My life in Thailand

It fills me up in the way other food cannot. Since childhood, I have had an intimate relationship with rice and was always taught to show appreciation and respect for rice or “Mae Phosop” (The goddess of rice and grain). My grandmother always remind me of the great effort involved in growing and harvesting rice and how much work farmers had put in to the rice I saw before me on the table. Each stalk of rice yielded had only 7grains.
I think we should try cooking rice using firewood and a clay pot. Some may think cooking like this is a waste of time, but for me when I saw my grandmother was doing it and she said it is an opportunity to practice awareness, concentration, wisdom, and patience. Challenges and difficulty are good element that can improve our life. We will unwittingly become a more balanced person and simplicity, and sufficiency will follow.
I believe the food that our mothers or partner cook for their families are the most delicious dishes in the world. It is a form of our mother’s or partner love, passion and happiness. I think the traditional custom of eating together, especially dinner, was an anchor for happiness in the family.

The crowing of the cock signals to people the beginning of the new day and everyone wakes up to breathe fresh air and soak in the golden daylight. The sound of the pestle crushing against a stone mortar and the sound of a vegetable knife chopping away are the familiar rhythms of the morning kitchen anthem. Once breakfast is prepared, the sound of the temple gong is heard and it announces that monks or Lord Buddha’s disciples are on their way carrying their alms bowls. They come to allow faithful people to make merit by giving food offerings as their ancestors have done and as they teach their children to do now. This tradition has existed in Thai society for a long time.
Cold winds blows away the morning sounds and brings coldness instead. No matter how much coldness comes, Thai people’s hearts can never be chilled. Instead they become warm when they giving food offerings to monks following valuable tradition and sustaining Buddhism.

I had arrived in thailand on 11th June 2007, (from London, England). Mrs Sudjai is the mother of my ex-girlfriend picked me up from the Bangkok airport, Swinnapoom. we then travel to Chon Buri by car.
when we arrived i have a plenty of rest for two days then this is where the real tough work begin.
the work that i was been doing while living with Mrs.Sudjai and her family was offer buying an old used stuff, for example: plastic, copper, metal, beer bottle/can, almost everything really.
the weather was really boiling hot, it was roughtly 40c. The only thing that keep me carry on working was waiting for my girlfriend to arrive and that i get to see her face and be with her again, and oh yeah Mrs.Sudjai's amazing food!! she was a really good cook.