Mom's Perspective

This is Jeanne, chiming in at last with the mom’s perspective. So where have I been, you wonder, since all the other family members have already posted at least once? Why, making sure everyone has sunscreen, finding the missing eraser or pencil (or the missing whatever), explaining the difference between a scalene and an isosceles triangle (remember that?), and waiting for an uninterrupted turn on the computer. (I’ve started this post about five times.) But first -- there is one thing I’ve wanted to clarify since Adam initiated our blog with the first post. For those of you who read about that early adventure in Thailand with the baby monkey -– the monkey bite did not break the skin. That was my first question when Michael and the kids got back to our hotel and told me all about playing with the monkey and the ensuing monkey bite. Whew. After establishing that, I could share in their delight with the experience.

One more example – We just spent the last week on Koh Lanta in Southern Thailand, where we stayed at a simple but idyllic beach resort owned by a Swedish couple. They have a 9 year old daughter who has two kittens, and Kira made a new friend. One morning, Kira (bless her heart) stopped by our bungalow to ask me if it was OK to pet the kittens. She and her Swedish friend had been playing with them all morning, but Kira has steadfastly been abiding by our “do not pet any animals because we don’t know who is sick or has rabies” rule. It had been excruciating for her, and I was so impressed by her honesty. I relaxed the rule for her – just for those kittens.

So, being a mom on the road does require a bit of extra vigilance. But as all you moms out there reading this know – we come by this completely naturally.

One of the highlights on Koh Lanta – besides the pristine white sand beaches and exquisite sunsets– was our Thai cooking class. We had dinner one night at “New Time” restaurant on the road near our beach bungalows. (More authentic food and more authentic pricing on the main road vs. on the beach.) Everything was delicious, and we enjoyed talking with the Thai proprietress, Rin, as she single-handedly welcomed guests, took orders, cooked and served the food, cleared dishes, and cared for her demanding two-year old. Before we exited, Michael had managed to arrange a family cooking lesson for the next afternoon.

We arrived at the appointed hour the next day hungry and ready to cook (after returning our two rented motor bikes we’d been using to explore the island – yet another cause for vigilance.) The kids were excited, and we had an extra one with us. Megan, a 12 year old from Scotland, was our neighbor at the hotel and we’d invited her along. First was Pad Thai, the classic Thai noodle dish.

Rin showed us how to fry the tofu, then chop the carrots, garlic, shallots and spring onion. The garlic and shallots went into the wok, followed by the noodles and a little water. Then the secret ingredient – tamarind sauce (yum). Break in the egg, add the tofu, carrot, preserved radish, bean sprouts, scallions. Then all the secret sauces – different soy sauces, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sugar. It all happened very quickly, just a minute or two.

Everything went on to the plate, Rin added a few garnishes (more sugar, ground chilis, ground peanuts, lime)– and the kids devoured it. Then they had a turn at the chopping block and wok and repeated the entire process themselves – and devoured a second plate of pad thai. This was followed by instruction on making chicken in green curry, and tofu with cashew and onion. I took notes while the kids enthusiastically participated – so I can’t wait until we’re home and Adam and Kira start making Thai dinners for the family.

We’re now in Bangkok, and that cooking class seems like it was in another world. The kids are loving this city, and are proving again to be amazing travelers. We arrived bleary-eyed a few days ago at around 5:00 a.m., after a twelve hour overnight bus ride. Kira and I camped out in a coffee shop with all the bags, while Adam and Michael ventured out and found us our current wonderful, air-conditioned (key!) hotel on the river. More to come soon about our adventures in Bangkok…