After a glorious time on the islands, my mom and I headed to Chaing Mai for a few days. Chiang Mai is the largest city in northern Thailand and is located in a valley surrounded by mountains and lush, tropical jungle. We flew from Bangkok to Chaing Mai for less than $50.00 and had landed in an hour. Not having done much research about the city, we did not know what to expect but, thankfully, we were pleasantly surprised. The first day we walked around the old city, seeing the major temples and eating on the street. The old city is surrounded by an ancient wall and moat and has the feel of a medieval castle in Europe. Inside, however, the city is distinctly Thai. The temples were gigantic and beautiful, one dating back over 700 years. They were amazingly well preserved and I cannot fathom how long it must have taken to create the remarkably detailed structures.
On another note, the first two nights we stayed in a rather pathetic little hostel with paper thin walls. At several points during the night I heard people peeing in the bathroom located next to our room. I love that sound at 3:00 am....Needless to say, we moved to a nicer hotel as soon as we could.
The rest of our time in Chiang Mai was spent doing fun activities outdoors. We went white water rafting, elephant riding, bamboo rafting, on treks to waterfalls, and zip lining. Luckily the mountain air was a bit cooler than in the city and we were able to escape the intense heat.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
A little more on Koh Phi Phi
As I mentioned in an earlier post, Koh Phi Phi is famous for its lush terrain and crystal clear turquoise water. We fell in love with the island and ended up spending 5 days there. We went scuba diving and snorkeling, read our books on the beach, ate delicious food, and got sunburned again. Koh Phi Phi’s one town is charming, complete with cobblestone streets, no cars, and a fantastic array of restaurants, bars, and shopping stalls. Although the island has its many charms, the one problem is the trash. There were random piles of trash on empty lots of land and heaps of trash bags rotting in dilapidated buildings. It was a not so subtle reminder of the islands poverty and poor city planning. It is simply amazing that the Thai government allows the Thai people to spoil “paradise”, and one of its biggest tourist destinations, in such a way. It was clear from not only the trash, but also the shanty town on the outskirts of the island, that Thailand is still a developing country.
Water Logged...
I have not written in a while as I have been travelling with my mom for the past month. She left on Thursday and I was very sad to see her go. We had a great time and saw an incredible amount of Thailand, as well as a bit of Burma and Loas. To begin my posts on our time together, I must start with how my mom and I met up after she arrived in Bangkok at 1:00 am...
We decided it would be rather difficult for me to pick her up at the airport at such a time as my apartment is 45 minutes away via taxi and all public transportation closes at midnight. I also had work the next day and needed to get up early. So, my mom stayed in a hotel her first night here and we planned to meet at 5:00 pm at the closest sky train stop (Wong Wien Yai) to my apartment. It usually takes me an hour by bus to reach the sky train but just to be safe, I left school as soon as I could the next day, which was at 3:00 pm. I boarded a bus shortly after and began what was to be a memorable journey…
It had been raining all day and when I boarded the bus, it was packed full with soaking wet people. I stood between several sopping wet teens and became wet by proximity, much to my annoyance. The traffic was horrible because of the rain and I congratulated myself on having enough sense to leave early. The bus slowly inched along for about an hour until coming upon a section of the road so flooded that it resembled a lake. The bus driver hesitated for only a moment before plunging our bus into this lake. For obvious reasons, the bus did not make it far; it began to take on water and steam poured from the engine. Yet no one got off….I became panicked after 30 minutes of not moving. Even still, not a single soul got off the bus. Finally I decided enough was enough, I was going to be late at this point and doubted the bus was ever going to re-emerge from the lake. I waded through the water back to slightly dryer land to see if I could flag down a motorcycle to take me the rest of the way (which was still about 45 minutes of driving).
It was a nightmare trying to find a motorcycle to take me; no driver in his right mind wanted to ruin his bike in the streets that had become rivers. One after the next turned me down and all laughed in my face for requesting a ride. I waded through mud up to my calves for what seemed like an eternity before a driver took pity on me, but not before making me pay an exorbitant amount. We took off and it proved to be the most exciting mototaxi ride of my life. We zigzagged in and out of the stopped traffic while the water lapped at our legs, rising high past our calves. I am extremely surprised his bike was not completely ruined. Once on an elevated highway that runs two stories over the city, the rain pelted my face like bee stings as we speed to my destination. I arrived soaking wet with a bright red splotched face at Wong Wien Yai station at 5:30. I was overjoyed to be there….
Yet my mom was not at the station. I walked up and down the length of the station over and over again, checking all entrances for any sign of her. I became worried that something terrible had happened. Thirty minutes later, and jut as I was about to have a nervous breakdown, I got a call from a strange number. My mom had borrowed a Good Samaritan’s cell phone and told me she was waiting at a station, which we quickly determined to be the wrong one. Thank God for cell phones. She was at the correction station within 15 minutes and after yelling at each other, we explained our sides of the story. She had been waiting at the wrong station since 4:30 pm (it was now 6:15 pm) and was also panicking.
After all the trouble, we could not hail a cab for an hour. We walked in the rain with her giant suitcases in the dark until we caught the bus. We arrived back at my apartment at around 10:00 pm. What a beginning!
We decided it would be rather difficult for me to pick her up at the airport at such a time as my apartment is 45 minutes away via taxi and all public transportation closes at midnight. I also had work the next day and needed to get up early. So, my mom stayed in a hotel her first night here and we planned to meet at 5:00 pm at the closest sky train stop (Wong Wien Yai) to my apartment. It usually takes me an hour by bus to reach the sky train but just to be safe, I left school as soon as I could the next day, which was at 3:00 pm. I boarded a bus shortly after and began what was to be a memorable journey…
It had been raining all day and when I boarded the bus, it was packed full with soaking wet people. I stood between several sopping wet teens and became wet by proximity, much to my annoyance. The traffic was horrible because of the rain and I congratulated myself on having enough sense to leave early. The bus slowly inched along for about an hour until coming upon a section of the road so flooded that it resembled a lake. The bus driver hesitated for only a moment before plunging our bus into this lake. For obvious reasons, the bus did not make it far; it began to take on water and steam poured from the engine. Yet no one got off….I became panicked after 30 minutes of not moving. Even still, not a single soul got off the bus. Finally I decided enough was enough, I was going to be late at this point and doubted the bus was ever going to re-emerge from the lake. I waded through the water back to slightly dryer land to see if I could flag down a motorcycle to take me the rest of the way (which was still about 45 minutes of driving).
It was a nightmare trying to find a motorcycle to take me; no driver in his right mind wanted to ruin his bike in the streets that had become rivers. One after the next turned me down and all laughed in my face for requesting a ride. I waded through mud up to my calves for what seemed like an eternity before a driver took pity on me, but not before making me pay an exorbitant amount. We took off and it proved to be the most exciting mototaxi ride of my life. We zigzagged in and out of the stopped traffic while the water lapped at our legs, rising high past our calves. I am extremely surprised his bike was not completely ruined. Once on an elevated highway that runs two stories over the city, the rain pelted my face like bee stings as we speed to my destination. I arrived soaking wet with a bright red splotched face at Wong Wien Yai station at 5:30. I was overjoyed to be there….
Yet my mom was not at the station. I walked up and down the length of the station over and over again, checking all entrances for any sign of her. I became worried that something terrible had happened. Thirty minutes later, and jut as I was about to have a nervous breakdown, I got a call from a strange number. My mom had borrowed a Good Samaritan’s cell phone and told me she was waiting at a station, which we quickly determined to be the wrong one. Thank God for cell phones. She was at the correction station within 15 minutes and after yelling at each other, we explained our sides of the story. She had been waiting at the wrong station since 4:30 pm (it was now 6:15 pm) and was also panicking.
After all the trouble, we could not hail a cab for an hour. We walked in the rain with her giant suitcases in the dark until we caught the bus. We arrived back at my apartment at around 10:00 pm. What a beginning!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Vacation time!
My mom arrived in Bangkok a week and a half ago. We ate our way around Bangkok for the first few days. Literally... Bangkok, and Thailand in general, has the BEST food once you know where to look. We then decided we wanted to spend some time on Thailand's famous beaches and our first stop was Phuket. Two days on Phuket was enough....although perfectly lovely, the town was deserted (low season) and the red flag was flying our entire stay. I of course still swam in the ocean, risking life and limb to jump the waves. We then proceeded to Koh Phi Phi Don, the now famous island where the movie "The Beach" was filmed. Phi Phi can be described in one word: paradise. It is gorgeous; white sand beaches, clear turquoise water, lush tropical jungle, a very quaint town with friendly, smiling people. I am in L-O-V-E!
Yesterday my mom and I chartered a boat out to Phi Phi Ley (another island close to Phi Phi Don) to snorkel and scuba dive. I saw five (FIVE!) sharks, schools of florescent fish, and a few gigantic starfish colored in the most unusual colors: florescent periwinkle, lime green, etc. We had a great time and I added new layers of sunburn to my existing pink state.
Yesterday my mom and I chartered a boat out to Phi Phi Ley (another island close to Phi Phi Don) to snorkel and scuba dive. I saw five (FIVE!) sharks, schools of florescent fish, and a few gigantic starfish colored in the most unusual colors: florescent periwinkle, lime green, etc. We had a great time and I added new layers of sunburn to my existing pink state.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
I just returned from lunch with my boss, Rattanaporn. She is the Deputy Director of the Sarasas school system, basically a big shot around our part of Bangkok. She told me that I am “a girl very young and very far from home”. Because of this, she is going to watch out for me and make sure I am happy, healthy, and safe. The lunch can be broken down into three excruciating and yet somehow wildly entertaining subjects.
Subject One: Health. Rattanaporn insisted that I eat healthy and maintain a very slim figure, like herself. She even weighed me on a scale she keeps in her office. She informed me that I need to stay at my current weight, or perhaps lose a kilo. She will be weighing me periodically and will tell me what to eat if I gain (gasp!) any weight. She pinched my sides and muttered under her breath. I’ll have to starve to keep this crazy Asian woman happy!
Subject Two: Engagement. Rattanaporn smoothly transitioned from health into the subject of men upon finding out I was engaged. She immediately took it upon herself to become my “purity keeper”. Nate will be happy to find out that I will not be getting away with anything! In her opinion, it is of the utmost importance to behave like a proper engaged woman. I am not to been seen with men alone and I am never to be seen in a bathing suit, even at the beaches. The most skin I should ever show, in her opinion, is my arms and legs. Shorts and a sleeveless top is where I must draw the line.
Subject Three: Marriage. Ratanaporn then proceeded to tell me how to keep my husband happy, once I am married. Her recipe for a happy marriage is threefold: 1. I must dote on him every day. Kind words go a long way. 2. I must stay sexy. Taking care of myself (and not getting fat like other American women, she added with complete disgust) will keep my husband interested. She told me I need to exercise more and stay out of the sun (as freckles and wrinkles are a sure way to kill a marriage). 3. Cook excellent meals. A man will want to come home to you if you leave his stomach satisfied every night. I felt like I was in a time warp back to the 1950’s…
I don’t know what I did to warrant this attention…the lunch let me speechless. Can you imagine how inappropriate this lunch would be in the US? She certainly crossed what Americans consider to be the work-relationship boundary. Yet after returning from lunch, it became more clear. Rattanaporn is a beautiful, poised, and well respected woman in the Thai community. She has, for some reason, taken a special interest in me and desires to pass on her insider knowledge of Thai culture. My lunch with Rattanaporn, although she most definitely meant well, was shocking and I was reminded once again how different Thai culture is from our own.
Subject One: Health. Rattanaporn insisted that I eat healthy and maintain a very slim figure, like herself. She even weighed me on a scale she keeps in her office. She informed me that I need to stay at my current weight, or perhaps lose a kilo. She will be weighing me periodically and will tell me what to eat if I gain (gasp!) any weight. She pinched my sides and muttered under her breath. I’ll have to starve to keep this crazy Asian woman happy!
Subject Two: Engagement. Rattanaporn smoothly transitioned from health into the subject of men upon finding out I was engaged. She immediately took it upon herself to become my “purity keeper”. Nate will be happy to find out that I will not be getting away with anything! In her opinion, it is of the utmost importance to behave like a proper engaged woman. I am not to been seen with men alone and I am never to be seen in a bathing suit, even at the beaches. The most skin I should ever show, in her opinion, is my arms and legs. Shorts and a sleeveless top is where I must draw the line.
Subject Three: Marriage. Ratanaporn then proceeded to tell me how to keep my husband happy, once I am married. Her recipe for a happy marriage is threefold: 1. I must dote on him every day. Kind words go a long way. 2. I must stay sexy. Taking care of myself (and not getting fat like other American women, she added with complete disgust) will keep my husband interested. She told me I need to exercise more and stay out of the sun (as freckles and wrinkles are a sure way to kill a marriage). 3. Cook excellent meals. A man will want to come home to you if you leave his stomach satisfied every night. I felt like I was in a time warp back to the 1950’s…
I don’t know what I did to warrant this attention…the lunch let me speechless. Can you imagine how inappropriate this lunch would be in the US? She certainly crossed what Americans consider to be the work-relationship boundary. Yet after returning from lunch, it became more clear. Rattanaporn is a beautiful, poised, and well respected woman in the Thai community. She has, for some reason, taken a special interest in me and desires to pass on her insider knowledge of Thai culture. My lunch with Rattanaporn, although she most definitely meant well, was shocking and I was reminded once again how different Thai culture is from our own.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Thai Nightlife
Last Saturday, Hayley and I went out in Bangkok for a rousing night on the town. After going to several clubs, we discovered one dreadful fact: the Thais do not dance! Oh the horror! We had to remedy this unfortunate discovery with a stiff drink and ended up in a gay bar for women. Once again, the Thais had a difficult time pronouncing Hayley’s name. The irony was all too apparent as I sat with “Henry” while a lady boy in a glorious wig crooned Thai love songs in our direction.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Settling In
One week down, one and a half more weeks to go -- that it, until fall break. My teaching job is both my source of joy and my source of frustration. I immensely enjoy teaching the younger grades, i.e. grades one and two. They are sweet, innocent, and polite. In addition, they seem to love me just because I am a young, female teacher who smiles. Teaching English to them is a challenge, however. They understand little and find pronunciation of English words difficult. On the other hand, grades four and seven understand more but have lost the sweet innocence I cherish. Perhaps my dislike of the higher grades is partly due to the subject matter: I have been substituting for a sick math teacher. At this point, I need more experience to determine where I truly belong in the teaching world.
My apartment is….for the lack of a better word, a crap hole. All surfaces are stained and old, complete with peeling wall paper and scuffed linoleum floors. Yet, after hours of scrubbing (which had no effect on the appearance but made me feel better about the cleanliness) it has become homey. I am hoping that I will actually grow to love the pathetic little place.
I finally have Internet in my apartment after hours of scouting out a “dongle”. A dongle is a device that connects a computer to the internet via satellite signal. I do not know which language dongle comes from; I have never heard the term and neither had the Thais’. My Dutch and Polish colleagues essentially sent me on a wild goose chase. Oh to live and work amongst foreigners!
My apartment is….for the lack of a better word, a crap hole. All surfaces are stained and old, complete with peeling wall paper and scuffed linoleum floors. Yet, after hours of scrubbing (which had no effect on the appearance but made me feel better about the cleanliness) it has become homey. I am hoping that I will actually grow to love the pathetic little place.
I finally have Internet in my apartment after hours of scouting out a “dongle”. A dongle is a device that connects a computer to the internet via satellite signal. I do not know which language dongle comes from; I have never heard the term and neither had the Thais’. My Dutch and Polish colleagues essentially sent me on a wild goose chase. Oh to live and work amongst foreigners!
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