Day 9 in Bangkok - Are you a Singaporean?

"Are you a Singaporean?"
That's like the new way to start a conversation amongst stranded fellow Singaporeans here in Bangkok.
I've done it several times the last two days and likewise, we've been approached by Singaporeans with the same question.
It starts with you staring at someone or a group of people who look typically Singaporean. Don't ask me what that is. It's just a thing. You caste them glances every now and then. Then you gingerly inch yourself nearer to them and when they open their mouths and speak Singlish, you've hit jackpot.

You ask, "Are you a Singaporean?"
and when they nod or say yes, typically, the next question is, "So what do you intend to do?"

Yes, good question. What do we intend to do?
See, the most frustrating thing about being unable to fly out of Bangkok as scheduled is you know nothing except through the Singaporean grapevine and that depends largely on how many "Are you Singaporean?" questions you have asked? My kids call it the 'bonding experience'!
The little we know or hear, is from them or from people in Singapore keen to help us. Anything from the Singapore Embassy here in Bangkok? I'm still waiting for their C-130. From accounts of people who have turned up at the Singapore Embassy, they are getting ready to whip out their computers to type complaint letters. Specifically about a gum chewing officer who seems to have insinuated to them that being stranded is not really their concern.
Well, I myself have not gone to see them so I cannot say if things are really so bochap there.
I'm Singaporean am I not? I come from a very efficient country, do I not? I rest perfectly assured that if they have eventually have plans to evacuate us, they will call us (because I have faithfully registered online with MFA and the Singapore Embassy in Thailand with all our details). Am I wrong?
Hello? Am I wrong? Hello? Hello? Anybody there?

Still in Bangkok

So, this is our 9th day in Bangkok. 2 and a half days past our departure date. I'm not a hardcore shopaholic but this IS Bangkok. It's really hard to resist buying anything, even if we've overstayed our holiday! 9 days here and our luggages are bursting at the seams. You walk from the hotel to your favourite wanton mee stall and you buy a men's 100% Thai silk shirt for 100 Baht ($4.50). You walk back to the hotel and you buy a pair of jeans for 150 Baht! (OK, maybe that makes me a shopaholic) but I AM supposed to be in a sad mood aren't I? After all, I am stranded in Bangkok. But again, this is Bangkok, the Land of Smiles and I'm not sad (yet)! Rattled yes but not sad. Locals in the city are too busy trying to make a living to worry about the airport situation. Some say, they don't even have the time to watch the news or read the papers. They've been too busy working. Some who survive on the tourist industry do gripe that the lack of tourists coming in have already affected business. Couldn't have chosen a nicer country to be stranded in.

So far, we have met so many friendly Thais. That is the reason we keep coming back here. The roadside food and their glorious chilli condiments are simply to die for. The locals have been very nice to us and offering us their sympathy and whispering their displeasure with their fellow 'yellow shirters'. Even the Tuk-Tuk drivers (touts outside the hotel) have become 'friends' although they haven't earned a single cent from us (because they keep wanting to bring us 'shopping' and to 'eat seafood'). They've offered advice on where to go to check out alternative land options to leave Bangkok. People working at the same organisation / company / shop are warm with each other. You often see them laughing and joking with each other while working (despite their meagre salaries and long long working hours). We've talked to some of them every day for the last few days and we've learnt some sad stories of how they have to work to eke out a living. Could I see myself living in Thailand? Without a doubt, yes.
Perhaps my son put it aptly when he said, 'Mum! Thailand should be the one who is 'Truly Asia'!'

(Am changing hotels now. Our pockets cannot stand the 5 star charges indefinitely! Will try to update but unsure if the new hotel has free broadband access)

Stranded in Bangkok

We've been stranded in Bangkok since yesterday morning. Fortunately, the airline contacted us to inform us of the flight cancellation before we were due to leave for the airport at the wee hours of Wednesday morning.
Some other travellers were not so lucky and had gone to the airport only to spend hours stuck in traffic and then only to have to turn back to their hotels. Some fellow Singaporeans had not even been informed by the airline and only decided also to not go to the airport when they realised they were on the same flight as us.

Although we're not on any tour, the Singapore tour agency we had booked our hotel room and airport transfer from have been very helpful to us. I can't say the same for any other authorities though. No one is telling us anything and the news is in Thai. All we can do is watch the pictures and see if the waves of yellow shirts are still hanging around. We have always loved the culture of Thailand and this experience isn't going to stop us from coming back. But for now, we need to find a way back home first.

Out of town

We'll be out of town the most part of this week and next.
Expect to be back in business at the end of next week! (End Nov 2008).

Will try our best to check emails while away but if not, will attend to them when we get back. Thanks for your understanding!

Keep your Christmas orders coming!!!

Cheers,
Fiona and Mike

Wishing YOUR'S a successful.....

I ordered a hamper over the phone today. For the card, I told the lady who had taken my order, that I wanted a simple message with a "To...... From....." with no particular message.

I pretty much got a shock when I received the faxed invoice showing the message to be:

To: ........
Wishing your's a successful.......
With Best Wishes From:.......

I telephoned the lady and told her she couldn't say 'Wishing your's'. Could she please correct it to 'Wishing you'. (I didn't even want to get her all confused so I didn't bring up the point that I hadn't even asked her to write a message for me).

She had the audacity to question loudly, 'Why cannot?!'.
I told her it was bad English.

She insisted it was correct.
She then haughtily asked me if the hamper was going to my company or to another company.
I told her 'another company'.
She said triumphantly, 'Then correct what? Your's!'

Patricia, if you're reading this, I'm wishing YOUR'S all the best, because you're going to need all the luck you can get! (LOL)

It is better to give than to receive

We all know and love the saying, "It is better to give than to receive".

Sometimes, with no ill-intentions, we tell ourselves, "We should give to receive".
But it isn't really the same as saying it's better to give than to receive.

Perhaps, it's time we count our daily blessings and say, "Because I receive, I give".