In the spirit of the season

On December 10, 2018, Soroptimist International Club of Bangkok (SIB) hosted its annual holiday bash, with several special guests including Dato Anusha Santhrasthipam, President of Soroptimist International Federation of the Southwest Pacific, of which SIB has been a long-time member; and Rosaline Miller, SWP Membership Convenor. We were also honoured by the presence of Her Excellency, H.E. Mrs Kshenuka Dhireni Senewiratne, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand and Mr. Surendra Gerald Joseph Senewiratne, H.E. Mr Tshewang Chopel Dorji, Bhutan’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand and Madame Karma Tsering, H.E. Mr Tugsbilguun Tumurkhuleg, Mongolia’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand and Madame Doljinsuren Tsend-Ayush, H.E. Mr Dato Jojie Samuel, Malaysia’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand and Datin Catherina Christine Cherrian. The venue was the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel, which was decked out in glorious Christmas finery, setting the scene for a wonderfully festive celebration.

Guests mingled and enjoyed seasonal drinks and wines before tucking into an array of delicious international foods, which were very much in tune with the global roster of guests, including tantalising starters like Dum Saunfia Tikka and Corn and Asparagus Tikka; grilled Norwegian salmon, scallion whipped potatoes, sauté vegetable in a marron bisque sauce; and homemade ravioli ricotta cheese and spinach in tomato sauce. The meal ended with an exquisite Gianduja chocolate tart artfully served with berry sherbet. During dinner, SIB President Niru Narula briefed the guests on the club’s programmes and charitable endeavours, including fundraising projects, networking opportunities among professional women and guest speakers. Also, throughout its four decades of existence, SIB has focused on education, funding scholarships, building dormitories and toilets in rural schools, and supporting vocational training for poor women and women prisoners.

In addition, the club provides scholarships to student nurses studying under the Queen Mother’s Foundation nursing programme; hires nannies to care for disabled children at Baan Fueng Fah, part of the Pakkret welfare homes; supports a Siriraj project, funding boarding for low-income families with gravely ill children under palliative care; provides aid during times of natural disasters and humanitarian crises; and, under President Niru’s helm, focuses on how we can improve our immediate environment through eliminating single-use plastics and planting more trees. As the evening progressed and bellies became full, the programme included fun bonding games such as a pop culture quiz and an engineering challenge that consisted of building the tallest possible structure from marshmallows and wooden skewers (it was much harder than it seemed)! The talented winners were H.E. Mr Tshewang Chopel Dorji, Bhutan’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand and Madame Karma Tsering, David Lyman’s nephew Dave from Sydney, Australia, and Sara Waramontri, a founding member of SIB. The festivities continued long into the night, with a rousing sing-a-long of beloved pop songs and Christmas carols.

Dato Anusha and H.E. Kshenuka Dhireni Senewiratne among other guests wowed the audience with their renditions of the classics. As the drinks continued to flow and holiday spirits soared, the celebration exemplified the very best of SI Bangkok: friendship and service to and amongst peoples of the world.The Soroptimist International Club of Bangkok (SIB) is part of Soroptimist International, a worldwide organisation for professional women who volunteer their time to work on projects that promote human rights and raise the status of women. Chartered in 1977, our mandate is to inspire action and create opportunities for women and children through advocating for equality, promoting safe and healthy environments, increasing access to education, and developing skills for a sustainable future. Please visit www.sibangkok.org or follow Soroptimist International Club of Bangkok on Facebook for more information.