Remembering our journey into parenthood

It's a boy!

Just like how I rushed out a post at Changi Airport before my Stranger in Greece honeymoon series, I can't help but do this before my beloved son makes his grand entrance into this world tomorrow.

Li Li and I spent quite a bit of time discussing whether we should commemorate this milestone in our lives by taking maternity pictures. This exercise is quite common in Singapore and good maternity/newborn photographers can be found everywhere, with standards high and prices competitive. This is not so in Thailand though. Most of my friends whom I asked either did not know of any photographers skilled in this area or told me, " I wish I did it". Li Li's extensive online research did not yield many favourable results too, until we found Oh. When we finally decided to take a series of maternity pictures, we had to go with her.

Chatting with Baby in Bangkok

The photo-session was simply-put, more like an enjoyable weekend activity with a group of good friends. We had an absolutely brilliant and relaxing (I bet they didn't feel that relaxed) time with Oh,  make-up artiste Penn and young Friend (yes, her name is Friend), Oh's niece. We chatted about everything under the sun, joking and laughing, taking some pictures in the process.

What impressed me the most was the team's insistence to capitalize on the best angles and lighting to take great pictures. We had spent almost 2 hours in the studio, but Oh saw the excellent evening sun and invited us to the garden of her condominium to complete the photoshoot, and the short stint out in the open resulted in our favourite group of photos from the entire series.

The photos turned out great

Becoming a father is nerve-wrecking. It's a world of unknowns to me. So much of me has changed since I became the Stranger in Bangkok more than 2 years ago, but after tomorrow, my evolution would be complete. I do not know how overwhelmed I will be by the new added responsibility, but I hope I can make use of tools like this blog to invite everyone to share the most unforgettable parts of my journey with me.

Could be my favourite picture of the lot, I love the lighting

Please pray for us, that whatever's gonna happen tomorrow will be a success, and both mother and child will be safe and sound ok? Thank you very much, watch this space!

Absolutely Tom Yum-med!

Tom Yam Goong

This has to be the most random blogpost I have ever written. Probably inspired by my increasingly enjoyable TES Lunch Feasts, I am going to write about Thailand's signature dish - the internationally acclaimed Tom Yum Soup. However, if you haven't been to Thailand (or remain a typical tourist even after several visits), your impression of this dish might be stuck with that of the picture above- a red, spicy, sour shrimp broth sometimes thickened with coconut milk. There's nothing wrong with this particular version, but having had authentic Thai food for 2.5 years now, I realised that Tom Yum Soup is just a general name. It's more than meets the eye. It can be anything and everything!

If you think about the signature dishes of the main international cuisines, few are as versatile as its Thai counterpart. Here's to remember some of the different Tom Yum (something) Soups I have tasted over the last 30 months:

Tom Yum Beef

Tom Yum Frog

Tom Yum Chicken

Tom Yum Chicken Egg

Tom Yum Duck Egg

The very popular Tom Yum Seafood

How would I miss out Tom Yum Pork

Tom Yum smoked dried fish soup!

Last but not least, Tom Yum Sardines Soup!

It's simply amazing how versatile Tom Yum Soup can be. Aside of throwing anything you like inside, the taste of the soup ranges from spicy, non-spicy, sour, non-sour, sweet, creamy (with coconut milk), clear.... not every version is tasty, but whatever you can think of, name it and you have it.

I have not even started on how Tom Yum flavour has successfully infused into other foods like instant noodles, potato chips, salads, fried seaweed (Japanese food), pastas, pizzas (Italian food), movies (yes there's a movie called Tom Yum Goong)..... It's just mind-boggling when I started to brainstorm about Tom Yum related items. Lame as it is, I had to write this post.....

Forget the Phad Thai (which is not very easy to find in non-tourist places) or pineapple rice (I have not seen this dish served even once in Bangkok before). If there is one dish that you have to taste to understand the culture of Thai people, some might argue that it should be papaya salad, but for me, it absolutely has to be Tom Yum Soup!

Happy New Year - thoughts on my time in Thailand

Happy 2012 to everyone! According to the Thai calendar, this is the year 2555, which is pronounced in Thai as Song-Ha-Ha-Ha. Everyone is hoping to laugh their way through the year, but if you ask me, it is highly unlikely to be a peaceful year here in the Land of Smiles. But it's always good to hope isn't it, and let's all continue to laugh when we can....

A lot has happened since my last Xmas post, business has picked up, Li Li's family has come and gone. We are now waiting for my own family to arrive for the Chinese New Year before our baby is born (and life will never be the same again). It is difficult to realise that I have been here for 2.5 years now, spanning over 4 calendar years.

There has to be a reason why Thailand is still the 3rd most visited country in the world and the most visited one in Asia despite all the instability and disasters. Sometimes it's unbelievable to think that tourists from every corner of the globe will voluntarily risk their lives to visit Thailand when they know that there are riots/floods/tsunamis. As I work with and interact with Thai people everyday, I start to understand why.

Much has been said about the Thai people's comparative laziness and lack of professionalism (and quite a bit of corruption) compared to where I came from (Singapore). I am not going to argue against that as I have had my fair share of related problems since I have been here, but I would like to flip the coin over and point everyone to the positives.

I have always told my friends that Thai people might not be the most driven, but they most certainly work for job satisfaction. In most of the banks/restaurants/eateries I frequent through my time here, the service staff have largely remained the same over the years, and because of this I could build a long-lasting camaraderie with them and enjoy every visit. In Singapore, most people treat similar jobs as temporary stepping stones as they bide their time before a "better" opportunity arises, resulting in high turnover of service staff which then leads to poor training and less-than-perfect service. If Thai people are happy with their job, they would rather earn 10% less and remain. On the other hand, if they are upset with their job, they will simply disappear the next day as they are resilient and resourceful. Even if the next job does not come soon, they can earn their living grilling meatballs along the streets or making dessert drinks and selling them at coffeeshops.

At major malls (in Thailand), personnel are hired to clean toilets every 20minutes (just a guess, but most toilets are squeaky clean all the time anyway). Ladies who clear the dishes at food courts frequently don uniforms that make them look like nurses in a private hospital. Smartly-dressed men hold glass doors open for every customer at every entrance of the mall. There is one thing in common - they always have a smile on their faces and greet every customer like a friend. Just imagine, you are not feeling very good but still have to go meet someone at a restaurant for dinner. You get greeted with a huge smile by the person giving you the carpark pass (and parking's often free!), only to be greeted again with the same enthusiasm at the mall entrance, and then again at the toilet. Wouldn't your day just get a wee bit better already? In Singapore and Malaysia, people holding the same jobs are more often and not, grumpy and bitter, as if the whole world has given up on them. If everyone can just take pride in their job and perform their duties (even if they don't enjoy it) with a bit of enthusiasm and dignity, the world will surely become a more beautiful place.

I am not good with words. I have a lot more to say but I don't seem to be able to express my respect for Thai people properly, so I think it's better to stop for now.

Last night, TES Power Equipment held our 2012 new year dinner. These are the people who have made my life so satisfying in Thailand. They are the ones who fought with me during the floods to protect the company's resources while their own homes faced uncertain prospects. They deserve every credit I give them, and I believe they enjoyed themselves last night.

Keng and Naa

Rit winning my gift for the second year running

After a lot of coaxing, they finally started singing

To many more years of success at TES!

Melly Kid-Mak from Bangkok!

This is the first time in a long while that I celebrated Christmas in such an elaborate manner, I have almost forgotten what it's like. Those warm Christmases spent at my church's year-end camps feel like a distant memory. While I struggle to figure out where all those lost Christmases disappeared to, this year, in Bangkok's winter chill, I got the feeling back again.

Thanks to Wendy's spontaneous invitation, our festivities started on Xmas Eve:

A gathering of new and old friends, with good food and laughter, mainly revolving around some birds described in assorted languages

We ate Caesar Salad tossed in a gigantic Parmesan cheese bowl

We had nearly-exclusive access to a full roast turkey

And the fun spilt over to Xmas day itself, which started with going to church with a big group of friends, which included 2 Singaporeans, 1 Malaysian, 2 Thais and 2 hybrid kids. In the jingling of all the commercialised marketing gimmicks and carols, it is easy to forget the actual meaning of Christmas is to commemorate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Very aptly, many Thai people pronounce Christmas as Kid Mak, which literally means think a lot in Thai. If everyone can just sit down and spend a few minutes to Kid Mak of the countless things that happened in the past year, I am sure most of us will realise how much grace God has showered over us every single day. That's the actual significance of Christmas, it's most certainly not about presents, turkeys, snowmen or Santa!

The day continued with me transforming myself into a Top Chef wannabe

Christmas, to me, is also about families getting together and sharing heart-warming food at the table. This year, I had the privilege to cook for Li Li, my Baby in Bangkok and our family friend Wendy, so I had to Kid Mak again to ensure an enjoyable Christmas dinner.

Dinner's ready!

The ladies I cooked for.

The result: Crispy chicken thigh with baked potatoes and creamed mushrooms. 

After several rather un-challenging games of Monopoly Deal over some nostalgic Christmas carols, we ended off a perfect day with arguably our favourite dessert in Bangkok - Larna Cake!

After seeing the ladies totally enjoying the humble food I placed on the table, I realised another truth, that the diners can not only taste what is on their plate. They can also taste the warmth and love of the cook. I am sure that it was the latter that made the dinner so wonderful.

Yii family: Christmas 2011

Inevitably, our family picture taken during Christmas will be completely different in 2012. I am looking forward to it.

Our first baby steps in Hua Hin

Sun, sand and sea @Hua Hin

In case anyone is wondering where the Stranger in Bangkok went to, the answer is that I am still here in the city of angels (also known as Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Phiman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit), enjoying the very perfect winter (though it's slowly getting less cool) and trying to get back into the groove of having a decent volume of business after 2 idle months (thanks to the floods).

If you are a frequent reader of this space, a trend that you wouldn't have missed is that my posts in the last few months have revolved around food. If that's what you think I am doing in Bangkok, eating and only eating, this post will prove you wrong, because I am only going to post 1 picture on food, yes, only 1!

Here you go, 1 picture right? Hua Hin's famous seafood!

Anyway, this post is on a trip in October to Hua Hin with Li Li and 2 of our dearest friends in Bangkok, Wendy and Nueng. I am embarrassed to call this our babymoon because prior to this, my baby has already been to Greece (unknowingly), Singapore and other smashing parts of Thailand like Amphawa. However, since this is likely to be the only trip we deliberately planned in view of the impeding arrival of our little one, I shall call this our official babymoon.

Wendy and Nueng taking a leisurely stroll at our nice resort Baan Talay Dao

I don't actually like visiting places which are infested with overseas tourists. I am a foreigner myself, but since I am ready to call Thailand my second home, I would like to visit places where Thai people go to, like the Khao Yai area or places like Sam Chuk Market, where I can easily pass off as a local. That said, it's still peculiar that I took 2 full years to take my first step in Hua Hin, a leisurely resort town situated 3 hours drive from Bangkok (I've been to a more secluded Cha Am before though). Thanks to Nueng's recommendation, I am happy to have enjoyed myself immensely there before it is completely taken over by foreigners (please don't become another Pattaya).

Pretty mom chilling in our room

Aside of eating and chilling at our resort (in our rooms and by the beach), Hua Hin has a couple of new man-made attractions, Plearn Wan (a "feel-good" market that tries to bring you back to the 80s) and a new Hua Hin floating market, which is really just a market around an artificial canal. I think these, as my friend would say, are places Bangkokians open (miles away from Bangkok) to earn money from fellow Bangkokians.

The 3 pretty ladies at the entrance of Plearn Wan

One of the many colourful photospots at Hua Hin Floating Market

Since there's nothing unforgettable, let's capture those memories with our camera

Without being too critical, I have to say that these 2 places, though artificial, do exude an air of nostalgia and light-heartedness. If you are just looking for a place to have a slow stroll and some nice pictures taken, these places fit the bill perfectly. But beware of falling into the trap of buying too many things back for your colleagues as most items could easily be found in Bangkok(possibly at a cheaper price).

Another view from our excellent resort

At the end of the day, going to Hua Hin is all about throwing all your worries away and sitting around with your best mates. So what if most leisure spots are artificial, so what if the sand is not the whitest? As long as there is the sun, the sea, GOOD SEAFOOD and a laugh with people whom you love hanging out with, what's not to love?

Final group photo before we went to look for EVEN MORE seafood

Thank you Wendy for being such a great companion in Thailand, and thank you Nueng for recommending the resort and driving us all the way there (sorry for making you sick!).

Hua Hin's a great place, I just have a feeling my baby would want me to bring him back again, soon, to see everything with his own eyes.

Working Hour Lunch Feasts

The lunch feast

Starting a company in a foreign land is not easy, especially when you have to battle floods, riots, more floods and sneaky amnesty proposals. Just click the link of the right-hand bar under the label "Working in Thailand" and you will see some of the difficulties I have faced over the past 2 years.

That said, taking care of a company on your own does have its perks too. At least I can run it the way I feel a proper company should be run, treat customers the way they rightfully deserve, and most importantly, build up a team of people who will give their heart for a common cause and collectively reap rewards from it. Though I made my fair share of mistakes (and will continue to make them), the decision to provide free rice, condiments, rice cooker and electric stove has proven to be a masterstroke, one that is making me very satisfied indeed.

20baht per head (the rice is free) for this spread of authentic thai food, beat that

The picture above is a typical lunch at my office. Clockwise from the top left is Thai spicy sauce (a condiment to go with the food/rice), Thai red curry chicken with pumpkin, spicy catfish stirfry, spicy pork stirfry with long beans and basil, TES-cooked smoked fish soup (my staff cooked it with smoked fish made by another staff's mom) and finally deep-fried pork strips with garlic. Everyone would take turns to bring their favourite ingredients and even cook their best dishes to share with the company.

The best thing is actually not the food. It's the camaradarie built when everyone sits down around the same table, waiting for each other to be ready before tucking in, laughing together, refilling rice for each other when one has an empty plate. That's the best part. I'm not well-versed in Thai, but I sort of get most of the jokes made and contribute my own once in a while. I most fondly remember joining 4 Thai words together "Kin-Lao-Ro-Dai" (which means "drink whisky and wait for your death") which lightened the mood when everyone was worried about the floods a few weeks ago (I guess they just did not expect this chain of words to come out of my Malaysian mouth). They are still talking about it till this day.

TES family tucking in

I think this is not only a company, it is fast becoming a family. No matter how bad the day is, or how unreasonable a customer can be, I can always look forward to my team calling me at my extension at noon everyday asking me to join them for lunch.

The food isn't always spectacular, sometimes it does not suit my palate and I end up just having rice with omelette, but the warmth in my heart keeps me going for the rest of the day.

福州炒煮面在曼谷！Foochow braised stir-fried noodle in Bangkok!

福州炒煮面 in Bangkok

Inspired by my friends, namely Fang Ting, who's always trying to create authentic Singaporean dishes in faraway Sweden, and Xinyi, who's a Singaporean trying to perfect her knowledge of Thai cuisine in Bangkok, I have courageously attempted to re-create dishes from my hometown as well.

That said, there is a clear difference between them and myself (resulting in a completely different cuisine), though born and (mostly) bred in Singapore, I am not Singaporean. I am from Sarawak, but it's complicated too. My mom comes from Sibu, my dad comes from Sarikei, but let's just agree that I am from Kuching, since all my folks are staying there now.

Taste of home is a tricky definition for me too because of my slightly complex background, but I shall stick with Foochow cuisine, which is what my mum cooks and what I scour the streets in Kuching/Sibu to hunt down whenever I visit.

福州炒煮面，which I will loosely translate as Foochow Braised Stir-fried Noodles, is my Dad's absolute favourite. It is basically a thick noodle dish that is fragrantly stir-fried before it's braised in nice stock to give a thick, dark dollop of sumptuous, soya-saucy goodness. Last Saturday, I figured I had enough ingredients to do a reasonable trial, so I took the plunge, even though I had no experience making it at all.

From my understanding of the dish, its crux lies in choosing the right thick yellow noodle and stir-frying it to perfection in a lot of garlic, a lot of Chinese wine and finally dark soy. The smell in my small apartment during the stir-frying process was absolutely divine, and my nose told me that I was on the right track. The stock was made with top-class pork sirloin, prawn heads/shells (pre-stirfried to bring out the fragrance) and chinese cabbage. The final step was simply to marry the noodles and stock and bring to a boil.

Not bad, not bad at all

Though I did not spend the effort to make lard (which will obviously improve the dish) nor have enough green leafy vegetables, I can shamelessly say that this first trial has achieved at least 70% of what I deem as the perfect product.

Home-made 福州炒煮面 to warm our hearts during a disastrous time in Bangkok - shiok!