February 2012
6 posts
September 2009
4 posts
WatchSpotted in Chatuchak Market this past weekend! That’s what I call talent! (And a lot of free time, but makes for great entertainment, and more cups of Thai iced tea sold.)
PS. He’s NOT standing on a lazy-susan.
WatchStreet musicians in Bangkok, most likely from the countryside. Reminds me of NYC, but with more flavor! Kind of like the food here.
August 2009
13 posts
WatchAlong with the live sea urchins, we also had scallops. Hm, they were still equally alive. Snapping their shells open and shut as if they were screaming, sensing their eminent doom on the grill. The scary part is that though they were screaming, no sounds came out. Then, like jerks, we killed them over hot flames while they were still alive, and ate them.
WatchWell, my good friend Danny was an obliging host. I told him that I liked “uni” and he made sure to order some fresh sea urchin for me. I thought it was coming on top of rice. Instead it was still in the shell. I refrained from freaking out, with much sympathy for the poor little critters. Ah, they were still moving and they couldn’t run away. Yes, I did eat some, but being the...
WatchHere’s a closeup of how the Pop Rice machine works. So cool. I would like to have one in my future home. Maybe my dog Bandit can fetch the rice cakes like frisbees as they fly out of the machine.
WatchOn the way to the East coast at a roadside stop, we found this neat machine that makes rice cakes! The arm dispenses some rice into the cavity, which heats up the rice until it explodes out and across the plexiglas box — at seemingly dangerous speeds! These rice cakes are lightly sweetened and a really good car snack (along with walnut cakes).
WatchThis is a walnut cake machine in the Insadong area of Seoul, Korea. Not confined to Seoul, we were able to find another one at a rest stop along the highway going East… The walnut cake vendor starts by putting pieces of walnut into the little cast iron cavities. Meanwhile, the machine squirts batter and red bean paste into the negative of two sides of a walnut shell. Cute…and tasty...
Korea!
Last week, I made a trip to Seoul, Korea to visit my good college buddy Daehyun, or also known as Danny. He helped influence the beginnings of my foodie-ness (along with my good friend Evelin). Pretty much, this was a foodie tour of Korea with super fresh (ahem, live) seafood and lots of different types of makeoli (rice wine) and soju. Thanks Danny!
More than anything, it was nice to visit him...
Yarn
I’ve decided to get off the chronological fixation and just start writing about other stuff. At least the Laos posts are finished!
I’ve gotta say that the Thais are incredibly good at crafting things. I was sitting on the Chulalongkorn University shuttlebus (2 baht a ride!) and noticed the handiwork that someone lovingly crocheted to decorate the windshield.
And, if you look...
“ชาริฅา ปฐมิกากร”
– This is my name in Thai! I am now trying to learn to type in Thai… Searching for the right character is like looking for a needle in a haystack!
Luang Prabang: Day 4, Phouxi
In Luang Phabang, there is a hill called Phouxi. If you climb up all the way, you can get a great view of the town from all angles. Not a terrible climb either! For, at the top, you get a lovely view of this:
On the way to the apex of the hill are several Buddha “stations” though I’m not sure they’re completed related to each other or narrative in any way. The stopping...
Luang Phabang: Day 4, Continued
Here is a testament to the resourcefulness of Southeast Asians. Or maybe all third world countries in general. I once saw a woman grilling in Villa de Leyva, Colombia, stoking the charcoal with a hair dryer as well. But frankly, they have it down pat here for sure.
Second testament to the resourcefulness of Southeast Asians.
Turning something deadly into a vessel to contain life, albeit it...
Vegetarian Confession
Dear Nao,
While in Luang Phabang, I ate meat. On purpose. That’s right. I’m publicizing it here for everyone to read. After more than a decade of being vegetarian, I did it. And boy were these noodles delicious! Super-savory, a little spicy. I believe this is a dish native to northwestern Thailand, but they had it in Luang Phabang.
Now we can go to Joe’s Shanghai in Chinatown...
Luang Prabang: Day 4
And, so here are photos from Luang Prabang, the last stop on our Laos itinerary. Of all the places in Laos that we visited, Luang Prabang was definitely my favorite.
It had a charming French colonial feel to it, thankfully preserved as a Unesco World Heritage site, and a slow, relaxed pace with the Mekong River on one side and the Nam Khan [river] on the other. Sleepy houses painted in muted...
July 2009
9 posts
Vang Vieng: Day 3
Let me preface this by saying school started again and my head is about to explode from too much information. The second Basic Thai Intensive course just started and it’s no joke, hence the slow updating of the trip to Laos. Anyway!
We headed up north to Vang Vieng, which was described in the Lonely Planet Guide as a place you either love or hate, or love to hate. The landscape up there...
Vientiane, Laos: Day 2
The morning before heading to our next destination, we got a chance to hit the major attractions of Vientiane, the first being That Dam.
That Dam is one of the oldest stupas in Vientiane. It may be covered in foliage, but there were definitely some women who were working on weeding it!
And here is Putuxai, Vientiane’s Arche de Triomphe, lovingly described as a “monster of...
Vientiane, Laos
Vientiane, the capital of Laos, is pretty much the first major city once you cross the Friendship bridge. And, though it’s the capital, it’s not really that big. I came to realize that the “big” cities in Laos were actually quaint little towns. Despite this though, there were a surprising number of tourists, even though it’s rainy season in Southeast Asia (I’d...
Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge
We went north for the purpose of going to Laos (though the mellow atmosphere of Nong Khai was really great). So, here’s a shot taken from between countries, with Thailand on the left and Laos on the right, separated by a very muddy Mekong, but connected by the Friendship Bridge.
Sala Kaew Ku
Sala Kaew Ku is a surreal sculpture park, just outside of the town part of Nong Khai, Thailand. Its full of oddball massive sculptures which relate to Buddhism or Hinduism in one way or another. Maybe I didn’t do my research — or because I still can’t read Thai (yet!) — the sculptures are just kinda bizarre.
The unimpressive sign for the park which opens up to an...
Bangkok to Nong Khai
So, after an intensive five weeks of Basic Thai, it was time to get out of the Big Mango and into the countryside, with the arrival of Andy Baker, fresh from the States. This meant a trip to Nong Khai which is in the north eastern part of Thailand. Twelve hours on the overnight train from Bangkok. We had 2nd class tickets for what felt like an air-conditioned, flourescent-light human...
June 2009
28 posts
I like the irony of this slick sign posted on the entrance of the speedy, high-tech Skytrain and the low-tech street vendor carrying baskets on his shoulder. Despite Bangkok’s modernization, some things are just still engrained in the culture here. (They still use the baskets slung on a pole, carried over the shoulder here!) I’m glad for that.
Reclining Buddha at Wat Po
Class is over (for now) and I finally got a chance to go sight-seeing here in Bangkok! Andy came to visit from the other side of the world too, so it’s a perfect opportunity for both of us to see the classic itinerary items on a standard Bangkok tour, and for me to practice my expanded vocabulary, though a taxi driver today told me my Thai wasn’t really clear. Jerk.
First we took...
Movies in Bangkok
(Okay, so I can’t seem to not write. I’m obsessed with documentation, in general!)
Last Sunday, I went to the movies at Maabuunkrong [Mall], otherwise known as “MBK” by foreigners, with some of my classmates to see [Anuban] Dek Khong. This was my first experience seeing a movie in Thailand. I think I understood about 30% and the other 70% was thanks to English subtitles.
...
Inundated!
And, I’m not talking about the rainy season here! It’s the last week of the first Basic Thai Intensive course that I’m taking and they’ve hit us with a barrage of homework early in the week, so that I’m studying at the last minute and haven’t had a chance to update. Argh!
The State Railway of Thailand workers were on strike two days ago! Luckily service has...
Thailand's Next Idol
I hate to say that I’ve been frequenting the mall, but that’s what I’ve been doing every so often after class to partake of mindless wandering and window shopping after having my brain pummeled with new Thai words for five hours a day (five days a week!).
There seemed to be some kind of extravaganzaa yesterday at Siam Discovery featuring young Thai pop singers and an audience...
Tex-Thai-Yuls
Ha, another crazy “thai” pun. Will they ever stop?
I got tired of sleeping in a sleeping bag lining for the past few nights. As a matter of fact, my feet were beginning to feel claustrephobic. So I went to Siam Discovery [Mall] after class and picked up a handwoven cotten blanket. That’s a detail shot that you see there. The pattern is actually quite small. I almost picked up...
My Morning Walk to the Skytrain
Well, not much going on a Monday, so I thought that I would document my morning walk to the Skytrain. Big whoop! But you can also get an idea, even though mundane, of what I get to see on the way.
First of all, let me begin by saying the place I’m staying in is located along Thanon Sukhumvit, a six-lane highway of sorts. Now that I’ve cut my commute time by two-thirds not having to...
Chatuchak Weekend Market
I could have taken more photos, but I think they specifically say, “No Photos” throughout the labyrinthine market. Chatuchak Market is only open on the weekend and attracts hordes of people looking to purchase anything and everything. I have not been able to make rhyme or reason of their organization system, or if they even have one. Here, they sell anything from clothing, to cheap...
Thailand Creative and Design Center
Today, I went to the Thailand Creative and Design Center, located in Phrom Phong, on the 6th floor of the Emporium Shopping mall. They had two interesting exhibitions going on: What’s in My Noodle and Design for Better Eating. You just can’t avoid the topic of food here in Thailand. With all the street food vendors, it’s all food, all the time, even in design exhibitions!
...
http://www.tcdc.or.th/ →
