convincing an orchid to rebloom

I bought this orchid 3 years ago, when it was blooming beautifully.  Pale green petals, and a deep pink centre.  It bloomed for months, and when it finally quit, I waited patiently for it to bloom again.  I watered it with a quarter cup of water once a week like the books said - but nothing.  I moved it around the room to new locations it might like - nothing.

Then a maintenance man where I work bragged about his wife's reblooming orchids, and let me know the secret:  Once a week, fill the entire pot with water, wait 20 minutes, and then take out the plant in its inner plastic pot and dump out all the water.  I was willing to try anything.

Within 3 weeks, success!

Notice the difference between the air roots (pale green, blunt end) and the flower shoot (shiny dark green, with tiny buds at the end.)

I was pretty excited, but still looking for just the perfect location for the plant.  It was close to a south-facing window, and the leaves burned.  I moved it away from the window, but the leaves pointing away from the light curled up and the leaves facing the light stretched out.  I took it home and put it in an east window - more burned leaves.  I felt like a bad mother.

Then I found the right spot.  With bright indirect light coming from two sides, under a thriving spider plant, atop a shelf that looks like a waiter's arm.  Success!