “Lookked” Kinpayom in Lek Lhai because we are the same height even if she’s a woman.

BK: What is the most dangerous stunt you’ve ever done?
Pod: It has to be in Kod Su Kod Su, my new movie. The director, Panna, packed it full of stunts. One scene has 14 stuntmen falling from a two-story building. I nearly missed the safety boxes but the crew moved the safety sheet just in time.

BK: What about your international work?
Pod: Our Fight Club team featured in Hong Kong movies like Shanghai and Elephant White, where I had to run on the roof of a train. Now we’re doing Scorpion King III, which is being shot in Kanchanaburi. I feel making Thai movies is more difficult because on international movies, everything is already set up. In Thai movies we have to create the stunt scene from scratch.

BK: Aren’t you ever afraid that you’re going to be hurt?
Pod: No. I love it. I never get tired of doing this. It’s like a hobby, not a job.

This month, J-Rock overrides the Korean wave with the I Love Anisong Mega Music Concert, which is part of this year’s Anime Festival Asia (AFA X) 2010.

You describe yourself as “the most powerful girlie pop rock” band. What’s so powerful about you?
That term was initially given to us by the media but we really like the vision. Girls are getting more powerful nowadays and we hope that our music can reflect this.

What’s with the sweet school girl image then?
We never intended to portray that image but as girls, we’ve always wanted to be pretty and beautiful, hence the result.

Why call yourselves Scandal?
A shop near the studio we used to go to was called “Scandal.” We thought it sounded a little naughty.

Your debut album ranked No. 5 on Japan’s famed Oricon chart.  How do you feel about that?
It’s unusual for us to have achieved something like that because it has been a long time since a girl band last ranked so high on the charts. We are honored.

Tell us a little bit about your favorite songs from the album.
“Scandal Baby” is one of our favorites! It always gets the audience hot and excited at live performances. The lyrics also express our resolution when our first album was released, which is why we’re very fond of it. We hope to play it at AFA X!
 

Get naughty with Scandal at the I Love Anisong Mega Music Concert on Nov 14, 6:30pm. Suntec Convention & Exhibition Hall 402, 1 Raffles Blvd., 6337-2888. $118 from Gatecrash.

Labeled as the hard house music scene's hottest headliner, Manchester born Alex Kidd has been targeted for slots in clubs around the world for his audaciously infectious DJ sets. “It’s cool to hear positive feedback and know that people out there are getting off on the Kidd vibe,” he says. The Kidd experience is a night when inebriated wonks of hovering electronic riffs and double-sped up basslines meet throngs of sweaty fans, who have been faithful to the DJ’s dangerously riotous tunes. “But I don’t let it get me sweating too much myself,” he says.

Yet sweat is one of the obvious tell-tale indications of an Alex Kidd party; as seen on his Kiddfectious world tour which has taken the US, Cyprus, Germany and Australia by storm. Kidd made sure that he marked his territory by throwing the hardest party around wherever he went—at a rate of 140bpm no less. “I think I burst a few blood vessels from jumping up and down with the excitement of it all,” he recalls. “It was a fresh challenge for me to sustain a weekly residency in Cyprus during the week alongside playing festivals in Europe and touring round the world on weekends.” And thus, the seeds of hard house were sown by a DJ who works harder than his sound ever will; with blood, sweat and bass the prince of success.

“I’m going to test the crowd out a little bit and see what styles they are into,” he says of his upcoming gig at Zirca. “I’ll work in some new bootlegs and edits for the set and will probably be using some new technology like controllers and FX units too,” he warns. “I will be fully ready to rock the crowd and take the roof off!”

Catch Alex Kidd go wild with his hard house sounds on Nov 13, 10pm. Zirca, #01-02/05 Blk. C The Cannery, Clarke Quay, River Valley Rd. 6333-4168. $28.

What’s so hot about white truffles versus black ones?
White is ten times more intense! Black is around all year, while white is only from November to Christmas. And you can find the black ones in Italy and France, in a lot of regions. You can only find the white ones in Piedmont and a couple of areas in the middle of Italy. Finally, black costs around 10,000 baht per kilogram while white ones are 100,000 baht.

You are from Alba, in Piedmont. What’s your personal relationship to truffles?
It’s very difficult actually to go truffle hunting. People keep their secrets carefully. So I only went on a hunt once. When I was 10 years old, I had my first taste of truffles. It’s so intense, it’s hard to appreciate as a kid. Now truffles are huge in Piedmont. There’s so much marketing. They bring in celebrities, royalty, movie stars. But you know, the truffle is not the king or queen of the kitchen. It’s important. It’s very rare. But without onions and garlic, you die. Every dish, every sauce—you need to have them. Don’t forget the basics.

How do you cook truffles?
There’s a chemical reaction with eggs so it’s one of the most wonderful combinations. Forget fish. You need animal products like beef or cheese. Or winter vegetables, like artichoke or cauliflower. In fact truffles should be cooked very simply, with very few ingredients. You don’t want to lose the taste. For me, my favorite dish is the risotto with white truffle (B2,400) combined with a very nice bottle of red wine like Gaja.

Technique & medium: Dripping technique with acrylics on canvas.

What are the thoughts behind this exhibition?
I’d like to portray the aggression against nature, and how if we observe it more carefully, aesthetics are there to be seen. It’s almost like watching two boxers hitting each other in a boxing ring. Even though they’re fighting, their forms and movements are beautiful.

Can you tell us about the dripping technique?
I was inspired by the famous American expressionist artist Jackson Pollock. First I’d lay the canvas on the floor, walk around it and splash paint all over it. Then I’d hang the canvas on the wall, and begin the dripping process. I call the way I work “hyper reality” because I manually move the canvas to control the dripping.

What is the significance of the title being incorporated into the piece?
Every artwork has its title painted across them. The titles, while all made up, represent coldness and inaccessibility. They give you that same passive feeling as the names of chemicals or medicine. They also break up the aesthetics of the paintings, almost defile them, which portrays the paradox in the beauty of destruction.

What’s your message to the viewers?
My artworks don’t have didactic value. They’re not there for the purpose of preaching. I don’t believe that a didactic artwork can offer the same level of profound emotional impact.

Acid Rain exhibition at La Lanta

How did you get involved with this production?
Inspire Me! came about as a result of the recent political chaos, when we recognized the need for an uplifting new approach to musical theatre that not only showcases young hidden talent in Bangkok but also allows people to express their feelings and hopes for a brighter future.

What is Inspire Me! about?
It follows a group of students through their final year of school where important life decisions have to be made and chances have to be taken. We see how differences can bring people together but also push people apart.

Who are some of the actors/performers?
All the performers are under 22 years of age and come from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. We have a core of experienced singers, a sub-core of fantastic dancers, and an energetic ensemble that form a total cast of 35.

What are some of the challenges you faced during the making of this show?
As the project is non-profit the trickiest thing has been securing reasonable prices for everything that will go into the show. There are some special effects, which although amazing, prove quite challenging logistically and financially! The cast, however, have all been simply sensational.

What’s next for you?
The future’s bright! Taking a leaf out of the Inspire Me! book, I will keep setting goals and try my best to work towards them, the first goal being to direct another show featuring actors and performers of any age. So watch this space!
Catch Inspire Me! at Moonstar Studio

Who makes up Spring Theater?
There are four of us behind the project: co-producer Wipavee Prathumpong, playwright Napak Traichareondej, production designer Suwalee Wichaiwutkun and me. We formed the troupe with the intention of creating stage plays that largely focus on children’s and women’s issues.

Can you tell us about this production?
Dekpiset was originally Napak’s thesis piece when she was studying at the Department of Dramatic Arts at Chulalongkorn University. The script, which was about an autistic boy and his mom, received positive feedback and we all loved it, so we decided to develop it into a full production. The proceeds from the performance will go towards several autistic children foundations.

What’s next for Spring Theater?
We’ll be focusing on charity plays about kids and women. I’m looking at doing Philip Ridley’s play Sparkleshark, which tackles the issues of teenagers. The problem is that four of us all have full-time jobs, so it might not be ready until late next year.

Catch A Boy in the Room (Dek Piset) at M Theater