Food... and a green worm

July 6, 2010

Everyday I wake up and I'm excited to eat.

Sitting down to eat is one of the only times during the day that I actually allow myself to relax. And since we've been traveling and don't have a kitchen to cook in, we get to eat out for every meal.

The food is relatively cheap here in Thailand, at least it can be VERY cheap if you're looking to spend the least amount of money possible. Meals can range between $2 to $16 each. A few times we've splurged and ate at a Japanese or Indian restaurant. Thai food is really good, but it's nice to add some variety to the staple  dishes that we've gotten used to. The little red and green chillies that you can sprinkle on top of any dish are soooo good. They are also very hot! I've figured out that the best way to eat them without burning your entire mouth and throat is to keep your mouth open while eating. Seems rude, but works. Our staple every morning is often muesli with fresh fruit and yogurt. Chris tends to get a mango shake with pretty much every meal (yes they are that good) and I like to try new drinks all the time, though I also have my favorites: Masala Chai, coconut shakes, lemon shakes, and iced green tea to name a few. We've made the decision to cut coffee out of our diet, though when we first got here, we enjoyed an iced coffee almost daily.

We are currently in Pai, which is a small hippie town in Northern Thailand that is surrounded by mountains. It kind of reminds me a bit of Tofino, just without the ocean. We've discovered this amazing healthy restaurant here called 'The Good Life'. They serve many different kinds of healing teas, wheatgrass juice, and even Kombucha, along with fruit and other good food. I used to brew my own Kombucha tea so I'm aware of some of the health benefits that it's famed to have. The Good Life is really cool and sitting there one night inspired me with ideas on how to live a healthier lifestyle.

There have been several power outages every day since we've been in Pai. It's something that you get used to after a while. We've been staying in a little cabin for 200 baht a night that is owned by a really sweet lady and her infant daughter. "Sawadee Kaaaa" they say to us every morning. The other night a big lizard entered our room and woke us up. It's feet moving quickly across the wall created quite a ruckus. Turns out it was eating the cockroaches that have also found a home in our bungalow. Yeah - go lizard!

There's something about Pai that feels different. Maybe it has to do with the type of people who are attracted to this place. We've met a few western expats living here who have had some really insightful and interesting things to say. There is a special energy here...

Chris was sick all day yesterday with a high fever and nausea. He was very weak and faint and so I was afraid that he would pass out. We were sitting in 'The Good Life' after spending half an hour in meditation. We had just ordered breakfast when I had to grab a garbage can for Chris to puke into. We didn't have a clue what could be the problem so I managed to find a way to get him to the hospital with the help of some local expats who were sitting a few tables down from us. A man named David gave us a ride on the back of his motorbike. Chris was sandwiched in between us in case he wouldn't be able to hold himself on the bike.

The people working in the hospital didn't speak a whole lot of english, but it was enough to get by. I explained Chris' symptoms and right away they sent him for bloodwork to be tested for malaria (maybe we should have taken anti-malarial pills for this trip?). We went back and forth between the doctor and the lab tyring to figure out what was wrong.

I don't like hospitals. They represent a place of pain and suffering, both physically and emotionally. I don't like the odd smell that hits when you walk in the front entrance, or the sights and sounds of people with many ailments. I often admire the nurses who work there because I imagine that their job must be one of the hardest jobs that exist.

I held the flashlight and steadied the beam of light as it shone into Chris' mouth. There was a man just behind him lying on a cot, moaning loudly with every breath he took. A nurse was mopping up the blood that covered his head as she shaved off the hair that surrounded a large gash. I looked away. The doctor inserted a long metal scissor-type aparatus with tweezers on the end into Chris' mouth. He gagged as the doctor latched onto what looked like a green worm attached to the back of his throat. He pulled it out and placed the specimen between two glass plates for analysis. Finally, after a few hours and through broken english, we figured out that Chris had gotten some kind of infection that can cause pneumonia.

The doctor prescribed 3 different medications, two of which are antibiotics. I remember Chris' mom saying something about him going crazy on a specific kind of antibiotic... hmmm what was the name of it again?

Needless to say, Chris didn't take any of the antibiotics, just the pills for fever and he seems to be back to normal today. Thank God.