Quick Trip Back to Thailand

So...having the computer gone right after Christmas prevented me from posting many pictures from Thailand. Now, it just seems a bit silly now that Chinese New Year is drawing closer. But the cold just will. not. go. away. Period. And today I worked with my 3rd graders on crafting thir thesis statements and I found myself coming up with "Summer is the best season of the year" which tells me I could use some freakin' HOT weather. So, back to the warm memories of Thailand.

I just love Thailand, have I mentioned that before? I'm starting to realize how much I would love living near the ocean. It would take some time to adjust to the heat and humidity--for awhile you'd just feel like doing very little, I think, because you'd be in "summer vacation" mode and I do think the humidity would be wearing. That being said, have I mentioned how much I love Thailand?

I'm not very adventurous about food--Thailand is the only place I've been where I really don't mind (or worry about) bellying up to a cart and just ordering. Thai food must be one of the best cuisines in the world. So fresh. So flavorful. So spicy! No matter where we go, the ingredients are fresh, the meat is top quality, and everything has a bit of a kick. We consumed gallons of green curry, platefuls of Pad Thai, and buckets of beef and basil. Everything is served with rice (take note, CHINA) and the portions are small, which we don't mind at all. It just means that you can try more things! The seafood is fantastic, too--not to mention tastes from other places! We stick generally to soda, water, and beer/gin, but the Thais must put away astonishing amounts of condensed milk, judging by the cases of it near every drink stand. Tanzanians were crazy about super-sweet things, too, in a much different way than we are in the States. If I could criticize anything, it's that they, like China, really doesn't get the idea of dessert. Red bean juice over ice? No thanks. Fresh watermelon, oranges, or dragonfruit. No problem!

Yeah. A tray of those nice big prawns(the tails are probably 5 inches long) will set you back about $5. That's kind of pricey, actually.




Hey, who could pass up an opportunity to experience the meeting of two culinary cultures? Ronald is giving us the traditional Thai "thank you." As in "thank you for passing up fresh delicious food in favor of cheesy fries." Not that the US should be looking into cheesy fries at McDonald's. But they should.

So let's get back to the wats. The what? The wat! Sorry, couldn't resist. At the National Palace, the Wat Phra Kaew is simply amazing. Really, I sooo want to go to Rome to see churches and cathedrals and art to see that kind of magnificence. I always have the same unreal feeling, though, about all the idols. So many buildings everywhere, but most of them aren't open. What's inside? On the spectacular side--the whitewhitehite walls contrasting with the gold and jewels and mirrored/glass tiles...wow. The detailing is just amazing. Look at this...

The highlight of the temple is the Emerald Buddha. According to legend, the Emerald Buddha was created in India in 43 BC. Over time the Buddha was moved to Angkor Wat and then back to Thailand, where it was covered in plaster to hide it. When lightning struck a pagoda, the Buddha was cracked open and people believed it was made of emerald (it's actually jade). In 1784 it was moved to the current location. It's one of the most important Buddhas in Asia. It has 3 different outfits (summer, winter, rain) and the King changes the Buddha's outfit on specific days of the year. No pictures are allowed, so the one I actually took didn't turn out well, as you can see--the other one is from a postcard. It appears to sit on a pile of gold and over 100 people at any time were praying in the temple.

More soon!