Thailand – the last visit for a while…

So, as you know after I finished up being a wannabe yogi in India I headed back to Thailand to stay with my dad. I was pretty broke and needed to sort myself out – so Dad’s seemed to be a very good place to go! Thanks dad.

After India I couldn’t get over how nice, clean and quiet Bangkok is! I found the infrastructure to be overwhelming; it was like being back in the modern world – fast cars, motorways, mega shopping malls – consumerism everywhere – talk about a direct entry back into the rat race. I noticed an absence of rubbish, an absence of men urinating in the street, and of course… a serious absence of city cows! I guess it is kind of lucky I didn’t go straight back to NZ from India or I would have really had a sensory overload – all things are relative huh?!

While at dads I helped him out with a few projects, soaked up the warmth and enjoyed eating good Thai food and hanging out with family. I washed my clothes using a washing machine for the first time in months (instead of a bucket) and I had the longest nicest longest hot shower (much to the detriment of my Indian tan!) It was good to be back in into civilisation.

So I ended up spending about 8 weeks at Dads all up… during this time I managed to get my old job back in NZ, found a flat (ironically it’s the same flat I lived at before going overseas), had a side trip to Malaysia, went to the beach, had a day trip to Ayutthaya, ate plenty of good food and booked tickets to New Zealand!

Here is a random selection of photos, mostly of family and food!

A visit from my little bro

My little bro is in town with his friend Becca….  so to welcome them from the UK we had a traditional kiwi BBQ Thailand style.    YUM!

 Photo isn’t fab because I didn’t want my sausage wrapped in bread to get cold (I am all class), but it was a special BBQ so I will post it anyway!  

 

Food in China

When I think of Chinese food, I think of Chinese takeaways in New Zealand…   I am pleased to report the food in China is much better than Chinese takeaways in New Zealand!     Less deep frying and a little less oil (its still pretty greasy though – I really don’t know how the Chinese stay so slim!). 

When we weren’t working in China we seemed to be eating.   Our host Mr Mai took us to some very nice Chinese restaurants that were surprisingly quite different to the Chinese restaurants in New Zealand.   The menus are more interesting too, check this out:

No, I didn’t order the ‘Give Birth Menu Beef’ it sounded plain scary!

Another restaurant we went to was rather interesting… it was a pick your food while you order restaurant.   There are a lot of these in Thailand where you pick your fish you want to eat, but Ive never seen it taken to this level.  This restaurant had soooo many different types of seafood (many Id never heard of before) and a few bits of livestock.   

    

I can usually handle picking live seafood and eating it (except that time in Bangkok) but this took it to a new level.   I couldn’t cope picking out a cute fluffy bunny rabbit and then 30 mins later eating him up!   No way!    

OK, I know this is a little bit hypocritical…  When I eat a nice cut of lamb I do know deep down that it was once a cute little fluffy lambie skipping merrily in the New Zealand countryside enjoying his/her youth without a worry in the world. 

But still, cute fluffy bunnies!?!

Maggots in the fridge!!!

I’ve been in the fridge several times today and didn’t think anything of the bowl of what I thought were lentils.  Then our maid waived the bowl under my nose and I realised that the lentils are in fact MAGGOTS!!! 

EEEEEEWWWWWW….. we have maggots in our fridge.     That is a hell of a lot more disgusting than coming home to deep fried bugs on the table.

Seriously, I am horrified and traumatised. 

The maid and her friend next door had a good laugh at my reaction though!   As I type this she is making fish and maggot tom yum soup.   

Ewww.   I want to puke.