To boost or not to boost?

Is the multi-year Covid cycle coming to an end?

It does look more and more like it, doesn't it? 

Many European countries have opened up completely. It still boggles my mind to see stadiums full of spectators without masks every weekend, but I guess that shows how we're trending.

In Singapore and Thailand, more than ever, people I know are contracting, then recovering from Covid. At this rate, most of us will be vaccinated/boosted/Covid-recovered/all-of-the-above in the next few months, which could allow most nations to declare Covid endemic.

In the first year of the pandemic, people were dying from Covid in the hundred of thousands, I lost (mostly unvaccinated) friends and colleagues from the virus. It was impossible for me to accept a colleague passing away because he went to work. On the other hand, I had colleagues who did not know anything about vaccines and rejected them. At that time, the reason for vaccination was clear - to prevent serious life-threatening symptoms, and set an example for my colleagues to accept the concept of vaccination. We couldn't bear to lose anymore of them.

Now, we are almost two and a half years down from the start of the pandemic. The world has lost millions of lives. Covid-vaccination is no longer a foreign concept. In fact, most of us are staring down another deep blackhole - boosters.

Before you start thinking that I am anti-vaccination, let me clarify that I have just gotten my booster 2 days ago. What prompted me to write this is the fact that the decision to take the booster was one of the most difficult and unnerving ones I've made in a while.

I can list down a whole host of good reasons to get boosted:

1. I already paid for it long ago (yes, it was a warzone to secure vaccinations in Thailand, be thankful if you got yours without a fight), and it wasn't easy to get it.
   
   
2. I have to be fair to my colleagues, who have mostly gone for their boosters, even though many were anti-vaccination in the beginning.
   
   
3. I need it to be able to travel (in fact, countries like Singapore give a validity period for vaccinations, and Malaysia requires different number of quarantine days depending on how many jabs you have, etc. etc.)
   
   
4. For protection, for health, for my family.

But why am I not convinced?

I want it to be solely because of 4., but why do I feel like I did it even more because of a combination of 1-3?

I hate this feeling.

Oh Teddy Teddy... and the dream comes true....

The dream comes true?

Nah.... not really. Some things, you never even dream of. If you adore Taylor Swift, or Ed Sheeran, would you even bother to dream of meeting them one day?

This guy, he's the reason why I watch football, and why I love Tottenham Hotspur till this day. Truth be told, the first Spurs match I watched was the 1991 FA Cup semi-final where Paul Gascoigne scored an incredible free-kick to win the match. Nothing to do with Teddy. Teddy took over the reigns from Gary Lineker in 1992 and from then on he became the absolute reason to watch Spurs in honestly not a very good period for the club (of course there was the Klinsmann season but the flame flickered out before we realised).

The reason why I love football.

He was really a one-of-a-kind football player. He was slow, thus played equally much with his brain as his feet. How he saw the game and made his team tick with his link-up play always intrigued me, and because he never relied on speed and took care of himself, he played well into his forties. In case you didn't know, he was the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the Premier League (for Portsmouth at age 38) and also the oldest player to score a Premier League goal (for West Ham at 40 years 8 months and 24 days).

Pick me. Pick me.

I wish he stayed at Spurs for his entire career, but I am pleased that he managed to win everything in the end, playing a huge part in it as well, though people sometimes undervalue his importance for scoring the equaliser and assisting Ole's winner in the 1999 Champions League final (matchwinner gets all the glory).

Anyway, a month ago, at the grand opening of Score Bar, here in Bangkok, I got to play pool with my footballing hero, took pictures with him, and had the honour of having him pick my name out of a glass, to present me personally with an autographed football. Talk about doing the impossible.

No captions needed.

So thank you Score Bar, for this truly #scoremoment, and also to Wilbur for coming along so that I can ditch my camera and concentrate on enjoying the night.

I am eternally grateful.

Photo credits: Score Bar.

TheKawayiis' Inaugural Adventure on the Songthaew in Bangkok

For the past year, Noah had been bugging me about sitting in a Songthaew, one of Thailand's most creative ways of providing public transport for a population which absolutely detests walking under the sweltering Thailand heat. I kept telling him to wait for the cool season, and I will take the Songthaew with him to Seacon Square. Now that winter's come and gone without any Songthaew ride to boast of, it's time to fulfill a father's promise.

Finally! 

We were on our way to the BBQ Feast Mashup at Viva Thong Lor last Sunday and faced a long queue at the taxi stand outside Emquartier. A small truck parked in front of us and the security guards started asking whether anyone wanted to take it instead. It was a variation of the Songthaew, called the Sii Lor (literally translated as 4 wheels). It's a smaller vehicle, albeit also with two short rows of seats facing each other. Unlike the Songthaew, which in most cases have a fixed route, this smaller variation takes you to wherever you want in the vicinity, charging according to distance. My wife indicated her willingness to take this alternative form of transport, and off we went.

The girls were excited too!

It was quite a ride from Emquartier to Viva Thong Lor, weaving through countless tiny alleys, most of which I might not have passed by in my 8 years here, twisting and turning, bouncing up and down. It felt generally safe, but on occasions we had to hold on to the railings real tight to keep our balance.

Towards the end of the trip, I turned over to ask Noah if he enjoyed himself and whether he wanted to take the Songthaew again.

He smiled gleefully and nodded (oh crap).

Then I asked Ellie.

Ellie!

Ellie?

Fast asleep already!

PS. The trip cost us 60THB, comparable to a taxi journey (with metre). We did not haggle.

The Nicest Durian Vendor in Thailand!

Today, I am going to talk about the most misunderstood local fruit in Thailand - the durian.

Honestly, growing up eating durians from Malaysia, I was a hater as well, but after many years here, I gradually realised that things are not what we make it out to be. Firstly, we need to accept that local palates are not the same as ours. For example, I wouldn't walk into MK to have their hotpot even if you beg me to, but last I checked, they have 433 branches in Thailand, so who am I to say they don't know their stuff?

Giving another example, 5 years ago, I brought my staff to Singapore for a business trip. He spent some time scrutinizing some pre-packed durians which were sold for 10SGD per pack. He then looked at me with a perplexed face, "Eddie, why do they sell these durians so expensive? They are rotten." This came from a Thai man on his first-ever overseas trip, and ate Thai durians for 31 years.

I gradually understood that the difference (note that I didn't use the word problem) lies in the fact that Thai durians, unlike Malaysian durians which fall from the tree, are harvested way before they are ripe. That's the way Thais like it, unripe durians with a slight crunch, just mildly sweet and doesn't smell pungent (there is only a light smell when you chew). 

However, trust me when I say that Thai durians are sweet and creamy when they are fully-ripe too! Thai durians have been misunderstood, because even for our palates, they are very respectable taste-wise when ripe. The most commonly-found Monthong is sweet and creamy, but less rich and bitter compared to the most popular variants in Malaysia. It does taste a little boring, so if you are looking for a Thai cultivar that tastes closer to what we are used to in Malaysia/Singapore, go for Chanee or Puang Manee. I haven't tasted Kan Yaaw before to give a verdict on it.

All said and done, I must admit I have faced difficulty explaining my preferences to durian vendors in Thailand. Like us, they completely misunderstand our durians as over-ripe to the point of being rotten. I have even been spoken to with an air of disbelief and contempt by durian vendors when I explained the kind of durian I wanted. Why can't we just agree to disagree and get on with life?

That's why I got so inspired to write this piece after meeting the nicest ever durian vendor last week (I featured a taxi driver too here). He didn't understand why I wanted 'over-ripe' durians, but opened durian after durian after durian in search of one that's most suitable for me, telling me not to worry and he's not going to charge for the ones I rejected. 

Such nice people!

The nicest durian vendor in Bangkok and maybe Thailand!

It got to the point that I asked him politely to stop, and purchased the ripest one of the lot. The durian was not perfect of course, but for me it was the tastiest sweetest durian I had ever eaten.

Oh, if you have never seen a Thai durian vendor break a durian apart, it is quite a sight (watch video below).

Disclaimer: I was tempted to do a thorough research on Thai durians online before writing this, but decided not to, and share what I personally feel about durians in Thailand through my years of personal experience. If there are any inaccuracies, let me know in the comments!

The Thailand Winter Getaway Series 2016: Sunrise at Phu Chi Fa (ภูชี้ฟ้า), Chiang Rai

It's been a peculiar winter in Bangkok.

The chill came for a week early December and some unexpected heavy showers took over thereafter (it really isn't supposed to rain during winter even if it isn't cool). Just when we thought the Bangkok winter has become a pipe dream, I saw FB posts from friends of low temperatures hitting again at the end of January 2017 for a couple of days. This morning, the temperature was as low as 20degC again, and expected to remain cold for the week. It's already mid-February, I guess we're going to have a wintry Valentine's in Bangkok this year.

It's a little late, I know, but my blog is not complete until I make a new annual entry to this Thailand Winter Getaway series (you can always use it for future winters right?). I spent winter way up in Chiang Rai again this time, and instead of chasing the sun at Doi Phatang again, we explored the more popular Phu Chi Fa, hoping to catch an even better view.

Before I give my verdict on the view, I have a few pointers for all of you planning the hike up Phu Chi Fa.

Had to do a lot of cropping to get a picture of myself with the view

1. Be prepared for companions

A lot of them. Prior to seeing the sea of clouds (that is if weather permits), brace yourself for a sea of people first, like maybe more than a thousand of them.

Taking a proper picture of the view will be a challenge.

So I tried taking a picture to my right.

And then to my left

Fret not, such is the wonder of nature, God makes sure that the scale of natural beauty is so huge that no human wall can stop anyone who made the effort from having a chance to admire what they worked hard for.


2. Cover your head

As your visit will likely be in the winter months between November and February, the wee hours of the morning will be extremely cold. It was early December during my visit, and the temperature was already below 10degC as we began our journey.

Beautiful sunrise over a sea of clouds

Unlike last year's comforts of sunrise-viewing at Doi Phatang, which was the home-ground of our guest-house, Phu Chifa threw us a curve ball. We had to park our minivan mid-journey and continue our ascent at the back of a pick-up truck, in the open pitch-dark gusty cold, winding up hilly tracks for no less than 20 minutes. At such temperatures, 50% of your body heat is dissipated from your head, so get your head covered (I didn't) unless you want a really uncomfortable ride.


3. Know that you can get to the top, and enjoy the process

I have stopped proper exercise since Noah arrived (that's more than 5 years ago). The trek up is not considered long, but a little steep at certain points. I certainly felt tired more than once and wondered whether it was necessary to go all the way up. Anyway, I would just like to tell you that you can do it. Since you made it all the way here, just suck it in and push yourself to the top. Phu Chi Fa has its way to make sure you remember your conquest.

Our group photo, we did it, 1,628m above sea level!

So, is Phu Chi Fa worth the trouble?

I would say yes, if you have not been there before. Even though the sun is the same (duh!), you can enjoy a more extensive view of the surroundings at Phu Chi Fa compared to other spots like Doi Phatang.

Captivating view on the descent too, but just look at the number of people.

You might even find yourself falling in love with one of the many kids jostling for your attention along the way.

Sushi Masato - 4 Valuable Lessons in the World of Omakase

When it comes to Japanese food, I am no know-it-all. My wife doesn't take raw food, and I wander around Bangkok with 2 little kids in tow, so my knowledge is pretty much limited to the reliable family chains (eg. Maisen, Ootoya, Yayoi etc.) and Ramen, oh, how I loooove good Ramen....

Blink, and you will miss it.

On 11/11, things would dramatically change. With some divine intervention, the stars aligned, and I had the opportunity to build up my Japanese food knowledge once and for all at Sushi Masato, the only place I know thus far that actually set up an email address explicitly named "waitinglist" for those yearning for a seat at Chef Masato's counter.

Without boring you with the details of every course (for those interested, I will be writing them on another space), I would like to share a few points that left a deep impression during my first proper Omakase experience.

1. Freshness and rarity of ingredients

I am a firm believer that the best food is usually the one that is made by the freshest ingredients which are not prepared over-elaborately. Sushi Masato literally brings this to another level. Even though sushi is really nothing more than a fresh piece of fish placed over some well-cooked rice, the effort to fly the best produce in from the Tsukiji Market 5 days a week and making sure they enter your mouths at the peak of their freshness is worth much appreciation.

Throughout the 24-course dinner that consisted predominantly of seafood, I cannot use the word "fishy" as a description for any single course. I also expected to taste the unexpected, and I was not disappointed. Some worthy mentions are the monkfish liver pate, shirako (cod fish sperm) and the pleasantly-surprising shiro ebi where the sweetness of the little shrimps danced and developed in your mouth as you chew along.

My first experience of Shirako, the sperm sac of cod fish. Paired with Japan's King of mushroom the Matsutake. Only 1 word to describe. Creamy. #shirako #codfishsperm #exoticfood #matsutake #kingofmushroom #sushimasato #omakase #jap #sushi #instafood #foodstagram #chefmasato #michelinstar #strangerinbangkok #bizarrefoods

A photo posted by Eddie (@strangerinbangkok) on Nov 13, 2016 at 7:30am PST

2. Techniques

Aside of impeccable knife and sushi-assembly skills, I wanted to see more. In many establishments, blowtorches are commonly used to sear sashimi when required. At Sushi Masato however, blowtorches are deemed to impart the smell of gas to the fish, and thus they use hot charcoal to achieve the desired effect.

Chef Masato explained that using a blowtorch often left the smell of gas, so warm charcoals are used instead to achieve a similar effect. Just a small part of my important culinary education tonight at a proper Omakase institution. Thank you everyone who made it happen. You know who you are. PS. Bookings have closed for this year and the next available slot is in April 2017. Welps! #strangervideos #sushimasato #omakase #jap #sushi #instafood #foodstagram #chefmasato #michelinstar #strangerinbangkok #charcoal #japanesefood

A video posted by Eddie (@strangerinbangkok) on Nov 11, 2016 at 7:28am PST

And of course, there's the shari, the flavoured sushi rice, notoriously known to be the hardest to master for a sushi chef.  Here, it's nicely seasoned, slightly brownish in colour and served to you warm, which was a nice touch as I do not like cold meals.

Perfect picture to showcase the rice. You can separate every grain of rice if you wanted to.

3. Uni

And then there's Uni, the much renowned delicacy of the sea which I never really had a chance to enjoy. It's always either too little (in the Chirashi Dons) or overly fishy and heavy (like some over-aged cheese).

Chef Masato introduced 2 types of Uni during the meal, 1 of which is simply soaked in sea water, and will disintegrate within hours after opening if not consumed.

Uni drained and served on a soup spoon.

Wow. Bursts of the sea in my mouth. I finally understand what Uni is all about, but how, just how can I bring myself to eat any other relatively-inferior grades of Uni after this?


4. Chef's personal flair

Omakase literally means 'up to the chef'. Enjoy anything that the chef serves you on the day. For this to work, ideally you need a chef with personality. Chef Masato has a good command of English. He explains every dish to the diners and gets his staff to show us exactly what fish he's serving with a seafood/sushi encyclopedia.

I would love to have sat closer to him to have more personal interaction, but he made use of his minimal opportunities to show me some of his flamboyance.

The flamboyance of Chef Masato. #sushimasato #omakase #jap #sushi #instafood #foodstagram #chefmasato #michelinstar #strangerinbangkok #otoro #bluefintuna #japanesefood #negitoro #strangervideos #latergram

A video posted by Eddie (@strangerinbangkok) on Nov 25, 2016 at 6:26pm PST

All in all, the adventure to Sushi Masato was certainly a worthwhile experience. It not only made sure that my very first Omakase experience was a proper one, it also allowed me to understand the spirit of Japanese cuisine, and taught me how good sushi should taste like.

As of 11/11 this year, the next available slot at Sushi Masato is in April 2017, so I would hereby like to thank Nack and Jacq for making it so effortless for me to warm one of Chef Masato's much sought-after seats.

Khop khun mak khrup.

The Thailand Winter Getaway Series 2015: Sunrise and Sunset on Doi Patang, Chiang Rai

It's that time of the year again, when I sleep without air-conditioning and wake up feeling totally blessed by the cool dry breeze blowing into my apartment. It's also a reminder that I have to do my customary annual post/s to beef up my Thailand Winter Getaway Series.

The stars have aligned this year to allow me to go to Chiang Rai for a charity trip with the Singapore-Thai Chamber of Commerce. Even though the schedule was pretty tight, as we often had to make distributions at villages in the early mornings before breakfast and even at night after dinner in the pitch-dark under a night sky FULL of stars, I cannot help but admire how beautiful Chiang Rai really is.

The usual captivating view during our drives.

As we drove through the mountains from village to village, the scenery reminded me a lot of South Africa, while to others, Switzerland.

So of course, even though it was a charity trip and a lot of work had to be done, our team took the opportunity to admire the sunrise and sunset when we were staying for a night on Doi Patang. When we arrived, it was already evening, and sunset happened right outside our rooms. We literally watched the sun disappear into the mountains, changing colour from deep yellow, orange then finally red in a space of 15 to 20 minutes.

The beginning of the end

My camera cannot do the view justice, but I hope you understand what I am trying to portray anyway

The following morning, at 5.15am, we began a short ascent up Doi Patang to experience sunrise, and boy was it an experience of a lifetime. We were basically above a sea of clouds awaiting the morning sun to pop out, and the entire atmosphere was just amazing.

My comrades looking like they were sitting on the moon

Above a sea of clouds. Photo credit:onghq

Following this experience, I do have a few things for you to take note of if you are considering a winter getaway in Chiang Rai.

1. Be well-equipped

It will be cold. Especially in December and January. Temperatures can easily drop to around 10degC or even less in the mountains. You will be waking up at 5am in the morning to start your journey up, so not only will it be cold, it will also be windy. It helps to be well-prepared for the cold.

It will be pitch dark during your ascent, so some good hand-held lighting is crucial for a safe climb.

Lastly, you need to be confident of every step you take, whether its during the ascent or descent, and trust me, the way down is a little more exciting than the way up. I was nursing a twisted ankle and wore leather shoes, so I had to be extra careful every step I took. The right footwear is absolutely crucial for such an expedition.

The careful descent. Photo credit: strikingjacqpot

2. Be mentally prepared

Even though the sun rises and sets everyday, it does not necessarily mean you will get to enjoy it. The sea of clouds do not form everyday. Sometimes, it will rain, and the terrains will get too challenging to overcome unless you are really very fit and used to such treks. We were lucky we got to enjoy the best of both worlds, but my advice is to be mentally prepared, especially if things do not work out. There is still a lot to savour in Chiang Rai and you can always go again.

Finally, I want to emphasize the fact that this does NOT have to be a winter getaway. You could do this anytime if you are in Chiang Rai. I just happened to be here during winter, when the chill gives it a whole different feeling compared to other times of the year.

Till next year folks, enjoy winter while it lasts!

Wallet lost and FOUND in Bangkok: The Story

Towards the end of May, my brother flew over to Bangkok to visit a major food fair at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, the largest exhibition centre in Thailand. I had to leave the car with my wife as she had to pick Noah from school and run errands in my absence, and no one warned me that, as well-equipped as IMPACT is, it is actually more of a trap for car-less visitors-- a place where you can visit, but will struggle to leave.

It was a Thursday evening, at around 6pm, slightly before the show closed and everyone started to leave. Hundreds needed to go, but there was no taxi in sight, not even 1. We took the only reasonable choice at that time, a 100-baht/head (way overpriced) minivan to Asoke, before continuing our journey back home.

After a frustrating 1-hour journey in which I could hardly even move inside the little packed van, we were relieved to finally reach our destination and got off in a hurry. Alas! Within seconds I realised something was wrong, my usually-bulging front pocket felt unusually light. My wallet!

I turned around (thank God for traffic jam), the van was still stuck at the same position behind me. If I had not put it back into my pocket after paying the fare, it would have dropped on the van and I just needed to get back up to retrieve it. But no, we turned the van upside down but could not spot it. Pickpocket? Extremely unlikely. I was squished in the corner of the back-most seat with my brother beside me, so unless my loving elder brother decided to play a nasty trick on me, there was no chance it was stolen by a pickpocket. There was a young lady left on the van though, after everyone alighted at Asoke, who looked concerned but did not aid much in the search. Could she have seen it? I guess we will never know. She sure saw my frantic-about-to-cry-burly-old-man face though.

The rest of the night involved holding back tears, trying to appear unshaken in front of my family, suspending all my credit/debit cards (unexpectedly quick and easy even for English speakers), visiting the police station and acting as if nothing happened. One doesn't dare to hold hope of getting back a wallet lost in the densely populated metropolis named Bangkok.

You are a pesky little survivor, aren't you

A week later, I received a call from Siam Paragon informing me my wallet has been found in their toilet, all documents intact, just without any cash (who cares!). It meant that my I/C and driving licence (yes I have one) will not have to be replaced!

For everyone who is not familiar with Bangkok, I shall now summarize what you have just read. I lost my wallet anywhere between IMPACT Muang Thong Thani (which is technically no longer in Bangkok) and Asoke (right smack in the middle of downtown), and it ended up in a toilet inside the huge Siam Paragon (5 train stations away from Asoke) a week later and the staff made sure I got it back. I only lost a few thousand baht in the process. How miraculous is that!

To the person who made sure I got my wallet back, thank you very much. Whether you are the one who took it in the first place is not important to me anymore.

Faith in humanity. Restored!

PS. Things to take note from this lesson.

1. Bring a car along with you when you visit IMPACT next time, it's a bloody trap over there.

2. If not, go early and leave early, preferably before 3pm, especially on a Friday. If not, just don't go on a Friday.

3. Life goes on, with or without your wallet!

Authentic homely taste of Mainland China savoured in Thailand

Guess what dish is this? Clue: It's our dessert

Chinese food is widely available in Thailand. As most of the early Chinese immigrants are from Swatow, there is a huge Teochew flavour in Thai cooking. Braised duck and pork trotters are some of the chinese flavours commonly found along the streets of Bangkok.

When we visit the Chinese restaurants in good hotels, decent Chinese cuisine is not hard to find, but these are mostly, as expected, Cantonese flavours. Little did I expect that somewhere just a few kilometres outside Bangkok, in the neighbouring province of Samut Sakhon, will I enjoy authentic Hakka food in an eatery which does not even have a signboard. As I told my staff, this is real China Chinese (客家家乡菜) food, not the typical Thai-influenced Chinese food we get anywhere else. 

I have decided to list down the dishes I ate on my blog before I completely forget about them in the future:

Claypot bean curd soup.

Deep-fried fish in sweet and sour sauce, I believe the pineapple was the only local touch in the entire restaurant.

Stir-fried bean curd skin, black fungus and mushrooms.
How they made such humble ingredients taste like heaven with a spatula and a wok, I will never know.

Deep-fried tofu with a minced-garlic sauce.

Wok-Hei-filled fried kway teow

I believe that even in Singapore or Malaysia, we will struggle to find ourselves Hakka flavours as original as this. I would never be able to relocate the eatery by myself in the future, so I am counting my blessings to have tasted these delicacies in Thailand, and hope my new customer will bring me back there again soon.

It's yam paste, not too sweet and slightly savoury, served with a generous sprinkle of sesame and peanut. 

Tips for Daddies bringing their toddlers on a staycation (without Mummy)

My favourite picture of the entire trip @Silverlake Winery

I did a beautiful thing last weekend, that many Daddies might not have had the courage to do due to various factors, that is to bring Noah, who is barely 2 and a half years old, on a staycation to Pattaya without Mummy! It was a fruitful trip, full of laughter, father-son bonding and some much-needed rest and alone-time for Li Li. I learnt a lot from the trip, and thus have compiled a list of tips for other parents (especially Daddies) out there who might be planning to bring their toddlers out on an overnight trip without your other half.

1. Pack your bag properly. More is better than less.

Noah with his favourite new book before sleeping.

Unless you are blessed like me, staying in Thailand, a country littered with too many convenient stores, you better be prepared. The last thing you want is to be stranded on your favourite beach with your toddler without wipes/extra clothes/clean diapers after he/she just pooped, or be left with a toddler insanely crying on your luxurious bed in your 5-star resort when you have nothing on your hand to appease him/her.

It's always a good idea to bring a little too much, rather than too little, of clothes, diapers, wipes, medication, their favourite snacks, books, a couple of their favourite toys, even loading the car full of their favourite songs. Every single thing will come in handy some day, this I promise you.


2. Eat is better than no eat!

Noah with his first real popsicle. It got really really messy a few minutes after this picture was taken.

A hungry toddler is a cranky toddler.

Noah had 4 short crying fits during our 2 days together, and even though I felt 3 outbursts were out of my control, I believe all 4 were somewhat related to his hunger at that moment in time.

You are on a leisure trip, I do not think it is the time to ensure perfect healthy eating for your kids. No sweets? No fizzy drinks? No snacks? More vegetables? Throw that out of the window. Unless you fully prepare your own meals, there is no guarantee your child will like the taste of anything you order, so if he/she only wants to eat french fries for dinner, you will do well to let him/her have his/her fill of fried potato, if not, the consequences will be too hard to bear. Healthy diets can wait, your kid needs to be full in order to fully enjoy the rest of the experience.


3. Keep in touch with family

Reporting to mummy when we set off. This continued for the rest of the trip.

Daddies, let's face it. No matter how well we bond with our kids, chances are, given a choice, they will prefer to stick to mummy. Therefore, with the help of technology, I highly recommend you to ensure your child keeps in touch with mummy throughout the trip. This can be through phonecalls, voice messages, selfies, messages or anything else that makes the child feel that mummy is around too. If you are too occupied to do this throughout the day, a Skype conversation before sleep will be better than nothing.


4. Make full use of trip for your kid's exposure

Noah started running once he was unleashed among the flowers

Having a trip out means your kid has been broken from his normal routine. He is no longer in his comfort zone, and has the opportunity to see and experience new things. No matter whether it's a pleasant or unpleasant experience, he/she will suck it all in.

Even though there are many things you might be worried about:

What if he falls down?

What if he gets accidentally bitten by the sheep he is trying to feed?

How am I going to answer to my wife if he sheds some blood?

What am I going to do if he poops in the pool?

Noah feeling grapes that are still on the vine.

You need to remember that as much as the trip is for you, it is for your kid too! Give him/her time and freedom to run and explore by themselves. Accidents do happen, but with sufficient guidance, everything should turn out ok (most of the time at least).

Noah on the move

5. The most important point: Take things easy!

Relax and everything will be velli good!

Saving the best of the last, I want to remind you again to take things easy during the trip. It's normal for toddlers to cry or get cranky once in a while, or for something to go wrong, but going into scary-Daddy or kancheong-spider (panic) mode is not recommended. If kids cry, they will stop. It's more important to find out why and minimize the chances of it happening again than to scare them into silence and spoil the mood for the rest of the journey. If an accident happens, keep cool and find a solution.

Lastly, with a toddler in tow without your partner's help, it is likely that things might not go exactly to plan. You might be held up somewhere and miss a couple of scheduled sights, but it's more meaningful to make the most of what you can actually accomplish.

May there be many more adventures to come.

If you have the courage to make this step, please believe that you have created a priceless bonding opportunity with your child, not over a meal or a few hours at home, but an entire trip where you only have each other to depend on. Keep my pointers in mind, and I am sure you will be looking forward to the next one.

The Thailand Winter Getaway Series Part 1: Jim Thompson Farm จิม ทอมป์สัน ฟาร์ม

Merry Christmas everyone!

The festive season is here again. Though there's no public holiday here in Thailand and I expect myself to work till I drop today, it will not dampen my Christmas mood, not when I am soaking in a wintry low temperature of 17degrees Celsius writing this.

There is always a week or two every year here when the weather will become nice and cool, but never has it dropped to the lows of 16degrees Celsius. This has lasted for more than a week and is expected to continue at least until the end of the year! In the midst of all the political chaos, the brilliant weather has to be one of the silver linings in an extremely cloudy sky looming over Bangkok now.

This weather has also prompted me to go for more than 1 weekend getaway this month, and I feel it's appropriate to start a series on this topic, to help all my readers plan family getaways in Thailand during the annual cool season, starting with Jim Thompson Farm.

I believe everyone recognizes the words Jim Thompson through its international chain of shops selling his famous silk products. Less people know that this American man who revitalized the silk industry in Thailand made a legendary exit from prominence after successfully completing a disappearing act in Malaysia after he set off on a leisurely afternoon stroll. Even though he was never found, and reasons for his evaporation never known, Jim Thompson has most definitely left a lasting legacy which could last generations after him.

I chose to feature Jim Thompson Farm first in my series is due to the fact that it is only open for 1 month a year (*GASP!), so everyone interested after reading this better start planning a trip because this time, it is only open from 14 December 2013 through 12 January 2014, from 9am to 5pm everyday.

Without boring you with more lengthy writing, I will summarize the farm's highlights into 4 main categories:

1. Flowers and other vegetation not called Pumpkin

It's not easy to find large patches of blooming flowers in Bangkok, unless you consider the King Rama 9 Park as one, but then, it looks more deliberate than natural there. Here, you can find an abundance of flower patches with different flowers with mountains as backdrop, certainly very refreshing for city folks like us.

 

My darlings enjoying the flowers

Endless patch of pink flowers

Bottle Gourd lesson for Noah

2. Pumpkins galore!

Pumpkins have always been pretty interesting for me. They are delicious, versatile, uber nutritious and come in all shapes and sizes. The folks at Jim Thompson are proud of their ability to cultivate various species of pumpkin and they should be. A trip to the farm is equivalent to a pumpkin lesson.

Giant pumpkin made of little ones, which becomes a pumpkin species lesson after you enter

Picture taken inside the giant pumpkin, look at the variety available, there's even one named "Jack Be Little"

Family pic taken in front of the giant pumpkin

Butternut Squash spell "N', and "N" is for "Noah"!

"Drive drive drive! Noah driving in the car!"

3. Understanding of the silk production process

Jim Thompson is most famous for their silk products, so the production of silk is naturally the main spirit of their farm. Here, the process of rearing silkworms and how they finally get the end product is clearly explained and demonstrated.

The life cycle of a silkworm

Weaving some spectacular smooth shiny purple Thai silk

4. Sights and sounds of village living

I come from Kuching, a place where natives roam the land and where there might be more wooden houses built on stilts than most other places in the world, so even though Jim Thompson Farm tries to showcase many things in a village-style setting, for me, it's nothing much to shout about so I will not spend too much time on this aspect.

Jim Thompson fabric displayed in the Isan Village

One of the signature sights at the Farm, but too many people around to take a really good picture of it.

As you can expect, the trip ends with a walk through their shop, where you can get your hands on all their products and bring them home, ranging from vegetables, food items, live plants and silk products, so even though the entrance fee is only 140THB per adult, be prepared to spend much more per head before you leave.

The final verdict is that though there is nothing to really go "Wow" about at Jim Thompson Farm, there is enough to keep the whole family occupied for at least 4 to 5 hours. Keeping in mind that it is only open for a month (less than 3 weeks left this time round), any bored family in and around Bangkok should seriously consider paying it a visit, especially in this chilly weather.

If you are going to drive yourself, it's going to take you a good 4 hours drive from Bangkok (and the same time back). A day trip will be highly exhausting, but here's something that might cheer you up along the way, if you keep your eyes wide open.

A decent-sized plot of sunflowers, consider Lop Buri covered as well after you take pictures like this!