The Football game Sunday, June 6, 2016 Continued

Thailand 2  Jordan 0

The underdog Thailand defeated Jordan 2-0 in the King's Cup Football Championship!

After being award the prestigious King's Cup trophy, the national football (soccer) team sent the trophy to their revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej on the other side of Bangkok at the Thai Royal Place.  It was an emotional moment with all the fans chanting, "Long live the King".

 I had over 70,000 seats to pick from when I arrived early before the consolation game between Syria and United Arab Emerites.  I sat next to a Chinese fan and his Thai wife and quickly connected with "Rocky" who runs a company that brings kids from China to Thailand to attend his soccer training camp.  He said Beijing has long cold winters and the wealthy Chinese parents send their kids to him to learn soccer skills in the tropical weather of Bangkok.  We talked the entire time and was treated to many Thai snacks.  One of the snacks was pumpkin seeds.  I took a handful and ate them.  They all looked at me in shock.  I ate the whole pumpkin seed.  "No, No, No", they said.  Bite the seed and just eat the middle.  "No, No, No," I said, "You eat it all" and they all laughed.  I am sure they are talking about it today.  They worked so hard to remove the little pith in the center of the seed.  It hardly seemed worth it.  Below: Rocky and Brandin

                            Thailand (Red and White) vs. Jordan  Final score:  Thailand 2 and Jordan 0.

 FYI....If you have issues with sanitary eating utensils, you may want to stay away from street vendors.  All the vendors for 100 yards use the same water to wash and rinse their silverware, glasses and plates using the buckets below.  The water was brown looking and not very sterile for sure!!!!

Below:  The bus bringing the Thai National Team drove by and I gave the players a big thumbs up and they waved with a big smile.  I had my new Thai football shirt on so they could tell my allegiance. 

Bangkok TV-32 News/sports was at the game getting the fans into the mood 

Do you know your Asian Fruits????

Durians Welcome: 16th Bangkok Fruit Festival hits Gourmet Market

By Coconuts Bangkok June 6, 2016 / 11:20 ICT

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Ready to kickstart that healthy lifestyle even though you “forgot” about your New Year’s resolution a few months ago? We thought so. Here’s your chance to stock up on delicious, juicy, vitamin-rich fruit, both local and exotic.

The 16th annual Bangkok Fruit Fest is on at Gourmet Market and Home Fresh Mart from June 2-29. June is when local Thai fruit is at its peak, so get ready wrap your lips around the best durian, mangoes and rambutan our great country has to offer.

At the Fruit Fest you’ll find fruit at its optimum taste and texture from every corner of Thailand, and the globe. Prepare to experience a mouthful of mango so insanely delicious that it will make you rethink everything you know about the food pyramid. (As in, you’ll want to live on fruit from now on.) And you’ll be all the healthier for it.

Let’s start with that noble King of Fruits. Did you know there are hundreds of varieties of durian? At the Fruit Fest you’ll find durian at its most delicious, flavorful (and stinky). Its also high in potassium, fiber and Vitamin C. Try the rare durian from Pala-U district in Prachuabkirikhan. The fruit is bred especially for its delicate taste and relatively subtle aroma. You might even be able to sneak it into your building.

Next, try golden rambutan from Trat. Long, golden “hair” adorns this highly recognizable red fruit. Yes, it’s the Rapunzel of the natural world and its beauty is only matched by its amazing flavor. The soft flesh is succulent and sweet. And for those of us who like to buy now and eat later, the tough skin make it last a long time at room temperature.

Red grapes are rich in minerals like phosphorous, calcium, iron and Vitamin C. Grapes are also a great source of polyphenols, natural antioxidants that support brain function, arguably the most important of bodily functions.

The reddish brown scaly skin of the sumalee salak is why some people refer to it as snake fruit. It has a lot of Vitamin C to support the immune system and calcium and phosphorous which promote pituitary health.

Long kong, those little brown fruits that appear in clusters, are another local Thai fruit on offer. While peeling them takes some effort, you’ll be rewarded with a significant source of Vitamin B and fiber. Long kong like these from Rayong province are at their ripest in June. They are planted at the seaside and mountainous areas, where the soil is fertile and rich in minerals.

International fruits like melons from Japan and Pinklady apples from Australia are another highlight of the festival. The crunchy, tangy apples are high in Vitamin C, fiber and very low in carbohydrates.

Fresh Indian pomegranates are known for their antioxidant properties. In fact, the pomegranate has reached superfruit status in much of the Western world. We’re lucky to find pomegranate everywhere here, from street sellers to supermarkets, but that doesn’t make them any less nutritious. So stock up while you can!

If that’s not enough fruit action for you then wait until you see the vast array of fruit based products for sale. You’ll find everything from dried bananas and mangoes, sticky durian paste and coconut ice cream to a huge variety of cold pressed juices.

The 16th Bangkok Fruit Fest is on at the The Mall Bankapi (June 2-8), The Mall Thaphra (June 9-15) and The Mall Bangkhae (June 16-22); and at Gourmet Market Emporium, EmQuartier, Paragon, Terminal 21, The Promanade, The Crystal SB Rachaphreuk, and Home Fresh Mart at every branch of The Mall from June 2-29.