Originally written on December 3, 2004

A brand new honda (not a crowded mini van, or a tuk tuk) picked us up early in the morning to take us to our thai cooking class in Phuket. The driver was a young woman, a first. Throughout southeast Asia we have had only male drivers. Our first stop the local market, where we were greeted by Noi (another young woman) who was going to show us what fresh produce to buy. She put English (and Thai) names to many of the fruits and vegetables we have seen throughout Asia in both the markets and in our food. She showed us how to choose the freshest of each item, and Kirk and I had to choose limes and 1 type of eggplant. There are three types of eggplants in Asia, purple ones (like back home), ones that look like decorative squash (small with white and green stripes- for Halloween), and really tiny ones on a stalk, the size and colour of peas. After the market we all hopped back into the car and to the cookery school. On the way Kirk and I learned that we would be the only two students that day.

We made 6 dishes in total, with the chef showing us first how to prepare each dish, and then Kirk and I individually preparing the dish again (from chopping to cooking). We both had our own cooking station. We made Pad Thai, spring rolls, chicken with cashews and chili, Tom Yam Goon (clear spicy/sour soup with prawns), green curry and sticky rice with mango. We each prepared our own dish, and there were no other students to eat… thus there was tonnes of food (6 dishes each) and just one stomach each. This is one time I wish I was a cow, because they have three stomachs!

The two young ladies drove us back to our guesthouse, and I napped along the way. Back in our home away from home we had a 3 hour nap, to help digest all of the food! And lazed around for the rest of the evening, reading, watching tv, and sleeping. Dinner was not on the agenda this evening.