Karen Village Visit

As part of my tour of Thailand, we spent a day in a Karen village in Thong Pha Phum (close to the Kanchanaburi area). The Karen people are Tibetan in descent and live in both Burma and Thailand. In Thailand, they constitute the largest of the hill tribes. Although I couldn't understand their language, they appeared to be a kind, gracious tribe, eager to give foreigners a taste of their daily life and customs.

Like many tribes, the Karen women use the universal art forms of song and dance to tell traditional stories. The one we watched was a love story.

After the dance, we played games with the village kids (the good ol' Hokey Pokey never fails to entertain), and distributed fruit and drinks that we had bought from a market earlier in the day. The children were so well-mannered; they always said "thank you" both before and after taking the fruit. It brought a smile to my face when I saw how happy they were.

I think we could all benefit from practicing how to communicate with children. Even if you and the child speak the same language, the child will still be limited in terms of vocabulary, comprehension, and social cues. Consequently, we have to choose our words and gestures carefully to allow them to understand. We also have to really listen to what they're saying, and also what they're not saying, since their non-verbal signals can often clue us into their thought process. Maybe we adults can learn to be better listeners if we just pay more attention to the other person.

Next, one of the village women demonstrated the rice-making process. The rice is pounded repeatedly in a large stone bowl to loosen the husks from the grains. See the wooden contraption in the photo below? The woman stands on the far end of the wooden beam and uses her foot to push the lever up and down to pound the rice. It looked like quite a workout!

Then the woman collects the rice into a circular straw basket and sifts out the husks by tossing the rice into the air. The heavier husks fall to the ground (where they are quickly devoured by the village chickens), while the lighter grains fall back into the basket.

Trust me, this is much harder than it looks.

And finally, the women prepared a lovely lunch for us. This was one of my most memorable meals while traveling. It was just a nice reminder that simple homemade food can still be delicious. No fancy kitchen or expensive ingredients, but still an incredible meal with flavors that can only be found in these little villages tucked away in the Thai forests.

Our delicious lunch

A light broth with vermicelli, pork, and cilantro

Fried papaya - crispy and sweet

Fresh veggies right from the hills!

Corn cobs and fresh fruit for dessert

As cheesy as it sounds, traveling to these village areas really made me appreciate how "luxurious" my life is in the States. Even with "basic" things that we might not think about - like hot running water, flushing toilets, television, cars, education - these villagers may never have a chance to experience them. But from what I can tell, they are still leading good lives. Maybe we don't really need that much to be happy.

Bangkok Delicious

The first of my Thailand posts! I spent the longest time in this country on my Southeast Asia trip, and the cuisine here was by far the most memorable. In fact, I've steered clear of eating Thai food ever since I returned to the States, because it's just not going to taste the same. Kind of like how I went on a ramen hiatus after studying in Japan and avoided gelato upon my return from Venice. You just need to give your taste buds some time to forget how good they had it.

I traveled with a lovely tour group from Intrepid, but also booked a couple extra days in Bangkok so I could explore the city on my own. So, with the help of a hotel map, some friendly locals, and a curious stomach, I set out to see and taste what Bangkok had to offer.

A good day begins with a good breakfast, and the buffet at Viengtai Hotel was a great way to wake up. Scrambled eggs, sausage links, ham slices, french toast with honey, fresh fruit, and pad thai. Yup, pad thai for breakfast! And of course, endless cups of coffee and pineapple juice.

With a satsified stomach and a boost of morning energy, I started to wander around the area. Luckily, my hotel was only a short distance from many tourist attractions, including the Standing Buddha and the Temple of the Reclining Buddha.

Constructed by King Rama IV in the mid-1800s, the Standing Buddha was an astonishing height of over 100 feet. I was happy to see a roughly equal number of tourists and local Thais paying respects here.

The Temple of the Reclining Buddha had a similarly impressive statute of Buddha, about 150 feet long and 50 feet high, reclining on his side with his head propped up on one of his hands. His facial expression was intensely peaceful and was meant to capture his passage into nirvana. The temple grounds contained over 1000 images of Buddha, along with colorful spires and marble slabs.

I wouldn't mind living in one of these pretty spaces.

My favorite place in Bangkok, however, was the Grand Palace, a large complex of gorgeous buildings that served as the royal residence from the 18th century to the mid-20th century. I loved the architecture, which mixed Thai and European styles.

The Grand Palace

With so much sightseeing, my stomach was always growling pitifully by lunchtime. My hotel was also a block away from the famous Khao San Road, where tourists flocked to enjoy the numerous restaurants, bars, and street shopping.

This was a yummy green chicken curry I ordered at a restaurant on Khao San Road. It had the perfect blend of spicy green chili, sweet coconut milk, and fragrant basil. I love spicy food but unfortunately I often have to keep putting out the fire in my mouth. And what better way to do that than with ...

... a nice cold Singha beer!

While walking around during the day could get tiring, I never went hungry, thanks to the street food vendors who always seemed to appear when I was craving a quick and cheap snack. Or maybe it was just that every time I saw them, I immediately got hungry. A whiff or two of the tantalizing scents, and I was in line forking over baht for my street food and discarding my mother's warning of food poisoning.

Take your pick of noodles!

Finished pad thai - cheap and delicious!

These meat skewers were so tasty that I had at least one per day.

I wanted to get a bird's eye view of Bangkok, so I spent some time one day tracking down Breeze Restaurant in the State Tower. The open-air dining area had breathtaking views of the city, along with a spectacular glass Sky Bridge.

Dinner was always a good time to wind down with more great food, look through the ridiculous number of photos from the day, and reflect in only the way that travelers can.

Chicken fried rice

Pad see yew with chicken

And for dessert ... fresh sweet mango with sticky rice! The sticky rice, a.k.a. Thai sweet rice, is bathed in coconut milk and goes well with the sweetness of the mango slices.

Stay tuned for more entries about Thailand!

Bali Top 10

As part of my Southeast Asia trip, I spent a weekend on the little Indonesian island of Bali. It was sufficient to give me a taste of paradise and left me wishing I had allotted more time to explore the area. Here's my top ten list for the island:

1. Gorgeous beaches

Just postcard perfect!

2. Beach-side dining

3. Refreshing tropical cocktails

4. Great variety of food

5. Afternoon milkshakes

6. Temple visits

7. Colorful flowers

8. Ku De Ta - An amazing open-air restaurant and lounge set on the beach
with a stunning view of the Indian Ocean and yummy fusion cuisine.

Feels like a spring break party

Miso Alaskan Black Code "Nobu Style"
pickled daikon, asparagus, shitake mushrooms, lotus root, shiso dressing

9. Kecak dance - A traditional form of Balinese musical drama. Performers act out folk tales while a circle of men chant a chorus.

10. And finally ... beautiful sunsets to end your day

Singapore Slings And Other Treats

My sincere apologies for the blogging hiatus. After slaving through the bar examination, I packed my bags and made my way to Southeast Asia, in an attempt to clear my head of legalese and celebrate with plenty of sunshine, tourist traps, local food, and of course, beer. Copious amounts of beer.

I stopped by Singapore to visit my friend Amy who had recently moved to the island for work, thus ending our notable streak of merrymaking in the Sunshine State. But at least it gave me one more excuse to add Singapore to my itinerary. The country is really a melting pot of many cultures, which makes it a fascinating place for tourists because they can experience the colors, flavors, and traditions of different ethnic groups within a fairly small area. You can start off your day in the busy Chinatown district, have lunch on Arab Street, and then top off your night by wandering around Little India. It's multi-cultural heaven.

So it was no surprise that the local food reflected the influence of many different ethnicities. Among other specialties, Singapore is known for its chili crabs, roti prata (Indian flatbread), laksa (rice noodles in a broth of coconut milk and spices), and kaya (a jam made from eggs, sugar, and cocount milk).

Another local favorite - Hainan chicken rice

This was my favorite dish from all my meals in Singapore. Originating from the Hainan Island of China, it simply features chicken poached in a broth of ginger, garlic, and chicken fat. Sounds simple enough, yet most of the ones I've tried in the States were too dry and chewy to leave much of a good impression. But the little dish of chicken pictured above had meat that was wonderfully smooth, tender, and juicy. Hurrah!

I had several of my meals at "hawker centers" - food centers with stall after stall of cheap local fare. Hawker centers are found in all of Singapore's residential districts, and there are over 120 total on the island. Pictured above - egg noodles (the same kind used in wonton noodle soup) with Chinese barbecued pork.

Like a good tourist, I made sure to check out the famous Raffles Hotel. Sir Stamford Raffles was a British administrator who founded the modern Singapore in the 1800s. The Hotel was named after Raffles and opened in 1887, making it the oldest hotel in the country. The Hotel became a national monument in 1987 and reopened after restoration in 1991, and is now both a gorgeous hotel and dine-and-shop spot. The Singapore Sling cocktail originated from the hotel's Long Bar.

A golden afternoon with tea and tiramisu at Ah Teng's Bakery in the hotel

And while we're on the subject of desserts...

Mango pudding with sago (a starch similar to tapioca), mango slices, pomelo,
and mango ice cream. Absolutely perfect.

Aside from the food and ethnic districts, there are lots of other touristy attractions in Singapore, including the numerous museums, the award-winning Singapore Zoo (Inuka the polar bear is awesome), and the beautiful Singapore River.

The National Museum of Singapore
Gorgeous architecture and a redefinition of the museum experience

Overall, a great country to explore for a week, and I definitely wouldn't mind coming back! Stay tuned for photos from Bali!

Goodies at the Ferry Building

At 5 p.m. on July 31, I officially finished the California bar examination. It was the longest and most difficult test I've ever taken, with six-hour sessions for three days, so I was incredibly relieved when it was over.

And what better way to relax and make up for stress-induced weight loss than a visit to the Ferry Building!

Thankfully it was a nice day...

Oyster shooters | San Francisco Fish Company
These bad boys were so huge and fresh that they put their companions at Hog Island to shame.

The sight of fresh fruit always makes my day a little brighter.

Good times at Cowgirl Creamery

Clam chowder, smoked salmon sandwich, and Sapporo on tap | Ferry Plaza Seafood

And for dessert...

S'Mores Chocolates | Recchiuti Confections
Vanilla bean marshmallow, graham cracker, and bittersweet chocolate

I'll be on a three-week hiatus as I travel through Southeast Asia for my post-bar trip. Check back then for photos of pad thai and singapore slings!