Countdown to tuk tuks, miang, and... protests?!?

So, I just realized this morning that... yet again, in a month, I shall be in a foreign country.

This realization came to me when I was walking one of my best friends (from LA) to the BART station, this morning. This past weekend, she had been wonderful enough to visit me up in the Bay area for my 21st birthday - which was great! Hitting up an Irish pub for my first 'legal exposure' to those 'drinks o' sin,' haha... Lots of walking around SF, eating tons of Mediterranean food, trying out different wines, and in general... enjoying the weather spending time with my closest friends.

Anyhow.

Although my friend has traveled several times before, she has always done it in groups, family, etc... so while I was fixing chocolate-chip-pancakes this morning for the two of us, the usual bottom-less tummy of my friend couldn't even finish one pancake, for feeling a little anxiety about riding on the BART and taking a shuttle by herself to the airport. Even though I assured her that it took only 10 minutes or less to even walk to the station, and only about 30 min. to BART to the shuttle, 12 min. for the shuttle to the airport.... she was still unsure, trusting her iPhone that said that it'd take 17 minutes to walk to the BART... and about 45 minutes on the BART... etc. etc.

She got there about 1 and a half hours early for her flight....

So, of course, I chuckled to myself, thinking - yeah, I told you so!

But, you know what? Those sorts of things, you really do just have to experience for yourself, and while I was amused a bit by my friend's anxieties.... in the end, I was really proud of her for doing something on her own. It took her a bit of a push, but, she still did it. Sometimes those pushes come unwillingly or forcibly, but.... in the end, you gain some insight from it, and in turn, become somewhat of a more independent and mature person. Branch out of the comfort zone, and.. who knows? You'll either adapt or stay strong to your own identity.

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In any case. I realize that a lot of times, I do like to just try new things, push myself to (a moderate?? haha) limit, and just... see how I survive. Perhaps I'm just acting like my one guinea pig?? haha.

Anyhow. Thailand's just one of those little pushes I'm giving to myself, I guess, and I can't wait to live it.

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So, about two months ago or so, my sister sent me this article that just, literally, made me drool.

You see, I'm the type of person who plans trips according to meals. This past weekend, for example, I was giving my friend a tour of SF, but! Before starting off our journey, asked the oh-so-dire question of: what would you like to eat for dinner?

Here was plan A: start off at Embarcadero, walk along the pier, perhaps eat some seafood for a snack, go to Ghirardelli Square, Lombard St., then end up in either N.Beach or Chinatown or Union Square for dinner.

Here was plan B: start off in Union Square to do more window shopping, walk up Chinatown and N. Beach... Lombard St, Ghirardelli... then end up in Fisherman's Wharf to have clamchowder bread bowls for dinner.

In the end, we chose plan A - but, you see what I mean? FOOD is important to me.

A friend mentioned to me once that she sometimes forgets to eat.

------> WHAT?!??????

I was appalled, to say the least.

Anyhow. back to my brilliant sister who sent me this article about a particular type of Thai street food, 'Miang' : http://eatingasia.typepad.com/eatingasia/2010/03/miang-can.html

Let's just list some common ingredients:

Peanuts, lime, chili sauce, wild pepper leaves, ginger, pickled cabbage, fried pork skin, cilantro, rice vermicelli, eggplant, mint..

ummmm...... yeah. I'm stoked.