Paithoon Panphan from Thailand has spent five years in the City and is all praises for Bangalore and its serene ambience.
He works as a chef at The Lalit Ashok and spends most of his time at work. Most of his colleagues are his friends. But he has no regrets about not getting enough time for himself.
“I came to Bangalore in 2009 and have spent almost five years here. Bangalore has become my second home. The people here are friendly and warm but the best part about the City is its weather. That is what keeps me going,” he says. Ask him if he has explored the City and he instantly adds that he tries to take some time out of his hectic schedule and visit the popular malls in the City.
“I haven’t explored much of Bangalore but the malls and supermarkets here are very nice and have a wide variety of products. I generally shop for a lot of things and send them back home or take them when I am visiting my family in Thailand. My children keep asking me about my experiences in India. I have had some amazing experiences here be it meeting people or interacting with local folks,” he says.
He further says that when he had joined work, the awareness among people regarding Thai food was very poor.
However, it has improved with time and he is quite satisfied with his experience of cooking for people.
“Initially, they used to ask us only for green curry and red curry. But with time, I introduced the foodies in the City to more dishes from Thailand and people today want to experiment with food. They are open to having good food and this helps me in my work,” he notes.
His passion for food has made him try the Indian cuisine and though he is quite strict about his food habits, he does not limit himself to only Thai food.
“I have tasted Indian cuisine and have my favourites. There is a wide variety to choose from and I enjoy having them every now and then. My favourites are roti, yellow dal and garlic naan. I also feel that there is a lot in common between the Indian and Thai culture. We have the same harvest festivals and the names are also quite similar. The harvest festival here is called Sankranti and in Thailand, we call it Sonkran. My job is so demanding that I hardly get to spend time with family but I do celebrate Indian festivals with my colleagues and it is a lot of fun,” he explains.
Chef Paithoon is quite impressed with the infrastructure of the City.
He says that traffic is not as chaotic as it is back home and he enjoys going out once in a while.
However, he complains that the auto drivers in the City take him for a ride.
“They ask for exorbitant fares as soon as they see me. It is very annoying. Many a time, even after I have agreed to pay them a bit more, they ask for a tip. I hope that something is done about it. Everything else in the City is great and I enjoy being here. As I work with a lot of people from different parts of India, I have picked up a bit of Hindi but I still need to work on my communication skills,” he notes.
His fun-loving and amicable nature has made him one of the favourites of people who work with him.
He notes that he has made some very good friends with people who work with him and they spend time outside work too.
“We go out and party together sometimes. They are the only company I have here. I have explored other cities in India like Mumbai and Delhi, I want to travel when I get time and hope to see more of India,” he says.
Paithoon wraps up saying that he does miss his family but his friends and colleagues in the City have made his experience in Bangalore worth it.