events: Amanda Patterson kai event management kao sarn road Robyn Green thailand
by kai events
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The Life of Kai (well, some of us, anyways!)
Warning to readers: Before perusing this blog post, please ensure that you lock all credit cards safely out of harms way. You may find yourself making a sudden visit to the Expedia website to purchase one-way tickets to Thailand.
Actually, scratch that. Where’s my wallet?
As mentioned in last weeks post, one of our lovely partners, Amanda, is spending the holidays with her family in Thailand. For the next couple of weeks, she will be blogging about her travels to the beach and back. Just two days from Christmas, here is the first of a few jealousy-inducing posts:
So here I am back in the land of smiles for the holidays. For some people, Christmas is not Christmas without snow, a fireplace and eggnog. For others, the only Christmas they know includes a fake tree, incredibly tacky Christmas displays at the local malls and a Santa with an accent. Even though the Thai’s may not be the greatest at window displays, Christmas at the beach has always been what I believe to be the only way to spend the holidays!
Last night my sister flew in and joined me at home in Bangkok. We headed out to our favourite place in the city, Kao Sarn road. This road is unlike any other road one would experience. For those of you that have never been, Kao Sarn road (pronounced cow san) is every backpacker’s dream. It is one long strip of hostels, restaurants and shops, some of which you may recognize from scenes from The Beach. At night, the road fills up with pop-up bars, plastic stools are brought out and suddenly, you are witnessing a full-scale dance party, no cover required! Talk about an opportunity for some event planning!
In the 20 years that my family has been here, I am pleased to say that Kao Sarn road is one of the few places in the city that has hardly changed. And for that, I am grateful!
Off to the beach on the 26th. Can’t wait, will keep you posted!
The “New” Breakfast of Champions!
Starting on December 1st, if you’re anything like us, your breakfast, lunch and dinner suddenly consists of chocolate, candy, and cookies. Eating an apple as a snack? Forget it! But we figure that if there’s ever a time that one can properly justify the sudden rise in blood sugar is the holiday season. Our personal motto is: “There are no calories in anything that has sprinkles, icing, or is coloured red or green”. We’re sure we read that in a health magazine somewhere….
One woman who probably has a similar motto is Dylan Lauren. The daughter of Ralph, she passed up a career in fashion and chose one that would tempt even the models on her father’s catwalk. Dylan’s dream of combining her love of candy with a passion for art lead to the opening of “Dylan’s Candy Bar” in 2001. Highly successful, her stores have become a Mecca for sugar fiends all over the States.
And lucky for us Vancouverites, although we may not have a store in our city (yet!), we can now get our hands on some of Dylan’s treats in Holt Renfrew. Perfect as stocking stuffers or as a substitute for an egg-white omelette, we think we may have to submit ourselves to the Christmas havoc in the mall and make a trip there ourselves.
To find a cure for your sugar deprivation, more information on Holt Renfrew’s stock of Dylan’s Candy Bar can be found at:
http://www.holtrenfrew.com/holts/en/holiday-gift-guide/64371/Delight-Full-Gifts-Landing/#/
And P.S. – You may wish to make that trip to Holt Renfrew sooner than later as one of our partner’s, Amanda Patterson, is currently in Thailand and will be blogging about her favourite beaches, restaurants, and anything else that conjures up the green-eyed monster. We will need a LOT of chocolate to help us deal with our jealousy.
Since Westjet doesn’t fly to the Island of Misfit Toys
Some of us eagerly count down until the day that Whistler gets its first big snow fall. Others (like us!) keep our eyes out for the Resort collections coming down the runway. If you prefer bikinis and mai tai’s to puffy jackets and hot chocolate, a winter vacation might be just what the doctor ordered.
One country that is quickly becoming a destination of choice because of their falling currency, exotic beaches and amazing food is Thailand. However, a trip to Thailand can be somewhat daunting if you aren’t quite sure where to go outside of Khaosan Road or Phi Phi Leh Island (for those fans of “The Beach”). For that reason, we wanted to provide a couple of insider tips from our very own Amanda Patterson to help you with your travel itinerary. Amanda has been lucky enough to have spent a large part of her life in Thailand and as she is a large fan of beaches and more importantly, Thai food, you can bet that if she recommends it, you better find a way to get there!
Koh Tao Island, just off Koh Samui, is arguably one of the most beautiful islands in Thailand. Should you find yourself choosing a stay here, you might want to book a room at the Jamahkiri Spa & Resort. Although it doesn’t incorporate the same amount of Thai-inspired décor as some other hotels on Koh Tao, the Jamahkiri Resort is certainly in the running as one of the most beautiful hotels on the island. Its location on a cliff, over looking the Thian Og Bay, is reminiscent of a villa in Greece, only with a Thai spin to it!
Although it is hard to imagine one getting sick of the phat thai and tom yam soup that is served in most of the island restaurants, you may wish to treat yourself with a visit to Papas Tapas for an exceptional fusion 5-course meal (www.papas-tapas.net). Each course is accompanied by a different cocktail – no “bucket” drinks here! We promise you will leave full and happy and ready to spend another day lounging on the beach.
For details on the Jamahkiri Resort & Spa, you can visit their website at www.jamahkiri.com
‘Tis the Season to Give
Well, it’s that time of year again! The mailmen are exhausted from lugging around larger than usual sacks of holiday cards, tinsel litters the floor of countless homes and offices, and children are on a constant sugar-high from too many cookies and candy canes.
As we get older, we realize what makes this season magical is not the massive stack of presents under the tree or the additional 5 lbs that somehow disguises itself as a lovely “muffin top” (oops, sorry. There is NOTHING magical about THAT!), it is the overwhelming desire to reach out and give a little extra help to those in need of some magic in their own life.
Recently, the ever-comedic Ben Stiller sent this video out to Lance Armstrong, kicking off his “Stillerstrong” campaign by selling headbands instead of the now very familiar Livestrong wristbands:
All laughing aside, if you are looking for a charitable organization that is closer to home, check out Truckstop Dining Society. Started a few years ago, this organization provides easily-accessible meals via a film industry food service truck to hundreds of residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside year-round. For more information about Truckstop Dining, please visit their Facebook group at: