Thai Dyed: Bright Lights, Big City Redux 3

Day Three in Bangkok:

We wanted to get an early start so we could do some sightseeing before Steve's class at 1 p.m. I was the first one to the lobby, and decided to inquire at the front desk about a blow dryer, since neither Carol nor I brought one with us. "Oh, yes, Madame - we will send one right up," was the reply. Excellent - I scooted back upstairs and got ready to quickly dry my hair. And I waited.... and I waited. Half an hour went by, and I thought surely Steve and Carol would be downstairs waiting for me by now. I called Steve and explained the situation, and said I would be right down. I stepped off the elevator and let the man know I no longer needed the dryer. "No, please, Madame, the dryer is on its way up!" I said that it was OK, I would forego the dryer. But he wouldn't accept "no" for an answer, insisting that "the professor have time!" So, awkwardly, I got back on the elevator and went up to receive the delivery. Dried my hair for about thirty seconds and hurried back down to breakfast. I think the gentleman was concerned about disappointing "the professor." It's funny, looking back on it, but at the time...

A student of Steve's had recommended that we see the Museum of Floral Culture, a fairly new attraction that sounded right up Carol's horticultural alley. Steve had wisely asked the nice gentleman at Sasa House (my buddy) to write down the directions in Thai so he could give them to the taxi driver.
Again from my Trip Advisor review:

This is a fairly new attraction, housed in a 100-year-old teak mansion in a quiet area of Dusit. It highlights the talents of internationally renowned Thai floral artist Sakul Intakul. The guide proudly shows the importance of flowers in Thai culture and art in the museum (no photographs allowed inside), then guides you through the lush, tropical gardens outside. The optional visit to the Tea Salon was well worth it - you order your tea before the tour, then they have it ready for you at the end, along with some delicious little sweets, presented beautifully. It was most enjoyable.

The vibe from the guide was quite reverential - he spoke in a hushed voice, carefully pointing out each photograph on the wall, each artifact on display. It wasn't at all what we were expecting - I think we all expected more living plants and flowers. This was more about how important flowers are to the Thai culture, and the many ways flowers are a part of their lives. Photographs of special events (Royal birthdays, for example) showed the prominence and the intricate detail of the flowers. Art pieces are often created from bits of flowers - seeds, petals, etc. - as well as bouquets and garlands.

these hanging flowers encircled the house

The outside garden was smaller than we expected, but beautiful. Every plant was tenderly cared for. We saw one worker carefully shaking some buds from a bush and collecting them in a basket, to be used for a new creation. There were massive palm and pineapple trees, dwarf banana trees, and countless other plants, along with a relaxing pond and meditation pavilion in the back. Very difficult to hang onto your stress in a place like this.

dwarf banana plant

beehive

When our tour ended, we were shown to the veranda of the house where we enjoyed the beautiful surroundings. Our tea was already prepared, and was brought to us on an antique tea cart with handsomely-arranged dishes of sweets under banana leaf cones. I had the kashmiri spiced milk tea, and it was delicious. The sweets were lovely.

The morning was getting late, and we'd asked the staff to get us a taxi, but they weren't having much luck. So we walked out to the road to see if we could flag one ourselves. Well, no taxis were available, but a tuk-tuk happened by and offered us a lift, so we thought, "Why not?" The three of us squeezed into the little seat at the back, and we were off. What a fun ride it was - almost like riding a little kiddie rollercoaster. With his three wheels, the tuk-tuk driver was able to make hairpin turns, darting in and out of traffic, shifting gears with the stick between his knees, and lifting his hand in a flourish after every gear change. It was all very entertaining, and I'm so glad I got to try it.

flattering, no?

We had to make a mad dash to clean up when we got back, as Carol and I were going to be speaking to Steve's class about the experience of being an International Service Employee family (Steve and Carol had lived with their daughters in Hong Kong for three years). My buddy at Sasa House decided now would be a good time to settle up the bill, but was kind enough to let me leave my things in the room until after the class. So, I had even less time to get cleaned up :-P

Speaking with Steve's class was very enjoyable. He had maybe fifteen students there, all graduate students, all international, all English-speaking. Carol went first and shared her memories of her time in Hong Kong, then I spoke about what was good and bad with the services provided for us during our move. I'd sought out the input of my fellow trailing-wives, who were kind enough to email me some of their thoughts as well. So I had more than enough to talk about. I told them how Ford flew us both over for a pre-trip to make sure we knew what we were getting into, which we thought was a crucial step and how a friend of mine did not have the same opportunity. When Steve opened it up for questions, the students were quite curious about the fact that ISE families have a fairly high rate of divorce. Steve and Carol had been explicitly counselled about that before they made their move, and Carol shared that in her talk. These may be future HR managers, so it was good for them to hear what kinds of things they might consider when sending employees out of country.

The students were anxious to get to their tests (not!), so Carol and I made a quick exit and walked the short distance back to Sasa House. I gathered my things, said good-bye, and waited for Mick to come take me home. Made some great memories here!