Sincerely

We used our last couple of days in Bangkok to take care of errands and do a little more souvenir shopping. I was mostly interested in textiles, but I found some beautiful porcelain at the huge weekend market at Chatuchak. Thai Five-Color Porcelain, also called Royal Porcelain, used to be available only to wealthy nobles. I asked a man working there if they provided shipping to the US, and he assured me they did, for an extra fee, of course. I really didn’t want to try to pack and ship it myself, so that service was a make or break for any deal.

What could be a nicer souvenir than some exquisitely beautiful dishware that we can enjoy every day? I spent time choosing a few items that we were lacking at home.

They gave me the total price for the merchandise, and I asked them to add on the shipping cost to the US. No, they don’t ship. What??!!! After a few minutes of heated discussion in two different languages, they put a phone in my hand. I found myself speaking to a polite woman from a shipping company who offered to come to the shop, boxes in hand, inspect my purchase for an estimate and discuss my concerns.

A few minutes later, she appeared. The boxes were sturdy enough to be used as temporary housing. The price was well within the expected range, and shipping would be by air and handled by FedEx at the receiving end. They would pack it for me. They had shipped many, many delicate items from this very shop without any mishaps. Her office was located in another corner of the market; would I care to complete my purchase and she would help me carry it there? I would. We did. The company is appropriately named Sincerely Shipping. They run a professional operation, communicate extremely well (i.e., answer the phone when you call, show up when they say they will, demonstrate common sense, and follow instructions. Have you ever worked with a shipping or logistics company like that? Me neither, until now.) They packed the dishes before my eyes, lining the box with foam, and separating and supporting everything with pieces of cardboard. I arranged to send the china, the fabrics, and a bunch of other stuff in two boxes for a good price. I’d know in less than a week if it all worked out. If not … I guess I’ll have to go back to Indochina sometime.

Oh, America, watch out. The Asian Tigers are coming, and they are very, very sincere.