Buddhist Ceremony for the New Year Thursday December the 28th 2006

We all came to the offi ce at 9am on this morning, although some of our colleagues had already been there for a while, preparing all kinds of food for the local monks that would arrive in just a few minutes. The donation consisted of tasty Thai food; ranging from tropical fruits, vegetables and meat to noodles, rice, curry pastes and spices. We all helped to prepare the offi ce to be able to “Tham Boon” in best of conditions; (Tham Boon means to make merit) a carpet had been put on the fl oor near the reception desk and obviously each one of us took off our shoes before crawling onto it. The monks arrived progressively, and after a few minutes they had all arrived and were gracefully accepting our donations which they would not eat until the day after. Each one of us passed plates, pots and pans of delicacies to and thro from the reception desk to the monks sat on the carpet.

Buddhism plays an essential role in the Thai lifestyle and Thai people use many of its values on a daily basis, such as tolerance, patience (jai yen) or generosity. All of our colleagues contributed to the importance of this moment and sat silently next to the monks, in quiet meditation. Once the head monk had led us through the prayers, they left our agency to return to their local temple on Koh Samui.

Staff Party at Punpreeda Hip Resort & Chaweng Karaoke

The staff dinner was held at 7 o’clock at the Punpreeda Hip Resort in Ban Bang Rak, close to the new pier. All staff gathered at the beachfront resort which featured a superb infi nity edged pool as a focal point. All employees were invited to enjoy the Thai and European food buffet at will… Olives, onions, red & green peppers, as well as tomato soup for the Mediterranean fl avours, fried rice and exotic fruits for the local tastes; the food was both delicious and diverse. We all enjoyed this event, as we do on a regular basis, as it’s a cornerstone of the belief which has led to the success of Khun Heng’s company – teambuilding. He entertained everybody as the Master of Ceremonies whilst everybody was busy eating and laughing between the spectacular poolside and peaceful beach.

Christmas & New Years Party for some days now; buying a present each which was wrapped and laid underneath our Christmas tree in the offi ce awaiting the big day. So, now was the moment we’d all been waiting for; time to draw numbers from a hat to establish who was destined to receive a present from whom. Once everybody had received all their presents the mood turned very celebratory and we all made our way to Chaweng Beach rd to try out our singing in the karaoke. Some sang, some danced and some simply enjoyed the food, drinks and watching their colleagues perform!

Finally Khun Heng congratulated the whole team for their hard work in the old year and promised us there would be plenty more to come; and the bonuses were generously handed out. It had been an unforgettable day and evening; now was the time to go back home with a head full of Christmas memories, contemplating over the old so as to improve the experiences in the New Year ahead with plenty of enthusiasm.