New Arrivals

Janice just let us know that the shipment from Thailand has just arrived.
Always exciting when the boxes arrive and get unpacked.
Lots of coffee in this shipment for those of you that have been waiting for it.
Also some great silver jewellery from Nepal.
Here is a glimpse of some of the clothes. The summer clothes seem a little premature given the endless cold weather, but it will warm up some time. There are lots more to see, but for that you'll have to come in and pay us a visit.

Pretty in pink for Valentines day

Whether you are off to warmer and sunnier climes or snuggling into something warm at home, at Bwana Johns we have something for you.

So for Valentines day search out something pink and celebrate in style. Maybe it's a wool hat or pink sox or a snugglish sweater.

Maybe it'll be a cool summer dress or a pair of sunnies worn on a warm tropical beach.

Where ever it is have a great and loving Valentines day.

Lots going on

It seems like it has been a busy few weeks.
Steve and Sook opened a store in ChiangMai. It is called Sook Jai which means Happy Heart.
They are both pleased at how well it is going.

Then in the middle of it all Sook got married to Chee.
It sounds like it all got pretty crazy over therefor a while.

 

We call Sook our Thai daughter. Steve got to walk her down the aisle along with Sooks natural father.

Unfortunately my internet failed me so I didn't get to be part of the day at all.

 



Sook looking very beautiful and Steve looking very distinguished.

I was in New Zealand. Fortunately I had a few Christmas markets to keep me busy.

Steve is now winding up his business in Thailand and I am hoping to see him in New Zealand this weekend.

Merry Christmas

Steve is in Thailand busy getting a shipment packed to send off to Canada.

 

 

Collecting up all the orders as they are finished and bagging and labelling it all is keeping him busy.
As well he and Sook (we call her our Thai daughter) have opened a store in Chiang Mai, so that is another project to keep them on the run. So far the new store is going well.
On top of all this Sook is getting married on 29th Dec, and Steve is helping to walk her down the aisle. All very exciting.
I am in New Zealand doing a few Christmas markets.
Here the weather is warm and the New Zealand Christmas tree- the pohutukawa tree is looking stunning covered in its red flowers.

I hope wherever you are and whatever the weather, you all have a wonderful Christmas and  a fabulous New Year.

 

Coffee roasting

Now that the weather is cool it is a perfect time to get onto the coffee roasting.
The smell of it roasting is divine, though it probably isn't for everyone.

 I love the whole process of it. The measuring, checking and double checking the times and temperatures.

 

Then finally at the exact second the roast is done releasing it into the cooling pan, and the release of the wonderful aroma of freshly roasted coffee.

 

 

In a few days we can start bagging the coffee. Then the next step is to send it on it's way to our stores in Canada.

 

 

 

In between doing our own roasting we went up into the mountains to a Karen village we know. They grow their own coffee and roast it and have a tasting station set up in the village.

This is a fairly unsophisticated setup. Their roasters don't have temperature gauges or controls and up until recently they roasted coffee over a bamboo fire under a drum that was rotated by a guy peddling a bicycle.
They don't have an espresso machine. They boil the water over a wood fire, and use a cloth filter to brew it with. The coffee never the less tastes great.

 

 

 

 

We were in a new café in ChiangMai a while back. They said that they would make me a special latte. Those of you that know me will recognise me in this portrait they did of me in foam. It was a great cup of coffee!

Christmas box

Today is the kings birthday in Thailand. It was 30 years ago today that we first arrived in Bangkok, and started calling Thailand our second home.
We are back in Thailand again and the weather has cooled down. The air is clean and sweet and the sky is a clear blue. Finally it seems the cool season has kicked in here in the north and we are enjoying pleasant cool days and cold nights. They are even having frost on some of the highest mountains, which is a real tourist draw. I know most of you won't be impressed, but for the Thais it's a real experience.
Janice says that the Christmas box we sent from Nepal has been well received, and she was selling stuff out of it before it was unpacked.
Here are a few pics of what we sent.

 

Lots of cozy scarves in fabulous colours.

 

Very cute dresses that look great over leggings or worn on their own.

 

Lots and lots of very cute felt purses and phone pouches.

Wool hand warmers and hats. It sounds like the weather is cold enough to warrant these.

 

Hand made paper books and calendars will make great stocking stuffers.

 

Magic hats in various lengths and lots of great colours to help keep your ears warm this winter, and lots of other things as well.

Tomorrow we are planning to start roasting coffee again. We ran out in our stores this summer, so it is time to get  more coffee happening.

 

Buying in Nepal

We have just returned to Thailand from a quick trip to Nepal.
It was lovely and cool. A nice change from Thailand.
Unfortunately it was so hazy we didn't see much of the mountains.

In between business we did find time to wander through the countryside and explore some of the villages around Kathmandu.

Back in Kathmandu and back to business, we managed to find some great new things to ship back to Bwana Johns for next season.

These recycled rice bags were a great find.

A trip to the bead market is always a fun experience. Lots of people. lots of colour and lots of activity and noise.

Travelling on a crowded bus hardly able to move, I managed to get this pic of this womans cool earrings.

 

 

This definitely seems to be the place to buy shawls!

 

We finished our buying and ordering for spring, and also put together a Christmas box for Bwana Johns. Janice says it has already arrived. I'll post some pics of the new things we sent home for Christmas next time.