Thailand Is Tight

Swatdee-Krop (Hello) Family and Friends!

I am going into week three out here in Thailand and the time is flying by oh so fast! It feels like I have been out here for more than three weeks though because of how adjusted I am to the culture. I truly am living developing country, and I LOVE it. It is crazy how much we take for granted by living in the States. If you have the opportunity to travel, travel to a non developed contry and take a step back and realize what most of the world is living with, it will make you appreciate life so much more. I LOVE Bangkok, and could not be happier to get to spend 3-4 more months out here. Here are just a couple of the differences between America and Thailand,

1) The driving: wholly smokes these people are CRAZY! Motorcycles going through traffic, cars going through interesctions without lights, everything. I rode on the back of my first motorbike the other day, I sure was scared, but afterwards I felt safe and knew that it would become a common form of transportation. I was one of the last people out here to test the waters with one, but now I take one every other day to get to the MRT (Subway) station back and forth (Sorry Mom!!). The people who drive them wear orange jackets and it means they are a registered motorcycle cab driver, yes, they're taxi scooters!!! The only other cars on the road are actual taxis, and the traffic out here sure can get bad! For example, a 40-minute taxi ride will only take 10 on a motorbike because they can go through all the traffic.
2) Sanitation: there is none here. Like none, all the street food and many other places just have large buckets of soapy water and hand wash everything.  Here's a picture of some street washers. I have ate some street food, but not too much yet, you have to be careful to make sure it's safe and cooked just for you!
3) Police: yea police aren't the same you get back home. If you have a problem, the police will prolly just make it a bigger problem and demand money. However, there are tourist police to help you with any problems or scams that you might encounter.
4) Friendliness: Everyone here is friendly. It's wild, these people work all day long, make no money, yet treat you as though you're best friends, lot better people than snobby Americans.
5) Water: You MUST drink from bottled water, tap is not an option. You got to wash fresh produce with bottled water to prevent sickness.
 6) The HEAT: The heat is unreal, and this is the cool season, I can't imagine what it will be like come November, I have already broken out twice in large heat rashes from wearing my school uniform and having my backpack. Luckily I've got meds and an oitment for it that make it go away in no time.
7) Rain: ALWAYS have a raincoat or umbrella on you. Never leave with out one, you never know when the clouds are going to unleash an ocean on top of you.

These are just some differences, there's a LOT of them, but you will just have to come out here to experience them for youselfs!

Last week went out for the first time to Khao-san-road, it's the touristy backpacker road with a bunch of bars that all sell buckets of alcohol for not too much. Lets just say its a place you don't want to pregame too hard becuase there is no escaping the drinks out there! Street vendors and backpackers fill the streets. Will definetly have to check it out more with friends and enjoy the good music and dancing in the road!

On Friday night the College of Business had an event for the exchange students, we did not know what the event was going to be, but it was an iniation for us new folks! It's what the seniors do to the freshmen, it was a really cool experience. When we met outside on the field we were all given blindfolds and told to grab onto the persons shoulders in front of us who would lead the way. We walked up the stairs into a building and then walked into an air conditoned room, where drums began to play and something came across our faces. As the drums picked up they took off the blind folds and we were all covered in powder. The Thais then sang/danced to us for about 15 mins that was a welcoming ritual, it was pretty awesome! Afterwards we played team games and got to interact with the local students, they sure are cool. This is Mook, she studied abroad at Oregon State last term and got me hyped to study abroad to Thailand after speaking with her! After the event we all went out for a delicous steak dinner, and then some of us went to a local Thai night club! They sure know how to party, it was a fun time and we danced past American bar closing time!

School: School is going great! I really am enjoying my classes (except for 1) and love that I get to hear ideas from so many different perspectives. All the teachers have different backgrounds and have unique teaching styles! I enjoy participating and putting in my American ideas that other people would have never thought of. I hope to do well in all my classes, considering I only have to go twice a week!

Traveling: I have yet to truly travel, but I am going to be going on some fun adventures in the upcoming weeks so stay tuned for awesome pictures and even better stories!

Markets: The markets out here are pretty sweet, you can basically find (knock off) of anything you need! However, we went to one night market that was talked about pretty highly and found it to be terribly sad. All the clothing they were selling seemed as though it had came out of a goodwill from America and was shipped here to be sold as new. I even saw a Phi Delta Theta shirt for sale! LoL!

Bangkok is treating me well, this is the pool that you can find me at relaxing and reading a book 80% of my time, I look forward to sharing my stories with you all! Until next time,


Cheers!

Here are a couple of videos my friends have made if you're interested in seeing what Thailand is like, I'm the star in the first one, and right at the start of the 3rd hahaah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR2S9RlX6fg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5m9utSQwLk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzsZHBjSpyc&feature=youtu.be

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First Week in The Land Of The Smiles

Swatdee-Krop (Hello) Family and Friends!

Here is a little blog about your above average Beaver living it up in the Land Of the Smiles! (Thailand). I first arrived out here about a week ago at 3 in the morning with three other students studying abroad also from Oregon State. When we got off the plane we could immediately feel the heat, while driving to our place, Bangkok looked just like any other huge city. However, when we got closer to our apartment, and having the driver ask the locals where it could be located we realized this city was going to be nothing we had ever experienced. The first day we went out to go shopping for a new phone plan and some groceries. I fell into my first scam for what I thought was a great phone plan for a great price. Found out the phone plan was going to be able to last me a week, but luckily I found the right carrier and got a great deal because of the university I study at.

The next day we meet our Chulalongkorn exchange buddies (the local students) and they were more than kind. They took us out to one of the nicest malls I have ever been in, we spent 8 hours doing miscellaneous shopping. To put in perspective of how nice the mall is, they had on the fourth floor a Maclaren car shop, Rolls Royce, Porch, Lamborghini, Ducati and Ferrari, I had never seen anything like it.

Here is a picture out side the shop where we buy our uniforms for class (YES, we wear uniforms, and yes, you are smarter while you wear them). The gentlemen on the far right is my roommate, Even, he is from Norway and I could not be more excited to be living with him for the next four months. The two other students are from Wisconsin University, Andrew and Tray.

This photo is all of us exchange guys starting our first day of class, I was pretty nervous of what to expect, but I am beyond thrilled to be studying at the most respected and prestigious university in all of SE Asia. Our uniforms and university is known by every person here. The ones who graduate are offered the highest jobs in the market! Pretty sweet! I only have class Tuesday and Wednesday which is very nice because I hope to study and travel on my days off!

I have yet to go out on the town, however, many students have been tearing it up and it sounds like a blast, I'm excited for my first night to go out! The Thai food is...well it's Thai food. I'm getting use to it and starting to know what I like and what I don't. In my apartment complex there is a little garage and kitchen that many of us exchange students will eat at, sharing our unique stories and making new memories. I love living with so many people that come from many different backgrounds. The number one question as an American I get asked about it "who are you voting for?" I never realized how large of a role America plays in all of these other countries and people are very, very scared of our election and what the outcome might become. It really has made me look into our politics more and ask myself who I want to lead this country, there are very many different views.

Today I went and saw some of the most famous Temples in Bangkok, such as the Grand Palace and the Relaxing Buddha, talk about impressive!! The taxi rides are cheap and the food is cheaper, I still have spent more money than I was expecting, but I will soon start sticking to my budget once I have all the necessities! I have to say, I love Bangkok and I am beyond thrilled to get to live in such a city with so much wealth, and poverty. It really is going to change my perspective on the world. Oh, and the Land of The Smiles, I can see why it is called that, everyone is very friendly and are always smiling! Ohhh, last thing, the driving here is CRAZY, motorbikes everywhere, 3-wheel taxi cabs and normal taxis fill the streets! It is very wild! Look forward to sharing the next week adventures with you all!

GoBeavs
GoChula