I was so excited this morning....I was going to be learning to cook thai with the executive Chef of the Thai restaurant on the Resort....

Seven of us met in the reception and Tan the Executive Chef of the Ginja Restauant led us out to a mini bus where we headed north back over to the mainland to the nearest market...

What I loved is that Tan (whose English was pretty good) explained a million things as we drove about Thai Culture and when we got to the market it was fabulous having an expert guide you through everything. We stopped at various stalls and Tan explained what all the weird and wonderful vegetables were, and how you would use them at home and how we would use them today.

I recognized a few of them from Waitrose but until now, I never had a clue what they were used for..Tan then took us to the fishmonger. This part of the market stunk.. ..not the fresh fish of course but the dried stuff they use for cooking....oh god it turned the stomach along with the flies...My body just wouold not alow me to breath through the nose... I wanted to wretch....so I was breathing through the mouth and staying very quiet!

Then it was time to visit the various Butchers!...The Marriott (THANK SWEET JESUS!) gets all of its meat flown in and never uses local markets because of hygience issues and having seen it all up close I totally endorse that policy...God it was frigging awful with meat slapped out on wooden blocks...and the flies all having a street party on it all....yuk!

Nothing looked disinfected or clean...and no-one was doing anything about the god damn flies!....there were no flourescent rings zapping them like you see on the walls in all butchers and fishmongers in the UK...ohh no!

I saw guts/intestines slapped on a wooden desk, next to which sat piles of pork along with other meats...ohh and hanging up before us was.......A PIGS HEAD!....the skull and brain was gone.. it was really a fresh pig mask...mm nice...I was asked if I wanted my photo with it and politely declined! ...I have attached a photo for you to look at...Now I have no idea what anyone would want with a pigs head but maybe they should just put lipstick on it and call it Sarah!

We meandered over to the other side of the market to get some fresh coconut milk for our meals and we saw it freshly made..the coconut husk goes into a shredder...the flesh is then put in another machine and it squeezes the cream out of the flesh..with the liquid falling into a bucket below and the dry flesh coming out the other end...and fed to chickens...brilliant..no waste! If you want milk rather than creme you just add water.

So we had got all of our veg and went back for breakfast..It was at this point that finally the 4 mile deep Ice sheet began to break in the group...

We had 3 Americans...a married couple from New York...and a young graduate from New Jersey...she was lovely...then there was me; a DULL couple from Toronto (in their 30's, going on 100..yawn) and finally an indian chap...Now he was interesting....in his late forties..his family had struck oil in Nigeria in the 50's...he explained that his family were throwing a wedding on the resort over the next week, which explained the number of indians on the resort...he explained that 500 ...yes 500 people would be arriving...and he and his family were paying for it all!!!christ!.....oh and the blue pool area (see the photos)is now closed to us.. HUH?.... QUE?......WHAT?..forget the money thing...did I hear him right?...my favourite pool area was now closed to us!!?? It was as the other guests kindly confirmed..this news that I couldn't hide my immediate and short-lived annoyance....what a Fucker!...and the wedding is going on for 4 frigging days!!! I touched his arm and as sincere as I could be at this horrifying news said "Don't worry Pe dee, we'll just have to go and spend the 4 days relaxing at the other pool with ALL OF THE CHILDEN!"......he smiled back just as sincerely..as did I...He did't give a shit....

It was funny talking to people about the resort too, most concluded that it was very expensive...£4 for a coffee from the coffee bar is a piss take and not many realised (like me) how far away from any action the resort is..and how shit the hotel transport is....no-one would come back...not because the hotel is crap..it really isn't..it's just that it is in a remote northern part of the island and literally 1 mile from the border to the mainland....

If you dribble, and are on life support you may not have a problem with any of this but anyone that has a pulse which is not induced through mechanical assistance will get bored within 36 hours...I feel terrible saying this because the views are jaw droppingly gorgeous and the beach is amazing and clean and when I am back in London working, with the wet winter weather waiting to check-in I will jump out of the 9th floor for saying all of this.....but unless you like been sat on your arse all day sunbathing (I can't do that for more than an hour or two).. then you will get bored....I get fidgety after an hour...and have to do something...like ATV Treks!....I think I actually drummed up some support for the ATV trek...I should get a comission!

Well with breakfast over..and the ice finally broken we walked through the gardens to the Cooking school. It is a beautiful traditional Thai wooden building with several work stations inside where we can prep the food..and in the middle of the room there is a large dining table where we sit and eat our food...I loved it...and could picture an amazing coroprate event in my minds eye....Cocktails out on the terrace looking out to the turquiose Andeman sea before cooking an amazing meal with your clients/work colleagues...ahh....it would be quite nice flying out to Phuket for a cooking session!.....quite a treat....but let's face it, that ain't gonna happen ....So back to reality..

Tan..the "Master" made all the dishes effortlessly...and then it was our turn. Firstly we made Thai Green Curry; then Pad Thai and finally Som Tum..which reminded me of a dear friend at home...Jordy is a big fan of Thailand and is also a great cook and he loves Thai food..especially Chilli's which he grows at home in Hackney every year!....so I thought I could take my new found skills back to the UK and throw a Thai dinner party...although he will have to have his own dish - because he loves Chilli..and requires ten times more of it than anyonelese.....personally I don't mind them but I prefer not to blow my head off.....

What surprised me is actually how easy it all really is...as with most things in life, if you prepare well then the actual task in hand becomes a lot easier.

So the curry! - We put in the oil in the wok with the curry paste..added the chicken..then chicken stock..and coconut milk..We then threw in the egg plants.. and then added the fish sauce, and palm sugar before finally adding the Kaffir lime leves, Thai sweet basil and Chili....curry done!...Gorgeous!

We then did Pad Thai and Som Tom....I won't bore you with the process...but I loved it....it was a lot of fun and informative ...I am sat now trying to work out where the hell I can get some of these ingredients in London...Jordy will know!

After we had finished eating we were given our Ginja certificates ; cook book and Aprons to remind us of the day.....itwas well worth the £100 to do the day! I can't wait to get in the kitchen now and do some more!

A Fab day!

A :)