Not Busy, Just Thai'd Up

Sa wat dee kha (hello)!!! So I have officially been in Thailand for three days, and it feels like I left home about three weeks ago.  The flight was an excruciating too many hours- from Dulles to Seoul, Korea, and then to Chiang Mai.  22+ hours of travel, several back and neck aches, and minor body odor: totally a great time.

Alex and I exchanged our U.S. money ($1= 30.5 baht, roundabouts) and then were greeted by a really nice driver named P’Jew.  The main mode of transportation for foreigners, or those who don’t have motorbikes or cars, seems to be the songthaew (spelling is probably not correct- but my internet is barely working, so I cannot check) which is a red truck.  They are relatively cheap, especially if you cram twenty people into it.

Anyway, we arrived at school- Payap- around midnight, and were taken to a guest room in Alpha House, which is the girls’ dormitory here.  We were confused about our placement because normally, students have stayed at the International House…but oh well! We do not have to worry about paying utilities, which is just lovely!  Erm, yea.  So, we will be moving into our real room in Alpha on Sunday- our Thai roommate has been away, and tomorrow we are going to a village in the Phrao district for four days, so we continue to live out of our suitcases,

I am really tired.  But I must push through and try to write this!  By the way- no pictures yet.  This internet is very slow and I do not have the patience to try uploading photos.

Anyways, so yea.  Life on this campus is pretty nice.  Some of the scenery and the fact that the city is a short travel away remind me of SMCM- so it’s kinda homey.  But, this place is definitely not as lax- no girls in boy dorm halls (and vice versa), no changing in front of your roommate (modesty and conservatism are key), walking around barefoot is unseen, walking in general is disliked, we must shower at least twice a day (Thais are very sensitive to smell- I am so self-conscious about my perspiration now), and the uniforms.  At first, it seemed a great idea…and then the all-too-complicated shirt button system was introduced.  I will deal, and it will probably get easier…but come on maaaaan!

Blah.  More exciting things.  We met a bunch of people from the SEIAGS group on Saturday.  About fourteen of them had travelled together and toured Bangkok for four days, so they knew each other quite well.  We had some bonding to catch up on.  Pretty much everyone in the group is cool.  A lot of us are from America, but there are three Japanese students, an Australian, and a Gambian (CHERNO! YOUR GF IS COOOOL!).  I’m really enjoying the diversity of our group in terms of background, travel experience, majors, and personalities.  It’s been fun.

Our SEIAGS group and some Thai students have gone to a couple of bars and dance places.  Thais go hard- go party early and then come back home early in the morning.  OMG.  It’s entertaining for sure, but like whoa.  I can barely stand from tired legs and some buzziness around 1 a.m.  Sheesh.  They like their mixed drinks- there is this one drink that the Thai students ordered for us that they call a “special drink”.  It consists of rum, lemonade, Coke, and Red Bull.  Some people have been getting them in small buckets and sip out of that all night…or in twenty minutes if they are ambitious, or have help.

My favorite thing that we’ve done as a group is to go to this really pretty lake- and I can’t remember the name of it now, but I will eventually rediscover it.  Along the side of the lake were these bamboo huts where everyone gathers around a table, and they can order food and drinks, or buy it from a walking salesperson.  JJ, one of the Thai students, had us all try live shrimp.  Yes, I ate a live shrimp, and it was delicious.  It just tastes like squishy shrimp, and they put it with a bunch of yummy spices. 

The scenery at this place is just gorgeous- the mountains are so enticing, the atmosphere is friendly, the trees look so luscious.  The water was very warm despite the short burst of rain, but it was refreshing in the heat.  We were practically the only people in bikinis, most of the Thai people dove in fully-clothed, so it felt odd to be half-nekked.  Modesty is super big here- shoulders in many places must not be bared, and sometimes I am self-conscious about the length of my shorts.  A lot of girls in Chiang Mai dress as we do in America though (probably because it is a city), so it’s not as conservative as I had previously thought it to be. 

Oh- we did go to a bazaar.  I plan on exploring more later.  The most exciting thing that happened was a torrential downpour (we are currently experiencing the monsoon season).  We waited for maybe 20-30 minutes for the rain to stop so that we could go back to Payap, but the skies would not give up their water bombs to the ground. So, we ran through the bazaar and got completely soaked.  For those of you who have seen me squeal with exuberance through the rain, the image of me shivering and being quiet through this natural waterpark would be a foreign image.  My lack of excitement came from the fact that I couldn’t see through my glasses.  Why am I wearing glasses? This infernal pink eye won’t leave me be!!!!! AAAAHHH.  I had the misfortune of having pink eye for two weeks before departure to Thailand.  I got rid of it, and it came back.  What an asshole my eye is being.

Dees lil piggies went to market...and den deeeeees lil piggies got stuck in da rain.

Um, anyway. I feel as if I could go on FOREVER! I didn’t realize how much we’d actually done and learned (there’s way more than this), or that I would have so much to say after three days.  This blogging thing is vair difficult. 

I will conclude by saying that today was our orientation.  Soon, classes will begin, Thai language will be learned, and papers will be written.  I’m really excited though! We had a pre-test on what we know about Thailand and Southeast Asia.  I got 26 points out of 100.  Tis fortunate for my pride that I am not the only failure.  Bloop.  This post is way too long already.   Get ready for an even longer one after these next four days are over.  We are doing a homestay with families that barely speak English.  I am excited to use the four (maybe more) phrases that we have learned.  Wish me luck!