Hai Tam Ahan

Hai Tam Ahan, basically cook food for some one else.
Today, I finally got up the courage to ask my host parents if I could cook some western food for them. I know my host father doesn't really like anything else other than steak, and since finding decent steak meat is not only really expensive (because it has to be shipped from Australia) it's also almost impossible in our tiny town of 30,000. So instead, I thought, why not try something easy that everybody loves... PANCAKES! So yes, I'm making pancakes and my host cousin is so excited, she wants to learn how to make them.... from a box.
I'm lazy and since Pancake mix is available, that's what I'm using.
I plan to make pancakes, scrambled eggs and fruit salad. Sounds good, no?
Thai people don't have syrup, so I'll have to make my own, but that's about the hardest thing.
Strangely enough, in the western food section of the supermarket, there are at least FIVE different betty crocker mixes. Most thai people don't have ovens, so why would they buy betty crocker box mixes? Can they be made in the microwave? The possibilities are beginning to get interesting.
So, I went out shopping for ahan falang (foreigner food). I ended up with pancake mix, powdered sugar (in case I decide to make french toast some day, or for the syrup), butter, eggs, milk, chocolate chips, bananas, a pineapple and some apples.
The fruit is for fruit salad, but I might make some chocolate chip banana pancakes....
I'm just excited that I actually can cook again. I've missed cooking.

Just in case the thai people don't like the pancakes, my host cousin Piatt is making Tom Yum Goong. Tom Yum Goong is a spicy, sour, soup with tomatoes and shrimp. Goong means shrimp, Tom means broth and Yum means sour. Everything in Thailand is spicy so there's no need to put it in the name.
We went all over the city in search of fresh shrimp and ended up with still living shrimp. WE thought they were dead, but two or three started flopping about in th bag. The flopping stopped after the shrimp were left in the car for an hour or two....

Next week, I'm going to try and make no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies. Piatt wants to eat them.

Earlier this week I was having dreadful premonitions of the month to come. No traveling, no festivals, no trips. Just school. Until I realized, I'm going to Korat with my friends! In late November there's thanksgiving and there are plenty of places I haven't gone yet. I'm planning lots of long bike rides and picnics. Life should be good.