Poop Culture

Tuesday was the release party of the book “Poop Culture: How America is Shaped By Its Grossest National Product” by Dave Praeger at the Galapagos Art Space in Williamsburg. The night was filled with all things poop including a poop inspired installation by Joe Fattorini who has always amazed me with the sheer amounts and wierdness of the ’stuff’ he collects(scavenges) in his various homes and work spaces. I am glad that his unbridled creativity finally found an appreciative outlet and audience that is a perfect match.

One thing I have to say about a night of poop stories. When the comedians are funny, you can’t stop laughing….and when they are not, you just keep wishing it would end and the night seems indeed extremely long (no matter the amount of beers you have in you)

Yoga teachers

Yesterday was my first time doing bikram two days in a row. Since the beginning of this year I have been on a good track and doing yoga quite frequently. (Not that its getting any easier) I generally go to the LES or Williamsburg studios. After a while, you tend to make up a list of teachers that you like and ones that you prefer to avoid.

In general, I like teachers who remember my name and give good pose corrections. Generally in additional to the usual things that all teachers say…they have special details or a new way of trying things that can make you realize something new. They tend to push you the hardest but also know when to let up and let you rest without feeling guilty. At LES, I like Nick. He is very attentive and gives great feedback. Trish is know for having the hottest room in all of NY. She remembers EVRYONE’s names, gives a lot of great encouragement and overall good vibes. Shannon is also great (her room is not so hot…but she has a very calming effect) She won this year’s tri-state yoga competition. She was awesome…very inspiring.

Christian teaches at Williamsburg and so far he is one of my favorites there except that recently he has been known to break out into song during the savasana. Thats a little distracting to me…but hey its w.burg, what can you do? Its a shame that the good teachers are at LES isn’t as convenient as the willaimsburg studio, the quality of the studio and the teachers there are really awesome.

Hey, know a good Thai restaurant?

If you are a Thai person living outside of Thailand…there is the one question that eventually everyone you know will eventually ask you. Its a difficult question to answer and I have contemplated the answer many times. For the ‘askers’ let me clue you in on what should be an obvious fact. There are very few instances that Thai people will go out to eat at a Thai restaurant.

1. They are in Thailand
2. The place makes them think they are in Thailand
3. They are forced to go by their ‘farang’ friends (and are just being polite).
4. They are forced to go by their freinds (relatives) that own the place (and are just being polite).

First of all, if you say you like Thai food, then you simply HAVE to go to Thailand. Don’t satisfy your palate with the same rubber stamped menus that you find in 90% of all Thai restaurants. There’s nothing like eating Thai food in Thailand. Also, incase you weren’t aware….I would say that most Thai food outside of Thailand is being cooked by a bunch of amateurs. Why would I pay 8$ for something I can easily make at home? (and better) I am sure a lot of my friends feel the same way.

The second reason is the best reason for you to go to a Thai restaurant. This is where they serve up the authentic fare with dishes that brings me back to Thailand. How can you tell? Look around. Is the place filled or frequented by Thais? Is there a Thai menu or parts of the menu in Thai? (That is usually a very good sign) I tend to be a little wary if my waiter/waitress cannot speak Thai. In every city there is atleast ONE resaurant that qualifies. In NY it’s Sri Prapai: 64-13 39th Ave., Queens, NY 11377 between 64th and 65th Sts. So many good things to eat here (Catfish salad, mussel pancake, Kha Mhu Pad Krapow, Grilled pork neck) but beware it tends to be very spicy!! If a Thai person is feeling homesick, they head to Woodside.

The third reason is why I often tolerate eating bad Thai food. When one of my friends say ‘Let’s eat Thai food” I TRY not to roll my eyes. Usually I try to identify SOME dishes that are pretty good in each restaurant. In my neighbourhood, there is… “Thai Cafe” – They are good for the noodles and stir fry dishes. They treat their customers well, occasionally they will have some good special dishes. That would be my first choice for Thai food in Greenpoint. I NEVER order curries at an untried place. I find that most curries are made from packets (the same way I make them at home) They are made quickly instead of being simmered for hours. And they just don’t taste right… I usually tend to stick with non-noodle stir fried dishes that are really hard to screw up. If duck is an option, that is what I will order since its kinda hard to cook duck your self. Tai Too on Bedford in Williamsburg has pretty good duck basil (but they give you chopsticks and a spoon… what is THAT? That really insults me…that’s like a Thai person who will not speak to you in Thai)

The fourth reason is, over all, not a bad reason to eat at a Thai restaurant. Usually it means some sort of freebies…and it means the chef takes a little bit of extra attention to make your plates memorable. So here is my plug for my friend’s restaurant… Tuk Tuk in LIC. It really isn’t bad at all. She puts in alot of hard work and thought into her restaurants and she is a great hostess! Go and visit a Tuk Tuk in your area…

I usually have a rant about the Thai restaurants I will never set foot in. But there are too many and I will save my ranting for another post.