Thailand - One year anniversary; Food

Hungry? I am.

 

You know I had to do it. I had to give you a blog dedicated to all the food I've been eating since making Uthai my home.

 

Its been difficult to cook here because of the ingredients available at the farmer's market. I don't have the option to buy some of my favorite vegetables, like spinach. And cornmeal is inexplicably nonexistent here, although corn does grow and sell well. A mystery. Might have to whip out the ol' pistol and motor to make tamales and the such.

 

To put it another way, I've had to conform to a new diet. No longer burning +4,000 calories a day, sweets and other bad habits had to be cut. They couldn't make the team, although they do make guest appearances from time to time.

 

Actually, cutting out excess sugar is somewhat of a battle. Every Thai meal uses at least a pinch of sugar and it is not uncommon to find a dinner table without sugar, hot pepper flakes, and minced chilies swimming in fish oil. They use granulated white sugar as a condiment for crying out loud! Solution? Start cooking at home more (asking the chef to cook without sugar, Ive learned, is an uphill battle that will lengthen the time before you get to eat, and a fight you will eventually loose).  

Lets begin with what my school serves for lunch. Here is a classic meal we get all the time. Chicken and veggies over rice. Sigh...everything is over rice. I love rice, I love white rice. But every meal; breakfast, lunch, and dinner....its frustrating. You cant escape the white grains. Even more frustrating is the prolific presence of type two diabetes among Thais. Carbohydrates from the rice plus the sugar found in meal preparations makes for a bad combination if you are not exercising regularly. And most don't, unfortunately. Ive since turned my kids on to not eating so many treats, but its hard. You know how kids are. And trying to get Thais to stop eating rice? You'd have an easier time convincing the Pope to convert to Islam. What to do?

More rice. This time with pork (beef is rare in Thailand). I try and load up on veggies when and where I can.

Ughhh....this is the worst. I snapped this pic because I could not believe it when I saw it. This is literally a condensed sugar milk sandwich. OK, fine, don't have to eat that. But, and you have to believe me, this is what the school feeds the kids during snack time.

Remember how I said how the locals eat rice three times a day? Here is what is served for breakfast. Its a rice stew with minced pork and cilantro. I have a love/hate relationship here. I love a free breakfast, hate the meal. I limit my intake to twice a week. Other days I eat granola and bananas at home over black (not instant!) coffee.

 

I admit it - I ain't no saint. No way. I indulge. I binge. I love sweets. Here is a favorite creation of mine: Peanut butter and jelly grilled sandwich with Fruit loop cereal. Sure, I know this is horrible. So what the difference between this and the sugar sandwich the school serves the kids at snack time? I don't eat this franken-sandwich every day. Not even every week.

Yes! Real breakfast! Want something done right? Do it yourself.  Eggs, tomatoes, onions, slowly cooked with salt and pepper. Mmmmmm

 

Because of the time difference, I can easily enjoy Sunday night Football on Monday mornings.

 

I have to blame my mother for this one. She is the Queen of making potatoes (home fries style) in the morning with eggs and some chorrizo. I've duplicated the idea, though hers will always be better.

 

 

Egg and ham omelet garnished with rosemary. Amazing! I love weekends for this reason, the time to make a good long breakfast and enjoy it slowly.

I can say with up to 99% certainty that I was the only man making beans and rice that morning. Thais only use kidney beans as dessert. They all think I've gone off the deep end when I eat beans as a meal.

I love breakfast. Along with my franken-sandwich, here is another of my favorite creations. This is a recipe taken from Kate's Cafe on lower Height and Filmore in San Francisco. Introducing the French Toast Orgasm. Yes. Four pieces of french toast, yogurt, honey, and granola topped with fruit and raisins. Ive only made this twice, though now that Ive reminded myself of it, I'll make it this weekend too. Feel free to take my lead.



Apart from breakfast, there are three main categories of food that I will cook again and again and again. One of them is BBQ. However, Nick seems to be on top of the ribs and chicken and such. The other two foods you might be able to guess...

Mexican. Duh. This is obvious. How could I ever live without it? Even if I lived on the South Pole of Earth, you know I would find a way to make some ice tortillas and cold fish tacos. Where there is a will there is a way.

 

One way that this trip has changed me is that my time away from grocery markets has reminded me how simple it is to make your own pico de gallo salsa. I don't think I'll ever buy salsa again, getting too good at making it myself.

You just don't know how much you love something until it is taken away from you. What am I talking about here? I'm talking about tortillas - cant find them here except for one place: Bangkok. I have successfully made some from flour, but you know corn is the winner.

 

 

 

Compilation. Yes, that is an enchilada top right.

Fun fact: a proper Mexican meal has all the carbohydrates, calories, vitamins, nutrients, and taste you'll ever need to survive. Here's another fun fact: it's rumored that when he was a boy, Andrés refused to consume any vegetable unless it was placed appropriately atop a hot slice of pizza.

I eat my veggies on the side now. But some things never chance. And neither should whatever it is you love to eat.

Chances are, you haven't tried my pizza. Funny how creativity springs from necessity. All these mouthwatering meals had to be made by my own hands...because the best Thai pizza is missing cheese and made with ketchup topped with mayo. So here are the best Italian pizzas made by a Mexican in Thailand.

 

 

It begins here. Late night, ingredients for bread, tomato sauce, cheese and toppings. A 32oz bottle of Thai beer, some music, and 45 minutes later you have....

Seasoned bacon tomato with mozzarella

BBQ chicken tomato and mozzarella

Tomato and ham with cheddar cheese

Salami, onion, yellow bell pepper, tomato and a mix of cheese

Caramelized onions, green and yellow bell peppers, BBQ chicken and two layers of cheese

Love this one. Bell pepper, tomato, onions, garlic, and northern Thai sausage

 

Have some more! We have plenty. In between the coffee maker and the microwave in the far back is the oven used to cook these cheese morsels. Only one fits at a time, which is, very inconvenient. One is devoured before it has time to cool.

I choose not to highlight the variety of Thai food consumed over the months Ive spend here because, well, they had little to do with me. Most of the time its rice and meat, noodles and meat, or rice and noodles with me doing little less than paying the 20 to 40 baht it cost to sit at a decent eatery.

Here's to hoping that you take a few days out of your week to get back into that kitchen! Not many things are free-er than the freedom to cook your own food your way.
Much much love,
-A

Thailand - One Year Anniversary; Anuban Uthai Thani

Anuban; Thai word for Kindergarten.

That is the theme for today's post. The kindergarten school where I teach, located in Uthai Thani province, Thailand.

Technically, the school does not stop at the kindergarten grade. It spans grades K1 through P6. I had the fortune of teaching K2 for a month and half - forty one students (hows that for overcrowding!) and now have planted myself comfortably as the fourth grade teacher.

The program I work under, however, is special. It is a special private English program situated inside of a government founded school. And not the "private school" type that comes to mind when thinking of privileged children back home. No. Not at all. For one, they aint stuck up. Two, they're a lot cooler and more individualistic thanks to their teacher.

Not that its all cupcakes and rainbows either. You would agree, everyone hates their job. Even just a little. It's no secret. Even the cool people. Admit that even Anthony Bourdaine and Willie Wonka got to hate their jobs some days.

Point is, I love my teaching job. I really do. And so I'm not going to babel on about the things that makes it hard to get up in the morning. However I will say that to endure elementary school a second time, as a willing participant (salary aside), does take effort. Just look into your past and remember how hard it was being a kid the first time around.

Now on to the highlights. The things that make my cold morning shower a little warmer, things that make me smile with stupidity over the teachers lunch table, and those preadolescence behaviors that reinforce and complicate all the social theory I swallowed at University (not at all in a condescending manner).

Here's a good one to begin with. The yellow building in the rear is actually where my classroom is. The construction in the foreground is what I wanted to show you, because....

 

....because Thai safty and construction laws exists like free speech in China. It doesn't. Now, normally, this wouldn't concern me further than daydreaming how I would handle the situation should this man fall with no safty gear. That, and the fact that they weld right by the children. I had to literally tell my kids to STOP looking at the welder's arch as they worked. Apparently, avoiding staring into bright light is not general informaion. Niether is diabetes, but thats a different story.

Everyday the school gathers the children for assembly to sing the National Thai anthem. It's a catchy song. On top of that, we also give a Word of the Day. As you can see in this picture, sometimes its two words or a phrase. In any event, this day was special (no I did not choose these words) because of the good luck that shined upon the 49ers that day. Yes, I am talking about Monday Night Football. We ended up wining the game that day, although our season is now over.

This kid, lol. He's from the Kindergarten 1 class and has a unusual habit of pressing his body against my classroom door like this. I guess he cant wait to join Primary 4. Can you blame him? Reminds me of that kid from the movie UP.



This is "Champ." Everyone has a nick name in Thailand, not just the children.Champ is awesome. He was one of my students last term and still comes to my desk downstairs to say hi.

This is my assistant, Jae. She's hard at work, usually is. In P4, I am able to speak with the kids and they can understand me most of the time. Teaching assistants usually are needed more in the classrooms with younger students. As it happens, Jae went to this school when she was a little girl.

 

 

And here is a shot of my desk.

And another....

And another. Yes, my work area is usually filled with papers and books to grade. Don't mind the paperwork, its worth the work when you consider that I am responsible for dictating my course syllabus, as long as I don't stray too far off the suggest course of the text books. I usually, as you might guess, habitually stretch the scope of my lesson plans.

My kids.

We all need a little encouragement. Like I've said before, no one does this alone. I was thrilled to come back from lunch with this note on my desk upon one of my first days of work. I've since taped it to my wall as a sort of trophy.

I also tutor at home after school. I don't mind the extra cash and the parents are desperate to have foreign teachers help their children with homework. Besides that, I really enjoy it. The one teacher, one student partnership is ideal for both. Its more like a parenting skill than anything, and if you do your history you'll see this dichotomy again and again. If only there were enough teachers...



Here we all are at morning assembly. Good thing they have a crazy American teacher to remind them not to take life so seriously....

...like taking some time out of your day to make-out with rainbow kite fish.

Yeepon, CC, and Muk playing Scrabble together. 

Once a year there is an English Camp aimed at incorporating the words and phrases we use in the class to "real" world situation. Each teacher is assigned a table. I was given Science. Awesome!

Question: After a full day of English camp, what better way is there to relax than a potato sack race?

 

 

Answer: throwing water balloons at your classmates.

Boom goes the water balloons!

Praw, Tong, Bell, and others having fun in art class. I pulled this one out from my own past as a child: Tangrams!

Ahhhh, nothing like Christmas in Thailand. Nothing. In an ironic twist, the "modernisation" presence of the West in Thailand (ie, Christmas) is unexpectedly demonetized compared to the Americas and Europe. In fact, no gifts are exchanged at all. Nope. The day is all about singing songs, love, and celebration. You could learn a few things from Christmas in Thailand.

As with most days, you cant get around the old arts and crafts when it comes to kids. Here we are preparing snow flakes at my Christmas station.

Ta-dah!!!

Rather than on Christmas day, we exchange gifts on New Years day (Gregorian calender. Thai system New Years is in mid April and last three days). No class today!

No class but plenty of food.

And gift wrapping.

The kids huddled around a mechanical fishing game. I will always treasure this moment. Sure, the kids had fun, but that's not why I smile when I look at this one. See, everyone is supposed to give a secret gift, no knowing who will end up with the one you buy. Being the gender-conscious San Francisco hippie child that I am, struggled at the toy store to buy something that boys, girls, and future ladyboys would enjoy. No, I am not joking. Anyhow, I came across this game and my assistant immediately threw her nose up at me. "You cant gift that, that's a toy for a child." I told her that indeed, they are children, and should have fun. Plus, its a game they can share. Well, she wasn't having it and was convinced that my idea would flop. And you know what? It didn't. The game was a hit. More than that, it was a raved success. I got my smirky revenge when I overheard a student ask my assistant where he could asked his mom to buy him the exact same game so he could take it home and play with his siblings. My assistant looked up at me with hate in her eyes; I smiled and beelined straight for a piece of cake.

After an exchange of presents, we headed outside and enjoyed a feast of Thai bbq. You can see Jae and my Thai teacher helping the kids. Jae is pouring soup broth around the hot tin. Later, the juice from the meat will slide down the grill and into the broth, making for one hell of a tasty meal.

 

You can see here the coals already starting to get white hot. Soon they will be moved to the table and covered with that tin.

All the raw fixings you could ask for. The egg? It acts as a coating.

Ahhhhh, perfecto.

The boys have their own strategy when it comes to grilling. Throw it on and eat whats cooked.

 The girls are much more methodical in their cooking. Look back at the boys, and then the girls. The girls employ an unspoken partnership and division of tasks.

 

 

Don't forget the squid!

Anyway you want to cook it, its fine. That's the fun in Thai bbq anyways. Look at that feast. In all, we had six tables going at once. That's a lot of food!

 

 

Finally, here we all are preparing for the Mini English Program (MEP) event night; a day when we showcase the students learnt abilities. Think Shady Love by the Scissor Sisters minus the hip shaking, plus Thai kid's accented English. The old woman who plays the piano gets me every time =

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0T5-PDeJ7c&feature=kp

 

(By the by, ask me how I feel about consciously participating in the re-orienting a developing culture. I have many thoughts on the issue; the morality of my actions, and worth of my lessons, and to a more philosophical intent, the very ethics of my presence here).

 

 

Peek, Thanapon, Khing, and Eye, all glamed up for MEP night.

 

 

Thank you and good night! What a great picture. Being the oldest grade in the Mini English Program (its a young program) we had the difficulty of ending the show. It was about 9:30 pm when we took the stage. A little more than tired parents and sleepy teachers spotted composed our audience. But guess what - we won best in show. I'm planning a surprise party the last day of schools before final exams. They earned it.

And that's all from me and my students at this point. There is still an open house event planed. After that its a a week of review and then Finals. The semester here ends in mid March.

We've already established that no one loves their job everyday. Still, you can imagine how much easier my job becomes on nights like these.

Much love my friends. I miss you all.
-A