Look what we found

Found clinging to a leaf that was blowing in the wind. It was like a small bird when it managed to fly away. Apparently they come out at night...

Pad Thai

Have you ever seen a Thai person eating Pad Thai?

Only once have I seen a Thai person eating Pad Thai and this was at a restaurant that only served Pad Thai and in fact the best Pad Thai I have tasted so far. This Thai woman was the chef and owner of the restaurant; and it was great to see her serve out plate after plate of Pad Thai and then sit down herself to enjoy.

I personally believe that this is because Thai people know that they have so many other tastier better options: bamboo curries, salted fish, spicy salads, sweet sticky desserts all beats noodles and soy right?

However after asking my Thai friend why tourists flock to eat their 25b Kow Sahn Pad Thai and Thai people would rather eat something different; he said it's because Thai people when they eat they want to eat to feel full for long. An economic way to feel fuller for longer and on a budget is to eat rice. Pad Thai is too light a meal for my friends to pick up, and also eating rice 'Gin Kow' means that many other dishes can be ordered like curries and vegetables in sauce. Allowing you to pick and choose what to spoon onto your rice whilst you share with your family and friends. Equalling a visually, mentally and physically satisfied customer!

Sometimes though a well made Pad Thai is needed, for me this has to include :

• always needs tofu
• bit of tamarind sauce
• folded in an egg
• contains some sort of crunchy element beansprouts and or wood ear mushrooms
• has to have lots and lots of peanut and lime.

These have been my favourite Pad Thai dishes in Thailand

Ko Phi Phi glass noodle Pad Thai

Ayuthaya Pad Thai served on a banana leaf

Asarnha Bucha Day

15th July 2011. Theravada Buddhist holiday commemorating the Buddha's first sermon given in Deer Park, introducing the middle way, the noble eight-fold path and the four noble truths. Many Thai restaurants on the island were closed today, the Buddhist people went to the mainland to visit temples and listen to sermons. Many candle and offerings are given at the temple, we made our own offering here. Burning this incense stick many people try to see their 'lucky number'; I could see a number seven but no one believed me!

Under the Weather

Rainy season in Thailand, many people keep asking me 'is it always like this at this time of year?' . The locals say that usually yes it does rain but combined with the extreme winds and frequent harsh showers this just isn't normal. As a result I have a cold and a cough, which means I have had to ban myself from eating many spicy curries and citrus salads. I've developed some gross ulcers in my mouth and at the moment I haven't found a suitable medication to get rid of them. Reading the smallest copy of Crime and Punishment with equally tiny text inside isn't helping my head either. A friend gave me a simple pyramid package which I've been told contains Durian caramel inside; unfortunately as I'm writing the ants have started to make their way into it and I think I might leave it to them. One thing that annoys me in the west is the excess packaging and plastic for products, like really is a plastic bag in a plastic bag surrounded by a big cardboard box necessary for my rice? Or people individually separating the different types of vegetables by plastic bag upon plastic bag.

Here I've noticed in some instances that with packaging the unnecessary is cut out. Curries and soups sold at market are put in a plastic bag yes, but no labels, lids, fancy cardboard designs needed; same with drugs and pharmaceuticals. My TIFFY tablets do not need to be put in a cardboard box; instead only a folded over piece of paper is required. 'Lucky dip' bags of tablets can be bought at the pharmacy for 30Baht, containing about five tablets of different shapes and sizes - lord knows what they contain but I've been told that the small yellow tablet is for a cough. One thing that is made clear in Pharmacies however :

Best meal of the day

Breakfast.

My favourite meal of the day, often I will be roused from my sleep y thoughts of what delicious creation I can make for breakfast. This was the case when I was living in England, I would never go a day without eating my morning meal. I believe that it helps kick start my energy levels for the day and my mood also. Cooking for myself and making time for breakfast was important for my functioning. Nowadays I appear to be waking up past the allocated time for breakfast, past brunch even and that the only options left for me are going to consist of big heavy spoonfuls of rice or to my horror expensive tourist Thai food, I don't like to eat heavy during mid day heat. It's expensive to cook for yourself in Thailand, and although it's cheaper to eat out I don't have access to varying cheap options all the time. I don't live on the mainland, so I can't easily turn into a local cheap eatery and order a light bowl of sticky spaghetti and sweet curry sauce (which is great by the way and eaten often in the morning by local Thais).

Luckily for me when all seems lost the islands Savior comes pushing a battered old trolley full with food from the mainland. Shouting 'Ah num ah num num num!' all Thais around know he is soon approaching. I've been told that he has been coming to the island for years and years, and there is even a song by the famous Thai Reggae band Job 2 Do making reference to this man. This is a great cheap solution to meals in the day and a great way for me to move past the typical tourist Thai food. Hey if the locals are eating it, this has to be the good stuff! People gather around the trolley and have a good root through the goods, picking out numerous snacks, desserts and bagged up meals to enjoy on the spot or save to share with friends later.

My favourites from the trolley include a small sweet dessert made from rice, custard, and cooked sweet desiccated coconut which is great for when your energy levels need a zap. 'Kow man Gai' which translates to rice with chicken; although this is made with 'Kow neouw' sticky rice and the chicken is coated with fried onions. This comes in handy 5Baht bags, great for a snack when you feel a bit peckish. These are both light options and cheap to have during the day.

Sometimes living away from mainland can feel suffocating and evoke feelings of Cabin Fever; and just sometimes a man with a trolley full of treats from a 'far away' place can inject that bit of childish excitement when we see something new to try. That's what it's all about for me at the moment, jumping in and trying something new even if it is a bowl o snake curry (more on that anther time).

Making the Move - The traveller returns in new clothing

'If you try you may succeed but if you stay at home and think about it, you won't'

Living in a Paradise and trying to make it work. Can you fet bored with your own personal paradise?


I am here. There are ants crawling all over my Macbook Pro. I have handwashed undergarments blowing in the breeze along my balcony. I'm thinking of creature comforts and I've only been here a week. I wish I had a kettle, a Yorkshire teabag and giant mug along with all the other essentials needed for a great brew. I have just made the 5,863 miles or so journey to Thailand; Krabi to be exact in the South. Krabi is like a prehistoric adventure playground for rock-climbers and also serves my favourite Thai dishes. I am a little preoccupied with relaxing on my balcony enjoying the heat and monitoring my underwear whilst it dries. For it to blow onto a neighbors balcony or under some locals feet would not be 'Thai Style' at all.

Achieving 'Thai Style' is something my Thai friends like to keep me constantly aware of, it is often referred to as if it is a sure way on to the path of enlightenment. Enlightenment into Thai ways for sure, almost like an unwritten guide on how to behave amongst Thai friends. It seems the more close I get with my Thai friends the more my Western ways seem to be wrong!
What's that noise? Someone is rustling about near me; I think it's the rooster who insists on waking me up at whatever hour takes his fancy.

I've been trying to write this blog for a long time now, no longer a traveller I have time on my hand to work . I'm trying to learn to just write all the time throughout the day; I need to feel like I'm achieving something and learning the language and setting myself up in Thailand will certainly help me do this. At the moment I'm learning the art of getting by.

'Just because you are constantly moving doesn't mean that you are making progress, a rocking chair may rock, but it never actually travels anywhere' - Alfred A. Montapert.