Khao Mok Gai

It seems to be somewhat of a trend for mommies to post weekly meal plans, recipies and the like on their blogs. And, since my blog has been suffering of late, I thought I'd get on the bandwagon and start posting about some of our favorite meals here in the Vernon household. (Although, honestly, don't expect meal plans... that level of planning is way beyond my wildest dreams at this point!)

Since there are so many inexpensive by-the-road style restaurants here in Thailand, we almost always eat lunch out. (Actually, let me clarify, when we're in the city we almost always eat lunch out. However, when we're in the village, we rarely eat out.) Anyway... where was I? Oh yes, inexpensive restaurants! A standard lunch in Thailand will cost you about 25 baht or 70 cents. The lunch pictured here, is actually a bit more expensive and runs 35 baht or 97cents. But it is so delicious that we don't mind "splurging"!

We eat Khao Mok Gai about once a week. It is an halal dish in which the rice and the chicken are all cooked together with many spices like coriander, cinnamon, tumeric and cumin. These spices combined with the fat from the chicken make the rice so rich and tasty. The main dish of rice and chicken is usually accompanied by a cucumber, onion and chili pepper salad with a sweet vinegar sauce. Also, a broth soup is usually included. Mmmmm so good! I'm so lucky to live in Thailand and eat this great food!

Tags:

• food
• Thailand

Christmas 2008

It has been FOREVER since I posted here... and so out of fear of letting this blog die, I'm finally getting a new post up! I'm really loving the Christmas season this year and so I thought this questionnaire would be a fun easy way to share my thoughts!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Wrapping paper, for sure! Actually, here in Thailand it's really hard to find Christmas themed paper and I'm a bit of a Christmas Nazi, so when ever I see a bin of wrapping paper for sale you'll find me pawing through it trying to find anything remotely Christmas-y.

2. Real tree or Artificial?
I'm from Oregon... so in my opinion real trees are the best! (Again that's part of my Christmas Nazi tendencies!) You just can't beat the smell of a Christmas tree in the living room! Every single Christmas until we came to Thailand I had a real tree. Of course, here in Thailand we have an artificial, but I don't really mind it too much. I'm just happy to have a tree at all!

3. When do you put up the tree?
As soon as humanly possible following Thanksgiving day.

4. When do you take the tree down?
Sometime in January. Whenever I get around to it.

5. Do you like eggnog?
Yes, but not strait; mixed half and half with milk is best!

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
I can't say for sure... but *one* of my favorites was a Playdoh Diner set. It had all sorts of gadgets to make hamburgers and icecream cones and the like.

7. Hardest person to buy for?
Hmmm...no one comes to mind. I guess it would be ME! Paul is always asking for a Christmas wish list and I can never think of anything I want!

8. Easiest person to buy for?
Esther.

9. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes, somewhere in storage in the U.S. Unfortunately it's not here in Thailand. One of these days we'll bring it out.


10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Neither. I don't send out snail mail cards because I'm too lazy and I don't send out email cards because it's too impersonal. Go figure!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Can't think of one... generally, if it's wrapped, I like it. :)

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
No question about it... White Christmas with Bing Crosby! I've already watched it at least seven times this season already.

13. When do you start shopping?
Whenever I think about it. Usually sometime in late November.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I'm sure I have...although I can't think of a particular instance at the moment. Apparently I'm a bit brain dead today; I can't seem to think of good answers for quite a few of these questions. (This is why it's been so long since I've written a blog here... I'm really this brain dead all the time! It's called being a mother!)

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Appetizers. I can do with out the the formal dinner and the Christmas ham. For me, Christmas is all about the finger foods... black olives, pickles, crackers and cheese, summer sausage, etc. And don't forget the sweets... cookies, fudge, candy... you eat those with your hands so they count as finger foods too!

16. Lights on the tree?
Again, this is an area where the Christmas Nazi in me comes out. I am very picky about my tree lights. They have to be interwoven into the branches so that you can't see the wires, not just haphazardly strung. Also, there should be A LOT... this year I used 9 strands of lights on our tree.

17. Favorite Christmas song?
"Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel" Or "The Hallelujah Chorus" (which could also be considered an Easter song, but my home church always sang it on Christmas eve.)

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Either is fine.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's?
Let's see..."You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen. Someone and Someone and Donner and Dixen. But do you recall..." Guess not!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
I prefer star. In theory I'm ok with either, but more often than not I think the angels are gaudy and the stars look much nicer.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Growing up, our family opened all the presents on Christmas eve (except for the stockings and a present or two from "Santa" which we opened Christmas morning.) I never thought I'd change, but somehow Christmas morning has become our new tradition!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
Trying to make an American Christmas in Thailand. It's hard to make everything "just right" here. We can't even buy proper candy canes! Also, I tried to make some candies that were dipped in chocolate, but the Thai chocolate won't melt properly and is all lumpy! :(

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?
No favorites really. My current tree is Silver, White & Blue themed, but those colors were only chosen because I didn't like the yellow, green & red ornaments.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?

If I'm choosing between a Turkey or a Ham dinner, I prefer Turkey. Although,like I said earlier, I don't feel too deprived without Christmas dinner (afterall Thanksgiving was just a month ago!)

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
Maybe a new watch? I dunno! Sorry Honey...wish I were more help!

Tags:

• Christmas
• holidays
• personal
• Just~for~fun

Feeling a little crummy

I've been feeling weird all week! Not really sick enough to call myself sick... you know, just kinda head-achy, stomach-achy and all around tired! In fact, I was feeling so odd and "not myeslf" that I actually went out and bought a pregnancy test today! (...which, thankfully, came back negative... we'd like more kids, just not quite this soon!) I think being this way is almost worse than really being sick... it's such a funny no man's land.

On one hand, I feel sick enough to take a nap with Abi during the day. On the other hand, I feel well enough that after lying there for 30 minutes, I feel guilty about not getting things done. On the other hand (yes, in this scenario, I'm a three handed person), when I get up to work on something, I'm just brain dead enough that I can't get anything done! It is a bit frustrating to say the least!

Anyway, I just thought I'd vent a little and if anyone has a sure fire way to beat the "crummies," I'm all ears!

Tags:

• personal
• health

Mister, You Made My Day

"Wawawow-wee! Che bella!" My American girlfriend and I were walking through the market in Mae Sai yesterday when an older farang gentleman walking towards us on the crowded path began passionately exclaiming to us in a language we didn't understand (that is to say, it wasn't English, Thai or Akha). It wasn't until after we had passed him that I realized he was speaking Italian and I did, in fact, understand what he was saying! Excitedly, I said to my friend, "That guy thought we were pretty!"

Motherhood can sure do a number on your self image. It's not that I feel ugly, it's just that I don't really feel pretty! Most of the time I couldn't tell you the last time I had proper shower. My clothes almost always have some baby related stain and now that Abi has entered an extremely "grabby" stage, it seems that every time I see myself in the mirror, my hair is no longer in a tidy and smooth pony tail, but a frazzled mess! I'm really not complaining, I'm just stating the facts: A mom's life is not glamorous!

So, Thanks Mister Italian-guy for thinking I'm pretty; it made my day!

Tags:

• just~for~fun
• personal

Geek Envy

I just ran across this page at Hotelchatter.com listing the Top Five Geek Hotels in the World. While I can totally respect the LOTR and StarWars hotel inclusions, I have to say that the Hotel @ MIT has to take the cake. Yes, I assert that it is even geekier than the number one ranked istudio at the Tribecca Grand, because, as we all know, the kings of all geeks are the engineers. I mean, the MIT blankets have equations on them and there are chemistry cartoons in the bathrooms; seriously, that is hard-core geeky.

Let me clarify, lest you misunderstand me. In the past, the term "geeky" may have been understood as an insult, but in recent years, geeks of the world have become decidedly cool. I became acquainted with the utter coolness of geeks during my college years when I spent most of my free-time with engineers from the Colorado School of Mines Campus Crusade for Christ group. It was then that I began my personal journey towards geekiness and developed the geek-envy that still plagues me to this day.

Back in those Crusade days, my geeky friend, Andy Engdahl, used to wear a t-shirt that had a message on the front written in binary code. My gullible and curious nature always got the best of me, forcing me to ask him what it said, only to be reminded that it said "You are stupid." A classic geek joke! I mention it because that shirt, like the Hotel @ MIT, remind me that there are some things in this world that I will never fully appreciate because I am just not geeky enough (read smart enough!) However, I take solace in the fact that at least I can recognize something that should be appreciated (even if I myself can not!)

Finally, on a completely different note, a blog entitled "Geek Envy" simply cannot conclude without mentioning my good friend Molly Stanberry.

In the past year, Molly's geek levels have far surpassed mine, making her my newest object of envy! Not only is she a female gamer (a title earning much reverence in the geek community), but she has a super-cool vidcast and is quickly becoming a sought after expert in the WoW community. Molly, I watch your vidcasts and am in awe of your nifty WoW lingo and video editing skills, but I fear that you have joined the ranks of things which I cannot fully appreciate because I'm just not geeky enough!

Tags:

• tech
• science
• personal

Sola Scriptura

Why is it so easy to forget the importance of scripture in my life? Someone once told me that our appetite for the Word of God functions differently from our appetite for food; if we stop eating food our natural hunger grows stronger with each passing day, but if we abstain from partaking of the Word our hunger lessens until we forget that it's even there. The opposite is also true, however; when we feast on God's word, we begin to hunger and thirst for more and more of Him.

Yesterday, I ran across this conversation and got a taste of scripture so potent and flavorful that it left me yearning for more.

it's far too easy to feel alone



mord says:
We humans are alone really, just stuck inside our brains.

Christina Lutze (photographer) says:
Psalm 139
"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in-behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me...Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me."

We are not alone even when we think we are. :)

mord says:
I yell with agony as I see the sun rise,
A new dawn begins, as painful mind sighs,
Another day to face, of meaningless time,
Is there no peak to this mountain I climb?
The hills of dispair, the skyline of pain,
I keep a steady pace, but no hope to maintain,
This walk that I'm taking seems to be lost,
I hoped to find answers, but my path has been crossed,
Met by the demon we all know as fate,
He blocks the one route to finding the gate,
The door I want opened to discover a life,
An answer to freedom, without living the strife,
No beginnings to suffer, of things I want dead,
Never, once more will it have to be said,
That life is a struggle, with my syndrome alone,
That alive is unwanted, and death be the home.

Christina Lutze (photographer) says:
Lamentations 3
"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.' The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quielty for the salvation of the Lord. Let him sit alone in silence, for the Lord has laid it on him. Let him bury his face in the dust- there may yet be hope. For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most high that both calamities and good things come? Why should any living man complain when punished for his sins? Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord...I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit. You came near when I called you, and you said, 'Do not fear.' O Lord, you took up my case; you redeemed my life."

Hope lies with Jesus. :)

mord says:
Excellent response but Jesus was invented to make Christianity more acceptable, copied from Mithra, therefore hope lies with a fictional character ? ;-)

Christina Lutze (photographer) says:
Hope could never lie with a fictional character, and you are right...if Jesus is not real than hoping in Him is really no hope at all. "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men" (1 Corinthians 15:19). But I believe that Jesus is who He claimed to be. Each person has to decide for themselves who they think Jesus is...pretend, a practical teacher, a wise prophet, a liar, a crazy person, God, Saviour...whatever you decide is your choice. I won't pretend I can prove to you with facts and historical evidence whether Jesus was or wasn't copied from Mithra. I can only speak for myself and say that I am confident in my faith in Jesus, and that my hope in Him is something I am sure of.

mord says:
Again excellent views, a solid belief in your faith is something to be admired, commended and encouraged.

I have to admit I feel envy ( a sin in itself ) in your faith in Christ, something I've never had, and feel I never will have.

Nice to have some intelligent disussion on Flickr, have great life. See ya, Mord ( always alone )

Christina Lutze (photographer) says:
thank you for your honesty. i've enjoyed discussing with you also. i want to say that my faith is not something i can pat myself on the back for. credit must be given to God because even faith is from God. He will give us faith if we ask Him for it. also, i don't think doubt is always negative because doubt leaves you searching for answers, and when you find them you are better off than before. if you have a desire to know Jesus then don't give up. Can i encourage you to..."Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon" (Isaiah 55:6-7). "If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever" (1 Chronicles 28:9). That verse comes across very harsh, but i think it conveys the impact of your choice on who Jesus is. I sincerely wish you the best.

I'm ashamed to say that if I were placed in Christina's shoes I doubt I would have turned so readily to scripture as she did. I probably would have relied on human wisdom and philosophy in my attempt to communicate these heavenly truths ... and I would have failed miserably!

Today, I've been reminded of the all-encompassing power, adaptability and beauty of scripture, and I'm humbled to think that I needed reminding at all! Thanks, Christina, for the wake up call!

Tags:

• devotional
• personal

A Souvenir of Extravagance...

An amazing thing happened to me while we were in Bangkok last week. It all started on the final night of the conference at the banquet dubbed "Cultural Night". Everyone wore the traditional dress of their country; and with over 600 people representing countries from all over Asia it was certainly an amazing sight. We saw Japanese Kimonos, Korean Hanboks and jewel-toned saris, to name a few. Adding to the festive atmosphere of the evening, many of the delegates were generously passing out small trinkets and souvenirs to anyone and everyone, proudly representing their countries!

Towards the end of the evening, we met a couple from Sri Lanka named Dinesh and Dinu who struck up a conversation with us asking about the Akha clothes we were wearing. Dinu was wearing a beautiful bright pink sari and I told her that I had been admiring it all evening (which I had.) We probably talked for less than 5 minutes before the evening ended and we all headed up to bed.

The next morning, Paul and I were sitting waiting for the session to begin when Dinu came and sat down next to me. She said, "I have a gift I want to give you, but it's up in my room. At break I'll go up and get it for you." After the session, she found me and asked if I could go to the room with her so that we wouldn't lose each other in the crowd.

When we got to there, Dinu pulled out the beautiful sari she had been wearing the previous night. This was the gift she wanted to give me! I was awe struck! With tears streaming down my face I told her how I had said to Paul, "If you ever want to buy me a new dress, I want one just like hers!" When I had composed myself, she explained that after the banquet she felt the Lord prompting her to give this sari to me. She didn't know my name or our room number, so she said, "Ok Lord, if I see her again tomorrow, I'll give it to her."

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the flowers of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the unbelievers run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

-From Jesus' Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 6:28-33

In the past, whenever I heard those verses I always tended to focus on one word: need. I've heard enough sermons on this passage in my life to remember the lesson that God provides for all our needs, but I've always been left with the vague impression that His provision applies only once we've hit a certain level of destitution. Even then, that provision is only what we "need" and nothing more. But as I read this passage today, all I can think about is God's amazing extravagance. By no meaning of the word did I "need" that sari, but the Lord poured out his extravagant love for me and fulfilled the desires of my heart. Today, I feel like a lily of the field adorned in God's finest!

Tags:

• devotional
• personal
• asia