Just before Christmas, dozens of street kids gathered for a party, organized by Mercy Centre and fellow NGO members of the Bangkok Street Children Network.

เรียน ผู้ใหญ่ใจดีทุกท่าน

ในปี 2554 พวกเราโชคดีที่มีเพื่อนใจดีแบบท่าน และครอบครัวที่อบอุ่น เด็ก 200 คนที่อาศัยอยู่ในบ้านเมอร์ซี่ เป็นเสมือนครอบครัวเดียวกันที่เต็มเปี่ยมไปด้วยความรัก และความสุขที่เพิ่มขึ้นทุกวัน

Back when the world was much younger, but still quite a while after the Bible began, our ancestors celebrated Christmas – the Birth of Jesus – each year, when the darkness of winter stopped - and the light began to come back.

December 13, 2011 - For the third consecutive year, HRH Princess Srirasmi visited our Mercy Centre to celebrate her birthday with our Mercy children. From the moment she arrived, her joy for our children filled our Mercy Centre and the world around us.

Last week our Mercy girls shined in a concert held at the New International School of Bangkok that showcased their skills and passions in the performing arts – in songs, folk dances, piano recitals, and popular show tunes.

She's never been in a shopping mall, never owned a pair of shoes. She never found them necessary – even when working construction, flip-flops were fine. Granny Pot mentioned once that her own mother who worked as hired help in the rice fields before taking construction jobs in Bangkok never had shoes either. Granny said she'd look funny wearing them. Feet were important, not shoes.

So when her three granddaughters told Granny this year that all first, third and fourth graders must wear shoes to school, the old woman was mystified. The whole business of mastering left foot, right foot alone! She threw up her hands.

But dear goodness, Granny's daughter Ms Oey is another story! She loves shoes – even owns a bright red pair. Granny called her utterly shameless when she saw those. And Ms Oey said, "Mama, I might not be a good girl, but I ain't shameless!"

Ms Oey is Granny's youngest. Her elder sister comes once a year to visit, always bringing Granny a new pair of flip-flops and a bag of that expensive sweet-smelling rice.