Going Domestic

chips ahoy

There's treasure in my fridge's freezer compartment. 

Seven bags of chocolate chips, smuggled in my mom's suitcase from Canada. 

None are actually chocolate - I can readily buy semi-sweet chips from Hershey's or Van Houten at the grocery stores here in BKK. What I have now are two bags of butterscotch chips (cookies!), two bags of peanutbutter chips (banana muffins!), two bags of funky President's Choice swirl chips, and one bag of white chocolate chips that will be strictly rationed for white chocolate and cranberry blondies. Now I actually have to overcome my strong hoarding instinct and use them up ...

small things that make me happy

Monday was one of my best days ever in Thailand. I enjoyed a chai latte! Seriously! Starbucks has finally started selling those here, and the one I drank was just lovely. And I found two t-shirts at the mall that were normal - not the usual too-short or too poofy/ruffle-y styles that abound over here. Yay!

Bangkok, I thought I knew you ...

The weather has been, well, pleasant lately. Dare I say it's a bit on the cool side? The temperatures this week have been in low twenties at midday, and in the mid-teens at nighttime. We haven't had the air conditioning on, even at night, since Sunday. I've been able to wear my favourite pants and a hoodie, and man, I am totally loving it. I wish this cool spell would last for the next six months ...

adventures in home furnishings

So, we've had a leather armchair on order for Chris since the middle of October. The purchase was justified by making the chair Chris's birthday and Christmas present, and it was scheduled to arrive in the month straddling those two occasions - the second week of November. Well, that passed. A second timeline from the manufacturer was given - second week of December.

I emailed the friendly European sales manager of the company, asking if we'd have the chair by Christmas, and the news was no, the factory is shut down for the holiday season, but we'd have the chair in the second week of January.  That's next week, and I haven't heard a word. 

What has been occupying my mind more and more is the thought that there will never be a chair delivered to our apartment, and we're out our deposit. 

I know that if we were still living in North America, I would be finding this situation unacceptable in several ways, but in Thailand I am not sure if I should just have a different perspective. Be more laid-back. Patient. Sigh.