Home, Sweet Home!

It was great seeing Spot again after being away for 90 days.

Dear Boys and Girls,

Mr. P has done it.  He has made his way around the world.  Visiting 12 countries along the way (Can you list them all?  Can you find them on a map or globe?) I have learned a lot of new things, met a lot of interesting people, and yes, eaten a lot of yummy food! 

I am glad to be at home with my family and friends for the holidays, but I am gearing up for some more travel in the new year.  Going around the world has made me curious to learn more about Canada, the country that I call home, so I am hoping to visit as many provinces and territories as I can over the next few months, and of course I will be asking for your help along the way, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, I am enjoying exploring Toronto, spending time with Spot and hopefully seeing you soon!

Keep Smiling,
Mr. Pimentel

Meet Mr. Thompson

While in Thailand you might see the name Jim Thompson gracing shops, restaurants, hotels and even museums.  He seems to be everywhere!  So who is this man?

A sign outside one of Mr. Thompson's restaurants in Bangkok.

Jim Thompson, born James Harrison Wilson Thompson, was a U.S. citizen who travelled the world because of his work with the C.I.A.  Spending time in Bangkok, Mr. Thompson fell in love with the city and the potential that he saw around him.

Mr. Thompson's garden in Bangkok.  Look at all that beauty.

Around this time Thai Silk was a dying art.  Not many people wanted silk.  It was hand-woven, which made it more expensive than machine-made fabrics.  Jim Thompson was a risk taker and he knew that the natural beauty and brilliance of Thai Silk would attract buyers around the world if he got the colours and patterns right.  People went crazy for his brightly coloured silks and his weaving company took off.

Colourful silk banners hanging all around Jim Thompson's garden.

A closer look at one of the silk banners.

Photo: Laura Muir

Living in Thailand, Jim Thompson, who was also an architect, built many homes across the country.  One of these homes is the famous Jim Thompson House in Bangkok.  This residence is made up of five different houses that were brought in from around the country and put together like a giant puzzle to make up one large home.  Jim Thompson only lived in this house for a few years, but the building remains furnished with all its original pieces.  It is now considered a museum and people from all over the world come to see the house and the art collection inside.

Admiring Jim Thompson's House in Bangkok.  Can you see the different houses stuck together?

Photo: Laura Muir

A great deal of mystery surrounds Jim Thompson and how he spent his final years.  When he was 61 he went to Malaysia to visit some friends, and one day decided to go on a hike in the jungle on his own.  He was never seen again.  Even with him gone, his company lives on and continues to bring Thai Silk to people around the world.

Have you ever felt silk?  Take a look around your house and see if you can find anything that is made out of silk.  Run your hand over it.  What does it feel like?

Sharing Ideas Around the Globe

Dear Boys and Girls,

In all my travelling around I have had a chance to see what happens when people from different cultures come together with open minds and share ideas with each other in a positive and friendly way.  The result is beautiful!

 

A European mansion in Phuket Town.

In Old Town Phuket, a good example of this sharing can be seen in historical houses that line the streets.  Built in a Sino-Portuguese style, these houses are a mix of Chinese (the Sino part) and Portuguese architecture.  A long time ago, Chinese citizens worked in Phuket in the tin mining industry and the Portuguese came as visitors interested in the work that they were doing.  During these visits, ideas were exchanged and one of the things the Portuguese showed the Chinese workers was how they liked to build their homes back in Portugal.  The Chinese liked what they were shown and they started to build their houses in Phuket just like them, but still with a Chinese touch.

The buildings along Thalang, Krabi and Debouk Road are all excellent examples of the
sharing that happened between the Chinese and the Portuguese.

These Sino-Portuguese buildings were built so that residents could both work and live in the same structure.  Your shop would be downstairs, and the rest of the building would be your home. 

You can find this kind of fusion (when two cultures come together and share ideas) in cooking, language, music, and just about anything else you can think of.  Can you remember a time when you shared an idea with a friend and worked together to produce some "fusion" of your own?

Can't wait to hear all about your sharing,
Mr. P