Monday, June 28, 2010

Little bits of me


I did some artwork last week that I owed and it really cheered me up. It made me think of my community back in the UK and here in Bangkok.

When we lived in Buckinghamshire the children went to a small church school. I loved that school and got very involved, working in the library, supporting a year three teacher with her art classes and running an after school book club with another teacher. At their summer fair they always had a Mystery Jars stall.  You collect jars, fill them with toys or sweets and then wrap them up so the contents can’t be seen. If you need to label it with age and gender you can. Then you sell them for 50p (or whatever) each. If you didn’t get to that stall early enough, all the jars would be gone and my children absolutely gutted. It was popular because of the preponderance of sweets there but the joy is also in the element of luck.

One time at a committee meeting here in Bangkok we were looking for fundraising ideas for a fete day at the British Club and I brought up the mystery jars stall. Traditionally at the Ploenchit Fair we have the Olde Tarts Shoppe where we sell home baked cakes and stuff but last year we also had the mystery jars too. And I brought them here. (OK, so I did steal the idea....)

Call me an egomaniac but I sat there, working away in Photoshop, thinking of the things I had done in Bangkok. Sometimes there is physical evidence of those things, like the mystery jars or the numerous Santa’s Grotto signs I’ve made or the BWG Bangkok logo (that Carol and I designed.)

I like that. I like that I have left little bits of myself here.

12 comments:

Sue Guiney said...

and I bet you have had more of an impact there than you even realize!

Anonymous said...

Those jars were a godsend for me, as I can't cook for toffee!!! Jane x

Jenny Beattie said...

Sue, thank you. I don't know about that but I do like the little things I will have had an impact on here.

Jane, yes, the baking cakes thing didn't really happen in our house either. One year I bought banana bread and passed it off as my own. *hangs head in shame*

Carol said...

When we left I took comfort in that too!

I'm glad your feeling a wee bit cheerier

C x

Anonymous said...

I agree with Sue G. From what little I've seen I feel like you've had an impact here, and all of it positive. You ought to feel very proud of yourself.

All the best, Boonsong

Flowerpot said...

I would echo allthat]s been said, JJ - you've obviously made a very noticeable impact. Good for you!

Talli Roland said...

I'm with Sue - I bet you had an impact you didn't even realise!

Jen said...

Physical evidence that you'll leave a little part of you behind when the time comes... That's really rather lovely.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

What the others said.

I've never heard of that jar idea before, it's lovely.

Cheryl said...

I like the sound of the jars, a nice touch. It's nice to be remembered for things even when we're not there anymore, kinda like little creative offsprings.

Janice said...

When we do something and then it seems to be very effective and we praise ourselves for that work.

bangkokaussie said...

Have a lovely trip and I hope to see you back here soon.

L