market – Page 2 – Gene and Susan's Asian Adventure

Bangkok Thailand: May’s Cooking Class

One of the many highlights for me on this trip to Thailand was our cool cooking class in Bangkok. Deb and I learned how to make nine Thai dishes and we hope this experience has a lasting impact on our cooking! I’m happy to learn a great way to cut and not mangle mangos, and discovered a cool tool that makes thin ribbons from vegetables. I am using these tips in Singapore with the many exotic fruits available year round.

Finding May Kaidee’s cooking school was its own adventure. Our Thai host, Patcharin, Deb’s niece, made a valiant effort to make this place easy for us to find because there are so many small cooking schools in Bangkok. She flagged a cab and went with us to the school which we weren’t expecting her to do. After the cab dropped us off at the school, we found out that we were at the wrong one. Fortunately, the owner was familiar with May’s school and gave us directions to it about 10 blocks away. We did pretty well walking until we were about two blocks away. The major streets crossed with alleys that were packed with businesses and we weren’t sure where to go. After asking a couple of people, we found the school on an alley and never did see a street sign. We were only 10 minutes late. I always say that getting lost or taking detours are the best way to learn your way around. We certainly saw parts of Bangkok we wouldn’t have seen without this experience (so don’t fret Patcharin).

Click on the photos to scroll through.

Thai Cooking class in Bangkok

Other two students, a couple from northern France, and teacher

Class cooking black sticky rice

Mango with sticky black rice

Morning Glory, our new favorite vegetable

Freshly made Papaya Salad

May’s cooking school

Cooking stations

Susan and Deb making Papaya Salad

Ingredients for one of the nine dishes

Students trying our creations

Afterward, I got crowned

Bangkok Thailand: Street Scenes

Bangkok Street Scenes

Picturing Bangkok, I think gritty. The city is colorful, chaotic, and culturally rich, a sea of motor bikes, tuk-tuks (3-wheeled open air taxis), and trucks, all that make negotiating the streets adventurous. There is a modern, fashionable downtown business district, but you can’t escape the signs of poverty, plenty of dilapidated housing scattered around. I shouldn’t have been, but was surprised to see the tangle of electric lines everywhere (I didn’t realize until I got back to Singapore that all of its power lines are underground).

We saw vibrant outdoor markets and vendors that line the streets and alleys selling food (including hanging dried squid, mango sticky rice, and an array of insects), clothing, souvenirs, and services like massages. And, on the bigger streets you see portraits of the royal family on buildings and as shrines and throughout all of Thailand. We were told that every Thai house has at least one portrait of the royal family.

My friend, Deb, was visiting from my home of Madison, WI. We had the good fortune to have her nephew and his Thai wife who live in northern Thailand as our guides as they know Bangkok pretty well. They were delightful, and their auntie came down to spend a day with us too.

Click on the first photo to scroll through all the photos.

Alley/street to get to hotel

Common vending booths

Woman sewing

Tuk-tuks, motor bikes, electric wires

Street view

Neighborhood business

At outdoor market

At outdoor market, macrame dragons

At outdoor market

Street vendors and daily traffic

Street vendors

Street vendor

Fruit vendor, massage chairs

Picturesque alley vendor

Food vendor at bridge

Food vendors across canal

Bangkok Train

Royal Family portrait

Life-size Royal Family portraits for sale

Chinatown

There are many Chinatowns in the USA and other countries and, of course, they are quite different from each other, however, Singapore’s Chinatown is one of the oldest in the world.

In the early 1800’s, with only a small Maylay and nomadic population, Chinese started to settle on the east coast of Singapore and this area would evolve into Chinatown. With extensive land reclamation around the waterways beginning in the mid-late 60’s, soon after Singapore’s independence from Great Britain, Chinatown is now significantly inland. Currently, Singapore’s population is nearly 75% Chinese with the other major cultures being Malaysian 13.3%, Indian 9.2%, and other 3.3% (Phillipino, Indonesian and Westerners). While Chinatown has a higher concentration of Chinese there are also Indian and Maylay residents.

After living in Singapore for eight months, we’re getting a better understanding of the neighborhoods beyond the few things they are known for. Singapore’s Chinatown has its ubiquitous narrow, crowded and fun pedestrian shopping streets, two types of hawker’s markets/food vendor streets, and an upscale restaurant area, besides the shopping area more like State Street. It is one of the prominent gathering places for observing cultural celebrations each year.

Last weekend (early February) Gene and I went to see the decorations for Chinese New Year (first day of the lunar calendar is February 19 and it’s celebrated for 15 days) which is a very important holiday in Asia and preparations start very early. Each New Year is represented by the sign of the zodiac. This is the year of the goat; the appearance of hundreds of giant illuminated goats down the center of the main street in Chinatown and its image all over is the tip off. Every extra space in the markets are inhabited by vendors selling New Years decorations and items to bring good luck and prosperity for the upcoming year (see photos below).

It feels like a combination of Christmas and New Years Eve. Asians from different cultures tend to go back home to their parents’ home and feast. “Symbolically, new clothes are usually worn to signify the new year. It is also the tradition for every family to thoroughly clean their homes to “sweep away” any ill-fortune, making way for the arrival of good luck. Chinese New Year also brings people together, and is marked by visits to kin, relatives and friends, a practice known simply as “new-year visits”. The highlight for children and younger members of the family during these visits comes in little red packets, or “hong bao”, filled with money.

“Chinatown’s stunning streets are lit-up, night markets and decorations are the focal point for Chinese New Year celebrations in Singapore. This is when lion dancers, fire eaters and female dance troupes grace Kreta Ayer Square with their mesmerising performances. Armed with giant paper fans and intricately patterned umbrellas, they will provide you with street entertainment that you are unlikely to forget.

Folklore is very much at the heart of this festival. All across the city, you’ll notice dragon and lion dances everywhere – lending a cheery, festive atmosphere to the occasion. Dragons and lions are prominent characters in Chinese mythology; its roots originating in ancient China when Nien, a mythical beast which tormented villagers was discovered to be afraid of the colour red.”