the leelawadee flower (known as rangipani in English) has emerged as a theme from my short six-week stay in thailand. a super fragrant flower, it was previously named lan-tom and not grown domestically because it was associated with temples and its name also reminded Thai people of ra-tom, which means sorrow. H.M. Sirinthorn renamed the flower to leelawadee, and since then its popularity has soared among Thais throughout the country.
my leelawadee experiences have included:
1) Going to Leelawadee spa with Karyn, a good friend from TTAG. There I enjoyed a great foot massage and also a Thai-style facial, which involved some sort of honey scrub.
2) Eating at Leelawadee restaurant with Nan and P'Dong around Ramkhamhaeng - super yummy food, live music, and nice Thai-style decor (refer to previous entry).
3) Receiving a Leelawadee Madam Heng gift set (two bars of soap, one shaped in the form of a leelawadee flower) from my mom's seamstress, who i also visit when i come here. This gift set commemorates the King's 80th year on the throne.
All these Leelawadee experiences happened during different weeks of my stay, but constantly reminded me to appreciate the vast amount of natural beauty in gardens (even within the madness of Bangkok).
