A photo shoot for Thai Catwalk, Tripping
on the Roof and a Day at the Beach
Photos by Mela and
Staff and Article
by Tory
and Mela
Don't forget to move
your mouse over pictures
for a description
We arrived in Bangkok at the Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok Airport) at
around 8:00 PM and
took a taxi to the The Sofitel Silom Bangkok, our hotel of choice for our first stay
in Thailand. The train was not leaving until the next
evening so we had planned to relax and tour
the shopping district while visiting this
bustling city. The Sofitel Silom, previously known as the
Monarch Lee Gardens.
is ideally located on
Silom Road in the
heart of Bangkok. We checked in right away and had a message
waiting for us from
Thai Catwalk, the online Fashion magazine for Thai Fashion
and Design. Mela called the number on the message, jotted
a few notes on the pad next to the phone
and hung up. "We have a Fashion Shoot for Thai Catwalk
at 11:30 this evening at a busy intersection
two blocks from the Hotel", Mela informed
me, "and it is free advertising for
Moove, TorLa and the Crystal Angel",
she added. "AVATARS ROCK", we both
shouted as we did a jumping HIGH-FIVE posture. Mela chose to launch her new line of silk
designs at the shoot and I chose to show
off Lita's Angel Collection. At around 10:00,
a rather scary representative from Thai Catwalk,
named Akkarat, arrived informing us they
would deliver our outfits to the location
for the shoot and that he would be accompaning
us as our "protector". Protector?
I needed a cocktail. LOL With " Akkarat" shadowing us, we
went to the V9 wine bar and restaurant on
the 37th floor and sipped a nice dark burgundy
wine and nibbled on an appetizer platter
from Head Chef Eric Berrigaud. The view was
spectacular and the city of Bangkok seemed
to go on forever. Off in the distance I could see the the soaring
roofs and gleaming
spires of the Grand Palace and the city's many historic temples: Temple
of the Emerald Buddha, Temple of Dawn and dozens of other shrines
that painted a memory in my mind of a medieval
Oriental wonderland; as if I had read about
it in some Far-Eastern fairytale. Metropolitan Bangkok covers 612 sq mi of
southern Thailand,
and is located in the
center of the most
fertile rice producing
delta in the world.
A network of natural
and artificial canals
crisscross the city.
They feed to and
from Thailand's lifeline,
the broad Chao Phraya River - which winds through the city providing
transport for passengers and cargo.
Play Movie then Continue Below
Bangkok is divided in two by the main north-south
train line. Old Bangkok, where a large number of the city's temples and palaces
and its Chinese and Indian districts are
found, lies between the river and the railway.
East of the railway, comprising the main
business, tourist and sprawling residential
districts, is 'new' Bangkok. I was too glad
we only had to go a few blocks to the photo
op. Besides being a HUGE city, it is a cross
between tomorrow and yesterday. Tradition
and Technology. If you are not ready for
it, it can cause alot of confusion. Bangkok is both an ancient and a modern city,
where the network of klongs (canals) offset
a steady stream of automobile traffic, where
giant outdoor markets compete with glittering
shopping malls, and where modern buildings
rise in the city that grew around the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha We arrived at a busy intersection with our
"Protector"
always within view
and met several very
nice Thai photographers.
While Mela speaks
fluent Thai, I do
not,
and I still have
no idea what was
said between
Mela and the Thai
Catwalk Group. While the group chatted about lighting and
angles with Mela, I had the most odd feeling of being watched. I scanned the
crowded streets, but they were a blur of
movement and noise and light. Once I did
catch a glimpse of a shadowy figure glide
behind a parked truck and got a blurry picture
of them with my phone, but the hustle of
the city blended with the imaginary threat
and the feeling of danger passed. Mela and her new silk line were first to
be photographed,
and as traffic zooomed
by,
posed like the pro
she is. The group
from
Thai Catwalk seemed
impressed that Mela
was
launching a traditional
silk design with
a simple and elegant
cut. As late evening turned into early morning,
it was my turn to
show off the creativity
and design genius
that exists in Moove. The staff of the Crystal Angel and fashion
divas throughout Moove have been crying out
for more designs that can be mixed and matched
to create a unique style for the wearer.
Lita has answered this cry with her Angel
Memorial Line. I chose to only wear two of the colors offered
by Lita in an effort
to show the two seperate
looks that can be
made with just a little
accessory change
here and there - and it
took the hair stylist
almost two hours to
change my hair style. The first was the red and black Angel which
I mixed with lace
stockings black velvet
evening gloves, a
black lace choker
and off-the-rack
pumps. The deep rich
color, matched with
the black lace presents
an almost Spanish
Lady flavor. Elegant
with the shoulders
bare,
this outfit is fit
for a grand ball. The second outfit I chose was the Black on
Black Angel with matching Lita bowtie and
C@ndi boots. The look is young and exciting
and the bare legs offer a hint of Lolita
Goth which we saw in Tokyo. The traffic and crowds, even at 4:00 AM,
were simply unbelievable and as the photo
shoot ended, Mela and I (and our Protector)
strolled back to the Hotel, I was wondering
how I would ever sleep with all this noise.
I worried for nothing it seems as Del, Stacia,
Brett and "Ninja" Angie met us
in the lobby and whisked us to a party on
the 28th floor. Here we go again, I whispered
to Mela as the door to the Pentouse Suite
opened and noise, music, smoke and laughter
poured out. The wedding suite was styling with a huge
deck over looking downtown Bangkok. There
was a wonderful mix of Thai, Chinese, Japanese
and Malaysian - and many spoke English. All
were friendly and having a grand old time
and seemed very interested in the lives of
Avatars. From the deck you could see all the way to
the river and I saw the strangest boats floating
up and down. I asked a nice Thai girl next
to me what they were and she told me that
they were hang yao, or long-tailed water taxi - a long, thin,
graceful vessel, powered by an automobile engine connected by a long, exposed shaft
(tail) to the propeller. These water taxis
carry passengers throughout the maze of klongs
and are vital in transporting fresh food
from upriver farms and fresh fish from coastal
villages to Bangkok. I sat and watched the funny boats and the
sun rise, finally
deciding that I needed
a good rest if I
was to have the energy to
go shopping. It looked
like a storm was on
the way and I sleep
great when it rains.
I left the group
dancing and laughing high
above the bustling
noise of Bangkok and headed
back to my room for
some much needed sleep. I had been hoping to sleep until the early
evening departure of the Eastern & Oriental,
but those hopes were soon dashed as I awoke
to Stacia and Mela jumping up and down on
my bed telling me to get up and get my swimming
suit on. "WE ARE GOING TO THE BEACH",
they sang as they bounced me out of my dreams.
Continued Below
I put my Lita swim suit on and got in the
elevator, sipping
some coffee. "I
know
I am still asleep,
but aren't we suppose
to be going down",
I said as the glass-walled
elevator zipped upward.
The rest of the group
just giggled but
did not answer. We got off on the roof where a helicopter
was waiting for us. "WTF", I asked
Mela as she scooted me into the waiting chopper.
"You don't think I am swimming in water
around Bangkok?", she laughed. "We
are going to Thailand's best snorkeling and
scuba area, Ao Nang near Karabi. Krabi was just a short flight and as the
helicopter flew over
the 83 scattered islands
that dot the bay,
I began to feel like I
recognized the pilot
from somewhere but could
not remember where
exactly. He was not an
Avatar, but he was
not quite a Real person
either. It was a
tad odd, but not enough
to freak me out.
Continued Below
Ao Nang has the cleanest of environments
in the area. Less
crowded and more quiet,
it gives a more peaceful
atmosphere to the
visitor than the
Krabi. The beach had majestic
looking cliffs rising
straight from calm,
clear waters of the
sea - and after the noise
and bustle of the
city, this short time of
quiet among friends
was more than welcome. There are 83 islands of various sizes in
the bay off this
beach, but with the tide
in and me too exausted
to swim to any of
them, I was satisfied
just looking at them.
As the afternoon
sun told us we had to go
and prepare for our
train ride, we caught
the helicopter back
to pack and organize
our other guests
from Moove. As we flew back, the pilot ( a different
one that flew us out) asked if we would like
to stop and visit Ayutthaya, of Thailand's
historical and majestic highlights. Always
one ready for an adventure, Mela said, "Yep".
Serving as the Thai capital for 417 years
(1350 1767),
it was once
one of the biggest
cities in Southeast
Asia. During
the 17th
century, most
foreign visitors
to Ayutthaya
claimed Ayutthaya
to be the most
illustrious
and glittering
city that they
had ever visited. After a 15-month siege the Kingdom of Ayutthaya
was conquered and completely destroyed by
the Burmese in 1767. When King Taksin the
Great finally liberated the Kingdom, a new
dynasty was established and the capital was
moved to Thonburi. Today, there are but groups of crumbling
ruins and rows
of headless
Buddhas where
once an empire
thrived. The
temple compounds
are still awe-inspiring
even in disrepair
and a visit
here is memorable
and a good
beginning for
those drawn
to the relics of
history. After spending way to little time to fully
enjoy all Ayutthaya had to offer, we caught
the helicopter one last time back to the
hotel to pack and then on to catch our train.
We arrived in 
number of the city's temples and palaces
and its Chinese and Indian districts are
found, lies between the river and the railway.
East of the railway, comprising the main
business, tourist and sprawling residential
districts, is 'new' Bangkok. I was too glad
we only had to go a few blocks to the photo
op. 
feeling of being watched. I scanned the
crowded streets, but they were a blur of
movement and noise and light. Once I did
catch a glimpse of a shadowy figure glide
behind a parked truck and got a blurry picture
of them with my phone, but the hustle of
the city blended with the imaginary threat
and the feeling of danger passed.
engine connected by a long, exposed shaft
(tail) to the propeller. These water taxis
carry passengers throughout the maze of klongs
and are vital in transporting fresh food
from upriver farms and fresh fish from coastal
villages to Bangkok.
