Wierd Combinations

-sticky rice and icecream (what I ate on Children's Day in a cone)
-a tuna and corn pie with coffee (the latest menu option at McD's here)
-friend sushi rolls on a stick (the latest menu option at KFC)
-papaya salad and spaghetti with meat sauce (Thais say it helps make the spaghetti spicier)

feel free to add more....:)

The Next or is it First Generation

Children's Day in Thailand was celebrated yesterday. I could compare it to Halloween a little, minus the costumes and ghouls. Many neighborhoods host parties for the kids. People come from all over to bring their kids. Lots of games and candy and celebrating of children.

We helped host the party at Mahathai. The weather was just wonderful, and still is, in the 70's some times. Between the musical chairs, balloon stomping, and songs, Tang at the microphone asked to the kids, "Who is your hero?" One girl came up to the mike and said, "Jesus, because he loves everyone." And then the next boy came forward and said, "God, because when I sin he forgives me." Wow. I looked around at the crowd of adults and kids in the community listening. These two kids just shared from their own hearts matter-of-factly and explained the Gospel so simply. They are the first generation of Christians in the community. Praise God!

The Brownie Disaster

Yesterday I attempted to make brownies with the teenagers at Mahathai. Brownies, or any bakery good, are not commonly made in homes here because people don't have ovens. So, I threw my toaster oven in a bag. Then I tossed cocoa, flour, and oil in another bag. Fern and I then headed to Mahathai by taxi, stuffing the toaster oven in the front seat while the driver looked at me funny.

Once there, the real disasters began. Fern forgot the tray at 7/11 so we had to bake the brownies in a bowl. Then in the process of trying to plug the oven into the outside plug, I fried two extension cords. While reading the recipe, Fern accidentally read 4 cups instead of 1/4 cup of water and we flooded our first bowl of brownies. After much persuasion to people who don't waste anything, we had to toss the brownie water into the swamp water. (That's where they toss everything.) One girl accidentally knocked the bowl off the table after we stuck the brownies in the oven and the bowl broke. So no second round of brownies for anyone. The brownies did come out okay though thankfully. Just not in pieces, more like in crumbs.

But hey, pretty good for the first experience for any of those kids with an oven or baking goods. And pretty good for my first experience directing a cooking class in another language. We had a good time. And I recovered the tray Fern left at 7/11 on the way home.

A Wierd New Craving

I'd like to introduce you to a Thai phenomenon called "Look Chin" by those of us who live here. Small balls of meat--fish balls, shrimp balls, pork balls, beef balls. I think they'd probably have squid balls if squid cooperated by making itself into balls. The balls are stuck on sticks and grilled. The sellers wheel around these little balls of meat all over town, and everyone loves them for snacks. At Mahathai, there's a vendor passing by every couple minutes. The best part however is the sauce. The special spicy sauce. It burns your lips just right and makes you forget that the meat is definitely more processed than McDonald's Chicken Nuggets. And with your bag of Look Chin, you can add as much raw cabbage as you want which helps take the bite out of the spicyness. Wierdly enough, I've started to like these too.

Stickers

My favorite vendor that drives around on his cart/bicycle contraption is the sticker man. I just stop and stare at all the stickers hanging off his cart as he drives by. I haven't yet stopped to by any, which I should do sometime. I just stand and watch.

Getting Caroled To

In our neighborhood, there is another mission organization, Youth With a Mission. I got a call one day before Christmas from one of my friends there wishing to bless us by caroling at our house. Their group is composed of college students that live in a dorm near their office managed by them, as well as the staff by Thai and English and any short-term teams there at the time. Our two groups work together some and many of them attend our church on Sundays. So about 50 people that came to our house to sing Christmas carols to us!

We already had three college students hanging out with us that evening. So, we all jumped out of our front door to the porch as the group approached. Our guests were all smiles, never having been caroled too.


Yu and Kieow smiling with some of our friends that came to carol for us.

Only one picture showing their big group singing to us. All our neighbors, which are all shop-owners on a busy street, stared and laughed at the spectacle. What a blessing it was. A few days later, our church went caroling too. Its a different experience, not getting wrapped up in scarfs and hats first. But what fun together!

I Cooked!

I hopped houses for most of the holidays, between the Henrys and the Veldhorsts. Looking back, I've been adopted into quite a few families in my lifetime. Some would say I'm a "moocher" or more nicely put, just a "wanderer." I greatly enjoy the times I spend absorbed into other families. I'm grateful for a team that absorbs me. The second time around, Christmas felt more like Christmas here. I think part of that was the family I have around me. And part of it was helping with the preparing food, cooking, washing dishes, getting up early to play Legos with a favorite kid, watching endless hours of Pirates of the Caribbean, drinking wassail while watching Little Women surrounded by girly gils, and sleeping long hours. I thought I'd share a few of my cooking creations with you!

Pocahontas Deviled Eggs (named for the celery leaf stuck out the top which makes it look like my great-cousin, Pocahontas!)

My Mother's Pasta Salad