The Need for a Fourth Suitcase

 The Bigbys do not know the meaning of "pack lightly". My mom is the biggest culprit of over-packing, but admittedly, I am not much better. Dad is the best of us. He is a man and doesn't need a different pair of shoes for every outfit. Ok, well, we really don't need that either, but you know....This trip, however, the tables had turned. My dad's shopping extravaganza resulted in the need to buy a fourth suitcase.

It all started like this. Before going to Thailand, we had a number of people tell us that we had to go to the tailor to get some clothes made. We arrived in Thailand a day before our tour actually started so we would be able to acclimate ourselves to Asia. It so happened our tour guide, Louis, was around the hotel ready and willing to offer us suggestions on how to spend our spare time.

First stop: The tailor.

Louis made a phone call and the tailor sent a car to come and pick us up at the hotel and bring us to the shop. Dad said he was absolutely against going, but then decided he'd better go to "protect" us. He didn't want his two leading ladies whisked away by some strange men in the capital city of Thailand. So, he reluctantly enters the shop. Mom and I excitedly walk in and immediately sit down to tear through books of options. The two of us are so focused on what we are going to choose to have made that we completely lose track of where my dad might be. We turn around and we see this:

WHAT?!? The man who didn't want to go to the tailor is getting MEASURED?! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this man went crazy at the tailor! Mom and I decided on two dresses and a pair of pants in the amount of time that Dad had signed on the dotted line for 2 suits, 5 pairs of pants, 5 dress shirts and 5 ties! Now you see the need for the fourth suitcase.

The experience at the tailor felt very special. You'd pick out your pattern and then your fabric.

There were 2 whole floors of fabric to choose from. Then you were measured and your clothing was cut and sewn within a matter of hours! Zippity-quick, I tell ya. That night or the next day tailors would bring the freshly cut garments to the hotel for a fitting. While I don't have the money or the closets of celebrities, I did feel like one when the tailors would make a special visit to my room for a fitting!

The whole vacation was very special. This was just the beginning.  More to come on the Thai adventure.