2011 Recap

I swear that it seems like just about a month ago that I was writing the 2010 recap and about to head off to Bali.  I quite honestly have no idea what happened to 2011...it went by so incredibly fast!  From my point of view, it was a much more subdued year than 2010 which was a nice change.  Just a few minor challenges along the way but where would we be without challenges to face?

I just re-read my 2010 recap blog and realized I didn't end up blogging much more than I did in 2011.  I will say that I had every intention of doing so but just didn't get around to it.  I will...once again...try very hard to blog more frequently.  It is especially important since I'll be returning to the US at the end of February....date to be determined and more on that in another blog post...

Last year I shared a bunch of thoughts with you because I felt I had ended the year a little wiser.  I'm not sure about the wiser thing this year but will gladly share more of my thoughts and reflections from what I learned in 2011...

• Sunshine after weeks of rain and gray skies can make your day...
• Laughing until you cry is still one of my favorite things to do and has got to be good for your health...
• Exploring new countries and places with Alan is a lot of fun...
• I still love going to the post office and receiving letters...
• Being at the NHL All-Star game was pretty amazing...
• Finding new places in Singapore has been fun and interesting...
• Almost being attacked by a black spitting cobra is actually a pretty cool story to tell...especially since it was an 'almost'...
• Having curly hair was fun while it lasted but am honestly just thrilled that I have hair...
• Catching up with old friends at my 20 year class reunion was a lot of fun...
• Being able to say 'I'm just going to Bali for the weekend' is a pretty cool thing to do...
• Peas are still the enemy...
• Being on the phone all of the time at work does not make me more productive...
• Being charitable and giving is one of the best feelings on earth...
• Having friends who 'schedule' time to talk with their friend who is half-way around the world are amazing...
• Being healthy and working out are good feelings...
• Beer Lao is probably the best Asian beer made...
• Spending a quiet evening at home is sometimes almost as good as an evening out laughing with friends and family...
• Duke still has amazing healthcare providers...and a kickass basketball team...
• Monsoon season is both good and bad..bad for all of the rain but good for the cooler temps and wind...
• Laundry is still the best chore...ever...
• Being there for a good friend is one of the best parts of a friendship...
• Starting the day with good coffee makes for a happier Kate...
• I have an amazing husband, great family, and wonderful friends!

As usual, I am not doing any specific resolutions...instead, I do have a few things I'm going to try and work on this year.  I am going to try and blog more frequently...I am going to try to enjoy all of my time in Singers before I head back to the US...I am going to try and be a nicer person...I am going to try and be more charitable...I am going to laugh as often as possible...

  I'll leave you with a photo recap from my 2011...

New Year Celebration in Bali

January ~ NHL All-Star Game

February ~ Michigan

February - Alcatraz on the way back to Singapore

March ~ Chicago for a business trip & quick visit with Alan

April ~ Australia

  May ~ London with Alan

June ~ Exploring Singers

July ~ Langkawi

  August ~ Bali & a visit from good friends

September ~ Bali again for my birthday

October ~

Malacca

 Phuket

 Breast Cancer Awareness walk

November ~ Phnom Penh

December ~ Vietnam and Laos with Alan

I wish all of you a safe and enjoyable New Year's Eve celebration.  And best wishes for an amazing 2012!

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Luang Prabang - cooking class

While we were in Luang Prabang, Alan and I took a cooking class run by the local restaurant Tamarind.  The class is a full-day event so you start early (by vacation standards) and depart from the restaurant at 9 am. 

The first stop is to a local market...

The instructor walks you through the market and explains the local produce, spices, and meats.  For most people, this is probably their first experience with a market in Asia so it is always fun to listen to the different reactions.  We had a number of Americans in our class and they always get a bit freaked out by the meat area where things aren't in a nice, shiny refrigerated case.

Alan even tried some local meat which I think was heart and brain...

After the market we took a short ride to the cooking school.  It is located in a remote area which is just beautiful...

We immediately started cooking.  We learned about 5-6 different Lao dishes.  The cool part about this class that was different than others I have been to in Asia is that we didn't use modern cooktops but instead used what the locals do...

We even used these great mortar and pestles...they were so great that Alan has ordered one for us to have at home...

We spent a good 3-4 hours prepping and cooking all of the dishes.  Alan took the recipe sheet home with him so I can't recall exactly what we made but do know that it was all quite delicious...

I am always a bit lost in the kitchen...let's be honest...am not a very good cook...but I did enjoy this cooking course.  I think I did mostly because I was hanging out with Alan and he was having so much fun but the instructor also did a good job of keeping our attention and explaining the local customs and traditions related to food.  I would absolutely recommend this course if you ever find yourself in Luang Prabang.

The local kitty could have had something to do with influencing me too...

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Luang Prabang

We arrived in Luang Prabang at around 1 pm without much of a plan of what to do.  All that we wanted to do was relax and do a little exploring and enjoy our time together. 

We stayed at the Lotus Villa Laos at the suggestion of some friends.  Their website does not do them justice...

We stayed in the amazing room pictured above.  It doesn't have a television but we actually enjoyed the time without it.  They serve a made-to-order breakfast every morning and the staff are extremely helpful.  If you find yourself in Luang Prabang I would absolutely recommend this place!

Luang Prabang is a predominantly Buddhist area.  There are quite a few wats (another name for temples) around which you can explore.  One of the things you can experience is the alms ceremony at dawn which has been going on in Luang Prabang for many, many years.  The locals will wake very earlier to prepare rice and food to give to the monks.  This is something that happens every single day and if you wake up earlier enough you can see it all happening.  We were lucky enough that one of the areas the monks receive alms is right in front of our hotel.

Every morning around 6:00 am you would see this...

These are the local women waiting for the monks to arrive.  The small baskets at their right contain the rice that they will give them.  They just sit and chat and seem to catch-up with each other while they are waiting.  Then, when they see the monks coming one of the women will bang on a bucket to indicate that the monks are nearby...

The monks walk at a pretty steady pace and it must take a few times of giving the alms to be able to keep up with them.  It was neat to see but we I am always a bit uncomfortable watching and photographing a religious ceremony.

The main part of the city of Luang Prabang sits on a peninsula between the Nam Khan and Mekong Rivers.  It is a small city but has great character. 

There are only about four main roads running along the peninsula and then there are all of these side alleys (like the one pictured above).  It is fun to walk through the town and up and down these alleys.  It is a great mix of locals and tourists.

One of the best parts about our visit was all of the amazing food that we ate.  I never would have guessed that we would have had such delicious meals in someplace like Luang Prabang but man...every single meal we ate was delicious! 

One of our meals was across the Mekong River at Dyen Sabai.  In order to get there you have to pay a toll and walk across a bamboo bridge...

and then climb a little hill...

but the effort is so worth it for the fun environment and great food...

They even have a bunch of board games you can play...

The local Lao food is similar to Thai and Khmer food but has some distinct differences.  They utilize sticky rice that you eat with your hands and dip into the different sauces.  They also eat fried river weed from the Mekong...sounds a little disgusting but is tasty.  It was all delicious and we enjoyed every single meal.

In addition to the local food, they also have some wonderful bakeries.  Now, for those of you who don't know, Singapore and Asia for that matter are not known for their pastries or baking abilities.  I have found a few bakeries here in Singapore that do an okay job but it is truly okay at best...nothing better.  Luang Prabang on the other hand still has the French influence and their amazing pastries...mmm....I love bread and pastries...and I couldn't get enough of them...

The other wonderful part about Laos was the Beer Lao...

A large bottle of Beer Lao was typically about $3 each...a far cry from the $12 it would cost in Singapore for a Tiger beer.  And even better than the low price was how tasty it was.  I would go so far as to say it is the best tasting Asian beer around...

Now that I've been talking about beer and pastries and all that delicious food I'm a little hungry...a few more posts from Luang Prabang are coming...

Photo courtesy of Alan

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