Follow the Gleam: Food glorious food

Showing posts with label Food glorious food. Show all posts

Sunday, 20 January 2013

A very boring week. Because I write about those now too. Apparently.

Because it is school holidays, the children had their annual visit with their grandparents and Bingley and I sat on the couch and wondered at the silence. For a very short period of time anyway before trying to fill it. I still had to work all week, and weekend, but we managed to do some other things too.

The first night we went and saw The Hobbit and drank slushies that gave me headspin and ate popcorn until I couldn't feel my lips. It was good and I enjoyed the Hobbit very much. I am thinking of taking the Elfling for an encore as I think she'd like it but it may be yet just a little scary. We'll see. Plus the idea of a night out with just her is appealing.

After the movie we walked around Southbank for a while and sat down at a Spanish bar to eat tapas. Fun ambience and a jug of tasty Sangria mixed with the sultry night as we people watched and the bougainvilea bower swayed listlessly in what was left of the breeze. After dinner, having eaten too much, we wandered through the park to the beach where hundreds of others were still swimming and I peeled off my shoes and pulled up my jeans and waded in tipsily, wanting nothing more than to dive right in. The only thing that stopped me was that my underwear was sheer, otherwise I would have jumped. Bingley was much more sensible than I though and promised we would come back the next night.

So Monday, after work, when I was overtired and overworked and underpaid, I got changed into my riding gear, we snapped our new $10 LED torches to our bikes and we rode all the way to the city, across the Goodwill Bridge and back down into Southbank to the pools. Unlike every other day of this new year, it was actually blowing quite a bit, with the wind racing along the river and losing all of her heat. Remembering the strong pull of desire from the previous night however I forced myself to strip off my slightly sweaty clothes down to my bikini and jump into the water that was actually blissfully warm. Lapping at shoulders as we bobbed around watching the city lights and listening to the sounds of everyone else splashing. The wind as it blew across the surface raising gooseflesh and causing me to shiver so much that it was not quite as long as expected before we were back on our bikes and riding home in the night.

Bingley and I have never ridden our bikes together in Brisbane before and it was a revelation. Wide, well maintained bike paths that snaked under and over bridges that seem so much bigger when you're whooshing past on your own steam. On arriving home my knees and shoulders hurt, but the grin of self satisfaction and spontaneity and doing something fun and active was elixir enough to fall peacefully to sleep not long after.

Wednesday night I stopped at Ikea on the way home and bought a new bookshelf. It was very big and heavy and getting it into the car I used all of my grade 10 Physics to actually lever it in without breaking something. We then had the fun of sitting on the floor and putting it together, which is probably the real reason we own so much Ikea furniture - it's just a really big lego set.

Thursday we went out for dinner at a Lebanese restaurant. It was ok.

Friday we had a big fight. I cried. We made up. I slept badly.

Saturday we woke up and the sun was shining and my room was full of light. I was snuggled up in my blankets as the airconditioning rumbled through the vents. After finally climbing out of bed and into the shower, we made our way to GoMA to the new APT exhibit.

Side note - I am lucky that I was brought up in a family that appreciated art and took the time to take children to museums and galleries and to explain it as well. Some art doesn't need explaining. Some art is just pretty and nice to look at, but art that speaks to you other than just being pretty - learning to appreciate that is a true gift.

Anyway, the Asia/Pacific triennial art exhibit at the Queensland Art Gallery is one of my favourite things to experience. The last exhibit in 2010 was spectacular and there were pieces there that made my heart hurt. Some that made my eyes sting and some that pulled my stomach out of my chest .I loved it. Loved experiencing it. Loved visiting it on my own. Loved taking others with me to experience it. The stag of globes still rates as one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. So of course my expectations were high, and I take disappointment badly.

I was not disappointed.

From the first moment of walking in, I knew I would not be disappointed. Some things of course I just glanced over politely, missing, or not caring about their meaning. Others had me spellbound, sitting and watching, sometimes nose right up to the glass or the paint or the wood, just to see every last tiny detail. To try and work out how as well as what and why.

Here are some of my favourites, and reasons why you should go too.

I liked these. I empathise.

This is techinically spectacular and utterly unnerving. So incredibly beautiful and so ugly at the same time. My phone has done nothing to capture the beauty of the colours or the technique.

String theory. I followed each line to its completion. I loved the wobbles. String theory needs wobbles.

The yellow room

Black and white. Texture and light. I was wearing a red dress and the reflected light from me gave the painting colour. I was profoundly moved by it.

Terrible picture of a stunning series by Michael Cook. Amazing.

This is a photograph taken of the sky in a mirror. The mirror is made from polished meteorite. When I realised what I was looking at my heart jumped a little. So spectacularly beautiful and so simple - seeing the sky from the sky.

Large installation piece of cities that raise to they sky. Worth looking at close up to see all the little details.

I usually am not much interested in the short cinema offerings at these exhibitions and wander out after a polite few minutes of trying to look interested. This one was not like that. 9 minutes that sucked the breath from my chest. I know it won't affect everyone like that, but it's worth sitting down for just to appreciate the cinematography.

Whimsical Japanese print. Ethereal.

Farsi. I love that the room bent the more I looked at it to become a 3 dimensional thing.

I am not sure why this moved me so much. It's massive and it is beautiful. Part of a larger series by an Indigenous artist. One of the bags reminded me of the Giants in the BFG. They seemed perfect for snatching up little children.

One of those spectacularly beautiful wow creations that you don't need to be a critic to enjoy. I wanted to visit there in the clouds this temple. Live there. Home of the air nomads.

Parade of the tiny glass animals. Intricate, refractory and flowing like water.

Menacing shapes in the art gallery over the water. I loved the reflections and the menace and the beauty all mixed in together.

Saturday, 7 January 2012

Mae Khlong, Markets and Mojitos

We woke up after our first night in Bangkok bright and early in anticipation of the cycling tour we had booked for that day. Initially we were to be riding around the ancient kingdom of Ayutthaya to see the ruins and temples of the region, but with the floods the area was underwater and offlimits. The tour company however offered us the alternative of a 40km bike ride through the southern farming communities and a visit to the floating market so we snapped that up instead.

Ever since the very first time my parents took me to a hotel I have adored the concept of a buffet breakfast. It delights all those little girl experiences for me, even if I am a lot more measured in how I use them these days. My breakfast of fresh fruits and yoghurt was quite spectacular though! We then waited in the lobby for the Spice Roads tour group to pick us up. They were right on time and we were soon in our van headed South through the Bangkok morning traffic.

After about an hour we had a stop at one of the tourist traps that usually make my heart sink as you are plied with various souvenir crap that costs ten times as much as at the markets while the hard sell is put on you. But this place also doubled as an orchid farm so Bingley and I wondered in amongst the flowers and used the bathroom as suggested ignoring the vast numbers of souvenirs that would have given Australian Customs an apoplexy as various busloads of tourists pulled up. We were very grateful after 10 minutes to be collected from the clutches of a woman who was trying to give us souvenir plates with our faces printed on them while screeching out the price.

Another half hour or so south, after driving through various salt farms, we arrived at the Damnoen Saduak floating market, which is the largest in Thailand, and as such a prime tourist destination. Again though, with the floods the numbers were well down and the market had a depressed aura over it - so different from the usual bustling. We were not harrassed at all as we walked through the same three dresses hung on various stalls and the same elephant carvings, but in amongst it all there were some interesting things - we bought mangosteens and rambutans to eat while looking at various fruits and spices, and amazing balance as little old women cooked from their long tail boats.

Many of the sellers looked bored in the heat of the morning, as if aware that we were not there to shop. Even this snake handler only chased us half heartedly to get our photo taken with his giant friend (we declined).

After traipsing through the markets for a while, and having bought all that we wanted (which was not much), we headed to a brightly coloured long tail boat for a ride through the canals on which a whole town had been built. It was strange and beautiful, amazing to look at and see. Such a simple but terrifying life as I saw toddlers playing on the steps of their houses at the water's edge. The cool air whipped off the water at us as we powered through and we just soaked it all in, tempted to drag my hand through the water until I saw snakes swimming along its surface. Then I kept them firmly in my lap.

Out for a paddle.

Eventually we hit the open water and our boat sped up as it crested the massive river. We were in the middle of the swollen Mae Khlong as it wended its way past temples and towns, under bridges and beside farm land. The river was fast flowing and filled with debris from the monsoons and it felt more than a little precarious to be in the middle of it at such speeds. But this, from what is seared on my memory best, is Thailand.

We eventually stopped some 30 odd kilometres North of the market at a temple called Wat Amphawan Chetiyaram. It was jarring to see gilded lamp posts and lined avenues, not unlike those of Paris in amongst the peasant life we had just sailed through. The carved temple here was simply amazing, though none of my photographs do it justice. It was so ornate, so intricate, and completely empty. Just us and our guide explaining the carvings and the scenes on the roof and shutters and walls.

Love affair with lamp posts continues

After we had our fill of the temple we were shown our companions for the rest of the day - our mountain bikes and helmets which had been furnished by the tour company. They were good strong sturdy bikes in excellent working order, but they had male seats. Male seats hurt your bum, and mine well and truly paid for it by the end of the day.

Bingley and Bike

Our first stop on our trip was the awesome Wat Bang Kung which was built during the Ayutthaya period, but would be in ruins if it were not for the giant banyan tree that took residence on its roof. This tree, through its strangulating roots has provided the support for the walls such that the temple is still standing. Even now new roots are reaching down all the time which are carefully trained by the monks so that they don't blot out the windows and doorways.

Gold leaf buddha inside the temple

After a short break at a local Catholic Convent to eat icy cold fruit and drink some more water, we headed away from the river and inland among the plantations. This was a fairly solid 15km or so of riding over mostly sealed roads so no photos as I was unable to manage steering and my giant camera at the same time. It was steamy and hot but the ride was mostly under the shade of coconut palms and pomelo trees so it was a really pleasant ride (aside from my poor bruised backside which was beginning to complain). We put up such a healthy pace that our guide took us for a few little detours, although we still arrived at our lunch spot early.

It was a little restaurant, built out over the banks of the Mae Khlong and no sooner had we pulled in and clambered off our bikes when it started to pour down with rain. We sat in our chairs by the side of the river and watched the water pour down as teh fragrance from the kitchens washed over us. Our guide asked us if there were any restrictions on food, and we said we wanted authentic thai food as long as it had no prawns/crabs for Bingley. And what followed was some of the best stuff we had in Thailand. Frangrant, sweet, sour, salty and so very very good. We ate until we could barely move, then relaxed as the rain cleared and we could watch the world go by.

Mae Khlong

Restaurant over the water

After lunch I surrendered my camera and we began riding the 20 odd kilometres back to the floating market. It was a lot harder than the morning ride, probably because the rain was lifting straight up off the ground so that the air misted in front of our eyes. The bike seat was also starting to cause me serious grief such that I tried riding for quite a while without sitting, which meant my quads were getting a tremendous workout in the heat. But it was still enjoyable and hte scenery was beautiful.

Being as it was only Bingley and I and we're relatively fit, we arrived back at the markets about an hour earlier than usual for the tour and were given the option of wandering around some more if we liked but after a good 2+ hours riding in the sun and humidity we were both buggered and looking forward to getting home and jumping in the pool as we downed as much water as we could to avoid dehydration. Pink cheeked, hair a mess, I wish I had asked them to take a photo of the two of us and our bikes, as it had been an excellent tour and one I'd recommend anyone that feels like doing something a bit more active and seeing a new perspective.

The trip home took a long time, over 2 hours so we were grateful we'd left a bit earlier. Many of the roads and overpasses were filled with people who had parked on higher ground to avoid the floods, thus blocking all major highways. We just settled back and dozed in the hot afternoon and gave thanks for airconditioning, cold water and iron clad bladders.

Jumping in the pool when we got back to the hotel was icy pleasure. I did laps for a little while as Bingley laid out on his cabana and we thought about how good life was. Determined today to get the best seats for sunset, we dolled up and headed upstairs right on 5 o'clock and ordered whatever fancy cocktails took our fancy.

Mojito in a drunk glass

Vertigo Sunset - sublime

We settled in on the purple couches that overlook the city and the sunset and began chowing through the free canapes as we decided on drinks. They were tasty, sweet and fresh and as we leaned back and watched the sun disappear in pink magnificence and the lights come on we felt exceedingly pleased with ourselves.

We had not been planning to eat at any of the restaurants in the hotel, as with their Western prices and unimaginative menus it seemed a bit of a waste, but we were tired, and quite probably drunk and so resolved to at least eat at the Thai restaurant in the hotel named Saffron. A decision made easier when the clouds suddenly burst above us and we were ushered downstairs clutching our drinks (wet stairs in Louboutins while clutching a martini glass while inebriated - I deserve an award).

The restaurant was luxuriously decorated and we chose our own version of a banquet (as the suggested banquet cost more than the individual dishes combined - something I was quite confused about). We also continued to make our way through the cocktail menu so we were very merry as we gazed out the window through the sploshing rain to the streets of Bangkok some 50 floors below. It was quite surreal contrasting the night before as we had walked through the streets, glowing with heat and humidity in our smallest clothing to sitting in air conditioned luxury with sparkling china and crystal.

The food was tasty and well presented though not remarkable. We both got a kick out of the rice menu which comes around on a cart and allows everything from signature saffron to fragment jasmine and various other that I don't remember types of rice. We ate valiantly but had no chance of finishing off everything, especially if we wanted dessert (which we did). I had a ginger creme brulée and Bingley two bowls of ice cream that were both refreshing and tasty though I laughed when mine came out. It was gigantic, to the point where I had no chance of finishing it, tasty as it was. The thing could have seriously served 4 people.

Contemplating my massive brulée, not pictured

After dinner Bingley and I headed back to our room and collapsed in bed. It had been a fun, active, food and drink filled fiesta of a day and we were exhausted.