Ice Carving

For few years back in the 90′s, I would only watch this ice carving (done by the hotel’s thai cooks on weekends, a special show for hotel guests) from the side since I was a hotel employee then and quite shy to mingle with the guests. But last night I was at the front row watching every cuts and chops done to one block of ice…and of course armed with my camera, I can now enjoy these frozen moments.

It all started out with this block, at 6 pm Sofitel Hotel’s lobby garden

with ease and accuracy, a truly experienced bloke

admiring him and his sharp tools..getting darker by the way…sun’s setting at the east side…straight ahead is the Hua Hin beach

almost there.….but he was interrupted (and irritated) a few times by a little thai boy who was picking up chunks of ice beside him and just running around, the boy’s father was there but couldn’t do much (to gently put it -the boy’s like, chuckie’s son!) spectators were also irritated, especially me because I didn’t want the boy in my shots *lol* but it was also too dangerous to be around the carver and his tools, that was the main concern

and there she was…a cold cold art. What a 30mins. show became almost an hour because of interruptions..but it was all worth it!

Usually they’d use the finished ice work as display for one of the hotel’s restaurants.

isn’t she a beauty?!