Goodbye Thailand (Peter, Tuesday)

Our time in Thailand has come to an end. It has been a beautiful twelve days filled with new flavors, smells, and sights. The Thai people were truly wonderful; delighted to share their food and their culture. Being a culinary student in Thailand seemed to come with privileges. Everyone wanted to showcase their food and their culture to those who wanted to learn.

This experience has changed the way I think about food. The prevalent view in Thailand is that food is medicine of a sort. The herbs and aromatics used are considered remedies, and the healthy nature of their cuisine is a source of pride. The ability to cook is a very important part of the culture, and there is a distinct set of flavors that create a fairly unified culinary culture. I'm taking away recipes, techniques, and ideas that I will carry with me from here on.

Bangkok is a bustling city filled with signs of progress. Many new buildings were under construction, and the public transit system is expanding. The skytrain is excellent, as well as the three-year-old subway system, and airport link train that is in testing stage. The beautiful airport is also a recent project (pictured below) and is the pride of Bangkok.