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This month we need you to tell us what year Rama IX was crowned King of Thailand.
Got an answer?
Prize: A CD of the Silly Fools'* latest album for the first correct answer drawn on October 15th.
(* a prominent Thai alternative rock band that the whole SA crew loves)
Previous Winner:
Beverley Steadman - Port Moody, BC - a set of chopsticks is winging its way to you.
First hoisted on September 28, 1917, Thailand's national flag, ceremoniously raised and lowered each morning and evening in towns and villages throughout the Kingdom, has five horizontal bands of blue, white and red. The inner wide blue band represents the monarchy. The white bands symbolize Buddhism and the outer red bands the people or the nation. The harmony of the three elements in the "thong trai rong" represents the essence of the Thai nation.
Dan and Scott left Canada almost 3 years ago to start a fabulous travel company called Smiling Albino.
Habla Espaņol? Smiling Albino has added a function from Altavista that allows you to instantly translate, roughly of course, any of our information into Chinese, German, Japanese, Korean, French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
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Hello Albinos near and far! Albino Smiles has a new wardrobe - hope you like it! In addition to SA News we've added some new regular features; Thai-Culture Your-Culture, Recently Sighted, Hip in Thailand, and Dish of the Month. This issue, we also have an additional feature, Snacks from the Corner Store and Beyond.
 We're gearing up for the September to May rush after spending the rainy season finding even more great haunts and activities for you to explore. Even if you've done one of trips in the past you'll find loads of things you haven't seen before. If you have a group of 2 or more we can customize an adventure to your wants. Need more mountain biking? Gotta hit a golf course or two? Looking for brilliant photography locations? We can deliver it for you.
You're invited...
We think Thailand is about as close to heaven as you can get. To prove it,
please join us on Tuesday, September 24, 2002 at Hell's Kitchen Restaurant in Vancouver, for a presentation by Scott Coates, cultural travel enthusiast and co-founder of Smiling Albino.
Check out our on-line invite or RSVP to us at ok@smilingalbino.com.
Todd and Sue Kuipers spent two-weeks kicking-off SA's teaching program in northern Thailand. Read all about their adventures in a rural Thai high school here.
Read the story on-line.
Some of you may not know - Scott is in western Canada until September 30. More than just getting his fill with Alberta beef, wheat ales and GST, Scott has been doing some entertaining in-office shows about our adventures here in Thailand.
Different things Thais do that we sometimes find odd, but actually aren't much different from what we as westerners do.
Why swim with clothes on? Well, Thai's prefer to 'prevent' tanned skin. Much in the same way as westerners like to 'darken' our tans, Thai people want their skin as light as possible. Tanned skin for westerners, usually indicates a lifestyle of leisure, holiday making, good health, an ability to 'get out of the office' and relax. For Thais, lighter skin usually reflects a similar lifestyle of leisure, air-conditioned condos, private cars, indoor offices and umbrella'd escorts to and from parking lots (avoiding the sun, not the rain).
Many westerners find it odd to see groups of Thais basking in the ocean waves in pants and long-sleeved shirts. Much in the same way Thais find it interesting we would do the same wearing only the barest necessities.
In Thailand smiling is a form of subtle interpersonal-messaging which runs deeper and perhaps more accurately than language or syntax. Investigation into this phenomena reveals that Thais are adept at performing no less than 13 situational-specific smiles in their everyday lives. In fact, most Thais can perform each smile upon request with flawless accuracy based solely on the commonly used name of each.
Read Dan's new web story about Thai smiles at the site.
Bollywood II? Thailand is becoming a 'major' hub for foreign films and commercials...
Thai music: Sappy love songs about heartache? Lots of it is. However, some earthy sounds are coming out of Bangkok basement studios...
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Interesting sightings on menus and restaurant signs around Bangkok this past month:
- Prawn and Crap Salad
- Kentucky Fried Children
- "don't put your butt in toilet please" (seen in the toilet of a nearby restaurant)
Coffee lovers may no longer need to be afraid to travel Thailand! Coffee huts are perking up across the country - maybe the country is ready to trade in the Nescafe-in-a-jar for true brew. Starbuck's did lead the way, but loads of new local companies are entering the game with great stuff. Some SA favourites include:
- Doi Tung Coffee House (Doi Tung, Chiang Rai) - serves excellent local coffee
- Coffee World (Silom) - a short walk from the Silom skytrain station
- Gloria Jeans (across from the Emporium) - great staff and a nice, quiet upstairs seating area
Tom Kha Goong/Gai
(sour lemongrass & coconut soup with shrimp or chicken)
Ingredients
- 3 cups coconut milk
- 2 cups chicken boullion
- 4 tbsp lime juice
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 4 stalks lemongrass - cut and bruised
- 1 oz galangal - thin sliced
- 2 tsp peppercorns - crushed
- 10 lime leaves (kaffir lime leaves) - torn
- 12 oz chicken boneless/skinless
- 4 oz small mushroom caps
- 3 oz baby corn
- red chilies, green onions, sweet basil - chopped
1 - Heat coconut milk and chicken stock to boil. Stir in lemon grass, galangal, peppercorns and lime leaves. Simmer for 10 minutes.
2 - Strain into second pan. Simmer. Add chicken, mushrooms and baby corn. Simmer until chicken is cooked (5-10 minutes)
3 - Stir in lime juice, fish sauce. Remove from heat.
4 - Serve hot with chilies, onions and basil as garnish.
Serves 3-6
Served best at the Ratanakosin Restaurant in Chiang Rai - the first stop in our northern adventures!
A quick trip to the local 7-11 near the SA headquarters revealed an interesting local favourite:
seasoned, shredded cuttle-fish branded as "Squidy snacks"
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