![Small Steps, Big Progress—Our Café Journey 🚀🌿](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmW1TjiJVT6Lu38rwXQaFeN7AgGsUFdbvQdsLDSbctxYhd/ea69cf426608ff427d4fc0de312b5479ee068a3d.png) # *Hello everyone* *A few days ago, my sister and I went to clean the café once again and waited for some furniture deliveries.* *We had ordered several pieces online and planned to assemble them ourselves.* *While online shopping often offers lower prices, we quickly realized that the quality can be disappointing.* *Unfortunately, many of the items we received felt flimsy and barely usable.* *Some even arrived with missing parts, forcing me to follow up multiple times with customer service—only to receive unsatisfactory responses.* *It was frustrating, and we regretted relying so much on online platforms for such important purchases.* *Luckily, we hadn’t ordered everything online.* *After seeing the poor quality of some items, my sister decided to buy additional furniture directly from a local store, ensuring better durability and craftsmanship.* *It was a lesson learned, and hopefully, the café will start coming together just as we envisioned!* 🛋️☕✨ ![IMG_20250214_083103.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmTB9AzjwHS7R4QYTFSM7Qe5qXD2KvVsHizjcXXBktzHzw/13e8af599c73fcf62713443bccbfc980b3ca9cb8.jpg) *When my sister and I arrived at the café, the two Burmese workers she had hired were already there, ready to help with various tasks.* *They had some basic carpentry skills, which came in handy for the next project—building a wooden bridge leading to the café.* *Since my sister wanted a natural-looking walkway, the workers got to work cutting large bamboo poles to form the bridge’s foundation.* *It was fascinating to watch them skillfully handle the bamboo, turning raw materials into something both functional and beautiful.* 🌿🛠️✨ ![IMG_20250214_155450.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWjJRSs2ZvBgodkieboSARzuvZRittyKDYfcv2WRfHaxm/5e0ee5340c6fe1afd103f28a95656e0ca09de2c0.jpg) *Once the foundation for the bridge was ready, they began digging holes to place the support posts.* *With each step, the structure was slowly coming to life, and it was exciting to see the progress unfold.* 🏗️🌿✨ ![IMG_20250214_153734.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWuLLrRoMqZjFR3p3dgB5cAnF1L2stdjMpsZi7NnLjcSP/5d5a0c465eeab53a409ea31b37cb3e51539ea88a.jpg) ![IMG_20250215_093708.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmZ1HjWrYVraQsPZsMWXNgJpvUdTfW6escRaDd71MNeE7U/7e7df6f10df8b64bc02c4d6a64772da996d44d76.jpg) *By late morning, the bridge had started to take shape.* *What was once just an idea was now turning into a visible structure, making the café feel even closer to completion.* 🌿🌉✨ ![IMG_20250215_093720.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmX3EQbnQr796Vqsq4S43U9wWoCfkiNsuaSt2nNVnu6aMA/65f253fbd9c9b9c7beb159ee2f43c62d11123248.jpg) ![IMG_20250215_140440.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmNWnxJpX2QRZYzKJQDymE9RB6ebXAh2UjsKzHNGiVfvZ8/9d04bc3372eba058f9c93b1895df65d1cb3fe071.jpg) *Meanwhile, my sister and I worked together to assemble a shelving unit.* *Everything was going smoothly—until we realized that some of the screws were missing.* *With no way to complete the assembly, we had to put everything on hold.* *I reached out to the online store’s support team once again to report the issue, hoping for a quick resolution.* *However, this was already the second time I had to follow up, and their response was frustratingly vague—just another request to "wait" with no clear timeline.* *Feeling fed up with the uncertainty, my sister decided to take matters into her own hands and bought the missing screws from a local hardware store instead.* *At least this way, we could get things done without relying on endless delays.* 🔩🛠️😤 ![IMG_20250215_141052.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWLxajDPTRt7hY3J1WwhDszEeW9KfRcceMUA7yqsYeZnk/4abaca27789bad0067709193180f0cd2efc5518c.jpg) ![IMG_20250215_141551.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmbefRD3U9xtUUjbWsGjpoKXmnqhtXeLdKoMqRnwf8EK4k/77900309602c92d37641ba01ef646810d9f40a56.jpg) ![IMG_20250216_114559.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWjBEwWhPyPuzjq5QFspun48bJeUhBUkJfVCC8FJa8xbS/f395253ef2331eb8b6af2d8b723f838f5bac78ea.jpg) ![IMG_20250216_114917.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmSnA4trmxkfvL5zqjxoz2Li1WTJdMPrk23qt4mHDbrRVd/ccafd4b7e3a707a8654d2226cf3c263d6cf3badc.jpg) *We took a break for lunch, enjoying the homemade meals we had packed in the morning.* *Even though the café isn’t far from home, bringing food along was much more convenient than driving back for a midday meal.* *After lunch, we got back to work, arranging potted flowers on tables and in different corners to add a touch of beauty to the space.* *I’ve always loved the view from this café—you can see the mountain ranges of Myanmar from here.* *Unfortunately, much of the landscape has changed, with large-scale construction projects led by Chinese investors taking over the area.* *The dust from the ongoing construction, combined with the persistent haze of PM 2.5 pollution, has made the air heavy and the view less clear.* *With the conditions today, there wasn’t much we could do, but every little step brings us closer to making this café feel warm and inviting.** 🌿☕🏔️ ![IMG_20250216_114928.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmcgjCHeMaSHpmGtioAFnHb1rbAj57y3xKrnV3FL4An6oN/acff6daa9c788f3b39b604b19628709a54cc4f6a.jpg) ![IMG_20250216_114952.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmPsnpVw3FfDuuHCzFKLQSJc8ZUGd9S88eGtgm45rvrfWi/d43df7f5e55196a99288151846d2813a19a6bd88.jpg) ![IMG_20250217_112821.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmeBZZdzreVuAmNyvF68WyDZxS9WnUwxJXAz5wTkutx2GW/4fa745f54b37554ae76e7625a37bc917a372ce3c.jpg) ![IMG_20250218_094127.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmQH1qShrgA2Bk2CpsKv1xSN7Q8hueYAuUJ8y6Y1ose2DP/bde53734e9833e52924a546268422693228532cc.jpg) ![IMG_20250218_094250.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmaymQXA3pu5pBmZmN4MMHGCrrnQzBXGVqgYZJGXrzYVxG/31ce152ccb5ea63ed01263821a7c847fa6506190.jpg) ![IMG_20250218_094253.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmaimr4gJrnGGwuTV5ygTyiXi28HQPp19Efh6QviFHeXvP/d996178c7c49a1671fa9ac5df54bd8df179c9e4f.jpg) ![IMG_20250217_072358.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmYFDVevWavt7PWXVjn3BtEeE7QmHZuJXVEtVzeL2EPjrs/0c1dc6e51277f6c4eb179cf77762f6c51bd923d0.jpg) *The next morning, when my sister and I arrived at the café, the bridge was nearly complete.* *Its support posts were made of sturdy bamboo, while the beams and planks were crafted from eucalyptus wood, which is commonly available in the area.* *Seeing the structure come together so quickly was exciting—it was starting to feel like a real part of the café's charm.* 🌉🌿✨ ![IMG_20250217_102320.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmRhyB4vhnfumdruS9NgoNPLReduxARS8zCF3skAwQj4Et/88fddad6764a113459f036f6180e27e744b944fb.jpg) *With the bridge completed, the next step was to add decorative touches.* *We planted bamboo poles along both sides, creating a perfect spot to hang colorful yarn-woven mobiles.* *These vibrant decorations would bring a lively, cheerful charm to the bridge, making it even more inviting for visitors.* 🌈🌿✨ ![IMG_20250217_102324.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmRR94wwgH7jcroFkCS6BdoRMc5ZPM9rndcTDQHq7nMbfh/9369ace47c959a6772203b8be201f7175ca75147.jpg) ![IMG_20250218_140344.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWr3xFN4PUdJJ4ghWiWAeyg4TxUx8DW5cSRobS3nZtt1D/970b0316bce45a44ad6a13bb1e17039d08820923.jpg) *In the late afternoon, the two Burmese workers brought over the bamboo panels they had been working on for the past few days.* *My sister had asked them to craft these panels to be placed near the bridge, serving both as a signboard for the café and as a picturesque photo spot for visitors.* *Although the café name hadn’t been added yet and the finishing touches were still missing, seeing the panels in place made the space feel one step closer to completion.* 🌿📸✨ ![IMG_20250218_164712.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmTW2Rjr15f2nTi1ersC8vFu5vJtC775k8bMgtFpiVDUMh/33ab6e00123c25bb2d061de7b9e5b7b491ed1437.jpg) *As the sun began to set, I stood back and took in the progress we had made over the past few days.* *The bridge was nearly finished, the bamboo panels were set up, and little by little, the café was coming to life.* *There were still many details to finalize—like adding the café’s name and hanging the colorful yarn mobiles—but those would have to wait until opening day.* *For now, I felt content knowing that each effort, no matter how small, was helping turn this dream into reality.* *Tomorrow would be another busy day, but with every step forward, we were getting closer to creating a beautiful and welcoming space.* ☕🌿✨ https://www.tiktok.com/@beautifulday5335/video/7482245141810498834 _{[🌸 My Achievement 1 post: Greetings from Phuket 🏝️ Thailand 🇹🇭](/@baiboua/achievement-1-greetings-from-phuket-thailand)} *If you enjoyed joining me on this journey, please don’t forget to:* - ***ReSteem** this post if you think your friends would enjoy it too!* 💖😊 - ***Follow** me to stay updated on my next adventures* 🚶‍♀️🌏 - ***Comment** below to share your thoughts or tell me about your own experiences!* ✨ *Sawadee kha!* 🙏💛 @Baiboua