The decision came after the invitation of the Oscar organizer for Thailand to take part in the Oscar foreign language film competition.

According to the Office of Contemporary Art And Culture, Kon Khon has been chosen as the country’s nominee because of its prominent role in conserving Thai culture. Its plot is also accessible to foreigners in general.

However, the Culture Ministry said it didn’t expect Kon Khon to win the top price. Rather, its goal is actually to promote Thai culture via the movie.

Last year, Thai film Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives won the Palme d’Or at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. It became the first Asian film to win the award since 1997.

Natural resources such as plants and fruits are the real reason behind these goats’ healthy physique. Akkara is feeding his goat with these fruits and plants he’s growing in his farm and he also uses them as his cooking ingredient, he does not need to buy ingredients from outside at all, which is a good way to cut costs on grocery shopping.

The goat’s excrement is also the best fertilizer for the trees, plants and fruits to grow. This is such a great example of a sustainable lifestyle following His Majesty the King’s philosophy of living a sustainable life and maintaining the balance and respecting the environment. We talked more to Akkara Ti-ti-tha-vorn about the way he’s living his sustainable life following His Majesty The King’s philosophy.

“I am applying the ‘self-help management’ theory to this farm. We are living a sustainable lifestyle following His Majesty The King’s Philosophy. This goat farm is not only producing clean pasteurized goat milk but also we are successful in breeding new goat breeds for export sales. Also, we have this so-called ‘By Product’ in which we are gathering the goat’s excrement and use it as effective fertilizer for the plants and fruits or trees in the farm. This method is able to help reduce the wheatgrass and insects problems because we’re only using the natural ingredients for our farm. We are strictly concerned about our environment. This is the best way for farmers and gardeners to manage their farms without disturbing the nature with chemicals.”

Not only goat milk and fruits or herbal plants are growing in ‘Prujampa Goat Farm’, but a variety of fish such as catfish or serpent head fish are also growing in his backyard pond too, giving Akkara enough food supply for his household and creating more income. The food chain systems are easily created by letting the goats eat the natural grasses and fruits which are fertilized by the goat’s excrement. Biological water which is made from left over fruits mixed with water is sprinkled all over the farm on plants and even added into goat’s water, 20 cc per 10 liters, for them to drink and absorb good effective bacteria which are good for their health and immune systems.

By living a sustainable lifestyle following His Majesty The King’s philosophy, Akkara and his farmers and fellow gardeners are living quite a happy and prolonged lifestyle by not ruining the natural resources and environment. He is able to lower his household costs and feeding plus milking his goats every morning, without hassle. This is a true good example of living such a sustainable lifestyle by a man who wants nothing more than a happy family by having his goats, naturally fertilized grass and fruits, and his green plus peaceful agricultural farm. This is Zenniesha, reporting for Andaman News.

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2009 marks the 6th consecutive year for the annual French Cultural Festival ‘La Fête 2009’ in Bangkok.  As part of the festival which runs until October, various exhibitions and shows are on offer. One of these, ‘Planet Ocean: Voyage to the Heart of the Marine Realm’ was launched on Friday to coincide with World Environment Day. It’s one of the festival’s highlights, in which the mysterious beauty of marine life is unveiled.

Occupying over 75% of the earth, the undersea world’s natural richness is still very much a secret, despite scientists having confirmed the oceans as having been the source of all living creatures.

Yet, the list of damages man is imposing upon the sea and its myriad inhabitants – like global warming, pollution, and over fishing – is extensive.
With his passion and devotion to the marine environment, Palme d’Or-award-winning photographer and marine biologist Laurent Ballesta hopes his audience will appreciate the marine world’s values and be aware of the indispensability of this ‘world beneath the waves’.

“It’s very close related to us. It links to our own survival, and when you start to understand that and take so pleasure, I mean, our pleasure to make the photo. I think that’s the beginning of the respect and of the conservation,” said Laurent Ballesta, a marine biologist and photographer.

With the oceans holding our past and stating our future, scientists remind us sustainable exploitation of marine resources is a major challenge which must be addressed.

Ballesta’s beautiful shots have appeared in numerous exhibitions across Europe over the past 3 years. They carry a significant message and are now being exhibited in Asia for the first time in the ‘Planet Ocean’ exhibition with the aim of raising awareness in this part of the globe of the critical need to protect the oceans.

“Sometimes, I’m afraid that people think ocean is just seafood. It’s not just seafood. It’s so many other sources of happiness, you know,” said
Laurent Ballesta, a marine biologist and Photographer.

All forms of nature should be respected, as this helps man live in harmony with the natural world. For those interested in exploring more of the under-water world, the ‘PLANET OCEAN: Voyage to the Heart of the Marine Realm by Laurent Ballesta and Pierre Descamp’ is now on display at Bangkok’s Zen Department Store until 12 August.

www.mcot.net

Captivated by landscape, light and the history of each city, Victoria Boychenko expresses her appreciation of each city’s elements in an exhibit featuring paintings which reflect urban life along the water.

Victoria chose Italy’s Venice due to its richness in art and culture. Although the artist was there for only a short period of time, she was impressed that even today cars are not a necessary means of transportation.

She explained living close to canals gave her different feelings from the striking views induced by local charm and also travelling by boat.

Saint-Petersburg in Russia, where Victoria lived for 2 years, was another choice of city, where she remembers the aroma of freshly baked bread floating through her window.

Now living in Bangkok, Victoria realised houses and the local way of life alongside the canals could imaginatively take her back in time. Gazing at such scenes was also a way of meditation.

“When I painted my Bangkok pictures, I was thinking about even nature, tropical nature and the colour of Thai silk. And it’s very nice when you travel through canals. You can smell even Thai food and there’s the Thai evening with a special colour of sky,” said Victoria Boychenko, an artist.

According to Victoria, some of her paintings might not be understandable but if the audience feels good about them, it already means art appreciation. 

The exhibition of the figurative artworks of Victoria Boychenko runs until the end of May from Tuesday to Sunday at Neilson Hays Library’s Garden Gallery & Café on Bangkok’s Surawong Road.

The editors and members of travel website VirtualTourist.com have compiled a list of the World’s Top 10 Greatest Ceilings, apart from the Sistine Chapel. Reuters has not endorsed this list.

1. Bellagio Hotel; Las Vegas, Nevada

The colored disks that float on the ceiling of the Bellagio may look like multi-colored jellyfish, but they are in fact thousands of hand-blown glass flowers. Like the town itself, it has to be seen to be believed.

2. Debre Berhan Selassie Church; Gonder, Ethiopia

You’d never guess by looking at the outside of this small, relatively simple church that such stunning artwork graces the inside. It’s said that none of the 104 winged cherubs that dot the ceiling are alike.

3. Grand Central Station; New York City, New York

Once covered in black grime, this ceiling was restored in the 1990s as part of the station’s renovation and now depicts several signs of the zodiac in beautiful sea-green and gold hues. There’s even a little patch that was left dirty just to show the difference between the “before” and “after.”

4. Galeries Lafayette Department Store; Paris, France

The glass domed ceiling at the famed department store attracts as many tourists as shoppers. Unveiled in 1912, the dome is overshadowed only by the view from the store’s terrace.

5. Khai Dinh Tomb; Hue, Vietnam

It took 11 years to complete, but the results are pretty astounding with the ceiling featuring nine hand-painted dragons in fine, fleeting clouds.

6. Sant’Ignazio Church; Rome, Italy

It’s almost impossible to believe when looking at this multi-dimensional painting that the surface is actually flat. Perhaps one of the most incredible examples of “Trick of the Eye” paintings ever completed, it’s a clear rival with its more famous nearby neighbor — the Sistine Chapel

7. Sagrada Familia; Barcelona, Spain

No one could ever say this building was constructed too hastily. Started in the 1800s and still unfinished, the imposing forest-like ceiling is as original as the rest of the Gaudi-designed church.
8. Central Rotunda, Griffith Park Observatory; Los Angeles, California

Designed by Hollywood art director turned muralist Hugo Ballin, the subtle, circular painting depicts the signs of the zodiac and other celestial objects. An interesting side note: Ballin was a sketch artist on the film The Wizard of Oz, which might explain the ceiling’s whimsical look.

9. Macy’s Department Store; Chicago, Illinois

This genuine Tiffany ceiling is so incredible it’s enough to distract even the most ardent shopaholic. Over 100 years old, it’s composed of more than 1.6 million pieces of glass and is considered by many to be one of the best examples of Tiffany craftsmanship ever constructed.

10. Opera Garnier; Paris, France

Although the primary function of the building is to provide a stage for the city’s extraordinary ballet company, Marc Chagall’s ceiling mural is a show in itself. Thought to be somewhat incongruous with the building’s architecture, it was the source of much controversy when it was added in 1964.

(Editing by Miral Fahmy)
http://www.reuters.com