You'll Never Beat The Irish

I am not entirely sure what is going on here, I don't reckon this is actually an Irish junior school.  I got Ireland in the Euro 2012 draw at work though, I'm just grateful I didn't get England.

[Quick bit of interwebnet research] This is a video made by the Good Child Foundation in Thailand, a charity who work towards inclusive education for Down's Syndrome children.

Goodchild Foundation

Devil in the Details: Beach colors

I apologize in advance to all of you reading this in cold climates. Well, hang in there, you're almost done! Maybe you even have a little getaway planned... Or you will plan one after seeing these pictures. Who knows. 

I like how the little things, and color combinations, cheer me up and make me want to take pictures of random inanimate objects. Last weekend in Koh Larn was a nice little getaway from the major CHAOS that is Bangkok. 

Special guest appearances: my Greek leather bag, gift from the man friend. An my sunburnt feet (WHY do I forget to apply sunscreen there so often? Grrrr)

Sorry if these pictures are obnoxiously sunny, and hope you enjoyed anyways!

Photos by Dee & Duke. 

24-hour Flower Market

I went for a stroll in the Pak Khlong Flower Market last week. Located in the heart of Bangkok's Chinatown, it is the best place in town for all kinds of colorful, fresh flowers. And it's open ALL DAY. 24 hours. Everyday. Prices are easy on the wallet. And, I've never seen so many orchids in one place before. 

Bonus points in my heart: two original Piaggio Vespa scooters parked between the stalls. Looove.

A few minutes from the market, you can find a different kind of market in the Pahurat district, Little India. Textiles and all kinds of craft supplies, sold to individuals or wholesale. The ethnic color combinations are incredible. The stripe textiles shown below are 100% cotton!

All photos by Dee & Duke. 

The Ancient Capital

A few pics from Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Thailand. Temples in ruins, old chedis, forgotten Buddhas. It's a very peculiar place, perfect for a glimpse into the Kingdom's past.

And a pic of the delicious pork noodles that we ate at a random noodle stall. Always the best lunches.

Photos by MP for Dee & Duke. 

Thai Cooking Class

While in Chiang Mai, I took a cooking class in a local school to get better acquainted with local techniques and ingredients. I learned to make a few traditional dishes and will make sure to try and re-create them. I wanted to share my favorite recipes here, starting with the famous Green Papaya Salad - typical dish from the Isaan region of Thailand.

If you plan on visiting Chiang Mai and would like to do the same, I attended the class at Asia Scenic Cooking School. 

Photo by MP Charette for Dee & Duke. 

PAPAYA SALAD (SOM TAM or SOM TUM)

adapted from the Asia Scenic cookbook

INGREDIENTS

1-3 small chillies

A few green beans, cut into 1-inch long pieces

2-3 cloves of garlic

¼ tomato, sliced

1 tsp roasted peanuts

1 green papaya (unripe papaya), shredded

1 tsp palm sugar (can be replaced by brown sugar or a mixture of white sugar and maple syrup)

2 tsp fish sauce (can be replaced by soy sauce)

1 tbsp lime juice

MATERIAL

Mortar and pestle (can be replaced by a bowl and a meat pounder)

PREPARATION

Pound chillies, beans and garlic together in the mortar until they start to break.

Add tomato, palm sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. Mix.

Add shredded papaya. Mix.

Sprinkle roasted peanuts on top.

Eat and be merry.

Coco

Since I've come to Thailand, I've been discovering more and more about the beauty regimes of Southeast Asian women and about the products they used. I'll share about some along the way. I wanted to talk to you about one natural product that is highly sold to tourists, but is far from a tourist trap: virgin coconut oil. This is good stuff, let me tell you. It does EVERYTHING. It's fast-absorbing, and I smooth it on my skin post-shower, as I have never liked applying greasy lotion. It cures and cleanses the skin at the same time. I also use it as a hair mask, and I swear, I have never liked my hair better. Ever. I don't own a hairdryer, in humid Bangkok, and my hair is never frizzy. No flyaways. Heeeeaven.

Natural oils have been gaining popularity in the last few years. Tea tree, peppermint, argan. That's it. I'm done. I'm downsizing my bathroom cabinet. They moisturize, they soothe, they smooth, they cleanse. Some, like sweet almond oil, magically melt eye makeup and moisturize your lashes at the same time. What more do you want from nature???

New easy resolution for 2012: Use more natural products.

Are you using oils? Any tips?


Photo via.

Oh the possibilities

I had a friend in town last week and she had one goal while in Bangkok: have clothes custom-made. There's plenty of tailors and seamstresses in this city, offering a wide range of price points. There's the quality stuff, and well there's the guy promising he'll make you two suits, two shirts and a tie in 24 hours for 199$ US. Need I say you get what you pay for?

A nice men's tailor recommended a women's seamstress studio and that's where we went. We were greeted with smiling women with open arms offering us Coca-Cola. We stayed. Sat down. And the ladies made our heads spin by showing us 100,000 magazines, catalogs, silk samples, linen samples, wool samples (the sight of wool in humid Bangkok nearly made me faint). Confused, we skimmed the images and narrowed it down to blouses and dresses. Oh and blazers. Yes, that's it for now. Khob Khun Kha (Thank you). It took next to no time, the women answered all of our queries with "Yes, can!". Endless possibilities. And the results were beautiful. It got me thinking. What would I get made then?

A visit to Style.com led me to the Pre-Fall 2012 presentations. And I hopped over to Thakoon, to keep it somewhat local. Thakoon Panichgul has been a household name in the fashion world for a few years now. He's Thai and made it big: he now presents his critically-acclaimed collections at New York Fashion Week. I absolutely adore his aesthetic and had to share my current crush on his Pre-Fall 2012. 

Inspirations to take note: corn yellow, A-line skirts, slightly dipped hems, two-toned blazers. And the perfect wool pants, for a post-Bangkok future. Obviously.

Photos via Style.com, Edited by Dee & Duke. 

Bangkok Tree House

I've been a bad blogger and went MIA again in the beginning of this new year. Well, friends were in town and we decided to keep travelling. So, I went on a little adventure in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. And it was great. I loved being able to get to know the country more and experiencing new things. I took Thai cooking classes to be able to handle a wok like a pro. More on that coming up! Promise. 

While browsing what was new in the Bangkok hospitality sector, I stumbled upon this and thought it was pure genius. If there is one main thing I can complain about in Bangkok, it's the lack of green. I know projects are in the works as I am not the first person to make this remark. Owner Joey Tulyanond was inspired by Henry David Thoreau's classic book Walden and created this urban resort called Bangkok Tree House in the "lung of Bangkok", a green area just off the Chao Phraya River. No air-con, no smoking, kitchen compost, bamboo structures and river cleaning program are just some of the features that make this new hotel stand out. With rooms/urban huts named "Tree House" and "Family Nest", this is all too tempting. Maybe a staycation is de rigueur. 

Photo via Bangkok Tree House. 

Southern Thailand Paradise

I have been MIA in the beginning of this new year, sorry! I took off on a last-minute trip to Phuket, Thailand for a few days of beach fun. Pics to come.

Photo via.

Ayutthaya

Hope you had a great New Years celebration! Off to Ayutthaya tomorrow with friends to discover the beauty of the former capital of Thailand. Pics to come.

Photo via Pinterest. 

The Weekend is Here

How are you spending it? I will be browsing the never-ending stalls of Chatuchak Market, here in Bangkok. It's a small city full of stalls selling EVERYTHING you could ever imagine. Colorful place, you might think. Well, you'd be right. It's the perfect spot to pick-up secondhand clothing, as well as a new exotic pet. 

Enjoy the weekend!

Photo via Pinterest. 

Temple of Beauty

Thai Buddhist temples are such fascinating pieces of architecture. And Bangkok's Royal Palace is no exception.

Photos by Dee & Duke. 

Hitting the road

So, with the bf being away for work, I start to feel like taking a trip too! I wonder how a roadtrip would be like in Thailand... Of course, instead of stopping at a greasy diner, we would stop for Tom Yum and spicy papaya Som Tam.

Photos ONE / TWO via Pinterest. 

Colors of Thailand

  

Photos by Dee & Duke. 

Night Owl

I went to check out one of the city's sky bars this weekend and had the most breathtaking (literally) view of Bangkok's illuminated buildings. Sipping a cocktail on a outdoor terrace located on the 55th floor is quite the experience! The city becomes this bustling metropolis, full of lights... And the nice breeze (almost) makes you forget about the heat that awaits you below.

It inspired me to look for some beautiful Bangkok-by-night pics.

Photos from ONE / TWO / THREE. Edited by Dee & Duke. 

Thai Taxi Talismans

In Bangkok, transportation is key. The city is very spread out and surprising discoveries can be made anywhere. No clear city centre was ever defined. And no logical, urbanized street plan was ever made. The Bangkok Transportation System (better known as the BTS SkyTrain can help, with its air-conditioned (joy!) trains zooming above the city hustle on two lines. The MRT subway system also helps, but only boasts one line that covers very little of what Bangkok has to offer. So what is one to do to get around the rest of the city?

 If you’re well-timed and can deal with the traffic flux, taxis are a surprisingly good option. Definitely more affordable than taxis in the Western part of the world, it becomes the transportation of choice to get to certain parts of the city. In a clean, non-polluted, air-conditioned environment, that is.

Well-established Bangkokians like Dale Konstanz quickly became addicted to taxi rides. And there is nothing better when stuck in a traffic jam than examining the beautiful, quirky and colourful items cab drivers proudly display on their dashboard. In fact, he started a blog about it called Still Life in Moving Vehicles and even published a photography book titled Thai Taxi Talismans with River Books.

Having myself had plenty of opportunities to observe the phenomenon first-hand, I am so happy to have found such an interesting and extensive catalogue of Thai cabbie good-luck charms. From Buddhas, to coins and banknotes Thai and foreign, from toys, to flowers, to amulets...

All photos from Still Life in Moving Vehicles

Thai Silk

Photo cred: eflreader.com

Since I've landed in Bangkok, I have been inspired by the colors and prints seen on traditional Thai silk. Silk weaving had become a lost trade in Thailand, but the arrival of American explorer and businessman Jim Thompson in the 1940s turned the business around and made Thai silk famous around the world.

Photo cred: 123rf.com

Photo cred: 123rf.com

The traditional clothing for women is usually straight and narrow, made with beautifully-printed silk. I'm not sure I could pull it off, but I could definitely use the material for something else. By the way, tailors are a big thing in Thailand, especially for foreigners. I wonder what I could have made from such beautiful material...

Any ideas?