Half Term over the River Kwai by Alex Bannard, Frost’s Thailand correspondent

Posted on March 23, 2016 by Margaret Graham

Planning a half term break with a friend and her kids, Alex really experienced the beauty of whatever will be will be.
As half term approached and the realization dawned that our husbands would be working, my dear friend Meghan and I planned to take the kids away together but where? I’m not one for planning too far in advance so we were well into January before thoughts turned to half term. But having been knee-deep in major house renovations during our time in Germany, I was determined when we arrived in Thailand not to make the same mistake gain. This time, life would not take over, and opportunities for adventures and exploration would not be missed.

We talked about Krabi, or maybe a road trip down to Phuket but couldn’t finalise, nothing seemed right. I reminded Meg that whatever will be, will be. Then one day she was reminiscing about a trip to Kanchanabhuri on the banks of the River Kwai, staying in the hotel of the boys’ class mates and the light bulb came on. A few emails backwards and forwards and suddenly with days to spare until half term, we were on.

Kanchanabhuri is approximately 2 hours drive west of Bangkok. The fourth biggest city in Thailand, and compared to the capital it is a sleepy suburb.

Nestling on the River Kwai it was made famous by the novel and film Bridge over the River Kwai re-telling the brutal tale of thousands Thai’s and POW’s who lost their lives building the Burmese Railway, also know as Death Railway.

We were greeted at Mstay by Khun Ae the owner and mum of the classmates and instantly made to feel like part of the family. The resort overlooks the river and is peaceful and private, serene and soulful. It felt a million miles away from Bangkok. We spent the afternoon playing in the pool with the kids and having a heavenly foot massage.

The following morning Khun Jon joined us from Bangkok and all three families headed off into history and a ride on the infamous Death Railway. In true Thai style the 11.30 train arrived at 11.30-Thai-time: almost an hour late. On board we secured Thai donuts and pancakes for the journey and were treated to stunning views of the river.

That evening our hosts who also own a watersports rental took us out on a sunset speedboat tour of the River Kwai. Meanwhile my son Akiro, and Khun Jon hit the river on a jet ski – what an amazing treat for Akiro, speeding along super fast on his first ever jet ski trip.Onboard the speedboat we popped a bottle of fizz and tried to drink it sedately whilst the wind whipped our hair into a frizz and the fizz into a mini whirlpool in the glass. It was a relaxed end to a thought provoking day.

The next day we took a trip to Erawan Falls. This has been on my Bangkok-bucket-list since arriving here and it did not disappoint. The falls are a series of 7 waterfalls. With small kids in tow we only ventured to the first 3 and in the third took a dip. Fish nipped at our toes, which was disconcerting and it was hard to maintain a calm demeanor by which to encourage the kids into the water: we only managed to entice 4 of the 7 kids in.

This time it was my daughter Indie’s turn for a first: her first waterfall swim. The water was cool and refreshing and the fish left us alone once we were swimming.

That afternoon Khun Ae took me with her to her local hairstylist, where I has the best hair cut so far in Thailand and it only cost 250bht (£5). I resolved to catch the train down from Bangkok when the next hair cut is due. Meanwhile the kids were planting banana trees elsewhere on Khun Jon’s estate and we have promised to return when the trees need harvesting.

Our last day took us to a local farm. With a pickup truck loaded with plastic chairs doubling as a makeshift bus we trundled out to the corn fields. I am sure we were quite the sight to the workers in the fields: a truck full of Farang picking corn. Apparently I was a natural. Probably did it in a former life. We headed back to the farm for a mini spa treatment. Organic sesame paste made at the farm, mixed with ground coffee and sesame oil and massaged onto the skin – seriously soft and smooth results and another Bangkok-bucket-list ticked: natural beauty products sources for the bathroom cabinet.Afterwards an afternoon relaxing by the pool lay ahead.Before we left Kanchanabhuri we of course had to go down to the famous bridge for photo opportunities. It was hard to think of the trauma and misery of those times, and to feel that we were walking in the footsteps of so much suffering. We looked at the river, at the way it was alive, and vibrant again. We thought of the train journey we had taken on the railway and enjoyed, but it was a railway line, which accounted for the lives of so many captives, of so many nationalities.

There was much to think about amongst the click and laughter of so many selfies, and much history to process.

In our 4 days in Kanchanbhuri we were treated to the most amazing hospitality, kindness and generosity by our hosts and I cannot recommend Mstay more highly. I love leaving a place knowing when I return there is more to experience. The families merged beautifully laughing and joking with ease as if we had grown up together. We mostly ate locally and of course it was delicious and very different to the usual red and green curries. And it absolutely proved the old saying: if it’s meant to be so it will be in the most beautifully eloquent fashion.

Alex Bannard has lived the nomadic life of an expat for over 10 years. After a successful career in retail she became a mum and decided on a more holistic approach to life, teaching yoga. In 2015 the family moved to Bangkok where Alex started writing articles on yoga and her Bangkok adventures for a local magazine, Expat Life, and is also Frost Magazine’s correspondent. She continues to teach yoga and mindfulness to adults and children.

30 Days of Gratitude Day 22 #30daysofgratitude

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Catherine Balavage

Today the world woke up to the terrorist attacks in Brussels. It seems that a week does not pass without some awful terrorist attack somewhere. Last week it was Istanbul where a suicide bomber killed three Israelis and an Iranian. Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said that Turkey is “awash with terrorism” and the President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would use all its military and intelligence might to battle “one of the biggest and bloodiest terrorist waves in its history”. Why is this in my gratitude series? It is a good question, but a harder one was what to choose to be grateful for today. The flip side to terrorism, to death and pain is joy and life. I am grateful for that. For kindness, for every breathe. Today as I watched the news of the terrorist attacks in Brussels on the BBC I looked at my nearly one-year-old son. As he watched the screen he did not know what was happening. He was just fascinated by the lights and the noise. A panic started to rise in me. What kind of world is my son growing up in? The thought made me feel sad and I felt even more protective towards this beautiful little bundle.

But we must find the positive. The beauty in life. We must carry on and not let the terrorists win. They want us to be scared. To feel fear and change our behaviour. To hate each other and be sad. But we won’t. We will persevere. We will find the joy, the love, we will carry on with our lives. Today I am grateful for that.

Catch up on other days:

Day 1.
Day 2.

What are you grateful for?

Glass Inspiration with the artist Gloria MacArthur by Wendy Breckon

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Margaret Graham

Enter the fantasy world of Gloria MacArthur’s light filled studio in leafy Hertfordshire and admire the fabulous glasswork dangling from the ceiling, the funky jewellery and bright dazzling bowls glinting on the open shelves.

All work is fired in the kiln, where coloured frit glass in sand or egg shell form, is usually fused between two layers of sheet glass to make weird and wonderful artefacts. Gloria has been practising as a glass artist for fifteen years and specialises in using float, bullseye, andMurano glass. She can also casts sculptures using Gaffa glass.

Her cosy, intimate studio is tucked away in the beautiful grounds of Ponsbourne Manor, in the lovely village of Newgate Street twenty miles from London and four miles from the M25. The perfect setting to relax and meet other people.

Gloria grew up in Huddersfield in the industrial North. Here, creativity thrived and flourished in the home environment. Artistic crafts and skills were passed on and encouraged by both parents. Her father was a loom tuner in a textile mill, who often experimented at home, making objects in wood. From an early age, she too became fascinated by this, as well as the medium of textiles and collage. All of her three sisters were very artistic. Their mother, recognised the combined talents of her daughters, and entered them in art competitions which the Drurey girls often won.

Gloria worked in the mill for three and a half years, before deciding to gain the qualifications for a career combining teaching and art. Eventually the bright lights of Brighton beckoned! Her final exam degree piece was a soft sculpture of an enormous chain hanging down with a broken piece on the ground. For many years she was a successful Head of Art, becoming fascinated eventually by a love of glass and the new opportunities presented, to experiment with glass artefacts at the University of Hertfordshire.

The courses offered in Gloria’s studio are, a whole day with lunch, (£70) or a half day (£40), for up to four people. The next one is Sunday 29^th May followed by Thursday 16^th June. Perfect for a group of friends, an individual, a birthday gift or any other special occasion. Different levels of ability are catered for and there is much individual attention from this superb contemporary artist, who enjoys passing on her many skills.

The emphasis will be on learning glass techniques, such as cutting, slumping, using different moulds and a wide variety of materials. People go home with at least three items such as a funky glass mirror frame, a quirky piece to display in the window or hang on the wall, or maybe a striking pendant or earrings.

Gloria also offers longer courses at the Courtyard Arts Centre in Hertford, where students can develop extension skills. Her eye catching pieces have been displayed at the Cambridge Glass fair, the Knebworth Glass Fair and the Herford Art Trail.

As I gaze around the studio, my eyes are drawn upwards to the soft blue and white shining glass of a boat set in driftwood, spinning above my head. If I don’t leave with that piece, or one of Gloria’s abstract clock designs, her latest project, I will be most surprised!

Inspiration comes from many sources. One, the colours and images of the English landscape, the famous glass artist Dale Chihuly, and the Japanese artist Hokusai renowned for his images of Mount Fuji.

So, if you are seeking fun and inspiration, or feel the desire to learn a new skill, this talented glass artist with a contemporary vibe will be the right person to ‘fire’ and develop your imagination.

To contact Gloria for a commission or take part in a course email her at gloria.macarthur@btinternet.com or phone her on 01707870734.

Illustrator Carmen Garcia Huerta on music, motherhood & Madame Bovary

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Frostie

Somewhere between photography, cinema and fiction comes illustration. Carmen García Huerta was selected by Taschen as one of the 100 best international illustrators. Her world is both unmistakable and surprising, with a unique attention to detail. Carmen’s work straddles two styles: the stylised and chic in her more commercial work, and a predilection for curved lines and the beauty of imperfection in her more personal projects.

In this interview, we hear from the artist herself on music, motherhood and Madame Bovary…

What is fashion illustration for you?

It’s quite an evasive notion for me, something like the minimal unity of elegance. A subtle yet, at the same time, complex expression of the whole web of design, trend, fabric, texture, attitude, sociology. In my case, the object gains a force and loses volatility, as my drawings are very consistent.

What is happening beyond illustration in the world of Carmen García Huerta?

Well, I am single, which I need – it is vital for my work. The only presence which does not change me or which even, at times, motivates and stimulates me is that of my daughter when she visits me in the studio, but only for a short time. I always have music on. I usually listen to intimate tracks by composers from classical to neo-folk, unless I have an urgent deadline. Then I put on power rock or epic soundtracks to speed me up a bit.

When you were little, what could keep your attention for hours?

I was a very quiet child, introverted and dreamy. I spent a lot of time immersed in my father’s graphics library, where he had lots of books by strip cartoonists from the ‘70s, clearly for adults as they were about politics or soft porn. Perhaps that wasn’t the most appropriate for a child, and I didn’t understand anything that I was reading about, but I am very grateful to have had access to those as that is how I learnt to draw and get engrossed in reading.

Leaving technology aside, what objects do you think are most representative of this era, which will be recognised when looking back from the future?

Now there is a return to the home-made and the artisanal, in perfect harmony with technology. But I don’t know what to say, everything that comes to mind is electronic. So, if I can’t mention a smartphone, I would say a selfie. I can’t think of anything which better expresses here and now.

If you could create the image of a character from a novel or film in your illustrations, who would it be?

Madame Bovary. In fact, that’s what I’m about to do.

Full article as published on SPN by writer, translator and journalist, Silvia Terrón.

30 Days of Gratitude Day 21 #30daysofgratitude

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Catherine Balavage

Today I am grateful for walking. The health benefits of a walk are numerous, and I also find it helps me clear my mind. My son also likes to nap in the pram so it is how I get a break. When I have a lot of work on I will go for a walk through the park to a coffee shop or café. Usually by the time I get there the baby is asleep and I can get some work done. The baby also loves walks, he looks around and finds everything fascinating. It also helps to work off some of the many biscuits I eat. London is beautiful and I love walking around, taking in all of the history. It makes me feel very grateful indeed.

Catch up on other days:

Day 1.
Day 2.

What are you grateful for?

The Glory By Katie Flynn (writing as Judith Saxton) Reviewed by Janet Speedie

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Frostie

Katie Flynn is a well known and successful writer who also writes as Judith Saxton.

Book two of this family saga follows the Neyler family through the dark years of WW1 and their hopes for a brighter future.

The Glory follows the lives of Ted and Tina’s family and friends during a dark and difficult period. The story starts in Norfolk in 1912 when there are only distant rumours of war.

Follow and enjoy the Neyler’s trials and tribulations of family life, though, if you haven’t read the previous novel in the series, you might find that you flounder a bit in the early stages trying to work out who is who. Once you get the hang of the characters, though, and sink into a poignant and readable wartime story you’ll thoroughly enjoy it. Keep your hankie at the ready though, and be amused by the twist at the end.

What adventures will Judith Saxton aka Katie Flynn bring to the Neyler family in Book 3? I can hardly wait.

Katie Flynn was born in Norfolk but moved with her husband and family to the North West. Katie is a compulsive writer with over 80 titles published under several names, one of which is Judith Saxton. Even suffering with ME for the past few years, Katie continues to write her stories for which I am grateful.

Published by Arrow on 10^th March 2016 priced £6.99

30 Days of Gratitude Day Twenty #30daysofgratitude

Posted on March 20, 2016 by Catherine Balavage

Today I am grateful for good manners. I see a lot of stuff on social media, or overhear conversations where people complain about the lack of manners in today’s society. And that is sometimes true, but in my experience there are plenty of people with good manners. For every person who does not thank you when you open the door for them (yell ‘you’re welcome’ at them. It’s really satisfying) there are people who go out of their way for you. I remember struggling to get the pram and the shopping through the door of my apartment block and having a man in a van stop, roll down the window, and ask if he could help. I told him it was okay as I did not want to inconvenience him, but another two people also offered to help in this instance. I see a lot of this when I am out and about with my son. People holding doors, smiling, offering to help with shopping, even giving advice. It makes me happy. The worst is when people are not only rude, but also ungrateful. Ingratitude is one of the worst traits a person can have. So let’s all think of some things we are grateful for today. It leaves you feeling happier and healthier. Promise.

Catch up on other days:

Day 1.
Day 2.

What are you grateful for?

30 Days of Gratitude Day Nineteen #30daysofgratitude

Posted on March 19, 2016 by Catherine Balavage

Today I am grateful for the weekend. It is a strange one as a self employed freelancer: we can make our own hours. But my husband works a Monday-Friday 9-5 job and weekends means out family is together. We do have to work or study on weekends sometimes but we manage to carve out some happy family time, and that is what life is really about.

Catch up on other days:

Day 1.
Day 2.

What are you grateful for?