Alright guys, this is my second full day in Thailand, and so far, we are still adjusting. In fact, today consisted of my going to the local mall and purchasing some much needed products that weren't necessary for the plane ride to Thailand. I.e.- Face wash, toothpaste, floss,writing materials, a hairbrush, deodorant, the list goes on.
In reference to any skincare products, I noticed that there is a fascination with skin-whitening products. I'm sure many of you have heard of lotions, body washes, make-up products, and so on, but to think that about eighty percent of anything related to skin care advertised whitening products was definitely a surprise. The question I have about it, of course, is why there is this...let's say it, obsession. As in, what is the actual benefit of skin whitening? Are there health benefits? If so, what are they? Or are they just for the aesthetic purpose? And why is it considered aesthetically pleasing to have lighter skin? Not that I'm complaining, though there are negative aspects that come with having lighter skin. For one: higher risk of skin cancer. Due to the lower amount of melanocytes, which, if you did not know, are the reason for the coloring of one's skin, and why we tan, fairer skinned people are more prone to skin cancer. Should I also mention melanocytes perform a protective function against the sun's rays? Yep! (Of course, there can also be a negative effect for those who live further from the equator with dark skin, and depression [Vitamin D production]). But anyways, is there a difference between skin whitening, and skin bleaching? Obviously, I have way too many questions, and I will probably post some longer, better-researched piece that focuses on skin whitening and the positive/negative effects it may have, and all that fun stuff. Let's move forward!
This was probably the major highlight of my day, besides my adorable cousin pretending to cry until we ate dinner because he couldn't find me, although I was napping in his room. That was a hoot! We (The 'we' being my mother, uncle, aunt, and myself) found it humorous, but after about thirty minutes, we were a little tired of it; then we ate dinner and all was forgiven because Kevin decided he wanted to play hide-and-seek in the grocery store with me while we shopped for ingredients to make breakfast sausage. Oh! That reminds me: I will be assisting my uncle in making breakfast sausage tomorrow, it'll be a first for both of us! Get ready for a recipe, even if it's not quite Thai cuisine.
Speaking of Thai cuisine, for dinner, we ate at a restaurant, where we were served two different curries, one red, one green, an omelette with onion, mushroom, and pork, raw veggies, and chicken that reminded me a lot of Panda Express Orange Chicken, without the spice. Let me tell you, the Red curry, though delicious, was SPICY! I'm a weenie when it applies to spicy foods, and my spicy-veteran uncle and mother both informed me, as I was putting the first spoonful in my mouth that it was so. I could handle a few bites, mostly because there were such interesting ingredients, such as the green pea eggplant (which looked, well, like green peas!), pineapple, chiles, curry, lemongrass among the key ingredients. The green one had a lovely coconut taste and, I was told, it was milder than the red curry. I couldn't really tell, though, because I was still recovering from the Vengeance of the Red Curry. Let's just say, I was recovering for the next hour from the burrrrrrrrn (it burned so good!). Tears were streaming down my thoroughly ruddy face, and I was just sniffling and chuckling as I soldiered on eating.
That's about it for now, as I'm sure my ironing of all the clothing I unpacked is probably not part of your interest to read. Tomorrow will consist of a trip to Pattaya for some minor shopping (we are on the hunt for sage!) for the sausage. Perhaps we will find yet another tasty restaurant, maybe some shopping, but I will also be working on my TESOL certification, because I have been lazing around way too much on that, and I need to get that completed so that I can work with my aunt who has been so helpful. I also came in contact with a friend who is in the business of exporting merchandise, and he told me he wanted to help, so who knows? It looks like I have already a couple paths to choose for my future and, well, it is somewhat nerve-racking, yet exciting. Time to go to bed, now, and look forward to a productive day!
-K
No comments:
Post a Comment