A Visit To The Ancient City

Muang Boran, The Ancient City, is a beautiful park located in a province just outside of Bangkok.  It is a reflection of Thailand’s ancient culture presented in an authentic setting.  The park is over 300 acres so it is not recommended that you walk through it if you want to see everything.  We rented bikes and spent the day cruising around the park and taking pictures and videos.   Since most of the filming was done from a moving bicycle it gets a little shaky at times.

There are 116 replicas of some of the most significant structures and monuments of Thailand.  Actually, some are duplicates, some are new and creative designs and some have been reconstructed from ruin.  You can see Wats, Buddhas, villages, a floating market, boats, a palace, bridges and cattle in this video.  It’s kind of a one-stop shop for sightseeing the best of Thailand.

Mary's Gymnastics Video

And I can't believe
ah, that I'm your Mom
and I get to kiss you, baby
just because I can...

You're my everything Little Girl :-)

Upcoming Travel

We are finally going to take a short honeymoon on the island of Koh Samui December 5th.  At the same time Mr. Micah will be heading north to Chang Dao with his class for a Week on the Wild Side! Honestly, I think I'm more excited for his trip than I am for mine.  

They will take an overnight train to Chang Mai on Sunday night.  Monday they will travel about another hour to the town of Chang Dao and check into a resort called the Royal Ping.  They will spend the week hiking, kayaking, biking and competing on a rope obstacle course.

SURPRISE!

Yes, I did... I threw Mike a surprise party for winning the Thomas Morrison Information Management Award. The award is an annual Department of State award that recognizes outstanding and unique contributions in the information management field. There is a ceremonial presentation by Secretary Rice in DC on Tuesday.

I had a feeling he knew about it because he was messing with me all day on Friday. He got up late and threatened not to go into work. Then he made some comment about showing up at the door with his drawers down. Therefore, I had everyone hide in the back of the bedroom. I called Mike just before he got home and told him we had dinner reservations for 6:30 and that the kids went to see a movie. I had the whole apartment lit up with candles when he walked in the door. Later on, he said he was expecting a bunch of people to jump out when he walked in. Instead, I just gave him a hug and led him into the bedroom and SURPRISE! He was so shocked he did an immediate about face and walked right out the door.

We had about 50 guests and quite a few of them were Thai nationals that work for Mike in the telephone shop, the mailroom, the print shop and switchboard. They were great! They brought mangos and sticky rice, Mike’s favorite Thai dessert.

We did get a video but it somehow, mysteriously disappeared. Stefan is trying to recover it. There were a lot of pictures taken but not on my camera. I cannot believe I forgot to take pictures! There were many, many pictures taken by party guests so I hope to get my hands on those and post them later on in the week.

The Famous Raja's

The businesses that seem most prevalent in Bangkok are the massage parlors, coming in a very close second are the tailor shops.  Take a walk down Sukhumvit Rd. and you'll see the Urban Retreat Spa followed by a tailor shop, then another massage, maybe a 7-11, a restaurant, then another tailor shop... you get it!  It's ridiculous!  They like to stand out in front of their shops and call out at you, as if to say "Here I am... The tailor you've been looking for all along!" 

With all the competition the prices are reasonable and the quality is very good.  That goes for all the goods and services that flood the market here... bootlegged movies and software and knock-offs of every kind; shoes and purses being my favorite! 

So it's a little baffling when you walk into a tailor shop with about a dozen customers milling about, trying on their new threads, or having their measurement taken... sipping on a beer and chatting it up with other customers.   What is it that makes the world famous Raja's Fashions the most popular tailor in Bangkok?  I'm going to say it's your name...  That's right, your name.  It has a special ring to it, well, at least to you anyway.  And when people remember your name it makes you feel kind of important.  Remember that People, because that is, IMHO, that one little special X-factor that distinguishes this particular tailor from all the others in Bangkok.  

The ringleader of this crazy show, Bobby Gulati, never forgets a name!  When you walk into his shop you are immediately greeted by your first name and offered something to drink.  When you become his customer your name and measurements go into The Book.  In conversation with his customers, either in his shop or from the Embassy, the fact that he can remember your name, no matter how long it’s been since he has seen you, is the one thing that impresses people most.  It’s what they remember about Bobby from Raja’s and it’s what keeps them coming back and referring others to him.

 

OH SNAP... Crackle, Pop!

NIST wrapped up the ECA performing arts sessions yesterday with a performance from the various clubs. There was singing, dancing and drama. Mary's group, "Snap, Crackle, Pop", sang two songs and here are the video clips...

Mary is pretty easy to spot in this one... she's added her own little dance.

Who is honest?

I have a special post for you this weekend. I can't tell you what it is because it's a surprise but, I promise, you won't be disappointed!

Misc. Musings... Halloween, Muay Thai Boxing, ECA, Opera

We went to a Halloween parade at the Embassy last Friday. The kids collected candy from all the offices on the first two floors and then had a party in the Cafeteria. After, the kids came home and did all their trick-or-treating in the building. Mary immediately sorted her candy out and packed it up in little boxes for the homeless. Now, you might think that is a very charitable impulse on her part but, in fact, she is developing a terrible phobia about getting fat.

On that note, Mr. Micah has been all about the Muay Thai Boxing this week. There is a Muay Thai boxing gym not far from our apartment so we signed up for 15 lessons. He really loves it and it is a great workout.

The kids have 3 ECA (Extra Curricular Activity) sessions throughout the year. The first session is ending and the next one will start up next week. Mary was in a singing group called Snap, Crackle, Pop and they are putting on a little concert Wednesday to wrap things up. For the next session, Micah will play basketball on Fridays and Mary will play board games on Wednesdays.

I will attend an Opera this evening at the Thai Cultural Center. I think there will also be some art viewing and music beforehand. I will bring my camera!