Sunrise Taco Turkey Feast

2020 has been a hard year, and as we get into the holiday season, I'm really missing being home with my family.

As an expat, I've always had to be a little creative when celebrating my American holidays, and this year, I decided to do something a little different.

To make the difficult 2020 a little more special, Sunrise Taco, an American Tex-Mex restaurant here in Bangkok, has imported 400 American Butterball turkeys, and are preparing hundreds of holiday meal packages to send out across the city throughout November and December. This year, even though I won't be able to go home, I'll be having my own sort of Thanksgiving dinner here in Bangkok.

delivery!

I was expecting a lot of food, but I was still a bit shocked when man on a motorbike arrived with a massive box taped to the back! Unpacking it was exciting; even though it wasn't a homemade meal this year, it really felt like a real Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving feast

The meal came with half of a juicy American turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, dinner rolls, and a pie of my choice. I chose pecan, since my family always has a pecan pie for our Thanksgiving dinner.

half of a roast Butterball turkey - imported from America!

apple and raisin stuffing

Caesar salad

The meal was a bit different from what we normally make when I'm with my family in the US (the one dish I really missed was cranberry sauce). But it was delicious, and it really made it feel like it was actually Thanksgiving Day.

It was also special to get to share my culture and holiday with my Thai family here in Bangkok.

a delicious plate of Thanksgiving dinner

I ended up taking two very much-needed days off of work on Thursday and Friday, and allowed myself to relax. I'll be working shorter hours for the next few weeks going into the new year. I'm finishing up a busy semester at school, and after a long, hard year of work, I feel like giving myself a bit of time off (that's the benefit of being your own boss and working for your own company, right?).

and of course, pecan pie, a family tradition

It's hard not being home this year. While I've spent Thanksgivings in Thailand before, I always knew when my next visit to the States would be. I've been with my family for the past two holiday seasons, but this year, due to the continuing year-long COVID-19 pandemic, I'm still stuck here in Thailand indefinitely. My wonderful fiancee knew how important Thanksgiving is to me, and worked hard to make it feel special. I'm so thankful to her.

I'm also thankful that all of the people whom I love and care about have been safe and healthy in this pandemic year. I'm thankful that the Kingdom of Thailand has been so great about issuing emergency visas to those of us expats who are unable to travel right now.

I'm thankful for technology like Skype or Zoom which can connect us with our loved ones even when we can't physically be together for the holiday (this morning I had a 5am Zoom call with my family. It was 4pm for them and midnight for my brother who is studying in Israel).

And I'm thankful that, despite everything, it's been a pretty decent year here in Thailand. As long as we stay healthy and happy, we don't need too much more.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and have a very happy Thanksgiving!

Koh Man Nai: Coastal Cleanup and Sea Turtle Sanctuary

It was early.

Too early, in fact. I tend to be an early riser, but 3:30 wakeup time is extreme, even for me.

Nevertheless, I was standing at a gas station at 4:30am on a dark Saturday morning, drinking a tiny can of concentrated Japanese iced coffee and waiting for my meetup group's van to arrive.

It was a very sleepy ride along the eastern gulf coast of Thailand, but when we arrived just after 9 at a quiet pier just outside of Rayong, I was feeling energized and ready to have an exciting new experience.

leaving from the pier outside of Rayong

I had joined a volunteer group headed to Koh Man Nai, a small island not far from Koh Chang off the coast of Rayong.

Koh Man Nai is a small island with a single beach just 100 meters in length. It's a private island managed by a royal project and visitors are only allowed during a few hours of the day with special permission.

a typical Thai ferry

A half-hour ride on a rocking wooden ferry boat brought us to the pier on Koh Man Nai. Once a deserted island, Koh Man Nai has been developed into a sea turtle sanctuary under the initiative of Her Majesty Queen Dowager Sirikit. 

arrival on Koh Man Nai

We had come to Koh Man Nai to spend a morning volunteering to clean up the beach before paying an education visit to the Sea Turtle Sanctuary and Sea Life Museum.

the beach

While the beach itself was quite clean, occasional trash does wash up on the island. Since it's not far from the mainland, it's not uncommon for bits of plastic to end up on the beach. As a turtle sanctuary, it's imperative that the island be kept clean so as not to harm the already critically endangered animals.

driftwood

Our large group broke off into small teams, and we spent a few hours combing the entire island. Though the beach looked clean, looking closely revealed small pieces of trash that could otherwise have been overlooked. Even if it didn't feel like we were doing much, the garbage added up quickly. It was sad to see how much had amassed, and shocking how invisible all of the rubbish had been. 

friends cleaning up trash

That's why it's so important for volunteers to visit the island and work hard to keep it clean. Sea turtles require a pristine environment to thrive, one of the factors leading to their current endangered status.

walking across the island

Since it's a tiny island, it didn't take us long until we were satisfied with our work and the several large bags of trash we had filled.

After hauling our garbage bags back to the pier, it was finally time to visit the turtle sanctuary itself!

all the garbage we collected!

Sea turtles hatch twice a year, in September and February. The turtles that we got to visit were between 2 months and 1 year, and not quite ready for the real world!

It's a dangerous life for a turtle. Only approximately 1 in 1,000 hatchlings survive to adulthood. The sanctuary on Koh Man Nai helps to breed and protect these sea turtles, giving them a healthy and safe environment to grow up in. Visitors are limited and boats are restricted near the island, allowing the turtles to have a natural preserve and shelter to grow up in safely.

I got to meet two species of sea turtles: hawksbill turtles and green turtles. Now, I'd like to share with you some of the interesting facts that I have learned about these incredible creatures.

cleaning up near the Sea Life Museum

Hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are classified as critically endangered. Hawksbill sea turtles are called so because of their distinct sharp beak. They can live to be 80 years, and can grow to up to 120 kilograms (about 265 lbs)! They feed on, among other things, jellyfish and coral.

Here's the coolest fact about hawksbill sea turtles: due to their diet of certain hard corals which also share the property, hawksbill sea turtles are biofluorescent (meaning that they can glow under a black light)! They are the only reptile in the world known to have this property!

hawksbill sea turtle

Green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) are actually not green. These endangered turtles come in a variety of shades from light brown to black. Juvenile green turtles are carnivorous, feeding on coral and jellyfish, but they become omnivorous as they grow, and spend much of their time feasting on seagrass.

green sea turtle

Although the green turtles that I got to see were just little babies, they were already the size of dinner plates. Green sea turtles can live up to 100 years, and can grow to an astounding 200 kilograms (about 440 lbs)!

1 month old baby

It takes a lot of work to keep these critically endangered animals safe, but Thailand takes the threats to them very seriously. The sanctuary on Koh Man Nai is just one of several throughout the country dedicated to preserving and protecting the sea turtles that call the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea home.

he's not ready for the real world yet!

By early afternoon, it was time to leave. We loaded our bags of rubbish onto our ferry to haul back to the mainland, then boarded the boat.

time to leave the island

The boat stopped at a reef a little way off the coast of the island where we enjoyed the beautiful scenery over lunch. After that, some volunteers took the opportunity to swim in the cool, clear water. 

we stopped off the coast for lunch and the chance to swim

We got back to Bangkok after dark, exhausted from a long day of adventure and hard work.

It was a wonderful experience. I got to see a beautiful new place, learned a lot, and had the chance to give back to this beautiful country that has taken good care of me during this global pandemic. I hope that I can do more volunteering day trips like this one.

And learning about sea turtles has only encouraged me more to look into something that I've been thinking about a lot lately: learning to dive. Next year, maybe?

it was a fun day!

Wat Intharawihan: The Temple of the Standing Buddha

I visited Wat Intharawihan years ago on my very first adventure in Bangkok.

Back then, I was totally new to the city. I didn't know where anything was, and even though the Temple of the Standing Buddha was really an impressive sight for a Bangkok newbie to see, I was never able to find it again.

But now, seven years later, I finally found my way back to this incredible third-class royal temple!

inside the prayer hall

The ordination hall and other temple buildings are beautiful, but the most spectacular feature is the giant Standing Buddha, a mountainous golden statue which towers over the temple complex.

Construction on the Standing Buddha, known as "Luang Pho To", or more formally "Phra Si Ariyamettrai" began in 1867. Such a huge undertaking took over sixty years to build, and it wasn't completed until 1927.

the impressive Standing Buddha

The Standing Buddha was designed under the orders of the venerable mystic Somdej Toh, a monk who is best-known for the powerful Buddhist amulets that he made and for the famous ghost he is said to have battled and trapped.

The Standing Buddha was Father Toh's last great work, and the abbot died while in prayer at the foot of the golden Buddha in 1871 while it was still under construction.

the 105 foot-tall Phra Si Ariyamettrai

The statue itself, gilded in 24-carat gold and covered in glass mosaic, is depicted as carrying a monk's bowl, and is is draped in a long piece of holy saffron cloth. The topknot of the Buddha's head is pure gold, and contains a holy relic of the Buddha himself, given as a gift to the Kingdom by the government of Sri Lanka in 1978.

devotees pray at the foot of the Buddha

Devotees pray before the feet of the giant statue, and leave offerings of flowers, incense, mackerel, and eggs.

praying at the Standing Buddha

As I was taking some pictures and exploring the temple, a lady approached me holding a folded saffron cloth. "Excuse me," she said, "can you help me?"

She was trying to wrap a golden Buddha statue in a light orange cloth, but the strong breeze was making it difficult.

the statue is covered in glass mosaic, and the topknot contains a relic

Eventually, we got the cloth wrapped across the Buddha's shoulders like a monk's robe, and the woman was able to pin it in place.

she asked for my help wrapping the Buddha in saffron cloth

It's this type of little interactions that makes life so interesting! Even though the woman and I didn't speak after that, it was a small moment where I got to be a tiny part of something interesting at the temple.

One Night in Bangkok: Ari Neighborhood

I'm trying to become a better photographer. Over the years living in Thailand, my photography skills have certainly improved. I try to document both my everyday life and my big adventures as much as possible, but I've come to realize that the visual medium is perhaps even more important than the words that I write in my blog posts. After all, a picture is worth 1,000 words, right?

One of my big weaknesses is night photography. Because of my weird work schedule, I'm rarely outside after dark, and when I am, I don't do much besides walk to and from the train station. I've decided to try to improve this with my new series, "One Night in Bangkok".

Last night, I went to go pick up my fiancee from the hospital where she works in the hip and trendy Ari neighborhood. I've been here hundreds of times, but decided to walk out a little early to photograph it, focusing mostly on mood, light, and color.

It's my first real attempt at nighttime city photography, but I'll try to keep up with these posts from time to time. I hope to see some real improvement in this area over the coming months!

It was just around 8:30 pm, but I tried to capture the mood, atmosphere, and feeling of late night in a big Asian city.

***

tuk-tuk drivers waiting for passengers along a busy street (Soi Ari)

the warm glow of a local spirit house lights the neighborhood

motorbikes sit parked on the road as their owners order food from a local vendor

some friends walk home beneath the cool neon glow of a boat noodle shop

Ari is known for its great restaurants and trendy cafes, many of which are open late into the night

a man waits for his order of bubble tea at a local cafe

the fried chicken looked delicious, but the vendor was nowhere to be seen

the streets are narrow here, so the best way to get around is by motorbike

closing time on a quiet side street

If my readers enjoy the more visual aspects of this blog, you're in luck! I'll try to post more of these "Photo Gallery" type posts from time to time. I'm not the best photographer, but I'm working on it, and sharing my photos here in public is the first big step at getting better!

One of my big new goals is learning how to capture mood and atmosphere in a photo. I'll keep up at it with more visual-heavy posts published alongside my regular adventures!

Santa Cruz and Baan Kudichin: Bangkok's Historic Portuguese Neighborhood

Portugal was the first European power to establish diplomatic relations with the Ayutthaya Kingdom back in 1511. For the next few centuries, the Portuguese and Siamese maintained a close alliance and friendship, with a powerful Portuguese merchant class rising up in Ayutthaya, and the Portuguese even helping to defend Siam after the fall of the capital and the kingdom's move to Bangkok in the late 1700s.

As thanks for helping to defend the new capital, King Taksin of Thonburi granted a plot of land along the river to be given to the Portuguese expat community. Today, that community still stands as a tiny sliver of Siamo-Portuguese culture on the Thonburi side of the river.

Baan Kudichin, as this neighborhood is called, is built in a square surrounding the historic Santa Cruz Church, one of the oldest churches in the city. Santa Cruz once even served as Bangkok's cathedral before the construction of Assumption Cathedral across the river.

https://www.stainedglasstravel.com/2019/08/assumption-cathedral-bangkok.html

On a beautiful sunny Bangkok afternoon, my fiancee and I took a walk across Memorial Bridge from Bangkok to Thonburi. I had seen the Renaissance Revival tower of Santa Cruz Church for years from across the Chaophraya, but had never made my way over to see it up close.

Unfortunately the church wasn't open for visitors at that time, but we saw a sign for the Baan Kudichin Museum pointing down one of the narrow alleyways surrounding the plaza, and decided to go check it out.

On the way, we passed by the Thanusingha Bakery House, which is famous as the only place in Bangkok that makes "Khanom Farang", or "Foreigner's Snack".

 When the Portuguese made contact with ancient Siam, they introduced bread and cake. Today, this single family still makes this very unique Thai-Portuguese cake from a secret family recipe that has never been written down.

Khanom Farang is a dry and flaky bread-like cake topped with dried fruit and dusted in brown sugar. It's an old-fashioned type of pastry, dating from back before desserts became overly sweet. It's perfect with a cup of coffee or tea, which they also serve at the bakery.

I really liked it! It was fun to discover a secret culture hidden in Bangkok.

I wrote a little more about Foreigner's Snack on my other blog: The World of Street Food!

https://www.theworldofstreetfood.com/2020/11/kanoon-farung-khanom-farang-at-baan.html

The Baan Kudichin Museum is a small private museum built inside an old house. Long ago, this home was owned by one of Bangkok's influential Portuguese families. Now, it's kept up as a museum full of history, culture, and artifacts from the early days of the Portuguese in Thailand.

Thailand is famous as the only Southeast Asian country never to have been conquered or colonized by a foreign power. While the Portuguese never tried to conquer Siam, they did leave quite a bit of influence in the culture and history. 

At the museum, I learned about several Thai words that have their roots in Portugese as well as the Thai foods that are influenced by the cuisine brought over by the Portuguese (including some of my favorite Thai desserts - I had no idea!).

The house, owned by a Catholic Siamo-Portuguese Family is full of historical artifacts, such as documents, a framed blessing from Pope JP2, an old Portuguese metal breatsplate, canons, pistols, coins, and much more. There are also lots and lots of statues of saints!

From the roof of the house, you can see a nice view across the neighborhood towards Santa Cruz Church.

The community may be small, but it is thriving. It's a very cool secret area that I had never known about before. And I bet if you asked Thai people where the Thai word "pratu" (door or gate) comes from, most wouldn't know that it developed from the Portuguese word "porto"! Fascinating stuff.

You might also like:

The old Portuguese settlement in the ancient capital of Ayutthaya

Bonus Video:

This isn't my video, but it is great! This short video is by the famous Co Van Kessel bike tour company about this neighborhood and the famous snack that you can find there!