I LOVE Christmas!

Its Friday December 23rd and Christmas really feels like it's upon me. I've been skyping with Mum and Dad (Sue and Craig) more frequently recently, trying to organise our impending trip to Japan and also because it's Christmas time and you just want your family at this time of year don't you?

The last time we talked, my parents were at our friend's place, The Michalskis, and I took some screen shots of them with the beautiful tree. The Michalski family are all incredibly talented so their Christmas - including wrapping, cards, food and decorations on the tree/table/around the house - is always stunning. Each year there's a different look and their tree is particularly beautiful, all lit up and hung with their beautiful and familiar decorations. I'm sad I missed the yummy Christmas dinner they had but I'm thankful to skype for allowing me to see the tree and my folks :)

Craig and Sue and the beautiful Christmas tree

Can't wait to see them tomorrow night!

Merry Christmas Craig and Sue

The lead up to Christmas has been odd because some of the things that I have come to associate with Christmas are totally absent in Thailand.
There's no mangoes right now (not in season) and nor are there cherries, nectarines or peaches. It might seem odd to all you non-Australians, but stone fruits are synonymous with Christmas time for me.
It doesn't smell at all Christmasy here either. The air smells as it always does, a humid mix of sewage and spice but in Sydney I'm used to the lovely summery mix of fresh salt air as the cool summer breeze comes off the sea, pine  from the Christmas trees dotted around, and particularly the smell of ripe mangoes just waiting to be eaten.
Although it's hot in Thailand, it's also rainy season so the weather is a bit grey and the clouds are always heavy with impending rain. In Sydney December is warm and the days and nights are mostly clear (not sure that's the case this year though) so there's always a lot of fun Christmas things to do outdoors, like carols in the domain or shopping for Christmas gifts at markets. And not having any of my family or friends from back home here makes it all a bit surreal too I think. But we're doing our best to make it a very Thailand Christmas. There's a secret Santa amongst the teachers in kindergarten and we have had dinners/drinks in the lead up to the 25th (just as we would have in Sydney). I stopped myself from buying any tinsel or Christmas decorations for my apartment because I'm leaving today and not returning until Jan 3rd so there didn't seem to be much point.

At school Christmas is in full swing. For 2 weeks it's been jingle bells and Christmas trees, we're literally decking the halls and you know what? It's been big fun! Being around the joyful energy of my 25 amazing little rug rats has really helped me get into the Christmas spirit.

Here's some pictures of my class in front of the Christmas/Snowman inspired art project we did last week:

I love the snowmen. We stuck cotton wool buds
to them so they're fluffy and snowy.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Apart from making thousands of X-mas art projects, we've also been practicing (very hard, and incessantly) for the kindergarten Christmas show. The show was on this morning and my kids did amazingly, I'm so proud! Yes, I cried a little but I think if you'd been there you would have cried too. Beautiful little balls of Christmasy delight they were, I adore them so much.  
Sadly my computer won't let me upload the footage I have of the show right now but I hope to work that out in the new year.

Here's a video of my amazing little Chrissy Elves practicing for the show.

I have to finish packing for my trip to Japan. So exciting, but I'm also a little bit nervous, I think the temperature in Japan is going to be the coldest I have ever experienced, Bbbbbbbbbbrrrrrrr.
Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope you have a wonderful family, food and joy-filled day on the 25th. Have a happy New Year and I will write again in 2012.

A Full Lunar Eclipse

On Saturday December 10 there was a full lunar eclipse and I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time (Koh Phangan, in the middle of the Gulf of Thailand at almost midnight) where I could watch the whole thing. Here are some pics my buddy took:

This eclipse was a full penumbral eclipse. Penumbral means a partial outer shadow that is lighter than the darker inner shadow. I'm not sure that I will ever see an eclipse like this again because penumbral eclipses are quite rare and only occur when the Moon passes through the Earth's penumbra.
The moon appeared red because of the way the light passed through Earth's atmosphere, and the angle that it was refracted.

I am really blessed to have been able to watch such a beautiful event. It made me think about my insignificance, and how ancient and mighty the universe is. It was a very humbling experience and I am truly happy I was able to appreciate it with some good friends. 

My Top 5 Beaches in Thailand

This past weekend was another national holiday and so Clare (who you may remember from previous posts, my friend who is visiting from Sydney) and I, along with a bunch of other groovy people from Nakhon, went to Koh Phangan for 3 nights.

 The beach we went to, Haad (meaning 'beach' in Thai) Yuan, is one of my favorite beaches in Thailand. Actually it's one of the best beaches I have ever been to. I told Clare when she was planning her trip, that she simply had to visit Yuan because it's just so beautiful, chilled out, peaceful, and there's hardly any backpackers (yay!).

I have a bit of holiday time coming up in March/April/May and I want to spend some of it in Thailand. Which has got me thinking, should I visit places I've been and love and perhaps want to say good-bye to or should I try and discover some new places. If I had to name my 5 favorite beaches in Thailand (because apart from Chiang Mai and Pai in the North of Thailand, my favorite places are all islands or beaches) which ones would I choose?

I thought about it over the weekend and, finally, after much deliberation, here is the list of my top 5 beaches in Thailand (so far):

Note - 'Koh' means island in Thai.

1. Haad Yuan, Koh Phangan.
This beach is only 5/10 minutes by longtail boat from horrible Haad Rin (the horrific 'Full Moon Party' beach) yet it is so different. Haad Yuan (and neighbouring Haad Tien and Haad Wynam) are not at all built up, no loud bars blasting terrible music from 5pm-3am or bucket drinking backpackers to ruin your day/night at the beach.
The food on Haad Yuan/Tien is fantastic too. Bamboo Hut is my fave place to eat. It's perched on the rocks and affords a fantastic view of the beach. I particularly recommend ANYTHING on the menu!

On my 27th birthday, Haad Yuan

Haad Yuan, taken from Bamboo Hut

2. Paradise Beach, Koh Wai
Here's an areal image of the island. The beach i'm talking about is the 1st big beach at top left, there's a per jutting out on the Eastern side. Crystal clear water, lots of fish and some good snorkeling. There's one restaurant (attached to Paradise Resort) on the beach and you can find cocktails, snack, meals and fresh juices all served with a smile.

Brielle and I showing the love for Koh Wai

Shaking coconuts out of the tree

The beach and the pier

There were so many different types of fish living under this platform!
Great Snorkeling - Koh Wai

The restaurant on the beach, Koh Wai

3. Thong Nai Pan Noi, Koh Phangan.
I blogged about this beach a few months ago. I went there with my pal Janice and had a wonderful time. We went in the height of low season and the weather was just OK, not a lot of sun BUT we still loved it. The beach is beautiful, there's a lot of options for accommodation and there are several wonderful restaurants!

Janice on Thong Nai Pan Noi

Me sipping my fresh coconut, YUM!

Thong Nai Pan Noi (and Thong Nai Pan Yai in the distance. Yai means South and Noi means North)

4. Koh Lidee (there's only 1 beach, the island is so small!)
I went to Koh Lidee in August, which is supposed to be rainy season. Although we didn't get any rain, we didn't have super sunny days the whole time either. The final day was bright and clear and I think that's what made me fall in love with the island/beach. The water is so beautiful and the area is so peaceful and quiet. Just magical.
You can either stay in the few cabins on Lidee or bring a tent, but I can guarantee you won't want to be spending much time indoors if you go to this island. We brought all our own food except for the fresh seafood which we bought off the local fishermen (there's no shop). There was a BBQ as well as some big containers for ice to keep everything cold.

The view from my bedroom window

Enjoying the warm water

Post swim, morning coffee

A beautiful full moon

Koh Lidee by day, stunning!

5. Loh Dalam Bay, Koh Phi Phi Don. This beach is on my list for a different reason to the others. It's not the most magical, beautiful place in Thailand but it's just so much fun! Phi Phi is a great island with loads going on. During the day everyone flocks to Loh Dalam Bay and relaxes in the flat, shallow water, and at about 5pm people start to leave and get ready for a fun night out in exactly the same place.
At night the beach transforms, there are rows and rows of beach bars with fire shows and fresh seafood on BBQs.
I have been to Phi Phi twice and each time I loved it! I, like everyone else, spent everyday lazing around on the sand and swimming with all the other tourists (sounds horrible, is actually quite fun) and every night watching fire shows and drinking cocktails on the same beach at night.

Loh Dalam Bay

From the viewpoint, Loh Dalam Bay on the right

Nibbles in Nakhon

So the big supermarket in Nakhon has changed hands and it now stocks some staples of my pre-Thailand diet, like Italian basil (YAY now I can make pesto!), eggplants, zucchinis and tonic, gin and lemons (wonder what i'm making with those?).

My hero Ms Julia Child, in her AMAZING kitchen

I have made zucchini soup a few times, and I have been frying garlic and eggplant to have on salads but this week I have a reason to make (or try to make) Baba Ganoush - JOY!

The reason I have an excuse to make this dish is because the girls of Nakhon are having the 2nd clothing swap of the year. We all get together at my pal Ali's place, eat and drink then dump the baskets of unwanted or unworn clothes on the ground and fight over them. Ha! So much fun! I am actually wearing something from the previous clothing swap as I write. It's a lovely little kaftan and my friend Kait was done wearing it, I think she had worn it so much it had lost it's appeal to her but I LOVE it!

The clothing swap is a great way to refresh our wardrobes without having to buy more and more stuff. It fits in nicely with my impending new years resolution (yes i have decided on my resolution already) which is to consume less; less stuff, less food, less alcohol etc.

This is the recipe I will follow, it's from David Lebovitz's food blog. I love his writing and his cooking so I thought i'd try his Ganoush over all the other recipes I found online.

My Introduction to Fiery Isaan Food.

My fellow diners - Clare, Allison and Marelise

I have been hearing great things about Isaan food (the cuisine for the North of Thailand) since I first arrived in Thailand in 2009, yet I have never sat down to a meal at an Isaan restaurant. Well, not until a few nights ago.

The Isaan Provence is located in the North-Eastern Part of Thailand, bordered by Cambodia and Laos on the Eastern sides. The Provence is one of the poorest in Thailand and because of that, the ingredients are more varied and unusual. Sticky rice (served in groovy individual, hand woven pots) is a staple of Isaan food because of it's abundance and because it helps to diffuse the heat of the dishes.

Pork neck and the yummy tamarind (?) sauce
and left over SomTam behind it

The SomTam (it didn't last long)
the plate of greens behind contains greens
like beans and cucumber to cool the mouth

To the meal: spurred into action by the fact that during my brief visit to Sydney earlier this month, my parents seemed to know more about Isaan cuisine than I did (thanks to this article) and that there is a new Isaan restaurant in my town, I finally took the plunge and dined at E-San Inter, the newest Isaan place in town. 

Our Isaan feast was a cacophony of different flavours, spices, and textures. It was amazing, so flavourful and oh so fresh!

Clare serving Allison some Tom Yum Gong

Although I had heard that Isaan food is very spicy and can often be too hot, only the SomTam (spicy green papaya salad) was hot, the rest were fine. Having said that though, I like spice and I have been living in Thailand for 8 months so if you're not usually a fan of spice it may be best to ask for mild on your first visit to an Issan restaurant.

Marelise enjoying some SomTam
and Tom Yum Gong

The meal before we demolished it.
Note the amazing whole fish on the left - YUM!

My favorite dish was the whole grilled fish with a sweet and sour tomato sauce - amazing! The fish was so fresh, it tasted like butter. I also really enjoyed the spicy SomTam made with apple, grape and pineapple instead of green papaya. The fresh, cold, sweet fruit mixed with the salty fish sauce and the spice of the fresh chillis was a fantastic combination.
I also had the best chicken and cashew nuts I have ever had (and Aussie/Thai is full of chicken and cashew so I have eaten my fair share). I can't tell you what they did differently but whatever it was, it worked!

Clare and I mucking around with basil

I am really excited to go back to this restaurant and sample some more delicious Isaan dishes. I have had larb before (I have had catfish, chicken and pork larb) and loved it! Larb is a spicy salad with ground meat, spices and onion. It's really tasty, and remains to be one of my favorite Thai dishes. 

By the time we got to the restaurant they had run out of a few things, like a fried ground fish and mango salad and sun dried pork with a sweet sauce, so you see, I need to go back to try them.

Clare, Allison, Marelise (taking the pic) and I
DOMINATED E-san Inter!

I Love Floating

As I wrote in my previous post, Monday December 5th was a national holiday in Thailand so we all got a 3 day weekend - yay!

I am blessed to live in a town with a lot of super groovy people and one couple in particular who are really proactive when it comes to organising big group outings to interesting places. Last weekend was one such outing. About 40 of us (including my pal Clare who is visiting from Sydney) went to the Ratchaprapha Dam about 5 hours away, and spent 2 nights staying in floating bungalows. It  was one of the most beautiful places i have been in Thailand, so peaceful and quiet. The water was crystal clear and we were surrounded by untouched rain forest. I was actually told that the dam itself is 1/3 the size of Singapore, HUGE!

Here are some photos of this fun weekend.

Allison, Clare and Laura on the bus to the Dam. Laura and Andy (out of frame) are playing with a bat and ball.

Andy, bat in hand :)

Me and my pal Marelise on the bus.

Clare and I waiting to leave the pier on the long tail boat that took us to the bungalows.

One of the other longtail boats (there were 4 in total) heading off.
Note Bert, up the back, with his massive inner tube for floating on .

Me and the beautiful mountains in the distance.

I named this 'Camel Island'

The bungalows we stayed in. They were literally floating on the water. So peaceful.

Clare at the bungalows.

Sad Clare, having just slipped of the bamboo walkway and  fallen in the water :

Wine and cards = fun

Me and my wonderful friend Jane

Meaghan, Omar and Sami

Me and Berret (who along with her partner Maew, organised the trip)

Clare and I goofing around

Clare and I, sad to be going home.