It's a perfect morning here today. I can see lot of Bangkok from my balcony and it's spectacular.
I'm going to have some time on the river today and I hope to visit Jim Thompson's house, the flower market in China Town and a fabric market in China Town….
I was introduced to Jim Thompson fabric some 35 years ago when I first came here to Bangkok.
A dear friend of mine would go to his factory and collect the scraps from the floor. She, and another group of British ladies taught the women who lived in the slums of the Soi (street) to make silk flowers and sell them. She also taught them how to make quilts with the silk…. (grandmothers flower garden pattern) That was the first time I ever saw a patchwork quilt.
Our eldest daughter, Suchada lived in that slum and learned how to make those flowers with her Thai Mum.
My friend Joy, passed away a long time ago… but I'm always reminded of her when I come to Bangkok.
Once when I was visiting her, I met a young English man, Peter, who was a friend of her sons. He was in his very early 20's. He said he was coming to Australia… I said, "Oh, you must come and visit" He did, for a year, he's in his late 40's now, lives close by and although too old to be a son, is as close as a son can be.
He's head of the wine Institute in SA. (or something like that)
If you take the leap, you never know what the future brings.
I've visited Thailand almost every year since then, so the average tourist haunts don't do anything for me… but I've not been to the flower markets before… so I'll give it a go.
