Elephant Sanctuary! - Genie

We've already posted pictures from our big day with the big mammals, but here's the tea!

It all started very early in the morning - before even complimentary breakfast had started! Amanda got me a piece of toast while I braided my mom's hair. Then a truck arrived to bring us to the Elephant Sanctuary! There were already two people in the back so we climbed aboard with them and off we went.

About 30 minutes into the drive, we stopped at a 7-11/gas station to fuel up and get coffee. Then we were off again.

I was not ready for the car ride that was to come. I knew it was about an hour on Thai roads to the sanctuary, but OH BOY was I not ready for the twisting, turning, and hairpin turns that were to come.

To say this place was "in the mountains" was an understatement. It was near the top of the fourth mountain we drove through. My carsick body was not ready. On the second mountain, we stopped for giant bags of sugar cane. They sloshed around in the back of the truck with the three of us and two Poles.

By the time we reached the sanctuary, I was never more excited to see an elephant in my life. It meant I was getting out of the back of the truck.

I found the nearest bathroom and lost the entire contents of my stomach. I then took a Dramamine for the return trip.

When I exited what I then realized was the "employees only" bathroom, I was greeted by Jacky (our guide) who was handing out our elephant shirts and giving everyone the run down on what would happen throughout the day.

As soon as we were changed, we snapped a quick picture and headed down to meet the elephants!

They were... magnificant.

I don't have a lot of words for what the next three hours were... but there was feeding, there were mud baths, and there were shenanigans. Mom got a boyfriend (Jacky). There was a waterfall.

Just... follow the pictures.

Then we moved down to the water with our elephant friends!

After about 10 minutes in the water, the elephants collectively decided "it's too cold for this shit" and went back home. We carried onto see the beautiful waterfall about a mile hike through the woods!

They cute.

We ship it.

We stayed and waded for about an hour before heading back to the main cabin for lunch.

Lunch was a delicious curry, mixed vegetables, rice, fresh fruit, and as much ice water as we could drink. It was fantastic and I definitely needed the food after all of the hiking and swimming!

We spent the next hour lounging, snacking, and watching the elephants wander around their home.

When lunch was over, we didn't know it, but we were done with the elephants! :(

We took off for the river to go on a raft ride.

I also found this cool bug.

Then back in the truck and back to our hotel. It was a long, exhausting day. And it was worth every minute.

Also look how cute my mom is...

Go team elephants!

A Side of Thai Pad: Home Edition

With street markets basically shut down, we've had to figure out how to cook with what we have in our "kitchen." We have a microwave, a kettle, and a toaster oven - not much to cook with one would think. Well that one would be wrong. We crafty kitchen witches have whipped up some amazing things in our studio and this one is by far the highlight.

Massaman Curry - The 'No Kitchen' Edition

You will need:
1 Toaster Oven
1 Kettle
1 Microwave (optional - there should be leftovers)
1 Amazing girlfriend to do the mountains of dishes you're creating and to peel more garlic than you've ever seen in your life

6 cubed chicken breasts
2 cubed yellow potatoes
2 cubed purple potatoes
2 large cut carrots
20 medium sized portabella mushrooms - halved
1 white onion - quartered and separated
50 peeled cloves of Thai garlic (3 Thai garlic cloves = 1 US garlic clove)

Massaman curry paste (1 package or 3tbsp)
Massaman curry soup (1 box or 1 cup)
Coconut milk (3 cups - 1 for chicken marinade, 2 for in the curry soup)

Salt/Pepper/Hot Peppers (to taste)

Garnish:
spring onion (diced)
cilantro (roughly cut)
Unsalted peanuts
1 lime

*

Marinate chicken in 1C coconut milk mixed with the curry paste overnight.
Cook the chicken in the classiest toaster oven you have in your tiny apartment.
When the chicken is cooking, add the garlic and let it cook in the chicken juice. I know it sounds like a lot.
You gotta trust me here. Garlic is your friend.
Add the onions after the last batch of chicken comes out of the toaster oven. Let them cook in the chicken juice with more garlic.
Boil your potatoes and carrots in the kettle until they're soft.
It's important that you DO NOT read the instructions on your kettle. They will say this is a bad idea.
They are wrong.
Definitely don't cook the chicken in the kettle. They are correct here.

Finally, mix everything except the remaining coconut milk together in a large bowl.
Add the coconut milk to taste if you would like it more soupy. Otherwise add water if you don't love yourself.

Season with salt/pepper/hot peppers to your liking.

Garnish with spring onion, cilantro, unsalted peanuts, and a wedge of lime.

Serve over rice.

Amaze anyone who says you can't cook a full curry in yo tiny apartment.

The Start of My 33rd Year ~ Amanda

Last week we celebrated my birthday and since it was on a Wednesday we decided to spread the celebrating over a couple of days. 

Now, I do have to say this, my birthday was hard to want to celebrate this year. The day before my birthday I woke up to learn that my grandmother had passed away. It was expectedly unexpected and I was not prepared. I could have decided not to celebrate but I knew that my grandma would be mad at me for not having cake on my birthday.

The day started with peanut butter toast cuz why not?!?!?

I arrived at school for my last day of classes before finals. A few weeks before I learned that one of my co-workers, the Frenchman - Payam, and I share a birthday. So he and his students at least knew it was my birthday...mine did not. 

My students had Payam's math class first hour and they had proceeded to decorate the whiteboard with "Happy Birthday T. Payam!" I went to my rude-ass year 6 students who proceeded to be obnoxious. 

At lunch, Payam and I wished each other happy birthdays and he asked if my students had done anything for me yet. I responded, "No, I don't think they know it's my birthday." I had a class with them after lunch but still nothing. I admit, I was a little sad because I had already received a few birthday wishes from our favorite students back in Nong Khai. 

During a prep period I stepped outside to get a break from the noise and was soon asked to come back in during the kids' break and was met with...

and of course singing!

Was I starting to tear up, yes, but emotions were high. (Genie will argue that it's very easy to make me cry so this occurring is not a phenomenon).

Post school, Genie and I had plans to take advantage of the best birthday deal Bangkok has to offer: Sunrise Tacos offers a free entree and dessert to anybody on their birthday. I picked the most expensive burrito and a wonderful piece of carrot cake which is the best dessert I've had in Thailand.

I couldn't help but think how much my grandma would have enjoyed this cake.

On our trip to Chinatown last month we passed by the Bangkok Arts and Culture Center and I was intrigued. After some googling I discovered they had a special exhibit about LGBT Tolerance in South Eastern Asia...obviously we had to go!

The building was beautiful. It reminded me of a mini-Guggenheim. There were a bunch of little shops strewn about the first 4 floors. We were both wondering where all the art was. We finally got to the 5th floor were there was art. 

I saw origami butterflies and people painting them. I was sold.

There was a center art installation that was painted by a female artist who selects her colors based on smells rather than just color alone.

She then reached out to an arts group in Thailand that works with blind artists. They were asked to sniff her painting and then create works of their own entirely from the aromas that pleased them. 

Amanda's Butterfly

We stepped up to the table and were given two pieces of paper to follow their step-by-step instructions on how to make the origami butterfly. I had learned how to make one over the summer so I made mine in a minute then grabbed Genie's and did the same. The guy giving us instructions kept on going, he didn't see that I was done...this is when we learned that he was blind. We felt bad but moved on to painting our butterflies. Then we placed them on the wall with the other butterflies.

Genie's Butterfly

Here is a collection of the various works inspired from the original piece.

We then moved up to the next two floors which had the LGBT+ Tolerance in Southeast Asia. It was enlightening but not my favorite exhibit. Here are a few pieces I did enjoy.

Post the museum we decided to check out Lumpini Park, Bangkok's version of Central Park. It was beautiful and nice to walk around. 

This is an Asian Water Monitor Lizard clearly doing his job like a champ.

We were meeting our friends Olivia, Matt, and Keo at the Missing Burro. Yes, we've eaten at this place twice in one month, it's that good. Matt, another theatre nerd, informed me that the world tour of Matilda will be coming to Bangkok in the spring...I was very excited by this news. The boys surprised me by bringing a cake. 

Olivia, Genie, and I then headed to a karaoke bar and got a private room where we sang our hearts out for the next four hours.

Overall, it was a pretty good birthday. Thanks friends for helping me ring in year 33!

My mom sent this to me during the day. My mom and grandma had taken me to the Mall of America for the first time for a long weekend. It was Miss America night and this was my viewing outfit, clearly I was preparing for the evening wear portion.