I think it's time for some Culture

I got a phone call from Khun Dao to say that she had bought three different lots of fabric and would Sadie come in and pick the colours she liked best so we started our morning back at the Tailors discussing fabric's. The decision was made and we spent the rest of the morning relaxing with a cuppa (or three) at Jenny's apartment (She lives about....oohhh....two mins walk from the tailors....so, you know.....it would have been rude not to!!). It was lovely - Sadie and Margaret got to meet Robin and Hattie (It was half term) and her husband David (who had the day off work but was actually working so it was a very quick Hi and Bye). Hattie and I spent the time fighting with her counted cross stitch - It's a sad day when a bit of fabric and some thread can confuse the bejesus out of a 31 year old woman and a 10 year old girl. The two colours she is using are so similar that it was really difficult to see where she was on the pattern.....i am happy to say that, between the two of us, the fight was won and she is now back up and running.

We got a cab from Jen's over to Jim Thompson's House and had an absolutely fantastic lunch at the restaurant there. We decided that we would share some starters - we had chicken spring rolls, spicy crispy pork and prawns with flowers wrapped in batter followed by Roast Chicken Salad with a balsamic vinegar dressing (for me) and Chicken with Cashew nuts with steamed rice for Sadie and Margaret. Sadie and I ended up with the giggles.....we couldn't help overhearing the conversation between the couple of American Business men sitting next to us - one of them was telling the other that their son had bought them the best present which was a clock that counts down the time till George Bush is out of office (I nearly asked him where his son got it - there are a few people i can think of that would appreciate one!!). After lunch we went on the tour of the house (See the posting 'Adventures of Tomato in Thailand - The Sights and Sounds of Bangkok' for more information) - It is so beautiful that I don't think I will ever get fed up visiting the place. (Tom - I'll see your yogic flying and raise you!! What do you think of my levitating?)

Later that evening when Chris got home from work we headed out to Cheap Charlies for a couple of drinks (only water for me.....sigh) and then over to Charlie Brown's for some (non-spicy) Mexican food. It was a lovely night and really nice for Sadie and Margaret to see some of Chris who has been working his butt off since they arrived - not helped by the fact that he had to take a day off when I went into hospital (I did tell him to go in but he told me I was more important....Ahhh, I knew there was a reason I loved him!!). Chris, the manager of Charlie Browns, suggested that we take Sadie and Margaret to a club in Nana Plaza (Which is one of the seedier parts of Bangkok) that features a bucking bronco - maybe another night........

Start Of Holiday - Take Two......

After the excitement of the hospital, and the fact that Sadie and Margaret were still suffering from Jet Lag, we decided that we would take it fairly easy. We spent a good part of Thursday morning looking at various clothing websites and making decisions on what kind of garments Sadie and Margaret were looking to get made and then we headed over to my local tailor, Khun Dao, (Actually she has her own website http://www.demodabangkok.com/index.asp) to get measured and to pick fabric.

Margaret was wanting to get something made for a wedding that she is going to in September and she decided that she would go for something a bit different. She is getting a silk Cheongsam (Chinese style dress) with matching jacket made - you should see the fabric she chose - it is beautiful!! She went for a vibrant azure blue with a simple bamboo pattern and she is going to have a small amount of bead work done at the collar of the dress. The jacket will be made to match so she will be able to wear them together or separately. I think it will look absolutely stunning!! Sadie went for a Salwar Kameez (which, for those not in the know, is a long tunic that goes over a pair of trousers and that has a wrap to complete the look). She chose a fairly heavy cotton (so she would be able to wear it in Scotland and not freeze to death) in two different greens - her tunic is going to be made in the lighter green trimmed in the darker one, the trousers in the darker one and the wrap is going to be two tone with some bead work done on it. She also went for a Xiang Yun Sha Jacket (That's the Chinese Jacket with mandarin collar) and matching trousers in black, a Chinese style skirt in denim with a beautiful stitching detail at the bottom and a stunning blue tunic top that has a really unusual criss cross neckline. It was quite funny - Sadie was saying that she felt like she was in an episode of What Not to Wear except we were nicer than Trinny and Susannah - she said she had never been so poked and prodded in her life.

In order to let them recover we headed to Emporium shopping centre for some lunch and went into a cafe/restaurant called Greyhound where we all had cheese and ham toasties and chips (God I love chips!! My excuse is that I'm not allowed to eat anything spicy - well seen I didn't have it in front of Moon....she would have been hitting me on the stomach and telling me that it was no good). I then took them to MBK on the Skytrain so that they could do a bit of shopping. Margaret bought the most beautiful silk bedspread in burgundy and cream with matching silk cushions (Her boudoir will be sumptuous), Sadie got a lovely silk bag in green and cream which will go with the outfit that she is having made and they both bought some pressys to take home (Don't get excited people......you may have to wait for birthday's to get them!!) By this time we were all a bit knackered so I introduced them to the delights of the Visage Patisserie which makes deserts that are so beautiful that you actually don't want to eat them!! We found a way.....

On the way home we stopped off at a Tailors called Kunika (Which I had been told is THE place to go if you want a coat made) and Sadie ordered the most stunning charcoal grey cashmere coat - I can't wait to see what the finished article looks like.