Sunset in Paradise

Super Bowl in Thailand

I have watched every Super Bowl since 1985. Last year and the year before, I had to watch the "Big game" on a little computer screen. This year, however, I was able to watch it on a big screen at a sports bar in Krabi, and what is more my favorite team the Green Bay Packers were one of the teams that made it to the NFL championship game. Upon arriving in Thailand, I began inquiring as to where I could watch the game with almost everyone I met that spoke English. You should have seen the looks I got. "Super Bowl, what is that?" Eventually, I met an Australian who is married to a local girl and he was able to point me in the right direction. So, at 6:30 this morning, Amanda and I along, with about 20 to 25 other Americans crowded, first into a hostel lobby and then at half time we moved to the sport bar, for the showdown. The game was a classic battle, with many turns in momentum. It seemed that everyone was emotionally invested in the game, although there were only 2 Steelers fans in the group. They did not leave happy. I did. The packers take the trophy home and I get to spend the afternoon on the beach. It doesn't get much better than that. -Frank

Ya's Thai Cookery - Always Bang, Bang!

As many of you already know, Amanda loves to cook. She also happens to be pretty good at it. In fact, my sisters like to call her "Betty Crocker" because of her culinary skills. So as you might imagine, when we discovered that one of the things you can do here on Krabi is go to a Thai cooking class, it was definitely added to our "Bucket List". Now, when it comes to food, my expertise lies along a different path, that of consuming, not so much cooking. However, I decided to join her in taking this class, and why not, not only would she get to pursue one of her passions, I would also get to pursue one of mine.

Truth be told, I had a terrific time. Mrs. Ya speaks English reasonably well, with a heavy Thai accent, and has a good sense of humor. She has the personality and talent to be on a Food Network cooking show. When telling us how to prepare the ingredients, such as cutting up the garlic, shallots, lemongrass, basil, cardamon (See, I did learn something) etc., she would either tells us "first bang bang" for the garlic, shallots, and cardamon or "not bang bang" for the lemongrass and basil. Later on, while re-explaining the recipes, she said "remember...always bang bang". She is really full of personality.

So, what were some of the dishes I learned to cook? Well, I learned to cook Pad Thai, Chicken in Oyster sauce, and one of my favorites Panaeng Chicken Curry, just to name a few. In preparation for making these dishes, we also had to learn how to make both red and green curry pastes, a very important ingredient in Thai food. Throughout the afternoon, as we were cooking, Mrs. Ya often insisted that we grab a spoon and "taste, taste so you remember". All the while, I kept saying to myself "Mrs. Ya, I like the way you think". Everything was scrumptious! At the end, all of the students brought the dishes that they made to the dining area and we shared a meal together, although by that time most of us were too stuffed to eat. Another nice feature of this class is that not only are we given a cook book with the recipes in it, but we are also given a diploma which states that the recipient has "successfully mastered the art of Thai cooking". Wow, what do you know, there is actually something to this cooking thing! - Frank