Back on Track

Well guys, this is a somewhat erratic (but not erotic) blog as we got back from Asia, we had a birthday party for Tom Lahey in Tiburon, I came back to San Antonio and dove into my office to push on the conclusion of Born to Shop Hong Kong...which was the whole reason we went on that trip anyway.

The book is almost done, I will do my taxes (yeah, I know I'm late, I have that October 15 extension daate) and continue to pack as it seems I am returning to the West Coast. Texas has been great and I love, love,love my house here-- but there seem to be more job ops in the Bay Area and I need to get a real job with a real paycheck, whatever that is.

I will be continuing the blog as we travel and The Shopping Detective as I find new merchandise. In fact, the day before I left for Asia in early August, we made a Born to Shop pilot that features several shopping detective segments. I think they're pretty cute-- well, the merch is fun, anyway. And my dog looks great. Some are pasted on my facebook page. I am waiting for CBS to call to make me the next Andy Rooney.

Sarah and I did come up with a fun idea, if you'd like to join us. We are going to Saigon in early November to do the research for an upcoming Born to Shop & Spa tour-- there's a new InterContinental Hotel opening and assorted things and places we want under control before the March tour. We've decided to open the Scouting Trip to the public-- you dont get the same benefits as on a BTS tour, but it costs less and could be very funny. See www.suzygershman.com for details. We grabbed a Viet Nam cheapie airfare from United-- r/t from SFO to HCMC (Saigon) was about $600. The hotel will just be opening with low everday prices.

Once I get settled into the Bay Area in early October, I will begin work on our newest concierge edition-- Born to Shop & Sip: Napa and Sonoma. This will be a small, specialized book filled with insider's isnformation on shopping, wine and chefs. Amazon should have it posted by late Spring 2010.

Our Last Day in Honkers

This is our last morning in Asia, and our only day to wrap things up in Hong Kong. We each made a list on the airplane of things thatmust get done. I am also repsonding to a reader who asked for a Birkin, or two.

So first we went to Maylin which used to make the best Birkin this side of Hermes. No more, they are still making fine bags but none are in the style of the Hermes brand. I am not looking for a fake but a good quality inspiration. I thought $300 USD would do the trick (my reader's budget) but alas, everything I am pricing today is $500 for the 35 cm size and $580 for the 45 cm size. She also has a list of needs per color of hardware, length of straps, etc-- all which point to having a bag custom made.

I've already been to Shenzhen and cannot possibly get across the border and back in time to make my dinner rdv and she rally doesn't want anything shoddy or illegal. Ricco from the New World Centre, has great bags, but alas, they begin at $500USD. Ashneil has the best handbags in the world, but would have to make the bag to order. Sam Wo's quality is now so low he must be Low Wu.

And so we're off to try a few more sources before we give up and cry. The saddest part of all is that years ago, in the pharmacy inthe basement of The Pen, they had the best Birkin copies for $250. Alas, the pharmacy is now a jewelry store and Hong Kong keeps on moving.

We've been moving rather quickly ourselves-- we began the day with room service breakfast in our suite in The Peninsula, we ate overlooking the harbour and savoring our final day. Then we went first to The Jade Market where we needed to compare prices and quality with items we'd seen in China (favorable here in HKG!) and then on to New Fei Optical to get another pair of glasses made and to learn about the charade of the first pair, done totally in mime and Chinese in Shenzhen. Today's pair cost three times as much, but appear to be promising.

Then we hit the InterContinental Hotel-- we go there just about every day whether we are staying there or not-- and checked out the handbag sources per above. Lunch at McDonald's -- back on my diet tomorrow!-- and then a quick nap before heading out tolook at more Birkin wannabes and then hit the Fa Yuen Street market followed by the Ladies market.

The hot new item all over Fa Yuen is a visor gadget that snaps in place across your face (think Darth Vader) to serve as a pair of sunglasses. They cost about $3-5, depending on the vendor, the quantity you buy and your bargaining skills. We were tempted by someof the doggy squeak toys, but they were very expensive and settled instead for some very expensive Chinese silk sacs in which to nestle some of the gifts we bought on the trip. Alas, no silk sac is big enough for the Birkin.

More From Bangkok

Our perfect Sunday just began with the flower arranging class.Then we had a Thai tea tasting, an afternoon at the spa and dinner with the chef. Words and pix to come.

Sunday in the Market with Noi

Through most of my adult life, I have ascribed certain rituals to Sunday, making it a special day, an unusual day, a day of treats not enjoyed on other days. So it seemed fitting that today, Sunday in Bangkok, we enroll in Peninsula Academy Flower Arranging Class to celebrate not only the day, but our arrival last night at one of the world's most glam hotels.

For the un-enlightened, each Peninsula Hotel around the world offers culture and enrichment classes themed to the local environment. Each offers an experience with an expert that cannot be enjoyed unless you are a guest of the hotel and sign up in advance. Fees vary with the class and the location.

Today's class was about $100 per person and simply the best value for money experience available in travel. Neither Sarah nor I will ever look at a flower the same way, we've had an incredible adventure and even learned some tricks to bring home and test and twist into an American lifestyle. We may not have lotus leaves at home, but I have heaps of calico fabric which I can cut and wrap for a different but interesting look. The best part of seeing an idea, is translating it into something you can make your own.

Class began at 9AM. We stuffed ourselves at the breakfast buffet-- a gorgeous treat in its own right-- and then waddled off behind Noi, the head florist, and assorted Peninsula Academy helpers. We were taken a the hotel's custom van to a site across the river where the Pak-Klong Talad flower market lines two sides of a street and fills many alleys.

This market is open 24/7 and is most busy from 7-10pm when new shipments arrive and the professionals do their shopping. Noi explained that in the evening, the market is twice as large as what we are seeing, much more hectic, and has all sorts of flowers and produce spilling into the streets and walkways.

With Noi as our guide, we prowled around and explored; we learned that flowers from Holland cost too much here, so imported flowers come from China-- which Noi says provides the same quality as Holland. (Note to the world.)

Because he had already bought flwoers for our class, all we did was look, touch and gawk. Between the colors, the prices (low everyday prices!) and the characters in the market-- why is that little girl trying to beat up a kitten with a stick?-- we were mesmerized. We both decided to move to Bangkok, live in Peter Greenberg's house here and become the local version of Jeff Leatham, the Four Seasons' Hotel's Creative Director, the man who changed the face of floral decor for all the world. I am certain Peter will be delighted I want to move into his house.

Back in the van, were were given cold, lemongrass scented towels and cold water as we headed back to The Pen. Then we went into the treehouse alongside the river for class and learned how to do all sorts of things to lotus flowers. This is a sexual awareness class as the lotus flower must be peeled back in the same way as a man I once knew, and the same motions in the wrist make flower arranging go so much more quickly.

After many different instructions, and after the pineapple and banana smoothie was served, we tied on our aprons and set to work creating our own arrangements. Sarah was the star of the class, but I flunked as my styrofoam was showing. I guess I willl never make it as a petal pusher in Old Bangkok.

A Little Prick

Many, many years ago, my photo used to be on the cover of each edition of a new Born to Shop book. The pix were taken by my dear friend, the famous Time-Life photographer Ian Cook, who travelled all over the world with me and while he is a photojournalist, and does not normally do portraits, he took my cover shots for the free trips.

Then one day, I will never forget it, Ian said 'Hey, knock it off, stop frowning!' Hmmm, but I wasn't frowning, I was giving it my best movie star smile. 'What's that big line between your eyes?' he asked. Uh-oh.

This was so long ago that no one had ever heard of botox. By the time we knew all about it, the Born to Shop covers evolved and I no longer had to worry about that line, or the hurt feelings I felt when Ian announced I was imperfect.

That is no longer the case.

Tonight we stopped in at one of those walk-in botox clinics that line the streets of Bangkok and I got shot up. First time.t's true, I have been a botox virgin up until tonight-- some 15 years after Ian first noticed the lines above my nose.

Sarah and I waited for about five minutes and then had our meetings with the doctor. The doctor told me it would take a week before I would see the results. I did not mention that I will be crossing the International Date Line in those few days, so I don't know if my face will fall back or spring ahead.

As a journalist, I have been a risk-taker for most of my career. I'm jsut lucky I never got 14 years of hard labor in Korea. In fact, giving birth to my son wasn't even hard labor. But the name of the doctor's office was the Porn Clinic (who could make this up?) and it was located in the PatPong hooker district. Frankly, I just couldn't pass by without at least asking a few questions.

Sarah asked most of the questions, such as 'are you a real doctor?'

We both signed up and paid with our credit cards. The doctor, a girl of about ten years of age, suggested that I erase my cares with fillers in the area around my mouth and, uh, jowls, but I just wanted to wipe out the memory of Ian's perky little British accent by erasing the two or three jagged lines between my eyes.

The cost? Just under $100 USD. The experience? Priceless.

Footnotes From Your Shopping Detective

I think it was yesterday (who really knows what day it is?) that I considered reporting that Toenail #2 is still intact and enjoying Asia. But I decided that you really didn't care and that after awhile, a joke isn't funny anymore. Sooooo I didn't put my foot in my mouth or trip over the punch line.

But now, well, now I have toe news.

Today Sarah and I were doing our rounds and hit the part of the local department store Paragon that is called Trendy (3rd F). We didn't stumble upon it, as we go here regulalry and have even brought Born to Shop tour groups here. This department store is the anchor to the Siam Paragon mall and is a thrilling place to shop, proving that when you travel, all of life is one big art exhibition.

Sarah got to Trendy before me (I was still in Japanese school supplies for my nieces) and was going nuts for press on fingernails with pearls and jewels and Japanese style designs on them, at $25 a pair. We bought a few pairs as gifts and were leaving when for some reason, I looked back (not in anger) and realized we had missed the press on toe department! Hmmm, the press on toenail department is more fitting.

While the nails for hands are sold with a set of ten (tough luck, Anne Boleyn), the toe nails come with only the pair of big toes. For an extra $1 USD you can buy the matching background color of polish for the rest of your little tootsies. Now let me see, this little piggy went to Bangkok, this little piggy went to Paragon ...and this little piggy went wei, wei, wei all the way home.

Prices on the toenails ranged from $12 a pair to $20, USD, based on how elaborate the design and the jewels are. The clerk said the toenails will stay on for two weeks, but I imagine that is if you wear flipflops or sandals, not bamboo socks as I do. Still, these are the most perfect resort item ever invented and could even be a fashion statement for those who prefer to remain barefoot and pregnant. I'll take the resort, thank you.

And yes, Elizabeth, Meredith and Jenny, of course we did.

Photos From Pantip

A rose is a rose is a rose, but a DVD may not be.