Check back in the spring when we reopen the store on April 7th, 2012.

See you then!

We wrap up our trip with a glimpse of the past when British rule was the norm. The Governor’s Residence celebrates the architecture and customs of a bygone era. It was wonderful to sit under this massive veranda with its scores of ceiling fans and imagine what the world was like when it took months to arrive from Europe to this mystical land. Rapid political changes occurred as then Burma emerged from colonialism to independence to socialism and now a repressive military Junta. Trade embargoes from many countries including the U.S. have made the chance of earning a decent wage almost impossible and economic pressure has had a huge negative impact on the population. Time as always will tell and sometimes…thankfully…time stands still.

Landing midday in Yangon, with the temperature hovering around 100 degrees, we had no choice but to shed our clothes and immediately jump into the hotel pool. Due to the dry seasons unforgiving climate, this regions sightseeing and tours occur in the very early hours of the morning or in the early evening after the blazing sun has set. This day as we learned was the coolest of our 3 day stay. We opted for a guided tour of the Shwedagon Pagoda, a 2,500 year old shrine encasing eight hairs of the then living Buddha. Originally only 66 feet in height, it was continually enhanced and regilded to the impressive 362 feet it now soars . Over 1000 iconic images of the Buddha beam with brilliance. Utilizing stone, clay, ceramic tiles, jade, marble, glass, silver and most notably gold.  If not solid gold, gold gilding, gold leaf or gold pigmented paint was used with wild abandon. Hundreds of  the pagoda’s towers hurl their glistening metallic shafts towards the heavens. Surrounded by this gleaming medley of shapes at sunset, set the sky aglow and filled our hearts with its golden warmth.

Once finished with the street vendors, night markets, and daily bazaars, we had the afternoon to ascend Doi Suthep the highest point of Northern Thailand to visit Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, a centuries old Buddhist Temple over looking the city of Chiang Mai. Built high on the mountain top,was once only accessible with great difficulty , now hosts thousands of pilgrims, monks, and tourists to pray, pay homage and simply to view the breathtaking gold clad temple. We were truly and literally blessed to be in this place of worship perched in its heavenly domain.

While on the streets of Chiang Mai, the numerous stalls literally cover every square inch of real estate to be found. Any corner, alley way, or even a parking space can become an ideal spot for some entrepreneurial expression. Julia, Paul and I had the great fortune to partake in and old Asian tradition of  releasing tiny sparrows to the sky’s which insure continued good luck in our lives.

Arriving back in Asia, Thailand this go around, feels as if we never really left. Two longhaul trips within a months time, has truly  brought home the notion of a global marketplace. Attending B.I.G., Bangkok International Gift Fair, we avail ourselves to hundreds of vendors displaying emerging trends, colors, and materials for home furnishing and decorative accessories… We Shop On !

Pack Full

So many of our customers ask how do you get these beautiful items from China to Provincetown? The answer is by boat and truck. The containers (the removable back section of a trailer truck) are  meticulously  ”packed full” meaning every possible space is packed to the maximum capacity. Small items are packed inside larger ones and so on until the container, this year a 40′, is packed so tight that nothing can move inside thus preventing any damage from what can be a rough voyage across the Pacific. Once landed in Long Beach, California the container is loaded onto a trailer truck and delivered to our warehouse in Provincetown. Usually in 6-7 weeks! We hope to receive our latest truck of wonderful merchandise around the third week of May, which always feels a bit like Christmas for me, as I get to open the  multitudes of treasures!