All posts filed under: GLOBAL COMMUNITY

Explore people and culture of around the world

Faces | A Day Spent at Chok Chai Farm,Thailand

Published by RNL Writer

“Me and my friend were passing through the Khorat province of Thailand, when we accidentally spotted a farm and decided to pull over and check it out. We discovered that it was the popular Chok Chai Farm – that houses in numerous animals like cows, sheep, horses, chickens and more. We decided to stay back there for a while. Most surprisingly, we even got to experience milking the cow, feeding the sheep, riding horses and basically watching the animals being on their own. We had an amazing time!” @t.prang  

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A Chat with the Creators Behind “MoonshineFolks” Hong Kong, an Art Project Involving Beautiful Floral Arrangements and People

Published by Shweta Rao

Carefully arranged pictures of pretty flowers on Instagram have become blooming works of art since a few years. Come winter and indoor hobbies like flower arrangements serve as an inspiration to the millions of us trying to create beauty for our own Hygge-inspired lives. A minimalistic Gerbera arrangement melds into a portrait of a woman ready for a Bohemian winter with an Icelandic wool knitted headband. Tiny Callistemon fruit branches and long stems of Chinese Ixora used innovatively as installation art on a terrace garden. A Van Gogh inspired Vincent Blue Bouquet. A lone Gerbera lights up a meal at home shared with friends and family. These are just a few of the stunning floral art captured by the florist cum artists behind “Moonshinefolk” We chat with the creative duo behind “Moonshinefolk”- Manki Lai and Helen Cheung from Hong Kong. “Our common interest in flowers brought us together,” says Manki. Helen is a copywriter who was learning flower arrangement at the time Moonshine was conceived. Manki is a graphic designer who loves photography and wants to try …

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Faces | Traveling Like a Local In The City of Chiang Mai, Thailand

Published by Imtee Jamir

  “On a hot afternoon in Chiang Mai, my friend and I were wandering about and exploring the old city area of Chiang Mai. All we needed after walking around in the sun for a while was definitely a cold and fresh coconut drink. On our way, we spotted an alley with lots of graffiti wall art and a phone kiosk along the lane. To the locals, this phone kiosk might look vandalised, but to me, it was this super cool spot with an amazing aesthetic appeal to take a nice photograph in! Plus, my coconut drink seemed like the perfect prop to use in this picture to blend in with the city and get a real sense of the life out here. Why not travel like a local but take pictures like a tourist, right?” ~ Manki Lai, @ohmanki

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Making My Own Musical Instruments From Bamboo | Rizal Abdulhadi – Folk Music Artist from Indonesia

Published by RNL Writer

“Music is the universal language of mankind.”― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Rizal Abdulhadi from Indonesia believes this to be true. He is a full-time musician, instrument builder, multi-instrumentalist, social activist, video producer & editor and the founder of the ‘ThatBamboo’ company – a music label that uses bamboo to create hand-crafted musical instruments. The most interesting fact about Rizal is that he makes his own instruments out of bamboo. His most recent handcrafted instrument called ‘Rasendriya’ is a combination of guitar with didgeridoo and celempung (percussion).He recently came to India for the Ziro Music Festival, and we had a chat with him to know more him, his music and his craft. Rizal Abdulhadi was here in India for the Ziro Festival of Music and R&L team caught up with him to know more about him, his music & his unique musical instruments – and his experience with the people, the place and the festival at Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh Hi Rizal! Tell us briefly about yourself. Hi! I am Rizal Abdulhadi from the band – Rizal & The …

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Amelia takes us to the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Published by Amelia Bundred

See elephants as they should be seen at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai. R&L’s newest contributor Amelia from the UK (and based out of Thailand), takes us on a virtual tour to this beautiful elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand. She shares how she enjoyed her day out in the wild, spending quality time with the rescued animals in their natural habitat, and relished her Thai vegetarian buffet lunch. Thailand’s Northern Province of Chiang Mai is an incredible place to see wildlife, boasting an array of exotic animals that are specific to the region. But what separates the Elephant Nature Park from the rest is its commitment to the welfare of the elephants – a movement against keeping elephants in confinement for human amusements. There is no riding here and each elephant’s needs are individually assessed and prioritised. For those intending to visit the park, the itinerary, travel details, and cost set out below is what you can expect from a one day tour. Itinerary: The day begins with elephant feeding, visitors stand on …

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Recipe | Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tum Thai)

Published by Pooja Ghose

Here is a special salad recipe from Thailand – a Green Papaya Salad called as ‘Som Tum Thai‘. It has a sweet and spicy taste, and is made of dried shrimps but can be prepared with fermented fish or crabs too. Usually served as a side dish and is equally mouth-watering for a savory snack! Ingredients: 1 whole green papaya (shredded) 4-5 red chillies 1-2 cloves of garlic 1 tsp of palm sugar (you may also use brown sugar) 2 tbsp of dried shrimp 1-2 long beans 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes 1.5 tbsp of lime juice 2 lime wedges 2 tbsp of tamarind juice 2 tbsp fish sauce Roasted peanuts Preparation: Wash and peel the papaya and shred it finely. Keep it aside. Now, in a mortal and pestle (hand grinder), put the chilli and garlic and grind them finely. Add in the dried shrimp, long beans, cherry tomatoes and grind it again. Next, add the lime juice, the lime wedges, tamarind juice, fish sauce and mix it all together. Add the shredded papaya …

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Using Art To Heal | Meet Artist Phatchara Pantanakul From Thailand

Published by Shweta Rao

Art has many purposes. As one of the greatest goods of human experience, art is used to teach, to urge, to challenge, to serve, and even to support a revolution! 29-year-old Thai Chinese artist Phatchara Pantanakul uses art to heal herself. This is her story.  What inspired you to turn to art? I went through a lot of stress at work. I had been relentlessly working in front of a computer, day after day, for six years. I couldn’t focus on anything, and that’s when I finally decided to quit my job. And suddenly, there was a lot of time on my hands.I decided to give myself some rest. I also began to draw again to treat my Major Depressive Disorder symptoms. I spent my time reading and going out for long walks. Gradually I picked up my interest in drawing again, and so began my journey towards healing my heart. Art was the best thing I did for myself.  I remember that I was always interested in drawing and coloring since I was in pre-elementary school. …

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Happiness and Health in a Loaf of Bread | Meet the Couple Behind Craft Bread, Bangkok

Published by Pooja Ghose

  Haven’t we all heard the saying: big cities harbour bigger dreams? So then, what made this couple set up a beautiful bakery in a tiny village about 30 kms away from Thailand’s biggest business hub, Bangkok? We’ll let Angsumarin Lauruengtana ( age 35 ) and Nikorn Sripongwarakul ( age 35 ), founders of The Craft Bread, speak for themselves. Tell us how it all began : how you met, and how you guys started Craft Bread. Angsumarin : We met at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand, where we both majored in Film and Photography. After we graduated, Nikorn worked in the film industry  as director of photography, and I joined the airline industry as a flight attendant. We were friends for many years before we became lovers, and we finally got married in 2010. My husband Nikorn, later joined me to build ‘Craft Bread’ together. It all started when we began making bread with our own hands. We enjoyed the learning process and got better at it, loaf by loaf. Like all handcrafted products, we think that making good …

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Lady Behind ChanChalee’s Embroidered Crafts | Natchalee Kongcharoen from Thailand

Published by Pooja Ghose

Our foray into discovering Thai entrepreneurs never ceases to amaze us. From innovative cafe owners to passionate bakers, and even baristas making a big difference in their local communities, we have just scratched the surface. Every new story tells us something more about the Thai brand of resilience and patience. Today, we bring a new face into the mix. Meet designer Natchalee Kongcharoen, who is the founder and designer of ChanChalee. What is ChanChalee all about? ChanChalee was founded in 2016 as a clothing store.  At present, I am a graphic designer by profession. My work on ChanChalee works as a secondary source of income. But it’s my primary source of inspiration in life. I am also inspired by natural fiber fabrics. Most of my design ideas come from just touching the natural fabric and thinking about the kind of embroidery that will look the prettiest on it. It also feels good to adopt a clothing material that has been manufactured in an environmentally conscious way. “I am also inspired by natural fiber fabrics. Most …

Of Kindness, People and Food | Meet the Founders of Barefoot Cafe in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Published by Pooja Ghose

We have been stumbling upon quite a lot of pretty little cafes and coffee houses in and around Thailand. We especially love the small cafes and  coffee shops, as they have the most interesting offerings and stories. So today, we are having a chat with the founders of ‘Barefoot Cafe’  – a quaint little cafe in Chiang Mai. Meet Sathita and Tasasin, owners of the Barefoot Cafe in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Before we talk about your cafe, enlighten us a bit about yourselves. Sathita : I’m 27, originally from Bangkok, but moved to Chiang Mai when I was pretty young. I graduated from Chiang Mai university majoring in Literature. I have been selling homemade (baked) stuffs ever since I was in high school. After graduation, I began working as an assistant for a Japanese artist for a year before opening this restaurant. I was also an exchange student in Germany for a year. I then attended a self-reliance course at PUNPUN organic farm and that’s where I learned about nurturing the deep connection between humans and nature. I like traveling …