Thailand, you will always be special to me

It have been a few days since I got back from Thailand, and I came home to an empty fridge, thankfully, a clean house, and jet lag. I am back to sitting on the couch watching TV, and only looking forward to Canucks games. Vancouver weather is really great currently, but it's too bad I have nothing much to do except for being home. I am not looking forward to the start of school as my spring break had been so wonderful. I wish everyday could be like the days in Thailand, enjoying the beach and sunshine. The past week spent in Thailand was really awesome, and I can't emphasize enough how much I miss Thailand, especially Koh Samui. The relationship we have built with Pusadee, Chef Roongfa and SITCA staff is special although we have only got to know them for a week. Everything was so memorable, from the Safari Tour, to the little jokes we made in between cooking classes, and everything is still crystal clear to me. Since I got back to Vancouver, I have been comparing everything starting from the weather to Koh Samui. I especially miss the beach and its cool and clear water.

There is something really special about Koh Samui that made me really grow to love that island. It is not only the beach and scenery, but also the Thai people. They are the people who made my stay in Thailand so wonderful and memorable. 
I want to thank Mother Duck for leading the way in Thailand, Chef L for being such a great supervisor, Pusadee and Chef Roongfa for being the most helpful and friendliest people in Thailand, and the SITCA staff for being such a pleasure and so very helpful. I will miss everything in Thailand, and I wish to visit Koh Samui again in the future as it was one of the most beautiful place I have ever been to.

Peace out. Vania :)

Home

Finally home, I'm so tired! Its Saturday and I still have Jet Lag! I don't know how I'm going to wake up for school. Despite this, the trip was a great experience!

It was so fun! I'm glad Ms.W and Chef persuaded me to go on this trip. I would like to thank them for this trip and making it as great as it can be! I will always remember this trip.

Bangkok: Food court

On one night, we all went to this place for dinner and inside was a giant food court! The first and second floor of the building were food courts. There were so many varies to choose from. Such as Chinese cuisines, Thai cuisines and western cuisines. We all split up into groups to buy dinner. Some went to the first floor others were on the second. We were all suppose to meet up at the second floor but, I guess everyone was too hungry and forgot(including me) to meet up there and eat together. After eating we went up and down the first and second floor for about 10mins looking for the other group. We couldn't find them and decided to go to the third floor(which was like a superstore) and found them there. After meeting up we looked around the place. There was so much food to buy! I bought so much junk food and coffee to take home and it cost me less than 30 Canadian dollars.

One of many journeys came to an end

Our Thailand trip is now over, and I'm back home, but there will certainly be things that I will miss- and reminisce- about Thailand. I'd like to thank everyone who helped make this trip actually happen, and especially Ms. W. for organizing the whole trip, as well as Chef L. who supervised us along with Ms. W. the whole time we were there!

Final stop: Bangkok

Since the hotel we stayed in Bangkok didn't have free Wi-Fi, we weren't able to blog as regularly as in Koh Samui. But I can say for sure Bangkok was a very busy, and VERY large city. Reminds me of Manila, even.

There were many sites to see, yet so little time! However, we were able to go to the Chatuchak market, which only opens up on weekends. We were also able to go shopping on our final night in the MBK Shopping Centre, which was about seven floors full of shops and stalls.

Going to Bangkok was certainly an interesting experience for me and the whole group, I would say.

All will be missed.

Finally back home, this has been a memorable trip. Met a lot of new people and definitely learned a lot of new things. There are no regrets in going on this trip and I’m sure everyone feels the same as well. As soon as I got home, I showed my family pictures and shared stories that happened in Thailand. Funny thing is… I think I caught a cold from the air conditioning in the hotel rooms. As chef said, “oh man, your room is like Alaska.” I guess the constant drastic change from high heat to extreme cold made me sick. Now I’ll have to wait until I get better so I can make my Thai iced tea with the 7 packs of tea I bought at Makro.





To finish this off, again I would like to thank everyone who helped make this trip possible especially Ms. W and Chef. I don’t think I would’ve went if it weren’t for Ms. W persistently asking me if I’ve changed my mind to go or not, I don’t think I would’ve went on this trip. Also, Ms. L my counselor, for convincing me to actually go. Thank you ALL from the bottom of my heart.

Thailand 2013.

Bangkok: Floating Market

When we got to the floating market, we find out that there was a 2000 baht fee (approx. 71CAD). At that point, I’m pretty sure most of us wanted to go back and skip the market but we couldn’t because we already drove so far just for the market. When we got onto the boats, every time another boat passes by, we would get splashed and the water there isn’t the best water to get splashed by. There wasn’t much to buy at the market so a lot of things we did were just sightseeing and just to experience the whole ride. 

The whole thing is really different from what we see in movies and dramas. Well it was definitely not what I had in mind. I thought what I saw exactly in the movies, where we could walk on other boats picking out herbs and fresh vegetables. I guess it’s not completely different it’s just that we’re on a boat as well and we just “float” towards the boat we want goods from. All in all it was a fun experience, something I can say that I’ve done that most people haven’t so s’all good.

Bittersweet

I feel great coming home!! But I already miss Koh Samui, and Bangkok. We've made many memories over the past few days, and made friends that we will have for along time. I hope to return very soon! We had quite a workout coming home. We had a very short layover, so we basically running from one plane, to the next, so we wouldn't miss our flight.

And to top everything.. We thought we lost Chef, because his seat got changed! We tried looking for him.. and then later found out he was all the way in the back of the plane... While the rest of us were sitting all together. All in all coming home feels great, but the time difference isn't so great!.. I'm still in Thai Time !

There's no place like home ! ;)

I miss Thailand already, the hot weather, the markets, Thai people and Thai foods. So thankful and grateful for the people I worked with and the people I met. I learned a lot about their culture, language and especially their foods. It was a good trip, I wish I could stay longer but it was also good to be back home and see my family again. This trip in Koh Samui and Bangkok will always be memorable to me :) I will never forget this trip, Thank you so much SITCA, Ms. W and Chef ! you guys are awesome ! :)

Twin Towers Hotel Bangkok

When we arrived in Bangkok, we were checked-in in Twin Towers Hotel Bangkok. I was surprised that our rooms were in EXECUTIVE FLOOR. No internet but still it was a great and huge hotel with swimming pool and restaurants. The aircondition made me forget the hotness of Bangkok and kept myself refreshed. Their American Breakfast was AWESOME ! a lot of food to choose from. It was a great experienced to stayed in a hotel like Twin Towers Hotel Bangkok :)

Last stop: Bangkok

It had been sometime since we last posted as there were no free Wi-Fi in Bangkok, unlike Koh Samui. I have to say, the difference between Bangkok and Koh Samui were night and day.

Koh Samui was this scenery paradise, and Bangkok was a shopping paradise. For the 3 nights we spent in Bangkok, I did not slow down with my shopping at all. We went to the largest weekend market in the world, the Chantuchak, the biggest wholesale mall, Pratunam, and finally, the biggest mall in Bangkok, MBK. It was one of the greatest shopping experience I ever had, as all of us walked so much in those 3 nights. Every single shopping destination was unique on their own, and if I ever go back to Bangkok, I definitely know where to get my things!

Back Home

Coming back home was bitter sweet. I was sad to leave Thailand, a country in which I learned so much and was provided with an experience to bond with my peers, as well as Ms.W and Chef. At the same time, I was happy to finally come and see my family. I definitely cherished spending the last day with the rest of the group. We all have developed so many great memories together over this trip that we all will not forget for the rest of our lives, and I believe that is what has brought us all closer together.

This trip to Thailand was so great, I can not put it in to words as to how much I enjoyed it. This trip wouldn't have been possible without the great planning of Ms.W! Ms.W provided us all with an experience to go to a different country and open our eyes to a different culture and traditions. Thank you is not enough to express how much gratitude I have for Ms. W!

Also, I would like to thank Chef for being a great chaperone on this trip! He, as always, filled our trip with his humour and great sense of knowledge in various food!

The last few days in Thailand

Our last few days in Thailand were spent in the big city of Bangkok! Being in Bangkok was certainly an eye opening experience. This city is large, fast-paced, and thriving, whereas we had just spent majority of our time on a small little island that just had a tranquil ambiance. Our last few days were full of adventure, we went to Chatuchak Weekend Market, we visited the floating market, and we explored the various malls of the city.

The highlight of my few days in Bangkok has to be riding a Tuk Tuk. All I can say to describe this experience is, WOW. We decided to take a Tuk Tuk to the mall on our very last night and to my surprise it was a bigger adventure than I thought it'd be. Our driver on the way to our destination, was very impatient and drove with such speed that I felt like I was in the movie Fast and Furious, Tuk Tuk version!

On our way back to the hotel, our driver put up quite a fight with us five Canadians. He argued with us in regards to the price of the Tuk Tuk as he drove to our hotel, he kept on driving despite our threats to get out due to the fact that his prices were way too high! In the end, we got him to bring the price down 130 bahts! So it's safe to say that we all learned how to bargain on this trip!

Home Sweet Home..

Our trip back home was quite adventurous. We went from Bangkok to Taipei to Vancouver. In Bangkok our chef gave us quite a fright! We were all on the plane and he was no where to be seen, we were beginning to think that he wanted to prolong his stay in Thailand. Turns out he was seated at the back of the plane while the rest of us were in the front! The flight was delayed quite a bit by the time we reached Taipei and we were all running (well speed walking) to the next flight. Turns out our flight did not even begin to board yet! It was the first time I've ever had to run for a flight and turned out to be a false alarm!! After arriving in Vancouver and going through all the procedures I was on my way to meet my parents. The moment I saw my Mom and Dad a HUGE wave of relief ran through my body. Even though it had only been 10 days it felt like it had been FOREVER since I last saw them!

I would like to thank Ms. W and Chef for giving me this opportunity to experience a different culture. It was amazing! I am extremely thankful for you both and had I not gone with this group it probably wouldn't have been as fun. Once again, THANK YOU FOR SUCH AN AMAZING GREAT TRIP! See you at school! :)

Bangkok

This trip to Bangkok made me realize just how much technology affects our lives! Our hotel, Twin Towers, had no FREE Wi-Fi and that was a huge shocker to us all. I literally didn't know what I should do with my time when we weren't out exploring the city! Good thing I brought some books with me, at least I was able to read to pass time... The transition from a small island to a huge city was HUGE! The trip from the airport to the hotel alone was 1 hour, while in Koh Samui, it was only a 15 minute ride. To be honest I preferred Koh Samui over Bangkok. I actually missed Koh Samui while I was in Bangkok! Bangkok was great and all but it was just SO big and so different (even their sky trains were different from ours, they have TVs in them!).

The floating market in Bangkok was quite interesting though. Our boat driver was, in my opinion, having a little too much fun speeding through the water. Luckily there were tons of malls in Bangkok or I wouldn't have been able to bring back any souvenirs for my family and friends!

Arrived in Bangkok...

We have arrived in Bangkok safely...

WHAT A CULTURE SHOCK!
The city of Bangkok is a real contrast to the paradise of Samui.

The students have already commented on the differences and are settling in. One added bonus is that we were upgraded  in the hotel to the:

of the hotel from a standard room! One of the downsides of Bangkok is there is no FREE WI-FI!

After 24 hours without being connected, I gave in to buying Internet time for the students. The only draw back is they can only log in one at a time as we are sharing. So if you have been following our blog, stay tuned. There's more to come! The students are excited to share their Bangkok adventures.

So until then... Be Well!

The last dinner at SITCA

It's sad for me to say that our last class at SITCA is over...but we certainly enjoyed making it, and had a fun final night in Koh Samui last night.

 One of them was the Steamed Fish in Plum Sauce, and Chef Roongfa herself made this dish. It was a beautiful fish, steamed to just the right texture, and was served alongside a delicious plum sauce.

I will certainly miss Chef Roongfa, since she is a kind, patient, and skilled teacher. Chef Roongfa, Khorp Khun Ka! I would definitely want to come back to SITCA for her lessons someday.

But now, we wait at the airport for our flight to Bangkok. Can't wait to see what's in store for our group there!

Final good-byes

Today was a sad day indeed. Chef Roongfa gave us all certificate of completion of her Thai cooking course and a letter explaining that we've completed it. On top of that, she gave us all her vegetable and fruit carving DVD so we can all learn with her when we get home.

Everyone here have been very nice to us. I'd like to thank Pusadee, our hotel manager for everything she has done for us. If it wasn't for her, our trip here wouldn't have been as much fun. Also, thank you to all the SITCA staff.. It was amazing getting to know each and everyone of you and it was great how we could all go out on the last day and actually crack some jokes and have a great laugh.

All I can really say is.. THANK YOU!

Good-bye Koh Samui, Chef Roongfa, Chef Ink, and Pusadee. It was nice meeting you all!

Vincent

No Goodbyes

Our last day was awesome  great, amazing  and we are leaving with a bang! The SITCA staff was so great, there are no words can explain how happy I feel. They kindly took us out for a night walk, and showed us the nightlife! And went to the beach of course! On the way we stopped by a little stand that sold durian. Obviously Chef and the staff had a lot of fun eating it. It was fun watching them open it up, it was my first time eating it.. and I can say, even though it doesn't smell the best.. it wasn't all that bad!! 

Later on, we went to a beach side restaurant and sat there to watch a fire show! Very entertaining. It ending up being a very great, fun and memorable night! 

All in all I am very thankful of everything. All of the SITCA staff, Ms.W, Chef... And this trip has been amazing so far. And to Chef Roongfa, Chef Ink, and the staff, if you are reading this.. Thank you for everything, from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate all the love, knowledge, and gifts you have shared with us throughout this whole trip, and I cannot thank you enough. I am going back with a ton of knowledge. And now my family, and all my cousins are waiting for a great Thai meal the second I get back to Vancouver! Our trip is not entirely over, we still have 3 days in Bangkok! So no good byes to anybody, because for sure we will meet again.

Korp Khun Ka! See you later!

Chef Roongfa and Chef Ink have given all of us gifts, and that is the gift for more knowledge, and there is not enough thank yous in my part for them. I am so very grateful to be able to get to know them and learn from them because they are one of the most amazing people I know. Chef Roongfa may not be a huge person but she has a huge knowledge, I was really surprised how much she had taught us in such little days. Both Chef Roongfa and her staff were all so bubbly and fun to be around with, which makes the learning place lively. Without her staff who were really fast workers, I don't think it would be possible to have a great cooking experience. All of the SITCA staff were really helpful, and I want to thank all of them. I have had an enjoyable 5 days in Koh Samui. It may start with a really long flight, but all the travelling was really worth it. Now, I am able to bring home all the things I have learnt and actually apply it. I think the relationship that we have built with the SITCA staff is precious, and I really hope to keep in touch with them.

I look forward to get to Bangkok and buy more things, although I am sad to leave this paradise in Koh Samui. I also can't wait to get back home as I do actually miss my TV and couch. 

Chef Roongfa, Chef Ink, SITCA staff, and Pusadee, if you are reading this, Korp Khun Ka from the bottom of my heart! No goodbyes as I will visit again sometime in the near future! 

Cheers,

Vania

The end?

Our five days at SITCA have come to an end, and it is quite bitter sweet.  I am really sad to be leaving an amazing place where every one is so kind, sincere and genuine. Chef Roongfa will always remain a big part of my memory in regards to this trip. She is such an inspiration. Chef Roongfa isn't only an amazing cook, but also an amazing woman. She has taught me many things, related to culinary arts as well as things that'll help me succeed in life.

Not only will I miss all the wonderful staff, but I'll also miss the actual classes. I can say that up until attending SITCA, I've never had so much fun learning (no offence to all my teachers reading this!). The classes were always full of so much positive energy and delicious varieties of food!

I am excited that the classes have come to an end, because it now means I can use what I learned in the classes, in my kitchen. I will now be able to leave Koh Samui with the ability to cook Thai food for  everyone. I'll be able to spread the deliciousness of the fantastic Thai dishes in Canada!


Gurleen

Good bye Sitca!

Today was the last day of cooking lessons... I can't believe it's been 5 days already! We had a different instructor for morning class today and just like the other two instructors she was amazing. We started cooking classes with curry and ended them with a final curry dish. It was smiles all around today, all of the staff were telling us how they are sad that we are leaving them, and quite frankly I am sad about leaving them too! They are all such wonderful people, they are kind, welcoming, and are extremely easy to get along with. So to all those who wish to learn Thai cooking...Sitca is the place to go!! Chef Roongfa will blow your mind with her skills and kindness! I would just like to say thank you to all the Sitca staff and a special thank you to Chef Roongfa and Ink. They were absolutely amazing!!! THANK YOU FOR A WONDERFUL TIME! :)

What's in a NAME?

To date on this trip, I have been referred to as "Ms. W", "Teacher Chef", "Mother", "Mother Chef", and often when we are walking the narrow sidewalks on our evening strolls, as "Mother Duck"!

But I can truly say, this is the best education travel group one could ever ask for! I am honoured the parents have entrusted their children to my care as they are ALL kind, respectful young adults. The students have diligently learned from the culinary instructors and adopted Thai customs of respect, courtesy and manners. Their easy going nature and ability to communicate and accept each others differences has made this trip to date a pleasure!

Traditional Dessert

Day 4 of cooking classes went great. Chef introduced us to a delicious traditional Thai dessert, Mango with sticky rice. It was incredibly delicious! If I've learned anything over the past few days at SITCA, it is to be adventurous with different food.  If someone had told me to eat mango with sticky rice a few weeks ago, I would've ben disgusted by the idea. But, now after my time in Thailand and at SITCA, I am more willing to try various foods.

Not only have cooking classes taught me to be adventurous with the types of food I try, but they also continue to amaze me with how beautiful pieces of art can be created from some of the most plain and simple shaped vegetables and fruits.  The carving lessons given to us by Chef in the evening classes will always be something I cherish.

Cheers,

Gurleen

In-Between Classes: Makro

So after the lunchtime class, the whole group went to a really large Thai grocery store: Makro. For us Canadians, we might compare it to Superstore, or even Costco. Like many of our stores, you had to bring your own shopping bags. The first thing the group took from the shelves was tea, surprisingly. They've just about taken half the shelf of the packaged tea, and took several more of the ones in tin cans! We managed to finish our shopping and still have time to get on the dinntertime class.

Stuffed Crescents with Mung Bean Filling

Chef Roongfa made this lovely Thai dessert yesterday..it was so delicious! They called it "Kha Nom Thua Paeb" or Stuffed Crescents with Mung Bean Filling in English :) She made three different colours: there's green (pandan), orange (carrot) and yellow (pumpkin). The outer layer is made out of glutinous rice flour mixed with pandan juice, carrot juice and pumpkin juice to make different colors then filled with Mung Beans.

Where's my laundry??!?!

Early in the morning, a few of us gave Pusadee our dirty clothes to wash. You would think we would get it back by the end of the day at the latest but it's already 1AM  and my clothes are still missing! I'm starting to worry now, but we'll probably get it in the morning :)

S'all good...

UPDATE: the laundry arrived before breakfast : )
50 Baht per kilogram - my large bag was 100 Baht ~ $3.00 for freshly laundered/folded clothes

Vincent

SITCA

I'm having a lot of fun at the Thai Cooking school.
We have made many different dishes and we have learned so many techniques and recipes.

Now when we come back to Canada, we can teach one another as well as other people who are interested.

THAI DESSERT

Today everyone made a delicious dessert. It was mango with sticky rice and coconut sauce.

Day 4 at SITCA: More vegetable carving!

Once again today's class included some more vegetable carving. It never ceases to amazing me how a piece of vegetable that starts off absolutely shapeless, can turn into a delicate piece of art!

Today we witnessed a piece of daikon turn into a rose. The thick piece of daikon became paper thin and had the shape of a beautiful rose!

Watching was easy but I'm sure when it comes down to actually carving the rose it takes lots, and I mean A LOT of patience (which I personally don't have). It's a shame, but tomorrow I will be enjoying the last day of cooking lessons in Koh Samui : (

An very LARGE UNCUT DIAMOND?

Sadly no. This is a chunk of ALUM. 

Used in Thai cooking to soften sticky rice and to make it shiny.
Chef Roongfa has given this piece to us to take back to our kitchen at school!
We might have to store this in the office vault for safe keeping ; )