News Trend Life Of A Math Teacher: Number 15|Actual

This dish is more commonly known as Swimming Rama but in my heart, it will always be Number 15.

When a college calculus professor takes a firm stand on Thai food, you know he's going to command my full attention,.

It's not often that such a serious scholar would take time away from his lecture notes to discuss such trivialities as food. But this man clearly felt so strongly about Asian flavors that he brought up the topic not once or twice, but at least a half dozen times during the quarter.

Wasn't even my professor. My third-born brought reports home to me of this math teacher who regularly interrupted his heady explanations of integrals and derivatives with a recurring side note about one Asian dish in particular.

"You have not lived," he pronounced, "till you've tried the Number 15 at Thai Tom's on the Ave."

(Isn't that just like a mathematician to remember the dish by its number.)

Well. As a math teacher who loves to deliver a few passionate side stories of her own, I took this recommendation very much to heart.

I decided that I must taste this magical elixir for myself.

And even though

the restaurant is tiny

the service is sketchy

your bill must be paid in cash

and the waitresses will criticize the amount of your tip...And if you happen to look Asian, they will literally chase you down the street and try to make you tip them more.

I was most definitely not disappointed.

Now, every six months or so, whenever I am holding midterms or final exams for my own math students, I find myself craving a Number 15. And more often than not, I head down to Thai Tom's for a dish so delicious that math professionals cannot get enough.

And if that isn't praise of the highest power, I don't know what is.

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Read more stories about my life as a math teacher:

Social Distancing

Playing With A Full Deck

The (Math) Joke's On Me

Sharing Life

Little Brothers

Sweet Inspiration

My Hero

What I Do

Number 15

Christmas Edition

tiga.1415926

Buy It And Burn It

In Honor Of James K. Polk

House Tours

My Deep Gladness

Isolating The Radical

By The Numbers

Teaching My Own: High School Art And Algebra

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Thai Tom's is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant on the Ave in Seattle, and if you ever have the chance, go there. In the meantime, I highly recommend you read all about it.

Life Of A Math Teacher: Number 15

My Homemade Pad Thai

Seattle > The U District > the Ave > Thai Tom"s > Nirvana

Rice Bowl Sauce: Spicy Sriracha Peanut