September 2004 105th Issue

ELEPHANT POLO

From 6th to 12th September, the royal seaside resort of Hua Hin will play host to the 4th King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament, which as well as featuring some of the world's top horse polo players, will see three of New Zealand's former world-ranking All Blacks rugby players make their elephant polo debut.

Organised by the Anantara Resort and Spa Hua Hin in association with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, this year's tournament promises to be the biggest elephant polo gathering ever held, with a record-breaking 14 teams taking part from around the world.

Three of the All Blacks former star players will take part in the rugby supremos' first foray into the world of elephant polo, an invitation which came about through ESPN presenter and former Wallabys test player, Justin 'Sambo' Sampson.

Commenting on their team entry, Sampson said: "We jumped at the chance to participate in such a unique charity event. I think rugby fans also will see this as a rare opportunity to hear, see and meet three of the All Blacks great all-time players."

Other newcomers this year include DBS Bank Singapore fielding Singapore Polo Club's captain Rikard Hogberg. A British Airways Cavalry team who will be flying in from the UK to test their elephant polo mettle.

The tournament's stalwarts are back again in 2004: from Germany, Oliver Winter's Mercedes Benz Thailand team will be back to defend their twice-won King's Cup trophy; from Scotland, Chivas Regal, this year fielding the Duke of Argyll; from Australia, Sandalford Winery, third place finalists in 2003, this year be entering two strong teams; an international line-up from Mullis Capital including two international horse polo captains; from Thailand, two teams of top Thai horse polo players; and, also from the home country, the 2003 tournament's media darlings The Screwless Tuskers who out of last year's 12 teams finished a magnanimous 12th.

Tournament organiser and Anantara Vice President, Christopher Stafford, said: "The interest in this year's tournament has been unprecedented. When we started in 2001 we had just 6 teams and it was more of a weekend knock-round than a tournament. Now, three years later, we have 14 teams plus a waiting list, a 7-day event that is broadcast around the world and the tournament is ranked as the 6th largest event on the Thai tourism calendar. Next stop the Asian games!"

Thailand 's all greys meet New Zealand 's All Blacks.

As in previous years the event will take place at the Som Dej Phra Suriyothai military camp on the southern outskirts of Hua Hin. Spectator entrance is free of charge.

Played according to World Elephant Polo Association rules, the Thailand tournament is played with three elephants per team on a pitch measuring 100 metres x 60 metres, which is roughly one-third the size of a horse polo field. A game is comprised of two 10-minute chukkas, with a fifteen-minute interval.

Notable dates for this year's tournament include: on Monday 6th September at 3pm the opening parade, on Saturday 11th at 2pm the All Thailand Mahouts championship and at 4pm a Celebrity Elephant Polo match, and on Sunday 12th at 3pm the King's Cup Elephant Polo Final, played in the presence of His Majesty the King of Thailand's representative.

The King's Cup elephant polo tournament will once again raise money for the National Elephant Institute's Thai Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang, northern Thailand to help them in their work caring for the Kingdom's 1500 wild and 2500 domesticated elephants. To date the event has raised around US$65,000 for the Institute.

Two accommodation packages are available at the Anantara during elephant polo week. The 5-night/6-day elephant polo package costs from US$899++ for two people sharing and includes daily American buffet breakfast for two, transportation from the resort to the elephant polo field, two tickets to the Gala Dinner at the Anantara on Saturday 11th September, late check out on Sunday 12th until 8pm. The 3-night/4-day package, which checks in on Thursday 9th September, costs from US$599++ for two people sharing and includes all the above.

Further information about the tournament and reservations are available on line at www.anantara.com. Information about the tournament is also available at www.thaielepolo.com.

The King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament is part of the World Elephant Polo Association world series. The World Championships take place in Chitwan National Park , Nepal every December and the Ceylon Elephant Polo tournament takes place each February in Sri Lanka 's fort town of Galle

SHAKIN' ALL OVER

The Annual Hua Hin Cha Am Cocktail Shaking Contest, was held this year at the Grand Hotel and Plaza on Petchkasem Road . The competition was fierce as always, and one new twist in the event was the dancing which started each ‘shakers' act. The dancing didn't add to the taste or look of the cocktail, but it was fun to watch!

Happiness: Keys to a long life

A happy marriage and a positive attitude really do help you live longer, research has shown.

Studies have found that everyday factors such as happiness, having lots of friends, living in the countryside and eating a healthy diet could add up to 20 years to your life.

Look here too!

• What takes years off

• What adds years to your life

On the other hand smoking, heavy drinking, being in an unhappy marriage and having a poor education could shorten your life by just as much.

Even living by a main road could cost you two and a half years, according to Canadian scientists.

The findings, from various studies, suggest that making just a few small changes can delay death for decades.

Drinking tea, for example, can add four years to your life. And eating broccoli can add an astonishing eight years.

However, some factors we are just born to.

Being a woman is a distinct advantage. British women live five years longer than men on average, with a life expectancy of 80.8 years compared with 75.8 for men.

Mothers fare even better, with women who start families under 30 developing greater protection against contracting breast and ovarian cancer.

Being born into a wealthy family can help you live an extra four years, according to research by the National University of Ireland.

The research adds up to good news for stars such as Catherine Zeta-Jones. Her successful life, home in the country, happy marriage, children and healthy diet suggests she could be adding 26 years to her life.

But all is not lost for those of us with a more down-to-earth life.

Just being in a happy marriage can add five years to your life, while those who quit city life for the tranquillity of the countryside can live up to eight years longer.

According to the Office for National Statistics, countryside dwellers have an average life expectancy of 84 years, compared with 76 in cities.

Other simple life-lengthening tips include drinking two cups of tea a day - its anti-oxidants and cancer-defeating chemicals add four years.

Eating one head a day of broccoli, which protects against cancers, boosts the immune system and helps build bones and a healthy heart, could add eight years.

Having a good education is highly beneficial, according to U.S. figures which show that students who had been to high school lived more than nine years longer than those who hadn't.

And eating breakfast, enjoying the odd glass of wine, walking to work, finding religion and getting a pet all add up to a longer lifespan.

But, if all else fails, then try looking on the bright side of life.

Optimists live seven and a half years longer than those who are gloomy or depressed, a study at Yale University in the U.S. found.

It also found that simply being happy added nine years of life.

So there you are, get yourself a wonderful partner, eat your veg, and come to live in happy Hua Hin, and you'll live for ever.

BEAUTY AND THE BEACH

This month we've employed the service of a top beauty expert, Benni LeBalle, let her tell you the secrets of glamour on holiday and on the move:

"If I need to get some sleep - during a long flight, say - I rub a tiny amount of frankincense oil on my temples, or smell it from a tissue, because it really helps me to relax.

Heaven scent: essential fragrances can be relaxing

"Light, but long-lasting, citrus-based scents are perfect for travelling, too."

"A tinted lip balm is my number one, can't-be-without-it travel essential. As well as the obvious moisturising benefits, it's the easiest way to add colour to lips and cheeks. When I need to sleep, Origins' Sleep Time On-the-Spot Gel is brilliant."

"I always apply a nourishing face mask mid-flight. I do get some funny looks, sitting on the plane wearing it, but it's worth it, because the mask stops my skin from drying out.

In-flight therapy: SK-II face mask

I use a mask by SK-II - it really helps to keep my skin in tip-top condition when I'm travelling."

"I try to take as little as possible away with me, by using products that are multifunctional. I take a dry body oil - such as Nuxe's classic Huile Prodigieuse - which also serves as a hair protectant. Sisley sun creams (no less than SPF 30 for the face and SPF 15 for the body) double up as insect repellents, because they contain geranium extract, which is a natural repellent.

Essential: Huile Prodigieuse

I decant most of my beauty products into small, travel-sized bottles, except for conditioner - for some reason, I always run out on holiday. I'm intrigued by local beauty rituals and indigenous treatments, so I love trying out new things. I always save some space in my luggage for new finds."

"I always travel with a small bottle of Milk of Magnesia. It's a great spot-zapper in hot climes, and it can even be used as a quick face mask, to soothe and cleanse the skin. To stay as fresh-faced as possible when flying, wear little or, preferably no, make-up at all. Foundation is especially drying for the skin, so slather lots of moisturiser on instead, and apply your make-up just before landing."

"In the evenings, I swear by rose water. I spray it on to my face and stomach, and also on to my pillow."

"The secret to maintaining glowing skin while you are away is to moisturise; dry skin looks pale. Most blushers and lipsticks either melt in the sun, or slide off in the sea, but Ruby & Millie's Face Gloss, which comes in a stick, has good staying power. After sunset, make your tan 'pop' with a little bronzing gel across cheeks and temples, and blend well. Paler shades of make-up - especially pinks - make the most of your tan and create that Sixties-babe-in-Capri feel."

"Besides being very fashionable this season, a Fifties-style silk headscarf will prevent your hair from frizzing up during a flight. Wear a big hat in the sun - it's old advice, but, by the end of your holiday, it will have made all the difference to your hair's condition and colour."

"To prevent jet lag, have a cold shower as soon as you reach your hotel and, whatever you do, stay awake until 7.30pm. At this point, you'll be so exhausted that you'll sleep until the next morning.

Soapy Sap

After swimming in the sea or pool, remove all traces of salt or chlorine with an extra-moisturising body wash - such as BlissLabs' Soapy Sap - and then apply a thick coating of body lotion, to prevent the skin from dehydrating. Slathering yourself from head to toe in Vaseline achieves the same effect, but it might prove dangerous on the diving board."

"I always take a box of Este Lauder's stress relief eye masks with me. I keep them in the fridge, so they are nice and cool when I put them on."

A WORTHY AND WORTHWHILE WAR!

By Don Case

Like me, you may well have heard more than enough about wars and armies, but I would like to tell you a little about a totally different kind of Army and their war against evil and evil doers in this world. This army has for over 120 years been doing much good work in many of the world's countries.

It has the title Salvation Army for it's founder foresaw the dire need to combine Christian teachings with much charitable social welfare endeavours. As examples the provision of hospitals, clinics, travelling doctor services, schools, colleges, homes and hostels in the poorest of countries.

Although not large numerically, through its volunteer membership it battles with evil and oppression in a mighty work both spiritually and socially. It is on record as being the largest charitable organisation in the USA and UK and several other countries.

Members are recognised by the uniform work for just this purpose, so that the public can seek them out for help in times of need. The “S” insignias on our uniform lapels signify that the wearer has been saved to serve the underpriviledged and needy members of society.

Regretably, The Salvation Army does not yet work in Thailand but the need is certainly here. We would come to help the needy if invited, supported and permitted to evangelise.

If any reader would like further information on Salvation Army development projects, helping the really poor folk in places like Myanmar , India , Papua New Guinea , Don Case can be reached on 07-081 1021 and would like to hear from you.

ANDALUCIA IN THAILAND

The idea came up as Angel Esteban, owner of the well-known Spanish restaurant “Rioja” in Bangkok , walked in the unique surroundings of the Sofitel Central Hua Hin.

“Starring at the stunning view offered the Palm Restaurant Terrace, I was watching the sea from above the traditional wooden sala, when a strange sensation of deja vu simply hits me,” said Angel.

“I was feeling home, just like I was somewhere in the south of Spain looking at the Mediterranean Sea .”

Angel had the vision, but to make a complete return home, sound and taste were still missing.

“This I could fix”. Angel made an appointment with the Sofitel's Food and Beverage manager, Khun Banthueng.

“I explained to Khun Banthueng my idea of organising a Spanish night at the Sofitel, he immediately reacted positively and the work could start.”

Angel travelled to Spain to contact the Flamenco group led by a long time friend, the famous Flamenco “Bailadora” (dancer), Raquel Guitart.

As Raquel and the four other members of the group agreed to the Thai adventure, Khun Banthueng was working on his side preparing traditional Spanish “Tapas” recipes.

For more than a month, the two partners worked on every single detail to make this evening posible.

The results of this hard work can be seen on Sunday 19th September at the Sofitel Central Hua Hin, and for just one evening, you may not be sure if you're in Hua Hin Thailand or Andalucia!

OBSERVER ONE STOP BUSINESS CENTER

GRAND OPENING PHOTOS

Chilly Sauce, clay pots and coconuts - a visit to Yangon
By Mary Rogers

During our long stay in Thailand , we had to leave the kingdom every thirty days to renew our tourist visas. Most people make 'visa runs' into the Union of Myanmar, formerly Burma, dashing over the border at Mae Sai in the north or crossing to Victoria Point from Ranong in the south, but these border towns show little of Burmese culture (although there are many bargains in the markets) and the trips themselves are usually exhausting affairs, so it seemed a good opportunity to defy current political correctness and take a proper break in Myanmar.

Originally our intention was to visit Mandaly and Bagan, but my husband's unfortunate hospitalisation delayed these plans. I was forced to agree that March was far too hot to visit the central plains and reluctantly agreed to a week in Yangon, the former capital, Rangoon . My expectations of the city were low amid dire warnings of a lack of facilities, no interesting things to see, language and currency problems, poverty and the unstable political situation, but the reality was a vibrant, exciting, awesome city of impressive sights and wonderful people.

The evening flight was direct from Bangkok to Yangon International Airport , where diligent clerks record all documentation in notebooks by hand. In spite of this we soon cleared immigration, and were so impressed by the personal service it was a little disappointing to discover that a new state-of-the-art airport will be ready before long. In spite of many warnings, we did not have to change American dollars into the artificial tourist currency, FEC, but found we could operate in Thai bahts, Sterling , American dollars or the local currency, the kyat (chat). Most hotels don't accept credit cards and put hefty charges on travellers' cheques.

Our hotel, the Summit Parkview, was a superb choice, away from the noisy downtown area in a quiet road with stunning views of the nearby Shwedagon Pagoda. This beckoned us so enticingly that on arrival, without bothering to unpack, we walked to the Western Gate, picking our way over pavements in sad need of repair, some particularly dangerous with broken slabs over deep flood drains. Many people were thronging the pagoda steps but we were content to admire the gleaming spire of the chedi, watched closely by armed guards strangely dressed in longyi, the Burmese skirt, and army camouflage jackets.

We had arranged with our taxi driver, Derek, to act as a guide and he duly collected us the following morning for a tour of the city. His car was very ancient, like most we saw, a consequence of trade embargos. We drove along wide roads, a marvellous legacy laid out by the British during their years of occupancy, to the Sule Pagoda in the heart of the city. Originally in the countryside, the pagoda is almost hidden by shops, squashed onto a roundabout at the centre of the grid street system. Once inside, it is strangely serene in the midst of all the surrounding chaos apart from the flashing neon halos of the Buddha images.

We used a toilet in a friendly guest house as public facilities are the most basic I have ever experienced, even surpassing an odorous Egyptian pit of particularly unpleasant memory. Although the government has forbidden the use of betel, there are stalls surreptitiously selling leaves and paste and the pavements are spotted with unhygienic red blobs.

Buildings in this central area date from the colonial era, some crumbling badly, most in need of a lick of paint, but impart a feeling of walking though history. Vendors spread their mats on the pavements selling goods such as shoes, old books and batteries. Tiny food stalls suspend mesh cones holding blocks of ice which drip over food to keep it cool; others have mangles crushing sugar cane for deliciously refreshing juice.

At the end of the road lies the tidal Yangon River , carrying so much silt the water is brown. The mud is smelly and as it was low tide we could see the slimy banks lining the shore, so thick and glutinous if anyone were unlucky enough to fall in they would never be seen again. The pier was rickety in the extreme and led to another, lower pontoon reached by negotiating a plank balanced between the two with no sign of any regard for H&S. Vendors carrying parcelled live chickens, heavy sacks of rice or even the odd goat or two, monks in saffron robes, mothers with small babies, delicately-beautiful girls, skirted men with betel-stained gums and old women smoking fat cheroots, all made their way gingerly to board the longboats which ply between the villages.

We left the river and drove on wide roads across the city, past the Royal Lake where the most expensive restaurant in Yangon is situated on a concrete reproduction of a royal barge, with two karaweik, mythological birds, on a double prow. This barge generates a lot of praise, but it looks rather cumbersome and I much preferred it floodlit at night when it was transformed into a magical creature, lying poised ready for flight across the surface of the lake.

At the Kyaukhtatgyi Tazuang Pagoda we stopped to admire the 230-feet long Sleeping Buddha, covered by an ugly metal pavilion that fortunately doesn't detract from the beauty of the figure, which has exquisite eyelashes and beautifully painted feet, and was built using public donations to replace a much older statue. Local families squat on rush mats having picnic lunches as is usual in Burmese temples, ignored by devotees who pray at the many shrines.

Our route then took us through Chinatown, which stretches for many blocks across the city, to the National Museum where we left our guide and spent hours wandering among the fascinating exhibits, such as The Lion Throne and the Imperial regalia, a display of 52 items of solid gold used when the king received homage. The British had carried off the regalia during the third Anglo-Burmese war, but returned most of the items in 1964 after Prime Minister Ne Win's state visit.

After covering six floors and discovering new treasures at every step, we were culturally saturated and so returned to the hotel where we had our first proper afternoon tea, a national institution in Myanmar , and were amazed at the standard and variety of cakes as we threw dietary caution to the winds.

When we had caught our breath, eaten our fill of cakes and showered off some of the city dust, we returned to Shwedagon. Figures for the amounts of gold, diamonds and precious stones are mind-boggling, but just to quote a few, there is more gold covering the stupa than in the Bank of England, the top-most diamond is a flawless 76 carats and on the tip of the stupa an enormous emerald catches the first and last rays of the sun. No wonder there are so many guards.

We entered by the Western Gate, left our shoes outside the perimeter, bought our $5 tourists tickets and climbed the first set of steps into the covered walkway leading to the pagoda. We sensibly ignored the remaining 166 steps and took the escalator to the top. The three other stairways now have lifts installed to get pilgrims to the summit, a bit of a cheat but definitely easier on the legs, especially in the heat.

The main stupa is surrounded by countless pagodas, chedis, statues, pavilions and pillars to the planets, all in a riot of gold and painted splendour. Like many eastern temples, the chaos and random excesses can be overwhelming and the beauty of the pagoda is actually best appreciated from a distance, but it is an unforgettable experience to jostle along with the locals and fight for space to visit the Miracle-working Buddha image or the Wish-fulfilling court, or to find your birth pillar, or simply to gaze in awe at the expression of faith that has inspired man to create such a wonder. Eventually we walked back to the hotel in a daze and my dreams that night were full of golden pagodas and smiling Buddha statues.

As a holiday routine we like to alternate busy and quiet days, so our second day started with a stroll in the People's Park opposite the hotel. The park covers over a thousand acres and we wandered peacefully along shady paths and undulating flower beds, always under the watchful gaze of the golden chedi. We rested in the shade on a grassy hillock and a group of young girls laughed with us as we negotiated in mime to buy bottles of water from a wandering vendor.

After lunch we took another walk, delighted to find the city so easy to navigate. We headed north and were diverted by a beautiful lake with paddle boats, and so we entered Happy World, an amusement park with games such as knocking down cans and catching frogs, terribly noisy, blaring music, shouting stall holders, delighted screams of children, chockablock with families as the day was a national holiday - entrance fee 50 kyat, or 3p. We walked to the lake but when my (rather large) husband indicated that he wanted a boat, the guard looked at the boat, looked at my husband and gravely shook his head. Everyone collapsed in fits of laughter - you don't need language at times like that.

Tearing ourselves away from the fun, we walked on to the Maha Wiazaya pagoda. The interior is decorated like a jungle, complete with leafy artificial trees, and the domed roof is laid out with astrological figures of elephants, horses and princes for the Burmese star constellations. Lovely carved panels telling the story of Buddha's life around the outside of the chedi are used both for meditation and as a teaching aid.

From the pagoda a bridge leads over the busy main road to the Southern Gate of Shwedagon, so we crossed it and admired the ornate carvings of yet another stairway to the pagoda. We continued walking around the base of Singuttara Hill to the Eastern Gate, which was designed in the same way as the others we had seen, with the added bonus of a bazaar. We continued our circuit to the Northern Gate, a little smaller but just as elaborate. The grounds opened up from this gate into an expansive park which is being re-designed with a lake, a pavilion on an island and lovely walks. Yangon is destined to be the Garden City of Asia, and it won't be long before the city lives up to its promise.

After completing a circuit of the Shwedagon, we finally wandered back into the hotel, covered in dust as usual. After a good shower to wash away the grime (thankfully the bathroom was equipped with an excellent power shower, very necessary in local conditions!) we took a cab downtown to Traders' Hotel in Sule Road , originally used as offices by merchants. It is known jokingly as one of Yangon's Twin Towers , as it's quite tall and has a matching building on the opposite side of the road. We had a superb buffet in the Traders' Restaurant and hours later waddled back onto the street, fully replete, the two most contented people in Yangon .

We walked just a block to see Sule Pagoda looking much prettier lit up at night, then took a taxi that shed parts as we journeyed, with no suspension, loose wires waving about and a door that wouldn't open, back to the hotel.

We were woken the next morning by convoys of trucks with music blaring from giant old-fashioned horns, full of children celebrating the start of their long summer holiday. After a good breakfast we explored the northern part of the city on foot, visiting the Kaba Aye pagoda, which was rather pretty, set in an octagonal courtyard with the usual selection of stalls where I purchased a particularly fetching green silk umbrella complete with tassels.

Our next stop was the Gems Museum , one of the most fascinating places in Yangon . It must be approached with great caution because as well as the museum there are three floors of jewellery shops. I felt like a child let loose in a candy store - what treasures! what colours! what settings! what expense! Prices are actually very reasonable, but expect to be tempted beyond sanity.

We walked a long way down a main road, revelling in the vitality and exuberance of the city, looking at houses and people, the amazing variety of traffic, buses so crowded people hung off the back or sat on the roof, tall old shop houses and new towers with apartments and shops at ground level, building sites and road works, until we were too tired, hot and dusty (three adjectives which are very pertinent to Yangon) to continue so jumped in a taxi to go to the Inya Lake Hotel. The lake is the larger of two artificial lakes built by the British, and is surrounded by lovely old colonial homes. We had the most superb afternoon tea of our stay, sitting in brilliant sunshine on a terrace overlooking the lake, with a three-tiered silver stand holding tropical fruits, tiny fingers of sandwiches and a variety of unimaginably delicious cakes accompanied by dishes of passionfruit sorbet…. was this really how colonial Brits used to live? With great difficulty we dragged ourselves away, back to our own hotel to get ready for dinner, lurching from one gastronomic delight to another.

The Lakeside Theatre Restaurant was hosting a Myanmar Cultural Variety Show which proved to be an utterly captivating experience complete with a Burmese orchestra chariot of fire-breathing dragon, gilded percussion instruments and appropriate musicians. The music was so noisy, lively and joyous we were quite glad the maitre d' had advised us to sit at the back of the hall. The stage was hung with classic drapery and colourful backdrops, and the dancers really gave of their all in a show that was na?ve in the best tradition of live theatre and so absorbing the delicious buffet played a secondary role. Afterwards we walked by the lake enjoying a superb view of the Karaweik floating restaurant and the full moon reflected in the water, with fireflies adding their little glow to make the evening perfect.

The next morning we met up with Derek again for a trip to Thanlyin, previously called Sirium, the former centre of foreign trade for all Lower Burma . We passed through Kyaik-khauk, an old town where the main transport is by horse and cart and the jetty is used for exporting timber which is strictly government controlled. Derek jokingly said the only way a Burman could get hold of teak would be to steal it. It was great fun going round the local market, meeting the locals who obviously didn't see many foreigners, bargaining for green tea and chillies and enjoying the hustle and bustle.

As we neared the town of Kyauktan , the area looked more prosperous because of the pilgrims who flock to our destination, the Ye Le Paya (In the Middle of the River) Pagoda. When we arrived at the river we were not allowed to take a longboat with the locals, but had to hire our own boat and travel in style, sitting in plastic chairs on the deck like foreign potentates. How I wished I had taken my green silk umbrella to complete the picture. The island looks stunning in its jewel-like setting not far from shore, the muddy water tingeing the reflected light yellow, lending an unearthly glow to the scene. There are the usual statues, halls, pavilions and collecting boxes, but pilgrims can gain merit by feeding shoals of catfish with balls of food sold by determined vendors on the pier. Some of the fish are over three feet long, and thrash at the water as they scramble for the food. There are dangerous eddies in the channel and the fish add another reason not wanting to fall in.

Back on land once more, we left the town with its advertising boards exhorting the locals to 'Obey the Law' and more pleasantly, 'Kyauktan wishes you to be Wealthy and Happy' - a rather interesting order of words.

Lunch was at a local restaurant, with delicious floury tofu and huge mugs of refreshing Chinese tea. Instead of returning to Yangon, we took the main road to Mandalay to the Tauk Yan cemetery where 27,000 soldiers are laid to rest, including soldiers of my father's Royal West African Frontier Force. There are many graves of those 'known only to God' but the cemetery is a beautiful resting place, lovingly tended by the Imperial War Graves Commission.

We then took a long drive to Bago to visit a pottery, which was fascinating not only because of the processes, but to see how the people live without electricity, running water or any of the amenities we take so much for granted. The clay is dug from the garden, the round-bottomed pots are thrown on a manual wheel and when leather hard are decorated in the local style before being fired in a kiln heated by burning rice husks.

The women had decorated their faces with thanaka, a white paste which protects the skin and which the Burmese think is very beautiful. One of the little girls dragged me into the living space in the drying shed and ground some thanaka bark on a stone, mixed it with water and then decorated my face. I think I looked very strange, but everyone else seemed to like it. The accommodation was spartan in the extreme, only a bamboo platform with some matting hanging from the roof to form two small squares. The mother was having another baby very soon, and would give birth in the living area. Medical care is unavailable, but the family had a good living, relatively speaking, as they owned a business, land, some cattle and had a home.

On the long drive back to the city, we stopped in the 'Ever Smile' bar for drinks and were served by a young man who spoke excellent English. He had a degree in physics, and told us all sciences have to be studied in English at university. Our hotel waiter had a degree in botany, but could earn more money working in the tourist trade, which seemed a terrible waste of talent for a developing country.

Back in the hotel, my thanaka-decorated face caused a great stir and many Burmese came to talk to us because of it. Dinner that night was an International Buffet and as we enjoyed the luxurious surroundings, I was very aware of the contrast of our privileged lives against those of the villagers of Myanmar .

For our last day in Yangon , we took a taxi downtown to the Bogyoke market, the largest in the city. The stalls are under cover and form a warren of covetable goodies - silver, lacquer ware, batik, leather, gems of course, textiles, wood carving and all the other crafts for which the area is renowned. After exhausting ourselves with shopping it was a relief to sink into the air-conditioned luxury of the Strand , the oldest hotel in the city, once run down and flea infested, now a well-restored colonial beauty. We had Tropical Fruit Punches which were very refreshing, but which came with a large plate of very delicious cookies. When we had eaten them, the waitress asked if we wanted more, food being definitely one of the most wonderful things about Yangon .

Opposite the Strand is the Pansodan Pier, where crowds of passengers board the ferry to Dala across the water. We didn't take the trip, but indulged ourselves in another visit to Inya Lake for afternoon tea. We sat on the terrace in the silence, watching the setting sun across the placid lake, and thought we were in heaven.

That night, I watched Shwedagon gleaming in the night sky as I reluctantly packed my case. The visit had exceeded my expectations and in a short time I had become totally enamoured of Yangon , its vibrant energy, its sense of being poised ready to explode into a new era, its beauty, charm and friendliness. The phone book fell to the floor and opened at 'chilly (sic) sauce, clay pots and coconuts' - a musical mantra which imparts a little of the heady mixture of charms on offer in this wonderful city, which deserves to be visited in its own right, not just as a convenient visa destination.

Postscript: Norway and Thailand are negotiating a 'road map' for human rights and a ceasefire with the hill tribes that could be effective later this year.

M Rogers

We flew Thai International Airways from Bangkok to Yangon, arranged by Western Tours , and booked with the Summit Parkview Hotel on www.summityangon.com

Our guide, Derek Welsh, can be reached on his mobile from Yangon on 665326.

PEDDLING FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Ron Macdonald, (pictured right), Sunseeker Tours and the Observer Group are looking to raise funds for Mercy House Orphanage in Pranburi by cycling from Hua Hin to Krabi. Yes, it's a long way, not too bad for Ron, who was (a few years ago) an international standard cyclist in his native Scotland, but for the rest of us more used to petrol powered vehicles, it could prove a saddle sore stuggle, not surprisingly we already have volunteers to drive the support vehicle!

The run will take place in early January, we are now looking for up to twelve people willing to give 6 days of their time to raise funds for this very good cause.

In the coming months we will publish more details, but it is expected that there will be a send off from one of the town's top hotels, we will cycle approximately 60 km per day, staying in bed and breakfast accommodation on the way down to the seaside town of Krabi, a celebration dinner and overnight in the town, and then a relaxing sleepfilled train ride back to Hua Hin, where the same hotel will provide a welcome home dinner.

Although the event is in the early planning stages we are looking for feedback from readers who may have ideas, suggestions and hopefully some sponsorship for the riders.

Please contact Colin at huahin@observergroup.net, or ring Ron on 01-0144291 for the latest details.

ASIA TIMES online www.atimes.com

Japan 's hot summer economy

By Richard Hanson

TOKYO - All I want to do is relax and get out of the heat, said one hot salary man caught by the NHK noon news camera. And that's just about what Japan 's economy is saying these days.

While Tokyo is suffering a record-breaking series of hot days (over 30 degrees Celsius for more than 38 days in a row), Japan's now remarkably robust economy, which continues to record among the highest growth rates among the mature major industrial states, may also be asking for a break.

Make no mistake: Japan 's slow recovery from the dark, deflation-racked 1990s and early this decade are still fresh in people's minds. The central Bank of Japan (BOJ) maintains an anti-deflation stance, as property and some other prices continue to fall.

And the recent climb of oil prices to record highs sends chills of oil-crisis memories through the monetary authorities. There is some comfort for Finance Ministry officials that such price rises reflect the strong growth (as well as threats to supplies) of economies in China and the United States that has helped spark Japan's domestic growth.

Still, international confidence remains high.

After a recent show of confidence in Japan 's growth from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) this week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) revised upward its estimate of Japan 's real economic growth in 2004 to 4.5%, a number on a par with the US . An earlier estimate put growth at 3.4%.

As others have noted, the ever-vigilant IMF looked askance at Japan 's slow pace of reform of its debt-ridden public sector and still-fragile banking system. But: "There are clear indications that Japan 's long-standing economic problems have eased," the IMF said.

A look at other domestic human indicators this week, however, reveals some of the uneasiness that may be lurking beneath the surface.

GDP grows, but pace slows from past quarters

Take two of them. According to a total of 15 private think-tanks polled by one news service, Japan 's gross domestic product (GDP) continued growing in the April-June quarter, but the pace of the growth may have slowed from the powerful expansion of the previous two quarters.

By their collective reckoning the seasonally adjusted GDP rose by between 0.4% and 1.6% from the January-March term. That means an average forecast of about 1% growth, compared with the robust previous two quarters (covering October-March) when the reported expansion was 1.8% followed by 1.5% quarterly growth. (A poll of 38 economists at private think-tanks surveyed by the government Cabinet Office-affiliated Economic Planning Association shows they believe Japan 's GDP grew at an annual rate of 3.7% in April-June in price-adjusted real terms.)

In the view of some of the economists polled by Jiji Press, there is little to raise concerns. Akiyoshi Takumori, chief economist at Sumitomo Mitsui Asset Management Co, reports that a rise of some 1.0% would still confirm that the nation's economic growth remains strong, on the back of solid expansion in both domestic demand and exports.

Naoki Murakami, senior economist at Goldman Sachs ( Japan ) Ltd, noted that the estimated slowdown in GDP growth is attributable to a pause in inventory investment. But Murakami reckons demand in the economy is expected to remain as brisk as it was early in the year, in January and March.

Meanwhile, exports are believed to have expanded at a faster pace than imports, boosting overall GDP readings. The government's numbers will be out shortly.

That good news on the trade side was already evident in the preliminary trade numbers just released. Japan 's current account surplus in January-June grew 31.9% from a year before, the Ministry of Finance said. The goods-and-services trade surplus, measured on an international balance-of-payments basis, expanded 49.6%.

The second indicator this week that economists will ponder during their mid-August vacations has come from the central bank itself and in its own language.

On Tuesday, the BOJ said that its overall economic view was unchanged in its August monthly report. This was released during a meeting of regional central bank branch managers. The August report did point out the need for caution over higher crude-oil prices and their impact on the economy.

The Japanese economy continues to recover

Then came the key words: "The Japanese economy continues to recover."

BOJ watchers note that "continues to recover" was repeated in the August report. BOJ adopted the view in June, which is the most upbeat wording used by the central bank to describe the state of the economy since Japan's "bubble" economy collapsed in the early 1990s.

The assessment was left intact in July and again in August.

Maybe it is just the heat, but some would take that to mean that BOJ governor Toshihiko Fukui is looking ahead to the not-too-distant future when the Bank of Japan will have to focus on official interest rates, which are still at 0%, and the huge amounts of money (also known as liquidity) into the banking system in its successful effort to bring about the current era of high economic growth.

That day of reckoning could come some time in the fall, after the summer heat abates.

So in the meantime, BOJ is happy to report this month that the downward trend in household income "is coming to a halt" and personal consumption "continues to show some positive movements". The employment situation is continuing to improve. Banks have become more willing to lend money. Borrowers say this has "been improving noticeably".

The BOJ issued a warning over the record-breaking advance of crude-oil prices, saying attention is needed to the oil-market uptrend as well as its impact on the economies of Japan and other countries.

Of course, there is the problem of oil prices. Otherwise, the BOJ maintained its judgment that the domestic corporate goods price index is rising and the non-perishable core consumer price index keeps falling at a moderate pace year on year.

Meanwhile, the average salary man this week, when most companies go on short vacations to mark the return of the spirits of the dead (known as Obon), will be looking to seek recreation and ways to fend off the heat.

This in itself is a good sign for the economy.

Food, beverage and air-conditioner makers are going great guns in the heat of August. Some try to stay cool. Others escape. Japan Airlines reports that domestic and international flights are running at near full.

Others will just stay home and watch the Athens Olympics on the wide-screen plasma television sets that have sold heavily, along other digital gadgets, and helped boost domestic demand and the GDP.

(Copyright 2004 Asia Times Online Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact content@atimes.com for information on our sales and syndication policies.)

SPEAKING FREELY

Speaking Freely is an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest writers to have their say.

Recent successes in capturing al-Qaeda operatives in a number of "front-line" states reaffirm that behind-the-scenes intelligence work is ever so vital. Meanwhile, as the third anniversary of September 11, 2001, approaches, the conduct of the "more visible" global "war on terror" requires a re-evaluation.

After September 11, a war with a clear objective was waged by states - a United States-led coalition against al-Qaeda (a non-state threat) and its state sponsor, Taliban-ruled Afghanistan . Today, it is the shadowy contest that seems likely to decide the outcome.

Arguably, the military failure to rout al-Qaeda - when its center of gravity was still located within a state haven ( Afghanistan ) and when it had structure and form - and the opaque consequences of the Iraqi campaign created what will now have to be a long-drawn military and non-military contest.

This contest needs to be waged more by a matrix of states, and less a US-led "war on terror", against what has now morphed into a truly transnational jihadi threat from al-Qaeda and its affiliates.

For sure, Iraq must not become a "failed state", which means the coalition to help it rebuild itself must stay the course.

But the enemy has learned a key lesson: that states are vulnerable to transnational threats. The enemy has also learned that it, too, is vulnerable if it depends on static headquarters and bases, ergo, state havens.

Indeed, al-Qaeda and its affiliates such as Jemaah Islamiyah have learned to "franchise" their deadly business, while dispersing lower-echelon leaders. Their mission statement is to reach out to disaffected Muslims everywhere with the message that the current state system, a Western imposition (and one that allegedly favors Zionist Israel), has to be overthrown by violent means. A global jihad is the only way to achieve this. And there is no immediate time frame. Connected by the Internet, sleeper cells, false passports and couriers, for example, adherents may hide and bide their time, striking as opportunity permits, so to speak.

What should "our" side - states that wish to survive and get on with life in the current states system, with its warts and all - have learned by now?

The momentum for global cooperation against the enemy cannot slacken, of course. But the enemy is a global jihadi terrorist network, not a state. Rules of engagement don't count. The labels "war on terrorism" and "war on terror" have not proved to be rallying calls. More precisely, these labels have come to be associated with a US-driven campaign.

On the plus side, the recognition by states of a globally networked "non-traditional security" threat has driven intelligence cooperation and sharing that would not have been otherwise so forthcoming, especially between nations still suspicious of each other in the "traditional security" sense.

Importantly, too, there is recognition of the need to cooperate in efforts to cut off one lifeline of the global jihadi network - funds, whether raised illegally through criminal activities or legally through such conduits as charity organizations. The record to cut off another key lifeline - the supply of suicide jihadis - has been less impressive.

On the minus side, it is becoming evident that the invasion of Iraq has diverted effort and resources from the US-led hunt for the remaining al-Qaeda leaders and, worse, created an even more elusive, rejuvenated enemy network.

What should be the template ahead, three years after September 11?

First, a way must be found to offer hope for a resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli issue. The majority of moderate and modernist Muslims despise al-Qaeda for the terrorist network it is but are sympathetic to the Palestinians for their nationalistic cause even if their violent methods of seeking redress are unacceptable. But the jihadis' propaganda has widespread appeal, and unless the Palestinian issue has hope for an equitable solution, moderate Muslims can only fight the jihadis with their hands tied.

Second, everyone from senior officials to the man in the street must realize that the global jihadi threat driven by the al-Qaeda-led network is a real and present danger to all who do not want to see a world dominated by the ideological demagogues who are the network's shadowy leaders. True, such a notion seems laughable now, but the jihadis are in it for the long haul.

Finally, global cooperation and allied unity are ever vital, but it is time to acknowledge that states are guided by their own experiences and circumstances. The common denominator is their own fight against the jihadi networks. In Southeast Asia 's case, it starts with convincing its Muslim populations that the threat to their way of life from the Jemaah Islamiyah network, reliably accepted to have links to al-Qaeda, is real, and in formulating counter-terrorism strategies appropriate to each country.

Khoo How San has a PhD in strategic studies and is an associate fellow with the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies ( Singapore ) and a part-time lecturer at the National University of Singapore. This article is a personal comment.

(Copyright 2004 Asia Times Online Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact content@atimes.com for information on our sales and syndication policies.)

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