'WONG LO GUT'

The spice and the chilis will get to you after a few days on a Thai diet, initially at the top end ie your throat, then the stomach, and eventually to the bottom end .... I reminded myself constantly of this threat and tried to manage it from day one. Being 'in-market' for 3-weeks now I managed to stay clear of even the slightest signs of any problems. How? It is a 3-prong approach (1) I drink lots, I mean lots of water like 3+ litres during the course of the day, and at night, when I am home (2) I load myself, daily, with delicious Thai papaya, water melon & pineapples at the ridiculous cost of Baht 2o a day (3) I help myself to one of these 'leung cha' from a Chinese medicine shop for, yes, Baht 2o again, almost daily. They come in different tastes, the one I like most is 'wong lo gut' at the far right which is extremely bitter, with no sugar. The Chinese saying here ' ... bitter medicine is better medicine ...." I can feel its combative spirit all the way down my throat, as the chilies raise the white flag. One more week to go, and I am home free. Touch wood!