so... I am not going to lie to you.
I forgot. not so much forgot, but just... didn't remember.
so,
here.
we.
go.
Hi there,
My name is Esteban Castaño. Today is day two of week nineteen, here in the Kingdom of Thailand as a Rotary Youth Exchange.
I cannot believe it. Four months living here. Where is the reset button? I want nothing more than to re-live my time spent here.
Being an exchange student is nothing short of amazing.
Being an exchange student means so many things. It means sucking up your lifestyle and embracing something new. It means adjusting your taste buds to a new definition of “delicious”. Redefining modesty, sacrificing comforts, smiling and nodding, laughing, being friendly, creating relationships that will paint positive images of yourself and your home country. It means wearing a uniform to school. It means It means asking your host parents, 48 hours ago total strangers, how to use a bathroom hose. It means eating bugs you didn’t even know existed, feeling aghast when you spend more than 5 dollars on a meal, and asking your host counselor how to use a squat toilet.
Being an exchange student means so many things, but at the end of the day you feel nothing but happiness for the new found love you have for people halfway around the world and vice-versa.
November was a great chaser for the dynamic, travel-packed month of October. I got to settle down in Mae Sariang and really build my relationships here in town. As my language skills progressed, my relationships with my friends and families also progressed. Nothing was more rewarding than learning to read and write Thai. I remember sitting in the English room, where I spend most of my free time studying, and finally being able to piece together the conglomerate of characters to sound-out “RONG-REAN” or “school”. Next, I read “DEUAN THAN-WA” or “december” and so-on and so-on. With 46 letters and over a dozen vowel and vowel combinations, reading and writing Thai is nothing short of tedious. Sanskrit in origin with influence from Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia, Thai is full of surprises. Nevertheless, the five tones give Thai a beautiful rhythm and the characters make up a beautiful calligraphy. It really is an honor to learn such a harmonic language.
The easy-going, laid back pace of November just reflects the Thai way of life. The way one “farang”, or foreigner, explained to me at my counselor’s restaurant was that the tempo of one’s life is largely determined by the size of your town. Cities all around the world have a much faster pace than small towns such as Mae Sariang. If I were raised in a small town in the states, this easy-going perspective wouldn’t be so new to me. This is true; nevertheless, it doesn’t take long for one to realize that even in the busy streets of Bangkok, the mindset of “sabai sabai” (happy happy) and “jai yen” (cool heart) is never truly forgotten. Thailand provides all the right ingredients for growing people with this mindset. As a developing nation, most people are never far from a humble beginning. Also, the Buddhist teachings of harmony, respect, and balance in society and nature promote a very gentle atmosphere. Even recently, in the protests in Bangkok against the current prime minister the army refused to intervene with military action even when the People’s Party for Democracy occupied Bangkok’s main airport.
My new host family is doing a great service to me. Upon arriving to my school and introducing myself to the administration, Kroo Jom, the deputy director of the school, offered to be my second host family. The school is a large compound. We have 3 main buildings with classrooms, a library, as well as a cafeteria and other outdoor classrooms. The landscape is beautiful and there is a lot of room to sit down and chat with friends during free time. On the school’s property is a small “neighborhood” of homes, which are occupied by teachers. During the week, my host family and I live in one of these houses. During the weekends, we drive to a small village twenty minutes outside of town and stay in a beautiful farmhouse made entirely from teak wood.
My new host family is proving to be both challenging and rewarding. Of course it’s only challenging because I’m used to living in a large house, with my own room and bathroom, enough clothes for a different outfit each day, food always on hand, and amenities such as a flushing toilet and outlets every three feet. Before coming here, that was normal, that was the status quo. I knew I was well off but didn’t really grasp just how well off. Here, there is a buzzing, fluorescent light bulb in each room, one squat toilet accompanied by a tub of water, and two bedrooms for five people.
Sure, I would probably invest in a new toilet that doesn’t put so much stress on my knees but the truth is, the small gap (if any) in happiness isn’t proportional to the extra thousands of dollars my family in America invests in their home compared to my family here.
I’m not trying to guilt you all out of replacing that perfectly good chair with one that matches the color of your wall; it’s just that it suddenly seems so foreign and silly that we have that amount of luxury.
My host family here is just as happy as my family back home even though their annual income may be ten times less. I’m learning that money has no relationship to happiness. Money doesn’t eliminate worries or problems. It simply enables a trade-off between financial worries and new, superficial worries over which style bed to purchase.
During the weekends, my host family and I leave behind this house that at first glance I thought, “I’m going to live here??!?” and go to a beautiful farmhouse made entirely out of teak wood. We have high-speed Internet, a flushing western toilet, a shower with hot water, and wood floors.
My mom keeps it absolutely pristine, a monumental difference to our house on the school. She also hasn’t occupied it with too much furniture or wall adornments. When you walk in you can feel the appreciation and hard work that has gone into each of the walls. It’s as if she leaves the red walls bare just to be able to soak in the beauty and hard work invested.
They built the house along with the small fruit orchard three years ago with money that they must have been saving up since the beginning.
It just proves that everyone has the same aspirations. Starting a family and building a house isn’t just the American dream. It’s everyone’s dream.
With the month of November came the Loy Kratong festival, the Thai equivalent of Valentines Day. Loy Kratong is celebrated on the full-moon day of the twelfth month on the Thai Lunar calendar. “Loy” means to float and “Kratong” is a small, lotus-shaped floating lantern made from banana trunk, flowers, and intricately folded banana leaves. On this day, couples set off these “kratongs” into any canal, river, or lake to send away bad karma and to make wishes for the New Year. Mae Sariang came to life during this festival. During the day, everyone was running around the town buying the necessary supplies to make their Kratongs. It was very similar to the atmosphere in Texas when all the high schools students are building their MUMS for Homecoming. The kratongs are just a lot more biodegradeable, beautiful, and cost 1/60th the price. Some of my fellow classmates were getting ready for the Noppamas Queen beauty contest, named after the legendary queen who is said to have set off the first Kratong. During the evening, the whole town partook in a parade which led to the river where everyone then set off their “Kratong” into the river with their loved one. It was a very joyful, festive, and romantic atmosphere.
Most of my free time in Mae Sariang is spent reading, jogging, or playing soccer. Not much motivation is needed to go jogging along rice paddies, mountains, and virgin jungle. If I’m not in the mood to exercise, I go to my counselor’s restaurant and help out serving food, clearing the tables, etc. She and everyone else at the Intira Restaurant has become like a family to me. I really love being with them.
The first week of December was our Winter Trip to the central part of Thailand. It was six days of non-stop touring accompanied by Ajan Naiyena (the District 3360 Inbound Coordinator) and her daughter, Pee Bee. We did everything from seeing a WWII themed sound and light show at the River Kwai bridge in Kanjanaburi, to enjoying the beaches at Cha-Am, to buying souvenirs at the floating market in Ratchaburi. However, I think two of the most interesting places we got to visit were the Siam Cultural Center where we learned about the story of Prince Vessantara as well as the different eras of Buddhism, and the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
The two weeks following our Winter Trip were spent at my home in Mae Sariang where I was well occupied with going to school, playing soccer, and helping out at Intira. When I’m in Mae Sariang, it’s as if time stops and I just become a part of this self-sufficient, easy-going lifestyle. One weekend, I had the great opportunity to go to Chiang Mai and help build a series of dams on the side of the mountain with one of the Chiang Mai Rotary Clubs. Four other exchange students and I, a small group of soldiers, and a group of Rotarians hauled coils of wire, wood, and other supplies through the jungle to an empty ravine where we started building.
On the 22nd of December, a handful of the exchange students and I traveled together to Chiang Rai to celebrate a fellow YE’s birthday and to spend Christmas together. My host family, school, and host club gave me the OK in Mae Sariang; however, the YE committee wasn’t too pleased that we traveled when it wasn’t a school holiday or without a chaperone (we were put on a bus at point A by Rotary and were picked up at Point B by Rotary. They would have preferred Rotary to accompany us on the bus trip). I think the most confusion came from us having the impression that if our host clubs, host families, and school gave us permission, that was a green light. We all know now that we need to get approval from the District YE committee if we want to travel. A small road bump, but I think it’ll pass with time.
My family and I had plans to visit Chiang Mai and then move on to Chiang Rai for New Years but our plans were put on hold because my grandfather on my dad’s side was admitted to the hospital in Chiang Mai. After visiting him in the hospital, my two older sisters, my host brother, and I watched fireworks and let off khom loys (floating fire lanterns) to welcome in the New Year in the streets of Chiang Mai.
The following morning tragedy hit our family. My grandfather had passed away early that morning. We immediately returned to Mae Sariang to begin funeral preparations. Upon returning to Mae Sariang, we immediately went to a Buddhist temple to start setting up for the next day. The entire town lent a helping hand for the funeral. Tents were set up, chairs were brought in, flowers, flowers, and more flowers were made into arrangements.
Traditionally, the casket is placed in a beautifully decorated cold container, which keeps the body near frozen for the seven-day funeral. However, after bringing one in from a nearby temple, my family decided not to use one.
Every night, over a hundred gatherers came to give their blessings and to recite alongside the monks who would say a series of chants. It was very important that my grandfather always had someone staying with him to keep him company so my family was at the temple almost 24/7. Around 11pm, my mom, sisters, and I would return home only to return early morning the next day. My dad and host brother, along with other uncles, aunts, and cousins would spend the night at the temple.
The last day was by far the most interesting. I arrived and along with my host brother and two cousins, shaved my head and eyebrows in order to become a monk for the day. In a Buddhist funeral, the deceased’s youngest, male descendants are supposed to “buat” or shave their hair and eyebrows, and become “nens” or young monks for the day. This is a sign of extreme respect for the recently deceased and is supposed to pass on good fortune for him in the next life.
A week earlier, on our way back from Chiang Mai to Mae Sariang, my host family had asked if I would be interested in “buating” for my grandfather. It wasn’t even a question. My hair was of no real value to me but the action of becoming a “nen” for my grandfather would bring a lot of happiness to my family, especially my dad. Also, I felt like I owed it to my grandfather who had been really kind to me the one time I got to meet with him.
The morning of the eighth, the four of us became young monks, and partook in the chants. Around midday, the casket was placed on a beautiful shrine that had two very long ropes attached to the front. The family, followed by the guests and the group of young monks pulled the shrine, and walked through the streets of Mae Sariang. People came out of stores, alarmed by the funeral drum, and wai’d (hands together, fingers up while bowing your head) the passing casket. Three and a half kilometers later, we arrived at our final destination: a ceremonial crematorium. The shrine was placed in the center of an intricate gazebo. People watched as a series of fireworks attached to a long fuse were lit off until it reached the intricate shrine where a beautiful array of sparks ignited the shrine.
It was a very spiritual, very beautiful, and a very touching afternoon, one that I will never forget. Later that day, my brother, cousins, and I returned to the temple, said a chant to relinquish our robes and put on our normal clothes.
It was the end of a very long, exhausting, yet beautifully peaceful week.
HOLLA!!
photos:
funeral:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009301&l=298d4&id=1556040080
November:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2006982&l=3ddb9&id=1556040080
Friday, January 30, 2009
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Update!
Hey there friends,
October has been great.
We had our "northern trip" with all of the exchange students.
We visited:
-The Golden Triangle ( Laos meets Burma meets Thailand: old center for Opium trade)
-Akan HillTribe
-Paduang LongNeck Tribe
-Mae Hong Son Hot Spring - mud mask ( not my thing. )
-Chiang Mai ( Doi Suthep Temple, etc)
I think the best part of the trip was just hanging out with the other 22 kids from around the world.
The second week of October was spent in Mae Sariang.
Unfortunately, because of a rather awkward near-crash with another bicyclist.... ( No one else on the road. Saw each other from 300 yards away. Were on the same side of the road approaching each other and as we came nearer and nearer we mirrored each others moves until we were about to crash. I slammed on my brakes. but only my front one braked so my bike tipped up and the back tire buckled when i landed. So my bike is destroyed and I hurt myself in bad places. awesome)
I have no way of transportation from my house to town.
Anyways, at night my family and I would go to "downtown" mae sariang and join in the festivities of Buddhist lent.
Little Buddhist Lesson:
So, the rainy season ( like spring ) is a period of growth and rebirth. New plants come out of the ground and the cycle of life starts all over again. During this time, monks must remain (for the most part) inside the monastery's so they don't risk interfering during this period of rebirth. Since they are trying to reach Enlightenment ( or complete harmony with nature and the universe), stepping on a newly born plant would totally go against what they're trying to do. Buddhist lent symbolizes the end of the rainy seasons. = monks can go out = they're happy and celebrating = the whole town celebrates.
End of Lesson.
So that was fun.
A week from today we piled in the family van and took off for Bangkok. YAY!
One night stay in Phrae ( pick up my siblings) and 13 hours later = bangkok!
1 week in bangkok... coolest thing by far was the floating market.
p.s. I decided I am going to show you pictures via facebook because its the only practical way of doing it. Uploading pics on blogger is slow and unreliable.
I'll post links for albums at the end of this post.
The floating market is fantastic.
It used to be ( and still is for some) the way of life of many people in central Thailand.
Imagine a system of canals with hundreds of canoes. You fill your canoe with your wares and start rowing.
My family and I rented a wooden canoe and we just floated along. There are dozens of small shops that are on the water's edge too. Its so tranquil and beautiful.
We stopped by a restaurant ( a canoe that had a huge pot of noodles brewing over hot coals ) and had noodles. in our canoe.
it was just... ideal.
we got off at at the HQ of the nearby coconut farm.. had some coconut sugar water, coconut candy, got back in the canoe, and continued on our quite adventure.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, we visited the Siam Paragon, the largest shopping mall in SE Asia.
Gucci, Coach, Lambourghini, Ferrari. YES! On the third floor of this fortress, there was a lambourghini shop. like... please buy a car. you like this one? we'll help you drive it down the escalator.
supperr nice. supperrr big... total opposite of floating market.
Oh! Another highlight: going to a noodle shop and finishing 28 bowls of noodles between our family. 4 people. average 7 bowls per person.
oh yes.
heaven is real.
Hung out with Carmen from Mexico who happened to be in Bangkok as well. We saw Toy Story II at the movie theater.
Not really. But that would have been hilarious. We saw Max Payne. ehh... its been done before.
Today, at 7 am we left bangkok and headed back to phrae. 12 hours later we got here!
Tomorrow morning, I head back to mae sariang. Start school on wednesday. switch host families on saturday.
that will be a sad day.
I love my current family.
I love you! Thanks for reading.
P.S. If you want to be on my email list ( ie. get my monthly reports for Rotary ) please leave your email in a comment.
Until next time!
Photos!
part 1
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000630&l=1ac7c&id=1556040080
part 2
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000634&l=cf462&id=1556040080
part 3
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000686&l=ddf1b&id=1556040080
October has been great.
We had our "northern trip" with all of the exchange students.
We visited:
-The Golden Triangle ( Laos meets Burma meets Thailand: old center for Opium trade)
-Akan HillTribe
-Paduang LongNeck Tribe
-Mae Hong Son Hot Spring - mud mask ( not my thing. )
-Chiang Mai ( Doi Suthep Temple, etc)
I think the best part of the trip was just hanging out with the other 22 kids from around the world.
The second week of October was spent in Mae Sariang.
Unfortunately, because of a rather awkward near-crash with another bicyclist.... ( No one else on the road. Saw each other from 300 yards away. Were on the same side of the road approaching each other and as we came nearer and nearer we mirrored each others moves until we were about to crash. I slammed on my brakes. but only my front one braked so my bike tipped up and the back tire buckled when i landed. So my bike is destroyed and I hurt myself in bad places. awesome)
I have no way of transportation from my house to town.
Anyways, at night my family and I would go to "downtown" mae sariang and join in the festivities of Buddhist lent.
Little Buddhist Lesson:
So, the rainy season ( like spring ) is a period of growth and rebirth. New plants come out of the ground and the cycle of life starts all over again. During this time, monks must remain (for the most part) inside the monastery's so they don't risk interfering during this period of rebirth. Since they are trying to reach Enlightenment ( or complete harmony with nature and the universe), stepping on a newly born plant would totally go against what they're trying to do. Buddhist lent symbolizes the end of the rainy seasons. = monks can go out = they're happy and celebrating = the whole town celebrates.
End of Lesson.
So that was fun.
A week from today we piled in the family van and took off for Bangkok. YAY!
One night stay in Phrae ( pick up my siblings) and 13 hours later = bangkok!
1 week in bangkok... coolest thing by far was the floating market.
p.s. I decided I am going to show you pictures via facebook because its the only practical way of doing it. Uploading pics on blogger is slow and unreliable.
I'll post links for albums at the end of this post.
The floating market is fantastic.
It used to be ( and still is for some) the way of life of many people in central Thailand.
Imagine a system of canals with hundreds of canoes. You fill your canoe with your wares and start rowing.
My family and I rented a wooden canoe and we just floated along. There are dozens of small shops that are on the water's edge too. Its so tranquil and beautiful.
We stopped by a restaurant ( a canoe that had a huge pot of noodles brewing over hot coals ) and had noodles. in our canoe.
it was just... ideal.
we got off at at the HQ of the nearby coconut farm.. had some coconut sugar water, coconut candy, got back in the canoe, and continued on our quite adventure.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, we visited the Siam Paragon, the largest shopping mall in SE Asia.
Gucci, Coach, Lambourghini, Ferrari. YES! On the third floor of this fortress, there was a lambourghini shop. like... please buy a car. you like this one? we'll help you drive it down the escalator.
supperr nice. supperrr big... total opposite of floating market.
Oh! Another highlight: going to a noodle shop and finishing 28 bowls of noodles between our family. 4 people. average 7 bowls per person.
oh yes.
heaven is real.
Hung out with Carmen from Mexico who happened to be in Bangkok as well. We saw Toy Story II at the movie theater.
Not really. But that would have been hilarious. We saw Max Payne. ehh... its been done before.
Today, at 7 am we left bangkok and headed back to phrae. 12 hours later we got here!
Tomorrow morning, I head back to mae sariang. Start school on wednesday. switch host families on saturday.
that will be a sad day.
I love my current family.
I love you! Thanks for reading.
P.S. If you want to be on my email list ( ie. get my monthly reports for Rotary ) please leave your email in a comment.
Until next time!
Photos!
part 1
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000630&l=1ac7c&id=1556040080
part 2
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000634&l=cf462&id=1556040080
part 3
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000686&l=ddf1b&id=1556040080
Friday, September 19, 2008
Muay Thai, Magic, Monsoon soccer
I have sooo much to tell you :]
Firstly, I want to make a formal apology for being so late on this post:
I'm sorry for being so late on this post.
Sweet.
So, the orientation in Lampang was sicck.
Here's why:
1) There are a lot of Mexicans. ie. I can speak Spanish with them which means that my spanish is going to improve a lot. Not to mention that Mexicans are ridiculously fun.
So in my district there are
mexico - 6 ( 7 if you count me... which you should :]
canada - 1
taiwan - 1
brazil - 4
USA- 7
Germany - 3
and this kid from Russia who actually hasn't arrived.
Everyone gets along well and we already feel so close to each other.
2) We went to the elephant conservation center and watched them bathe and perform. Elephants were and occasionally still used in the logging industry. They are very intelligent and are trained to move and stack the logs. They also play music on this massive xylophone thing and can also paint! At the end of the "tour" we got to feed the elephants and then ride them for about 10 minutes.
3) We went to the Indra Ceramic factory and learned how the ceramic pots are made, painted, and fired. Different cities in Thailand are known for different things. For example, Phrae is known for its Teak. Lampang is known for its ceramics.
4) mini-dance parties
5) going to the bazaar and eating bugs in unison.
Since I got back from Lampang, I've just been living a normal life here in Mae Sariang.
Its a small town with a calm rhythm. I go to school, ride my bike home, check the news and lazy it out for 30 minutes then go learn Muay Thai, play soccer, or help out at the restaurant.
Muay Thai, also known as Thai boxing, is crazy awesome/ exhausting. I don't know much about martial arts but it uses 8 points of contact ( shins, knees, elbows, and hands). You basically fight with your entire body making it one of the most dangerous martial arts in the world....
no worries though, I'm still getting past the stage of NOT looking like I'm having a seizure when I am going through the moves.
Soccer is also so much fun. I can't begin to describe what its like playing barefoot during a monsoon. I'm definitely going to video tape it one of these days. Its absolutely incredible.
I don't think I've ever done this much exercise continuously. except when I was like 8.
Nevertheless, in a country revered for its food its hard not to gain back every pound that you lose. haha.
Usually every weekend I go to Chiang Mai and hang out with some of the other Youth Exchanges in that city. For example, last weekend Izzy (Massachusetts), my better half ( no really, we're exactly the same), came up from Suwankhaloke (sp?) with Dejana from Germany and we hung out with Ana (mexico), Sarah (Germany), & Conner (Canada).
This weekend, actually in a few minutes, I'm going to go the refugee camps that my parents work at. I'm pretty excited :).
And next weekend kicks off the month long extravaganza.
I'll be staying in Chiang Mai for for about a week, then go and stay with Izzy in Suwankhaloke for a couple of days, then to Lampang to meet up for the Rotary planned Northern Trip. When we get back, Izzy and I are going to Mae Sariang for a few days and then back to chiang mai for a day and then to Phrae for a few days and then to Bangkok for a week with my family....
crazy. crazy. crazy.
This is so surreal. Already 6 weeks here.
Posting pictures on Blogger is pretty time-consuming and hectic. Instead I made two albums on Facebook that chronicle the first month here in Thailand. Check it out :)
Make sure to read the captions!
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000459&l=da093&id=1556040080
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000460&l=b985f&id=1556040080
Until next time :)
Firstly, I want to make a formal apology for being so late on this post:
I'm sorry for being so late on this post.
Sweet.
So, the orientation in Lampang was sicck.
Here's why:
1) There are a lot of Mexicans. ie. I can speak Spanish with them which means that my spanish is going to improve a lot. Not to mention that Mexicans are ridiculously fun.
So in my district there are
mexico - 6 ( 7 if you count me... which you should :]
canada - 1
taiwan - 1
brazil - 4
USA- 7
Germany - 3
and this kid from Russia who actually hasn't arrived.
Everyone gets along well and we already feel so close to each other.
2) We went to the elephant conservation center and watched them bathe and perform. Elephants were and occasionally still used in the logging industry. They are very intelligent and are trained to move and stack the logs. They also play music on this massive xylophone thing and can also paint! At the end of the "tour" we got to feed the elephants and then ride them for about 10 minutes.
3) We went to the Indra Ceramic factory and learned how the ceramic pots are made, painted, and fired. Different cities in Thailand are known for different things. For example, Phrae is known for its Teak. Lampang is known for its ceramics.
4) mini-dance parties
5) going to the bazaar and eating bugs in unison.
Since I got back from Lampang, I've just been living a normal life here in Mae Sariang.
Its a small town with a calm rhythm. I go to school, ride my bike home, check the news and lazy it out for 30 minutes then go learn Muay Thai, play soccer, or help out at the restaurant.
Muay Thai, also known as Thai boxing, is crazy awesome/ exhausting. I don't know much about martial arts but it uses 8 points of contact ( shins, knees, elbows, and hands). You basically fight with your entire body making it one of the most dangerous martial arts in the world....
no worries though, I'm still getting past the stage of NOT looking like I'm having a seizure when I am going through the moves.
Soccer is also so much fun. I can't begin to describe what its like playing barefoot during a monsoon. I'm definitely going to video tape it one of these days. Its absolutely incredible.
I don't think I've ever done this much exercise continuously. except when I was like 8.
Nevertheless, in a country revered for its food its hard not to gain back every pound that you lose. haha.
Usually every weekend I go to Chiang Mai and hang out with some of the other Youth Exchanges in that city. For example, last weekend Izzy (Massachusetts), my better half ( no really, we're exactly the same), came up from Suwankhaloke (sp?) with Dejana from Germany and we hung out with Ana (mexico), Sarah (Germany), & Conner (Canada).
This weekend, actually in a few minutes, I'm going to go the refugee camps that my parents work at. I'm pretty excited :).
And next weekend kicks off the month long extravaganza.
I'll be staying in Chiang Mai for for about a week, then go and stay with Izzy in Suwankhaloke for a couple of days, then to Lampang to meet up for the Rotary planned Northern Trip. When we get back, Izzy and I are going to Mae Sariang for a few days and then back to chiang mai for a day and then to Phrae for a few days and then to Bangkok for a week with my family....
crazy. crazy. crazy.
This is so surreal. Already 6 weeks here.
Posting pictures on Blogger is pretty time-consuming and hectic. Instead I made two albums on Facebook that chronicle the first month here in Thailand. Check it out :)
Make sure to read the captions!
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000459&l=da093&id=1556040080
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000460&l=b985f&id=1556040080
Until next time :)
Monday, August 25, 2008
Oi.
Out of town for a week. In Lampang for an orientation camp thing. I get to meet 23 other Youth Exchanges from northern Thailand :)
prettttyyy exciting.
I'll be back on the 2nd... with a new post.
Meanwhile, go play with your dog or something....
peacceeee.
prettttyyy exciting.
I'll be back on the 2nd... with a new post.
Meanwhile, go play with your dog or something....
peacceeee.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Tra-La-La
yea, this post is a week late.
so sorry. so sorry.
I've been with my host parents since like last Saturday. Today is sunday. cool.
( I've lost total concept of time. not that i had a concept before coming here... but now its reallyy gone. like bye bye. )
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday were spent in Phrae. Tang, Toy, their cousin Fruk (pro: Frook), and I pretty much hung out all the time. We played basketball, rode around town on our bikes, ate, ate some more, had some really spicy chili peppers, etc.
Let me tell you about the peppers. So my host mom, dad, aunt, and I are at this restaurant and I for some reason decided to try one of the peppers on the plate. They were pretty small and looked harmless. I thought I could take them.
Dude, my eyes were just streaming. I'm like "oh.. yea thats spicy" while my eyes are melting... my nose also cleared up.... a lot.
Anyways, Thai peppers don't kid around. They are legitimately legit.
I figure that a large portion of my year here is going to be on a bike. Most people either bike or ride a motorcycle.
My host siblings took me to go see these giant freaking millipedes by a park. not kidding around. i think they've made movies out of these bugs. like horror movies. up there with the ranks of godzilla. and the thing.
lets see, on monday while tang, toy, and fruk were at school, i walked to the center of town and got to know some of the local streets. I got a tour of a monk university/monastery by this really nice monk.
I rode to the outskirts of phrae where its just like rice paddies and mountains. the scenery is bah-utiful. i brought my video camera with me and filmed the whole thing. a nice little "scenery of thailand" shot. i met this really old farmer who was so fun to just talk to. or try to. i didn't know much thai so it was hard to communicate. he had an awesome laugh. up there with the ranks of alexa mclatcher but more manly. and a lower frequency.
thats the second time i've said "up there with the ranks of..."
sorry.
anyways, tuesday morning we left for chiang mai to pick up my luggage and then on to mae sariang where we arrived tuesday night.
i love mae sariang. first of all, it felt so good to finally reach my final destination. My host parents and I live in the outskirts of the town. and by outskirts, i mean, a 2-minute bike ride from "downtown"
Our first night here we ate at a restaurant in the center of town. One of the rotarians owns the restaurant. She is also my counselor. She is super nice and a great cook. Sa-weet.
We ate dinner ( can't remember.. probably khow and moo (pork and rice)).
My first day here I rode around on my bike and just explored the town. I saw most of the town on my first day :). It started raining half-way through the day which was a nice reminder that we are in the middle of the rainy season. Its actually really nice. It doesn't necessarily pour but it just drizzles for a few hours during the day. It's sporadic and light.
I also like the greenery that is associated with the rainy season. ( Three seasons: Rainy, Cold, and Hot )
apparently, no room for "warm"
So their house here is so nice. It's like half outdoors and half indoors. We live on the second floor because the first floor isn't all the way developed yet.
You come up the stairs and are outdoors on this deck that overlooks a field. In the distance, you can see my school with the mountain backdrop. Its pretty sweet.
There is a net that covers the deck though to prevent any birds from coming in and eating our food. and also as a precaution from that little avian flu thing...
my room is awesome. two of the four walls.....
uhh.... yea, so anyways two of the walls are basically open windows. Its very breezy and awesome. You get used to the thousands of crickets that are having an orchestra practice while you sleep. waking up with the chirps of the birds is really nice, though.
i summed up my morning well in an email to fellow outbound, K-tyler (who is in belgium right now! shout out!)
"life here is so simple. so worryless. like chill. wake up around 11 am. untangle myself from my dumb mosquito net. stand in front of the fan. realize that my bed is wet from the morning dew. and then look out the windows that cover half my room. and then realize that you dont NEED AC to be happy...
and then i realize that i would definitely be happier. and less grumpy. and less wanting my mommy. "
but seriously, before coming here i was like "how can i live without AC?!?!"
but i'm a convert now. It gets cold at night. And warm during the day. And if you need to cool off: use a fan or go to the nearest 711.
On wednesday, I explored more of the town and then rode wayyy into the outskirts. I rode on this rode than took along rice paddies. Nothing is as calming as just seeing acres and acres of farmland. with farmers gingerly going about their daily routine, taking care of their rice paddies.
So nice.
I rode up to the base of a small hill/mountain to the entrance of a monastery.
There weren't any tourists. Actually, I didn't see anyone except a sole midget/dwarf/little person/no idea whats politically correct buddhist monk. I sat next to him and exchanged smiles. In the distance you could see an old staircase that went upwards into the jungle area. It looked all mystical and stuff so I pointed in that direction, did a "can i go up there?" motion, and he nodded.
I had just eaten some pork, chinese cabbage, and rice from a small village restaurant and soon realized that it doesn't go well with going uphill.
My stomach wasn't happy.
I arrived at this really big Buddha made of stone that looked to be at least 2 years old.... just kidding. more like 300. (good movie)
I was going to go back down but realized that the stairs continued up so regardless of my stomach telling me to stop, I went on. ( spoiler: the whole stomach thing doesn't end in a big way. i don't like puke on some sacred statue or anything. sorry to disappoint)
At the very top, you get to this landing that has a big shrine, a pavilion thing, and a terrace that overlooks the valley.
The view was siiiickkkk. so amazing. You could see Mae Sariang in the distance, all of the rice paddies, the road I took to get here, and the occasional village tucked in the mountainside.
*sighhh*
This is a good place to stop. My first day of school is tomorrow (Monday) and its already nearing midnight. I should go to sleep.
Hopefully tomorrow I can tell you about the rest of my week in Mae Sariang and this past weekend that I spent in Chiang Mai ( just got home tonight).
Thanks for sticking through this loonng post.
take care!
P.S. there are a TON of pictures that should go along with this post but take forever to post. I will add some tomorrow.
so sorry. so sorry.
I've been with my host parents since like last Saturday. Today is sunday. cool.
( I've lost total concept of time. not that i had a concept before coming here... but now its reallyy gone. like bye bye. )
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday were spent in Phrae. Tang, Toy, their cousin Fruk (pro: Frook), and I pretty much hung out all the time. We played basketball, rode around town on our bikes, ate, ate some more, had some really spicy chili peppers, etc.
Let me tell you about the peppers. So my host mom, dad, aunt, and I are at this restaurant and I for some reason decided to try one of the peppers on the plate. They were pretty small and looked harmless. I thought I could take them.
Dude, my eyes were just streaming. I'm like "oh.. yea thats spicy" while my eyes are melting... my nose also cleared up.... a lot.
Anyways, Thai peppers don't kid around. They are legitimately legit.
I figure that a large portion of my year here is going to be on a bike. Most people either bike or ride a motorcycle.
My host siblings took me to go see these giant freaking millipedes by a park. not kidding around. i think they've made movies out of these bugs. like horror movies. up there with the ranks of godzilla. and the thing.
lets see, on monday while tang, toy, and fruk were at school, i walked to the center of town and got to know some of the local streets. I got a tour of a monk university/monastery by this really nice monk.
I rode to the outskirts of phrae where its just like rice paddies and mountains. the scenery is bah-utiful. i brought my video camera with me and filmed the whole thing. a nice little "scenery of thailand" shot. i met this really old farmer who was so fun to just talk to. or try to. i didn't know much thai so it was hard to communicate. he had an awesome laugh. up there with the ranks of alexa mclatcher but more manly. and a lower frequency.
thats the second time i've said "up there with the ranks of..."
sorry.
anyways, tuesday morning we left for chiang mai to pick up my luggage and then on to mae sariang where we arrived tuesday night.
i love mae sariang. first of all, it felt so good to finally reach my final destination. My host parents and I live in the outskirts of the town. and by outskirts, i mean, a 2-minute bike ride from "downtown"
Our first night here we ate at a restaurant in the center of town. One of the rotarians owns the restaurant. She is also my counselor. She is super nice and a great cook. Sa-weet.
We ate dinner ( can't remember.. probably khow and moo (pork and rice)).
My first day here I rode around on my bike and just explored the town. I saw most of the town on my first day :). It started raining half-way through the day which was a nice reminder that we are in the middle of the rainy season. Its actually really nice. It doesn't necessarily pour but it just drizzles for a few hours during the day. It's sporadic and light.
I also like the greenery that is associated with the rainy season. ( Three seasons: Rainy, Cold, and Hot )
apparently, no room for "warm"
So their house here is so nice. It's like half outdoors and half indoors. We live on the second floor because the first floor isn't all the way developed yet.
You come up the stairs and are outdoors on this deck that overlooks a field. In the distance, you can see my school with the mountain backdrop. Its pretty sweet.
There is a net that covers the deck though to prevent any birds from coming in and eating our food. and also as a precaution from that little avian flu thing...
my room is awesome. two of the four walls.....
uhh.... yea, so anyways two of the walls are basically open windows. Its very breezy and awesome. You get used to the thousands of crickets that are having an orchestra practice while you sleep. waking up with the chirps of the birds is really nice, though.
i summed up my morning well in an email to fellow outbound, K-tyler (who is in belgium right now! shout out!)
"life here is so simple. so worryless. like chill. wake up around 11 am. untangle myself from my dumb mosquito net. stand in front of the fan. realize that my bed is wet from the morning dew. and then look out the windows that cover half my room. and then realize that you dont NEED AC to be happy...
and then i realize that i would definitely be happier. and less grumpy. and less wanting my mommy. "
but seriously, before coming here i was like "how can i live without AC?!?!"
but i'm a convert now. It gets cold at night. And warm during the day. And if you need to cool off: use a fan or go to the nearest 711.
On wednesday, I explored more of the town and then rode wayyy into the outskirts. I rode on this rode than took along rice paddies. Nothing is as calming as just seeing acres and acres of farmland. with farmers gingerly going about their daily routine, taking care of their rice paddies.
So nice.
I rode up to the base of a small hill/mountain to the entrance of a monastery.
There weren't any tourists. Actually, I didn't see anyone except a sole midget/dwarf/little person/no idea whats politically correct buddhist monk. I sat next to him and exchanged smiles. In the distance you could see an old staircase that went upwards into the jungle area. It looked all mystical and stuff so I pointed in that direction, did a "can i go up there?" motion, and he nodded.
I had just eaten some pork, chinese cabbage, and rice from a small village restaurant and soon realized that it doesn't go well with going uphill.
My stomach wasn't happy.
I arrived at this really big Buddha made of stone that looked to be at least 2 years old.... just kidding. more like 300. (good movie)
I was going to go back down but realized that the stairs continued up so regardless of my stomach telling me to stop, I went on. ( spoiler: the whole stomach thing doesn't end in a big way. i don't like puke on some sacred statue or anything. sorry to disappoint)
At the very top, you get to this landing that has a big shrine, a pavilion thing, and a terrace that overlooks the valley.
The view was siiiickkkk. so amazing. You could see Mae Sariang in the distance, all of the rice paddies, the road I took to get here, and the occasional village tucked in the mountainside.
*sighhh*
This is a good place to stop. My first day of school is tomorrow (Monday) and its already nearing midnight. I should go to sleep.
Hopefully tomorrow I can tell you about the rest of my week in Mae Sariang and this past weekend that I spent in Chiang Mai ( just got home tonight).
Thanks for sticking through this loonng post.
take care!
P.S. there are a TON of pictures that should go along with this post but take forever to post. I will add some tomorrow.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
First Impression :)
Ok rewind....
I felt it appropriate that this be my last meal in America.
compliments of J-Ro
When I got to the airport this morning, I met these two Canadian women who were on their way to Chiang Mai. They were actually in Malaysia for a Dragon Boat competition. crazy stuff. its like a rowing competition. but with the long dragon boats. and teams of 20 people. They had just won a gold medal and 2 bronze and were celebrating by going to Chiang Mai and riding elephants.
Anyways, once I arrived in Chiang Mai I met up with my host mom and dad. Their names are Tim and Tam. However, I address them as Ma and Pa. They are both super nice. We ate at a Thai restaurant and I had the best Pad Thai I've ever had in my life.
First meal in Thailand:
So so good. It was actually pretty awkward because they had already eaten so they were just watching me eat. I tried to make it as entertaining as possible. :]
After that we went to their home in Chiang Mai where they gave me my new Thai nickname: Salawin (pro: SAH-LAH-WEEN). The river that briefly borders Thailand and Burma is named after me. :D They gave me that name because everyone associates Salawin with Mae Sariang (my host town) so they will know where I am from.
It turns out that both of my host parents work for NGOs that work with refugees. They are in charge of providing clean water and general health. They met while working for the United Nations on the Cambodian border.
After our brief stop at their home, we moved onward to Phrae province to visit my host brother, Tang, and my host sister, Toy. Tang, 17, and Toy, 13, live in a house in Phrae to go to school. The school in Phrae is much larger and provides a wider variety of classes.
On our 2-hour drive south to Phrae from Chiang Mai, my host dad and I talked about Thai history, globalization, etc. etc. He is very knowledgeable and speaks english very well. We stopped at a roadside stand and bought a big bag of "largo?" Its a small, brown fruit that resembles a grape when you take the skin off. Its very sweet, tasty and only produced in northern Thailand. kinda looks and tastes like liche (sp?) (popular chinese fruit)
We drove for another 20 minutes and stopped at a very popular market.
Its fun to say that within 24 hours of being in Thailand I had my wild assortment of interesting food.
You know how when you're on a roadtrip, you might stop and get a bag of doritos, some candy, and a soda?
This was kind of like that except that when we got back in the car we had all these bags filled with food such as: Thai beef jerky, sticky rice, rare mushrooms, crickets, queen bees, more crickets (but bigger), mealworms, and these giant cockroach things that looked like they could eat my face off.
Off course, all of the insects were fried and were basically Thailand's version of potato chips.
I never thought that I would be eating this stuff so early on....
P.S. this is a large cricket
I guess you never really understand what the people on Fear Factor go through when they eat those cockroaches until you get a small glimpse. (at least mine where already dead)
Interesting fact: Insects pop. It scared the everything out of me. I bit down and it sounded like I had popped a small balloon.
Anyways, we had our snackage and continued on our journey. Thank god for the familiar taste of Coca Cola to wash it all down.
Oh, so at the marketplace, this thai lady (vendor) kept asking to marry me. It was pretty embarrassing. Apparently, in Thailand, having that rustic, stubble beard look is not as attractive as looking like you're 12. and having really pale skin.
hooray.
Thailand is beautiful. You don't see billboards as you drive down the highway. Only greenery, jungle, and Teak forests. Its so enticing just to go exploring.
Once in Phrae, I met my host brother and sister who are so awesome. Tang is so legit. He was an exchange student last year. He went to Fairbanks, Alaska. I haven't decided yet if its good or bad that my host family speaks such well English. It makes it a lot less painful for me but also doesn't force me to learn the language. However, I've learned a lot just from being surrounded by Thai 24/7.
Oh! they have 711s here. :) Its like a small piece of home.
Thailand is so interesting. so respectful. so kind.
There is never the silly macho crap you see in the US between dudes.
Its like no one feels the need to prove themselves. Its all about respect. respect and courtesy.
Every time you meet someone you wai (bow your head, bring your hands together with your fingertips almost touching your chin). Its very humbling.
Just earlier, we went to dinner and another market downtown. I had more pad thai. However, this time, it felt like the spices burned a hole in my stomach. Still delicious nevertheless.
I'm going to go to bed now. Hopefully my mental clock will finally be adjusted when I wake up.
Goodnight.
I felt it appropriate that this be my last meal in America.
compliments of J-Ro
When I got to the airport this morning, I met these two Canadian women who were on their way to Chiang Mai. They were actually in Malaysia for a Dragon Boat competition. crazy stuff. its like a rowing competition. but with the long dragon boats. and teams of 20 people. They had just won a gold medal and 2 bronze and were celebrating by going to Chiang Mai and riding elephants.
Anyways, once I arrived in Chiang Mai I met up with my host mom and dad. Their names are Tim and Tam. However, I address them as Ma and Pa. They are both super nice. We ate at a Thai restaurant and I had the best Pad Thai I've ever had in my life.
First meal in Thailand:
So so good. It was actually pretty awkward because they had already eaten so they were just watching me eat. I tried to make it as entertaining as possible. :]
After that we went to their home in Chiang Mai where they gave me my new Thai nickname: Salawin (pro: SAH-LAH-WEEN). The river that briefly borders Thailand and Burma is named after me. :D They gave me that name because everyone associates Salawin with Mae Sariang (my host town) so they will know where I am from.
It turns out that both of my host parents work for NGOs that work with refugees. They are in charge of providing clean water and general health. They met while working for the United Nations on the Cambodian border.
After our brief stop at their home, we moved onward to Phrae province to visit my host brother, Tang, and my host sister, Toy. Tang, 17, and Toy, 13, live in a house in Phrae to go to school. The school in Phrae is much larger and provides a wider variety of classes.
On our 2-hour drive south to Phrae from Chiang Mai, my host dad and I talked about Thai history, globalization, etc. etc. He is very knowledgeable and speaks english very well. We stopped at a roadside stand and bought a big bag of "largo?" Its a small, brown fruit that resembles a grape when you take the skin off. Its very sweet, tasty and only produced in northern Thailand. kinda looks and tastes like liche (sp?) (popular chinese fruit)
We drove for another 20 minutes and stopped at a very popular market.
Its fun to say that within 24 hours of being in Thailand I had my wild assortment of interesting food.
You know how when you're on a roadtrip, you might stop and get a bag of doritos, some candy, and a soda?
This was kind of like that except that when we got back in the car we had all these bags filled with food such as: Thai beef jerky, sticky rice, rare mushrooms, crickets, queen bees, more crickets (but bigger), mealworms, and these giant cockroach things that looked like they could eat my face off.
Off course, all of the insects were fried and were basically Thailand's version of potato chips.
I never thought that I would be eating this stuff so early on....
P.S. this is a large cricket
I guess you never really understand what the people on Fear Factor go through when they eat those cockroaches until you get a small glimpse. (at least mine where already dead)
Interesting fact: Insects pop. It scared the everything out of me. I bit down and it sounded like I had popped a small balloon.
Anyways, we had our snackage and continued on our journey. Thank god for the familiar taste of Coca Cola to wash it all down.
Oh, so at the marketplace, this thai lady (vendor) kept asking to marry me. It was pretty embarrassing. Apparently, in Thailand, having that rustic, stubble beard look is not as attractive as looking like you're 12. and having really pale skin.
hooray.
Thailand is beautiful. You don't see billboards as you drive down the highway. Only greenery, jungle, and Teak forests. Its so enticing just to go exploring.
Once in Phrae, I met my host brother and sister who are so awesome. Tang is so legit. He was an exchange student last year. He went to Fairbanks, Alaska. I haven't decided yet if its good or bad that my host family speaks such well English. It makes it a lot less painful for me but also doesn't force me to learn the language. However, I've learned a lot just from being surrounded by Thai 24/7.
Oh! they have 711s here. :) Its like a small piece of home.
Thailand is so interesting. so respectful. so kind.
There is never the silly macho crap you see in the US between dudes.
Its like no one feels the need to prove themselves. Its all about respect. respect and courtesy.
Every time you meet someone you wai (bow your head, bring your hands together with your fingertips almost touching your chin). Its very humbling.
Just earlier, we went to dinner and another market downtown. I had more pad thai. However, this time, it felt like the spices burned a hole in my stomach. Still delicious nevertheless.
I'm going to go to bed now. Hopefully my mental clock will finally be adjusted when I wake up.
Goodnight.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Arrival
So, I just arrived in Bangkok.
I stayed up all wednesday night packing, got on a plane thursday morning at 5 am, and flew to san francisco. I arrived to san francisco around 10 am. I was so exhausted from not sleeping the night before that I fell asleep on the floor next to my gate and some guy had to hit me with his newspaper to inform me that my gate had changed. Getting to Tokyo was treacherous. I felt like I was on some sort of 10-hour mission. i watched kung foo panda, and maid of honor, a total chick flick where the guy steals the girl from her own wedding in a romantic manner.
Tokyo was very japanese. surprise!
I had some sushi that was absolutely amazing. squid= really slimy, chewy, and flavorless. so was octopus. but the eel was so so good.
My flight to Bangkok was a lot less stressful. The guy who sat next me was actually the director of a non-profit organization called Sustainable Development Research Foundation. how ironic. we talked. we read the newspaper. we watched some more movies.
Once I arrived to Bangkok, I looked around for the people who were gonna host me for one night. (I fly to Chiang Mai at 11 am on saturday. 11pm friday - your time) However, I couldn't find them after 2 hours and had no method of calling them so I went to a hotel instead. Around $50 for a really nice hotel. I love the exchange rate. :)
Anyways, its been the longest 48 hours of my liffeee... ready to go settle down.
P.S. jetlag=awesome. and by aweosome i mean: it feels like my brain is going to melt off the back of my head. but i took some japanese painkillers which worked alright.
Until next time!
I stayed up all wednesday night packing, got on a plane thursday morning at 5 am, and flew to san francisco. I arrived to san francisco around 10 am. I was so exhausted from not sleeping the night before that I fell asleep on the floor next to my gate and some guy had to hit me with his newspaper to inform me that my gate had changed. Getting to Tokyo was treacherous. I felt like I was on some sort of 10-hour mission. i watched kung foo panda, and maid of honor, a total chick flick where the guy steals the girl from her own wedding in a romantic manner.
Tokyo was very japanese. surprise!
I had some sushi that was absolutely amazing. squid= really slimy, chewy, and flavorless. so was octopus. but the eel was so so good.
My flight to Bangkok was a lot less stressful. The guy who sat next me was actually the director of a non-profit organization called Sustainable Development Research Foundation. how ironic. we talked. we read the newspaper. we watched some more movies.
Once I arrived to Bangkok, I looked around for the people who were gonna host me for one night. (I fly to Chiang Mai at 11 am on saturday. 11pm friday - your time) However, I couldn't find them after 2 hours and had no method of calling them so I went to a hotel instead. Around $50 for a really nice hotel. I love the exchange rate. :)
Anyways, its been the longest 48 hours of my liffeee... ready to go settle down.
P.S. jetlag=awesome. and by aweosome i mean: it feels like my brain is going to melt off the back of my head. but i took some japanese painkillers which worked alright.
Until next time!
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