What’s onCatch celebrities as theypitch their ideas on homedecorating, plus learnhow to cook 5-star foodat the Home and Livingexhibition; rock ’n’ rollwith the Extreme DreamConcert or disco dancewith the Groove Riders

>PAGE 10

Blown away by NattapornBy Kriengsak SilakongFilm festival director

Nattaporn “Pui Fai AF4”Wipatkorntrakul is the country’s new

shooting star – no question! In Dreambox’srecent “Mae Nak The Musical”, she blew

the audience away with a powerful performance as SaiYud. The scene where she loses her mind while bidding a final farewell to the love of her life, Mak, was stunning.Easily matching the acting skills of veteran stars likeNarintorn Na Bangxang and Maneenuch Samerasut, sheexpressed woman’s nature in full, from jealousy, fragilityand submissiveness to innocence, vulnerability andstrength. I’ll be one of the first in the queue for a ticket to her next show. Go see her for yourself.

GOOD MORNINGBANGKOK!

XPRESSDA

ILY

FREE COPYThursday, July 16, 2009 VOL 2, NO 376 dailyxpress.net

VOTE for yourfavourite destination>PAGE 6

EXCITING TRAVEL PACKAGES

PAGES 16-19

WINNING WORMSA Chulalongkorn University team’s ‘Soil Booster’ project that uses worms and can save a

farmer about Bt20,000 a month triumphs in a community competition >PAGE 2

By Juthamard KominD A I L Y X P R E S S

Aproject developed by ateam of students from

Chulalongkorn University wasyesterday announced the win-ner of the 5th ThailandCommunity Outreach compe-tition.

After eight months’ work atSrisakarbue sub-district incentral Nakhon Nayokprovince, the team presentedits “Soil Booster” project,which could save each house-hold about Bt20,000 a month.

‘Soil Booster’ bags prizeThe project uses earth-

worms to improve the qualityof soil that had been ruined bythe use of chemical fertiliser.As well as aerating the soil, theeco-friendly worms eat therice straw left after harvest,producing fertiliser and mak-ing burning of the fields un-necessary. The students arenow preparing to spread theidea to other communities.

Team leader KaewalinKanjanawongpaisrn said locals

lacked knowledge of how tohandle the soil and were there-fore suffering from low cropyields.

“Most of the farmers were indebt and they needed help,”said Kaewalin.

Impressed by their determi-

nation to help ease poverty inthe area, the judges awardedthe Chula students top marksin the competition between 23

teams of undergraduates. “It’s the simplest and most

creative project,” said judgePranee Suebwonglee.

Students from MahidolUniversity came runners-upfor a project that increases themarket value of ordinary fruitsand flowers such as bananas,lotuses and jasmine by trans-forming them into home decorproducts.

Third place went to a teamfrom Payap University whichcame up with a project thatimproves the quality of coffeebeans harvested in Dok Ngernin Chiang Mai.

Using the team’s strategy,103 families in the communityare expected to boost their an-nual earnings by more thanBt400,000.

Held by the NGO Studentsin Free Enterprise (SIFE), thecompetition encourages students to help local peopledevelop a better understand-ing of how free enterpriseworks and how to use newknowledge to improve theirlives.

2 TODAY Thursday, July 16, 2009 DAILY XPRESS

THE CITYWorming their way to the top

AN ECO-FRIENDLY FERTILISER PROJECT WINS OVER JUDGES IN A STUDENT COMPETITION TO IMPROVE LIFE IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES

>>DAILY XPRESS is edited by Tulsathit Taptim and published by NMG News Co Ltd, at 1854, Bang Na-Trat Road, Bangkok 10260, and printed by WPS (Thailand) Co Ltd, Tel (02) 338 3000, Fax (02) 338 3334. EDITORIAL: Tel (02) 338 3333. ON THE WEB: DAILYXPRESS.NET>>DAILY XPRESS is a supplement to subscriber copies of THE NATION with bonus distribution in selected areas of Bangkok and its environs every Monday to Friday. Subscription rates for THE NATION: one year Bt4,900 within regular delivery areas; please contact Customer Service on (02) 338 3000. For bulk copy subscription rates please call (02) 338 3532.

FOR DISPLAY ADVERTISING, PLEASE CALL (02) 338 3000 # 1

Editor: Tulsathit Taptim / Managing Editor: Thanong Khanthong / Deputy Managing Editors: Kumar Krishnan, Jintana Panyaarvudh / Design Editor: Leroy A SylkWeb Co-editors: Marisa Chimprabha, Paisal Chuenprasaeng / The City Editor: Chularat Saengpassa / The Fun Editor: Veena Thoopkrajae / Sport Editor: Preechachan Wiriyanupappong / Group Editor in Chief: Suthichai Yoon XPRESSD

AIL

Y

Cellphone users get protection from pestering salesmen

D A I L Y X P R E S S

If you want to avoid junk textmessages, just dial your serviceprovider’s call centre.

And if you dial 1186 today, theOffice of the InsuranceCommission (OIC) also promisesto ensure that you won’t get pes-

tering calls about insurance poli-cies from a specific company forat least six months.

The useful tips come fromPM’s Office Minister SatitWongnongtaey, who had a meet-ing with the Consumer ProtectionBoard yesterday. Representativesfrom cellphone service providerswere also present.

Number-selling scam“We have inside information

that personal details of cellphoneusers along with their phonenumbers has been sold,” Satitsaid.

He encouraged people whosuspect their details have beensold to tip off the NationalTelecommunications Commission

(NTC), which can punish both thesellers and the buyers.

A recent survey found thatmost people are unhappy abouttelemarketers targeting them viatheir cellphones. Insurance poli-cies rank among the most com-mon products being touted overthe phone.

According to the OIC, an insur-ance company must not repeat-edly contact anyone who has

already refused to buy a policy.“The OIC will raise public aware-ness about citizens’ right to pro-tect themselves from suchunwanted calls,” Satit said.

Satit went on to announceplans to clamp down on TVadvertising.

“Regulations say there shouldbe a maximum of 12 minutes ofadverts per hour, but this is beingabused,” he said.

TRASHING THE JUNK CALLERS

16%OF THE COUNTRY’S BUDGET

is spent on primary school educationwhile 4% goes on higher education

A jubilant Chulalongkorn University team, whose ‘Soil Booster’ project won the 5th Thailand CommunityOutreach competition.

British teensurvives 12nights inAustralianwilderness A British teenager given up fordead after getting lost in denseforest in Australia 12 days ago wasfound alive yesterday just 15 kmfrom where he went missing.

Helicopters, tracker dogs and asearch party of 60 people hadbeen scouring the Blue Mountainswest of Sydney for 19-year-oldJamie Neale.

He disappeared on July 3 afterleaving his Katoomba youth hos-tel to go on a popular tourist walk.

Bushwalkers spotted Neale inrugged terrain and alerted thesearch party. He was airlifted tohospital where he is recoveringfrom exposure after surviving thesub-zero temperatures of one ofAustralia’s coldest places.

His father and uncle had flownout from London to join thesearch. On Monday they were toldthat the chances of finding himalive were very low. – D P A

Man, 81, begins jail term forattempted rapeAn 81-year-old Hong Kongman has begun a two-year jailterm for the attempted rapeof his family’s maid, a newsreport said yesterday.

Wong Pak-sum, who wasjailed after a High Court hear-ing on Tuesday, is believed tobe the oldest man to be con-victed of the offence in theformer British colony.

He assaulted the 36-year-old maid after being left alonewith her in the family’s flat.

Sentencing him, Judge KimLongley said he had given arelatively lenient jail term toWong because of his advancedage, yesterday’s South ChinaMorning Post reported. – DPA

‘Twitter not cool’A 15-year-old Briton has setthe financial world abuzz witha research note penned for amajor US bank in which hereveals teenagers’ mediahabits – including that Twitteris just not cool.

Matthew Robson wrote thereport while on work experi-ence with US bank MorganStanley in London, and theresult was described by hisboss, Edward Hill-Wood, as“one of the clearest and mostthought-provoking insights wehave seen”.

The research note – whichhas been circulated to MorganStanley clients – reveals thatwhile teenagers consume ahuge variety of media, fromtelevision to computer gamesto the Internet and music, theyare unwilling to pay for it.

He also says that whileteenagers are keen users ofFacebook, there is little inter-est in Twitter, the micro-blog-ging service beloved of celebri-ties including Hollwoodactress Demi Moore. – AFP

4 GLOBETROT Thursday, July 16, 2009 DAILY XPRESSEP

A

There were

240pirate attacksbetween Januaryand June, upfrom 114 in thesame period a year ago THE WORLD

A F P , London

Michael Jackson’s familyconfronted the pop leg-

end about his drug use in anemotional intervention beforehis death, his brother Tito saidin comments published by aBritish newspaper yesterday.

Alarmed at reports Jacksonwas addicted to prescriptiondrugs, Tito said he and hisbrothers and sisters conducteda military-style raid on theKing of Pop’s Neverland ranch.

Tito said Jackson “did every-thing in his power to makesure we didn’t know” about hissuspected drug use, but as thenumber of reports increased,

so too the Jackson family’sfears for his health.

‘We had to act’“We had to act. It was me,

my sisters Janet, Rebbie andLa Toya and my brothersJackie and Randy,” he told theDaily Mirror in an interview.

“We burst right into thehouse and he was surprised tosee us to say the least. We wentinto one of his private roomsand had a discussion with him.Some of us were crying.”

Jackson died aged 50 onJune 25.

Investigators are scrutinis-ing the possible role of drugs

in his death, after he sufferedan apparent cardiac arrest athis home in Los Angeles.

“We kept asking him if itwas true what we had heardthat he was using drugs. Hekept denying it. He said wewere over-reacting,” Tito said.

Conspiracy?“We also spoke to a doctor

and he assured us it was notthe situation. He said he wasthere to make sure Michaelwas healthy.”

Tito said they tried again toconfront Jackson about hisperceived drug problem, butwere kept at bay by the popstar’s security team. “I don’tknow if they were just doingtheir job or if they were part ofsome kind of conspiracy.”

Family ‘confronted’Jackson over drug useThey conducted a military-style raid onhis ranch to question him about drugs

A Thai trainer puts his head into the mouth of a crocodile at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Centre, South Korea, yesterday. The performance was held as part of an event marking the start of an exhibition to show 1,000 of the world’s rare animals. The exhibition is scheduled go on till August 30.

Infohighway

Watch the jaws

DAVID ARQUETTE, ACTOR, WHO LIVEDIN A PLEXIGAS BOX FOR TWO DAYS IN NEWYORK CITY AS PART OF THE SNICKERS-SPONSORED “BAR HUNGER” CAMPAIGN.

“I’ve seen first hand the impact ofhunger, which is why campaigns like‘Bar Hunger’ are so critical. Snickers and

I can’t do it alone.”

6 ENTERTAINMENT Thursday, July 16, 2009 DAILY XPRESS

THE FUNFilmRattapoom‘co-represents’Marrakech,Santorini,Greece and theskiing destina-tion ofQueenstown,New Zealand.

By Kitchana LersakvanitchakulD A I L Y X P R E S S

Sky-High Network’s easy-lis-tening radio station Cool 93

Fahrenheit is celebrating nineyears on the air by joining upwith travel magazinesAnywhere, Honeymoon Traveland Puen Dern Tang(Travellers’ Companion) for aproject that shines the spotlighton nine holiday destinationsand asks whether they repre-

sent friendship, pleasure or ro-mance.

“The radio business todayfaces stiff competition,” saysSky-High’s managing directorKomsan Chetchotisak. “We aredelighted that Cool 93Fahrenheit has been rated asthe No 1 easy-listening radiostation every year for the lastnine years.

“The nine destinations areclassified along three themes –

friendship, romance and pleas-ure – and listeners will beasked to vote for one in each ofthese categories,” he explains.

Celebrity representationWith the nine destinations

grouped under themes, the ra-dio station then picked thecelebrities they thought bestrepresented those places andideas.

The Best FriendshipDestination, comprisingMarrakech in Morocco (codeF1), Queenstown in NewZealand (code F2) andSantorini in Greece (code F3),

are represented by celebsRattapoom “Film”Tongkongsap and Paranyoo“Tack” Rodjanawuttitham.Voting takes place from July 20until August 7.

The Best PleasureDestination, which will openfor voting from August 10 to 28,are Ibiza in Spain (code P1),Hallstatt in Austria for code P2and Dubrovnik in Croatia forcode P3. The celeb is SriritaJensen.

The last is the Best RomanceDestination, and features theisland of Mauritius Island inAfrica (code R1), Udaipur in

India (code R2) and Sendai inJapan (code R3). Voting runsfrom August 13 to September18. The celebs are Arak “Pe”Amornsupasiri and Ratcha-win“Koy” Wongwiriya.

TR AVEL

DREAM DESTINATIONSXTRA

>> Key in the word Cool andthe code number and sendthe SMS to 4747930.

TEXT TRAVELLING>> Vote for your favourite desti-nation by mobile phone.

What do you look for when you go onholiday? A radio station and threemagazines are seeking the answers

Pe and Koy ‘repre-sent’ the romancedestinations ofMauritius, Udaipurand Sendai, Japan.

Sririta Jensen ‘symbolises’ thepleasure destinations of Hallstatt,Austria, Dubrovnik, Croatia and Ibiza.

Bangkok film fest dates setTHE BANGKOK INTERNATIONAL Film Festival will be held fromSeptember 24 to 30. It’ll have 80 features, a Main Competition forfirst- and second-time directors and the Southeast AsianCompetition. There will also be seminars, workshops and specialevents. Venues haven’t yet been announced.

As with last year, the Federation of National Film Associations ofThailand is the organiser, with federation president Jareuk Kaljareukdonning the festival director’s hat. Artistic direction again falls tothe Thai Film Directors Association and Yongyoot Thongkongtoon.Programming is being handled by new Silpathorn film honoureePimpaka Towira and producer Mai Meksawan. Visitwww.BangkokFilm.org.

House axes week of SinjaiFANS OF LEADING LADY SinjaiPlengpanich, get out the tissues. Nextmonth’s “Week of Siam” film series, whichwas to focus on her 1980s dramas, hasbeen cancelled by House cinema on RCA.

Officially, the cancellation is due toproblems with the old film companiesover copyright issues. But less-kind folkare saying the real reason is that audi-ences have been sparse for the monthlyseries of classic Thai films.

And besides, most of Sinjai’s movies,including the 1986 hit “Chang Man Chan Mai Care” (“I Don’t Give aDamn!”), have just been shown on TV Thai.

House was to have shown “Mai Care” and other dramas from themid-1980s, plus the contemporary hit “Rak Hang Siam” (“The Loveof Siam”). By popular demand, “The Love of Siam” will get a reivivalrun in September at House, which plans to show both the theatricalversion and the three-hour director’s cut.

This month’s “Week of Siam” programme, “Way Back Into Love”,featuring romantic dramas, is still on schedule. It runs from July 23to 29. Visit www.HouseRama.com or call (02) 641 5177-8.

By Kitchana Lersakvanitchakul D A I L Y X P R E S S

Despite having announcedthat they were splitting up

to attend to individual dutiesand even organised twofarewell concerts, the GrooveRiders are still playing gigs andare apparently the most-want-ed disco-funk outfit around.

This month and next, they’llbe back on stage for two shows.

On July 25 at 6, they’ll beplaying their old hits in“Groove Riders forRetrospective”, which is part ofthe Bangkok ARTE’ Weekendat the futsal arena on ThonglorSoi 10. The event features artand music as well as stalls sell-ing products donated bycelebrities.

On August 30 at 2, they’ll beat Zen’s Event Gallery on theeighth floor of CentralWorldfor “This Way to Heaven”,along with Venus Butterfly,Friday, Crescendo and NuiWiriyapa. Originally set for

July 26 but postponed in coop-eration with the government’sswine-flu measures, this is thethird charity concert organisedby Spicy Disc.

MUS IC

Still GroovingThe disco-funk band shows no signs of calling itquits, with two more shows lined up

The group Pilobolusperforms rehearses“Dog-Id” ahead ofMonday’s openingnight at the JoyceTheatre in New York.The show runs untilAugust 8. Visitwww.Joyce.org.

Littlewoofers

AFP

Wardrobedysfunction

The plan was to make a TVdocumentary about the placesseen in the movie “Nee TamGalileo” (“Dear Galileo”) –London, Paris, Pisa and Venice.

They’re in Europe and it’scold in Europe, right?

So GTH public-relationsagent Chanumad “Tai”Thongsai, who was accompa-nying the film’s directorNithiwat Tharatorn and starsChutima Teepanart andJarinporn Junkiat, packed lotsof woolly clothing.

Well, it turns out that itdoes actually get warm inEurope, so Tai had to wear herlighter evening duds instead.The only problem was that it’stough hiking around all thetourist attractions in highheels.

See how she managed onChannel 7’s “Tee Nee Morchit”Sunday at 10.30pm.

Very friendlymatch kick-offNewspaper columnistBouranij “Bor Boo”Rattanavichien recentlyannounced on his Hi5 pagethat he’s looking for a place tohold his wedding reception.

Since he’s a football writer,he should hold the party on afootball pitch! Surely his boss,Siam Sport Publishing ownerRawi Lorthong, will waive therent on the company’s soccerfield on Soi Nuanchan RamIntra.

Other ideas are welcome atBor Boo’s Hi5 page, or e-mailhim at bbmeetyou@yahoo.com.

Thursday, July 16, 2009 DAILY XPRESS ENTERTAINMENT 7

ROBERT REDFORD marriedGerman artist Sibylle Szaggarsin Hamburg. Local press reportssay the 71-year-old actor waswedded to his long-time girl-friend, around 20 years his jun-ior, on Saturday in the luxuryLouis C Jacob hotel.

soopsip

Contact Soopsip atveenxpress@gmail.com.

XTRA

>> You can get them atThaiticketmaster.

F U N K Y M U S I C>> Tickets for July 25’s “GrooveRiders for Retrospective” areBt800, including one drink.

>> Tickets for August 30’s ben-efit are Bt600. Proceeds will goto Children’s Cancer Fund.

2VERSIONS of“Bruno” are beingshown in the UK – thefull version rated “18”and a shorter editcleaned up for viewersaged 15 and over.

Tai wasoverdressedin Europe.

8 HOBBY Thursday, July 16, 2009 DAILY XPRESS

By Kate KilpatrickT H E W A S H I N G T O N P O S T

Barbie collectors share much in com-mon, such as the belief that the per-

fect colour for lipstick, toenails and ac-cessories is pink.

But on one issue they cannot bereconciled: to debox or not to debox.They are quite passionate aboutwhether the dolls should be left intheir original box.

“Debox! Debox! Debox!” shouts a pinworn by Molly Cruse, one of more than1,100 visitors to the 2009 NationalBarbie Doll Collectors Convention be-ing held in Washington.

“You can’t appreciate the full gownwhen it’s in the box,” says Cruse.

Adamantly opposed are theNRFBists, for whom the 11thCommandment is “Never RemoveFrom Box”.

Sherri Schuck, who owns more than600 Barbies, points out that “a lot of thetime the boxes themselves were actual-ly part of the scenery, the allure.

“You could cut them up, you couldtake things off the box and use them as

props for the doll.”But these days she wouldn’t dare take

a Barbie out of the box, let alone bringscissors to the scene.

“For me the box makes the doll, too.It’s just part of what she is. I love to see

them in their natural state, and to meit’s in a box.”

To cater to finicky NRFBists, dealerstake all sorts of precautions to protecttheir merchandise, inside and out.

Amanda Eagan, a doll-shop owner,wraps each box in cellophane to pre-vent scuffs to the original cellophane.

Alice Spackman, who sold Eagan theshop, says putting that much emphasison the box is “silly”.

“One lady would spend hours lookingat the box, and I often thought sheprobably didn’t even notice that therewas even a doll in that box!”

Erma Huntley-Rhodes explains theNRFBist philosophy: A doll in a mint-condition box could fetch $15,000, or aslittle as $5,000 in a battered one.

Huntley-Rhodes keeps her collectionat home in cabinets and tells visitors: “Ifyou can touch them, you’re too close.”

Barbie’s cosy in cardboardThe boxing match gets brutal when doll collectors get together

Barbie dolls in their original boxes are wrapped in extra cellophane to protect the original cellophane.

WAS

HIN

GTO

N P

OST

PHOT

OS

Doll-shopowner AmandaEagan points outa crushed corneron a box at acollectors’convention inWashington.Such imperfec-tion can drop theprice drastically.

The sheet shows the pressure on thearea with a callus.

The imprintthat is provided formaking a custom-made insoleor foot orthosis.

By Parinyaporn Pajee D A I L Y X P R E S S

Have you ever stopped to wonder just how many steps you take in a single

day? According to the experts, it’s not unusu-al to walk as many as 10,000 steps, yet if ourfeet are tired after all that effort, it’s probablynot due to the walking but fatigue caused bynot wearing the proper shoes.

Most of us would plead guilty to ignoringthese lowest and most hardworking parts ofour bodies.

“We think nothing of buying moisturiserfor our faces but we do nothing for our feet.Yet we get upset when we feel pain especial-ly if it causes us to stop walking,” says podia-trist and pedorthist Cherdpong Hansasuta ofBNH hospital.

Aside from chronic wounds suffered bydiabetes patients, his patients come to seehim with a range of different complaints –pain from running or walking, calluses and,quite commonly, from wearing impropershoes.

Just like inflammation in any body part,the doctor stresses that damage to the footoccurs as a result of long time repetitiveforce. The main difference is that to theforce to the foot is heavier – a repetitive im-pact that is 1.2 to 1.6 times your own weight.

“When we walk or run, the feet carry theweight all the time. If problem occurs, it willbe worse than in another body part,” he says.

And while with, say, an inflamed wrist, wecan take a break from working at the com-puter to allow recover, people are in troublewhen they have to stop using a foot as it ren-ders them immobile.

Pain on the underside of the foot may indi-cate a torn ligament or inflammation of thejoint. Taking pain medication may help butit’s just a temporary measure and the prob-lem will recur if the problem isn’t fixed.

“The podiatrist and pedorthist have tosolve the problem rather like an engineer bydesigning a shoe or insole that expands therepetitive force pressure from that exactpoint to the whole foot,” he says.

I was involved in a car accident andhave since suffered from a cervicalspine problem at C4-5 around myneck. I’ve been through lots of rehabbut it’s no better and I suffer fromconstant numbness in my right arm.My doctor has now suggested totaldisc replacement. Could you pleaseexplain the advantages of this surgeryand the time needed for recovery.?

Your doctor is referring to an artificialcervical disc, which is a device insertedbetween two cervical vertebrae after anintervertebral disc has been surgically re-moved and the spinal cord or nerve root

decompressed. The advantages of the ar-tificial cervical disc are several and in-clude: Small wound, minor injury.Maintaining normal neck motion.The result is the same as a standard

open wound and fusion spine. It reduces degeneration of adjacent

segment of the cervical spine.Short hospital stayA faster return to normal activities.

You should be able to start light worktwo weeks after the operation and returnto your usual occupation and even playsports again with six to eight weeks.

Thursday, July 16, 2009 DAILY XPRESS HEALTH & FITNESS 9

quickshots

The road tohealth …

From today until Sunday, theBangkok Metropolitan Administrationis holding its annual Bangkok HealthFair at Bangkok Convention Centre,Central Lat Phrao. The event, which isopen from 10 to 8 showcases the verylatest in medical innovations, andoffers seminars, free check-ups as wellas advice on weight loss and cookingtips for healthy meals.

…and the river of lifeIf you live on the other side of

town, you may find it easier to get tothe Matichon Healthcare event thatalso runs from today until Sunday atQueen Sirikit National ConventionCentre. The programme includes talksby specialists along with aerobic ses-sions and ballroom dancing for fit-ness. Fairgoers can also snap up top-quality health products at specialprices and enjoy free health check-ups, including screening for cancers,Hepatitis B and osteoporosis, thentake in the botanical garden exhibitionand a showcase of 10 miracle fruitssaid to combat cancers.

Feeling no painPiyavate Hospital is holds two

seminars this Saturday starting at 9.The first is a talk on dental implantsby Pojanart Poomprakobsri and it’sfollowed by a lecture on how spinaladjustment can heal the backache,neck and head pain given by PhilipParry. Both talks will be in Thai andtake place in the hospital's Rotsukonmeeting room on 16th floor.Admission is free. Call (02) 625 6555.

Listen up,guys!This Saturday at 8.30, Phra

Mongkut Klao Hospital hosts a semi-nar on prostrate cancer in theMarusuwan meeting room on the fifthfloor of Charlermprakiat Building. Twospecialists will also be on hand for freeconsultations. The seminar is limitedfor 150 participants and is free ofcharge. Call Kunnithee at (02) 2482000 extension 261.

Bionic surgery makes for speedy recoveryask the pros

Dr Arthit Hongvanitis a spine surgeon at BNH

Hospital.

Send questions to healthyxpress@gmail.com.

A podiatrist offers some advice for looking after sore feet

XTRA

>> Simply buying shoes that fitproperly can solve many problems.Shoes should have a wide toe boxthat doesn’t cramp your foot.

W I S E A B O U T F E E T>> Thailand has only five podiatrists atpresent, but until the specialisationbecomes more widespread, you can lookafter your feet by wearing healthy shoes.

>> High heels put strain on the knee,ankle and forefoot so avoid them whenev-er you can or reduce the height to lessthan one and a half inches.

Soles with soul

Dr Cherdpong Hansasuta shows the pressureput on the forefoot when high-heels are worn.

WHAT’S UP10 EVENTS Thursday, July 16, 2009 DAILY XPRESS

do it! Womenlike usSingers Maleewan Jeman,

Saranya Songsersawad,

Rudklao Amartisha and

Rose Sirinthip, along with

actress Sinjai

Plengpanich, will be on

stage at Thailand Cultural

Centre on Sunday at 2

and 7 for the “What

Women Worth” concerts,

which will benefit Baan

Home Hug. Tickets cost

Bt500 to Bt2,000 at

Thaiticketmajor. Visit

www.ThisIsClick.com.

Rock ’n’ roll

dreamsThe Extreme Dream Concert returns to

CentralWorld’s Centerpoint stage on

Saturday from 3.30pm, offering space

for new bands to gain exposure. This

time around, the dreamers are Syndrome,

Sendingpop, Teddy, Caramel Camel and

Unnamed. They’ll be followed on stage

by more-established youngblood rockers

Sweet Mullet and Six CE.

Party peopleB@S Sports Bar at the Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square is encouraging party-goers to become party-throwers and can help plan custom-tailored bashes for allsorts of events. Choose from themes such as Thai style, fantasy, cartoons or sexyparty. If you can guarantee a minimum of 30 people, the bar can help with therest. Call (02) 209 8888.

Our endless loveCelebrate Mother’s Day nextmonth by bringing along youmum to the “UnconditionalLove” exhibition at the GossipGallery from July 23 toAugust 31. The show byartists Pilaiporn Pethrith andYotaka Ponsak focuses onlove between mother andchild. Gossip Gallery is on thethird floor of the SilomGalleria on Silom Soi 19. It’sand open Monday throughSaturday from 10.30 to 7.

Grooving at ARTE’The Groove Riders bring theirfunk-disco sounds to the arti-ficial turf of Futsal StadiumArena 10 on Thonglor Soi 10as part of ARTE’ Weekend onJuly 25 at 6pm. The groupalso promises to play a fewnew numbers. A free shuttleruns between the venue atThonglor Skytrain station.Tickets are Bt800 atThaiticketmajor.

Coffee, tea orcake?Delights@22, the cafe in thelobby of the Imperial Queen’sPark Hotel on Sukhumvit 22,has a “Twin Delights” promo-tion, offering a Bt40 discounton coffee or tea that’s pairedwith a pastry. The deal isavailable until July 31. Theshop is open from 6am to9pm. Call (02) 261 9000.

When art healsMongolian artist JalkhaajavMunkhtsetseg is showing herworks at two Bangkok venuesuntil July 20. Teo + NamfahGallery on Sukhumvit Soi 39and the Gossip Gallery in theSilom Galleria have “TheSilence of Healing at theEdge of the World”, featuringpaintings, collage and softsculptures that blendMongolian folklore with mod-ern femininity. The shows areopen from 10 to 6 daily. Call(081) 402 7474.

More ‘Exposure’“Exposure to Light”, the exhi-bition by blind Israeli photog-raphers has been extendeduntil July 31 at the NationalGallery in Bangkok. Thegallery on Chao Fah Road isopen from 9 to 4 Wednesdayto Sunday.

Spice upyour homeFrom tomorrow until July 26,

Fashion Island is holding the “Home

and Living” exhibition with celebri-

ties pitching their ideas on home

decorating. On Saturday at 3, chef

Bann “Ik” Boriboon demonstrates

how to cook five-star food. There

will also be demos on living rooms,

feng shui and coffee. Call (02) 204

8216.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood PrinceThe evil Lord Voldemort tightens his grip, escalating the peril for Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his bestpals, Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint). Opening scenes in 3-D at IMAX.

The Secret ofMoonacre A 13-year-old girl discovers thatshe is the only hope for banish-ing an ancient curse from amagical kingdom.

Cheri Michelle Pfeiffer stars in thisromance set in 1920s Paris as acourtesan who educates ayoung man in the ways of love.Rupert Friend and Kathy Batesalso star. At the Lido.

B13-UUrban acrobats Leito (DavidBelle) and Damien (CyrilRaffaelli) uncover a conspiracy

by corrupt officials that willdestroy the Banlieue 13 ghettoand everyone in it. In Frenchwith English and Thai subti-tles at Paragon only, else-where Thai dubbed.

WongkamlaoPetchtai “Mum Jokmok”Wongkamlao directs and starsin this parody of soap operasand high society. With Englishsubtitles in some cinemas.

L’instinct de mortVincent Cassel portrays Frenchgangster Jacques Mesrine,before he became “publicenemy No 1”. In French with

English and Thai subtitles atthe Lido.

Transformers:Revenge of theFallenSam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf)again finds himself at the centreof a war between giant alienrobots. Megan Fox also stars.Michael Bay directs.

Ice Age: Dawn of theDinosaursThe animated prehistoric mam-mals address family issues asthey contend with giant rep-tiles. In 3-D in some cinemas.

Largo WinchThe brash hero from a long-run-ning Belgian comic comes to thebig screen. Tomer Sisley stars.With English and Thai subtitlesat SFW CentralWorld.

Departures An unemployed musician findsa new calling in a taboo profes-sion. In Japanese with Englishand Thai subtitles at Apexand House.

Fireflies in theGardenA fatal car accident stirs painfulchildhood memories. At SFWCentralWorld.

TO SEEThursday, July 16, 2009 DAILY XPRESS THE SCREEN 11

on tv

Becoming JaneAnne Hathaway stars in thisbiographical portrait of a pre-fame Jane Austen and herromance with a young Irishman(James McAvoy).Star Movies (TrueVisions),8pm

Channel linkswww.NationChannel.comChannel 3 – www.ThaiTV3.comChannel 5 – www.TV5.co.thChannel 7 – www.CH7.comModernine – www.MCOT.netNBT – TV11.prd.go.thTV Thai – www.ThaiPBS.or.thTrue – www.TrueVisionsTV.com

Critical consensus = Must see! = Solidly entertaining = It’s okay = Barely watchable = Don’t botherNo star rating means no reviews wereavailable from Daily Xpress staff oragencies.

Cape No 7This hit Taiwanese romantic comedy is about a failed rocksinger turned mailman and a Japanese model who form aband for a beach town’s pop concert. In Mandarin withEnglish and Thai subtitles at House.

Nang Mai (Nymph)

Director Pen-ek Ratanaruang follows a husband and wife

and their troubled marriage into a foreboding jungle. With

English subtitles at some cinemas. “Cannes Version” at

SFW CentralWorld and Paragon Cineplex, “Director’s

Cut” elsewhere.

ApexLido: (02) 252 6498Siam: (02) 251 3508Scala: (02) 251 2861

Century – The Movie Plaza(02) 247 9940

House(02) 641 5177-8

Major Cineplex/EGVBangkok: (02) 515 5555

Major HollywoodBangkok: (02) 718 7999

Paragon CineplexBangkok: (02) 129 4635IMAX: (02) 129 4631

SF CinemasBangkok: (02) 268 8888

UMGRCA: (02) 641 5913-14

REGION 3

on dvd

The OrphanageIn this acclaimed Spanishthriller, a young mother takesover the orphanage where shewas raised and, before long,her young adopted son is play-ing with an imaginary friend,the same friend she playedwith when she was a child.Priced at Bt200 with no extras,it has the original Spanishsoundtrack plus a Thai dubwith subtitles English and Thaisubtitles. – DAILY XPRESS

12 LEISURE Thursday, July 16, 2009 DAILY XPRESS

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Comics&Games

Thursday, July 16, 2009 DAILY XPRESS LEISURE 13

Games&YourStars

ASTROLOGYSUDOKU

DIFFICULTY RATING

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

Complete the grid so that every row,column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

The last word in

By Eugenia Last

Today’s Birthday: You have to show your ability to be re-sponsible and to take the required action. Your experience andwhat you have learned from unusual sources will come in handynow. Your memory will serve you well. Believe in your abilitiesand so will everyone you encounter.

ARIES *** March 21-April 19You may have to work a little harder to please theones you love but don’t give up. Your positive atti-tude and motivating spirit will win. With a littlenurturing, you’ll get your way.

TAURUS *** April 20-May 20You may be out of sorts or emotional about whatothers are doing, but you mustn’t let this deter youfrom moving forward with your own personalplans. Ease your stress with some unorthodoxmoves.

GEMINI *** May 21-June 20Don’t be too quick to disregard what someone isoffering you. A good idea may not be perfect inyour mind but think it through and you’ll see howto turn something mediocre into something fan-tastic.

CANCER **** June 21-July 22You are heading into territory that may not be fa-miliar but, in the end, it will lead to a better posi-tion or higher status. There is something worthsaying, so don’t hold back.

LEO ** July 23-Aug. 22Give a little thought to romance and you will findyou are in a position that will bring you great joy.Your generosity will make everything fall intoplace. A good deal will change your direction.

VIRGO ***** Aug. 23-Sept. 22Don’t be shy because someone is trying to make youfeel inept. You have more to offer and can make ahuge difference. Your responsible and concrete wayof dealing with others will draw attention.

LIBRA *** Sept. 23-Oct. 22Give whatever you are working toward a shove be-fore you lose momentum. Inspiring others to takepart and contribute to your vision will keep thingson schedule. Don’t overspend or exaggerate.

SCORPIO *** Oct. 23-Nov. 21Be careful with whom you share your personal in-formation. Someone will play emotional gameswith you if you are the least bit difficult to dealwith. Put your efforts toward improvements athome.

SAGITTARIUS *** Nov. 22-Dec. 21Don’t forget about the ones you love and the peo-ple who have stood by you through thick and thin.An opportunity may appear insignificant but it’sbigger than you anticipated.

CAPRICORN ***** Dec. 22-Jan. 19A home project or a financial investment will payoff. Mix business with pleasure and you will have awinning situation. Someone will want to partnerwith you - check credentials first.

AQUARIUS ** Jan. 20-Feb. 18Keep your emotions out of any important deci-sions you make. If you let someone alter your di-rection or take you off your targeted course, youwill have to backtrack. Stay in control for success.

PISCES **** Feb. 19-March 20Get out and touch base with people you haven’tseen for a long time. The information you receiveabout a possible deal or job will help you get backin the running.

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY

Singer William Bell is 70.Drummer Stewart Copeland of The Police is 57.Actress Phoebe Cates is 46.Country singer Craig Morgan is 45.Actor Daryl “Chill” Mitchell is 44.Actor Will Ferrell is 42.Actress Rain Pryor is 40.Filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul is 39.Actor Corey Feldman is 38.Actress AnnaLynne McCord is 22.Actor Mark Indelicato is 15.

Apichatpong Weeasethakul

Big C Supercenter PCL, Thailand's leading hypermarket, is looking for highly motivated men and women to join our professional teamof more than 14,000 employees working in our Headquarters Office in Bangkok and in Big C stores throughout Thailand.

Come to join the Big C Management Team in any of the following open positions:

1. Store General Manager Bachelor’s degree or higher in Business Administration or related fields At least 8 years experience in retail business with 3 years as a store manager in large hypermarket store, proven track record of

successes required Good command of both spoken and written English

2. Assistant General Manager/Division Manager/Department Manager2.1 Fresh Food Division

2.2 Dry Food Division

2.3 General Merchandise Division

Bachelor’s degree in any field At least 5 years experience in retail business Good knowledge of each product category

2.4 Customer Service Division/Department

Bachelor’s degree in any field At least 3 years experience in retail business in the area of customer service, cashier and invoice & claim

2.5 Replenishment Division/Department

Bachelor’s degree in any field At least 3 years experience in retail business in the area of inventory control and goods receiving

2.6 Maintenance Division/Department

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering At least 3 years experience in retail business in the area of all maintenance services such as water,

electrical, air-conditioning and telephone systems2.7 Plaza Division/Department

Bachelor’s degree in any field At least 3 years experience in retail business in the area of rental space and tenancy services

Qualifications for all positions

Strong leadership with very good people skills Open minded, strong negotiation and communication skills Good interpersonal skills, flexibility and financially competent Able to relocate and work on shift schedule Good command of both spoken and written English would be an advantage Computer literacy

As a member of the Big C team, you will enjoy participating in a competitive package of salary, annual bonus, incentive bonus (in some jobs), and a benefits package which will provide financial security to both you and your family - now and in the future.

Interested applicants are invited to apply in person or send their application with full resume indicating qualifications and experience,transcript, current & expected salary and recent photo to:

Human Resources Division (Recruitment Dept.)Big C Supercenter Public Co., Ltd. 6th Floor, 97/11 Rajdamri Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330

E-mail: recruit@bigc.co.th Website: www.bigc.co.th

PECI-THAI Co., Ltd. is a member of Singaporean PEC Group, a specialist engineering group, servicing the oil & gas,petrochemical, pharmaceutical and oil & chemical terminal industries. PECI-THAI's core business includes erection &installation of mechanical, electrical and instrumentation, project & site management and maintenance & turnaround services. In line with our expansion/growth, we are seeking qualified and experienced personnel in the following positions:

1) Mechanical Operation Manager• Minimum 10-15 years construction management experience in

mechanical field for power plant, oil & gas construction.• Any nationality with fluency in English.• Strong commercial & business orientation; good knowledge of

technical field.• Good track record in many projects worth over THB 100 million, over

seas experience will be an advantage.• Minimum Bachelor's degree in Engineering and able to work in

Rayong and Chonburi areas.

2) Project Managers and/or SiteManagers (for M, E and I)

• Minimum 5-10 years construction management experience in mechanical, electrical and/or instrumentation installation fields for power plant, oil & gas, process plant constructions.

• Strong leadership and systematic working with various levels.• Thai nationality with good command of English.• Minimum Bachelor's degree in Engineering.

3) Project Engineers (for M, E and I)• Minimum 3-5 years experience as a project engineer for mechanical

and/or E & I works.• Bachelor's degree in Engineering.• Good technical knowledge and skills in the construction fields.

4) Superintendents and Supervisors (for M, E and I)

• Minimum 3-5 years experience in construction fields in M, E and/or I.

• Able to work in various site locations.• Good knowledge and hands on personality.

5) Planner and Cost ControllerEngineers (for M, E and I)

• Minimum 3 years experience in M, E and I.• Thai nationality with Bachelor's degree in Engineering.• Able to use Microsoft Project and AutoCAD.• Good communication skill in English both

speaking and writing.

Interested person please e-mail your CV, day time contact number and expected salary to our Human Resources Division at

rungsanr@peci-thai.com or somjait@peci-thai.comor mail your credentials to

PECI-THAI Co., Ltd. 1/9 Jaroenpattana Rd., Huay Pong, Muang, Rayong 21150.

Urgently RequiredBacktracking through our history in Japan, Kinokuniya Book Stores havebeen topnotch retailed bookstores for over 80 years. In Thailand,Kinokuniya has been founded since 1990 and has been well known as aleading international bookstore. Currently, we are urgently seeking a quali-fied candidate to join us in the position of:

An Assistant Manager of Chinese Book Section

• Thai nationality, 30-35 years of age• BA in Chinese• A degree/certificate from a Chinese speaking country is a plus• Excellent in Chinese language both traditional and simplified• Able to use English language well• 7-10 years of working experience in Chinese language field• Chinese language experience in a bookstore is preferable• Computer literacy in Chinese is a must• High managerial skill• Good leadership skill, hard working• Able to work on shift in the bookstore

Main job responsibilities include team management, managing categoryplan, and merchandising tasks.

Please send an application letter and resume in English and Chinese witha recent photo to:

Kinokuniya Book Stores (Thailand) Co., Ltd.29 Vanissa Bldg., 10th Fl. Unit 10A, Soi Chidlom,Ploenchit Rd., Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 or chanokkamol@kinokuniya.co.jpTel. 0-2655-0614-6 Fax: 0-2655-0617, 0-2253-1861

BUY SELL1.Bangpra International - 145,0002.Krungthep Kreetha 1,700,000 -3.Muang Ake 1 350,000 -4.Bangpakong Riverside - 185,0005.Tanya Thanee 140,000 150,0006.Spring Field 370,000 -

COURSE MEMBERSHIPEXCHANGE CENTRE

THE FIRST IN THAILANDTel: 081-5555888, 081-5555999

02-259-0980-5 www.thaigolfcentre.com

WWW.INTERHOME.CO.TH 02-946-6206Ω“°¢“¬‚¶…≥“ø√’

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24 GAMES Thursday, July 16, 2009 DAILY XPRESS

AP, Turnberry, Scotland

Adam Scott embraces hisAustralian golf heritage

and the comparisons to Majorchampions whom he would liketo join someday, the sooner thebetter. This one, however, madehim wince.

The topic was Ian Baker-Finch. “I’m not sure I like whereyou’re headed with this,” Scottsaid.

Baker-Finch captured theclaret jug at Royal Birkdale in1991 and was among the topplayers until one of the mostcelebrated slumps in golf. Hewent 31 straight tournamentswithout making the cut, the laststraw his 92 at Royal Troon inthe 1997 British Open.

Scott managed a smile, per-haps because he believes hisworst is behind – and it didn’tlast very long. “It’s only beenthree months,” Scott said.

Maybe so, but it has felt likean entire season.

Scott is not the only playerwho has gone through a roughpatch this year. PadraigHarrington, the two-time de-fending champion at the BritishOpen, had missed five straight

cuts until winning the IrishPGA last week, a tournamentthat amounted to little morethan a club championship.Ernie Els has gone nearly 18months without winning.

Both, however, are Majorchampions.

Scott will turn 29 today whenthe British Open begins atTurnberry. In a career markedby steady progress to as high asNo 3 in the world last summer,it was astonishing to see himvanish from leaderboards fromFebruary until June.

He lost in the first round ofthe Accenture Match PlayChampionship. He missed sixcuts in a row, including ThePlayers Championship, wherehe hit one tee shot onto the ad-jacent golf course.

The questions piled up fasterthan the big numbers.

– How bad was his injuryfrom surfing in Australia, thesixth time he had dislocated hisknee cap?

– What was he doing surfing? – Was he more motivated

making the cover of fashionmagazines or golf magazines?

– Who was he dating now? Those close to him grew con-

cerned when he made news on-ly for the company he waskeeping – actress Kate Hudsonfor a week in Hawaii, tennis star

Ana Ivanovic for the last fewmonths – than the shots he washitting.

After scores of 77-81 at theMemorial, Scott finallysnapped. And so did one of hisclubs. Scott has won a tourna-ment every year since his firstfull season in Europe in 2001.He was the youngest to winThe Players Championship. Hewas the kid who swung just likeTiger Woods, before Woodschanged his swing.

Then, he couldn’t make a cut.“It was hard to comprehendwhy this was happening. It’snever taken me so long to fig-ure this out.”

Baker-Finch went throughnearly a dozen coaches, whichhe said ruined him.

After his 81 at the Memorial,he retreated to QueenwoodGolf Club outside London. Hedidn’t invite Butch Harmon, hislong-time coach. He didn’t askhelp from his caddie, TonyNavarro.

A club employee worked thevideo and Scott went to thepractice range, sessions thatlast up to four hours, sixstraight days. Before long, hewatched the flight of one ball,which was just as he imaginedit should go. “I’ll be a betterplayer than I ever was before,”Scott said. “I’m sure of that.”

NOT SO GREATScott turning hisgame around afterhitting the depths

11M POUNDSFulham are ready to signPortsmouth striker PeterCrouch. The London-basedclub first needs to sellBobby Zamora so it canraise the money.

AP

Hartson has brain cancer

Former Celtic striker JohnHartson has undergone emer-gency surgery to relieve pressureon his brain. The MorristonHospital in Swansea, Wales,announced the surgery.The 34-year-old Hartson wasdiagnosed with testicular cancer,and it has spread to his brain.Hartson was given the news bydoctors on Sunday after going tothe hospital because of severeheadaches. – AP

Downing movesfrom Boro to Villa Aston Villa have agreed a fee of£12 million for Middlesbrough’sStewart Downing. With Downingrecovering from surgery on afractured bone in his foot, it hadbeen thought he would notleave Middlesbrough, who wererelegated from the PremierLeague last season, untilJanuary. But with his surgeon“very pleased” with his progress,Villa manager Martin O’Neill isunderstood to be keen to signthe England international assoon as possible. – DPA

Romario arrestedin support caseFormer striker Romario wasarrested in a child support caseinvolving his first wife, police

said.Police spokesman Analder Lopessaid Romario was taken intocustody forallegedly fail-ing to makechild supportpayments toMonicaSantoro, whohas custodyof the cou-ple’s children,Romarinho,15, andMoniquinha,19.Lopes said he did not know howmuch Romario owed his ex-wifeand added that the player’slawyers promised to presentdocuments proving he hadmade the payments. He did notprovide further information.According to Globo TV, Romarioowes his wife about US$12,245.– AP

Mosley confirms he is to step downMax Mosley confirmed yesterdaythat he is to step down as presi-dent of motorsport’s ruling body,the FIA, later this year while alsonaming former Ferrari team prin-cipal Jean Todt as his preferredsuccessor. “I have decided toreconfirm my decision. I will notbe a candidate in October,”Mosley wrote to all the FIAmember clubs. – DPA

brieflyFlintoff to quit after AshesAndrew Flintoff will retire from Test cricket atthe end of the ongoing Ashes series againstAustralia, the all-rounder announced yester-day. “My body has told me it’s time to stop,”Flintoff said. “Since 2005 I’ve had two yearswhen I’ve done nothing but rehab from oneinjury or another. It’s been something I’vebeen thinking about for a while and I thinkthis last problem I’ve had with my knee hasconfirmed to me that the time is now right.”Andrew Flintoff

Adam Scott of Australia tees off from the 16th during practice for the British Open.

Romario

THE SPORTASHESCR ICKET

Thursday, July 16, 2009 DAILY XPRESS THE SPORT 25

AP, Turnberry, Scotland

Sandy Lyle apologised toRyder Cup captain Colin

Montgomerie for bringing upa four-year-old incident inwhich his fellow Scot was ac-cused of cheating.

That said, Lyle didn’t backaway from his belief thatMontgomerie placed his ballin the wrong position after arain delay at the 2005Indonesian Open.

Montgomerie was clearedby rules officials but issued anapology and donated his prizemoney to charity.

“I didn’t prefabricate thisthing,” Lyle said. “I’m only go-ing from what other peoplehave said, and it was a prettypoor drop. And it was one ofhis mistakes. I didn’t makehim do that mistake. It was hismistake. And it will probablylive with him for the rest of hislife.”

Lyle’s comments are sure tostrain relations between thetwo golfers, who both lobbiedto be captain of the Europeanteam at the 2010 Ryder Cup.Montgomerie got the nod, andsome wondered if Lyle washurt by his decision to pull outof last year’s British Open af-ter he played the first 10 holesat 11 over par.

“It’s a rather strange apology,to be honest with you,”Montgomerie told British me-dia. “I’m just trying to comedown here and compete in theOpen and my preparations havebeen slightly dented. I’m notvery happy about that at all.”

Lyle said his comments,

made last week and publishedon Tuesday by several Britishnewspapers, stemmed fromhis frustration over beingasked repeatedly about lastyear’s Open. So he brought upthe 2005 tournament inJakarta, which was halted byrain with Montgomerie facinga difficult shot off the slope ofa bunker.

The next day, Montgomeriereplaced his ball in a spot thatappeared to provide a morefavourable stance. He woundup getting the finish he need-ed to remain among the top 50in the world rankings, goodenough for a spot in theMasters.

“Monty dropped the ball

badly and that is a form ofcheating,” Lyle said in the in-terview. “What he did was farworse” than withdrawing froma tournament.

“Colin Montgomerie and Iare not at war. Colin is a greatchampion and a good friend,”Lyle said. “I was trying tomake the point by comparisonthat neither of these incidentshad anything to do with theselection of the current RyderCup captain.

“I deeply regret making thiscomparison and apologise toColin for involving him in myown issue. I feel especially badif I have jeopardised his prepa-ration for the Open champi-onship.”

Lyle said he had not beenable to reach Montgomerie tomake a personal apology,though he believes they willmeet at some point this week.

“He’s kept behind thescenes at the moment. I didtry but have not succeeded,”Lyle said. “I hope our friend-ship is still there.”

When Lyle withdrew fromlast year’s Open at Birkdale,he didn’t mention anythingabout an injury. He now saysan ailing hand caused him todrop out – not his poor playand the miserable conditions.

Lyle’s withdrawal stirred upplenty of debate, and therewas speculation that it mighthave cost him the Ryder Cupjob. “My real mistake lastyear was not explaining theinjury when I retired,” hesaid. “It was my belief thatlast year’s incident had noth-ing to do with the selection ofthe current Ryder Cup cap-tain.”

Lyle said he actually con-gratulated Montgomerie whenthey played at last week’sScottish Open.

“I’ve got no vendetta againstColin at all. I’m all for him,”Lyle said. “The last thing hewants right now is having allthis baloney going on rightnow before he tees off thisweek.”

Lyle said he was “only try-ing to protect myself when Iget called a quitter.” As forMontgomerie, there were anapology but no backing offfrom the cheating claims.

“I don’t think you need meto say it, but the problem was– the drop wasn’t close towhere it should be,” Lyle said.“And of course on TV it does-n’t lie.”

GOLF

Lyle in spat withhis compatriot over2005 incident

I DON’T THINK YOUNEED ME TO SAY IT,BUT THE PROBLEMWAS – THE DROPWASN’T CLOSE TOWHERE IT SHOULD BE.Sandy Lyle

Sandy Lyle of Scotland explains his stand at a press conference.,,

Different course, same strategy for No 1AP, Turnberry, Scotland

The sea breeze in his facewas not nearly as important

to Tiger Woods as finding thebest route around three potbunkers on the 10th hole atTurnberry.

He aimed his tee shot to theright, on the high side of twobunkers, then pulled his 3-woodjust enough that the ball bound-ed along the links until itstopped rolling just three yardsshort of the sand.

This was OK. “That’s the whole idea,”

Woods said. “Some of theseholes sucker you into trying totake it over the bunkers.”

A bold tee shot would leave ashorter approach into thegreen, perhaps a greater chanceat birdie.

“But can you do that over fourdays?” Woods replied.

He doesn’t appear willing totake that chance.

Woods has captured the

British Open three times on twolinks courses. He won his firstclaret jug at St Andrews in2000, a victory as much famousfor his career Grand Slam as hisfour rounds without once play-ing out of the bunker.

His most recent victory wasthree years ago at Hoylake,where Woods hit driver onlyone time in 72 holes. He chosethat week to play mainly longirons and the occasional 3-woodoff the tee, anything to keep him

short of the bunkers. “I don’tthink I’ve ever been able toreach the green from a bunker,”Woods said. “It’s a one-shotpenalty. Even if you can ad-vance it 60 yards, you still havea 6-iron left to the green.”

Turnberry is a far differentvenue. The strategy is no differ-ent. Woods makes his return tothe British Open, missing golf’soldest championship last yearwhile in the early stages of re-covering from knee surgery.

AFP

AFP

Tiger Woods on the practicegreen yesterday.

‘CHEAT’ TAUNT HAUNTS MONTY

AP, St Louis

Carl Crawford pulled back ahome run with a leaping

grab an inning before CurtisGranderson tripled and scoredthe tie-breaking run in theeighth to give the AmericanLeague a 4-3 victory over theNational League yesterday.

“It was definitely probablythe best catch I ever made,” saidCrawford, the MVP. “I didn’tthink it was going to carry thatfar, but it carried and I just hadto find the wall, make the ad-justment and make the play onit.” The AL has won sevenstraight games since 2002’s 7-7,11-inning tie at Milwaukee andhas won 12 games and tied onesince its 1996 defeat atPhiladelphia – the longest un-beaten streak in All-Star history.

The AL has won all seventimes the All-Star game hasbeen used to determine home-

field advantage for the WorldSeries.

Not even President BarackObama’s ceremonial first pitchat the new Busch Stadiumhelped the NL, which had been4-0 previously when sittingpresidents threw out the firstoffering. The NL scored all itsruns in the second inning, and22 of its last 24 batters madeout. AL manager Joe Maddon

credited his bullpen “stallions”of Jonathan Papelbon, JoeNathan and Mariano Rivera.

Starting with HanleyRamirez’s groundout off start-ing pitcher Roy Halladay thatended the second innings, ALpitchers retired 18 consecutivebatters before AdrianGonzalez’s two-out walk in theeighth against Joe Nathan.Orlando Hudson singled and,

with pinch-hitter Ryan Howardat the plate, stole second beforeHoward struck out.

A nearly hour-long pre-gameceremony culminated in the in-troduction of Cardinals Hall ofFamer Stan Musial, followed byPresident Barack Obama.

Wearing sneakers, jeans and ajacket of his home state WhiteSox, Obama was greeted bycheers mixed with a few boos ashe came out of the first-basedugout, shook hands with the88-year-old Musial and went tothe mound. The lanky presidentstood on the pitching rubberand threw left-handed from awindup. Biting his lip, he wasdetermined to reach the plate.And he did with the help ofPujols, who moved up andscooped up the ball as Obamaresponded with a left-handedfist pump.

Obama became the fourthpresident to throw out the cere-monial first pitch at an All-Stargame, following John F Kenn-edy , Richard Nixon (1970) andGerald Ford (1976 and 1978).

26 THE SPORT Thursday, July 16, 2009 DAILY XPRESS

ALL- STAR BASE BALL

DIFFERENT LEAGUEThe AmericanLeague beats onNL once again

Carl Crawford holds up his MVP trophy yesterday.

EPA

DPA, London

Togo striker EmmanuelAdebayor is only wait-

ing on a work permit tocomplete his switch fromArsenal to ManchesterCity, it emerged yesterday.

The 25-year-old is re-ported to have passed amedical, with the clubshaving agreed a deal be-lieved to be £25 million.

The work permit shouldbe a formality, and if thedeal does go through, it willtake City’s spending thisyear to around £200 mil-lion.

New signing CarlosTevez denied on Tuesdaythat Manchester Unitedmanager Sir Alex Fergusondid his best to keep him atOld Trafford.

“The fact I didn’t stay atUnited was not about thefans it was because DavidGill [chief executive] andFerguson did not doenough to keep me there,”Tevez said. “I was there fortwo years and Sir Alex nev-er called or sent any textmessages in that time.”

Adebayorfor City

Thursday, July 16, 2009 DAILY XPRESS THE SPORT 27

DAILY XPRESS

Thailand’s Liverpool fanswill have to endure an anx-

ious wait to discover whetherclub captain Steven Gerrardwill make the Asia pre-seasontour starting in Bangkok nextweek following British mediareports that the midfielder hasto attend a trial at the sametime.

The Daily Mirror reported onits website that the 28-year-oldstar was due to go on trial foraffray next week, meaning hemight miss some of the club’sbuild-up games ahead of thecoming season. The midfielderis accused along with six otherpeople of starting a fight at aclub in Southport, Merseysidein December. They all deny thecharge.

The case is set to last twoweeks so it looks likely thatGerrard will not be on the tour

to the Far East, which beginswith an exhibition matchagainst the Thailand nationalteam next Wednesday.

The reports are the last thinglocal fans want to hear, and theycome at the worst possibletime, with less than a week be-fore the Merseyside club is dueto arrive in the country for the

first time since 2003.Ex-Liverpool player Steve

McMahon, the commercial di-rector of the event’s organisers,Profitable Group, remains opti-mistic about Gerrard’s chancesof joining the tour at somestage.

“Gerrard is due to attendcourt on Monday. It’s some-

thing beyond our control. Idon’t how long the legal proce-dure will take. Hopefully, it willfinish in time so he can come,”said McMahon, speaking yes-terday at a press conferencewith sponsors Tesco Lotus atBangkok’s VIE Hotel.

Regarding the availability ofSpanish duo Fernando Torresand Xabi Alonso, who onlywrapped up their duties withthe national team at theConfederations Cup last month,McMahon said: “The Spanishcamp finished two or threeweeks ago. Spanish players willarrive directly from Austria[where the club has a trainingcamp]. So Torres is coming andAlonso is coming. And theyshould be fighting fit.

“[Javier] Mascherano shouldalso be making the trip, thoughhis wife is due to give birthsoon, so there is a chance hewill be called away.”

According to McMahon,there are still 5,000 tickets leftfor Wednesday’s fixture atRajamangala National stadium.

FOOTBALL

GERRARD IN COURTLiverpool captain’sdate with judge putsThai trip in doubt

Steven Gerrard’s case starts two days before the Thailand game.

AP, Washington

President Barack Obamawelcomed Wimbledon

champion Serena Williamsto the White House yester-day. “It was amazing,”Williams said. “I lovePresident Obama; he hassuch an unbelievable pres-ence, and he seems to be sonormal – and he noticed myshoes. I think that was thehighlight of the whole day,was he liked my shoes.”

Williams said she waswearing 5-inch heels for thepresidential visit.

“He asked me, ‘Should I bewearing high heels?’ So Ithought that was kind of fun-ny because he may havebeen right. Because it is a jobhazard for me, but I insist onwearing them.”

Williams got to meetMichelle Obama and the restof the first family.

“She had me cracking upand laughing,” said the ten-nis ace. “And the kids werejust so cute and sweet.”

AFP

Serena getshigh withObama