Cooking Tutorial: Baked Kale or Kai Lan Chips!

First of all, let me just tell you how sorry I am for not blogging for THREE whole weeks. T_T

WTF. I did not even realize that time passed so fast. I honestly just cannot grasp how fast 2013 has gone by. Life has never passed me by this quickly. I swear the last time I checked it was only a week since I last blogged.... I thought I'd make it up to you all by posting an extremely simple, healthy, and delicious recipe that even ultra kitchen goondu idiots could whip up in 15 minutes!!!!!

So here's the deal.

I like chips. Unhealthy chips like the ones made from potato. I like them a lot. Here's another thing for ya. I like seaweed. Probably more than I should because I can eat an alarming amount of seaweed at one go. And then here's the last thing. I am on a diet.... of sorts. (No, not really actually.) I kind of eat whatever I want, however potato chips just seem to be far down my list of Food Eating Priorities considering it's junk food but the calories are ridiculously high. What would be the most sensible thing to do?

Eat a carb-free, low-calorie VEGETABLE chip that tastes like seaweed, so that I can snack away without any guilt or repercussions whatsoever!!! In fact, I could eat this everyday and lose weight! This is the magic vegetable that makes it all happen.




Kale.

A dark green, leafy, curled at the edges sort of power vegetable.

Heard of it before? If you haven't, that's okay, you probably live in Asia where kale is pretty much non-existent. Probably something like 90% of Singaporeans have no idea what kale is. (Random statistic pulled out of my ass) What we have in everyone's households instead, is a relative of Kale called the Kai Lan.



Let's talk about Kale first. I have always seen fitness and "Real Food" enthusiasts talk about Kale like it's the god of vegetables. About how it's good for your body it is, and how incredibly yummy it tasted. So, naturally curiosity (or gluttony) got the better of me and I set out on a random hunt for the elusive Kale in Singapore, only to realize that absolutely NOWHERE has Kale in stock. I've been to Sheng Siong, NTUC, Cold Storage, etc..... couldn't find any at any supermarket. Finally, sheer luck should have it that one fine day I chanced upon it at North Point's Cold Storage when I wasn't even looking out for it!!! Wooohooo!!!!! I was so excited to finally hold Kale in my arms. It was like holding my long lost lover or a twin sister I haven't seen in 10 years. Never did a veg excite me so much before.

However..... I was mortified to realize that a small packet of Kale was 6 WHOLE DOLLARS. I'm assuming because it's organic and, well, hard to find in Singapore.. maybe difficult to grow, as well? Cursing under my breath for buying a vegetable that is more expensive than a lot of cuts of meat, I bought the $6 Kale, thinking I'd just try baking kale chips once and get it over and done with to satisfy my curiosity. Little did I know that trying it once would only make me want to eat it again and again. I'm dumbfounded by how simple and brilliant this is, so I HAD to share it with y'all. I don't often share recipes, but when I do... you know it's going to be something worth waiting for ;)




YOU WILL NEED: (this recipe makes however much or little you want to make)

♥ -- Kale, or Kai Lan for people who can't find Kale (or do not want to pay $6 for it)
♥ -- Olive Oil
♥ -- Salt & Pepper 
♥ -- Onion / Garlic Powder Seasoning (or your favorite bottled seasoning)
♥ -- A large baking tray and baking paper

Step 1: Wash the vegetable, then remove the stems completely and dry thoroughly with a kitchen towel. It's important to remove every last bit of stem and water, then tear the leaves into relatively large bite sized pieces while noting that the size will shrink more when baked.

Step 2: Line your baking tray with baking paper, arrange the vegetable pieces onto your tray, preferably not touching each other. Drizzle a litle bit of olive oil (I like using extra virgin), sprinkle salt, seasoning and black pepper over sparingly. A little goes a real long way with this recipe. Add just a bit, then you can taste test it after it's been baked and add more if need be. You can refer to the picture above to see approximately how much seasoning and olive oil I added. Don't mix the veg through with the oil, just bake it as is so that you get a slight variation of flavors and consistency through the pieces of vegetable. 

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And that's all it for the preparation!!!! Pop it into a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees to bake and crisp up for 8 minutes, or until the veg has turned crispy and changed a bit of color. (By changed color I don't mean brown - I mean patches of different green) The baking time will vary a LOT depending on 1) Amount of vegetable you're using. 2) Whether you're using kale or kai lan, I find kai lan takes longer to crisp up 3) Your oven's settings and functionality.... So please monitor closely and judge for yourself.

But it's not rocket science, people. keep an eye on your veg. It can change from ultra crispy to burnt pieces of crap in a matter of 2 minutes, so you don't want to leave it unattended for too long. I would recommend checking the consistency after 5 minutes, then decide from there how much more time it needs in the oven. 


The result?





Delicious and CRAZILY addictive vegetable chips that will leave you popping them into your mouth so quick, you'll wonder where your $6 went. I swear they're better than the any sort of packeted potato chips to me. They also sorta taste like my favorite Korean seaweed sheets, but with more texture and bite, and minus the preservatives. They're BLOODY AWESOME, in short. They may not LOOK all that crispy or appetizing to you but it has amazing sound effects when you chew on them like "grrncchhh kkrrtthhh" with every bite - you know, the sound that over-the-top crispy food makes. I liked them so much I put them on toasted buttered garlic ciabatta for an awesome lunch... yippeee!!!  

But my favorite way to eat this is by its own, using my hand. I can finish a whole plate of this within 5 minutes. 




Another meal idea for kale chips - eat it with grilled fish!!!  The flavors go together sooo well, what with the saltiness and texture of curly kale chips with mild, tender white fish. It's so tasty while being as low carb as possible - perfectly delectable diet food! As you can see here, my kale chips are just a tad too brown. Like I said, goes from crispy to burnt very quickly, and that time I wasn't giving it enough tender loving care.. :P





Oh yes - if you REALLY can't find Kale, you are also welcome to try this recipe with your commonly found Kai Lan.... thanks to a follow on Instagram for this suggestion! 

It's exactly the same recipe and preparation method as the kale version. This is what my kai lan chips that I made earlier looked like. Because Kai Lan isn't as thick or curly (or yummy hahaha) as Kale, it turned out quite different. Not as much chewy texture and it's not as epic as kale chips BUT still a decent fix if Kale has somehow eluded you once again. But the basic concept and idea is the same - crispy, addictive vegetable chips. Also, it's a lot more affordable than Kale!!!! 





I served my kai lan chips with milky cheesy scrambled eggs for my quick fix of a lunch this afternoon!! ♥ ♥ ♥

Perfect combo that goes together like coke and fries. Strangely satisfying for a meal that is meat-free, low-carb and took 15 minutes to prepare and cook. While the chips were baking, I fried up my scrambled eggs!





You HAVE to try this if you love chips or seaweed!

 Or, if you just like trying new things in the kitchen in general. It's a fun experiment for 15 minutes, even if you don't end up making this a staple in your home cooked food menu like I did. :) And it's perfect for all you health and diet watchers out there. There are few recipes in this world that are so fuss-free and good for you, so I'm happy that I can share this with you all. I think vegetable chips are still a relatively alien idea in Singapore (the closest I've seen to it were deep fried asparagus and kang kong, but fried stuff isn't healthy and doesn't count!) why don't you guys try making this for your partner, friends or family one day, and see what they think of this innovative food idea? ;) Perfect for a mid noon snack! In fact I may just go make more to munch on tomorrow!!!

xoxo,
Jess

Browhaus Resurrection (Natural)

Hi! Notice anything different about me today?

No, not the fact that my hair has more blue highlights than usual.... but them eyebrows!!!!! They've gone missing! That's actually what my brows look like normally without any make up on them. For those of you who have been following me for a long time, you would have heard all about my brow woes before. And for you new lot who have no idea, well, I was born cursed with sparse and oddly shaped eyebrows that are slightly downward sloping. I've struggled with eyebrow make up all my life, even now, when I consider myself very familiar with the application of make up on my face, my eyebrows seem to be the hardest and longest thing to do. I guess it's because I have so little to work with in the first place, it's kind of like trying to apply mascara on eyelashes that aren't even there. Even if you have the best mascara in the world, it's still going to look like crap because you don't have a good base to start off with.

Now normally I wouldn't be caught dead without my eyebrows drawn especially when the rest of my face is covered with make up - the contrast is way too noticeable! Even on lazy days, I try to make it a point to draw my eyebrows and apply a bit of cheek and lip tint so I don't give innocent people a jolly good fright when I'm wandering around town.





The only reason why I went out with naked brows that day was because... I was going to get a Brow Resurrection treatment done at Browhaus!!! Woopie-doo!!!

Brow Resurrection is basically getting semi-permanent eyebrows drawn to a shape of your liking inked onto your skin using vegetable dye, and small but precise incisions. The effect can last up to 1-2 years, depending on how you take care of it. This is my second time getting Brow Resurrection done with them, the first session was back in 2010 and even though you can search for the entry if you're curious to read about it I am so not going to link it here because reading back, my old entries REALLY make me cringe. Why did I like to dress up my blog posts with all sorts of fugly bolded fonts and rainbow colors and space everything apart so widely??? And my pictures! They were beyond horrid! It's like reading a 10 year old's scrapbook and it seems hardly credible. Sigh, can we just pretend those days didn't exist? I wish I had a magical button I could click that would instantly make all my old blog posts slightly less retarded but the only button that exists for me is "Delete" at the moment, and unfortunately I'm not about to throw my archive away. When you bare your soul to the internet, shit ALWAYS comes back to haunt you!





Here is the PR representative of Browhaus, Weiying, explaining to me the whole process of Browhaus' famous Brow Resurrection treatment and what it can do to help girls with brow problems like me, and I bet some of you out there!




Which brow crime are you committing right now?! I think mine falls under the "crayon" category - they need to make a new one on that book. :P




So here I am... Ready to resurrect my brows back to life!

If you look at the ends of my eyebrows closely, there are some remnants of my previous Brow Resurrection from 2010. It's faded 95% or thereabouts, however the remaining 5% sort of gives my eyebrows a bit of a brownish looking tail (luckily) otherwise I would literally just have only the front part of my eyebrows. And no, it's not because I groom them that way, they're... just.. like that. Everyday, shaved or not.

I can really appreciate how the treatment fades away inconspicuously as though it was never even there, because nobody wants to have the same eyebrow shape for more than a year or two of their life, do they?! I'm all for changing the general shape of my eyebrows every other month, depending on my make up and dressing style.





The consultation begins with the therapist explaining the shape and arches of my natural eyebrows to me, and then proceeds to ask me more about what sort of look I'm hoping to achieve with my Brow Resurrection.

I told her I want something fairly natural and normal looking without a distinct arch, but it cannot be too straight, and it doesn't have to be particularly thick or long. Definitely not thin or downward sloping at the ends either, though. *fussy customer*




And she gets straight to work!

According to what I'd described, she will draw the shape with a removable eyebrow pencil before doing the real thing with semi-permanent ink so that I get a good idea of what it's going to look like. She also grooms your eyebrow before, so that the overall look is cleaner.





I got her to re-adjust the shape at least 3 times before I was fully satisfied with it and gave her the green light. I'm not going to settle for anything less than I consider the best it could be, because semi-permanent make up on your face is no laughing matter! I chose a natural brown shade as I wanted something less fierce looking.




The difference between Brow Resurrection and other less-than-desirable eyebrow treatments out there is that the eyebrow shape is inked on carefully, stroke by stroke, instead of a whole solid chunk, to recreate the individual hair look natural brows would have.





3 things about this photo:

1) There is a stick flying about to poke me in the eye
2) My hair.
3) Holy crap my hair line. I AM BALDING AT THE AGE OF 21... AND I'M NOT EVEN 21. Hello Beijing 101 or other scalp management places, I want to be your ambassador!!!!

A numbing cream is applied all over my brows, I waited for 15 minutes, then the procedure officially begun. I wasn't nervous at all because I've done it once before and know it doesn't hurt that much despite my low pain tolerance level, so I almost fell asleep a few times through treatment, which took about half an hour. As I'm not allowed to take photos of their top-secret techniques (hehe) I can only tell you guys that I felt almost no pain except for one or two occasions where I felt a prickling, stinging sensation that lasted for about 2 minutes only. All I did was close my eyes, lie back on a comfy chair and let the therapist do her thing... She was gentle and patient, so I felt completely at ease. I would safely say the overall pain was lesser than stepping on a lego or getting your eyebrows plucked. I can't even stand the idea of waxing any part of my body because of the fear of physical pain, so there's really nothing you have to worry about. The previous time I did Brow Resurrection, I admit I did get a massive headache and slight bleeding / swelling afterwards but this time I encountered no such problem. The new Brow Resurrection 2.5 is supposed to be more light-handed and natural looking, compared to the "heavier" Brow Resurrection 2.4 from years ago.

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Less than an hour after my consultation, I finish my treatment, and... I feel like a new person!!!!!!!




HELLO beautiful eyebrows!! I haven't seen you in awhile, where have you been?
(If I look like I just got up from bed, that's because I did)





I was pleasantly taken aback by how natural it looks, even more so than my first experience - and I'll be damned, if no one told you my new eyebrows were inked on with vegetable dye by a therapist you would probably just have guessed I was born with naturally beautiful brows! (well, I wish) Don't underestimate the difference well-maintained eyebrows make. It frames your whole face, and could make you look younger / older / fresher / angry / surprised / tired without you having to alter your facial expressions.





This was a few days after, a more close up view shows the individual strands better.

The color intensified after the swelling went down from the first day, and my eyebrows started to scab and itch a little due to the open wounds.. but it didn't bother me. You'll be provided with after-care creams to apply, and there was almost no down time, besides the fact I should stay away from swimming, exercising and sun tanning the first couple of days, which I don't do much of anyway. Now that approximately a month has passed since my Brow Resurrection, the color has lightened significantly and looks deceivingly natural! If you like the effect, NOW is the perfect time to get yours done too! Browhaus is offering a very special promotional rate to my blog readers to try the Brow Resurrection 2.5 (Natural).








If you quote "Shiberty", you can get the same thing done for only $300! Usual price: $2140.


With all good bargains, there's always fine print... so the deal is, you have to be a first-time Brow Resurrection customer (it's okay if you've done other services before) and there will be no touch up sessions included in the $300 pricing. This promotion is only redeemable at these specific outlets: Browhaus Cathay, ION, Katong, Raffles City Basement & Street Level and is valid till 31st May 2013, so you'll have to make an appointment in the following week.

With normal customers who pay the full price of $2140, they get unlimited touch ups for up to 2 years. But for trial customers from my blog, there is none included. You guys can first try out how you like the service and if it's to your liking, you can purchase the touch up sessions separately. So much better than paying the full price upfront in my opinion. In any case, with my old Brow Resurrection I only went back to touch up my eyebrows once and then I totally forgot about ever going back to touch up again (just never crossed my mind). I'd imagine you would need maybe maximum two to three touch ups a year if you want it in tip-top condition.




With the senior therapist who did my brows at the Cathay outlet, Elisa!

Thank you Browhaus for saving me precious time and frustration now that I don't need to suffer coloring my barely-there eyebrows in everyday. Drawing in my eyebrows is one thing, my biggest problem was that eyebrow pencils are all water-soluble so whenever I perspired more than usual or brushed something against my forehead, my eyebrows would be spontaneously and tragically wiped off. There is nothing more embarrassing than half smudged eyebrows. Oh the horror!

Thankfully that won't be happening at the Social Star Awards which is happening this Saturday. Anticipating the amount of people going, it's definitely gonna be a sweat fest but my eyebrows ain't melting off this time! Did I mention? I'm going to see Aerosmith perform live (*DOES LITTLE STUPID LOOKING EXCITED DANCE*) a shout out to Nuffnang and Starcount for the kind invite, Sam and I can't wait to watch these legendary rock stars in action!!

xoxo,
Jess

Thailand Young Explorer Project: Chiang Mai

A few weeks ago, I went on an exploratory trip to Chiang Mai. It is an assignment given to me by Chan Brothers and Tourism Authority of Thailand, part of the Young Explorer Project!

From the official Thailand Young Explorer website, featuring 5 other bloggers besides myself:

"The 'Young Explorer Project' is a joint collaboration by Chan Brothers Travel and the Tourism Authority of Thailand; it's all about travelling in Thailand from a foreigner's opinion. This joint project aims to introduce Thailand's attractions and culture in a fun and engaging way through the eyes of our local bloggers; to introduce free and easy travel in Thailand; to emphasize it isn't THAT difficult to plan a free and easy trip to Thailand."




Me, just off the plane and in my hotel room in Chiang Mai!


When I was first informed that I was supposed to go explore Chiang Mai, I have to admit that initially I wasn't very excited. I'd thought Bangkok or Phuket seemed like more entertaining choices of destination, having been to both of those places before I knew I would enjoy it again. However, a part of me was also longing to find out what Chiang Mai was all about. My first impression upon googling information about the place was that it has a lot of elephants and culture... which sounded boring. But, now that I'm back from my 4 day trip to Chiang Mai I would love to tell you guys all about how it was ANYTHING but boring!!! My partner in crime was Maureen aka MissTamChiak and although we didn't know each other prior to the trip, we hit it off pretty well and had no problems traveling together. I am actually really thankful to have been sent there on an assignment trip because I probably would not have chosen to explore Chiang Mai on my accord, and would've missed out on all the beauty and fun this city had to offer. It is plenty in riches and I'm not talking about things you buy materialistic items with. I'm talking about things money can't buy. I wish I had more time to indulge in their culture, food and experiences a little bit more, but I think I've covered quite a bit of things in the amount of time designated so here we go...


Shiberty's List of 10 Things To Do In Chiang Mai!!!

1) Embark on a religious adventure by visiting one of Chiang Mai's many Buddhist temples!




Religion is a big deal in Thailand. In Chiang Mai, Theravada Buddhism is the main religion. The whole city is dotted with beautiful and intricate places of worship with long dated history you can visit to pay your respects to the gods at, or even if you don't quite believe in a higher being like me, you will still find their strong beliefs utterly fascinating.







Our choice temple to visit is one of Chiang Mai's most famous, Doi Suthep. Some people say you haven't been to Chiang Mai if you haven't been to Doi Suthep. Unfortunately for me, the temple was located at the peak of an alarming amount of stairs...









When I eventually made it up, I was captivated by the intense atmosphere of worship. I can't bring myself to be a religious person because I need to see things to believe in it. In other words, I don't quite have the ability to open my heart and believe in blind (or guided? as some may say) faith. It inspires me that these people can.





You just can't not be wowed by these details!




You're meant to make a wish, try to lift the elephant up with one finger, then put it down. Make the same wish again, and if you're still able to lift it up the second time it means your wish will not come true. If you try your darnest but you still somehow seem unable to lift the elephant up when it was easy to do so before, then only will your wish be granted by the gods.




For the record, both times I managed to lift the elephant up.... either I have really big hulk arms (which I do) or the gods hate me. I wished for good health & happiness for myself and the people I love. Ironically, when I stood up after putting down the elephant, I somehow broke my nail on the floorboard and it immediately bled. I don't know how I broke my nail on a perfectly flat surface and managed to injure myself right there and then.....








According to your different birth dates, you ladle oil onto different parts of this... erm... thingy. I have no word for it. I am bad at describing religious stuff.




Went to get a blessing bracelet from the local monks...




Here's our Thai / Taiwanese friend, Toto, tying it on for me. I had the bracelet on for a couple of days before untying it and laying it under a tree :)

Toto is sucha sweet guy and I am so happy that we had a local friend who could introduce us to the most authentic places to visit in Chiang Mai! If not for him, my trip definitely would not have been so epic. If you would like Toto and his friends to bring you around amazing places in Chiang Mai too, hit them up here! Or if you're having trouble contacting him, you can email me and I'll get you in touch with him. Toto heads a Chiang Mai tourism company but he took us around without charges on a friendly basis, as he's a friend of a friend's. But I would highly recommend his services to anyone visiting Thailand soon, he's the most thoughtful and kindest person you'd meet.






We only had time for one temple because our itinerary was jam packed with other exciting stuff, off to our next destination we go!!!


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2) Eat Khao Soy, a traditional dish originating from Northen Thailand most famous in Chiang Mai!



Our first meal in Chiang Mai was lunch at this eatery called "Just Khao Soy." We incidentally passed by this shop while we were hungry and roaming around the streets, and found ourselves wandering in.




It had air conditioning.... score!!!!! That's quite a rarity in Chiang Mai! And much appreciated in the heat.




We were first served Thai appetizers such as sundried beef strips, sausages, spring rolls and crispy fish slices... which were pretty good! It built up my appetite for the main course:



Khao Soy!!!! 

When I first had the soup without adding all the little condiments pictured above, I thought it tasted like our local laksa (coconut curry soup) but a little blander. But as soon as I poured in most of the ingredients I realized it was nothing like laksa and actually very very tasty!!! (and spicy) but I LOVED it. Khao Soy is normally served with beef / chicken / pork pieces and has ingredients such as pickles, sugar (quite a bit of it), lime, shallots, fish sauce.... and more items I couldn't figure out.




Me with my Khao Soy set! I love trying new food.

 My contact lens tore when I tried to put them on so I had to make do with glasses the first day. I had the appetizer to share with Maureen + my khao soy set + a refreshing lemon drink for less than 10 SGD. Thailand's food is seriously WAY too good and cheap.... unlike Singapore's food which sees its quality dipping but prices rising!




We had Khao Soy another time at a hawker centre of sorts and it was less than $2 for a bowl! Tasted different, but very good as well. I really wish I had some right now!


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3) Visit a native village tribe in Chiang Mai to take a peek into a life so different from yours!

If Bangkok is all about the shopping and Phuket is all about the beach, then Chiang Mai is definitely all about the culture & food.






We drove up a hill to visit the Miao tribe and for an hour, experienced the tranquility of their relatively carefree lives. They may not have much in terms of monetary value but they are living simply, happy & free.




The Miao tribe (also known as Hmong tribe I was told) are known for their delicate embroidery.




This is one of their forms of entertainment.. trying to get a bullseye on a dangling fruit on a crossbow! I wanted to buy a crossbow back for Sam coz he would've loved it so much but you can't take weapons onto planes, lol.





I got a bullseye on my second shot!!!





Other forms of entertainment included jumping again and again into a reservoir...





Sweet little girl! She gamely posed for a photo when I asked her to!





There was something precious about rustic living like this. It's so close to nature, and even though it's not the glamorous life we're used to, it sure is beautiful in its own way.






Happy to be frolicking around in Chiang Mai :)






Spotted a man selling Thai ice cream - yes please!!!! Coconut ice cream (SOOO GOOD) wrapped with white bread, filled with glutinous rice and peanuts.





Loved everything but the peanuts. Not a fan of nuts.






Know why there are so many standing sticks on top of this rock? Apparently if you pick up a fallen stick and place it standing upright on that platform, you'll turn all your bad luck into good luck!











There was a shop that sold and rented their traditional embroidered attires... and for a brief moment in time, we had a chance to be one of them tribal people!!!







My #ootd is pretty spiffy, don't cha think?




Those hand sewn details are out of this world. So much tender loving care and long hours went into making a piece like this, probably one of each in the entire world ♥





Sawadeeka!!! The true Thailand experience. Now I'm REALLY in Chiang Mai.







I love going into the country side to see the REAL "country" when I travel, staying in the city is so boring! Sightseeing is always my number one priority when traveling.


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4) Visit an elephant sanctuary / camp to learn more about Thailand's sacred animal!



Maesa Elephant Camp came as a really nice surprise.

The last time I blogged about riding an elephant in Phuket, a blog reader informed me that riding on elephants is unethical because they often get mistreated while training to be humanized and that the living conditions tend to be terrible. So I was quite conflicted inside about riding an elephant even though it was planned to be part of our itinerary.





To my relief, Maesa Elephant Camp didn't seem like one of those places that ignored the welfare of their elephants. It appeared to me, as far as I could tell, like a nice sanctuary for elephants. I mean, just look at the forest that they live in!!!! It's SO gorgeous and wild and free. They get to roam around (spot the ellie in the distance!) like they would in the wild, and not worry about starvation, poachers or harsh elements..

Maesa elephant camp houses over 70 beautiful elephants!





It takes a lot to feed a creature like that. Now imagine more than 70 of them. I can't imagine how much funding and resources this place needs.





They have a natural river to bathe and play in that runs across the compound! Visitors can also ride on rafts that will along this river and they can choose to play with the elephants if they want.




The trekking path was amazing! A much more pleasant than my previous experience. We had to go up and down steps and slopes which made it all the more fun.






 Maureen was squirming and dying from anxiety next to me, it was hilarious to watch. I was relieved that there were not any huge insects flying around the elephant and landing on our legs (happened to me last time and I freaked out more about the insects than the elephant) and the mahout didn't whack the elephant repeatedly in disrespect.... he talked to it nicely and gently and it obeyed him obligingly! I looked out for any puncture wounds or stab marks from the hooks that mahouts use to control elephants with, but I could find none on the elephants I saw in this camp. I was told they do not tolerate any form of abuse of mistreatment here. So glad to hear that - makes me feel happy for them.

Ethical elephant riding - possible?




After our 30 minutes trek through the jungle, we were seated down for the elephant show of a lifetime!








I didn't really think elephants could be trained to do much but these guys could PLAY SOCCER, basketball, paint and throw darts!!!!! I would never have guessed!!! 

The elephant paints better than I do. Ridiculous. You have to see the show to really understand how mischievous and intelligent these gentle giants were. Another reason for me to believe that these animals are treated kindly is due to their behavior. You can force an animal to perform a trick begrudgingly, but you cannot force an animal to be happy while doing it. If its behaving so naturally playfully, it has to like the attention!







Awww!!!! Friendly ellies!


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5) Learn how to cook delicious Thai food at one of Chiang Mai's aplenty cooking schools!



We chose Baan Thai Cooking School for their competitive prices and for their hotel pick up service!




Rode from our hotel to the cooking school in a tuk tuk Chiang Mai style.







The set up was extremely homely. I felt like I was going to a Thai's friend's house to cook!



Before the cooking begun, we set off to the markets to buy fresh produce for our dishes..





You don't wanna know how that smelled :P






Apparently these are baby eggplants (?!?)




Bought a mango smoothie from this nice lady to cool off, then back to the cooking school!






Spot Maureen and her huge camera as the group learns how to whip up delectable Thai dishes from a friendly and patient local cook.





The dishes they taught us to cook were relatively simple (but yummy!) - the most common ingredients being lime, chilli, fish sauce... And since I cook often at home I found the whole class very enjoyable and easy to follow.




The instructors spoke pretty good English and gave very simple instructions, so even if you're not familiar with kitchen tools and preparation work at all, this should be a breeze!





This.....




Turned into this, after 15 minutes! Spicy coconut seafood soup!






Most of the class participants were white people. In fact we were the only Chinese / Asian people out of like 20 attendees.


Other food I prepared that day:



Crispy Thai Spring Rolls



Pad Thai




Pork Red Curry




Feasting at our table!!! After cooking our dishes, the attendees would gather around a table and share their dishes with one another.. we cooked different stuff and it was fun sampling everyone's cooking attempts while exchanging stories from where we're from :D




We made new friends with lovely ladies from USA and Ireland!


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6) Get your adrenaline pumping with extreme sports in Chiang Mai!




One of the coolest things I've done in my life... We went to The Shooting Club and fired real guns like true badasses!!!!!!! I can't believe I can say I've used a gun before, coming from a super sheltered and safe country like Singapore where owning a gun or even firing one is often unheard of.







It was my Left 4 Dead fantasies coming true!!! I love FPS games! Except I totally hated how loud shooting a gun was, even with my ear plugs on. I get frightened by loud noises easily.





The instructor teaching us how to properly handle a loaded pistol. I can't say I wasn't nervous..... I was getting cold sweat just knowing that I was about to operate something so deadly in my hands and actually fire a bullet at a target. A bullet, that could potentially take or save a life, given the circumstances. All my life I have grown up casually watching shows with thousands of different guns in them and never thought much of the whole thing but to actually hold a loaded gun in your very own hands is an overwhelmingly powerful and intimidating feeling.

We chose to shoot with the Glock 19, which was nice and light for girls like us!





So I may have a cute fluffy bunny and my hair is purple and I make rainbow cakes for a living but I'm decently accurate with a gun so don't screw around with me. :P










We also did indoor drift karting that day... Which was like go-karting but more fun, because these were modified for you to drift easily. The whole time I was drifting (like a noob) through the tracks, the annoying song Tokyo Drift repeated through my head. Du du du du du du~ I wonder if you know, *the rest of the song is gibberish I can't understand*

I wanted to go zip lining through the forests but Maureen doesn't do too well with heights so we opted for a milder option instead! Chiang Mai has other exhilarating extreme sports such as zorbing, bungee jumping, ATV riding through the jungle if you're keen on more thrilling outdoor activities. Definitely give their ziplining mazes a go, it's one of Chiang Mai's most popular tourist attractions and I heard it is a TON of fun flying through the forests in the air on a cable!!! I'm dying to go back and try some day!


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7) Have a meal among the Thai mountains & heavens in Chiang Mai!



Atop a mountain 45 minutes from the city called Mon Jam, nests a little home-style restaurant serving you delectable food. But it wasn't the food that enticed us.


This is what we came to the top of the mountain for:










To have a private little picnic in adorable wooden huts in the clouds. To have lunch at one of the most serene and stunning places I've ever had the privilege of sitting down & enjoying a meal at.





Maureen & I couldn't stop gushing about how perfect our lunch spot was. This was definitely the highlight of my trip. All of Chiang Mai was great, but this literally tops it all.





The weather was warm in the city but enjoyable where we were - as we were higher up in the mountain, cool breezes came along every now and then and generally we didn't perspire at all. Chiang Mai gets quite chilly during winter, about 15 degrees in the city during morning and nights!




And the food.... :') Oh, what more can I say about authentic Thai food??? Really? Can I do it justice with mere words?




Toto, you are SOOOO awesome for bringing us to places like these which aren't usual tourist spots! Thank you for allowing us to see the real Chiang Mai!





We sat there for a long, slow lunch, popping juicy sweet strawberries from nearby farms into our mouths while enjoying every second of the peacefulness that surrounded us. Just breathing in the fresh air, pondering over life and being happy.






If you ever come to Chiang Mai there is no way you can miss out on this place. You will leave with a happier, lighter heart :)

I did.

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8) Get up close with dangerous exotic animals with crazy people who risk their lives for your entertainment in Chiang Mai!





I'm not that afraid of reptiles. I am a lot more scared of insects like butterflies & moths than I am of lizards and snakes!




Praying, I assume, for their safety as everyday they face huge job hazards (hint: its brown & green & sitting right behind them!!!)






These boys make Steve Irwin look like a wimp.




Maureen & I screamed a few times during this show. AKDAJIWERWFUKSjskasdal;qr3 WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!











Another insane man toying around with a king cobra at another show. I don't mean insane in a bad way. But let's face it, you gotta be insane to a certain extent to work at a job with these sorta animals right?!?!?





Them demonstrating releasing the venom of a poisonous snake into a cup right in front of my face. O_O





Ok I know I said I'm not that scared of snakes but I still don't like them around my neck and it was so heavy and warm but cold at some parts and just "WTF WTF WTF" the expression says it all.





Eventually I managed to compose myself for a few seconds for this shot. The snake looks like it's gonna bite my...





A cuteeee baby hedgehog (also found at the King Cobra Show) to balance out the evurl creatures overload. It reminded me of my old hamster Pudding! So small ♥


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9) Watch pretty Thai girls dance & perform as you feast on a traditional Khantoke dinner show!



At the Old Chiangmai Cultural Center!





Sitting around a low round table on the floor in front of the stage enjoying our drinks and waiting for the show to start






"What makes the traditional Lanna Khantoke dinner so special is the music and dance accompanying the mouth-watering food. Thai Classical Dance is a matchless piece of performance art that cannot be described in words. However, it could be compared to a group of dancers performing in the field of wheat, or sunflower dancing together in the evening breeze. The dancing resembles poetry in motion. This informal style of dinning with different style of cooking and gentle slow-tempo dance makes the Khantoke dinner a remarkable experience.




There could be hardly a better plate than the traditional Thai meals. Thai dishes are completely different from Western concept. Generally, a traditional Khantoke dinner starts with fried pumpkin. Then you can proceed to the mildly spicy red chili, tomato and minced pork dip. The alternate options are mouth-watering Burmese pork curry, so delectable that you wouldn’t wait to have it twice and the luscious fried chicken.        
 
The Hangleh (pork curry) with stir-fried cabbage and sticky or plain cooked rice would be etched in your mind forever. Further, the bowl of crispy fried noodles goes well with the rice. At the end, the scrumptious deserts with fried rice crispies await your tongue. Certainly, the Khantoke dinner would surely be the fantastic experience that will keep you craving for a second coming." - credit source


The food was beyond delectable. The best part was the waitresses would come around every now and then to top up any dishes you've greedily devoured. Like a buffet brought to your table with classy dancing girls included. Loved the concept of sitting on the floor, it was extremely casual and laid-back, I don't fancy fine dining settings too much - too formal for me and I sit cross legged 90% of the time, even in a lot of restaurants! Another must-do in Chiang Mai and a perfect way to spend the evening. Toto told me this was what kings / emperors used to eat! I wouldn't mind having this once a week as a staple in my life. Honestly.


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10) Shop to your heart's content for handicrafts and cheap bargains at the night market!





The weekend night market is the most happening place to be on a Saturday night in Chiang Mai. It's bustling with people, food and merchandises. I LOVE night bazaars & markets in any country.. this one is the best one I've been to hands down! Just so much to see, smell and buy! All at the most affordable prices you can get.







I believe these are pandan leaves folded in roses. Mad!




A popsicle is always a good idea in Thailand






Real candies coated with lacquer and turned into hair accessories. Say whaaat? I was so tempted to buy one back home for the heck of it but realized it has no real use. Like, at all. Would you wear a candy clip out?




My favorite Thai dessert! Love Thai honey mangoes and glutinous rice!






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And that sums up our trip the last thing we did in Chiang Mai before flying back to Singapore the next morning. I bought a floral sun hat, a weaved bag, and some accessories for myself & friends not pictured here! I love bargains. $_$ Thailand is full of them. There you have it, my list of 10 things to do in Chiang Mai!!!! Or at least the main 10 things I went through there!




All in all, I absolutely loved exploring Chiang Mai and its hidden gems waiting to be discovered.

It proved to be a delightful new age city in Thailand that has won a new found special place in my heart. I feel like I came back to Singapore a slightly renewed person from all the experiences. Some of which I did not even blog about but stays known only to Maureen & I!




I think Chiang Mai is a severely underrated holiday destination that more people need to sit up and take notice of, but now that you guys have read this post, hopefully it will change your minds! Most of the Thai people I met in Chiang Mai were nice, and kind. I didn't feel unsafe there or that I had to be wary and watch my bag or belongings all the time (as I'm sure we have all experienced when traveling at some point or another) I had the best 4 days ever and brought home with me memories to last a long time. Our time there was far too short, 5 days to a week would be perfect to tour all around this city. I will definitely recommend Chiang Mai to anyone who's looking for a little bit of everything - food, culture, sports and more! It's a world of discovery and adventure out there. Thailand just keeps on surprising me. Every trip I've made there has been so different and unique in its own way!







Thankful for the new friendships found, the generosity and kindness shown to me during this trip and.. just.. thankful in general.

A shout out to Chan Brothers and Tourism Authority of Thailand for the opportunity to embark on this trip!!! ♥ Thailand, it's always a pleasure!


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VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE T.Y.E BLOGGER!!!.... aka me. :'DD




There's an ongoing contest among the 3 groups of bloggers who visited different parts of Thailand on this Young Explorer Project, and we all created video diaries and blog posts based on our unique experiences....  Now we're competing to see who will walk away as the ultimate winner! If you wanna see a video of me looking ridiculous while riding an elephant and firing a real badass gun, CLICK HERE and vote for Maureen & I! Of course, if you think the other teams did better than us, feel free to vote for them instead...  but I'm watching you. I will know who you vote for, and I will hunt you down.

Just kidding. :D Or, am I? But honestly, I reckon Maureen did a GREAT job at video editing, she made the video highly entertaining to watch and it must have taken her so many hours to do up something like that!!! So vote for us and stand a chance to win $100 Chan Brothers Travel Vouchers! Voting ends 2nd of June. Thanks in advance!

For more information about the Thailand Young Explorer Project: www.chanbrothers.com/tye/index.cfm

xoxo,
Jess