Happy New Year 2011- sawadeekap....

the almost empty bowl of tomyam... where else could you get pure and authentic tomyam taste if not from the land where it originated from...Thailand.
Sawasdee......A Happy New Year 2011 wish from a foreign land,not very far, just across the border. the trip was not planned, rather a promptu, last minute spur of the moment thing, after my customer picked up her bluebrry cheese tarts for an engagement ceremony, we drove to the border and after more than two hours, reached our destination- Hadyai.

I couldn't even remember the last time I came here, I think it was before the bombing. I had been to Phuket and Bangkok- office trips and Hadyai too.Perhaps one day I'd like to visit Koh Samui. After booking a place for the night, we made our way to the nearby shopping complex and had some ice cream since Batriysia wanted so much to have an ice cream. Did a few shoppings, this and that, then only we checked in at the hotel, the hotel, the shopping complex were all in the same vicinity, all within walking distance, no need to drive our car around in an unfamiliar territory. We decided to get on a tut tut to go to the restaurant for dinner and later walked back to our hotel instead of taking the tut tut.

we ordered tomyam, (of course), fish, and more fish, plus a plate of fried rice. After dinner, I thought of tasting the cakes there, a slice of blueberry cheesecake, a slice of chocolate mousse cake, a few truffles and a slice of coffee mousse cake

three satisfied customers? I know Ameer was happy with the tomyam. Tsara was happy with anything, and Batrisyia.....well, Batrisyia being Batrisyia, just had a little.

From the restaurant, we walked back and reached the town centre and my kids took an interest in this booth selling things made from metal, from bike to aeroplane and transformers too!from as small cheap as 10 baht to 1800 baht to one big transformer ( I think there were more expensive items there)

Batriysia playing with the NDS., while having her roti canai. the next morning, we had breakfast at a nearby muslim restaurant, before checking out .One of the things I like about this place was the food, so autentically thailand, especially the rice, so fragrant and soft, you could even eat it on its own just like Gardenia bread:-)

Before leaving this foreign soil, we decided to have lunch at the border, just before entering our own home soil, where we had crabs with thick green paste curry ,i think, tenggiri masak kicap which hubby ordered for Batrisyia, not hot at all, another fish dish, masak merah kot, daging masak asparagus, tomyam is a must but according to Ameer, not as 'hot' as the one we had last night, it didn't give him the same 'kick'/satisfaction because it was not 'hot' enough for him.
Hot or not, I had second helping because the lauk were all so tasty and 'secukup rasa' I was really enjoying this lunch unlike the dinner the previous night. we had our lunch at almost four pm and I think it could last till dinner and through to supper!

We had to queue to have our passports stamped at the immigration checking point, we could almost smell and see Malaysia, Bukit Kayu Hitam but the queue was very, very long and after driving slowly , inching our way into our soil, we finally saw that welcoming sign.

It felt so good to be home, our own familiar territory, where we speak the same language. It was fun to be in thailand but language is a barrier. Back home, new year, new school term and kids started schooling the following day, time to start my new checklist and update my 'to do List'. goodbye 2010 and welcome 2011.