June 8, 2006 Last post from Thailand (for now)...
So its only a few hours until our flight from Bangkok to Hanoi, Vietnam but we dashed to the internet cafe to make one last post. Yesterday, we hoped another bus and explored a slightly further part of town along Sukhamvit road. Funny, in New York we took the red line, often the 2 train. Here in Bangkok we've been taking the red bus (meaning no A.C.) and the number 2 line. Off of Sukhamvit we found a soi (that means alley) straight out of Las Vegas. It was called Soi Cowboy and it was littered with country western themed bars. One even had a Thai Elvis impersonator! It was still the morning so the bars were closed. It looked a little seedy anyway, so no loss. Near Soi Cowboy there was a cowboy boot store, the Siam Bootery. Despite what you are already thinking, Ari was the one who bought boots, not Jillian. We lugged those cowboy boots around with us all day long too.

We then took the Skytrain to the River City Art and Antique complex. It was a shopping center full of Asian antique dealers. Browsing through the shops was literally like walking through a museum. We saw the walls, columns, and ceiling removed from a temple in Burma, countless netsuke (Japanese hand-carved miniatures), gorgeous furniture, and exquisite sculptures. Jillian's favorite were the little opium bottles, no taller than 3 inches, and hand painted with Japanese scenes (sometimes sicko) from the inside of the bottle. We inquired about the price, but decided that we would rather send our kids to college. There aren't many museums in world where you can ask for the price of a piece you are looking at or where each gallery has its own attentive curator.

From there we took a ferry up the river to get back to our hotel. Along the river were beautiful temples mixed in with dilapedated homes. It was a remarkable scene. We got back to Khao San Road (the backpacker haven where we are staying) and did what our families have taught us to do best: we went shopping. Jillian found two shirts, sunglasses, and a pair of thai fisherman's pants for a whopping $10 total. Ari found a t-shirt bearing an image of a tuk tuk.



One thing that we forgot to mention about the mall. While perusing the gourmet food market, we saw a booth selling exotic fare. White toast with butter! The Thai people were lined up to get their slice, each cut into bite-sized portions and served with a mini fork.

The Quest for the Autistic Children
At Toy Tokyo, a store in the East Village in New York, Jillian found a series of little toys that we think are called The Autistic Children, but they are Japanese, so we are not quite sure. While we are not going to Japan on this trip, I thought that I might be able to come a little closer to unraveling their mystery.

Here is a link to them that we found on the inside of the package that they come in. Unfortunately, the website raises more questions than it answers.
Yesterday, in a Seven Eleven, I found chocolate pudding men.



The shape of the pudding (well, not really pudding in taste, but pudding in theme?) was the same shape as one of the Autistic Children. We are getting closer! In New York, you can buy the toys in little boxes, and you never know which you are going to get- it is a surprise. We think that here these toys come in the little vending machines that they have at supermarkets. We are still hot on the trail of the real Autistic Children, and we will keep you posted.

Lots of love,
Jillian and Ari