Camp Day or the Best Buffet in Thailand?
This essay was originally published on August 20, 2021, on my previous travel blog, Travel Creecher.
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I quickly learned that my school dedicates every Wednesday to scouting. Students wear a girl scout, boy scout, or military uniform to school. Most of the teachers also follow the same dress code. The school day progresses as normal, but they utilize the last few periods for learning different scout-specific activities. The students apart of the military program do various drills and survival skills, while the students apart of the girl and boy scouts do activities such as building a tent, proper flag etiquette, and cooking. These skills all cumulated one afternoon for what they call, “Camp Day”. It reminded me of the occasional “Field Day” I would have in elementary school, except instead of playing outdoor games, these students showcased their scouting skills. And I couldn’t have been more impressed.
What Is Camp Day?
After lunch, my host teacher told me to ride my bike around campus to see all the various activities students would do during Camp Day. I followed her directions and rode around various locations on campus. Aside from the students in the military program, every student partook in the same activity: building their own fire and cooking a meal. Teachers guided some of the younger students to cook a specific meal, but the majority were free to use the ingredients provided to cook anything they wanted. And let me tell you, they did not disappoint.
First of all, groups of roughly eight students each made their own fire. Yes, I will admit, it was very impressive they could all build and sustain their own fire. Although, I was even more impressed by the fact they were building fires at all. In California, most places don’t allow campfires. During Camp Day, there were probably thirty or forty separate fires, all made by students, and all right on campus. Imagine that, a full-on campfire in the middle of a school field or courtyard…It blew me away.
I watched each group make a fire and then prep their ingredients. I asked each group what they planned to cook and watched as they all collaborated. Almost every group started by boiling rice in a large pot, constantly stirring as the water boiled off from the heat of the campfire. Simultaneously, other members of the group cut-up fresh vegetables and meat to be stir-fried over the same fire.
I watched in amazement as each group naturally cooked an entire Thai meal, over a fire, in the middle of school grounds. It was unbelievably impressive.
Tasting the Food
After an hour or so riding between each group of students and watching them all prep their meals, I partook in some of the preparation myself. One group was making som tum, a classic salad of the Isaan region, and one of my personal favorites. I tried my best to mix and pound the combination of peppers, papaya, tomato, and sauce, but by the student’s laughter, I could tell I looked like a complete amateur.
I moved on to other groups as they finished cooking and eagerly wanted me to sample what they cooked. Every single bite tasted good; I’m not kidding. From grilled meat to salads to fried rice-you name it-everything they made was stellar.
I quickly realized the students were not only cooking for themselves, they were cooking meals for the teachers. I joined a group of teachers on the lawn as we sampled plate after plate of food cooked by each student group. It was a complete feast, and all freely prepared by hundreds of my very own Thai students.
As I stuffed my face with a delicious variety of food, I asked one teacher if the students learned how to cook this well at school. He said cooking was a part of the scout training, but most of the students already knew how to cook at home. Of course. I should have known; the food was nothing other than a quality home-cooked meal.
The Food Contest
With the afternoon winding down, and my stomach full from this unexpected second lunch, I biked from the field to the other side of campus to see how the younger students were getting along. What I came upon was yet another feast. Except, this one was not only for the teacher’s enjoyment. This was a contest, and the teachers were the judges.
There was a long table full of various Thai dishes. Teachers walked alongside the table, took a bite of each plate, and marked a score on a piece of paper. They handed me a spoon to judge as well. Again, hardly any food was a disappointment.
In fact, there was one dish of pad kra pao that was phenomenal. Pad kra pao is my favorite Thai food, and this was the best version I have tried to date. Other teachers agreed it tasted good, and the dish won first place. The winners? A group of thirteen-year-old girls. Yes, a group of thirteen-year-old students cooking over their own fire in the middle of a school campus were responsible for the best Thai meal I have ever eaten. Who would have guessed?
This Was Camp Day
The contest concluded and the students cleaned up their cooking area while traditional Thai music played in the background. Teachers danced and students laughed. My stomach was full, the vibes were up, and everyone was happy.
I did not expect to come across this festival that was Camp Day. I expected to see students tying knots or looking for bugs or something. The reality exceeded my expectations. This was my first Camp Day and may, unfortunately, be my last, but at least it was one for the memory books.
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Published at https://kylecreech.com on September 13, 2021.
