So I also serve as a photographer for my part-time job. Yesterday, it was the first round of shooting for a recipe book, which is one output of the project. It was also my first time to do serious food photography. I’ve been practicing at restos but of course, it’s totally a different story when these photos are going to be printed.

Unfortunately, for me, it was another one of those scheduled fasting-on-food days and again, unfortunately, for me, they planned on preparing pumpkin chips –deep fried until crispy and eat them with my favorite Lao food, tamakkhong (papaya salad).

The torture doesn’t stop right there, after demonstrating how to do pumpkin chips and after enduring the lovely smell of kapii (shrimp paste) and the scrumptious-looking tamakkhong –they started to make rice noodles for khao peak gai (chicken noodle soup). Mhe Dokkeo (Mom Dokkeo), the master trainer, who also happens to be an excellent cook, prepared the most awesome-smelling khao peak ever. And with the noodles meticulously and freshly-made, with only the best-of-home ingredients, I could have died and have gone to Lao food heaven.

But I didn’t –cos discipline is something I have to (re)learn.