This is the "other" adventure...

IT'S HARDER THAN IT LOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trip to Thailand: Day 4

Woke up at 6:30 and as my dad had gone to work, I watched LOST Season 1 all morning. I got the DVD from the streets. (Ooops, illegal!)



This day was when I did Baipai Thai Cooking school for tourists.

I went outside the apartment and found the van to pick me up had already arrived. A lady was already on the van. We drove (the driver was a staff of Baipai CS) for a while and came to a hotel where a boy joined us. He told me it was his 4th time(!!!!) and that the classes are "quite good." We drove some more and went to another hotel and in came a French couple.



When we arrived at the place, we were given some kind of sweet Thai tea. We went upstairs and introduced ourselves. The lady who was on the van first,Christine, was from Taiwan and (I didn't notice until the assistant asked how many months she was) actually pregnant. The boy, Nicholas, was from Virginia and 15. He was way bigger than me and I thought he was 19!! The French couple, Phillipe and Geraldine, were nice but only talked French between themselves.

It went like this. We sat around the counter and the cook showed us how to make a dish and then we went to the counter which had a strove for each of us. We made a dish and went over to the table and had it and then the cook showed the next menu. When she and the assistant taught us, they also told us what each ingredient was. Now I know that I shouldn't use a dark coloured fish sauce because that one is probably old.

We made 4 dishes which were all VERY nice. Yes, we made curry too. Thai dishes have many spices and herbs and things that I don't remember. I thought it would taste the same to me if one of them were missing but anyway, they were all delicious. My favorite one was rice cracker with stuff on top.

When We were eating the final dis upstairs, it began to rain suddenly!! The strong wind blew away the beam that was holding up the curtain and nearly hit us(see below)! We had to wait for some time for the win and rain to weaken.

The van took Christine first because she was staying at a far place. When Nicholas and I were left in the van, we could see the road was like a little flood. It had only rained for 30 mins so that showed how strong the rain was.

The class was about 4 hours but I was caught in the traffic and couldn't get back until 6. I had a very valuable experience.

This has nothing to do with Baipai but I was looking at the cook book for university students that my mum bought me when we went to the UK in March and I got excited. It looked like fun. :) I can't wait for graduation!!!!!!!!!!

Trip to Thailand: Day 3

Woken up by my dad at 5:30 to go on the first boat to his office. He has to go on Sky Train and then go on a boat to the office.

We arrived at the office and I met his colleagues and they were all nice people. Wandee, who is one of them was supposed to take me to temples that day. I met her and she told me that, because I was wearing short pants, I might not be allowed in some of the temples. So, she was lent me trousers! She was very kind. :-)

My dad talked with his colleagues for a while and then we went out for breakfast. He took me to Starbucks and it's not just any Starbucks. According to my dad, it's the most expecting Starbucks in the world!!

It was hidden in many little shops but when I got there, I couldn't believe it!!

THIS IS STARBUCKS!?!?!?!?? It's a posh restaurant!!!!!!!!!

It was really posh. The food was not special like the place but was very nice.
We went back to the office at 9:00 and me and Wandee got on the boat to go to Wat Pho (according to Wiki, the real name of the place is "Wat Phra Chettuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Ratchaworamahawihan" ) where the reclining Buddha reclines. I had seen the photo of it on a text book before but to look at it for real was over whelming. It was SO BIG!!

Even the feet was like 3 meters! And there were many mini Buddhas on its sole.

Beside the reclining Buddha, there were many small pots. We paid 20 baht and got coins. According to Wandee, you will have more chance to go to heaven if you put the coins one by one in the pot. It took like 5 minutes to do it all!

There were many signs that warned us of pickpockets.

After the reclining Buddha, we had a 50 minute massage. There is a school to train people to be a masseur. I had my feet massaged and Wandee had a full body massage.

Next, we went to the grand palace. What Wandee had said was true. I was glad she warned me.

We saw the Emerald Buddha. It was sitting on top of a tower thing inside this (below) building. We weren't allowed to take photos inside the building.

Everything there was glittery and shiny and cool.

Chinese culture has a lot to do with Thai culture.

This is where the Thai royal family is supposed to be living but we passed a hospital where,according to my dad, the king is being treated.

Trip to Thailand: Day 2

Slept until 9. There's only 2 hours' time difference so I didn't experience jet lag but I was tired from the journey. I arrived at the apartment my dad is living at 1am.

Because dad had gone to work, I watched Bridget Jones's diary while eating croissant for breakfast.
Just as Behind the Scenes was about to end, dad came home so we went out. He showed me around the city centre and had lunch at a big public kitchen.
Thai food has a lot of different spices so the smell is very strong. It was like this the last time I went to Thailand but the smell made me feel kind of sick. I wasn't really hungry anyway. I only had a spoonful of this:
The kitchen:

After lunch, we went back to the apartment and dad had a nap (he was also tired because he had to pick me up at midnight at the airport) and I worked out in the gym. The apartment is really nice and has a gym and a laundry room!! The work-out I didn't this day was a bit too hard. I suffered from muscle pain for 4 days!
At 4pm,we phoned mum via Skype. After that, we set off to a park and looked at the big lizards that live there.

...and had dinner at an Italian restaurant.

Thai mayonnaise is very sweet.