Tu Kar

The sinful Pork Knuckle, aka Tu Kar. Seeing the Tu Kar will always remind me of that "someone".. And because of her mishap, subsequently each time when I was inside any hotels, I will pay extra attention to the steps. History shouldn't repeat, even though on the different person :P

I'm not a fan of Tu Kar but no harm eating it once in a blue moon... And that blue moon was one and half years ago, in Thailand.

*Photos taken when I was in Hatyai, Thailand @ May 2006*

Cabbages and Condoms

Why Cabbages and Condoms ?? What has Cabbages to do with Condoms? The first time I came across the name was from Bibik Nyonya's post, featuring the Cabbages and Condoms Potato Chips. Many have been wondering how the name arise including yours truly.

(Photo courtesy of Bibik Nyonya)

A week or two ago, I found out there is a makan place with the name Cabbages and Condoms Restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand. What a name !! It is to raise funds for Thailand's Population and Community Development Association (PDA) and to promote birth control and family planning, to boost HIV/AIDS awareness and other health related issues. How the name Cabbages and Condoms come about? It is to promote condoms usage - to made it as common as and accepted just like cabbages, as cabbages are common food and staple diet in Northeast Thailand.

"Our food is guaranteed NOT to cause pregnancy." Hahaha.. What a unique and eye-catching slogan.

Heavenly Breakie

I kinda miss the old days of having this for breakfast... dipping the yew char koay (油炸鬼) or yew tiao (油条) into the black hot coffee.. Heavenly (although I'm not a coffee person). Simple yet tasty.

I had this in Hatyai. The mini yew char koay (油炸鬼) /yew tiao (油条) & black coffee. This is the first time I see such a cute, fat yew char koay (like stunted growth, hahaha), cos all the while I only see the long version in Malaysia. Small sized things are always cute, don't you think so?

Hatyai, Thailand : Uninvited "Guests"

Should I name this post as Uninvited "Guests" or Encounter with the 3rd Kind or Paranormal Encounter ?

*This post is not for the fainted heart. Proceed at your own risk *

This happened during my recent trip to Hatyai. We were staying in one of the old hotel in Hatyai town area. On the second night of our stay, I woke up in the middle of the night when I heard my husband praying out aloud - rebuke the devils in the name of Jesus. I suspected he must have seen the spirits (This was not our first encounter). I closed my eyes and going back to sleep but then suddenly I felt something pulling me and then coming/lying on top of me. I want to move but I can't move my limbs. So I started praying out aloud. I can shout out but my voice was blurred and weak... I wanted to shout out aloud to alert my husband but since I failed, so I just continue praying quietly in my heart.. and the spirit left immediately.. (I know some people might relate this with "Sleep Paralysis"- (the sense of that one is unable to move or speak while falling asleep which is often accompanied by hypnagogic hallucinations) but I know this is not the case). I continued sleeping after that since it's late at night.

The next morning, when I woke up, my husband told me what he encountered the night before..Yesterday night, he heard someone tapping very loud on our window panes for quite sometime( from outside) after midnight. We were staying on the 6th floor in the hotel. He quickly said a prayer and the sound disappeared immediately. Within a short while, he then saw a figure (teenage girl) with long hair wearing blue T-shirt and black pants near the bathroom door standing still (facing behind us) looking at the luggages. We kept our bathroom light on (with dim light). He thought that was me initially but then when he turned his face toward me, he saw I was still sleeping on the bed. He can't see the figure clearly cos he was not wearing spectacles. He quickly say another prayer to rebuke the devils in Jesus' name and the spirit disappeared. This was the time when I woke up and heard him praying out aloud.

Then in a short while, he told me he saw me like "mumbling" at the bed (that was when I feel something was lying on top of me and I can't move - and I started to shout out aloud but my voice was blurred when I attempt to shout). He prayed as well at that moment, and the spirit left very fast.

When we put both our stories together, we get the whole picture.. Three uninvited guests that night. I do believe Hatyai is a very "dirty" town, and I'm not surprised there are so many spirits wandering around in town. We have no fear cos as Christians, we believe He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world. Yeah, the spirits are everywhere. And hospital is one of the "dirty" place, cos so many mortality occurs.... There are endless 'ghost' stories in hospitals, and I have heard countless ghost stories from my senior nurses when I was on call in the hospital.

Hatyai, Thailand : Fruits

This post is specially dedicated to all the fruit lovers out there. (I'm one of the fruit lovers).

Lychee is widely available in Hatyai. The price is something like 80 baht per kilo? (I can't remember)

I like the way they cut the watermelon - they really deskin the water melon till so "smooth" ;)

Special way of cutting mango. Don't you think the way they cut the mango make the mangoes looks like flowers blooming ?

Gigantic Custard Apple (aka buah nona). The one below is the normal sized custard apple - the one we used to eat. I had one custard apple tree behind my house previously when I was still in primary school time. I guess the last time I eat custard apple was something like 2 decades ago?

Another picture of the gigantic Custard Apple. Too bad I didn't buy any.. Now I sort of regret...

Coconuts. Cool, refreshing drink in hot weather...

What else? Thai Durians or better known as Liu Lian for Malaysians. No more liu, please :D

Hatyai, Thailand : Durian (榴槤)

We can't get this all year long.. (what else?? Durian or 榴槤 or better known as liulian by our dear fellow Malaysians :P )

But, at least, when the fruit is not available, we can get this - the Vaccum Freeze-Dried Durian.... Bought this in Hatyai, Thailand out of curiosity, cos I have read several reviews about this product and never tasted it before. So, I wonder how the Freeze-Dried Durian tasted like :) Of course.. the fresh durian is still the best ;) But if the fresh one is not available, this one can do the job as well - can eat this crispy dried durian as snack or dessert ;)


or this... The Durian Cake (榴槤糕) at 25 baht. This one is widely available in Malaysia too. The Thai version is not as sweet as the local ones.

I bought all the above products from Hatyai, Thailand. There are durian sweets as well, but I didn't buy that. And talking about durian liulian reminds me of .......... tempoyak :)

Hatyai, Thailand : Tuk-Tuk

Tuk-tuk is a modified pick-up truck in Hatyai, Thailand. Tuk-tuk in Hatyai is different from the one available in Bangkok. The one in Bangkok is different from the one in Hatyai - the motorised rickshaw or cabin cycle with 3 wheels.

This Tuk-tuk has water proof removable sides for rainy days.

Tuk-tuk provides convenient way of getting around in Hatyai. Tuk-tuks are widely available in Hatyai, and they were found everywhere. Tuk-tuks is a cheap public transport for short distance around the city, each trip costs 15 baht (prevously the price was 10 baht per ride).

These mode of transportation are an essential part of Thai lifestyle - one can go anywhere with the tuk-tuk - to the market, to the shopping complex, to the city centre and to whatever places in town...

Picture of another Tuk-tuk taken from inside the Tuk-tuk.

Hatyai, Thailand : Deep fried food stuffs

Deep fried whole bird. Feel a bit kesian to eat the bird (since so cute), but since I bought it already, don't care so much loh... If I don't eat, it will end up in the dustbin also.. Better to store inside my tummy than in the dustbin ;)

Shrimp. Nothing special. The only special thing is the long claws and the size.. (*updated - now I remember, Thanks to Slurps. Yeah, something special about this shrimp is the "big head"... and there's lotsa roes inside the big head...)

I bought the deep fried whole birds from this particular stall (20 baht per bird). Bought 2 birds and one huge shrimp ( 60 baht per shrimp). There are several stalls selling similar fried foodstuff (whole bird, shrimp, crab, liver, chicken wing, drumstick, sausages etc) in Hatyai, Thailand.

Crabs, Shrimps, Drumstick/Chicken Thigh..

Whole birds, chicken, chicken wings, liver etc..

Hatyai, Thailand : Bee Hoon / Rice Vermicelli

This was what I had for breakfast on the day of arrival in Hatyai, Thailand. A delicious bowl of Bee Hoon/Rice Vermicelli Soup. The chicken meat is very tender and the bean sprout is crunchy. Well done :) I like hot & spicy dishes. That's why I poured in so much chilli powder to my bowl of bee hoon ;)


These are the DIY (Do-it-yourself) ingredients which are available on each table, which consist of :
*chilli powder - hot & spicy taste,
*vinegar with chilli paste - sour taste,
*sugar - sweet taste,
*soy sauce with chilli/salt - salty taste.
Another important ingredient, the aromatic fish sauce (not inside the photo) is available as well. One can add in these ingredients to their food according to their taste :)

I had Tomyam Bee Hoon/Rice Vermicelli the next morning as breakfast. See what I did to my Tomyam Bee Hoon ?

Hahaha.. Colourful, right? I love my food hot & spicy, that's why ;) Slurp..

Hatyai, Thailand : Dog & Scooter

Guess what I see when I visited the Sunday Morning Market in Hatyai, Thailand ?

Isn't this cute? The little doggy is so obedient. He/she just stay or sit still quietly :)

Hatyai, Thailand : Mango Sticky Rice & Durian Sticky Rice

I guess Malaysians are familiar with these all time favourite Thai desserts - Thai Sweet Sticky Rice with Ripe Mango (Khao Neow Mamuang) and Thai Sweet Sticky Rice with Durian (Khao Niew Thurian) . We can get these on & off during the Thai Food Fair Promotions in Malaysia.

Thai Sweet Sticky Rice with Ripe Mango (Khao Neow Mamuang)

Generous servings of firm texture sweet sticky rice paired with slices of fresh ripe mango. Here, they give the whole mango per servings (unlike in Malaysia, only give few slices of mangoare served). Affordable price at 40 baht.

This is taken after pouring the sweetened coconut cream as topping. Mmmmm... Don't you think the white coconut milk looks like "something"? Well, forget about it. The servings are delish :)

Thai Sweet Sticky Rice with Durian (Khao Niew Thurian)

Thai Sweet Sticky Rice with Durian (Khao Niew Thurian). Another irresistible taste experience. I haven't pour in the coconut cream topping when I took the photo. Same price as the Mango Sticky Rice. Sorry, Cynthia (and all those Malaysians studying or working abroad as well)... I know you (all) miss durian ;)

Back from Hatyai, Thailand

Just came back from Hatyai, Thailand. I went there for a short vacation; 3 days & 2 nights tour ... this is mainly a makan trip --> to enjoy the delicious & yummy food in Southern Thailand.

Hahaha, don't worry.. I didn't eat fast food or McD in Thailand ;) Too many nice food to eat in Thailand, so I won't touch the fast food :P The main reason why I took this picture is I found the Ronald MacDonald statue very cute. Don't you think so? I guess you could spot the difference :)

The Ronald MacDonald statue in Thailand has different gesture compared to the one we normally see in Malaysia or elsewhere worldwide ;) Those who are familiar with the Thai culture or visited Thailand before will know what the gesture means :)

Sawadeeka :)