Healthy Fried Rice

Author's note - this is not a cooking blog, it's a blog where I bitch about how much my life sucks, and things of that nature.  But thanks to the Dutchess and Hungry Guide, I am feeling inspired. So here we go.

Tonight I made Thai Fried Rice, or, as my dad used to joke when I was a kid, "Flied Lice!" (Which you may think makes us terribly racist, but I was too young to know it at the time, plus my dad is certainly not racist - he's just an inappropriate).  This is not your typical Thai fried rice...this is my own invention based off a recipe that ends up not resembling the recipe much at all.  That's how pretty much all my cooking is.  Yes, I live in Thailand, I use Thai ingredients, and I use Thai recipes...but don't for a moment let that fool you that this is actual Thai food!  But I like to think it tastes good anyway.

Ingredients:

• Chinese Kale (or other vegetable if you prefer. I prefer leafy greens as they're healthy)
• Your favorite mushrooms (I'm obsessed with mushrooms. I put them in EVERYTHING)
• Garlic, as much as you like (I use a metric shit-ton, cause I loooove garlic!)
• Thai chilis, also as much as you like
• Some 1-3-day-old cooked rice (I always use brown rice)
• 1 egg
• Cooking oil - 2T
• Fish sauce - 1-2T, or to taste
• Oyster sauce - 1-2T, or to taste
• Meat of your choice, if desired (I used chicken)
• Cilantro for garnish

Are you seeing a theme here? Yeah, I am a big fan of the "throw stuff in the wok until the end result is tasty" method of cooking.  So, it's safe to say that measurements are not my style. I've put in a few guidelines here for those of you following along at home (you poor, poor people, if you're actually using my recipes to cook).

The ingredients - total cost about $4 USD

Two Years

On or about this day two years ago, my heart was (figuratively) ripped out of my chest.  The love of my life said to me, "I feel like after six months I should know if I want to marry you.  And I don't know yet if I want to marry you, so let's break up."  Or something to that effect.  No amount of begging, pleading, crying, or even logic, would sway him.  I just couldn't believe that this relationship that, to me, was all that was good and the way a relationship should be, could seem so opposite to him.  That was the end, and thus began a complete teardown and rebuild of the thing known as ME.

A Day in the Life of Sadie

(Sometimes I wish I'd never started a blog, because people expect me to update it. Bah.)

These days I spend large chunks of time in front of my computer in my air-conditioned bedroom.  (Cause I have a job! Working from home! For a software company! As a technical writer!!! No this is not a joke. Yes I'll tell more later. Someday.)  This means I get to watch Sadie, doing what she does best - absolutely nothing! Spoiled dog :)

Early morning, it's cool enough to sit in the sun

Laos Day 1 - The Journey to Vientiane and First Impressions

I traveled to Laos today. In order to continue to stay in Thailand legally, I needed to travel to a Thai consulate to change from a tourist visa to an education visa, which I received because I am studying the Thai language. Vientiane, Laos has the closest consulate to my home. So after a 10-hour(!) overnight bus ride to Udon Thani, another 1-hour bus ride to the border at Nong Khai, and a shuttle across the Friendship Bridge, I was processed in by several unsmiling guards and find myself in Lao People's Democratic Republic, where I took yet another minibus to the capital city, Vientiane. My initial impression is that I'm blown away by this city. Due to its past colonization by several countries, most notably France, Vientiane has a cool European vibe to it that Chiang Mai does not. Don't get me wrong, I love Thailand, my new home. But it's quite proud of never having been colonized, and is pretty closed off to outside influences. (Well, maybe Bangkok is different, but I don't know too much about it.) Take music, for example. In Thailand's bars and clubs, you'll hear either (1) Thai music or (2) covers of 5-year-old Jason Mraz tunes. Over and over and over. (Nothing against Mr. A-Z, of course, bu there's such a thing as too much.) In Vientiane, I spent a pleasant couple of hours in a sultry wine bar, enjoying music I've never heard before and some very good wine (another thing Thailand doesn't have!). Also, Vientiane has affordable international cuisine and does not have the dreadful stray dog problem that Thailand has. I am sure part of it is due to the communist government - for all I know, they rounded up all the stray dogs and gassed them en-masse. But so far, I'm having a ball and wondering what's not to love?

Stay tuned for days 2 and 3 when I meet a fellow EFL teacher and we leave the capital city to see the "real" Lao!

Care for Dogs Foundation

Lately I've been spending 1-2 afternoons a week volunteering at Care for Dogs Foundation. Care for Dogs is a large indoor/outdoor dog shelter about 40 minutes from my house. They house about 150 dogs at any one time, and they do everything from sterilization and rehoming of street dogs, to feeding temple dogs, to rescuing dogs from abusive or neglectful situations, to giving medicine and necessary surgery to homeless dogs and dogs whose families can't afford the care. The poor doggies have been through some terrible situations, and some of them are in horrific conditions when they arrive at the shelter. But most of them still love humans sooo much, even after all the terrible things we've done to them. I regularly find myself gingerly petting some scabby or hairless or disfigured dog after it hesitantly approaches me, unsure of what I might do to it. It's heartbreaking. But these dogs are the lucky ones, since they are at the shelter! All the other thousands of dogs left out on the streets and in abusive homes are the real concern. It's pretty obvious that I'm a n00b, though... whenever a dog gets adopted, everyone at the shelter is so happy because it's one less dog to feed and care for. Meanwhile I get sad because it's usually a dog I became attached to!

Naturally, the shelter accepts donations, or you can sponsor a dog. While they are not a nonprofit organization in the USA at this time, they are working on gaining that status so hopefully that will increase donations and we can help more dogs!

A visitor is coming! You can't sneak into this place...

Shelter dogs happy to see me

Medicine time

Nap time in the shade

 Puppy!

Mr. Friendly

More pictures here.

Spirited Dog

Just chillin' and enjoying the weather... :)

My New Ride

Here I am, a couple of weeks out of school. Relaxing at last! And working on getting Sadie comfortable in our new environment. I'm going to take Thai lessons in January so I can finally understand what people are saying to me. I've learned a few words, mostly involving food and how much things cost. But that's not enough of course!

Recently I traded in my rental scooter for my very own ride! It's a Yamaha Mio ZR, and it's not something that exists in the States. In fact, nearly all of the cars, trucks, and motorbikes are different here. (Toyota Fortuner or Honda CBR150R, anyone?) They're smaller than in the US,  but usually you don't notice. Until you see an actual Honda Civic and it looks like a freakin' Cadillac, it's so big. It's interesting, that's for sure!

Here are some pictures of my new scooter (or motorbike as they're called in Thailand).  It's kinda pimped out :)  When I finally (a) get a job, and (b) learn how to ride a manual, I'll upgrade to a Honda Dream. I hear they are the best thing around.

 

Here are some pictures from a road trip I took recently, my first long ride on my new bike!  I went in a big loop from Chiang Mai to Samoeng and back to Chiang Mai. It was beautiful. Funny how I've moved smack into the middle of some of the most beautiful and famous motorcycle riding in the world, for those who pay attention to such things. I might have to get more into riding!

View Chiang Mai to Samoeng Loop in a larger map

My Life in Thailand

is the title of this new google map that my friend Bill tought me how to make!

View My life in Thailand in a larger map

There are only a few pins on it as of yet, because my life has lately been taken over by the hell known as CELTA. I just started the final week, though, so my life will soon return to normal..Except for the fact that, as a full-fledged EFL teacher, I'll have to start job hunting.  Eek! And I can blog again - and I'll actually have experiences to blog about, as I don't think you'd enjoy hearing about the inside of a classroom.

In the meantime, please enjoy these pictures of the lovely plants in my garden.

 

New House & Talat Warorot

It's been a big weekend. Yesterday I moved into my new rental house, which involved hiring a truck to take me, Sadie, & our stuff from the hotel to the house, dropping off everything, then the truck dropping me off at a scooter rental place a few kilometers away. Then remembering how to ride a scooter, which I haven't done since February (the last time I was in Thailand), and going to Tesco Lotus to load up on a few necessary items.

I lucked out with my landlord, fortunately. He's a nice man who doesn't charge for internet and had the inside walls of the house painted before I moved in. Then again, his mother comes into my garden every morning to pray at the spirit house, so I guess it's all even. I also ended up renting my scooter from a really cool guy, an English bloke named Robin. In addition to renting scooters, he's also an EFL teacher, and lives nearby with his Thai wife and their child. When I had trouble starting the scooter after I brought it home, I called him and he came right over to my place and fixed it - turns out the fuse had blown. Yay for good people!

Today I opened a bank account, then rode the scooter into town to the Talat Warorot, which is a massive day market in the Northeastern corner of the city that has everything you can imagine (and some things you can't). There I loaded up on kitchen and laundry items as well as a sweet pair of rubber slipon shoes ($3) and super comfortable Thai pants ($2.50). Pretty awesome.

All in all, it's been pretty exhausting. I'm not sure if you've ever been in a situation where almost nobody can understand you, or they understand very little, and therefore getting anything done is time-consuming and exhausting. It's been very humbling, that's for sure. And as soon as I'm done with my CELTA course, I'm definitely enrolling in Thai lessons!

Another thing I've noticed a lot, and that I find extremely frustrating, is how most of the Thais react to me. If I'm in the tourist sector it doesn't happen, but when I'm out & about grocery shopping, riding my scooter, and doing the things one does when they aren't just a tourist, I get stared at by people. All the time. OK, no big deal. But then lots of times I'm trying something for the first time, and naturally I do it wrong. And then people LAUGH at me!!! And it doesn't sound like nice laughter either, it seems rather mean-spirited. I think that's pretty fucked up, honestly. When I see a foreigner in the States, I don't stare and laugh at them! Seriously, What The Fuck. Maybe I eventually will get used to it, and will probably stop screwing up so much as I learn how to live here. I hope.

Tomorrow afternoon is orientation for my course, then we jump right into it on Monday morning at 9:00 a.m.! (I think that's Sunday night at 6:00 p.m. for you West coasters, since I hear you're changing your clocks). I'm nervous for the course to start, because I know it'll be tough, but also it will be nice to have something to do every day. I can't go shopping at the market all the time, after all!



More pictures here.

Thailand: The Arrival

Arrived in Thailand a week ago. Sorry for the lack of updates; a few days spent visiting a traditional Thai family coupled with a totally traumatized world-traveling dog makes for a very stressed-out girl. Most of my communications have been in the form of angst-ridden skype sessions with my family, or short cheerful-sounding blurbs on Twitter and Facebook.

Sadie made it one piece, but she still hasn't recovered emotionally. Since we got to the hotel we've been spending a great deal of time in our room where she seems most comfortable. She doesn't like me to leave her alone and barks her head off when I try to leave, which complicates things each day! Luckily I've found a local animal hospital who not only groomed her for $3 USD, but they also babysat her free of charge for a few hours today while I signed the lease on my rental house. When we go on our walks she growls and barks at everyone we see, though at least she now seems to recognize the people we see everyday and doesn't bark at them so much. I feel like a real asshole for putting her on a plane and dragging her to the other side of the world - it's not like she asked to come! And we still have one more change of scenery ahead of us, to our rental house in North Chiang Mai. I think that we'll both be more comfortable there and can finally begin to relax.

And yes, I rented a house! I got a six-month lease on a tiny furnished Thai-style 2 bedroom 1 bathroom at the somewhat extravagant price of 7,500 baht, or about $227 USD/month. I think it cost more because I'm farang and will be taken advantage of everywhere I go, and also because it's furnished. And because I rented it for six months instead of one year. At least by US standards it's freakin cheap. There is a big walled-in yard (the Thais call it a garden), air conditioning in the bedroom, and internet is included. It's in a quiet neighborhood a few kilometers from my school, and close to some restaurants and a Tesco Lotus. I will be getting a scooter soon, and I'm pretty excited about that!

Stress levels are beginning to abate now that I'm nearly done with my odyssey. Phew! My stress coping skills have been over-used to the point of being worn threadbare, where the slightest new problem I confronted brought on tears and/or anxiety. Of course school starts on Monday, but I can't imagine that'll be more stressful than the journey I've already been through!

If selling off your life and moving around the world is difficult, doing it with a dog is at least ten times more difficult. If I can do this, I can do anything. And now you all have someone to come visit in Chiang Mai, Thailand, at least for the next six months!



More pictures here.

The Journey

I'm posting this from my iPhone before it becomes an iBrick, so it'll be short n sweet! Sort of. In case you want to follow along from home:

Tonight I'll go to SeaTac Airport to check Sadie and myself in for our flight that leaves at 2:00 a.m.(!) Wednesday. The first leg of the flight, to Taiwan, is almost fourteen hours (I plan to spend as long of that as possible in an over-the-counter drug-induced slumber). Then a three-hour layover in Taipae, Taiwan. During that time I'll be trying to find out Sadie is doing, and posting general updates on Twitter and thereabouts. Then, a 3.5 hour flight to Bangkok where I'll collect my luggage and my dog and my friend Ashley will pick us up. We'll spend three days with Ash and her family where they live a couple hours southeast of Bangkok, then on Sunday it's back to the airport to fly to Chiang Mai. We stay in a hotel for five days, October 25-30, while looking for an apartment near school. Then school starts the next Monday November 2nd. Phew!

It'll be a busy couple of weeks, but I look forward to taking my mind off this crazy journey I'm taking ;) I'll check in frequently and keep you posted on my progress!

T Minus 7 Days - Check!

Eep.

What I've done:

• Repriced and relisted my china cabinet, dresser, and computer desk
• Taken carloads of stuff to Goodwill
• Set up the car donation
• Gave bookshelves and lots of kitchenwares to cousin Matty
• Sold my bed
• Took my bike and snowboard and related gear to my dad's house for storage
  
• Packed up my backpacking gear and 2 plastic tubs with things I want to keep for my mom to take home with her
• Received mypassport with travel visa from the Thai embassy in DC!

What I still need to do:

• Sell those final three pieces of furniture
• Final goodwill trips
• Cancel car, home, health insurance
  
• Cancel gym membership
• Jailbreak iPhone & break AT&T contract
• Take Sadie's vet paperwork to Olympia for endorsement by the USDA (yes, really)
• Figure out if all these clothes and things I plan to take with me will fit in my backpack
  
• Probably something else that I'm totally forgetting

Looking at this list I actually can't believe I've gotten so much done, because I feel like I've doing really well at procrastinating and completely ignoring the problem. Actually, I do still have quite a bit to do, given that I only have 7 days, and only 5 business days, left. Eek! Fortunately my mom and sister are coming on Sunday and Monday to help me finish the job, and to provide moral support - yay! My next 7 days are meticulously planned out. I'm even working at the farmers markets on Thursday and Sunday. I'd rather not, but the $$ always helps. I wish I had time to go to the zoo one last time, but I don't think I'll have time :(

Needless to say, I've gotten rid of all the boys. Who has time for such things during a time like this? Not me. For the next couple months I'll be traveling, resting, traveling, looking for an apartment, going through a pretty intense certificate program for 5 weeks, then looking for a job. And them moving again and starting a new job, sometime in December or January, or whenever I get hired. All of this while trying to be the constant for my high-strung dog who is about to have her world and her routine turned upside down. Crikey! I quail with fear at the prospect, especially given that I haven't done shit in the last 9 months. What if I've lost my edge? What if I forgot how to go to work at a regular job? (Not that this will be a regular job, really.) And, oh god, the big one - WHAT IF I HATE TEACHING??? I never saw myself as a teacher. I do think I'll be good at teaching the English language, but will I enjoy it? Time will tell.

Wish me luck...

Check

What I've done:

• Sell couch, TV, DVD, microwave, ottoman
• Accepted an offer to buy my bed in mid-October, right before I leave
• Promised my bookshelves to my cousin (not the crazy one)
• Found homes-away-from-home for my bike, snowboard and gear, backpacking gear, and a few other odds & ends I don't want to part with
• Took Sadie to the vet for her Thailand-required checkup
• FedExed my visa application to the Thai embassy in DC
• Cancelled my Comcast internet & cable

Still need to do:

• Reprice and sell items that haven't sold yet, like the china cabinet & dresser, and a few other things
• Take lots of stuff to Goodwill
• Cancel gym membership & setup cancellation of electric account
• Jailbreak iPhone
• End AT&T contract
• Research car donation process
• Get water bowls for Sadie's travel crate
• Take bookshelves to Matty's house, and some kitchen stuff too
• Probably something else that I'm totally forgetting

Maybe it doesn't seem like a long list, but I look around my house and it sure doesn't look like I'm moving to another country in less than four weeks! Actually I think putting it in list form like this will help me tackle what's left. And the closer I get to T-day, October 21 (that's Thailand-day or Travel-day, I'm not sure which), the more stuff I can get rid of, cause I won't need them anymore, of course. No rest for the wicked!

Also, in bizarre, unrelated news, it's raining men. Seriously, WTF?! A family I know recently set me up with a good friend of theirs. He turned out to be really cool and we had a lot in common, and we went out a couple times and had an awesome time. He's just left for a six-week stint in Madison, Wisconsin though, so that effectively ends that budding situation, since I'll be gone by the time he returns. He's a doctor who travels around the country filling in for other doctors, but his home base is Seattle. Then on Wednesday, I met not one but two guys, both of whom asked me out. I met guy #2 at the farmers market during the day and guy #1 later that night at a show at the Sunset Tavern. This is kind of unusual for me, so I'm stoked but mystified. Anyway, I have a date with guy #1 tonight and a date with guy #2 tomorrow.

So, busy busy busy is the word(s) of the day, and every day till I leave. Time is flying!

The Decider

Someone whose opinion I greatly value said to me, "I shouldn't have an opinion, but I do. Sell everything you own, it's not worth keeping. Move to Thailand. I think it's a creative solution to your current job situation (or lack thereof). And what a great adventure!"

It helps that I've started thinking about Thailand as a 1-2 year plan instead of a 5-10-year plan. The mystery city from my last post will be there, whenever I'm ready for it. I'm excited for my Thai adventure once again. It's gonna be tough and it's gonna be scary, but I'm tough and scary and I can handle it. I'm going to buy a scooter, it will be awesome! (And maybe someday a motorcycle, but I don't want to get ahead of myself at this point.) The flight is booked. Now I just need to sell my stuff - ugh!

Sea Change

Fall creeps slowly toward the Pacific Northwest. The shadows grow longer and show themselves earlier, and though most days are still pretty hot, the nights have been getting downright chilly. I'm still doing some part-time work on the side while successfully avoiding getting a day job. Texas and I aren't friends anymore, and that's probably a permanent situation, unfortunately. But life goes on.

As most of you know, for the last few months I have been preparing for one of the largest changes in my life: moving to Thailand. The plan right now is to fly to Chiang Mai on October 21, go to school to learn how to teach English as a foreign language (TEFL), then get a job in Thailand doing just that. I was looking forward to shedding my possessions and my life as I know it and plunging feetfirst into a new experience.

The last week or so, I've been starting to have some serious doubts about this plan. Maybe I don't want to get rid of everything I own just yet. Maybe I don't want to go around the world from everyone and everything I know. And I'm seriously fretting about the effect the 19-hour plane ride will have on my poor little dog, stuck in her crate alone the entire time.

The one thing I do know is that I don't want to remain in Seattle. I am adamant about that! I'm sick of the cold weather, the dark winters, the passive aggressive people. Not to mention it seems like I run into an ex-boyfriend or somebody I've dated at least once a week. Enough already!

I'm currently kicking around a new idea...I'm not prepared to reveal all yet, but it's someplace warmer than Seattle, with a lower unemployment rate and a lower cost-of-living. I'm scoping around there for job opportunities, and I've made plans to go there to visit a friend in the near future.

My mother asked me, Is this a sea change or just cold feet? At this point I don't know. I'm going to sit with this decision for a bit, and talk with my therapist next week to get her insight. Whatever happens, I will of course keep you posted!

On the Road Again, Goin Places that I've Never Been

(Okay, the second part's not true. And I meant to send this BEFORE I left, not after I got back. But video uploads will do what they may.)

Heading to the land of skinheads & potatoes for a couple of days, back on Tuesday. In the meantime, here's a fun video companion to Stacy's recap of the awesome night with Stacy, D. Baggins, and The Tall One. It's awesome - when the DJ starts flagging, Stacy gets him him going again. That's cause she's amazing like that!

Let's Steal a Humvee and Pick Up a Hooker

I have a new young friend, Texas. Texas and I met at a show a couple months back, and over time have evolved into an unlikely friendship. Unlikely, I suppose, because Texas is about a decade younger than me, and hails from the Land of Dubya. Texas is a lifelong gamer and is continually amazed how I know NOTHING about games or game systems. I on the other hand am continually amazed how he knows NOTHING about bands like Nirvana or TV shows like Twin Peaks and Northern Exposure. It works though - probably because we always have a lot to talk about.

The other day I was at Texas's place surveying the complicated array of game systems. I'm not sure how many systems there are out there (I lost touch after the grey-boxed Nintendo Entertainment System, if that tells you anything), but I'm pretty sure he has them all. Texas was showing me the online features and helping me create an avatar for myself, when suddenly a thought occurred to me. "Hey, have you ever played a game called Grand Theft Auto? I've heard of it and I have always wanted to play it."

Texas sighed patiently and plucked the game off the shelf. "I have it right here." He popped it into one of the systems and fired it up. He started to play while I watched and learned and asked questions. The conversation went something like this:

Me: So I hear we can steal cars? And get hookers?
Texas: Yes, though I always steal a motorcycle (Texas is a big motorcycle fan and rides one himself)
Me: Well cool, then let's get a hooker!
Texas: Okay, I think I know where to find some...first we have to steal a car because they won't come with you on a motorcycle.

Later, after the hooker has been acquired and "services" performed:

Me: Now can we beat her up or kill her?
Texas: Well we can't shoot her since the cops took our weapons, but we can run her over and get our money back.

Unfortunately by this time I was at the controls, and my driving skills leave something (much) to be desired. Instead of running down the hooker, I ran over an innocent bystander, knocked down a street lamp, and banged up the car some more before getting out of the alley where it all went down. This inspired new lust in me, and I spent the rest of the time laughing maniacally, stealing bigger and better vehicles and running over random passersby. Eventually though, by the time I had stolen a big yellow Humvee, the cops were not amused by my antics and cornered me. I eluded them once by driving over the freeway divider and heading the other direction, but it was too late. The helicopters were out in force and I was quickly cornered again. By this time, the Hummer was badly damaged and on fire. As I climbed out to run away, the Hummer blew up and I died. The end.

But I feel round 2 coming on...a friend recently told me you can actually shoot up a strip club in the game. AND I found out the game actually has a storyline, and actual objectives to achieve while playing! I don't really think that's necessary, but it's a reason to play again I guess.

Custom Bumper Stickers

"No minimum order"? So I can order just one? Cause I only need one.

Custom Bumper Stickers

Melakwa Lake

Last Tuesday Sadie & I hit the trail for a day hike to Melakwa Lake. I'd wanted to do an overnight trip, but the weather turned to poop and Sadie fell ill for a couple days (she's fine now), so I decided a day hike would be more prudent.

I know people who do this hike every year, but this was my first time. And dammit if it didn't show me how out-of-shape I have become! But that's not the important part. The hike is gorgeous - expansive views nearly the entire hike up, and the lake itself is gorgeous. I will have to go back and do an overnight for sure.

On the way up there is a river crossing. Well, there are a few, but on this particular one the bridge is out. It's no big deal, because you can hop across rocks & logs and get to the other side just fine. Then there are lots of flat rocks where the river has carved them down through the centuries. It's quite lovely, and we spent a few minutes there. But then somehow this caused me to miss the trail on the other side. I felt pretty silly, because Melakwa Lake is one of the most popular hikes around these parts (I don't think I'd ever do it on a weekend, for example), and I'm pretty sure nobody has lost the trail before. Oh well. Sadie and & thrashed around in the underbrush for awhile, finding nothing. Finally I let Sadie off the leash and she led us right to the trail! What a smart dog. And good for something, which is nice to find out.

Anyway, we made it to the top, me cursing my laziness of the last six months and vowing to get serious about working out again. At the lake, which was totally fogged in even though the rest of the hike had been mostly sunny, I made lunch with my backpacking stove, rested a few, then turned around and came home. All in all, a good day.

Today we are setting out again, on an overnight trip to a secret location near Stevens Pass. If I don't get eaten by the bears, I'll be back with a trip report soon.

heading up the trail


passing under I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass


One of the pretty waterfalls along the way


Yeah, the dog carries her own weight


Unfortunately, the lake was clouded in. But still gorgeous!

And the hair gets cut again

It's like I can't stop! Okay, no, I'm stopping now.

First,


And then,


And finally,

Okay, not any shorter, I promise.
(And yeah, I've put on weight, too. Leave me alone.)