It’s not what you have but what you do with it.
Thailand, through her Land of Smiles, has been our main holiday shopping destination for Reiki Sanctuary. I must say that I am often impressed with Thai arts and crafts, ornaments and workmanship. They are highly beautiful, displaying a careful hand towards the finished products and creative minds.
Often, as years move on that we make Reiki Sanctuary our comfort dwelling, we look forward to visit Bangkok and adding layers of Thailand craft made arts and ornaments which we regard as a source of pride and beauty. To us, these beauties are affordable and reasonably cheap in favor of our Singapore Dollars.
The good thing about shopping in Thailand is always the spring cleaning in Reiki Sanctuary that follows after the trip. Somehow, I look forward to be doing that every time. I would think (during the holidays) what should I do when I get home. To spend the next few days cleaning the bedroom, the bathrooms, the closets and so on.
Some may think it is weird that I should desire to be doing such an activity. That I choose to spend the next few days, after coming back from a good relaxing holiday, to do such mundane household chores. I must say it brings me a sense of peace and joy doing it.
To me, it is a chance to re-organize and re-arranging old and the new things. It is a chance to tidy up and wipe clean inside the closets, the wardrobes and all the drawers that were not touched for months.
Ultimately, it is about clearing clutters. It is about taking stocks to welcome, and paving, new energy to flow. It is an act of being mindful to, intentionally, generate state of focussed attention that boosts the Yin Yang balance. It is all about re-wiring our souls for renewed energies.
As usual, our recent trip was spent going (again and again) to the Chatuchak Weekend Market. We decided that we should experience the weekend shopping this time. To experience mingling with the huge crowds. To experience to get lost in its huge maze of shops. It was, in such a condition, that our patience counted. All our past visits here was on a week day where only the Antique Section opened.
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| How we planned for the weekend shopping at Chutachak Weekend Market. Starting from Mo Chit BTS towards JJ Shopping Mall. Basically, it was to look-see the rest of Chatuchak but to spend more time in the Antique and Craft Section which was just outside JJ Shopping Mall. |
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| Crowds inside the Market. We were blessed with the weather that day and made our browsing comfortable. |
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| This is Chatuchak Weekend Market on a weekday. It is almost a ghost town. |
It is always good to study the Map of Chatuchak Market before going down and knowing what you intend to buy or see. Chatuchak Market is the kind of place that needs time and patience. Time, because it is so large and getting around can be confusing. Patience, because of the huge number of people all jostling for position and the fact that if you find a stall you like and then carry on to another stall, it is not easy to find your way back again.
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| Chatuchak Weekend Market |
1 Books & Magazines, Places to Eat and Drink, Buddha Artifacts
2 - 4 Home Decorations, Art and Crafts, Ceramics; Pottery, Collectible items
5 - 6 Clothing; Fashion, Bags, Belts; Accessories, general miscellaneous items.
7 - 9 Antiques; Antiquities, Furniture, Lamps; Lighting, Ceramics; Handicrafts.
10 - 24 Clothing; Fashion, Pets, Fish; Animals, Consumer Goods, Household Goods,
17 - 19 Ceramics, Food Stalls
22 - 26 Antiques, Crafts; Furniture
Things (or some of my friends would say 'Junks') that we bought:
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| Wall Clock that we found along Patpong, Silom area. |
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| The so-called A Grade mats |
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| Trays and more trays |
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| Yoga Ballerinas |
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| Stainless Steel |
It was by chance that we found this shop, or rather a wholesaler, just near to Erawan Shrine (near Chit Lom BTS) specializing with high quality stainless steel. They supplied most of their things to hotels. A good stainless steel, according to them, must have low magnetism that will not attract a magnet to stuck on it.
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| The friendly owner who shared with us about her family business. |
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| Reiki Sanctuary - Living Room |
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| Reiki Sanctuary - Dining Room |
The one extra-ordinary thing that we got during our recent trip was to order curtains. Here is the story of duck and chicken (as I posted the texts in another forum):
This is a little bit of a story between duck and chicken between us and the curtain maker. Was away on holidays to Bangkok and, as usual, the most part was shopping. It just happened, this time round, that there was a Home Decor Exhibition at Queen National Convention Center. Decided to look see - in fact, such exhibition looked much the same locally.
What caught us was the Big Sign 50% Sale on curtains. Fortunately, we had our curtain measurements logged in our iPhone. That, somehow, gave us the option to make our way to this curtain booth and enquired a possibility for order. The unfortunate part, only one lady out of the few from the booth could speak (very little) english. And, our Thai language was also half-past six.
We were surprised that the lady could accommodate us and to deliver our order within four working days (which normally, as she mentioned, took about 2 to 3 weeks). Must say that they had quite a collection and for 380 Bahts (about S$15) per yard (after the discount), we were quite happy to get these curtains.
It was rather difficult to communicate during the transaction. Fortunately, with our measurements and drawings, we were able to strike the deal. For a total of about S$185 for four pieces of curtains (inclusive of workmanship), must say that it was a steal. However, what we didn't realize, the price came with the aluminium rails which were delivered to our hotel (together with the curtains). We believed, should we have understood her and not to include the rails, the price could be lowered.
Overall, the workmanship was impressive. They even ironed the curtains and had metal weight inserted at the bottom of every panels of the curtains! Let the pictures speak now ..
How it was packed, and bundled and delivered to us in our Bangkok hotel:
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| What we liked about the fabric was the imprints of Reiki symbols on it. |
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| Just see how it was nicely ironed! And, at the bottom of the curtains is the metal weight which allows the curtain to fall elegantly. |
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| The 'Thai Reiki Curtains' in the Living Room |
It was a quiet holiday. We just wanted to relax and to shop a little. It was also a blessed trip, with beautiful weather throughout, where we wanted to return to Erawan Shrine.
.. and then, we were greeted with this beautiful fold of clouds when we were returning to Singapore ..
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| "Balance" |
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