TBT: Leaving Bangkok 1978

It was a late night flight from Bangkok to Rome, on our way back to the United States.  One of us was not very happy about it and was not even wearing his jasmine lei. I had forgotten that mine and my husband's included the colors of the Thai flag. I wonder if this is still a custom in Thailand.

As with many images taken back in the years of film, it didn't occur to us to take more. It also didn't occur to us to take a photo of our maid Somchit who was taking this photo or possibly it was her husband Payot. They were both so very good to us during our 3 years in Thailand but the photos we have are few. Constantly carrying a 35mm camera was not easy or normal either. What a convenience an iPhone is now!

One other tidbit about this flight was that we stopped in Tehran on our way and I recall saying I hoped I never had to live in this hot dusty country. Little did I know I'd be living there a couple of months later.

TBT: Bangkok 1976

We arrived in Thailand in January 1976. A culture and climate change to be sure after 7 years in England and several months in Maryland for a fall season.  We soon found a house to rent in Bangkok and there were many things to surprise us there.

In the backyard was a hammock or perhaps we bought it, I don't recall. (This is one of the reasons to scrap the daily, daily! But then who knew about scrapbooking back then, over there.) In any case, I had never been in a hammock but my then husband gave it a go first. Yes, he flipped out of it.

Then little Iain and I had our turns. These two shots were scanned at a different time and reflect the true colors of the tropical country, including a hazy hazy sky. Iain was engulfed by this hammock

My mother who took these photos said that "Uncle Jack says that your stance, Maureen is typically Nana." Who knows, maybe I was ahead of the curve with the ubiquitous hand-on-hip pose done by teenage girls these days.

 Me? well this was my one and only time in the hammock. It also rotted quite very quickly in the tropical weather.   Yes, I had a hard life with a little blond 'hammock boy' to fan me in the heat.

TBT: Now When Was This??

Now after seeing my granddaughter dance about the other day, I thought of this photo of her mother. I don't know where or when it was but by the curtains, I'm thinking it might be in Bangkok, circa 1985-1986. I suspect my daughter might remember...the rest of the story!

TBT: Back in Bangkok

This postcard of the Siam Intercontinental was from our last days in Bangkok. After we cleared out our house, we stayed here for a few days.  This was a fantastic place especially at that time. What I recall most is that there was a mini zoo in the back with a lot of monkeys. I was fascinated by them, they looked so human. What they mostly did was sit and pick bugs, nits whatever from each others' heads.  But the way they looked at us, me, was quite unsettling.  I don't like zoos and this is probably where that bias came from

The hotel is, er was, advertised on the back of the postcard as being in the center of 26 acres of tropical gardens. No address was given so you can tell it was so well known that everyone knew where it was! It appears from looking at the current website that the hotel has kept those grounds but the city has grown around it.

I would love to go back one day but then I think about the heat and humidity and I tend to say...stick to your memories Maureen. But then I think of the food....omg it's tempting to go!

Flashback Friday

Bangkok 1975

This girl how has an almost 3 year old daughter of her own.