Northern Thai food (aahan puen muang) and Talats (markets)

Yesterday Aum called me around lunchtime and said, “Gig and I are on the way to pick you guys up for lunch!” I hadn’t showered yet because I was lazing around but quickly got it together and was happy I did, because they introduced us to another famous Northern Thai restaurant. The lunch crowd was large and we had to wait a little while for a table, but it was worth it! We got a ‘set meal’ with Vietnamese-style wraps (rice wrappers, starfruit, cucumber, garlic, pepper, peanut sauce), fish egg roll, betel leaf pork wrap, spicy sausage salad (yum moo yaw) and some other yumminess.

Following lunch, we stopped off at Warorot Market, the largest market in Chiang Mai selling food, dried goods, fruit, clothes, bags, and basically anything you might need. Chris and I were here a few weeks ago helping my parents locate dried longan and nam prik goong (shrimp paste). During that visit, we also tried fried silkworms, which people love here. Chris and I weren't impressed though, but at least we tried them. Food wasn't our priority today though and we explored a back street with small shops selling fabric, hill tribe crafts, clothing, and food. My find of the day - blue elephant pajamas! Chris’s find – an amazing Thai broom for 50 cents! Liz's find- two cute shirts (one with a girl who supposedly looks like me on it -we'll take a pic later and post for your comments!)

Aum had to rush home for her Bangkok Hospital English interview, so Gig, Chris, Liz and I stopped for Swensen’s ice cream at Kad Suan Kaew, the mall across the street from our apt. It’s strawberry season here, so there are special strawberry promotions featured there. Chris and I always get ‘Strawberry a la mode’, featuring bananas, strawberries, three scoops of ice cream, and warm chocolate that you pour over it. We will be sad when strawberry season is over because they’ll change their promotions L and also because fresh strawberries won’t be available on the street anymore.

The rest of the day was pretty lazy. Liz took a nap, and then I wasn’t feeling up to Simon Cabaret (we are going tonight!) so instead, we ate dinner at Pasta Café, one of our favorite spots in Chiang Mai and watched Cars on DVD.

I also was briefly really stressed out about my scheduling appointment for 4th year. Mostly, I was stressing over whether or not to do a sub-I first, since Liz thought that the clinical experience helped out for Step 2. In the end, I signed up for VA sub-I in May, so now my schedule for when I come back is likely going to be:

May - VA Gen Med sub
June - CCMU (Medical ICU) sub-i,
July - Endocrine consults and likely Step 2
August - Dr. Cynthia's Mae Tao Clinic

We'll see what happens in the end though!