Travel Journal - Bangkok - by Michele Lau

BBBRRRRRIIINNNGGG. I roll over and look at the clock, fully awake. 3:30 am - time to get going. I don’t want to sleep through the trip of a lifetime and miss the plane to Bangkok. Besides, I had recruited my husband, Ron, to drive Yaneek, Jessica and me to the airport and he is the type that does not take kindly to being rushed – no matter what time of the day it is. I brew some coffee and grab my passport for the great adventure. Thirty plus hours (who knew that I could sleep sitting straight up) and much caffeine later we arrive in Bangkok excited to learn where and how the jewelry we present at The Jewelry Channel is created.

Here is some background on Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand. It has a population 10 million and is an area steeped with history and modern day technology. Bangkok is also called the City of Angels, which is the translation of the city’s Thai name. It is also known as the city of precious gems. Over half of Thailand’s urban population lives in the capital city. Viewed from above, Bangkok resembles one of the diagrams created by the Buddist artists for meditation.

One of the things I notice in the light of day is that the streets are remarkably clean. It is a very quiet, although bustling, city. Even during rush hour traffic you rarely hear horns honking. Approximately 90% of the population is Buddhist and all around you there is a spirit of peace. It seems that there are street shrines on every block, fountains and coy ponds for reflection, and a tranquility of calm, measured conversation that is very different from other major cities that I have visited before.

Although the city is large and urban, there is a respect for green space and parks. The city is laid out on the spongy Chao Phraya River and flood plains and is now reportedly sinking at a rate of nearly a meter a year. We shot some documentary footage at Lumphini Park – the cities oldest city park and one of the largest. It, and the area surrounding it, is a major recreational focus for people living near the Chao Phraya River.

If you visit you may find, as I did, a street vendor on the corner selling food to feed an elephant, people practicing tai chi in the park, jogging, or taking a nap in the shade. While we were in the park shooting video for our documentary, the National Anthem began to play. Every single person stopped in their tracks, out of respect, and waited for it to finish. There is a real love of King and country here. In fact, on Fridays, the gentlemen wear yellow shirts to show respect for the king!

The main focus of our trip to Bangkok, though, was to see and experience STS – the head office of the Jewelry Channel located in Gemopolis. We had the opportunity to visit first-hand many of the departments within STS that create, manufacture, and distribute the jewelry that we present on the Jewelry Channel. The methods that we use at STS to fashion the gold in our jewelry are virtually the same ones as those of the early Hindu explorers who settled in Bangkok thousands of years ago. The processes that we use to make our jewelry are the same as the ones used to create the gleaming statues that you see in the shrines around Bangkok.

Speaking of the beautiful shrines, we had the opportunity to visit the Temple of the Golden Buddha. It was, for me, a highlight of the trip. The Golden Buddha is made out of three tons of solid gold. The story goes something like this: 600 years ago, the Burmese invaded Thailand and began to steal the greatest treasures in the kingdom. So the monks there mixed up some cement and plastered the statue with it so that when the soldiers came to pillage the temple, they ignored it and moved on. After the Burmese soldiers left, the monks chipped off the cement and put their revered statue back into place. The Temple of the Golden Buddha continues to be a daily place of worship and fantastic tourist attraction. It is a shining example of history, brilliance and expertise that we use to create our jewelry today.

I had a wonderful time visiting Bangkok seeing where the beautiful pieces of jewelry that we present on the Jewelry Channel come from. I want to take a moment to say thank you to Pardip Ram and the management team at The Jewelry Channel for sending me to Bangkok. It was the experience of a lifetime and has given me a unique perspective of the jewelry that I present daily.

I’d also like to say a special thanks to our Bangkok hosts: Aswini, Parag, Swati, Beer and of course Simon, the documentary Producer, for making my time in Bangkok so memorable.

I came back with some new friends, great memories and stories to share during the drop auctions at The Jewelry Channel. It was far more than I ever expected and I left with an even greater appreciation of the jewelry that we present.

Please join me Thursday through Sunday from 2 – 4 pm and 6 – 8 pm central time for more tidbits of my great Bangkok adventure. In the meantime, you can drop me a note at studio@tjc.tv

Thank you for shopping with me!

Sincerely,

Michele Lau

Have fun with Fashion

Bonnie Stepp

With Halloween lurking just over a week away I have found myself wandering the isles of costume shops and browsing the internet for the final pieces to complete the outfit I’m going to wear to a costume party. Between the magic wands and feathered boas I happen upon a great variety of play jewelry and I drift into a world that has nothing at all to do with Halloween. I am reminded of the fun of dressing up and really going all out and the accessories in costume shops are a perfect example of how fun and affordable frills can be. Although nothing compares to the feeling of wearing the rare and precious gemstones and fine detail in a luxury item, there is something very invigorating to be realized in flaunting a collection of less expensive pieces. The difference between wearing Peridot and wearing Emeralds is really an unfair comparison for a Peridot can serve the same purpose as an Emerald, to give character to one’s personal style. At a much more affordable price, Peridot can be an alternative to an Emerald.

This is not a matter of whether or not a person can afford a particular piece, it is a matter of having fun with more options. Many women who can afford extravagant pieces wear a variety of less expensive items on a regular basis simply because they are fun and keep things fresh. It allows the wearer to be a bit more care-free about what they have on, the pieces require much less maintenance, and of course cost less. You can still wear genuine gems and tip top quality, but having Garnets as alternatives to Rubies, or a big Iolite rather than a little Sapphire means you can own a lot more of them. Plus you may even find a new favorite. I always say one can not stumble across perfection without trying new things.

It seems to me that in the fashion world, the most unconventional tastes tend to form trends. People are determining in their own minds what beauty is to them, and then defining it with innovative practice, and all along the way having a good time doing it. Dressing on a daily basis should be just as fun as dressing up for a costume party. And it should be feasible for everyone. And I think that sometimes a night on the town deserves a huge cluster cocktail ring of Citrine worn with a bit of attitude. In much the same way those fun red sunglasses from the costume shop are not designer, and cost only $25, they will end up being some of my favorites to wear out at the lake.