I was in Bangkok, Thailand in April of this year for the 11th United Nations Crime Congress, where I had the opportunity to have a first-hand experience of Thai cuisine. Usually, I sometimes have phobias for travels that last longer than two weeks because I know I may not be able to get the kind of food I would like to eat and that usually makes me nostalgic after a week.
Rice is the second most common stable food in Nigeria (bread ranks first) and it is one of my favourites. Knowing that most of the rice grains we import to Nigeria are from Thailand, I had already settled my mind to eating rice, should I have problems with the available food.
Since the congress was of an international nature, the organisers tried all they could to provide as much varieties as possible to meet the varying needs of delegates. A ‘food court’ was provided by the organisers at the Queen Silikit Conference Centre, venue for the Congress. Visiting the food court almost everyday of the Congress, made me appreciate Thai cuisine even more. The layout was superb with several kinds of foods (including Halal) available for the UN delegates from all the continents. One thing that astonished me that I could not resist was the ways these foods were presented – they were very appealing to the eyes and definitely mouth-watering!
After visiting the first food kiosk on the first day I was so curious at what next I would see, that I took time to walk around all the other kiosks available at the food court. My curiosity paid off for something nice when I went to the kiosk for fruits. I saw some displayed fruits on display and actually thought they were artificial, I was shocked when the chef told me that they were hand-crafted. He then took me to a point where another chef was working on a similar fruit - I was more amazed at the expertise at which ordinary fruits were crafted for display purposes – I could not believe that the same water melon and pawpaw (papaya) that I eat ordinarily can be translated to a work of art. The Thai chef gave me the opportunity to take pictures of the fruits and also try my hands on designing the fruit he was crafting - I really loved the experience.
Food is definitely a universal language. While attending another special event – a dinner hosted by Thai’s Navy for delegates to the Congress, I was shocked to see ‘Zobo’ (a popular locally made drink in Nigeria) as one of the special drinks provided. It was prepared the same way and had the exact taste with the one I am used to back home – I did not waste time to fill my glass with ice and help myself to a full cup. That particular event was used to showcase as many things that are typical of Thailand e.g. food, culture etc. and I really saw many items that bind Nigeria and Thailand together.
Of all the foreign countries I have visited in recent times, Thailand gave me the most choice of food to pick from. Considering the fact that I like rice a lot – a typical food in Thailand, I did not miss my home food too much. There were lots of spices and chillies which are essential elements in my food preparation in Nigeria and that made the meals more appealing to me.
Another aspect that I noted is the culture of greeting by the Thai Ladies that attended to us at the lounge in Windsor Suites Hotel, Shukumvit – they practically knelt down (on both knees) to take our orders and they served the drinks the same way. In Nigeria that is typical of my Tribe – the Yoruba’s, who are from the South-western part of the country. We usually courtesy or kneel down to greet our elders – it is a show of respect and strictly adhered to.
The visit made me realise that we have lots in common; it will only take us to discover it. Had I not been to Bangkok, I would not have known all the things I discovered during my stay.
If only we can make conscious efforts to look at our similarities rather than our differences – this world will definitely be a better place to stay.
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