So, I went to the doctor for a nasty ear infection.

I mean I�m mostly deaf in my right ear anyway, but their has been so much pressure on that eardrum for the last couple of days that I don�t think I could hear a lions roar through it.

Dr. Williams is a friendly doctor.

I like her cause she talks to you.

You know?

I mean she is one of those Doctors that just doesn�t grunt at you, and mindlessly hand you a prescription that they have not even discussed with you yet.

Anyway, this entry is not about her.

So, I leave work at 10:30 today.

I stayed just long enough to administer the first few sections of the core battery of the I.T.B.S. test to my children.

I told my boss in the morning that I was sick, but was going to give the kids their test first before I left. She was understanding. I think.

After she saw me walking down the hallway, with a significant degree of difficulty cause the walls just kept seeming to put themselves in front of me.

*wink*

Yes, I was very dizzy. I think she realized I was serious.

But this entry isn�t about my boss, or leaving work early either.

So, against the wishes of my queasy stomach I go for Thai for lunch. For some reason I have always craved spicy food when my stomach is upset.

I still remember the time I had an ear infection (ahh... this happened every 6 weeks when I was a kid) It was the time of year that my home town had their annual kielbasa sausage festival. There is a large Czech population there. Yep, I went ahead and hate Kilbassa, and was spewing chunks of the wonderful sausage for the rest of the evening.

Don�t worry, today�s eating Thai food on a queasy stomach story does not have a similar ending.

So, I sit down at Bangkok place, not my favorite Thai place here in Houston. But it�s cheep, relatively authentic, and quick. Actually it could be top notch if they would just be more careful about their seasonings in their food. They seem rather careless about the sweet/salty ratio that Thai food has going on.

So, Like I said I sit down. The little old Thai lady, asks me what I would like to drink, and I add that I would also like some �Nam Plah Prik.�

This is the Thai version of salt and pepper. Fish sauce actually with little Thai chili�s sliced into it. It�s a Devine addition to anything Thai, and even better if you add a bit of lime juice, thinly sliced scallion, garlic, and cilantro.

MMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMM ! I tell you!

So anyway, I order the sauce, and she looks at me with a glint in her eye. I see her asking herself, �How does he know about Nam Plah Prik?� And I so desperately want her to ask ME, but she doesn�t. I so desperately want to speak of Noung Yow, and Mrs. Ming, and my wonderful experiences back at the raunt.

So, I�m eating off the buffet. Delighted to see my favorites.

Pad Kee Mao Moo. Ummm..... Drunken Noodles with pork. .

Pad Thai Goong, Stir fried noodles with shrimp, spiced with a lovely, tangy tamarind sauce.

Gang Keow Wan Gai. Green curried Chicken

Yum Nuer,Grilled beef salad, redolent of chili, lime juice, and cilantro . . .

Prik King Moo,Sweet ginger curried pork with green beans.

The Prik King, and the Gang Keow Wan were disappointments, but the rest was rather tasty.

And the Nam Plah tasted so good on my fragrant Jasmine rice..... Pardon me, I just flashed backed to making the rice at the restaurant. There was always a certain reverence in this process to me.

Anyway, so I�m eating my food Thai style, taking a bit of jasmine rice with each bite, even the noodle dishes, enjoying the aromas, tastes, and textures of the wonderful food. Letting myself drift back to happy . . . happier times at the raunt.

The little Thai lady returns to the table just in time to see me using my spoon to sprinkle just a couple of drops of Nam Plah onto my Prik King. And then use my fork to place a little bundle of Jasmine rice and Prik King Moo onto my spoon.

I can see her wanting to ask soooooo Badly! How does this white boy know our ways?!? Where did he learn them?!? Who taught him how to REALLY enjoy our cuisine? Who taught him not to slather everything in sight with peanut sauce? Who taught him to place his fork and spoon parallel to each other on the edge of the plate when he is not done, and to cross them at the top of the plate to signal that his meal is complete?

I saw the twinkle in her eye. I saw her wanting to ask so badly. But she didn�t. Maybe I should have prompted her. I don�t know. Maybe it was a moment lost, maybe we had something for each other to hear. I don�t know.

I do know that I love the cuisine.

I do know that I felt better.

I do know that at the protests of my stomach it was still a good thing.

I do know that I love Nam Plah Prik with my meal.

I do know that someday, some little Thai lady will finally ask me, �How, how do you know these things.�

And I will sit back, tears of remembrance in my eyes, and tell my story.