Lpc2000

I'm back on my I2C problems since I was pulled off the project for a
month or so.  I'm still having some problems.  The problem I thought
was I was trying to address a 5V RAM instead of a 3.3V RAM.  I have
now a couple of ATMEL 256K serial RAM - 2.7V to 5V.  I am still having
trouble with understanding the status of the I2C bus.  It appears I am
getting the correct status, but even when the RAM is disconnected.  I
'assume' from the status that those come from the I2C bus (LPC) and
not the RAM chip itself.  How do I know that the RAM has sent back an
ACK?  Does the new status on the bus indicate that it has?  Here is
how my code looks based on writing a 0x77 and reading back from an
arbitrary address (0x01FFF):

I2C0CONSET = 0x20;    // Issue Start
(status responds with 0x08)
I2C0DAT = 0xA1;       // Issue a write command to RAM
I2C0CONSET = 0x04;    // Set AA bit for ACK
I2C0CONCLR = 0x28;    // Clear STA and SI flags
(status responds with 0x18)
I2C0DAT = 0x1F;       // MSB
I2C0CONSET = 0x04;    // Set AA bit for ACK
I2C0CONCLR = 0x08;    // Clear SI flag
(status responds with 0x28)
I2C0DAT = 0xFF;       // LSB
I2C0CONSET = 0x04;    // Set AA bit for ACK
I2C0CONCLR = 0x08;    // Clear SI flag
(status responds with 0x28)
I2C0DAT = 0x77;       // Write Byte of 0x77
I2C0CONSET = 0x04;    // Set AA bit for ACK
I2C0CONCLR = 0x08;    // Clear SI flag
(status responds with 0x28)
I2C0CONSET = 0x14;    // Issue a STOP
I2C0CONCLR = 0x08;    // Clear SI flag

If I follow this with a Read Sequence, I get correct status, but an
'A1', which incidentally coincides with the Chip ID + WRI.  Again, the
'A1' is read whether or not I have the RAM actually connected.  Any
ideas on what I am missing?  I am using an Embedded Artists prototype
board for this code.  It is also not clear to me how I know if each
step listed above is actually accepted by the RAM chip.  Thanks.

Sutton