A Thai Cooking Class

One of the great pleasures of living in Chiang Mai is the quality of the food to be found in literally hundreds of little spots around the city. Sarah and I want to make sure that we are able to continue eating this kind of delicious food even after we leave so, with that in mind, we took a full day Thai cooking class last week. It is called Grandma’s Thai Recipes and is run by a lovely woman named Jib (most Thais have nicknames which are nothing like their real names but are much easier for farangs to pronounce). Jib and her family own a restaurant which operates at the Lanna Golf Course just north of Chiang Mai and it was there that we spent the day cooking. Jib only does private lessons so we were the only students that day. She even came to our building to pick us up.

Jib allowed us to choose up to 8 dishes to cook (and afterward eat) so we chose the following: kau tang ta Tang (rice cakes in peanut sauce), som tam (papaya salad), gai pad met mamuang (cashew chicken), kau pad (fried rice), pad preeawan (sweet and sour stir fry), kao soi (yellow curry), tom yum (lemongrass soup) and sticky rice. Some of the other cooking classes are done in a classroom type setting where each student would have his/her own station. However, our lessons took place right in the kitchen of the restaurant on a busy Friday. There were positives and negatives to this arrangement. It was interesting to see the real chefs preparing food for customers but I felt constantly like we were in their way. Nobody seemed to mind our presence though and, like most people we’ve met here, made us feel extremely welcome.

At the risk of hyperbolizing and sounding boastful, I believe that the food we cooked was better than any food that has ever been cooked in history. Of course Jib played a small part in our success by showing us exactly what to do every second of the day. Seriously though, she was a wonderful host and we had a great day. There’s no way we would be able to remember everything she taught us but a detailed recipe book comes as part of the course. The process itself was often fascinating and they even still use an oversized mortar and pestle (I haven’t seen those since grade 10 science class) to grind the various ingredients into paste. Jib was thoughtful enough to tell us we could use a food processor for this procedure back in Canada. She also told us that a Thai kitchen should be noisy so the pounding of the pestle and the smashing of the garlic are just normal noises. 

Six hours is usually a little longer than I like to spend in the kitchen, but on this day it was definitely worth it. 

Until next time…….. 

 Click here to see all the photos from our cooking day.
 Click here for the link to Jib's Cooking Class 

A VISIT TO JEN’S HOUSE - January 5, 2014

Sarah and I made a very special trip today to Jen’s House, located approximately one hour’s drive outside of Chiang Mai. Who is Jen and why was this trip so special? Let me back up a bit to explain.

In December we met Coleen Scott and her husband Bob while visiting with some other farangs (foreigners) on our little laneway in Chiang Mai. Coleen and Bob are from Ottawa and come to Chiang Mai each winter, but their purpose here is much greater and more noble than to simply escape the frigid temperatures of Canada’s capital. It is as much a personal mission as it is an annual holiday. Coleen first came to Thailand in 2001 with her daughter Jenny, and while trekking through the mountains became acquainted with the Karen hill tribe people, an ethnic group living in the mountains of both Myanmar and Thailand. Coleen and Jenny were instantly captivated by the simplicity of their lifestyle and the kindness and love they displayed. They also saw first-hand the challenges faced, in particular the lack of education. Jenny immediately decided she wanted to work with the Karen (this is the Anglicized spelling and the emphasis is on the second syllable).

In 2003 Jenny died tragically, but Coleen somehow summoned the strength to overcome her grief and find a way to capture her daughter’s spirit in the form of Jen’s House. It is a home for 24 girls and boys from the Karen hill tribes who live there while attending school in the local community. The kids are aged 12 to 17 and we were lucky enough to meet many of the students as well as several who have graduated and have gone on to university.  Coleen and Bob received generous donations but also used their personal funds to build the house.

The paragraphs above do not do justice to the entire story but I’m hoping it has provided enough of a history for you to appreciate the compelling reasons for our visit. For much more information please check out this website: www.kleosupportgroup.org

On to our visit. Jen’s House is about as basic a structure as you will find. It is by no means a North American style dormitory with private rooms, comfortable furniture and well-equipped kitchen.  No, the girls all sleep together in one room on simple bunk beds. Actually, the girls mainly use the beds for storage and sleep on the floor. The bathrooms are outside and contain squat toilets and the students must shower using a bucket. The house recently received a donated couch but it’s doubtful that any of us would permit it in our homes given its dilapidated state. While these conditions may sound somewhat primitive, it was all by design. Coleen believed strongly that the students should feel at home and the emphasis is on community and opportunity as opposed to luxury and materialism. Coleen makes it very clear that her goal is not to “save” kids or “improve” their lives. She and the KLEO organization offer the opportunity for these kids to achieve a higher education than they would be able to do within their villages. The hope is that these students will use their education to help preserve and improve the Karen culture.

Sarah and I both felt an incredibly positive energy throughout the day. The kids, although shy, were welcoming and respectful, with the most incredible smiles. They performed their chores, completed their schoolwork, and prepared our lunch (Coleen insists on the kids accepting responsibility), all the while giggling like the most contented children in the world. Once again I am amazed at how happy people can be while having, from a westerner’s materialistic view, so little.

A truly inspiring day.

Click here to see all the photos in the facebook album.

Until next time...

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Our week at the beach.

Sarah had a hankering to experience one of the world famous Thai island beach resorts so we booked a 4 night stay at a beach town named Aonang in the south of Thailand. The most famous of the Thai islands is Phuket but we deliberately avoided it for the very reason of its immense popularity. We took a road slightly less travelled.

We were fortunate enough to have a direct flight of less than two hours from Chiang Mai to Krabi, a town 30 minutes from Aonang. As we were getting off the plane we noticed a bus waiting to take us to the terminal even though it was only a short distance away. I assumed that there must be further terminal to which we would be transported but no; three buses were standing by to drive the passengers 40 yards to the terminal. The bus drove for about 15 seconds and stopped to let us out. I thought it was hilarious.

We found a significant temperature change between Chiang Mai and Aonang. CM had already cooled down quite a bit but while we were away the temperature there plunged to a frigid 12 degrees at night. (stop laughing Canadians). In Aonang the temperatures were in the 30s most of the time and really didn’t become much cooler at night.

Even though the beach at Aonang is not as spectacular as some of the others, it is considered one of the great areas to stay because of the incredible surroundings of spectacular scenery. The mountainous terrain along with the colours of the water confirmed what we had read about the region’s beauty. As well, the beach faced the west so we witnessed a beautiful sunset at 6:10 every night, with cocktail in hand.

One of the highlights of Aonang Beach was the presence of a large group of monkeys at one end. They interacted easily with the humans, feeling comfortable enough to jump on your shoulders if they thought food was available. They frolicked in nearby trees and jumped and swam in a small pool of water. Amazing little creatures. My favourite was the one who, after being handed a piece of watermelon by a beachwalker, went to the stream to wash it off before eating.

Along with the beach area, our resort (Krabi Resort) had a beautiful pool which we also used on several occasions but an unfortunate incident detracted from our enjoyment. A young, willowy, attractive blonde woman (European, no doubt) decided to flaunt custom by sunbathing topless not far from where we were sitting. After asking Sarah to take a picture (for evidence), I complained vociferously to the manager and when nothing was done, I left the pool area in a huff. (there were no other vehicles available) I did return later but only to keep abreast of the poolside activities.

On our third day at Aonang we went on a group tour of several islands and beaches in the area. Approximately 50 of us crowded onto a speedboat and set sail (on a power boat?) for the neighbouring islands. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I won’t bother to describe them but will let Sarah’s photos speak for themselves. One of the smaller beaches is Maya Beach on the island of Koh Phi Phi (pronounced “pee pee”, insert your own joke here) where Leonardo Dicaprio’s movie The Beach was filmed. It certainly was an amazing area but packed full of boats and people. Sarah and I did our first ever snorkelling on this tour and got to see some beautiful coral and species of fish.

During the week we met people from Holland, Sweden, Russia, India, South Korea, Malaysia, and Brunei. All of them spoke very good English which certainly reinforces the fact that English is the closest thing we have to an international language. I feel a little embarrassed that I can only offer a few memorized phrases in a couple of other languages but I guess that’s what happens when you spend most of your life in southern Ontario. The gentleman from Brunei was extremely outgoing and very funny, advising the young newlyweds from India how to make their marriage succeed. He himself complained that he hadn’t realized his marriage certificate came without an expiry date and he’d been attached for 36 years. He was the life of the party and I dubbed hi m the Sultan of Brunei which seemed to delight him. He gave us his business card and, to no one’s surprise, he is employed in sales.

All in all, we had a great trip and would highly recommend it to anyone. The Thai islands certainly lived up to their reputation.

And now for some links. Click here to see more photos.
This is a video of the monkey on Mike's shoulder. 
This is a video of the monkeys playing. One little guy washes his watermelon before eating it.

Until next time……….. 

Skating in Chiang Mai

Even though ice hockey is played year round in parts of Canada, skating in 28 degree weather still seems abnormal to me. However, when our friend Shelley arranged a skating date at the Central Festival Mall which just opened three weeks ago here in Chiang Mai, we dutifully signed up. So six of us headed off to the Mall for our experience.

Naturally we had not brought skates with us to Thailand but we were able to rent them at the facility. They really weren’t bad either. The same can’t be said of the ice. The surface had many cracks and even though it had just been flooded, there was not a hint of smooth ice. That, as it turns out, was only a minor hazard to our health. The major danger came from the many first-time skaters, mainly, but not exclusively, Thais, whose enthusiasm outweighed their common sense. Balancing oneself on two narrow blades is not as easy as Canadians make it appear. People were dropping all over the ice surface and, had they done it gracefully, they might have been forgiven. However, such was not the case. In falling, the arms and the legs flew through the air, endangering all who happened to be in the vicinity. At first my instinct was to reach out and try to prevent the fall but I quickly realized the foolhardiness of those actions. So I let them fall. Discretion is the better part of valour.

In truth, it was a lot of fun and the ice surface was actually better than the last one I skated on, the Rideau Canal about four years ago. I loved watching the faces of the Thais who fearlessly attempted to skate and after every spill got up and tried again. If I had fallen just once I’d probably have been taking a trip to the nearest hospital. Ah, the glory of youth. But once again it struck me that the strict safety rules that we take for granted in North America are pretty much ignored in other parts of the world. There were far too many people on the ice for its size, and we only saw one person wearing a protective helmet.

The best line came from one of our friends from Egypt who commented on Facebook: “You Canadians. Finding ice wherever you go in the world.”

Until next time …..

Loy Krathong / Yee Peng Lantern Festival

Here is a link to see all the photos taken this weekend: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10201035818280932.1073741841.1331881912&type=1&l=95f6b0b504

Here is a link to see a video of the dancing animal from the parade - the video was taken in Pai:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_jZasA9Otc&feature=em-upload_owner#action=share

Here is a link to see the video of the "war zone" sounds from the river Krathong launch:  http://youtu.be/TbfopInpKK4

This is a link to a video from someone who went to the massive lantern launch in Mae Jo - I did not take it, but it's pretty cool. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weA6qiotpWs

Until next time ....  

Happy Birthday To Me!

On November 14th, I turned 39. I started my day bright and early for a jog around the moat. I have to go early because it's just too hot later in the morning and the traffic is a little better then too. I talked to Brianna when I got home for a bit. She taught me how to take a screen shot on my phone! At 10:00 we went to do some volunteer work at the school (Chiang Mai International School). Mike and I each have a little one to help out with in Grade 1 for a class and then after Mike goes to grade 4 and I go to grade 5 for one class. After lunch we went to Starbucks for coffee. They have their Christmas decorations out already and I love the Christmas music. 
Mike organized a little birthday dinner for me at The Riverside restaurant with some friends. I had a blast! The best bartender in Chiang Mai (according to his co-worker) made us a pitcher of margaritas that were delicious. The food was great too. Because the Loy Krathong, Yee Peng Festival was only 2 days away there were people out and about along the river setting of fireworks and sending lanterns into the air. There was a real excitement in the atmosphere. 
Our friend Karen has a part in the movie that they are filming in Chiang Mai called The Coup. It stars Owen Wilson. AND Owen Wilson came into the restaurant while we were there! But I didn't see him. (Angela and I looked on all 3 floors.) Apparently it was too crowded and he ended up at the restaurant next door instead. Karen later went and saw him. How cool is that?! 
Our good friend Shelley brought me a lantern! After dinner, we found a clearing and set off our first lantern with Shelley's good instructions. (I was a little nervous - if it doesn't go up or gets caught in a tree, it's bad luck for LIFE - I didn't want anything bad to happen on my birthday of all days.) Shelley recorded a video for us and I have attached a one minute portion link below for you to see. After the lantern we went to a few bars and dance places and had lots of fun. It was a really good birthday. The first time I've been out until 3AM in a really long time.  

http://youtu.be/zw6DVjAIAG4  - This is the youtube link for our lantern release.

Coming up next some photos from the Lantern Festival ...