วันจันทร์ที่ 31 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2555

End of Month Review

สรุปสถิติการเข้าเยี่ยมชมบล็อก ASEAN CORNER ประจำเดือนธันวาคม มีการเข้าเยี่ยมชมทั้งสิ้น  141,211 ครั้ง ลดลงจากเดือนพฤศจิกายน 39,344 ครั้ง โดยมีสถิติเข้าเยี่ยมชมสูงสุดประจำเดือนในวันที่ 18 ธันวาคม จำนวน 6,963 ครั้ง

5 อันดับบทความที่มีผู้เข้าเยี่ยมชมสูงสุดในเดือนธันวาคม คือ
  • ASEAN Currency   จำนวน 43,851 ครั้ง
  • National Costumes of ASEAN Member States    จำนวน 16,065 ครั้ง
  • National Dishes of ASEAN    จำนวน 10,765 ครั้ง
  • The National Flag of Malaysia     จำนวน 8,346 ครั้ง
  • The National Flag of Vietnam     จำนวน 5,261 ครั้ง

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 30 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2555

English Grammar Quiz 7

English Grammar Quiz 7
เรียนรู้และทดสอบไวยากรณ์ภาษาอังกฤษง่ายๆ ผ่านเรื่องราวของอาเซียนกับ The English Grammar Quiz 7 

วันศุกร์ที่ 28 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2555

English Corner:มุมภาษาอังกฤษ

Active and Passive Voice

The form of the verb which shows the importance of its subject is called the Active Voice.
  • Students respect their teachers.

The form of the verb which shows the importance of its object rather than the subject is called the Passive Voice.
  • Teachers are respected by students.

Active:   A does B.
Passive : B is done (by A).

Form
to be + past participle (the third form of the main verb)

  • Simple Present: am/are/is + the past participle
  • Simple Past : was/were + the past participle
  • Future: will be + the past participle

Example
Simple Present
  • Active:  Tom builds a house.
  • Passive: A house is built by Tom.
Simple Past
  • Active: Tom built a house.
  • Passive: A house was built by Tom.
Will-future
  • Active : Tom will build a house.
  • Passive: A house will be built by Tom.

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 27 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Vocabulary Revision-December

รวบรวมคำศัพท์น่ารู้จากบทความของบล็อก ASEAN CORNER ตลอดเดือนธันวาคม

festival (noun /คำนาม) 
Definition: a day or time when people celebrate something (เทศกาล)
Sentence: Southeast Asia is a land of unique festivals.

celebration (noun / คำนาม) 
Definition: the act or occasion of doing something enjoyable (การเฉลิมฉลอง)
Sentence: Indonesian people commemorate the Independence Day with colourful celebrations and various festive events.


holiday (noun / คำนาม) 
Definition: a day of rest when people do not go to work (วันหยุด)
Sentence:New Year's Day is a public holiday in Thailand.


independence (noun / คำนาม
Definition: the state of being free and not controlled by another country (อิสรภาพ,เอกราช)
Sentence:The Independence Day of Myanmar is held on January 4 every year.

วันศุกร์ที่ 21 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Major Festivals and Events of Thailand:เทศกาลงานประเพณีของประเทศไทย

Thailand's National Day
วันชาติของประเทศไทย

Thailand celebrates the birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej on 5 December as its national day. It does not celebrate an independence day. The date will change on the accession of the heir to the throne. This day is also celebrated as Father's day in Thailand.


Vesak Day
วันวิสาขบูชา
Image credit:http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phutthamonthon_Buddha.JPG
Vesak Day is a Buddhist holiday commemorating the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha.


Songkran Festival
เทศกาลสงกรานต์
The Songkran Festival is celebrated as the traditional New Year's Day from 13 to15 April.

Loy Krathong Festival
ประเพณีลอยกระทง

Loi Krathong is a festival celebrated annually throughout Thailand. It takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar.

วันอังคารที่ 18 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Major Festivals and Events of Vietnam:เทศกาลงานประเพณีของประเทศเวียดนาม


Vietnam's National Day
วันชาติเวียดนาม
Vietnam celebrates its National Day on 2nd of September every year. The event  commemorates the Vietnam Declaration of Independence from France  on September 2, 1945.


Vietnamese New Year
เทศกาลปีใหม่เวียดนาม
Image credit:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ho_Chi_Minh_City_Tet_Decorations.jpg
Vietnamese New Year or Tet is the most important festival and popular holiday in Vietnam.

วันจันทร์ที่ 17 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Major Festivals and Events of the Philippines:เทศกาลงานประเพณีของประเทศฟิลิปปินส์


Philippine Independence Day
วันชาติฟิลิปปินส์
Philippine Independence Day marks the nation's independence from the Spanish rule on June 12, 1898. Filipinos celebrate it annually on June 12. It is a day when many people, including government officials, employees, and students, participate in nationwide parades.

Christmas in the Philippines
เทศกาลคริสต์มาส
The Philippines is known for having the world's longest Christmas season and the festival is one of the biggest holidays in the archipelago. Approximately 90% of Filipinos are Christians and 80% of those are Catholic.

Carabao Festival
เทศกาลเจริญพันธุ์คาราบาว
The Carabao Festival is celebrated on the feast day of San Isidro Labrador, the farmer patron saint from May 15 to 16. The farmers pay tribute to their water buffaloes or carabaos. The carabao is the national animal of the Philippines.

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 16 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Major Festivals and Events of Singapore:เทศกาลงานประเพณีของประเทศสิงคโปร์


National Day of Singapore 
วันชาติสิงคโปร์
The National Day of Singapore is celebrated every year on 9 August, in commemoration of  Singapore's independence from Federation of Malaysia on 9 August 1965.

Chinese New Year
เทศกาลตรุษจีน
Image credit:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chinese_New_Year_market.jpg
Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the biggest and most significant event of the Chinese community in Singapore. The festival is observed from Singaporeans from all walks of life. Lasting for 15 days, the eve and the first two days are public holidays in Singapore.


Mid-Autumn Festival
เทศกาลไหว้พระจันทร์
Image credit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mid-Autumn_Festival_9,_Chinatown,_Singapore,_Sep_06.JPG
The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Mooncake Festival, is celebrated yearly in August or September. The festival is held on the 15th day of the eight month in the Chinese calendar. It is the occasion when the full moon shines brightly and families gather under the moonlit sky to savour mooncakes.


Hungry Ghost Festival
เทศกาลสารทจีน
Image credit:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chinese_floating_lotus_lanterns.jpg
The Ghost Festival or Hungry Ghost Festival is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday celebrated by Chinese in Singapore and many countries. The event is on the 15th night of the seven Chinese lunar month. Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offering, burning incense and a paper mache form of material such as clothes, gold, and other fine goods for the spirits of the ancestors.

วันศุกร์ที่ 14 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Major Festivals and Events of Cambodia:เทศกาลงานประเพณีของประเทศกัมพูชา

Cambodian Independence Day 
วันชาติกัมพูชา
The Independence Monument in Phnom Penh
Cambodian Independence Day is a commemoration of Cambodia's independence from the French rule in 1953. It is held on November 9 every year.

Cambodian New Year
เทศกาลปีใหม่กัมพูชา
Image credit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Khmer_New_Year_GA2010-223.jpg
Cambodian New Year -Chol Chnam Thmey in the Khmer language- is one of Cambodia's major holidays. The holiday lasts for three days which usually falls on April 13 or 14th. The Khmer New Year marks the end of the traditional harvest season. 


Bon Om Touk
บุญอมตูก
Image credit:
http://editorials.cambodia.org/2006/11/bon-om-tuk-water-festival-at-phnom.html
Bon Om Touk is also known as the Cambodian Water Festival. It is celebrated for three days in the month of November and the event marks a reversal of the flow of the Tonle Sap River. The biggest celebrations take place in the capital city, Phnom Penh. There are longboat races on the river during this time and the festival is marked with fireworks, music and dancing.

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 13 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Major Festivals and Events of Indonesia:เทศกาลงานประเพณีของประเทศอินโดนีเซีย

Indonesian Independence Day 
วันชาติอินโดนีเซีย
Independence Day is held on 17 August every year. It is the most important national festival in Indonesia. It celebrates the declaration of independence that Sukarno made on 17 August 1945.

The Prophet Muhammad's Birthday
งานเฉลิมฉลองเมาลิดนบี
Maulid Nabi is the birthday celebration of the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims in Indonesia and other countries always celebrate this special event with various activities to remind themselves of the deeds and struggle of the prophet in upholding Islam.


Nyepi Day
วันปีใหม่ของชาวบาหลี
Nyepi is New Year's Day in Bali, a beautiful island of Indonesia that has over 90% Hindus. It usually falls in mid-March. Before Nyepi, the Balinese people take statues of the gods out and clean them. They hold special ceremonies to cast out bad spirits and then on the day of Nyepi they do nothing. The tourists are requested to stay in their hotels for the duration of Nyepi Day and the whole island is quiet.

วันพุธที่ 12 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Major Festivals and Events of Myanmar:เทศกาลงานประเพณีของประเทศเมียนมาร์


Independence Day of Myanmar
วันชาติ
Stone Pillar of Independence of Myanmar
The Independence Day of Myanmar is a national holiday observed in Myanmar on January 4 of every year. The date celebrates Myanmar's Declaration of Independence from Britain on January 4, 1948.

Thingyan
เทศกาลติงยาน
Thingyan is the Myanmar New Year. It is celebrated in mid-April with a 4 day water festival. During this time the streets become crowded with Myanmar people washing away the bad sentiments of the previous year by pouring water over each other.


Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival At Inle Lake
ประเพณีชักพระทางน้ำที่ทะเลสาบอินเล


Image credit:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Phaung_Daw_U-Festival-48-Final_Day-gje.jpg
The Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival is one of the most famous events in Myanmar. The festival is held annually from September to October for 18 days. Four of the Buddha images are taken around the Inle lake in a gilded barge pulled by hundred of leg-rowers. The barge is towed from village to village along the shore of the lake.

วันอังคารที่ 11 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Major Festivals and Events of Brunei Darussalam:เทศกาลงานประเพณีของประเทศบรูไน

National Day of Brunei Darussalam
วันชาติบรูไน
Bruneians celebrate this joyous occasion each year on the 23rd of February. Many people prepare months in advance to participate in colourful crowd formations, a favourite National Day event, and prayer services take place at mosques around the country.

His Majesty Sultan's Birthday
วันเฉลิมพระชนมพรรษาสุลต่านแห่งบรูไน
His Majesty Sultan's Birthday is one of the most important events in the national calendar of Brunei. Official festivities include prayer, a royal address to the nation, and a military ceremony.


The Holy Month of Ramadan
เทศกาลถือศีลอดเดือนรอมะฎอน
Image credit:

Ramadan is the month of Pausa or Fasting for Muslims around the world, including Brunei Darussalam. Bruneians spend the daylight hours in a complete fast, refraining from eating and drinking. They break their fast and eat dinner when the sun sets and they then conduct special prayers night after night during the month of Ramadan .


วันอาทิตย์ที่ 9 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Major Festivals of Laos:เทศกาลงานประเพณีของประเทศลาว


Lao National day
วันชาติลาว


Lao National Day is celebrated on 2 December every year. It commemorates the founding of the People's Democratic Republic of Laos on 2 December 1975.


Bun Pha Wet
ประเพณีบุญผะเหวด
Image credit:

Bun Pha Wet takes place on different dates throughout the month of January each year. This festival is a commemoration of the Jakata, the life story of Lord Buddha as Prince Vesantara. The story is performed in temples throughout the country and this is considered as an auspicious time for people to ordinate as a monk.

Boun Pimai
งานบุญปีใหม่

Boun Pimai or Pimai Lao is one of the most important annual festivals of Laos. The celebration of Boun Pimai lasts for several days in mid-April. The festival is celebrated with parades, circle dance (lamwong), traditional Lao folk singing (mor lam) and water-throwing.

Boun Bang Fai (Rocket Festival)
ประเพณีบุญบั้งไฟ


Boun Bang Fai or the Rocket Festival  is held in the sixth lunar month (around May or June). The festival is associated with traditional beliefs in supernatural powers that help support the rice production for the coming planting season. It is also the important symbol of friendship and unity used to fight against dry weather and to request rain.

วันเสาร์ที่ 8 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Major Festivals of Malaysia:เทศกาลงานประเพณีของประเทศมาเลเซีย

Hari Medeka 
(Independence Day)
วันชาติมาเลเซีย
I
Hari Medeka is a national day of Malaysia commemorating the independence of the Federation of Malaya from British colonial rule in 1957. The event is celebrated on August 31 each year.


Hari Raya Aidilfitri
เทศกาลฮารีรายอ อีดิลฟิตรี
Image credit:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eidulfitr_meal.jpg
Hari Raya Aidilfitri is a celebration that marks the end of the fasting month, Ramadan. This is the most important festival of Malaysia. Muslims start the day by wearing new clothes and congregating in the mosques to perform prayers. It is also the time for family reunion when members of the family from different parts of the country get together.  

Hari Raya Haji
เทศกาลฮารีรายอ ฮัจญี

Hari Raya Haji is celebrated over a period of three days by Muslims all over the world. Muslims celebrate this auspicious day to mark the end of Hajj, the annual holy pilgrimage to Mecca.

Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year, is the biggest and most important event of the Chinese community in Malaysia. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th day.


Deepavali
เทศกาลดีปาวาลี
Image credit:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Deepawali-festival.jpg
Deepavali or Diwali is a festival when Indian communities are filled with colourful lights, music, scents, arts, performances and cultural activities. Popularly known as the"Festival of Lights", it is an occasion of celebration for both Hindus and Sikhs. Deepavali is not only the festival of lights , but also marks the beginning of the Hindu new year. It is believed that the Hindu goddess of good luck visits homes that are brightly lit.


Thaipusam
เทศกาลไทปูซัม
Image credit:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Batu_caves.jpg
Thaipusam is an annual celebration in honour of the Hindu God Subrammanian or Lord Murugan on the tenth month of Hindu calendar. It's a huge event with thousand Hindu pilgrims from all over Malaysia meet at the Batu Caves, one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside of India.


Dragon Boat Festival in Penang
เทศกาลแข่งเรือมังกรที่ปีนัง

The Dragon Boat Festival is one of the most awaited annual events celebrated in Penang state, Malaysia. The event is usually held in late May or early June. It attracts both local and foreign water sport enthusiasts to the bank of Teluk Bahang Dam.

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 2 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Message From Kru Ekachai

Southeast Asia - A Land of Unique Festivals

The New Year is just around the corner and there will be lots of celebrations happening around the ASEAN region. When the clock striking 12 o'clock on 31st December, people start expressing their joy and happiness with throbbing parties and laughter. Enthralling fireworks always bid an adieu to the bygone year and mark the beginning of a new year.

Being a multicultural region, Southeast Asia has a number of festivals and celebrations that are happening the whole year round. Ten member countries of ASEAN have unique events and cultural attractions to overwhelm their guests from around the world. Most of them are colourful occasions with extraordinary culture.

If you happen to visit any countries in ASEAN during their major festivals, for example Hari Raya Aidilfitri , Songkran Festival and Christmas, you would be amazed by the irresistible extravaganza of celebrations. 

To learn more about fascinating festivals throughout the ASEAN region, please stay connected to the ASEAN Corner Project for the whole month of December. The beauty of each ASEAN nation is waiting to be explored through a variety of events and celebrations. 

Kru Ekachai