Good bye ....and hello

It's that time of the year again. The year-end feeling I always get that hits me after Christmas. I feel a little bit pensive and sad that yet another year has ended. At the same time, I am filled with anticipation as to what the new year will bring.

Ever since Sean was born, every new year takes him one more step away from the innocence of childhood and one more step towards being an adult. I am ambivalent about it as on the one hand I selfishly don't want to lose my 'baby' but on the other, am looking forward to the man he'll become.

Even though I have stopped working for many years, I take stock about when I have achieved and what I would like to do in the upcoming year. I realise that when I was working, my goals were all monetary or work related. Nowadays, my aims are more about how I can improving myself or my family's life (may be have been watching too much Oprah).

As the world us changes, I reflect on what has happened in the year. I realise that I am living through history and one day my great-great-great-great grandchildren will be learning about events that happened during my lifetime.

Finally, I always look back on my life in the past year and am grateful for my family and friends who have helped create all these memories (happy, sad or otherwise) during the year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND MAY THE NEXT YEAR BRING YOU LOVE, PEACE AND HEALTH!

Northward bound.

We did it last year and had such a good time that we decided to do it again ie drive from Bangkok to Chiang Mai to Pai. Even though we had done it before, we still found places and things that were new to us.

Fueled with coffee, we set off early from BKK. The drive itself was uneventful and pleasant. We did our stop at Tak which is a province near Chiang Mai for lunch by the river. It was a nice pit stop as the weather was cool and the food was good (and cheap!).

Things started to go wrong when we arrived in Chiang Mai and I discovered that TH had forgotten to load my trolley bag into the car! His responsibilty was to see to the luggage while I cleared up the laundry, fed, cleaned and walked the dogs before we left home. Thank goodness for overnight buses that ply the BKK-Chiang Mai route and our driver. TH called him to send my bag to the bus terminal and it went on one of those overnight buses. Tip to anyone forgets or has a forgetful spouse when it comes to luggage.

Pit stop on way to Pai.

Pai is about 1,500 m above sea level and there are 700+ curves on the road that leads to it. This means that we had to make a few stops along the way as the children felt a little carsick. Pai is a little town in the Mae Hong Son region that is gaining popularity with tourists. It is laid back and quiet and also a little artsy and bohemian. You can find a few studios there and in the night market, many artist plying their wares that range from hand painted T-shirts to postcards. I noticed that it is more crowded than last year which is good for the town's economy. At the same time, I felt a little sad as it meant it wsa getting commercialise which could spoil it's charm. Consolation is that Starbucks or MacDonald's has yet to make an appearance!

We could see this padi field from the pool. It's a real working farm and not just for show.

I refused to get into the pool, but it didn't stop the children.

We stayed at a really pretty resort that was surrounded by padi fields. There was horse riding and ATVs for the children and adults to do. The kids had a great time going for horse rides by themselves with the guide while I lounged by the pool in my sweater! It was cold, about 15C.


The area surrounding the resort. In the morning...brrrr...

At night, the biggest thing to do is to go to the night market to offload some cash from my wallet. It's a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours as there is something for adults and children. Adults-shopping or sitting outside to have a drink. Children - having banana pancake for dessert and buying kitschy things from the stores.

The night market in Pai.

On the day we were supposed to leave Pai, the men and the children decided they wanted a last ATV ride. I had to pillion Sean as he isn't big enough to handle the ATV. I wasn't big enough to handle it either! The first half hour had me go into the ditch twice. I was pretty scared when we went off-road as the ATV kept veering to the left and Sean was trying to help me steer. Problem was solved when TH changed ATVs with me as mine had a slight fault in the steering. We all came back coated with a layer of brown dust. I looked like I had heavy handedly applied tinted powder on my face!

As I was leaving Pai, I wondered what changes would bring when we visit it again next year. I love the peace and serenity of the place. That is why when we arrived in Chiang Mai, it felt noisy and crowded.

Traditionally, the 'yipeng' lanterns are released during Loy Krathong. They were selling them in the night market and we decided to buy a few and release them for luck (hey, I'm Chinese, anything that hints at bringing me luck, I'll do it...within reason of course.)

Aahhhh... Chiang Mai, it has to be my favourite holiday destination in Thailand. I see the changes in CM compared to when I first visited it eight years ago. We have made it a point to go there every year and this is our eighth visit. I love the food there (foodie that I am), the shopping (many of the factories that produce saa paper products, silver, ceramic etc come from CM) and the many quaint hotels and eateries that sprout up.
I love the colour of this shop. I wasn't the only one who
stopped just to take a pic.


Once again we managed to have a trip that catered to the interests of the adults and children. We all had a great time and hope to do it again next year (crossing our fingers that we will still be in Thailand and not leave !)


Note: This blog is a bit belated as I got sidetracked with the Christmas feasting that has been going on since I returned from Chiang Mai.

I've been tagged

It seems I have been tagged by petite fleur. This is the first time I am experiencing being tagged, but apparently I have to write 6 random/useless bits of information about myself. This is hard as I've got to really think!

Here goes:

1) When I was younger, my head used to be like a magnet for things to fall on. The biggest thing to all on my head was a netball pole. It happened while I was playing a match. So many other girls around and it hit me! I heard a loud 'boing' and something bounce off my head. I was not knocked out nor did I get a concussion. I was lucky to just have a cut on my head. Since I was a real chicken and refused to let the doctors stitch, I have a slightly bald spot on one side. Actually this just shows that I have a real thick skull!

2) I know it's not cool to admit it, but I love songs by ABBA and Barry Manilow. 'Dancing Queen' always gets me going and actually make it to the dance floor. I call it my happy song.

3) I don't smoke or drink at all. Tried smoking, but didn't like it. Am severly allergic to alcohol. I remember drinking a glass of gin when I was younger. My neck was red with rashes for a whole week! I looked like I was wearing a red scarf. I don't even drink cocktails because even though the alcohol content is low, I'll get itchy and sleepy. This is good for TH as he drinks. I'm always the one that drives us home after a night out.

4) I once arranged a male stripper for a friend's hen party. This was in Singapore many years ago. We had a blast. Hmmm...wonder if she still has the g-string she took as a souvenir?

5) I am a hopeless, hopeless dancer. No rhythm, no co-ordination and stiff as a board. I took ballet when I was child. It's cute when you are 3 and flapping around. Not so when you are an adult and your arms and legs are going all over the place! I found that out when I took up ballet again a few years ago.

6) I hated my height when I was young. I reached my full height of 176cm when I was 14. I wanted to be short. Clothes were hard to come by. Those were the days before inernational brands were found in Singapore. I had to buy pants from the boy's department, and my school uniforms had to be tailored.

It is only when I entered Pre-U that I appreciated being tall. It does have many advantages. I very seldom need a ladder and it is very useful when I'm in a crowd and need to look for people or vice versa.

OK. These are the 6 useless bits of information about me. Hey, it was actually quite fun! Thanks petite fleur! I am now returning the favour and tagging momlim (Of kids and Education) and Gerard Lim . Tell us 6 random things about yourself!

Of things unexplained

The ring was completely round the sun!

I don't know how many of you saw the 'smiling' moon that was in the sky last week. I missed it and only read about it in the papers. But here is something unusual that I did see a while back.

I was in Chatujak market when I realised that many people had stopped and were staring at the sky. I looked up and saw this. I know I am a movie addict when the first thought that popped into my mind was 'Independence Day'. Remember the scene when all the people were on the building waiting for the space ship and were blown to smittereens because they were standing and waiting? Well....let's just say that I snapped a quick pic and got out of there, FAST!

I found out later that such incidences occur when ice crystals have formed round in the clouds. There goes my 'X-files' theory!

Home is where the heart is

View from my bedroom.

Since coming to BKK, we have moved 5 times in 6 years! Our first place was out in the padi fields. Literally. It was about any hour away from the city and the nearest 'happening' place was a Big C hyper mart that was 40 minutes away.

Subsequently, we have moved closer to the city. Now, we live in an area that has everything that I would need. Banks, supermarkets (2 big ones) and most importantly, tonnes of good restaurants all around. So when the traffic gets really bad (like on pay days) we don't have to venture out to the main Sukhumvit area, we jut pick somewhere near.

Since this area has many Japanese expats living here, there are many restaurants catering to them. So we get ramen, char grill, sushi etc. Really spoilt for choice.

Our home is in an estate or 'moo baan'. It is a small estate of 20 units and half of the people living here are foreigners. The neighbours are generally friendly and we have block BBQ outside where the children run around and adults eat and drink the night away. It is quiet. Important for me because the last place I lived at was near some pubs. Everynight, we would be treated to the music that these pubs were playing. not fun when you are trying to get some sleep at midnight.

Sean can run out and play in the evenings with the rest of the children. It's safe as there is a guard and only 1 way in or out. It's nice to hear their shouts and laughter in the evenings.

I have space in the house. Lots of space. We have had many cook-ins where friends pop in for dinner. Typical Singaporeans that we are, we have Singpaore food cook-ins. Last week, a friend came and cooked his Hokkien mee (yummy) and char kway teow (slurp). Many a night has been spent with friends and family over food and drinks. Last year, we had a Christmas Eve party for 30 adults and 20 children!

After so many moves, I can finally say that 'I'm home!'
Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree....

In the mean time...

The weather has turned to BKK's version of winter ie beautiful sunny days with a cool breeze and chilly nights. With the change in weather, we get strange viruses running amok and felling everyone in its path. Sean was down with fever and cough, then just as he's getting better, TH and I start sneezing and hacking our lungs out.

I've just started to feel semi- human again. It's going to be a very busy 2 weeks as school term is going to end (yay!) and there are loads of activities going on in school. As part of the parent association in school, we get involved.

On top of that, it is the time of the year where many expats leave. So, it means rounds of farewell lunches and good-byes (sob).

Finally, the current political situation has not affected those of us who are not travelling. Life goes on as normal. I do have friends who are stuck and can't come back. Some of them are even thinking of flying to Singapore and driving back to Thailand! I hope that things get settled soon but am not too optimistic.

Day trip....

The weather has been cooling down. It's been playing havoc on everyone's systems and people are falling sick (Sean is recovering and I'm going to be ill). When the cool season comes, people head for the hills - most popular is up North (Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae hong Son). Nearer to Bangkok and easily accessible by car is Khao Yai.

We decided to take a day trip to Khao Yai. Located about an hour and a half (by car) from BKK, Khao Yai is a favourite with many Bangkokians for a day trip or a weekend away. It helps that it is cooler than BKK and has quite a few golf courses there. Many rich Thais have weekend houses (or should I say mansions) there.

There are quite a bit of things to see and do aside from golf. Along the way is the Chokchai Farm which is Thailand's answer to Bonanza (not kidding, the theme song is used for the video). The farm offers tours and as it is a working farm, city folk like us get to see a real black and white cow up close (if lucky, you get to milk it), how ice-cream is made etc. Chokchai Farm has one of the best burgers I've eaten (guess the proximity to the source of patties does help). We skipped the farm tour as we had been on it before but stopped by for the children to ride the ATV. The circuit was short but the kids loved it.

ATV ride. The children love it but at 180 bht per round (which lasts less than 5 minutes), we didn't allow them too many times.

Khao Yai is also know for, beleive it or not, it's vineyards. I've never visited a vineyard in Thailand and didn't really expect much. I mean, wine is not exactly a main Thai export, is it? I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised that it looked like any vineyard that I had visited overseas. I wouldn't know about the wine (I don't drink) but the vines, tasting room etc. was a surprise. There were tour groups visiting the vineyards and buying everything in sight. OK, have to admit that since I don't drink, I end up buying food stuff.

We had a great day that was away from the city and everyone got to experience another aspect of Thailand. Amazing Thailand, wouldn't you say?

Mini chef

Sean has always been interested when I cook. He's helped me slice,dice,stir from the time he was 2 (if grandma knew, she'd freak out). I figure, if he wants to cook, why not? After all, many well known chefs are men. His newest favourite thing to eat is eggs. Loves it scrambled and sunny side up. He's been cooking eggs for himself for breakfast almost everyday now. I started by showing him how the start the stove, warned him about water and oil NOT being a good mix etc... He's gotten the hang of it and loves it.

Comfort food

When I was young, I loved going to my Mamma (grandma's). Not only did she have tonnes of sweets for me but she was a fabulous cook. She was a typical Nonya (Straits-born Chinese) in her sarong kebaya (every single day) and always cooking, cooking, cooking. One of my favourite dishes of hers was 'see u bak' or pork stewed in dark sauce.

For years I tried re-creating the dish from memory because Mamma had no recipe (of course). My mum (who was also a good cook) didn't know. Finally, a few years ago when my aunt was visiting me in Bangkok, I asked if she knew how to cook it and she did. Best of all, she cooked it the way Mamma did.

This is comfort food for me. Reminds me of the days when I'd sit in Mamma's kitchen with a bowl of see u bak in front of me and a slice of soft white bread (those days no such thing as whole grain/multi-grain etc) before dunking it into the bowl till the bread is soaked with the soup.

I cook this often as it is very easy to cook and it keeps well if not finished (actually tastes better after a day or two).

Ingredients:

1 cinnoman stick
2 clove
2 star anise
4 cloves garlic (intact and with skin)

4-6 big pieces of pork ribs (I use ribs that have more meat on them)
2-3 hard boiled eggs
3-4 pieces of fried tofu

Method:

Fry spices with garlic in a pot with 1 -2 tbs oil. When fragrant, put in pork ribs and fry for 1 minute.

Add water (about 500ml). Add dark soya sauce (4 tbs), light soya sauce (2 tbs). Bring to boil. Then simmer for 45 minutes or till pork becomes tender. Add hard boiled egg, tofu and salt to taste.

Serve with rice or bread.

Oodles of noodles

I love noodles. Thailand is a wonderful place for a noddle lover like me. They have all kinds of noodles and I especially love the flat broad rice noodles which is called 'kway teow' (just like in Singapore). So far, any noodle stall that you eat at serves yummy (for want of a better word) noodles.

Generally, a bowl of noodles costs 25 baht to 30 baht (S$1 - S$1.50). This is if you eat from pushcart vendors selling by the side of the road or coffee shops.The servings are small, which are ideal for small eaters or a child. The Thais generally eat their noodles with fish sauce (what else), sugar, peanuts, vinegar and chili flakes.

Here are some of the various noodles found in and around Bangkok.

'

'Kway teow lord'. Pretty healthy as it's served with tofu, egg, mushroom, fried garlic and dried shrimp.



'Bah mee' or egg noddle with fish, prawn and fried yam balls. This stall is more than 50 years old and found in an alley in Chinatown.

This is my newest favourite noodles. It is called 'bah mee yam kai yang' which means egg noodle with grilled chicken. For Thai food, 'yam' means a combination of sweet,salty, sour and spicy. Sounds overwhelming? It is not.

This noodle is sold in the food court in Emporium (one of my favourite department stores). The noodle is mixed with sugar, fish sauce, dried shrimp, chili paste, fried park lard, vinegar and a soya based sauce. It is topped with slices of grilled chicken and fried shallots. I love the explosion of tastes with all the different floavours combined and there was a time when I had it every day for a week!

This is a fried flat noodle called 'kway teow pad si yew' or 'noodle fried with soya sauce'. You can choose the type of noodles you like (ie thin kway teow or bee hoon). I generally like the broad flat kway teow as I find much softer than the ones in Singapore. It comes with meat and again you can choose either pork, chicken or beef. This kway teow can be found in most food places in Bangkok. My favourite is in a coffee shop near my house as the noodle has a smoky flavour to it.

This is the huge pot that churns out bowls and bowls of beef noodles otherwise known as 'nger toon'. It is actually the same shop that sells the kway teow mentioned above. It is an old fashioned coffee shop (ie rickety chairs, basic cutlery and no air-conditioning) that has scores of people stopping by for it's noodles. On weekends, there will be a line of cars parked kerbside.

This is only some of the types of noodles that can be found here. There are many more but it would take me too long to get photographing all of them to post. I have a thoery that it is hard to find a 'bad' bowl of noodles in Bangkok as generally any noodle stall sells tasty noodles. In my years here, I've eaten at many noodle stalls and not once have I come away dissatisfied.

Secret squirrel

This is a sight I never saw in Singapore. A squirrel in the middle of the city. Here in Bangkok, squirrels are a common sight. I even have 2 that frequentlyvisit the tree in my backyard. Sadly, sometimes they do get electrocuted whilst running on the wires. Once, I heard a loud bang and when I ran out to see, I saw a smoking squirrel lying on the road, electrocuted.

Trick or treat!

This post about Halloween is a bit belated but I just only had time to download the pictures. Halloween was never a big thing for us when I was a child (in those days, I had my scary aunties so every day was Halloween for us!).

Here in Bangkok, the international schools do have scary dress-up day with some activities for the day. In the school that Sean goes to, we have had a Haunted House for the past two years. It was a lot of work converting our parent's room into a Haunted House. The children loved it! We get girls (and occasionally some boys) screaming their lungs out, some of the boys get violent and the 'ghouls' get punched and kicked at. For the past two years, I have dressed up as the Mummy. It required LOTS of strips of cloth wrapped round me which made me feel like an ad for one of those slimming centres where you are wrapped to death.

Sean as the 'baby" Mummy.

Outside the Haunted House. Of course it's not a hand!

Since we had time, decided to make a non-scary pinata for Primary students.

On top of what goes on in schools, I have friends who host Halloween parties. This year, was held in the 'moo baan' (housing estate) my friend lived in. They decided that instead of hosting individual house parties, they would combine and have an estate party. They children and even some adults dressed up. It was really fun as there was lots of food, drinks and games for the children.

Rush for sweets after breaking the pinata.

And what would Halloween be without trick or treating? The children went round collecting sweets/toys. When they were done, they put it in a huge pile and while the adults were downstairs, they started making inroads to the pile of sweets. We discovered it when the sugar rush hit them and they started bouncing off the walls! All in all, we had a fantastic Halloween. Till next year!

My whacky friends and their kids!

Visit to the middle kingdom

I have to admit that even though I am Chinese, I was in no great hurry to see the country of my ancestors. I used to 'pooh pooh' the idea of China and thought it had nothing much to offer.

My first experience in China was Shanghai. I was very disappointed as it looked a lot like Singapore with the high rise buildings and condos. The traffic was worse than Bangkok (if that was possible) with drivers honking like their lives depended on it. On top of that, the people were aggressive and loud. In my 5 days there, I saw 3 arguments (ie they just started yelling at each other). All in all, I didn't like it.

Lijiang

My brother-in-law has been extolling the beauty and serenity of Lijiang (situated in the Yunnan province). We decided to see what the fuss was about. When we arrived, I felt like I had walked onto a set for Chinese period drama with it's cobbled walk ways, old fashioned houses (they are built without a single nail) and clear stream with salmon swimming lazily.

We went in winter and it was cold (about 0 - 5 degrees). I was worried that Sean would not be able to withstand the cold but he loved it! I was the one who had one 5 layers oof pants and was still shivering.

The main attraction there is the ancient city. It is a huge place where houses there have been converted to hotels, shops and restaurants. You do have some locals living in the ancient city but not many. A clear water stream (can't call it a drain as it's too clean) runs through the entire city and locals use it to wash their clothes, vegetables etc. You can also find fish (mainly salmon) swimming in it.

If you are going there in the hopes of adreneline pumping adventure, forget it. I found it a place to relax. People don't rush, because there isn't anywhere to rush to. The locals are friendly and willing to chat. I find it hard to understand them because their Yunnan accent is very strong. That, coupled with my Secondary school Mandarin, makes it hard to hold long conversations.

Street in the ancient city. No cars allowed. Only horses!

I

On a cold winter's night, nothing beats a hot pot. We have had donkey meat hot pot. I didn't eat it but was told the meat was like lamb. This particular hot pot just had a whole bowl of live fish (still wriggling and bits of gut hanging out) poured into the boiling soup. The whole hot pot trembled as the fish flopped around before being boiled. If like me you are not adventurous, there is always vegetables which are wonderfully fresh and crisp. The soup is fantastic! Rich, flavourful and warms you to your toes.

Food is not a problem as there are many shops selling noodles and western food. If you still feel the need for fast food, outside the ancient city is a KFC.

The other attraction is the Snow Mountain. It is 4,500 m above sea level which means you could get altitude sickness. Our guide carried a small cannister of oxygen. It came in handy when Sean felt sick after he was running and sliding around the snow.

Lijiang is a wonderful place to relax and just enjoy the surroundings. We spent our days explooring the ancient city, drinking copious cups of hot chocolate/coffee/tea and just 'chilling'. We've been back twice already and would like to go again for the third time.