Before I left for Thailand, I think every one of my friends and family told me, "Thailand will change your life. You'll be so different when you return." I knew that spending 5 months abroad would definitely change me, but I never anticipated that it would take effect so quickly.
Friday, I left for Kanchanaburi and Erawan Waterfalls. I was so excited for the trip because a few of my classmates had already been and from hearing their stories and seeing their pictures, it seemed like an amazing little trip. I woke up early to meet with other students to catch the bus. Traveling into Kanchanaburi was such a change. I left the dirty, over-polluted city behind me and began to see mountains, plants, and water that wasn't quite as brown as the rivers in Bangkok. Once we arrived, we decided to catch a train and ride some elephants. We rode on the Death Railway, which was a really interesting journey. The Death Railway gets its name from the thousands of prisoners that died during the construction of the railroads during World War II. The views from the train were amazing. I couldn't believe the incredible beauty that was flashing before my eyes. The train took about 2 hours, but it was a really neat experience. Once we arrived at the end of the line, we stopped for lunch and bargained a taxi to the elephant camp and then home! Once we arrived at the elephant camp, we were ready for our elephant trek. It cost 250 baht (a little over 4 dollars) to ride on the back of an elephant on a seat or 500 baht to ride on its neck. I was so ready to ride on the neck, but the guide said that you would go into the water and the elephant would flip you off its body so everything would get wet, seeing as I had my camera, money, and other things in my bag that couldn't get wet, I settled for the dry seat ride. I wasn't disappointed. I was mystified at the absolute elegance of this giant creature. Even though I could feel its massive shoulder muscles working beneath my feet, I felt like I was floating above the ground. I thought that we would go on a little path around the farm, something easy, nothing major. Wrong. After getting on the elephant, we head straight down a path, almost a complete drop-off into the water. I have no idea how an elephant can do such a thing. I mean this path was at least a 70 degree angle drop. I would have busted my ass if I tried to trudge down it. But, slowly, we went down the path into the water. The elephant seemed so happy to get into the water. One of the elephants had a little baby, 2 years old according to the guides, and he was adorable. The minute he slipped into the water, he was just like a human child. Splashing the older elephants, swimming in circles around his mother, and blowing water out of his trunk, I don't think he could have had a better time. We went around for about 30 minutes and it was so awesome. Being 5'3 it isn't often that I have to duck for tree branches. The elephants were just so peaceful. When we first arrived, I was a little apprehensive about seeing the elephants with chains around their necks. But, as I came closer to them, they had rubber tubes around the chains, so they wouldn't rub their skin. After taking the ride, I think that they are cared for pretty well. They were going down to the water to play pretty often, and we stopped so they could grab food several times. At the end of the ride you could feed them bananas, which they loved! I stopped to pet one, and it was so incredibly beautiful. I spoke with the woman who was selling bananas and she told me that he was 20 years old and was a "good boy." He was adorable! He flipped up his trunk and blew air at my face and the woman told me that he liked me. I have seen elephants before at the zoo and once at a circus, but this was so different. There was nothing besides a flimsy little wooden fence between us, and he was just enjoying the bananas I was feeding him. Such an awesome experience! There were also two monkeys at the camp. The monkeys I did feel bad for, they were chained to some bamboo structure with about 2 feet of room to roam. They were frantically running back and forth, and even though monkeys are crazy and riddled with disease I hate that they're chained and forced to be a spectacle. I tried to give it affection from afar by throwing food to it.
I rode a motorcycle. Yes, your eyes aren't deceiving you, I Jessica Kesner, rode a motorcycle. For those of you who know me well, I am afraid, actually, more like terrified of them. But, when you have a brutal headache and the only thing standing between you and your bed is a ride on the back of a death-trap, I learned that you're not so picky about how you get there. Trust me, I tried like hell to get a taxi, but out of the 2 we saw, they weren't willing to take us to our guest house. It was insane. (sorry mom) I didn't have a helmet on, the guy obviously wasn't really concerned, and I felt like every moment was impending death. Well, it probably wasn't that dramatic, but let's just put it this way, I won't be getting on another anytime soon. I just feel like Thailand continuously challenges me in every way possible. I am learning that everything I said I wouldn't ever do, I will probably do it in Thailand. Crazy.
Saturday, it was time for Erawan Falls. Erawan Falls is a national park in Kanchanaburi that holds 7 steps of gorgeous waterfalls. The water was crystal clear and an insane turquoise color. It was also freezing, but in an excellent, refreshing way. It was such a wonderful change to being hot and sweaty. The trails were really beautiful, but it was incredibly difficult to trek the trails, because most of the steps were longer than my stride (damn my genetics for making me short, thanks Dad) but it was a great day. I saw a huge spider. I was so freaked out. It was about the size of my palm, and being afraid of spiders, that is not cool. It was jet black with a yellow underbelly. Ew. As we all stood around and took pictures, the woman who was cleaning the trail behind us was laughing hysterically and kept saying "bite, bite" That was my cue to get out of there. Swimming was definitely the highlight of the trip. The water was awesome. And there were some of the fish that I got a fish pedicure with, except some of these were a foot long, some even longer I'm sure! I wasn't as happy to let them eat my dead skin, it felt like you were being shocked, as if you touched a door handle too quickly. Once was enough for that, too creepy. There were places you could step into the rocks and let the water cascade before you, and that was really neat. I did, however, hurt my ankle on the last swimming trip. I jumped from a rock into the water, but didn't quite jump out as far as I thought, and hit a rock. But, as began to complain about hurting my ankle, I had to think about the fact that, yeah my ankle was hurt, but it was hurt at a waterfall in Thailand. I'd say it's worth it. And besides, after 2 days of icing it and taking it easy, it feels almost back to normal, and should be completely better within a few days or so.
Today, I went to Siam Cineplex to watch a movie. I decided on Underworld 4. It was in 4D, so I thought that would be really interesting. Being a fan of the Underworld series, I should have known better. What was I thinking? Although it was an amazing movie and a really cool experience, my chair wasn't still the entire movie. Every fight scene (which was basically the entire film) my chair was moving at impossible angles and flipped to the side and then back to the other. It was a little exhausting. There were also these little mallet things that would jab into the back and sides of your chair when someone was stabbed or punched, so I felt like I was literally being attacked. It didn't hurt, but it definitely kept you alert and into the movie. Also, there were these water sprayers that would squirt you when there was any blood that flew up on the screen, which was kind of gross. It was as if you had the blood on your face. It happened at least 10 times in the movie. I had to wipe off my glasses several times. For 10 dollars, I thought it was a pretty cool thing to do. I mean at home, a 3D movie is more than that. I think it's 11 dollars to see a movie in 3D at Marquee and this was one of the nicest theaters I've ever been in. Not something I'd do often, but it was definitely worth the money.
At the beginning of every movie in Thailand, there is a clip that you stand to attention and watch. This clip is to pay respect to the King. Every patron stands for the short collage of photos and a song plays in the background. I thought this was so cool. You can see the level of respect just oozing out of the photos of the people of Thailand. They love their king and it definitely shows. I love seeing the pride that Thai people have, it is so inspiring.
It's time to get my things put away from the weekend and prepare for another week of classes. It's hard to believe that in 4 days, I will have been here for exactly a month. That's insane! Time truly flies here, and I cannot believe that I've already done so much! Next weekend, I plan to visit Monkey City and the sunflower fields!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Living for the weekends
Well, it has been a while since I've really had the time to sit down and write out my thoughts! It's been a pretty busy (but fun!) week.
Wednesday, I had film class and as everyone started to leave around me, a few polite Thai students filled me in on the fact that our class was switching rooms for a bigger screen to watch the movie (oops, didn't get that memo) and I made some really nice, new friends. A student commented on the book under my arm (my new Stephen King book) and asked me if I liked the author. Surprised he recognized Mr. King, I asked if he'd ever read any of his books. He said his mom was a huge fan and that they'd been to the US several times. He was totally shocked when I told him I'd never been to Disney Land and made me promise to go once I'd returned to the states. (who wants to go?) I still can't get over how nice people are here, and even if it's a small connection, something like Stephen King or Disney, everyone is just so willing to talk to you and make conversation. I feel like it's more effortless here, what might be considered awkward small-talk at home is so incredibly normal here. In class, we watched Rashomon, a Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa and it was excellent. I had seen one Kurosawa film before, but I would venture to say that this one was even better. It was basically a film about one story, told through the eyes of 4 different people. It was an incredible film and I would recommend you see it if you haven't already.
Thursday was a little boring. I don't think I did anything besides endure an incredibly long day of class. I did learn that vegetables in Thailand have Cyanide in them. (WHAAAT?) But with a nonchalant grin, my Thai Cuisine instructor said it was fine to have in moderation. I am still confused by that statement, as vegetables are basically in every Thai dish. I guess Mai pen rai? It doesn't really seem to bother anyone else, so it must be okay.
Friday was an awesome day! I couldn't really coordinate with other people to do anything major, so I just decided to spend the day on my own! I was looking up things to do, and I stumbled upon the snake farm. I've seen it before on websites about Thailand, so I just decided that it was time to check it out! With some help from my friendly Thai neighbors, I got on the 79 bus to Siam Square and headed for the hospital. The Snake Farm is connected to the hospital because it is run by the Thai Red Cross Society. The Thai Red Cross uses the snakes to extract their venom to create anti-venoms for treatment of patients that come in with snake bites. After arriving at Siam square, I knew I was close. Being awful with directions, it took me some time to orient myself. I knew I was close by the map, but then again, the map doesn't really have a scale, so I didn't know how close I was. With a few hits and misses in the directions department, I finally made it! I was ready to see some snakes! I arrived at about 1030, I had read online that they had daily snake handling shows, so I looked at the schedule and it didn't start until 230, so I had plenty of time to look around. Outside they had large cement tanks that you could look down in as well as little cages on blocks (similar to a rabbit hutch) that held the non-poisonous snakes. Most of them were sleeping, curled up into pots and rocks that were provided for them in their tiny homes, so it wasn't really all that interesting. However, I did see the elephant trunk snake eat a live fish, which was pretty gross/awesome. Inside, there was a full, two story museum. On the first floor, there were tons of poisonous snakes. They were safely displayed behind glass because many of them could spit venom and blind their observers. I loved looking at all of the snakes, but it also made me a little more aware of the fact that, yet again, I forget that I am in Thailand. There are 60 species of poisonous snakes in Thailand and 200 that are nonpoisonous. Great. I think the scariest snake however, was one of the smallest. It was this little green snake that looked just like a leaf. It wasn't highly poisonous, but it did carry enough venom to make your arm or leg swell twice its size if bitten. I just get a little freaked out thinking that something so small, something so elusive, could be lurking in the trees every time I stop to admire the plants. The second floor was more of a look at the history behind snakes and their role in society throughout time as well as information on their anatomy. I was baffled by a lot of the information that I read, because I had never really learned much about snakes. The exhibits were really awesome. They had some that showed the organs of snakes and their bone structure. Snakes have really strange hearts, which I found really cool. Before I knew it, it was already 2! So I quickly went down to the arena and snagged a front row seat for the snake show! Awesome! The snake show was insane! None of the snakes were defanged or devenomized, and I won't lie I felt that the brave snake handler before me wasn't enough of a barrier to save me from a snake bite. First, they brought out a King Cobra, one of the most aggressive species in Thailand. And it wasn't really happy to be there, that's for sure. Even though it was a little crazy and unstable, it was graceful and really (as weird as it is to say about a snake), beautiful. The sand colored snake mirrored the movements of the snake handler with a dancer's poise. It was really cool to see the connection between the snake and the handler. It was almost as if they were old friends in conversation, unaware that they were being watched. They showed 5 or 6 snakes, and they were all really different and interesting in their own way. One was a huge black and yellow banded snake and if bitten, the victim could have immediate and permanent paralysis. When the guide of the show said that, my heart felt like it just exploded. The man holding the snake wasn't phased a bit. It was as if he was holding a puppy instead of a creature capable of ending life as he knew it in a matter of seconds. Crazy! The finale was a burmese python. It was a massive snake and if you wanted to, you could hold the snake and get your picture taken with it over your shoulders. Of course I did. I didn't expect it to be as heavy as it was, but it was really strange to have something so massive around you. They were so nonchalant about it too, just plopped it down over my neck like I was trying on a scarf from a department store. The snake farm is definitely one of the best things I've seen in Thailand so far.
After I finished up with the snake park, a girl that I met at the snake show and I set off to find the mall and grab some lunch. After some walking and getting lost, we found the mall, and it was overwhelming. I have never seen so many stores in my life. Sensory overload. The entire ground level is nothing but food places. Perfect. We settled on a Mexican restaurant called Sunrise Tacos. We both were getting a little tired of the constant Thai cuisine, so we gladly accepted the huge change in taste. Earlier in the week, I scoured Tesco (the grocery store here) for salsa, and left empty-handed and extremely disappointed, so I was so excited to have chips and salsa. I got the "hot" kind, because I assumed that it wouldn't really be hot because it wasn't really indigenous to Thailand. I HAVE TO STOP DOING THAT. You'd think that after continuously ordering hot food, to find out that, yes, it really is hot, that I would learn my lesson. The salsa burned my entire mouth to eat, but seeing as it's Thailand and I won't see it often, I just sucked it up and ate the insanely hot, but delicious salsa. The food was a little expensive for what I'm used to here (about 200 baht for dinner instead of 50) but really, it was only 6 dollars vs 1. And considering you can't even get fast food for 6 dollars at home, I was willing to let it go. The quesadilla I got was really good and it had cheese in it! And sour cream! Maybe that's so trivial to you, but here, those ingredients are hard to come by. There isn't cheese in anything, and sour cream? Forget it! Overall, I was glad I chose to do something a little different, it was well worth the efforts of making it through the crowded mall to get there.
Friday night, we decided to venture out and get... wait for it... FISH PEDICURES! No, you read that correctly, I stuck my feet into a large aquarium and had hundreds of little fish literally eat the dead skin off my feet! It was so interesting! When I first stuck them into the water, it was really creepy! I didn't know if I could keep them in for the full 30 minutes, but after the initial shock of seeing the little fish nibble at your feet, it was really relaxing. It kind of felt like your feet were asleep, but it was a different sensation than the normal, painful throbbing that my poor feet have grown accustomed to. After the pedicure was over my feet felt really smooth. It was a really nice experience and I'd say I wouldn't mind to do it again before leaving Bangkok!
Saturday, Cody and I decided to go to the weekend market. We took the 509 bus to the end of the line and walked into this giant, beautiful park. We weren't quite sure where we were, but we knew it was close. (or rather he did, as I can't seem to ever figure out where I am) As the gorgeous park was just luring us in, we caved and walked through in hopes of spotting the butterfly gardens. I was in a state of shock at first. I hadn't seen this much green since I left West Virginia. I was sure that I was dreaming. Could there be such a place amidst the dirty, polluted city that is now my new home? I really enjoyed walking around taking pictures of all the plant life that the city had to offer. I didn't know how it was possible to walk from one extreme to the next in the matter of feet, but I certainly wasn't complaining. We finally rounded the corner of a really neat swampy picnic area and found the butterfly garden! I was really excited to see it and even better--- it was free! The garden was really pretty, but I was a little disappointed at how many butterflies there were. When I went to one in DC, they were everywhere, they would even land on your shoulder, but I only saw about 10 in this garden. Perhaps we were there at a bad time, or maybe they moved some of them, but it was still really beautiful nonetheless. I was really happy to see some more plant life and flowers! I just get so excited when I see something that isn't covered in the grime from the city! After we escaped the park (if it weren't hotter than the depths of hell outside I could have probably stayed all day!) we headed to the market. Wow. There was just so much! Street stalls everywhere! Art, pottery, dishes, clothing, sunglasses, shoes, anything you would ever want to buy, you could buy at JJ Market. We got lunch inside, and I was less than impressed. I got a fruit salad, and after being in the extreme heat, I was so excited to have a light, refreshing lunch. I was starving! When I got it, however, it was a tiny little bowl with chopped fruit with a white sauce over the top. I naively assumed (never assume in Bangkok) that it was like a fruit dip, some kind of cream cheese dressing. But, alas, fool me again, it was mayonnaise. How disgusting! For one, if you know anything about me, you'll know that I utterly LOATHE mayonnaise. But, to be fair, even if I liked mayonnaise, I don't think I would ever want to dip my fruit in it. What a let down. The indoor part was kind of the same thing I'm used to seeing around Bangkok. Some places were overpriced, and others were reasonable, but you could still bargain and get a better price. But outside, outside was where the insanity started. There was an entire area designated to pets! And pets was an understatement for sure. Squirrels, toucans, macaws, owls, geese, kittens, puppies, turtles, snakes, scorpions, rabbits, and basically a ton of other random animals were crammed down the streets of the markets. PETA would have a field day with this place. I couldn't stay long, because it really is a sad environment. The puppies look exhausted from being in the sun all day. Owls were crammed into tiny cages that were far too small for their bodies to stand upright, and animals were forced to be in cages with so many inside that they had to climb on top of each other to move around. It made me kind of sick to wonder how long they'd have to live like that until they were lucky enough to be rescued and given a home. I had to fight the extreme urge to run wild down the isles, opening all the cages, and setting all the animals free. Pretty sure there is either a law against that, or I would make some definite enemies. Maybe before I leave? ha.
Sunday, we went to Chinatown with some other Thammasat Students that live in our apartment building. I didn't know what to expect, but I definitely didn't expect what we experienced. The streets were covered in decorations and thousands of people lined the busy roads with flags and paper dragons, waiting for what we thought was going to be a huge parade. It wasn't exactly a parade, but they were waiting to see the queen of Thailand. We stood on the busy street as she passed by with an ear to ear grin and waved to the people. She was a very beautiful, humble, sincere looking person, and it was a really cool experience to see everyones reaction to seeing the queen of their country. As we walked in search of food after seeing the queen pass, we ran into this massive crowd of people. It was hard to even breathe let alone walk as hundreds of people were shoving against you and pushing their way through the herd of gatherers. I was so over Chinatown by that time, so we all decided maybe it was best to come back when it wasn't such a circus.
Today was a pretty relaxing day. I had class at one, and grabbed some dinner afterwards. I got Spicy Chicken Cashew Stir-fry again, and it's probably one of my favorites here. After everyone settled in from dinner, we joined some of our classmates on the roof for a drink and played some cards.
This weekend, I plan to visit some waterfalls and hold some tigers in Kanchanaburi. I can't wait to explore more of Thailand, and as the weeks go by, I still can't believe all I've seen and done! I feel incredibly blessed to be on this journey and can't wait for what is to come!
Wednesday, I had film class and as everyone started to leave around me, a few polite Thai students filled me in on the fact that our class was switching rooms for a bigger screen to watch the movie (oops, didn't get that memo) and I made some really nice, new friends. A student commented on the book under my arm (my new Stephen King book) and asked me if I liked the author. Surprised he recognized Mr. King, I asked if he'd ever read any of his books. He said his mom was a huge fan and that they'd been to the US several times. He was totally shocked when I told him I'd never been to Disney Land and made me promise to go once I'd returned to the states. (who wants to go?) I still can't get over how nice people are here, and even if it's a small connection, something like Stephen King or Disney, everyone is just so willing to talk to you and make conversation. I feel like it's more effortless here, what might be considered awkward small-talk at home is so incredibly normal here. In class, we watched Rashomon, a Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa and it was excellent. I had seen one Kurosawa film before, but I would venture to say that this one was even better. It was basically a film about one story, told through the eyes of 4 different people. It was an incredible film and I would recommend you see it if you haven't already.
Thursday was a little boring. I don't think I did anything besides endure an incredibly long day of class. I did learn that vegetables in Thailand have Cyanide in them. (WHAAAT?) But with a nonchalant grin, my Thai Cuisine instructor said it was fine to have in moderation. I am still confused by that statement, as vegetables are basically in every Thai dish. I guess Mai pen rai? It doesn't really seem to bother anyone else, so it must be okay.
Friday was an awesome day! I couldn't really coordinate with other people to do anything major, so I just decided to spend the day on my own! I was looking up things to do, and I stumbled upon the snake farm. I've seen it before on websites about Thailand, so I just decided that it was time to check it out! With some help from my friendly Thai neighbors, I got on the 79 bus to Siam Square and headed for the hospital. The Snake Farm is connected to the hospital because it is run by the Thai Red Cross Society. The Thai Red Cross uses the snakes to extract their venom to create anti-venoms for treatment of patients that come in with snake bites. After arriving at Siam square, I knew I was close. Being awful with directions, it took me some time to orient myself. I knew I was close by the map, but then again, the map doesn't really have a scale, so I didn't know how close I was. With a few hits and misses in the directions department, I finally made it! I was ready to see some snakes! I arrived at about 1030, I had read online that they had daily snake handling shows, so I looked at the schedule and it didn't start until 230, so I had plenty of time to look around. Outside they had large cement tanks that you could look down in as well as little cages on blocks (similar to a rabbit hutch) that held the non-poisonous snakes. Most of them were sleeping, curled up into pots and rocks that were provided for them in their tiny homes, so it wasn't really all that interesting. However, I did see the elephant trunk snake eat a live fish, which was pretty gross/awesome. Inside, there was a full, two story museum. On the first floor, there were tons of poisonous snakes. They were safely displayed behind glass because many of them could spit venom and blind their observers. I loved looking at all of the snakes, but it also made me a little more aware of the fact that, yet again, I forget that I am in Thailand. There are 60 species of poisonous snakes in Thailand and 200 that are nonpoisonous. Great. I think the scariest snake however, was one of the smallest. It was this little green snake that looked just like a leaf. It wasn't highly poisonous, but it did carry enough venom to make your arm or leg swell twice its size if bitten. I just get a little freaked out thinking that something so small, something so elusive, could be lurking in the trees every time I stop to admire the plants. The second floor was more of a look at the history behind snakes and their role in society throughout time as well as information on their anatomy. I was baffled by a lot of the information that I read, because I had never really learned much about snakes. The exhibits were really awesome. They had some that showed the organs of snakes and their bone structure. Snakes have really strange hearts, which I found really cool. Before I knew it, it was already 2! So I quickly went down to the arena and snagged a front row seat for the snake show! Awesome! The snake show was insane! None of the snakes were defanged or devenomized, and I won't lie I felt that the brave snake handler before me wasn't enough of a barrier to save me from a snake bite. First, they brought out a King Cobra, one of the most aggressive species in Thailand. And it wasn't really happy to be there, that's for sure. Even though it was a little crazy and unstable, it was graceful and really (as weird as it is to say about a snake), beautiful. The sand colored snake mirrored the movements of the snake handler with a dancer's poise. It was really cool to see the connection between the snake and the handler. It was almost as if they were old friends in conversation, unaware that they were being watched. They showed 5 or 6 snakes, and they were all really different and interesting in their own way. One was a huge black and yellow banded snake and if bitten, the victim could have immediate and permanent paralysis. When the guide of the show said that, my heart felt like it just exploded. The man holding the snake wasn't phased a bit. It was as if he was holding a puppy instead of a creature capable of ending life as he knew it in a matter of seconds. Crazy! The finale was a burmese python. It was a massive snake and if you wanted to, you could hold the snake and get your picture taken with it over your shoulders. Of course I did. I didn't expect it to be as heavy as it was, but it was really strange to have something so massive around you. They were so nonchalant about it too, just plopped it down over my neck like I was trying on a scarf from a department store. The snake farm is definitely one of the best things I've seen in Thailand so far.
After I finished up with the snake park, a girl that I met at the snake show and I set off to find the mall and grab some lunch. After some walking and getting lost, we found the mall, and it was overwhelming. I have never seen so many stores in my life. Sensory overload. The entire ground level is nothing but food places. Perfect. We settled on a Mexican restaurant called Sunrise Tacos. We both were getting a little tired of the constant Thai cuisine, so we gladly accepted the huge change in taste. Earlier in the week, I scoured Tesco (the grocery store here) for salsa, and left empty-handed and extremely disappointed, so I was so excited to have chips and salsa. I got the "hot" kind, because I assumed that it wouldn't really be hot because it wasn't really indigenous to Thailand. I HAVE TO STOP DOING THAT. You'd think that after continuously ordering hot food, to find out that, yes, it really is hot, that I would learn my lesson. The salsa burned my entire mouth to eat, but seeing as it's Thailand and I won't see it often, I just sucked it up and ate the insanely hot, but delicious salsa. The food was a little expensive for what I'm used to here (about 200 baht for dinner instead of 50) but really, it was only 6 dollars vs 1. And considering you can't even get fast food for 6 dollars at home, I was willing to let it go. The quesadilla I got was really good and it had cheese in it! And sour cream! Maybe that's so trivial to you, but here, those ingredients are hard to come by. There isn't cheese in anything, and sour cream? Forget it! Overall, I was glad I chose to do something a little different, it was well worth the efforts of making it through the crowded mall to get there.
Friday night, we decided to venture out and get... wait for it... FISH PEDICURES! No, you read that correctly, I stuck my feet into a large aquarium and had hundreds of little fish literally eat the dead skin off my feet! It was so interesting! When I first stuck them into the water, it was really creepy! I didn't know if I could keep them in for the full 30 minutes, but after the initial shock of seeing the little fish nibble at your feet, it was really relaxing. It kind of felt like your feet were asleep, but it was a different sensation than the normal, painful throbbing that my poor feet have grown accustomed to. After the pedicure was over my feet felt really smooth. It was a really nice experience and I'd say I wouldn't mind to do it again before leaving Bangkok!
Saturday, Cody and I decided to go to the weekend market. We took the 509 bus to the end of the line and walked into this giant, beautiful park. We weren't quite sure where we were, but we knew it was close. (or rather he did, as I can't seem to ever figure out where I am) As the gorgeous park was just luring us in, we caved and walked through in hopes of spotting the butterfly gardens. I was in a state of shock at first. I hadn't seen this much green since I left West Virginia. I was sure that I was dreaming. Could there be such a place amidst the dirty, polluted city that is now my new home? I really enjoyed walking around taking pictures of all the plant life that the city had to offer. I didn't know how it was possible to walk from one extreme to the next in the matter of feet, but I certainly wasn't complaining. We finally rounded the corner of a really neat swampy picnic area and found the butterfly garden! I was really excited to see it and even better--- it was free! The garden was really pretty, but I was a little disappointed at how many butterflies there were. When I went to one in DC, they were everywhere, they would even land on your shoulder, but I only saw about 10 in this garden. Perhaps we were there at a bad time, or maybe they moved some of them, but it was still really beautiful nonetheless. I was really happy to see some more plant life and flowers! I just get so excited when I see something that isn't covered in the grime from the city! After we escaped the park (if it weren't hotter than the depths of hell outside I could have probably stayed all day!) we headed to the market. Wow. There was just so much! Street stalls everywhere! Art, pottery, dishes, clothing, sunglasses, shoes, anything you would ever want to buy, you could buy at JJ Market. We got lunch inside, and I was less than impressed. I got a fruit salad, and after being in the extreme heat, I was so excited to have a light, refreshing lunch. I was starving! When I got it, however, it was a tiny little bowl with chopped fruit with a white sauce over the top. I naively assumed (never assume in Bangkok) that it was like a fruit dip, some kind of cream cheese dressing. But, alas, fool me again, it was mayonnaise. How disgusting! For one, if you know anything about me, you'll know that I utterly LOATHE mayonnaise. But, to be fair, even if I liked mayonnaise, I don't think I would ever want to dip my fruit in it. What a let down. The indoor part was kind of the same thing I'm used to seeing around Bangkok. Some places were overpriced, and others were reasonable, but you could still bargain and get a better price. But outside, outside was where the insanity started. There was an entire area designated to pets! And pets was an understatement for sure. Squirrels, toucans, macaws, owls, geese, kittens, puppies, turtles, snakes, scorpions, rabbits, and basically a ton of other random animals were crammed down the streets of the markets. PETA would have a field day with this place. I couldn't stay long, because it really is a sad environment. The puppies look exhausted from being in the sun all day. Owls were crammed into tiny cages that were far too small for their bodies to stand upright, and animals were forced to be in cages with so many inside that they had to climb on top of each other to move around. It made me kind of sick to wonder how long they'd have to live like that until they were lucky enough to be rescued and given a home. I had to fight the extreme urge to run wild down the isles, opening all the cages, and setting all the animals free. Pretty sure there is either a law against that, or I would make some definite enemies. Maybe before I leave? ha.
Sunday, we went to Chinatown with some other Thammasat Students that live in our apartment building. I didn't know what to expect, but I definitely didn't expect what we experienced. The streets were covered in decorations and thousands of people lined the busy roads with flags and paper dragons, waiting for what we thought was going to be a huge parade. It wasn't exactly a parade, but they were waiting to see the queen of Thailand. We stood on the busy street as she passed by with an ear to ear grin and waved to the people. She was a very beautiful, humble, sincere looking person, and it was a really cool experience to see everyones reaction to seeing the queen of their country. As we walked in search of food after seeing the queen pass, we ran into this massive crowd of people. It was hard to even breathe let alone walk as hundreds of people were shoving against you and pushing their way through the herd of gatherers. I was so over Chinatown by that time, so we all decided maybe it was best to come back when it wasn't such a circus.
Today was a pretty relaxing day. I had class at one, and grabbed some dinner afterwards. I got Spicy Chicken Cashew Stir-fry again, and it's probably one of my favorites here. After everyone settled in from dinner, we joined some of our classmates on the roof for a drink and played some cards.
This weekend, I plan to visit some waterfalls and hold some tigers in Kanchanaburi. I can't wait to explore more of Thailand, and as the weeks go by, I still can't believe all I've seen and done! I feel incredibly blessed to be on this journey and can't wait for what is to come!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Postcard Perfection
For my first travel outside of Bangkok, Koh Samet (or Samed as it is frequently written both ways) was literally the perfect place to go. As much of the international students were already there, a large group of us went late, because we either went on the Grand Palace tour, or had class. So, to arrive by Saturday morning, I woke up at 3:45, met a group of fellow students downstairs, took a 45 minute taxi followed by a 3 hour bus ride and a 20 minute speedboat ride to the tiny, secluded island. It was well worth all the exchanges in transportation. The island was beautiful. The water was crystal clear, a pleasant change from the dingy brown waters of Bangkok, the sand was an incredible white, and the weather was surprisingly nice. It was a perfect day. I was a little nervous, because reading weather reports, there were chances of thunderstorms, but luckily, we didn't see a drop of rain all weekend. With no previous reservation, the control freak in me was going insane at the thought of not having a place to stay. Again, mai pen rai, don't worry about it. I don't know what it is about Thailand, but somehow everything seems to go wrong, just so it can be incredibly right two seconds later. I have already started to mellow out, and I cannot wait to see what I will be like in five months! We found accommodation with no problem. I shared a room with two other girls from school, and for 700 baht a night (20 dollars us) split 3 ways, I had to remind myself 'you're in Thailand!' As soon as we threw our stuff in the room, I was ready to hit the beach. The water was just taunting to look at, and after the two weeks I've spent sweating in the sweltering heat, I was so ready to swim and cool off! Well, here's the second snag of the trip. I forgot my swimsuit. Now, as a rule of thumb, your bathing suit is normally the first thing you'd back for a weekend at the beach. I don't know if it was the nerves of leaving my new comfort zone to travel to a weekend of unknown, or the fact that I had to pack at 1 am, but I left it at home on my bed in Bangkok. I was so mad at myself. So, as everyone else suited up and headed for the beach, I began to walk down the beach in search of a bathing suit. The first three shops were no luck. There were a nice collection of european thong bathing suits and barely there speedos and string bikinis, but being a little more modest, I was extremely nervous about finding something I could actually be seen in public in and feared for having to wear shorts and a shirt into the water. But luckily, with my new optimistic attitude I continued on to find a little store that had tons of bathing suits, and finally! I found one that was decent enough, and although It was a little old-ladyish and I would never have bought it in the states, I had to have it! After I had a bathing suit I couldn't get back to my room fast enough! I was so incredibly happy to finally be on the beach and I hit the water! It was so refreshing and judging by the temperature of the air, I couldn't believe the water was as refreshing as it was. I venture that it will probably be hotter as the "hot season" starts, but I was in heaven. Tired from the trip, I rented a little umbrella and a chair, and took a nap. Regrettably, I woke up to a completely red body. I apparently had been sleeping for about 5 hours and naturally, the sun shifted, as the shadow from my umbrella did. I didn't even care about being a lobster for the day, I was in a remote beach on the coast of Thailand! I was just in awe. So, I ordered a Pina Colada, and started into a new book. (Thanks to my christmas present from April Bias) I felt so relaxed sitting on the beach that I never wanted to leave! I couldn't believe how peaceful and quiet it was! After living in the booming and bustling Bangkok for the last two weeks, I can't think of the last time I heard the still of silence!
After the sun started to set, the group of international students we traveled with started to make plans for the evening! As everyone cleaned up and prepared for dinner, I was excited to experience the beach nightlife! There was so much to do! The island just came to life! First, we experienced the fire dancers. These shows were happening every couple feet and they seemed to just move down the island. One thing I really loved about the island is that the restaurants were literally right on the beach. It was so cool to be eating dinner while feeling the sand beneath your feet and watching the waves crash just feet in front of you. The fire shows were crazy, I had never seen one before, and I was so impressed by the coordination that they had! Flaming batons, fireballs on ropes, and flaming hula hoops were just part of the show. The men who put on the shows were so insanely fit that it almost hurt to look at their 8 packs. These guys must have invented the word cut. There was also little boys, probably around 7, that participated in the act. I was really impressed, I know at that age, actually I don't know what I'm talking about. I know even now I would burn my entire body if I tried to hula hoop with a flaming hoop. It was such a neat experience. They also had a flaming jump rope. They put on a little routine, then invited the crowd to jump through it. Well, I guess in theory this was an okay idea, but most of the crowd was heavily intoxicated, so it was painful to watch as some people fell on top of the rope! OUCH! The beach was just as beautiful at night. With lanterns, strands of lights, and colorful signs lighting up the entire beach, it was a completely different atmosphere. There was also a Muay Thai boxing bar, which was really cool. I only got to watch one fight between two small children, which was really weird. I don't know why, but I just felt bad for these kids, it just made me really uncomfortable to watch two little kids fight such a hardcore way. The cool thing about this bar is that if you signed up, you could fight your friend and the winner would receive a free bucket of beer! Ha! How's that for entertainment?!
The next day I wanted to spend the entire day on the beach, and that is exactly what I did. The area where we were had a cool little dock that you could swim out to and lay out, so many us just spent the day laying out and swimming. It was a great change of pace since I was going non-stop in the city. I did get a little freaked out because something large- thankfully I didn't see it, touched my leg when I was swimming. I have seen too many discovery channel shows about wild thailand to be okay with something touching me out in the ocean!
I was sad to leave the beach, but as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. I started the last morning on the beach off with watching the sunrise. Although it was a little cloudy, I still thoroughly enjoyed seeing a blend of reds and oranges across the wavy horizon of the beautiful island. I caught the noon ferry back to the city and said goodbye to the amazing weekend I just experienced.
Back in Bangkok. The feeling is bittersweet. Bangkok has come to be my home now, and I could feel myself missing it a little when I was gone. It was definitely nice to come back and shower and sleep in my own bed, but the city is so noisy and dirty, that it was so nice just to take a weekend to relax. I feel a lot better after taking a weekend off, and I would definitely like to travel back to Koh Samet before I leave!
Now it's another week in the city, and back to school. When I first arrived here, I thought that my time here would be so long, but I can tell that my time here is going to fly by, and it will be over before I know it! I am excited for the next weekend and can't wait to make more plans to travel around and experience more of Bangkok and Thailand!
After the sun started to set, the group of international students we traveled with started to make plans for the evening! As everyone cleaned up and prepared for dinner, I was excited to experience the beach nightlife! There was so much to do! The island just came to life! First, we experienced the fire dancers. These shows were happening every couple feet and they seemed to just move down the island. One thing I really loved about the island is that the restaurants were literally right on the beach. It was so cool to be eating dinner while feeling the sand beneath your feet and watching the waves crash just feet in front of you. The fire shows were crazy, I had never seen one before, and I was so impressed by the coordination that they had! Flaming batons, fireballs on ropes, and flaming hula hoops were just part of the show. The men who put on the shows were so insanely fit that it almost hurt to look at their 8 packs. These guys must have invented the word cut. There was also little boys, probably around 7, that participated in the act. I was really impressed, I know at that age, actually I don't know what I'm talking about. I know even now I would burn my entire body if I tried to hula hoop with a flaming hoop. It was such a neat experience. They also had a flaming jump rope. They put on a little routine, then invited the crowd to jump through it. Well, I guess in theory this was an okay idea, but most of the crowd was heavily intoxicated, so it was painful to watch as some people fell on top of the rope! OUCH! The beach was just as beautiful at night. With lanterns, strands of lights, and colorful signs lighting up the entire beach, it was a completely different atmosphere. There was also a Muay Thai boxing bar, which was really cool. I only got to watch one fight between two small children, which was really weird. I don't know why, but I just felt bad for these kids, it just made me really uncomfortable to watch two little kids fight such a hardcore way. The cool thing about this bar is that if you signed up, you could fight your friend and the winner would receive a free bucket of beer! Ha! How's that for entertainment?!
The next day I wanted to spend the entire day on the beach, and that is exactly what I did. The area where we were had a cool little dock that you could swim out to and lay out, so many us just spent the day laying out and swimming. It was a great change of pace since I was going non-stop in the city. I did get a little freaked out because something large- thankfully I didn't see it, touched my leg when I was swimming. I have seen too many discovery channel shows about wild thailand to be okay with something touching me out in the ocean!
I was sad to leave the beach, but as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. I started the last morning on the beach off with watching the sunrise. Although it was a little cloudy, I still thoroughly enjoyed seeing a blend of reds and oranges across the wavy horizon of the beautiful island. I caught the noon ferry back to the city and said goodbye to the amazing weekend I just experienced.
Back in Bangkok. The feeling is bittersweet. Bangkok has come to be my home now, and I could feel myself missing it a little when I was gone. It was definitely nice to come back and shower and sleep in my own bed, but the city is so noisy and dirty, that it was so nice just to take a weekend to relax. I feel a lot better after taking a weekend off, and I would definitely like to travel back to Koh Samet before I leave!
Now it's another week in the city, and back to school. When I first arrived here, I thought that my time here would be so long, but I can tell that my time here is going to fly by, and it will be over before I know it! I am excited for the next weekend and can't wait to make more plans to travel around and experience more of Bangkok and Thailand!
Friday, January 13, 2012
Bahts, Buddhas, and Blisters
Wednesday I started my international film class. The class is taught by a man from NY and apart from myself, there was only 2 people in the class that weren't Thai. I think the class will be really interesting, and being a movie buff, I am excited to explore film from all over the world and compare them. We started with Star Wars, and although I can appreciate the beauty of a film that has made such an impact on not only the US, but the world, I really don't see the appeal. I have been fighting off watching Star Wars for so long, and now that I've seen it, I wasn't that impressed. We are scheduled to watch a Thai film next week, so it should be fun!
After my class, one of my classmates and I took the long shuttle back to Tha Prachan Campus where we live and decided to head down Kao San Road to get some food. We stopped at a busy side street and ate at a little street restaurant that he had frequented before. I got a banana smoothie that was really good. It still amazes me how much more I appreciate fruit here. The fruit here just tastes better, it is a lot more fresh. For dinner, I decided on Chicken Cashew Stir-fry. I am so glad I chose this, because it was one of the best meals I've eaten since my arrival here in Bangkok. At 70 baht, (about 2.18) I got a huge portion of chicken and mixed vegetables with browned cashews. It was the perfect blend of spicy and sweet! After picking around at the food, I was surprised, and suddenly my mouth was on FIRE. Too busy enjoying my food, I didn't even notice that carrots weren't the only orange vegetable in my dish. Unknowingly, I shoveled three chillies into my mouth! As a person that loves hot food, and can normally tolerate a kick, this is nothing like anything I've tried before. My whole mouth felt numb and my nose began running and my eyes watering! Prik Kee Noo, or "mouse shit chillies" as they are nicknamed in Thailand, was the little surprise in my dish. Apparently, they got their name from "hiding" like a mouse does and surprising the finder. (they're also the hottest in Thailand) Well, the Thai's got it right, surprised I was! I liked the heat, but I stayed away from the orange for a while. I think one per dish would have been plenty!
Thursday, I had my final two classes. Islam in Thailand and Thai Cuisine. Islam in Thailand was a little dry, but we are taking multiple field trips, so I am excited to learn about different religions and see how they practice. I wanted to take a class in Buddhism, seeing as it is the main religion in Thailand, but it wasn't offered this semester, like basically every other class I wanted. But I think it will still be a really cool experience and learning about the 2nd largest religion of Thailand works too. The Thai Cuisine class will be one of my favorite classes, I am sure. The instructor is a chef and owner of a restaurant in Bangkok. The first part of the class, she said we would be learning about Thai food, what goes into it, the culture and history of food, and more importantly for practical reasons, what things are called! Gone are the days of staring at a script I cannot read, looking at a plate of food and wondering what the hell is in it, and pointing to things trying to order. At least I hope so! She seems like a really sweet woman, and I am excited to take the course. The second part includes a cooking tutorial where we will learn to make curry pastes, salads and soups, and other Thai dishes! My mom would be proud! I think it will be an awesome experience to not only cook things that are extremely different than food I eat at home, but just to cook with a professional Thai chef in general.
I saw fish pedicures yesterday. For those unfamiliar, fish pedicures are where you go to a little street salon and you stick your feet into a fish tank, so that hundreds of fish can literally eat the dead skin off of your feet! I know, it sounds kinda weird, but I talked to a girl who has already gotten one, and she said it was amazing and it was the softest her feet have ever been! I have a HUGE blister on my foot, so I don't want to get one just yet, but I will be doing it as soon as my foot heals! (so check back in for that blog entry!)
Today is Friday, and our school took us on a trip to the Grand Palace. And the name doesn't even do it justice! It was incredibly breathtaking. From the first steps inside the white fortress walls, everything was so amazing. Bangkok is a pretty dirty place, but this was like an Asian Pleasantville. Everything was so ornate. The temples and buildings were covered in tremendous detail. The main golden dome was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. At first glance, you are deceived to believe that the entire building is just painted gold. But as the tour guide rounded the path and we got closer up to it, it was covered, from floor to peak, with small probably 1 sq. inch glass tiles. These tiles were then covered with gold leafing. It was insane to see. I couldn't believe the amount of laborious detail that had to go into the construction of this. All of the sights within the palace had incredible detail and were tremendously inspiring. I was just in awe the entire time. I still have to pinch myself once in a while, and say, 'Am I really in Bangkok?!' We went inside the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and it was really cool. Outside there were flowers that you could dip into holy water and place on your head, then once inside, people crowded around a tall tower-type wall with the Emerald Buddha inside. Seeing everyone bowed in respect was just a really awesome experience.
Today was the first day I wore my uniform. Although I thought it was required when I applied here, I was informed upon my arrival that BJM or the school of journalism, and Thai studies classes (which includes all of my courses) were not required to wear them. The only times I HAD to wear my uniform was the palace tour, midterms, and finals. However, I felt really nice today when I wore it. I really did see why the program coordinator said it was optional, but would gain you more respect if you chose to wear it. The already tremendously nice people around me, seemed to look at me differently. Being a student of Thammasat University gains a tremendous amount of respect in Thailand. I had two people bow their heads to me in a wai (which is a huge sign of respect here) and two others go out of their way to tell me hello, and say Thammasat and smile a gigantic grin. It was nice to see how people respected education so much, and it made me really appreciate what I have been given and the opportunities I have been lucky enough to embark upon. Although the uniform is stuffy in this heat, and wildly uncomfortable, I may consider it wearing it a few more times than the required amount. Respect and keeping face is a huge deal in Thai culture, and I definitely saw that first hand today!
As for the weekend, it is finally time to relax! I have been stressed, running around trying to fit into this new lifestyle, at a new school, with new friends and now that I am getting more settled in, it is time for the beach! Tonight, I will be leaving for Kho Samet, an island a few hours away from Bangkok to spend the weekend on the white sandy beaches, soaking up the sun. I am incredibly excited, because I have seen pictures and heard of the beauty in the beaches of Thailand, so I cannot wait! This should be a great way to set off the semester!
After my class, one of my classmates and I took the long shuttle back to Tha Prachan Campus where we live and decided to head down Kao San Road to get some food. We stopped at a busy side street and ate at a little street restaurant that he had frequented before. I got a banana smoothie that was really good. It still amazes me how much more I appreciate fruit here. The fruit here just tastes better, it is a lot more fresh. For dinner, I decided on Chicken Cashew Stir-fry. I am so glad I chose this, because it was one of the best meals I've eaten since my arrival here in Bangkok. At 70 baht, (about 2.18) I got a huge portion of chicken and mixed vegetables with browned cashews. It was the perfect blend of spicy and sweet! After picking around at the food, I was surprised, and suddenly my mouth was on FIRE. Too busy enjoying my food, I didn't even notice that carrots weren't the only orange vegetable in my dish. Unknowingly, I shoveled three chillies into my mouth! As a person that loves hot food, and can normally tolerate a kick, this is nothing like anything I've tried before. My whole mouth felt numb and my nose began running and my eyes watering! Prik Kee Noo, or "mouse shit chillies" as they are nicknamed in Thailand, was the little surprise in my dish. Apparently, they got their name from "hiding" like a mouse does and surprising the finder. (they're also the hottest in Thailand) Well, the Thai's got it right, surprised I was! I liked the heat, but I stayed away from the orange for a while. I think one per dish would have been plenty!
Thursday, I had my final two classes. Islam in Thailand and Thai Cuisine. Islam in Thailand was a little dry, but we are taking multiple field trips, so I am excited to learn about different religions and see how they practice. I wanted to take a class in Buddhism, seeing as it is the main religion in Thailand, but it wasn't offered this semester, like basically every other class I wanted. But I think it will still be a really cool experience and learning about the 2nd largest religion of Thailand works too. The Thai Cuisine class will be one of my favorite classes, I am sure. The instructor is a chef and owner of a restaurant in Bangkok. The first part of the class, she said we would be learning about Thai food, what goes into it, the culture and history of food, and more importantly for practical reasons, what things are called! Gone are the days of staring at a script I cannot read, looking at a plate of food and wondering what the hell is in it, and pointing to things trying to order. At least I hope so! She seems like a really sweet woman, and I am excited to take the course. The second part includes a cooking tutorial where we will learn to make curry pastes, salads and soups, and other Thai dishes! My mom would be proud! I think it will be an awesome experience to not only cook things that are extremely different than food I eat at home, but just to cook with a professional Thai chef in general.
I saw fish pedicures yesterday. For those unfamiliar, fish pedicures are where you go to a little street salon and you stick your feet into a fish tank, so that hundreds of fish can literally eat the dead skin off of your feet! I know, it sounds kinda weird, but I talked to a girl who has already gotten one, and she said it was amazing and it was the softest her feet have ever been! I have a HUGE blister on my foot, so I don't want to get one just yet, but I will be doing it as soon as my foot heals! (so check back in for that blog entry!)
Today is Friday, and our school took us on a trip to the Grand Palace. And the name doesn't even do it justice! It was incredibly breathtaking. From the first steps inside the white fortress walls, everything was so amazing. Bangkok is a pretty dirty place, but this was like an Asian Pleasantville. Everything was so ornate. The temples and buildings were covered in tremendous detail. The main golden dome was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. At first glance, you are deceived to believe that the entire building is just painted gold. But as the tour guide rounded the path and we got closer up to it, it was covered, from floor to peak, with small probably 1 sq. inch glass tiles. These tiles were then covered with gold leafing. It was insane to see. I couldn't believe the amount of laborious detail that had to go into the construction of this. All of the sights within the palace had incredible detail and were tremendously inspiring. I was just in awe the entire time. I still have to pinch myself once in a while, and say, 'Am I really in Bangkok?!' We went inside the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and it was really cool. Outside there were flowers that you could dip into holy water and place on your head, then once inside, people crowded around a tall tower-type wall with the Emerald Buddha inside. Seeing everyone bowed in respect was just a really awesome experience.
Today was the first day I wore my uniform. Although I thought it was required when I applied here, I was informed upon my arrival that BJM or the school of journalism, and Thai studies classes (which includes all of my courses) were not required to wear them. The only times I HAD to wear my uniform was the palace tour, midterms, and finals. However, I felt really nice today when I wore it. I really did see why the program coordinator said it was optional, but would gain you more respect if you chose to wear it. The already tremendously nice people around me, seemed to look at me differently. Being a student of Thammasat University gains a tremendous amount of respect in Thailand. I had two people bow their heads to me in a wai (which is a huge sign of respect here) and two others go out of their way to tell me hello, and say Thammasat and smile a gigantic grin. It was nice to see how people respected education so much, and it made me really appreciate what I have been given and the opportunities I have been lucky enough to embark upon. Although the uniform is stuffy in this heat, and wildly uncomfortable, I may consider it wearing it a few more times than the required amount. Respect and keeping face is a huge deal in Thai culture, and I definitely saw that first hand today!
As for the weekend, it is finally time to relax! I have been stressed, running around trying to fit into this new lifestyle, at a new school, with new friends and now that I am getting more settled in, it is time for the beach! Tonight, I will be leaving for Kho Samet, an island a few hours away from Bangkok to spend the weekend on the white sandy beaches, soaking up the sun. I am incredibly excited, because I have seen pictures and heard of the beauty in the beaches of Thailand, so I cannot wait! This should be a great way to set off the semester!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
A Sweet Start to the New Year
When I woke up this morning, I felt a lot of emotions, anxiety, excitement, happiness, and exhaustion were a few, but mostly I was incredibly hopeful for my first day of classes. My first and only class of the day started at 1. 1?! How awesome is that?! I kicked off the new semester with Thai media. I was kind of disappointed when I saw that they didn't offer any of the classes that I initially chose, but now that I have had one, I am really excited about the rest! My professor today was a lively man who had the entire class rolling with laughter. He claimed to have poor English, but I think the famous Thai modesty was coming out, because I could understand him perfectly. I can tell this will be one of my favorite classes. It will basically cover Thai media and how it influences the culture and Thai people. As an Advertising major, all I learn about is media and its influence, so the class will be interesting to compare the media here to the media that I am accustomed to at home. Also, in the syllabus we are scheduled to attend a Thai game show! As a child raised off the game show network, I felt I was embarrassingly excited for this little field trip! My teacher has a really crude sense of humor, which I really appreciate. So far, so good, I already love it! Classes here are 3 hours each, and you only have them one time a week. It is nice in a way because I only have class 3 days a week, one tuesday, one wednesday and two thursday, but in another way... I was so tired by the end of class! I am not used to a three hour lecture! I have had a few long classes at home, but this will take some getting used to!
After I finished class, I went to the Thammasat Bookstore. I found out Friday that BJM and Thai studies are not required to wear a uniform to class. (yayyy) However, I have to wear it for the trip to the grand palace, for midterms, and for finals. So, I had to buy a belt, a buckle and a TU pin. Which, normally I would be annoyed, but at 200 baht (about 6 dollars US) for all three, I can't really complain. After the trip to the bookstore, we walked down to Khao San Road and the surrounding market. A few girls that I've met here hadn't gotten a uniform yet, so I just went along for fun. I am still overwhelmed by the markets here. Making your way through a sea of people, food, and merchandise is just too much at times. I often don't know what to look at. I stumbled upon this woman in the center of the street and at first, I assumed she was just another vendor selling some kind of sketchy meat product. However, when I looked closer, she was making a dessert that is not only absolutely incredible to watch it being prepared, but AMAZING to eat! I wish I would have taken a picture or video, but it was crowded and honestly, I was in awe. She had a giant wok type pan and then had a little station with fruits in it. I can't remember the name of the dessert, but I will have to get it later. She started out with dough and stretched it around until it was paper thin. She then grabbed a banana, and I have no idea how she didn't dice her arms off, but it was like a mixture between extreme grace and magic. She peeled the banana with minimal effort and chopped it up in a matter of seconds without even moving her hand. The crepe type dough was then folded around the center like an envelope and it was fried to a golden brown. She then diced the little pocket up and glazed it with a sweet coconut milk/sugary sauce. I can't even describe the taste, it was just so good! I don't know what kind of sorcery went into it, but somehow the bananas are still cold, while the flaky crepe was golden and crunchy and warm. Best dessert I've had thus far!
After finishing up our shopping, I found a stand selling adapters, which ironically was exactly what I needed! Before I left, I ordered two from Amazon, and was excited to have them all ready for the trip. However, they made it to my house the day after I left, so I haven't had one here. I bought one at 7-11 last night and I went to plug it in and POP! I heard a huge popping sound and then the smell, oh jeez, it smelled like burnt plastic. THANK GOD my laptop wasn't plugged into it yet. Rest in peace surge protector. I was a mess worrying about what kind of damage my faulty plug did to the apartment, because none of the outlets were working in the entire room! However, after asking the apartment manager, they said it wasn't a big deal, all we had to do was flip the breaker. Whew! (My new one works perfectly though, so cheers to that!)
On the way back to the apartment, my new friend Alicia and I sat on the top of the bridge that we have to walk across to get to our apartment. As we rested our tired feet, we saw set over the horizon. Bangkok holds all kinds of beauty and the more time I spend here, the more I see how much it really has to offer beneath its urban, dirty exterior.
Tomorrow is the second day of class, international film! I can't wait!
Monday, January 9, 2012
Mai Pen Rai
Mai epn rai. Ever since I learned the phrase, it's all I can think about. In Thai, mai pen rai means no problem, or don't worry about it. It is basically a kind way of telling someone to just relax about something. I am still tremendously growing accustomed to the Thai way of life: slow paced and relaxed. Being a person that likes to have generally all the details planned, I have been forced to literally chill out. In the states, time is money, and people are pressured to know what they want to do with their time. Here, it is literally on your own time. I have been extremely blessed in experiencing what I have so far, and it is still only the first week.
I have moved apartments, from Amarin Mansion to 3J Court. Amarin was great, but 3J has an amazing character to it. 3J is a quaint little apartment complex right over the bridge, a 12 minute walk to classes. When I first arrived, I was a bit skeptical, but it must have made an impression on me, because here I am. The more I thought about it, the more I favored 3J over Amarin Mansion. The apartment is centered around everything a student needs, laundry facility, beauty shops, post office, convenient stores, and a number of small restaurants, not to mention the abundance of street vendors just a step away. The room is a little older than at Amarin, but it doesn't feel stuffy like the hotel, and it actually feels like home. Without even decorating and adding my own personal touch, I can see myself living and studying there. The people here are great, Narreerat, the manager and savior of the building is a extremely nice woman that has gone above and beyond her call of duty to accommodate us. We didn't get our rent stipends until today, but she still let us move in and told us, Mai pen rai, don't worry about it, we could just pay when we received our checks. Seriously? In the US, we would be in the streets. I can't think of any scenario where I could just pay for something as huge as rent later on. Just another little thing to remind me that I am in a completely different world.
Orientation was really interesting. There was a ton of international students in attendance, far more than I initially thought there would be. The information session was really nice, and I felt as if they made an excellent effort to tell us basically everything we needed to know. With a surplus of new information ranging from the royal family to what to eat and what to avoid, I felt like I was more in control of my surroundings. I was happy to apply the new tools that the friendly Thammasat staff had provided me. After the little Bangkok/Thammasat 101 session, we had a break for lunch. This was my first taste of Thai fruit. We had mango with sticky rice that was dressed with coconut milk. It was amazing! Since then, I have been grabbing fruit at every chance I have! It's ridiculously good here! After the lunch session, it was time to register for our classes. As no day here is incomplete without some small snag, I couldn't register because BJM or the school of journalism and mass communications moved to Rungsit Campus because of the flooding in the previous semester. Of course. While everyone else had their schedules in hand, I was freaking out thinking that I wasn't going to be able to get into the classes I wanted. Mai pen rai. I went today to register, and afterwards I felt incredibly silly for doing so much worrying. They didn't have ANY of the classes I wanted to take anyways. But, when in Thailand, do as the Thai's do, and just go with it. I have settled, quite happily on an international film class, thai media, thai cuisine, and Islam in Thailand. The classes aren't what I had previously imagined, but that is what I really like about them. Nothing I am doing in Thailand is like what I would do at home, and I love it. The second campus is gorgeous and I am excited to be spending one day a week there.
After I went to the other campus, I finally got my bank account and received my stipend for housing and meals. It was nice to see that everything was falling into place, and I finally felt like I could relax. I paid my first month's rent and then we headed to the mall. The mall here is so close to the apartment that we walked both ways. (something unheard of considering the closest mall to Petersburg is over 2 hours!!) The mall is a pretty crazy area. It includes 5 floors, housing everything you could ever want to buy or see. Across from this is a giant movie theatre and a pretty fair sized market, basically a second mall.
I believe that I got burnt today, so tomorrow I will be investing in some good sunscreen. The heat is getting a little better, or maybe I am just getting used to it. Regardless, it is still very hot, it is just more expected now.
Food in Bangkok is something that will take a lot longer than a week to become adjusted to. I feel like I am adjusting to many other things rather quickly, but the food is just an entirely different world. In Bangkok, one of the most common practices for getting food is right off the street. I have been too scared to even look at street vendors since I've gotten here. I have been brave enough to buy coconuts, watermelon, and a strange pear-looking (but nothing like a pear) fruit. I think the bulk of my problem is mental. Being extremely paranoid about everything doesn't exactly help when you look into a glass box and see the "food" they are trying to sell you. I simply cannot get over that the meat sits in the sun and heat all day and people come along and snatch up a chicken leg or eggs straight from the cart. I know that getting food from these carts are common and I see people doing it every day and night, but I just don't know how long it will take me to get to that point. So far, there's no way... but it is the first week. So far, I haven't been incredibly adventurous, but I hope to work my way up to trying all the strange foods Thailand has to offer. Today I had some really interesting food, and I was glad to see that campus had some really nice lunch options. I had some kind of fried chicken pieces with sesame seeds and a sweet brown sauce, a large portion of rice with chopped garlic and lime infused in it, and a small side salad with a sweet white sauce on top. The food here is really interesting and I think that overall, I will grow to like it, there will just be a process to getting used to some of the sights. It isn't every day that you see a duck's head lying out on a cart prepared to be purchased, well that is, unless you're in Bangkok.
There are some incredible people here, and I have been really luck to have made several new friends already. It seems to be a really awesome group of people and I look forward to studying and hanging out amongst both the international students and Thai students that I have met here so far.
Tomorrow, I start my classes at Thammasat University. I have Thai Media tomorrow, which sounds really interesting, so I am really excited. I cannot wait to start the semester off right. I have a lot of new resolutions for the year, and I look forward to taking advantage of all the opportunities that I am lucky enough to have during my stay here in Bangkok.
I have moved apartments, from Amarin Mansion to 3J Court. Amarin was great, but 3J has an amazing character to it. 3J is a quaint little apartment complex right over the bridge, a 12 minute walk to classes. When I first arrived, I was a bit skeptical, but it must have made an impression on me, because here I am. The more I thought about it, the more I favored 3J over Amarin Mansion. The apartment is centered around everything a student needs, laundry facility, beauty shops, post office, convenient stores, and a number of small restaurants, not to mention the abundance of street vendors just a step away. The room is a little older than at Amarin, but it doesn't feel stuffy like the hotel, and it actually feels like home. Without even decorating and adding my own personal touch, I can see myself living and studying there. The people here are great, Narreerat, the manager and savior of the building is a extremely nice woman that has gone above and beyond her call of duty to accommodate us. We didn't get our rent stipends until today, but she still let us move in and told us, Mai pen rai, don't worry about it, we could just pay when we received our checks. Seriously? In the US, we would be in the streets. I can't think of any scenario where I could just pay for something as huge as rent later on. Just another little thing to remind me that I am in a completely different world.
Orientation was really interesting. There was a ton of international students in attendance, far more than I initially thought there would be. The information session was really nice, and I felt as if they made an excellent effort to tell us basically everything we needed to know. With a surplus of new information ranging from the royal family to what to eat and what to avoid, I felt like I was more in control of my surroundings. I was happy to apply the new tools that the friendly Thammasat staff had provided me. After the little Bangkok/Thammasat 101 session, we had a break for lunch. This was my first taste of Thai fruit. We had mango with sticky rice that was dressed with coconut milk. It was amazing! Since then, I have been grabbing fruit at every chance I have! It's ridiculously good here! After the lunch session, it was time to register for our classes. As no day here is incomplete without some small snag, I couldn't register because BJM or the school of journalism and mass communications moved to Rungsit Campus because of the flooding in the previous semester. Of course. While everyone else had their schedules in hand, I was freaking out thinking that I wasn't going to be able to get into the classes I wanted. Mai pen rai. I went today to register, and afterwards I felt incredibly silly for doing so much worrying. They didn't have ANY of the classes I wanted to take anyways. But, when in Thailand, do as the Thai's do, and just go with it. I have settled, quite happily on an international film class, thai media, thai cuisine, and Islam in Thailand. The classes aren't what I had previously imagined, but that is what I really like about them. Nothing I am doing in Thailand is like what I would do at home, and I love it. The second campus is gorgeous and I am excited to be spending one day a week there.
After I went to the other campus, I finally got my bank account and received my stipend for housing and meals. It was nice to see that everything was falling into place, and I finally felt like I could relax. I paid my first month's rent and then we headed to the mall. The mall here is so close to the apartment that we walked both ways. (something unheard of considering the closest mall to Petersburg is over 2 hours!!) The mall is a pretty crazy area. It includes 5 floors, housing everything you could ever want to buy or see. Across from this is a giant movie theatre and a pretty fair sized market, basically a second mall.
I believe that I got burnt today, so tomorrow I will be investing in some good sunscreen. The heat is getting a little better, or maybe I am just getting used to it. Regardless, it is still very hot, it is just more expected now.
Food in Bangkok is something that will take a lot longer than a week to become adjusted to. I feel like I am adjusting to many other things rather quickly, but the food is just an entirely different world. In Bangkok, one of the most common practices for getting food is right off the street. I have been too scared to even look at street vendors since I've gotten here. I have been brave enough to buy coconuts, watermelon, and a strange pear-looking (but nothing like a pear) fruit. I think the bulk of my problem is mental. Being extremely paranoid about everything doesn't exactly help when you look into a glass box and see the "food" they are trying to sell you. I simply cannot get over that the meat sits in the sun and heat all day and people come along and snatch up a chicken leg or eggs straight from the cart. I know that getting food from these carts are common and I see people doing it every day and night, but I just don't know how long it will take me to get to that point. So far, there's no way... but it is the first week. So far, I haven't been incredibly adventurous, but I hope to work my way up to trying all the strange foods Thailand has to offer. Today I had some really interesting food, and I was glad to see that campus had some really nice lunch options. I had some kind of fried chicken pieces with sesame seeds and a sweet brown sauce, a large portion of rice with chopped garlic and lime infused in it, and a small side salad with a sweet white sauce on top. The food here is really interesting and I think that overall, I will grow to like it, there will just be a process to getting used to some of the sights. It isn't every day that you see a duck's head lying out on a cart prepared to be purchased, well that is, unless you're in Bangkok.
There are some incredible people here, and I have been really luck to have made several new friends already. It seems to be a really awesome group of people and I look forward to studying and hanging out amongst both the international students and Thai students that I have met here so far.
Tomorrow, I start my classes at Thammasat University. I have Thai Media tomorrow, which sounds really interesting, so I am really excited. I cannot wait to start the semester off right. I have a lot of new resolutions for the year, and I look forward to taking advantage of all the opportunities that I am lucky enough to have during my stay here in Bangkok.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
The land of smiles, and firsts.
Thailand, as it is referred to by many people, is known as "The Land of Smiles." This is quite the understatement. Land of constant smiles is more accurate. Everyone here is so nice and seemingly happy that it is contagious. You can't help but smile when you see their ear to ear grins. Whether they speak broken english or none at all, people are eager to point you in the right direction, sell you some kind of foreign food, or just smile as you accidentally graze them on the street. The best thing thus far about this place is how friendly strangers are to you.
Wednesday we had a free day, as our housing tour didn't start until Thursday, so we decided to explore. We ventured down to Siriaj, a hospital near the hotel we are staying in to visit the Songkran Niyomsane Forensic Medical Museum. All I have to say is thank god we hadn't eaten yet, because I don't think I would have made it through without losing it. The museum was filled with things that weren't for those with a weak stomach. At 40 Baht (around $1.10) we first see an all white room with a circular table topped with around 8 or so tanks on the top. Inside the tanks were preserved babies. These babies were various forms of medical phenomenons. Varying from siamese twins, mermaids, babies born with their organs on the outside, one born with its skull caved in, and a cyclops. I couldn't help to be baffled at the sight before my eyes. It was quite overwhelming to think that between those thin layers of glass was a baby just floating in preservatives with stitches across its body from where it had been previously examined. Next, we came to a giant hallway that featured bones and photographs. The bones were cool. I liked the bones compared to the photos. The photos were very graphic, gory scenes of several accidents that had apparently come to the hospital. There was a man decapitated by a train, a person's arm who had committed suicide with several slashes down the wrist, and the most disturbing, a baby that had been killed by a molotov cocktail. The museum featured five different parts, but there was no real order within the place. There was mummified rapists that had received the death penalty right next to a bookshelf full of preserved snakes. Weird to say the least. It was definitely an experience, I love forensics and I although I caught myself wincing at most of the exhibits, I am so glad we went.
After our little museum visit we made our way to the school to find where we would be meeting the next day for our housing tour. Well, getting to the school was less than easy. I felt like we were in a maze. Vendors selling anything from food to pocket calculators are scattered around everywhere. You can't even walk through some places without seeing tons of things available to buy. After finally arriving on campus, I was pleasantly surprised. Campus was beautiful with tons of greenery and beautiful architecture. After walking around like typical tourists, asking a million people for directions, not knowing where anything is, we found the place we needed to be. After getting ourselves acclimated to finding that again... thank god for strange landmarks, we moved on to see an awesome park right by school. The park had a tooth relic in the center, which was really interesting. People were crowded around with flowers and incense in tow paying their respects. I often feel incredibly disrespectful when I am around the temples and memorials because I don't really know what to do. There seems to be set rituals for these types of settings, all ones that I don't fully understand. However, this is only my first week, and Rome wasn't built in a day.
It is almost impossible to look attractive in the blazing heat of the city. I go from okay to hot mess in a matter of minutes, but it seems to be the style here. I have met some really nice people that will be studying at Thammasat this semester and the conversation almost always starts with What's your name? Where are you from? and How do you like this heat? It's quite amusing to me that people always find some grounds to connect with people, even if it as small as the weather. I should have gotten my hair cut because it is just almost unmanageable. Ridiculously hot and sticky weather doesn't help my prone to frizzing locks.
Today, we had a housing tour, which featured 3 locations. The first was a less than desirable version of what we are currently staying in. It was an older building with nothing really special about it besides the amazing landscaping. Strange that they put so much focus into the outside of a mediocre building. The second, ironically, was the place we are already staying in, Amarin Mansion. It is a quaint little place with friendly staff, high security, and overall satisfactory accommodations. The third was far more luxurious. Sivali Place was a beautiful hotel/apartment complex that was located in a residential type area. The rooms were way nicer than any we had seen, but the price was also more than double. Equipped with a swimming pool, tennis courts, gym, sauna, karaoke, and a pushy staff, it was almost worth it to overlook the price and just go with it, but there was one exception, the distance. A 45 minute walk and a 30-? (who knows how long in traffic) commute to school, it just didn't seem worth all the cushy extras and the big rent bill. Amarin is a happy medium between the two, and I can see myself living here with no worries. I am already getting used to how to get around down here, and I feel very safe at this place, which is really important to me.
I look forward to class registration and orientation tomorrow. I cannot wait to see what my schedule will look like for the next five months. Then, I suppose the weekend is free to do some more exploring! Should be fun!
Wednesday we had a free day, as our housing tour didn't start until Thursday, so we decided to explore. We ventured down to Siriaj, a hospital near the hotel we are staying in to visit the Songkran Niyomsane Forensic Medical Museum. All I have to say is thank god we hadn't eaten yet, because I don't think I would have made it through without losing it. The museum was filled with things that weren't for those with a weak stomach. At 40 Baht (around $1.10) we first see an all white room with a circular table topped with around 8 or so tanks on the top. Inside the tanks were preserved babies. These babies were various forms of medical phenomenons. Varying from siamese twins, mermaids, babies born with their organs on the outside, one born with its skull caved in, and a cyclops. I couldn't help to be baffled at the sight before my eyes. It was quite overwhelming to think that between those thin layers of glass was a baby just floating in preservatives with stitches across its body from where it had been previously examined. Next, we came to a giant hallway that featured bones and photographs. The bones were cool. I liked the bones compared to the photos. The photos were very graphic, gory scenes of several accidents that had apparently come to the hospital. There was a man decapitated by a train, a person's arm who had committed suicide with several slashes down the wrist, and the most disturbing, a baby that had been killed by a molotov cocktail. The museum featured five different parts, but there was no real order within the place. There was mummified rapists that had received the death penalty right next to a bookshelf full of preserved snakes. Weird to say the least. It was definitely an experience, I love forensics and I although I caught myself wincing at most of the exhibits, I am so glad we went.
After our little museum visit we made our way to the school to find where we would be meeting the next day for our housing tour. Well, getting to the school was less than easy. I felt like we were in a maze. Vendors selling anything from food to pocket calculators are scattered around everywhere. You can't even walk through some places without seeing tons of things available to buy. After finally arriving on campus, I was pleasantly surprised. Campus was beautiful with tons of greenery and beautiful architecture. After walking around like typical tourists, asking a million people for directions, not knowing where anything is, we found the place we needed to be. After getting ourselves acclimated to finding that again... thank god for strange landmarks, we moved on to see an awesome park right by school. The park had a tooth relic in the center, which was really interesting. People were crowded around with flowers and incense in tow paying their respects. I often feel incredibly disrespectful when I am around the temples and memorials because I don't really know what to do. There seems to be set rituals for these types of settings, all ones that I don't fully understand. However, this is only my first week, and Rome wasn't built in a day.
It is almost impossible to look attractive in the blazing heat of the city. I go from okay to hot mess in a matter of minutes, but it seems to be the style here. I have met some really nice people that will be studying at Thammasat this semester and the conversation almost always starts with What's your name? Where are you from? and How do you like this heat? It's quite amusing to me that people always find some grounds to connect with people, even if it as small as the weather. I should have gotten my hair cut because it is just almost unmanageable. Ridiculously hot and sticky weather doesn't help my prone to frizzing locks.
Today, we had a housing tour, which featured 3 locations. The first was a less than desirable version of what we are currently staying in. It was an older building with nothing really special about it besides the amazing landscaping. Strange that they put so much focus into the outside of a mediocre building. The second, ironically, was the place we are already staying in, Amarin Mansion. It is a quaint little place with friendly staff, high security, and overall satisfactory accommodations. The third was far more luxurious. Sivali Place was a beautiful hotel/apartment complex that was located in a residential type area. The rooms were way nicer than any we had seen, but the price was also more than double. Equipped with a swimming pool, tennis courts, gym, sauna, karaoke, and a pushy staff, it was almost worth it to overlook the price and just go with it, but there was one exception, the distance. A 45 minute walk and a 30-? (who knows how long in traffic) commute to school, it just didn't seem worth all the cushy extras and the big rent bill. Amarin is a happy medium between the two, and I can see myself living here with no worries. I am already getting used to how to get around down here, and I feel very safe at this place, which is really important to me.
I look forward to class registration and orientation tomorrow. I cannot wait to see what my schedule will look like for the next five months. Then, I suppose the weekend is free to do some more exploring! Should be fun!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Toto, we sure aren't in Kansas anymore.
Wow. That's all I have really been able to say since I have arrived here. Bangkok is beautiful, interesting and most of all, hot. Very hot. This really is a foreign land and thus far, few things are even remotely similar to what I am accustomed to at home. As I am more settled now, I finally have time to recap my first days in my new home.
First off, anyone that has told me that flying is fun and "not bad" was lying. I was just a stressful hot mess. My first flight was from DC to NY and saying goodbye was harder than I imagined. I didn't want to cry however, because knowing myself, it would start just a chain of depression, so I let my mother do that for me. My first flight went off without any problems, but JFK is where the chaos started. I arrived in terminal 8, and my connection was in terminal 4. So, I assumed, rather naively, that I could just walk down and terminal four wouldn't be that far. False. It was in a completely different area, where I had to take a train to get to. I had an hour until my second flight, so I was like great, I should be fine. I will just take the train and no problem! Wrong again. There were signs that had estimated walking times, which was really interesting, as I had never seen that before. When I saw that the estimated walking time to the train was 45 minutes I was freaking out! I didn't know how long the train would take or how long I had to go after the train, so I was just running around in total stress mode. Fortunately, with the help of a very pleasant woman who obviously was taking pity on my frantic self, I made it there with 20 minutes to spare, as the boarding time was a little different than my ticket showed. Then I really felt like I was beginning my journey. My flight was 13 hours and seeing as I've never been on a flight over 3 hours, I didn't know what to expect. Well, everything I expected, I experienced the opposite. Many people told me that I would just sleep the whole time and it would be really easy. I would have loved to sleep the entire trip, but there was no chance of that. Sleeping upright between two complete strangers with lights from others reading was not an easy feat. Since I only got about 3 hours of sleep before leaving, I was exhausted, but I just couldn't sleep. So I watched about 5 movies, listened to a few albums and watched some tv shows. I slept long enough to miss the battle between Harry Potter and Voldemort, and awoke to see the offspring of the characters going to school. And then again during the help for about 30 minutes. So I don't know how long that was. But that was it. I met some really nice people on my flight and It was a great experience. Arriving in Bangkok it was just an insane trip. I was tired, sweaty, and completely overwhelmed. I didn't know where to go or what to do. I was to be picked up by a person from my hotel, and I didn't know what to expect. After waiting an hour in line for customs, I made it through in about 5 minutes, it was much more pleasant than I expected. I was so excited that my bags made it through the journey, and through a sea of people with little signs I see my name. I was probably more than embarrassingly excited in greeting the little man that picked me up.
The ride to the hotel was incredible. Seeing the temples and buildings and flowers and trees. It was just insane. I couldn't believe that I was actually in Thailand.
I was so tired and just nasty from the plane. I took a nice, particularly cold shower in the most interesting bathroom I've been it. There wasn't a real shower quality to it, it was just a bathroom and the shower was indicated by a partition with a little bit of a step down from the rest of the bathroom. The shower head was one of those detachable shower heads with the long cord on it and then there was a short spout where your feet are, so I was confused at what you really do with this. The hotel and its staff are really nice, and my room is quite nice, and I am really happy that I chose to stay here.
Today, Cody and I plan to go to a forensic museum and scout out some more of our new home. Tomorrow is our housing tour and I am interested to see what kinds of places they will show, and what will be my home for the next 5 months. Five months. It is still insane to think about that. More to come later, hopefully more adventuring after the housing tour!
First off, anyone that has told me that flying is fun and "not bad" was lying. I was just a stressful hot mess. My first flight was from DC to NY and saying goodbye was harder than I imagined. I didn't want to cry however, because knowing myself, it would start just a chain of depression, so I let my mother do that for me. My first flight went off without any problems, but JFK is where the chaos started. I arrived in terminal 8, and my connection was in terminal 4. So, I assumed, rather naively, that I could just walk down and terminal four wouldn't be that far. False. It was in a completely different area, where I had to take a train to get to. I had an hour until my second flight, so I was like great, I should be fine. I will just take the train and no problem! Wrong again. There were signs that had estimated walking times, which was really interesting, as I had never seen that before. When I saw that the estimated walking time to the train was 45 minutes I was freaking out! I didn't know how long the train would take or how long I had to go after the train, so I was just running around in total stress mode. Fortunately, with the help of a very pleasant woman who obviously was taking pity on my frantic self, I made it there with 20 minutes to spare, as the boarding time was a little different than my ticket showed. Then I really felt like I was beginning my journey. My flight was 13 hours and seeing as I've never been on a flight over 3 hours, I didn't know what to expect. Well, everything I expected, I experienced the opposite. Many people told me that I would just sleep the whole time and it would be really easy. I would have loved to sleep the entire trip, but there was no chance of that. Sleeping upright between two complete strangers with lights from others reading was not an easy feat. Since I only got about 3 hours of sleep before leaving, I was exhausted, but I just couldn't sleep. So I watched about 5 movies, listened to a few albums and watched some tv shows. I slept long enough to miss the battle between Harry Potter and Voldemort, and awoke to see the offspring of the characters going to school. And then again during the help for about 30 minutes. So I don't know how long that was. But that was it. I met some really nice people on my flight and It was a great experience. Arriving in Bangkok it was just an insane trip. I was tired, sweaty, and completely overwhelmed. I didn't know where to go or what to do. I was to be picked up by a person from my hotel, and I didn't know what to expect. After waiting an hour in line for customs, I made it through in about 5 minutes, it was much more pleasant than I expected. I was so excited that my bags made it through the journey, and through a sea of people with little signs I see my name. I was probably more than embarrassingly excited in greeting the little man that picked me up.
The ride to the hotel was incredible. Seeing the temples and buildings and flowers and trees. It was just insane. I couldn't believe that I was actually in Thailand.
I was so tired and just nasty from the plane. I took a nice, particularly cold shower in the most interesting bathroom I've been it. There wasn't a real shower quality to it, it was just a bathroom and the shower was indicated by a partition with a little bit of a step down from the rest of the bathroom. The shower head was one of those detachable shower heads with the long cord on it and then there was a short spout where your feet are, so I was confused at what you really do with this. The hotel and its staff are really nice, and my room is quite nice, and I am really happy that I chose to stay here.
Today, Cody and I plan to go to a forensic museum and scout out some more of our new home. Tomorrow is our housing tour and I am interested to see what kinds of places they will show, and what will be my home for the next 5 months. Five months. It is still insane to think about that. More to come later, hopefully more adventuring after the housing tour!
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