Two Years Ago on Jan.5th-6th

On Monday we figured out which other guest house we would be moving to on Tuesday. We still did not receive a phone call from the USCIS, so we were getting a little nervous. Monday was Penny's last day to play with her new friends at the Bangkok Christian Guest House. We knew we'd miss it there, as they actually have a small yard for kids to play in and room where you can relax and watch videos. But, it was time to move on. So we went out and checked out the next guest house we were planning on staying in. On Tuesday we moved into the new guest house, called the Golden House VIP Guest House. Here are some pictures of it and the area around it and the Chitlom station, where it is located. Notice the ape climbing up the side of the skyscraper!



It was in an excellent location, as it was close to a Sky train station and all of the major department stores, as well as the U.S. Government offices. It wasn't in the best condition. Unfortunately, there was the lingering smell of sewer gas there that is so common in Bangkok. But, it was affordable and the staff was very helpful. One lady could speak good English. They didn't seem to mind that we had no idea of when we'd actually be able to leave. We were a one minute walk from the Chitlom station, which was just one stop away from Ploenchit station, where we'd get off to walk to the USCIS office and the US Embassy. Here's a map of the skytrain. Now that we knew our way around better, we knew that there were several tailor shops near the Evangelical Church of Bangkok. So, we returned to that area between the Nana and the Asok stations. We visited one tailor shop and thought they sounded too expensive. Then as we walked along with blank looks on our faces, an Australian man stopped us and asked us if we were looking for a good tailor shop. We said, "Yes!" and he directed us to the Needle King. We were very pleased with them. Great service and prices! They could speak English well, because they were Indian. So, we had Penny fitted for a Thai dress that they would make from the silk material I had bought at the MBK Market.

On Tuesday we discovered that the lady whom I thought had been Penny's nanny from Udon, actually turned out to be an older "sister" from the Girls' Home. She had really taken Penny under her wing and helped raise her at the orphanage.

In fact, she was the one who helped teach Penny how to ride a bike. She had done well enough in school and at her summer job that her boss decided to help sponsor her higher education at a university in Bangkok if she promised to return and work for him upon her graduation. She took the time off of her busy school and work schedule to come across Bangkok to meet us so that she could see Penny one more time before she'd move away to America. We met her at the Siam Paragon and treated her for lunch. Afterwards she "helped" us shop for candy that she thought Penny might want. It didn't come as a big surprise when we got home that Penny had a couple of cavities. : ) I think the girls from Bahn Udon sure liked their candy! It was a really special time to see her and that night we ate at the top floor of one of the Chitlom Central Department store. The whole street along there was beautifully decorated with lights. I thought how sad it was to know that not many people in Bangkok know the true meaning of Christmas. But, they sure do know how to make it look festive.