Ban Khao Lek is a small Karen village, situated in the middle of a valley in the area of Chaloem Rattanakosin National Park with splendid nature. Most villagers earn a living by farming and collecting products from the forest. They live a simple life and mainly rely on nature. They practice Karen culture from generation to generation.
In 1918, alluvial sapphire deposits were discovered near Bo Ploi. It was a major source of sapphires in the 1980s and 1990s.
Kanchanaburi Province is the site of "Klity Creek", a waterway heavily polluted by the practices of the Lead Concentrate Company. The company was ordered by a Thai court to clean up its environmental damage in 2013. To date (2016) the court ordered clean-up has been halting and ineffectual.
Ram Yoei is a local dance of the Kanchanaburi local people that has been performed for more than 500 years. They perform Ram Yoei on Songkran Day and New Year, etc. Men and women must form a circle, one person will lead to sing and another will sing to the other’s lyric in reply, and Luk Khu (chorus) will sing along and dance to the rhythm of Klong Yao drums. At present, Ram Yoei is played only in Amphoe Phanom Thuan.
Most of the local rural people work in the field of agriculture. Even though most of them are of Thai ancestry, there is also a lot of Mon and Karen blood around. As minority, people have dwelled in the area for hundreds of years. Kanchanburi enjoys plenty of popular folk festivals.
Mineral Water and Waterfall Bathing Day (งานวันอาบน้ำแร่แช่น้ำตก); held at Hin Dat Hot Spring, at the beginning of November.
Boat and Raft People’s Day (งานเทศกาลชาวเรือชาวแพ); held every year at the beginning of November at Song Khwae Road near the riverside in front of the city of Kanchanaburi. Activities are folk performances, Thai typical music performance, academic exhibition concerning conservation of rivers and canals, water sports such as riding long-boat, speed-boat and jet-skiing.
River Kwae Bridge Week (งานสัปดาห์สะพานข้ามแม่น้ำแคว); held every year around the end of November until the beginning of December to commemorate the significance of the Death Railway and the Bridge over the Khwae River taking place in World War II. Visitors can see the historical and archaeological exhibition, folk performances, booths of products, entertaining activities, and light and sound show.
Kanchanburi is known for its freshwater fish. The most popular dining areas are the Song Kwae Road waterfront area and the riverside restaurants in the vicinity of the River Kwai Bridge. There are "jungle" food restaurants selling illegal imported meat of endangered animals from Burma.
In town there is the Kanchanaburi Memorial Hospital and lots of clinics and pharmacies.
Pathum Thani Province
Pathum Thani (, ) is one of the central provinces ("changwat") of Thailand.
The province is north of Bangkok.
Many canals are in the province. They are used to feed the rice paddies.
In 1815, King Rama II visited the city. He was given a lot of lotus flowers. Because of this, the king decided to rename the city to "Pathum Thani". It means "the lotus flower town".
Pathum Thani has a very high concentration of higher education institutions, especially ones in the field of science and technology. This, together with a large number of industrial parks and research facilities (including those in Thailand Science Park), make the region the educational and technology hub of the area.
Bible of Borso d'Este
The Bible of Borso d'Este or Bibbia di Borso d’Este is a famous illuminated Latin Bible from the Renaissance period in the history of Europe. It was made in 1455-61 for Borso d'Este, the Duke of Ferrara. It has more than 600 pages and more than 1000 small paintings. It has many pictures of plants and animals as well as pictures showing life in the fifteenth century, including pictures of music and dance.
Northern Italy had a tradition of miniature painting for many years. The French Bible of Niccolò III was painted in this tradition. It was a model for Borso's miniatures. Niccolò's Bible was written in 1434. It is now in the Vatican.
The Bible of Borso d'Este was made between 1455 and 1461. A group of artists made the drawings. Taddeo Crivelli and Franco dei Russi were the leaders of the artists. Other artists were Girolamo da Cremona, Marco dell’Avogadro, and Giorgio d’Alemagna. Pietro Paolo Marone, a scribe from Bologna, did the writing.
In 1598, the Estense family moved to Modena, after the Pope took control of Ferrara. They took the Bible with them to Modena. In 1859, the city of Modena became part of Italy, and Francesco V d’Austria-Este went to Vienna with the Bible. In 1923, Giovanni Treccani degli Alfieri bought the Bible in a Paris bookstore. He returned the Bible to the Biblioteca Estense in Modena, Italy.
The Bible of Borso d'Este is now in the Biblioteca Estense (Este Library) in the Palazzo dei Musei, a museum and art gallery. The museum building was originally a poorhouse called Grande Albergo dei Poveri, built from 1767 to 1771. In 1788 the building became an art gallery. In 1883, the government got the building. The Bible of Borso d'Este is one of the most famous books in the museum.
Hume's fork
David Hume divided knowledge into two categories “relations of ideas”, and “matters of fact”. Relations of ideas are truthful and correct statements (for example “all unmarried men are bachelors”). Matters of fact are statements we are nearly certain are truthful but there is still a chance for it to be false: “the sun will rise in the morning”: there is a chance it will not rise.
Purple Rain (song)
"Purple Rain" is a pop and rock song by the musician Prince. The song is from the 1984 album of the same name. It was the third single off that album.
On the "Billboard" Hot 100, the album reached #2 for two weeks. It was certified as Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. One million copies were shipped in the United States.
Prince won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for "Purple Rain".
The original version is eight minutes/forty five seconds long. The song was shortened to four minutes before it was released as a single.
When Doves Cry
"When Doves Cry" is a 1984 rock–pop ballad from the musician Prince. It was the lead single off his 1984 album "Purple Rain". It was a worldwide hit. It was also his first American #1 hit song. It topped the charts for five weeks.
According to "Billboard" magazine, "When Doves Cry" was the top selling single of the year. It was certified as Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Over two million copies were shipped in the United States.
The song is one of Prince's signature songs.
Lopburi Province
Lopburi () is a province in the central region of Thailand. Many historical structures, artifacts, and prehistoric settlements have been discovered.
Known as Lavo during much of its history, Lopburi probably dates to prehistoric times. The name Lavo originated in the Dvaravati period (6th–11th century CE). The Khmer Empirewould build many impressive temples in the city during its rule.
In 1856, King Mongkut of the Chakri dynasty ordered King Narai's palace to be renovated. The city finally regained its importance in 1938, when Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram chose Lopburi to be the largest military base in Thailand.
Lopburi is on the east side of the Chao Phraya River valley. It is between the Lopburi River and Pa Sak Rivers. Most of the land is mixed plains and hills.
Structures built during the reign of King Rama IV include:
Phiman Mongkut Pavilion (หมู่พระที่นั่งพิมานมงกุฎ) was constructed at the command of King Rama IV in 1862 as his private residence when he came to renovate Lopburi.
Phra Prathiap Buildings (หมู่ตึกพระประเทียบ) Composed of two single storey buildings and a group of eight two-storey brick buildings, constructed for being residential quarters for court officials who attended King Rama V when he visited Lopburi.