Hello Kitty

HK Bangkok

I have a secret. Well, it's really a guilty pleasure. I adore Hello Kitty (HK). I first met her the summer before sixth grade. Our family went on a long vacation to California where we would drive from San Francisco to San Diego. One of our first outings was to the quaint town of Sausalito, where we came upon a Hello Kitty store. I was enthralled. My parents let me take home a few trinkets and that is where my affection began.

I am not the biggest HK fan. Yet, I have collected some HK items over time.I have a few stuffed animals (one from the girls, which they made Don go to multiple stores for just the right doll. Another one where she is dressed like a Hawaiian girl), a travel ID tag and another large Hawaiian themed coin purse that I always travel with. I have attempted to sway the girls the HK way. They are not that interested. Havana more than Big Sis, as she loves to play with dolls and stuff animals. We have played countless Uno card games with our HK deck but their interest does not go much further than that. 

When planning for SE Asia, I learned our airlines Eva Air, had just launched a HK airline. I knew we would not get to fly that plane (it flew from Taiwan to Japan flights only) but my inner child could dream right? I quelled that wishful thinking when I learned there was a HK store in Bangkok. That would be one of our last stops. My inner child jumped for joy however, when we went had to land in Taipei on our way to Thailand and switch planes. What did we see on the runway? Not one but several of the HK plans. And after our stop in the store in Bangkok, I thought we were done. Apparently not. During the transfer back in Taipei, as we made our way to the gate there was HK artwork on the ways, depicting her in various forms of global travel. I knew I liked her. The cute art led to a sweet little HK shop, where I did some last minute shopping. All the way to SE Asia and back and that may have been the most fun spot of all!

 

Is she a Buddhist? Hope so!

Incredible Edibles in South East Asia

Dragonfruit smoothie

One of the highlights of traveling  abroad is checking out local cuisine.  Not only is that a way to learn more about the people who's land you are visiting but you get to enjoy things that  are new or even unusual. Trying new things opens the mind and the heart. Filling one's tummy with new deliciousness can also leave you craving more!

In both Myanmar and Thailand, our taste buds were delighted by the variety of flavors; sweet, savory, spicey. We had curries, soups and stews with fresh vegetables like okra, pumpkin (not the American variety), greens and more. We had our fill of brown rice, white rice, red rice and sticky rice. We had fruits both familiar, like sweet juicy oranges and apples in Mandalay, but who's tastes were crisper and sweeter than any apple I'd ever had. And we tried newer things dragon fruit, many varieties of bananas, lychee and their cousin rambutans, mangosteens and more.  

Having young children sometimes meant we had to find food that was more familiar. Everywhere major town or village we went to seemed to cater to Western tourists. The girls had their fill of pasta and for dinner pizza and breads and waffles or pancakes for breakfast. In Thailand especially, food is presented like art, which made things much more appealing to the more finicking in our group!

Some food we passed on, like fried scorpions and alligator heads on sticks at the night market and hard boiled eggs in the 7/11. The moldy tasting rice served one night was something we tried to forget quickly. We learned to cook Thai food in a cooking class  on Ko Chang, which inspired that finicky eater in our group to try things she would not have had prior and it encouraged both kids to find new recipes when we got home and to begin making meals on their own  

Each new food experience broadened our palates and minds. It probably expanded our tummies too yet the food in SE Asia felt healthier and more balanced and it made our three weeks there all the more gratifying and special.

mushrooms for sale in the hill tribes of Chang Mai.

We discovered some similar fruits in Thailand like they had in Jamaica. The red fruit is a Jamaican apple. In Thailand it is called the Rose or Mountain apple.

This was our best meal; in Mandalay, we found a vegetarian spot, Marie Min, which had been around since the 70's. I ordered two of my mos favorite foods okra and calabassa in a tasty curry sauce.

Amara's face does not depict her mood. She talked about noodle soup for days but lamented the chicken broth in most restaurants. Marie Min's hooked up her and her sister with tofu, noodle soup.

Havana has never eaten an egg in her entire life. She was not open to making this her first!

Some nights it was too much to get the girls to try local cuisine. Luckily we found some spots that made homemade pasta!

Street food is often the best food. 

We often saw  red chillies drying on rooftops. I brought home some of the dried version and sent it to various friends and family members to try!

Durian, which looks like a cousin to jackfruit.

Thai cooking class at Bunny's cooking school in Ko Chang was one of the highlights of our trip.

mango sticky rice, which Amara is making in the kitchen in our home as I write this!

We indulged in many sugary desserts. here is a cupcake the girls tried in Thailand.

Full Moon Ko Chang

Full Moon, Ko Chang Thailand,  2018

15 Things We Love about Ko Chang

1. Beaches with warm water and waves
2. Breathtaking sunsets
3. Sun. Lots of hot sun, full of wonderful Vitamin D
4. Several great pools with slides
5. Monkeys
6. Great snorkeling 
7. Cooking classes
8. Making new friends
9. Reading books by the beach. Every day for a week
10. Daily foot massages
11. Lush tropical foliage 
12. Looking for seashells
13. Swinging on swings on sweet small island
14. Incredibly tasty foods
15. Cool hairdos