Ayutthaya New Year

Ayutthaya, Thailand
Thursday, December 31, 2009

We'd been at our new guest house here in Ayutthaya about five minutes when the friendly Australian fellow who seemed to be "manning" the front desk in the owner's temporary absence announced that there was to be a New Year's Party this afternoon/evening. Did we want to join in?

It was a kind of international potluck affair with cooks converging on the guest house's kitchen from all over Europe (Italy, France, Germany, Holland, the Czech Republic...) and Australia. Frank and I were the only Americans there--and our culinary contributions were purely financial.

The food was excellent, the company very interesting, and, in keeping with our own New Year's tradition, we were in bed by 10:00pm.

My favorite dishes were the Tahitian fish salad prepared by the French couple (merci, Marie et Cedric!) and the Thai fish cakes.

Happy New Year!

Picture: those are squid/cuttlefish? skewers destined for the grill...

The gods eat well around here

Ayutthaya, Thailand

Thursday, December 31, 2009

We have arrived in our new guest house here in Ayutthaya on this last day of the year. The place was in a flurry of activity when we arrived (at 7am from the night train), the proprietress having just returned from the temple with garlands and other flowers for the shrine at the guest house. Then a feast was laid out at the base of the shrine, each item adorned with a pink incense stick, ostensibly to attract the attention of the gods.

Thomas roars to life

Ayutthaya, Thailand

Thursday, December 31, 2009

To say that A is a big fan of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends would have to be the understatement of the month. A is a big, big fan. She has dragged her three "Thomas" books all over Thailand in the last weeks.

But I love trains, too.

So, we planned an overnight train from Chiang Mai in northern Thailand to Ayutthaya, the old Siamese capital, which is located just north of Bangkok. We tried ahead of time to prepare A for the 12-hour trip--yes, we'd be eating on the train, and sleeping there, too.

Arriving at the station in Chiang Mai I was a bit unnerved by the sight (& smell) of diesel smoke belching out of each passenger car (the air-conditioning in each car runs on a separately fueled system, I think). The heat and smoke from the diesel made us hurry onto the train with less time for inspecting "Thomas" than I had originally hoped.

The train left the station just before 6pm and darkness here falls by 7pm or so. But that was time enough to watch some of the lush Thai countryside roll by, eat dinner served in our compartment (yes, it was tasty), and settle in. A was asleep far earlier than usual, rocked to sleep by the motion of the train.

I will confess to having expected something a bit more elegant (we had a first class sleeper cabin), but what we got was gray, spartan, and dirty. I think my experience with first class sleepers in China in the 1980's made me expect something quite different. Lace curtains and velvet-covered seats--or something.

But all of that mattered not to A: a ride with Thomas at last!

Self portrait

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Saw it. Liked it.

Wat Chiang Man

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Another day, another stunning wat here in Chiang Mai. I happened on it by accident while searching for a grocery store and recognized it as Wat Chiang Man because of another drawing by A's monk friend (see right).

A chance to paint

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Tuesday, December 29, 2009

In our early morning walks through Chiang Mai, we got to know (if but briefly) a monk at a nearby temple. Originally from Laos, he came to Thailand to study at the big Buddhist university here. A took a big liking to him and wanted to return to read Thomas the Tank Engine to him. He explained to me that he had started painting in high school in Laos, but had never a chance to study painting more formally until he reached Thailand two years ago. Here is his latest painting, still in progress.

The giant catfish of Buak Hat Park

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Monday, December 28, 2009

It wasn't too long after we arrived in Chiang Mai that good papa Frank located a lovely park for A to play in. We've been several times and A is a big fan of the imitation Thomas the Tank Engine swing.

But the real sleeper hit of this park is the fun one can have with a bag of fish food which are for sale at the park. Below the surface of the water one notices goldfish and other fish swimming about. But drop some of this magic fish food in the water and up from the deep (?) come some pretty scary-looking catfish. Giant creatures with big yawning maws--and look at the whiskers? antennae? on these fellows!

Panda coffee

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Monday, December 28, 2009

Ordered a latte at the local version of Starbucks (Wawee coffee) this morning and to my surprise, this is what arrived.

Both tacky and wonderful, international coffee culture lives!

Night market eye candy

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Sunday, December 27, 2009

It seems that our guest house is located in the middle of a neighborhood that turns into an evening market every Sunday evening. Starting at about 5pm, all the streets surrounding our guest house are closed to traffic and fill with food stalls and vendors of every kind. Lots of cheap trinkets but also some wonderful local goods (fabric, clothing, etc) are for sale.

And then there are the food stalls.

1) Noodles on massive banana leaves
2) Chinese-style dim sum
3) Bamboo stuffed with sticky rice
4) Roasted bananas
5) Dessert selection

Chedi moon

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Sunday, December 27, 2009

A is in the middle of a very busy language acquisition phase, and boy, is it exciting. So, we're wandering along on our way through the streets of Chiang Mai when A swings her little arm skyward and shouts "Look! Moon over chedi!"

Chedi? Have you really had time to learn that word already?

Incidentally, A has a particular fascination with the moon these days. Every morning (or evening) when she spots the moon outside the window, she asks "Moon just get up?" The other day I found her standing at the window trying to feed her breakfast to the moon...

Unexpected marathon

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Two days ago Frank spotted a poster with the words "Chiang Mai Marathon" on it. The rest of the poster was in Thai. But there was a web address, too. Further investigation revealed that the marathon was being held today. Frank amazed me by signing up for the marathon--and completing it in a very decent time (considering what little training he has had time for lately). They started running in the dark at 4:00 am. A and I had lots of fun waiting for him at the finish line.

Frank comments: People have told me how surprised they are that I was able to do a marathon without training for it. I credit my success to mixing running and walking (in this case 4 minutes running followed by 1 minute walking, from the beginning). Jeff Galloway's book Marathon: You Can Do It! includes a testamonial from a man who never had run farther than 8 miles in his life and who on a whim signed up to run a marathon to see how far he would get before giving up. He joined up with a pace group that was using the run/walk method, and he completed the marathon in just under 5 hours. I figured if it worked for him it would work for me, and I set myself the goal of completing in just under 5 hours. I think I was spot on; I run with a Garmin GPS device and according to it the course was more than a kilometer short. If the course had been the full 42.195 kilometers, I would have finished in exactly 5 hours.

Wat Central

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Saturday, December 26, 2009

Wat Phan An is just around the corner from our guest house. The golden chedi is truly lovely, in all different kinds of light throughout the day. The main building is also quite spectacular.

Wat Phra Singh

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Christmas Day 2009

Chiang Mai is a city of many, many wats (or temples). While out for a stroll this evening, we wandered into this one and found a service (or lesson?) in progress. Most of the "audience" appeared quite young--probably novices and not yet monks. I realize I have a few things to learn about Buddhism...

Fanta rouge

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Christmas Day 2009

Frank reports that one of his earliest childhood memories (from when he was three) was his great fondness for “Fanta rouge” (or red Fanta) when his family lived in French Guyana in 1964. This evening when he caught sight of an offering of red Fantas at a shrine adjacent to our café, he suddenly felt obliged to have one for old time’s sake. From French Guyana to Northern Thailand—with 45 years in between red Fantas. Frank reports that the taste provoked at least a memory or two.

What's amazing to me is that they still make the stuff!

Point & order

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Christmas Day 2009

It's Christmas morning and we thought we’d pass on the overpriced “Christmas breakfast buffet” at the hotel. We wandered around until we found a simple but immaculate café. Language barriers make ordering a bit tricky, but pointing to the best of our ability yielded this tasty breakfast. To get a bit more into the spirit of the day, we followed this food with coffee and a pastry from a nearby bakery.

Chiang Mai Christmas Eve

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Thursday, December 24, 2009

At last we have escaped the big city (Bangkok) for the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai. After settling into our hotel, we headed out to find something to eat. We were delighted when A consented for the first time since we got to Thailand to try some street food. (It’s been yogurt and bananas for a week.)

On our swing back through the hotel lobby, we ran into Santa and his two helpers. Athena’s comment: “A lady Santa?”

Merry Christmas from Chiang Mai!

Donut cheese burger

Bangkok, Thailand
Wednesday, December 23, 2009

In general, Frank is a pretty easy-going guy, but he gets mad every time we pass this sign around the corner from our hotel. Donut cheese burger?? Frank is offended by the thought of such a terrible thing in a city with so much excellent food. And besides, it’s $9 US!

Frank’s not sure he can imagine anything more disgusting. And yes, those appear to be olives on the top.

More tropical fruit

Bangkok, Thailand
Wednesday, December 23, 2009

As the days go by, we’ve had time to sample more of Thailand’s tropical fruit selection. Wow, such wondrous diversity! The taste of jack fruit continues to grow on me—it’s about 18 inches long and wonderfully complex on the inside. It’s the orangish-yellow sections that one can eat. Dragon fruit has a crisp white fruit with tiny black seeds and is interesting to look at, but there’s not too much flavor there.





Top picture: opened jack fruit
Bottom picture: mangos & dragon fruit

Soft serve & green papaya salad

Bangkok, Thailand
Tuesday, December 22, 2009

In some desperation to find a place to let A run around, we ended up at Bangkok’s giant MBK mall this afternoon. Not a wide open mall in the conventional American style, it’s more of a warren that goes on for floors and floors. While chasing A up and down, I decided to get some soft serve ice cream at KFC. (Shocking, I know!) But then, on one of the top floors of the mall, I spotted an old familiar sight: shredded green papaya. My lips are still burning from the memory of this plate of green papaya salad. This dish is not for everyone (shredded green papaya, peanuts, fish sauce, chili peppers, crushed garlic, tiny dried shrimp, and tomatoes) but it is one of my all-time favorites. The only thing is, I should have waited to have the ice cream AFTERWARDS to put out the fire!

Wat Pho

Bangkok, Thailand

Monday, December 21, 2009

We finally got out today to see one of Bangkok's stunning wats (or temples): Wat Pho. The reclining buddha is enormous (about 165 feet/46 meters long and 48 feet/15 meters high) and the stupa or chedi are really quite fantastic as well. Don't miss it!

Medical Disneyland

Bangkok, Thailand
Sunday, December 20, 2009

Need gastric bypass surgery? How about laser eye surgery? Going to have a baby? Newest cancer treatment? Sleep disorders? Yes, you've come to the right place: Bangkok's Bumrungrad Hospital. And on the next floor...

Somewhere between a Medical Disneyland and a Medical Mecca, this place is a glittering mélange of peoples from all over Asia, Africa and the Middle East: all are coming to visit this font of medical knowledge and service. All of this doesn't come cheap, but it's certainly less expensive, closer, and more accessible than most that the West has to offer. Hey, even the Peace Corps sends its Volunteers here from all over Asia for medical treatment.

Ever been to Disneyland? At times I found myself expecting the staff to burst into a chorus of "It's a small world"...

The hospital menus choices come in "Oriental", "Western" and "Halal" (that's the Muslim version of Kosher). Translators are available for non-English speakers--most of the doctors and nurses speak good English. There are roses in the bathrooms, and those wonderfully old-fashioned nurses' hats ordain many of the nurses. There's a big ol' Starbucks in the main lobby and a strategically placed Christmas tree or two. The children's play areas are great and watching the huge pharmacy in action behind a wall of glass is something out Charlie and the Chocolate Factory...

Oh, and the electronic signs in the cashier's area flash alternately in Thai, Japanese, English and Arabic.

Lest you think I am being facetious or disrespectful, I am not. We came to Bangkok specifically to consult with doctors at Bumrungrad. But once you actually get here, the impressive nature of the place sort of overwhelms you.

Bumrungrad is the second stop on our informal Asian Hospital Tour. Although the overnight stays were not part of our original itinerary, we are happy to report that our "personalized" tour of the hospital went well. The doctors, nurses and general level of care were excellent and the place itself a fascinating experience.

We're back "home" at our hotel here in Bangkok, but my head is still spinning from impressions of the place...

No establishment of any kind in Bangkok seems to be without its own small shrine. Bumrungrad is no exception.

It's not an orange, a banana, or an apple

Bangkok, Thailand
Sunday, December 20, 2009

Mangos! Rambutan! Tamarind! Sopadillas! Sopadillas?

For weeks, Frank and I have been dreaming of fruit, the tropical fruit we hoped to find in Thailand. Ulaanbaatar is not a place where fruit is readily available. Yes, you can buy it at outrageous prices, but apples, bananas and oranges are really the only semi-reasonable options. I did spot some strawberries the other day but where they came from or how much they might have cost, I really did not want to know.

At last we have reached it--fruit heaven! Ah, frigid UB seems a million miles away...

Bangkok 7-Eleven

Bangkok, Thailand

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Within a 100-meter radius of our hotel I have already spotted five 7-Elevens. I think that must be a higher concentration than even Starbucks stores in Seattle.

Frank's initial theory was that this ubiquity is a sign that we're in a heavily touristed neighborhood --which we are. But then I was reminded of my time in Taiwan 20 years ago when 7-Elevens were EVERYWHERE and served as sort of mini-grocery stores. Albeit not in a run-down American neighborhood sort of way. Frank might still be right, of course, but we haven't yet had a chance to compare neighborhoods.

Our thus far rather hectic time in Bangkok has given me more than several occasions to observe these institutions, and I have come to the conclusion that one could do a sort of world-wide 7-Eleven sociological case study. That is, one could learn quite a bit about a culture based on the items to be found for sale in 7-Elevens around the world. (Kind of like comparing menu items at McDonalds around the world.)

Quick. Think of three items that come to mind when you think of an American 7-Eleven. Cheap bad coffee? Hot dogs? Hostess?

Here in Bangkok a few items that stand out are yes, lots of ready-to-eat packaged food, but also hot sauces galore, noodles, books, and beer.

I'll leave the rest to the sociologists.

A inspects the goods.

Outrageously pink taxis

Bangkok, Thailand
Friday, December 18, 2009

Okay, in my first 2 days in Bangkok I have only seen one stretch of road: that which leads from our hotel to the hospital--and back again. I guess it's not too surprising that my first major impression of this city is the traffic. Wow. From our hotel window I can see the cars sitting on the highways during rush hour. Ironically, it's safer to cross the street during rush hour because the cars don't actually move. But it's the pink taxis which really stand out. They come in a variety of other electric colors as well...

Temperature shock

Bangkok, Thailand
Wednesday, December 16, 2009

When we left Ulaanbaatar this morning it was -31 °F (-35 °C). When we arrived in Bangkok, it was 85 °F (30 °C). I can promise you that that is the single largest temperature difference I have ever experienced in a day. Yes, folks, that's a difference of 116 °F!

How to prepare for both extremes had been a topic of discussion for some days at the dinner table. We were all packed and ready to go when I found myself racing back into the bedroom to put on my new wool long johns. Visions of getting stranded on the road to the Ulaanbaatar airport in the frigid temperatures finally overwhelmed my vision of tropical temperatures in Bangkok.

Turns out to have been a good idea--the race from our car to the terminal and two hours in the chilly airport made all those clothes a very good decision. Yes, we should all don our long johns on the way to Thailand...

Airplane friends

Bangkok, Thailand

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

The highlight of today's trip from Ulaanbaatar to Bangkok was our 5-hour layover at Seoul's Incheon Airport. Certainly the airport's play areas were a big hit with A. But what totally captured A's attention was the "show" out on the tarmac. A kept up an almost constant narrative about the planes, the "mommy planes," the "daddy planes," the baggage trucks, and how she liked "tiny" airplanes and not big ones. And then, as they would taxi away, she would look at me with a frown and ask: "Where airplane go?" With all that free fun, it's not too surprising that we ended up dashing through the airport to catch our next flight.

Collecting data at -30 °C

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Tuesday, December 15, 2009

I took a school field trip today that redefined my definition of hell--and not because the students were difficult: they were angels. It was the weather. When we left school at 8:30am it was -31 °F / -35 °C.

The purpose of the field trip was to collect pollution data of various kinds (air & noise pollution as well as loose trash and other data). We stopped at 12 locations across Ulaanbaatar, and the kids got off the bus at each location to collect their data.

By the time we reached the 6th data spot, many of us could no longer feel our feet. Fortunately a cozy cafe appeared close to the 6th or 7th data point, and we piled in and ordered hot chocolates for everyone. When the sensation had returned to our toes, we hurried back onto the bus and resumed our data collection.

When we got back to school about noon, Frank reminded me that innermost circle of Dante's hell is ice. I think I'll be doing a bit of catching up on my classics because I think Dante might have been onto something.

Luciadagen

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Sunday, December 13, 2009

Maybe it's the dark. Or maybe it's the cold. (The high temperature today was -5 °F / -21 °C. The low was -31 °F / -35 °C !) Or maybe it's working at the Scandinavian Department for three and a half years. In any case, I woke up the other morning with a powerful desire to bake Luciakatter (Lucia buns) for the first time in my life. After all, today is St. Lucia Day and any kind of celebrating that can be done indoors around here is the right kind of celebrating.

I consulted the internet and several friends for a recipe. Caught somewhere between my understanding of metric measurements, a lack of metric measuring tools, my own baking experience, and a strong "hurry up" feeling, I came up with my own version of the recipe.

Here it is:

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter or margarine
1 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teas. yeast
1 egg
1/4 teas. saffron
1/4 teas. salt
flour

Melt the butter with the milk--don't let them get too hot. Add the water. In a separate bowl, crush the saffron thread with the sugar. Add the sugar and saffron to the liquid mix. Mix in the yeast, egg, and salt and dump in some flour. Start mixing. When the dough is stiff enough to knead, put it on a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes. Let rise until double in a covered bowl. Roll out the dough and form the "s" shape. Put on a lightly buttered baking sheet and let rise again. Put 2 raisins in each bun, paint with raw egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 10-12 (?) minutes in a 375 °F oven.

Next year maybe we'll sing and have candles, too--

Virginia's Greek bread

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Wednesday, December 9, 2009

As long as I can remember, my mom has been baking "Greek bread" as a Christmas treat for friends and family. About 10 years ago, I took up the tradition and started to bake this same bread at Christmastime for my friends and colleagues. It seemed like a good idea to carry on the tradition here in Ulaanbaatar, but I seem to have left the recipe at home in a box somewhere in my basement in Seattle. And Mom seems to have misplaced her copy as well.

A family tradition about to die?

Last night I figured I could try re-creating the recipe--and it actually came out pretty well. A bit more tweaking, and I think I'll have the recipe about right.

Here's a pretty good re-creation:

2 Tablespoons hot water
1 pkg yeast (or 2/3 T)
dissolve together
scald 2/3 cup of milk and cool to luke warm
Then add yeast/water mixture and 1/2 cup flour and 1 teas. sugar

Mix and let rise until double.

Melt 1/4 cup butter and let cool
Beat 2 eggs and add 1/2 cup sugar

Also add:
1/2 t cloves
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg

Mix everything together.

Now add 2 and 1/2 cups of flour. Mix and knead until springy. Cover. Let rise in a warm place until double. Punch down.

Divide into three parts (or six) and roll into long strips. Braid the strips. Let rise again. Paint with mixed egg. Sprinkle sesame seeds and almonds.

Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes if you make one loaf, and 17-20 minutes if you make two loaves.

Enjoy!

The Book of Sinterklaas

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Saturday, December 5, 2009

The arrival of Sinterklaas or St. Nicholas is eagerly awaited by Dutch children each December 5th. Even in far off Ulaanbaatar, Sinterklaas was found to be making his rounds this afternoon. Where else would folks wait for such an arrival but at a lovely place called Cafe Amsterdam? And there we waited until he arrived with his sack of toys and his "Book of Sinterklaas" (which looked suspiciously like a dressed up hymnal). It is in this book that Sinterklaas keeps track of all the good girls and boys (not unlike "he knows when you've been sleeping, he knows when you're awake").

A gave a cry of delight when the old fellow rounded the corner on his horse. True, it was not the white stallion that usually accompanies Sinterklaas on his rounds, but when in Rome...

A truly multi-lingual fellow (as many Dutch are, no?), Sinterklaas interviewed the children in several languages. A was in good company in her apparent nervousness/ shyness toward the imposing fellow.

To read more about Sinterklaas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas

100 years ago today

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Today would have been Gram's 100th birthday. I thought of her again this past weekend when I baked her rolls for our first Mongolian Thanksgiving. I still miss her.

Here's the recipe for her famous rolls:

• 3 & 1/2 cups white flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 & 1/2 teaspoons yeast
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup (or 1 stick) butter

Mix the sugar, 1 cup flour, and yeast together in a large bowl. Heat milk & butter together. When the milk/butter are warm enough (110-120 degrees F), add it to the sugar/flour/yeast and stir until mixed. Add another cup of flour and beat by hand or with mixer. Add eggs and beat. Add more flour until you have added a total of 3 & 1/2 cups of flour. Let rise until double in a warm space, covered with a towel. When it has risen, punch down the dough and put it in the fridge overnight - or longer.

When ready to bake: Remove the dough from the fridge and cut in 1/2's. Roll out 1/2 of the dough to the size of a 10 inch (25cm) circle. Before cutting, spread the dough with melted butter. Cut the circle into quarters, and then cut each one into 5 pieces (for a total of 20 rolls). Roll each narrow triangle toward the point and place on a cookie sheet. Let rise to double. Bake about 10 minutes at 350 degrees F (or until lightly browned).