Tina wants blood

 Celebrities find plenty of ways to do society some good. Singer Christina “Tina” Aguilar’s latest technique is rounding up donors for Green Wave 106.5 FM’s first Green Charity project.

By “donors”, though, we don’t mean cash sources. Tina is trying to get people to agree to donate either blood or organs to the Red Cross.

“We learned there’s a shortage of blood,” she says. “We’d really love the radio show’s fans to get involved in a meaningful activity like this.”

They’re looking for at least 1,000 donors, although more than that would be terrific.

Fans need to register with Green Wave by March 23. Then the next day from 10am to 4pm they head to Red Cross headquarters to make their donation – the blood, not the organs. They can sign a release form for any organs they wish to share once they die.

Tina will be on hand to sing a few songs, and everyone gets a T-shirt. At least one of those things should guarantee 1,000 people.

DIY rice tastes|better, chef learns

Times must really be hard: Mandarin Oriental Bangkok executive chef Vichit Mukura has to grow his own rice to eat. Well, okay, he doesn’t have to, but the Chon Buri native has done a splendid job on his 200 square wah in Pattaya.

He’s not only raising organic rice for the family; he’s also appreciating how hard farmers work. But the rewards are worth it, Vichit says. It’s a real thrill seeing the rice grains sprout. “It’s a sight I can’t describe,” he tells ASTV Online.

Vichit gets red jasmine seeds from Buri Ram, a strain that’s impressed him throughout his three-decade career. The abbot of Wat Pa Baan Nong Sra oversees a small farm community whose rice is commercially sold as Khao Hom Boon.

Vichit uses the rice at the hotel and even shares the phone number of the farm (081 710 7024) with anyone who wants to buy some directly. No commission for him – he just wants to help those hard-working farmers.