Mai and her father, Greg Beatty, developed the story over two years. Mai helped with plot twists and forbid her father to write a Hollywood ending. The 112-page story unfolds with dramatic and hilarious consequences, but Mai insisted, “I didn’t want Snow Flake and Cannon Ball to get together at the end.”
 
Snow Flake’s journey is a hero’s journey. On her quest, she learns that her unique physical appearance is nothing to be ashamed of, and in fact, it becomes an attribute when she needs to perform a heroic deed.
 
Mai says, “Kids will relate to Snow Flake’s goal because everyone wants to be accepted by their peers. And all kids face challenges.”
 
The authors believe that Snow Flake is a good learning partner because the protagonist must think creatively to overcome challenges. As the story moves along, she builds confidence. Mai explains, “One of the themes is the importance of trying. You don’t always have to win. Snow Flake trains hard for the Big Race, even though she knows she can’t win. Instead, she tries to beat Cannon Ball.”
 
Cannon Ball, the villain, is not your everyday bad boy. He has a talent for hip-hop. Mai and her father enjoy Shel Silverstein poems, so the story is interspersed with several poems in the hip-hop voice of Cannon Ball.
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WHILE Bangkok is at times obscured in a haze generated by over-development, visitors to Thailand are often impressed at the abundance of well-maintained national parks and other public spaces that are off-limits to developers.
 
Thailand ranks well globally in terms of land set aside as protected areas in proportion of national territory -- around 20%. That’s 513,120 square kilometers (510,890 km² of terrestrial parks and 2,230 km² of marine parks), and in the coming years this figure is projected to rise to 25%. Which means practically every part of the country is within a short drive of a national park, forest park or nature reserve, and every weekend thousands of Thais, expats and tourists take advantage of this fortunate circumstance.
 
An informal survey of Bangkok expats and diplomats found that those who had visited the country’s national parks and other protected areas were without exception impressed with their natural beauty and their management.
 
Several had high praise for national park rangers and other staff they’d come across. None were distressed with the two-tiered pricing system that sees foreigners charged more for park entrance than Thais, and there was general agreement that the experience is worth the money.
 
According to the Thai language website of the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department (DNP), the Kingdom’s protected areas include132 terrestrial national parks, 24 marine national parks, 94 forest parks, 60 wildlife sanctuaries and 56 non-hunting areas. Another 23 land national parks, two marine parks and seven non-hunting areas are in the establishment phase.
All of Thailand’s protected areas are monitored by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and each type has a specific designation under the IUCN system. For example, national parks, both terrestrial and marine, fall under category II.
 
Conservation in Thailand really got off the ground with the passage of the National Park Act B.E. 2504 (1961), which also triggered the establishment of other types of protected areas.

National parks are officially proclaimed by a royal decree which comes into effect after publication in the Royal Thai Government Gazette. Khao Yai National Park became the country’s first national park when the Gazette published its official announcement on September 18, 1962.
 
The national park system is administered by the DNP, a division of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, from its headquarters in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district.
 
The DNP was established in 2002, before which park administration managed by the Royal Forest Department. In 1993 national parks administration was split between two divisions, one for terrestrial parks and
one for marine parks. The stated objectives of the Marine National Park Division are to manage marine protected areas in accordance with the National Park Act; to continuously revise and update marine park management strategies for conservation of natural resources and rehabilitation of marine ecosystems; and to provide recreation, education and research opportunities within the parks.
 
Following is a broad overview of protected lands in Thailand by category, with some specific examples:

Jakub then served a compulsory one year service in the Czech Air Force where he acquired military precision and discipline while still fulfilling his passion as a chef in the kitchen.

In 2002, Jakub began his career at The Four Seasons Prague Hotel, where he worked his way through all kitchen stations within a four year period from cold kitchen, butcher, banquet, pasta to saucier. Allegro Restaurant then became the first restaurant to receive a Michelin star in a post-communist country. During this time Jakub also decided to enroll in a three year distance study and received a Diploma in Hotel Management from the prestigious Prague Culinary Institute.

Four years on, Jakub received an exciting offer for a transfer to another Four Seasons property in Park Lane, London, to work alongside Executive Chef Bernd Meyer and Sandy Bohm. During this period, Jakub was invited to lead many culinary functions, an example being at the Czech Embassy in Oslo, Norway, to setup the annual gala dinner.

In 2008, Jakub’s culinary adventure took him to Auckland, New Zealand where he was privileged to taste all the fine wines from Marlborough and learn new cooking styles at top market catering services and restaurants.