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Exquisite taste in all things posh and pretty. From modern restaurants, bars and bistros to classic children’s clothing and southern fashion & flair. Highlighting luxurious hotels, swanky spas and vintage tea rooms, proudly presenting, “these are a few of our flavorite things”.
Cooking with Poo
This visionary and entrepreneurial woman has capitalized on her name and created an unforgettable play on words that has led her into the limelight…..and into our hearts!
Meet Poo
Born and raised in the slums in Bangkok, she has skillfully developed her gifting – a love for cooking that her mother instilled in her. What began as a home kitchen in which she served neighbors directly from her hut window, has grown into a business and a vision for employing women and bettering her community.
Tourists and locals book weeks in advance to attend her notorious cooking class learning the secrets of Thai cuisine and earning bragging rights for mastering Phad Thai and Tom Kha Gai soup.
The half-day excursion begins with a shuttle pick up at a central mall
(Emporium) where you and other chefs-in-training are driven to the Klong Toey wet market. Poo greeted us warmly at the pick up location and we were drawn to her personal, down-to-earth manner. The walk through the market is not for the faint of heart (or queasy of stomach). Suffice to say, if you aren’t a vegetarian before going, you might be after. But if you can get past the section with frog carcasses and dried beetles, you’ll find the palate of color from all the fresh fruits and veggies absolutely stunning!
After gathering needed produce. the shuttle takes you to Poo’s kitchen. Ill admit, I was expecting an industrial, polished kitchen, but was refreshed to see the integrity of the vision has been maintained in Poo’s quaint kitchen only doors down from the home she grew up in.
Her staff was pleasant, helpful and the cooking class well managed with thoughtful detail given to accompanying guests with special dietary needs. I was amazed by the genuine nature of a woman so sought after and renowned through much of the world. A celebrity who has not wavered on her convictions and whose heart is truly the betterment of her community.
We left with full bellies and delightful memories.
Cooking with Poo is a must for anyone who has a day to spare in Bangkok!
If you’re a local, its a great day activity to take visiting guests or relatives to.
Ill be going back for sure!
Bangkok Decoded
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| Atlanta airport en route to Bangkok 2013 |
1) Asians take pictures of everything – especially cute white American children
6) Do not sit by a Buddhist monk on Bangkok Transport System – this will result in an embarrassing exchange where you will be asked to switch seats.
7) When you are six-foot-two-inches and are shopping in India and Asia among petite people, “One size” does not in fact “fit all“
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| dress for them = shirt for me |
9) These lovely mild-mannered, gracious people always smile. Even when the taxi driver is telling you “meter broke” and charging you 400 baht for a 30 baht ride.
10) Motorbike taxis are the surest way to breeze through traffic when in a hurry. It’s a thrilling ride, but it might be your last! Close your eyes and hold on for dear life.
12) Western hospitals are not only where we go for medical emergencies. It’s a great spot to grab a Starbucks, listen to live piano music and enjoy free wifi!
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| balloon artist at the hospital |
14) You need to develop some serious ninja moves before walking the streets and trying to dodge sun-umbrellas, low hanging electrical wires, pot holes, construction debris, vats of hot oil right at eye level, and the Thai grandma who wants to pinch your toddlers cheeks.
15) Mapquest will say you live 12 minutes from your designated location. Figure in Bangkok traffic and 180 second traffic lights, and you will arrive by next Wednesday.
16) Non absorbent tissue paper is substituted for paper napkins and kleenex for toilet paper.
17) Mall toilets are space age contraptions that may result in flooding the bathroom and getting “poo water” sprayed on you when your 5 year old decides to experiment with buttons.
18) When dining out, keep in mind that food never comes out together…or in any particular order. So, when you choose an appetizer, entree and dessert from a set menu, don’t be surprised when your brownie ala modè comes out first.
19) NYC ain’t got nothin’ on Bangkok when it comes to shopping. There are often 3 massive malls at any major intersection. Shop till you drop…that is, if you have the means for Prada and Dolce Gabbana
20) There really is no limit to the number of people who can cram on one motorbike!
I Aint Missin’ You At All
No harm meant.
I would refrain from writing such a post if I thought anyone shared my sentiment.
But….since Im quite convinced that everyone is relishing the change of seasons and that the only one who feels this way is my own quirky self, I’ll proceed…..
Reading everyones nostalgic fall facebook statuses about their kids frolicking in the leaves and Starbucks bringing back their holiday blends has a reverse affect on me.
Hearing that there were snow flurries in my hometown yesterday, makes me sing for joy that Im a million miles away.
In the words of John Waite, “I aint missin you at all”!
You see…..Im a summer gal.
This girl needs sunshine to bloom
Im totally going to be that old woman someday. Leathery brown skin walking barefoot on the beach every morning with a big straw hat. Do I have to be 70 before I become a “snowbird”.
God absolutely knew what he was doing sending me to the land of perpetual sunshine and 100% humidity year round. I believe with all my heart that He had things for me to learn during our 5 years on the outskirts of Siberia 🙂 but I thank Him every day here for a climate that I dont feel like Im freezing into a stone sculpture every time I set foot outside. It is brutally hot – but Ill take that any day!
There are several indicators that Im not compatible with life itself once it drops below 70 degrees….
A case against the cold…
1) These boots aren’t made for walkin’....
You know that perfect pair of boots that you cant wait to break out of the closet the first of September? Let me tell you, nothing looks as cute in a shoe size 11 as it does on the narrow-footed size 7 mannequin in the shoe store window! Seriously, you could float a small child in some of my shoes. Thus, Im much more comfortable in flip flops and cute sandals. A lot less shoe means a lot less attention to my ginormous feet. Give me some hot pink polish and my feet almost look cute. When it came time to pack to move here, there were no tears shed over my swanky knee-high, 3 inch heel, fur trimmed Victoria Secret boots that I gave to my sister.
…..and I promptly bought all the flip flops on the sale rack at the end of the season last fall!
2) Winter clothes are hazardous and uncomfortable!
Uuugh….confining. itchy. all wrong for me! Ive never quite been able to pull off this look.
As someone who has a propensity to claustrophobia, I find that scarves resemble a very cute boa constrictor. With a child always in arm getting tangled in unnecessary fluff around my neck, it feels like Ive adorned myself with a noose for the day.
Sweaters. Jackets. Hoodies. Wool tights.
Less is more when it comes to my attire.
Maxi dresses, leggings with tunics, tank tops and skirts are my happy place!
3) Christmas comes in a cup regardless of the climate!
For those of you who have been crossing off days on your calendar until Christmas season came to Starbucks, let me just say “nanny-nanny-boo-boo”…. Our local Starbucks started carrying all the seasonal beverages three days before they were released in the US. Im a fan too, dont get me wrong. But I would argue that a peppermint hot-chocolate tastes just as good (if not better) when Im wearing my sundress and flip flops on this balmy 87degree afternoon in Bangkok. From everyones Facebook statuses, it sounds like South Carolina has turned into the frozen tundra. You have my pity!
4)You can’t seriously like the landscape!
This one I dont get. Why anyone would prefer a grey, drab, dead landscape more than lush, sun-soaked, summer green is beyond me. I think palmtrees are going to look great at Christmastime here this year.
5) Packing for cold is inefficient!
Its no secret that our family is always on the move. We are self proclaimed Gypsies. Never settling for too long. Our nomadic life means Ive done a lot of packing and unpacking in 12 years of marriage to this man. Let me tell you, you can fit an entire childs wardrobe into the same space it would take to pack a down jacket and pair of ski bibs.
Winter clothes in my humble opinion are a waste. of. space!
6) Potty breaks are next to impossible!
I regress again…..when we lived in Ukraine, it literally took 20 minutes just to put enough layers on my 2 year old twins to take them for a brief walk outside. Our daily outing consisted of layering the following….
Underwear, tights, wool socks, long underwear bottoms and top, long-sleeved-Tshirt, jeans, wool sweater, scarf, snow bibs, heavy coat, hat….and then trying to get 20 wiggly toddler fingers into gloves. At which point, one of them inevitably would announce that they needed to go potty!
Summer wardrobe = shirt, shorts, flip flops. DONE!
Hard to believe last year at this time, I was enjoying a leisurely weekend with the girls in my favorite southern city – Charleston.
We froze our tushies off traipsing around historic cobblestone streets and ducking in and out of coffee shops to thaw. We had the best time. Cant believe its been a year! But it was coooold! Im offering to host here this year!
While I desperately miss my mom and sisters, I can say with stalwart resolve to winter…
….I aint missin you at all!