Sweet Duck and Goodbyes

Over the weekend, nearly everyone from Stenden (a university in the Netherlands) moved out of the building. The mood was a bit somber all weekend as everyone said goodbye. It was sad seeing them go, but I am very grateful for having met them. They taught me some valuable things about Thailand like how to use the bus, how to get to the market, which stores to go to for certain goods, which restaurants are best, how much things should cost, and where to travel in my free time. A few of them also gave me some really useful things. One guy, Michel, gave me a really nice pillow. One girl, Maria,  gave me a bag filled with snacks, bug spray, and medicines. Another guy, Radu, gave me a lot of medicine, including malaria pills. My friend Sina gave me a huge bag with towels, a blanket, a swim cap, medicine, and some books.

I am so grateful for there gracious donations. Those goods will be very useful in the weeks and months to come.

There are only a few people left in the Villa. One of them is my friend Malte. Last night was his last here in Rangsit so we went to a cool Thai BBQ place called Sweet Duck. None of the servers spoke English so ordering was a challenge, but in the end we got vegetables, an egg, rice, bacon, pork, and two kinds of beef. You put it on a pan that is on top of a clay pot filled with coals and then you fry the food yourself. It was delicious. After, we got brownie sunday's and lattes at a desert place called Nomwan. It was a bit of an expensive night. I think I spent about $16. It was well worth it though.

I wish the best of luck to my new, and now old, friends from Stenden. I hope their journey's in life take them down the best roads. Maybe if I ever go to the Netherlands I will see some of them again. On Friday, 80 new students from Stenden will be moving into the Villa and this place will be bumping once again.

The food at Sweet Duc

Desert

Despite Being Sick...

Despite food poisoning, I haven't been completely idle. On Saturday I went to the weekend market with my friend, Sina. She had to buy some last minute souvenirs. I only bought a little bag for coins.

Sunday night I went to Bangkok with Sina and Malte. They are both from Germany. We met up with four French people. We went to dinner and had some beers. I didn't drink much or eat much (a side effect of the food poisoning), but it was still a good time. Later in the evening, Malte and I decided we wanted Burger King so we went on an adventure. (I have been on a handful of Burger King adventures abroad, usually with my brother. Sometimes they work out, other times we get lost and give up. This time worked out though!)

On the way to BK there were prostitutes everywhere. It was about 2 am on a Sunday night so the crowds had thinned and the prostitutes were much easier to spot. They were unavoidable. I don't know how else to explain the prostitutes other than that they are very proactive. Aggressively proactive. They touch, and grab, and hold on tight. In all places. "Sabai! Sabai!" is the phrase I quickly learned. It means "Easy! Easy!" Usually that would do that trick. Nevertheless it was very interesting to see how eager they were to work…

At BK I spent $2 and got a Whopper Meal. On the way out, there was a crowd of drunk white guys in front of the BK. These guys were falling down and yelling random stuff. I ask the one seemingly sober guy where he was from. He told me he was from Colorado. "Great, Americans acting a fool," I thought to myself. So I asked where his buddies were from. He proudly told me they were all Canadian. To which I responded, "Oh thank God." I have never been so happy to see drunk Canadians. I really dislike the Ugly Americans that give us other travelers a bad name. I exchanged a cheerful high five with the other American and headed out with Malte.

We rolled back to the Villa at 5:00 am. Not too late…what a night.

I got about 4 hours of sleep, woke up, got dressed and headed to school to meet with Kathy, the international student admissions counselor. I showed her my college and introduced her to the international department here. We also had lunch together. It was a nice few hours. Especially to interact with some one from MO and CC! The admissions department at CC is pretty rad.

Kathy and me

Food Poisoning

Immediately after finishing my last blog entry I went to a restaurant near my apartment called EZ Steak. They serve western food for a fair price. I had a caesar salad and a chicken sandwich with French fries, and some green tea. It all tasted quite good.

Later that night, I went to see American Sniper (my most recently completed book) at the movie theater. I went by myself because no one else was really interested. I was feeling fine when I left, having just gotten over a little cold. About half way through the movie I suddenly got the chills. Then my neck starting hurting. Then my toes felt funny and the strange feeling creeped up my legs. I kept telling myself everything was ok. The movie finished (it was phenomenal, though the book was better) and I headed out to the parking lot. In the process I got disoriented and ended up on the wrong side of the mall. Luckily a security guard radioed for a taxi. I was dropped off at our favorite 711 nearest the Villa and bought some water, tylenol, and ginger ale. I could barely walk the 800 meters back to the apartment. Once back, I immediately went to my room. It was 80 degrees outside but I was freezing. I put on sweats, closed my windows, and laid down. I had a fever. I asked a friend to double check and they confirmed.

At this point, paranoia set in. I thought, "Oh no. I have Dengue Fever. I'm screwed. This will be the worst thing ever." Luckily I fell asleep so I couldn't get more anxiety. I woke up about an hour later covered in sweat. The fever had really taken hold. I took all my clothes off and turned on the air conditioner. At around 5:30 am my fever was gone and I felt better in that regard. At this point, however, my stomach was in a much worse state. I will spare you all the details, but let's say I got well acquainted with the details of the tile floor in my bathroom. I tried to manage for a day, but finally gave in and took antibiotics. I was sick from Thursday to Saturday and I felt weak from Sunday until today (Tuesday). I barely ate during this time, aside from crackers, Pringles, coke, and water. I think I am finally back to normal.

Getting sick is inevitable. Hopefully I just have better luck in the future.

Week 2 of School

In Comparative Political systems, we had a lecture. I like the professor. He speaks good English and has a good perspective on the content he is teaching. Of course, I am the only American in the class so I get called on often. I guess that takes care of my 10% participation grade. The lecture always ends early so I have some downtime to lounge on the couches in the international college building. The second class on Tuesday's is Theories of Democracy. The professor is awesome. We call him "Dr. Charlie" because we can't say his name. Again, I'm the only American and I get called on for my views and the perspective from my country. So, I can again assure my participation grade. We have the entire month of February off from that class as Dr. Charlie is going to India for a seminar. $$$.

Wednesday begins with Introduction to Thai. My Thai name is Chetah (unsure of spelling). It means brother. I can dig that. The professor is really enthusiastic but 2.5 hours is a long time to sit in a class. Thai is a tonal language, English is not. I am also tone deaf. It will be an interesting experience. The final class of my week is Public Policy Analysis. It is a very interesting class. The professor is young and very well read in the field of Public Policy (He has his PhD in the field from Syracuse).

The struggle this week was being sick. I somehow caught a cold and being away from home while sick is so much worse. It's been 4 days and I am finally beginning to feel better. I regret the day that I become violently ill with food poisoning or something of the sort. It is inevitable. All the students I have talked with have gone through it at least once. Maybe I will be fortunate…

One of the girls gave me peanut butter on bread.
It was a nice change from Thai food.
Tastes like home…

View from my college building (14th floor)

Exposed wires are common here.
If you aren't careful you could get a good shock.

Khao San Road

Khao San Road is probably one of the most popular destinations in Thailand. It's almost difficult to describe. Essentially, it is a long road in Bangkok that is lined with bars, shops, restaurants, and clubs. There are travelers from countless nationalities and walking room is shoulder to shoulder. Three of the Dutch girls that live in my apartment building invited me to come along with them on Friday night and see it for myself. I was tired and my financial situation is always looming in the back of my head, but with a little convincing I gave in.

We went to 7/11 and bought some road beers and then took a taxi from Rangsit (the suburb where my school is located) to Bangkok. We paid about $10 total for the 30 minute ride into the city. Once there, we met some Swedish guys who offered to buy us some drinks (traveling with girls has its perks). They were pretty free-spirited and just wanted to chat. After we finished the drinks we moved on to an outside area with a lot of tables in front of a band playing live music covers of popular songs ranging from Eric Clapton's "Cocaine" to Coldplay's "Yellow" to Bob Marley's "Is this Love." The lead singer of the band was a very large Thai guy, but his English singing was on point. They jammed hard. After I finished my second beer of the night I decided I would eat a scorpion. To be honest, it tasted like beef jerky but had the consistency of chewable egg shells. It wasn't that bad. A lot of people around us took pictures as I ate crunched away.

We moved on to another bar where I got a liter of beer for $6. By the time we finished at that bar and moved on, I really had to take a leak but I couldn't just go into any bathroom if I wasn't a patron so I decided to buy a shot of tequila at an empty bar just so I could use the toilet. We ended up at a club (Which I later learned was called "The Club") that was really packed. It was crazy. Eventually we decided to grab a cab and head back to our apartment building. The taxi driver en route to home was flying down the highway and making moves from lane to lane. I'll be honest, sitting in the backseat I was terrified. Luckily we made it in one piece. I will most definitely be returning to Khao San Road for some wild nights so try to find me on snap chat if you want to see the action live.

Seemingly Endless Khao San Road

Crunchy Scorpion

The Classic Runaround

As I mentioned previously, I have had some issues with my visa. At the airport the expiration was stamped as February 5 when it should have been April 6. First I had to find the visa office at school and that was a challenge. Then at the visa office I was just sent away again. So, I returned on Friday with a new phone number, data, and minutes. I would not be turned away!

After 3 long hours of waiting and being pushed from one clerk to another I finally had the appropriate expiration stamp. However, I could not communicate that I wanted a re-entry stamp so I can travel outside of the country and return after a few moments of circumlocution it was lunched time and I was ushered out of the immigration office. Disgruntled, I hailed a taxi for the 20 kilometer trip back to my apartment. So next week I will push my way through more red tape at immigration.

The language barrier has been the biggest obstacle so far. One must be extremely precise when dealing with the Thai people, but without the language it is very difficult.


ผมไม่ได้ พูดภาษาไทย (translation: I do not speak Thai)

Some Food

The food in Thailand is great, that is for sure. I have obviously eaten more than four meals, but these just happen to be the meals that I remembered to take pictures of. In addition to actual meals, street food is also very popular (pot stickers, fried chicken, and french fries are my favorite street foods).

Fried rice with chicken and veggies

Fried chicken wings

Fried noodles with stir fry

    

Chicken & red curry over rice 

My favorite pictured meal has been the fried chicken wings. My favorite meal not pictured was a crispy fried coconut curry chicken served with rice. I have eaten it 3 times already. None of these meals have cost more than $2. (*Happy crying*). Hopefully I don't get fat...

Small Inconveniences Thus Far

Expenditures: 
Deposit for Apt: $300
First Month Rent: $215
Necessary Items: $48 (Shampoo?conditioner, detergent, towels, laundry basket, drying rack, uniform)
Food: $40 (estimate)
Saturday Night: $25
Water: $10
Snacks & Beer: $10
Transportation: $15-$17
Visa Re-Entry Stamp: $115
Market Clothing: $20
In the end, approximately $800

Visa Issues
At the airport, my Non-Imigrant Student Visa is supposed to last for 90 days. However, at the airport mine was stamped to expire in 29 days. In my near delirious state jet lag and exhaustion I failed to scrutinize the blurry stamp. On monday, I went to the university to find the international office and get help. It took me a long time to find the office because people kept telling me the wrong place. They did not do this maliciously, but actually benevolently. They wanted to help me, so rather than provide no information they provide incorrect information. I finally got help and was advised to take a taxi to the immigration office, but once there the receptionist explained that I could not be helped and to return to my university for more guidance. Back I went. The next attempt at immigration will be on Thursday. Hopefully I can get the student visa fixed as well as get a multiple re-entry stamp so that I can travel to Nepal, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, etc.

Sleeping
1.) Being 12 hours ahead has been difficult jet lag to overcome. I am definitely getting closer to normal, but I am still waking up much earlier than I would like.
2.) The neighborhood dogs that roam freely in the streets get into barking matches with one another and with the dogs at the house next door to my window. This makes falling asleep difficult. There is also an airport near-by so large planes land frequently and their decent brings them fairly close to our neighborhood.

Digestive Health
My body is slowly getting used to my mainly soft food diet which consists of eggs and toast in the morning, and rice or noodles with vegetables, eggs, and chicken. My water consumption is also up. Nevertheless, some stomach discomfort has been common.

First Day of School

Today, I attended my first two classes at Rangsit University. The campus is enormous compared to Columbia College, but it is completely fenced off from the surrounding area. All of my classes are in the International College. It is the largest building on campus, going all the way to the 15th Floor.

I woke up at about 7:00 am and finished Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Then I showered, and made my way downstairs. The College Football National Championship had just kicked off and I tuned into ESPN radio to listen to the first half of the game (A routing by Ohio State 42-20 over Oregon) as I ate my breakfast.

I eat Breakfast #4 every day and today was no exception. It is the "Dutch Breakfast" which is fitting because all of the students living in the building, for the most part, are from a school in Holland. It comes with 1 egg with cheese, 2 pieces of toast, and a plate of fresh watermelon and pineapple. I always buy and extra egg and a cup of coffee as well. Together, the meal totals 80 baht ($2.44 USD).

After breakfast, I put on my uniform and headed to school to continue handling some visa issues. The uniform consists of a white button down shirt and black slacks with dress shoes. Walking a few blocks to school in 80 degree, humid weather can be uncomfortable. Especially on top of the requirement that long sleeve shirts must not be rolled up. Once in the classroom though, it is time to shiver because the air conditioners are set very low. A short sleeve white collared shirt is not enough to keep you warm during the 2.15 hour classes.

My first class of the week is Comparative Political Systems which begins at 12:15 pm. I think that I will do well in the class. The second course on Tuesday's is Principles of Democracy. In this class, I am the only student from a truly democratic country. The teacher is very enthusiastic and I look forward to the class (although we have the whole month of February off from the class).

I started reading The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway while waiting for my 12:15 class. It's a short read and I was able to finnish it shortly after I got back to my apartment.

Tomorrow morning is the one week mark.

Adventures!

Future Park

On the second day I was here I went to the mall that is near my apartment. I went with some Finnish girls that are in my exchange program and live in my building. We took a taxi that cost about $1.50. The mall was extraordinary to me. It was the largest mall I have ever seen. I was so overwhelmed. We weren't there to shop for pleasure but to acquire some necessary materials. Most important was the school uniform. It cost less than $20 for the shirt and pants. I also bought towels, toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, and laundry detergent. 

Chatuchak Weekend Market

On Saturday I went to the market with 10 girls. I was glad they were willing to show me how to get there. First, we walked to the university and got in the back of a small truck that had benches built into the bed. The truck took us a few miles to the bus station and it only cost 7 baht which is about $0.21. Then we got on a bus and traveled to Bangkok. It cost 20 baht which is about $0.61. The market is Bangkok's largest open air market. It was enormous and very crowded so our group of 10 split into two groups of 5 which lasted for about 2 minutes. I made sure to stick with a girl who had been there before. Her name was Eva and she is from Holland. We walked all over and got to know each other. She has been in Thailand for three months and was in Bali, Indonesia before coming here. Like the other Dutch students, she is leaving in 2 weeks as her program is ending. I bought 2 pairs of shorts and a linen shirt. I spent 600 baht total. Like the mall, the market was overwhelming. You can probably buy anything you want there from food to puppies to Boy Scout uniforms! 

Dinner and Clubbing

In the evening after the market we went to dinner at a restaurant called Red Corner. They serve pizza and it was really good! I was impressed. After dinner, a few of us went to a bar and had some beers. A few others left and 4 of us decided to go the club. There were two Dutch students (1 guy, 1 girl) and a Romanian guy. There was no cover. Once inside, 3 of us threw down some cash and bought a bottle of Johnny Walker Red Label. It cost $15 a piece. Not bad for bottle service. The music was really loud techno but I didn't really like it. I didn't think the DJ was very good. We were the only westerners and we wanted to dance but none of the Thai people were dancing. The club was packed but everyone was just standing on the dance floor drinking and not dancing. What a strange culture. The two guys and I drank the whole bottle (in addition to the beers we had before the club) and we were loaded. Luckily the girl didn't drink too much and she made sure we got back to the apartment. I passed out and slept in until noon! 

Future Park

Headed to Chatuchak 

BSA Uniforms at Chatuchak

Day One

Upon arriving at my apartment, I was greeted by Ms. On. She was very sweet and showed me my room right away. She gave me a corner room, so I get an extra window! It is small, but it is bigger than a dorm room so I cannot complain. I also get my own bathroom and balcony!

I have to pay a 10,000 baht deposit ($325) plus the first month’s rent 6,000 baht ($215). As I was filling out my lease, I discovered that the man at customs stamped my passport to expire in less than one month when it is supposed to expire in three…

Nevertheless, Ms. On told me not to worry and to sort things out later so I went back to my room and unpacked what little I have. After unpacking, I took my first shower in over 48 hours (gross, I know) and it was delightful. Then I got in bed and told myself I would only take a short nap, but ended up sleeping for 5 hours and did not do any errands.

When I woke up, I went down stairs to get food. My apartment has a kitchen with a menu that is open from 7am-7pm. I ordered two large bottles of water (one for dinner and one for later), and vegetables with fried rice. It cost about $1.50 USD and was ready in less than 5 minutes. It was delicious. McDonald’s dollar menu will never come close to the cheap and quick meals I will be eating this semester.

At dinner I met a few students who live in the building next door. They were from the Netherlands and they go home in two weeks. They were nice and said hello, but they went back to their dining room and I ate alone (which was probably best because I ate the meal so fast, it could not have been pleasant to watch).

After dinner, I read two chapters of my current book: Wild by Cheryl Strayed. I am a lot like the protagonist of the book, Cheryl, who has zero hiking experience and decides to hike one of the most challenging trails in the United States. I am similar to her because I don’t know anything about Thailand. I don’t speak the language or know the customs. I barely even know where I am right now. But, like Cheryl, I will push on.

The Last Leg of the Journey

My mom woke me up at 3:30 am on January 5. I hopped in the shower and then had a bagel and a cup of coffee with my family. We packed up the car and drove one hour to Elmira, New York. We got to the airport with plenty of time to say goodbye. Leaving doesn’t really set in until you hug your parents and look back through security as they walk out of the airport.

As we walked onto the tarmac, the wind was newsworthy strong. We walked up the wobbly steps of the propeller plane and prepared for takeoff. I am an experienced traveler and have flown tens of thousands of miles around the globe but I have never experienced such violent turbulence in my life. Everyone in the plane was exchanging nervous glances in the dimly lit cabin, but even the tenured flight attendant looked a little scared. Thankfully we made it to Philadelphia in one piece, although my stomach was a little upset.

The three-hour layover was not so bad because I have been to Philadelphia International Airport many times and I made friends with some other young travelers so I had people to talk with.

We boarded the very modern Qatar Airways Boeing 757 and I was pleased to be seated on the aisle. The flight attendant was very nice and drinks were served more frequently than on other international flights. For dinner options were limited and I chose a vegetarian Thai dish. The vegetables were questionable so I only ate the rice and roll. For breakfast I had a middle-eastern chicken marsala. It was very good. The on-board entertainment selection was alright. I watched Maze Runner, What If, X-Men: Times of Future Past, and November Man. I also listened to a music playlist. I made sure to get up and stretch every 2 hours. However, without sleeping pills or copious amounts of alcohol, 11-hour flights are not enjoyable.

We arrived in Doha, Qatar where I was supposed to receive a complimentary hotel room for my 14-hour layover. To my disappointment, Qatar Airways had suspended such amenities on this day only because there was an extra flight to Bangkok. So, I wondered around the enormous airport until I found a bar. After a few Budweisers (Represent MO!) I found a nice quiet area where I could curl up in a chair and cuddle with my backpack. Thankfully, I managed to sleep for about 5 hours. When I woke up, I found one of 30 restaurants and ordered chicken, eggs, coke, water, and coffee. I was the only patron in the restaurant so the 5 waitresses continuously came by to check on me. They were all very pretty and nice so I didn’t mind.

After a few more hours, our plane was ready to leave. The flight was much shorter than expected. I watched a movie called Skeleton Twins; it was strange and dark but good. I managed to sleep more on this flight than the previous two. For dinner I had chicken and rice, with a beer, and chocolate moose for desert. It was second only to the chicken marsala.

We landed at 7:10 am local time and I made it through customs and got my bags by 8:10. The advisor for the international college exchange students came to pick me up. The weather at 8:15 am was a steamy 85 degrees. I am the only new exchange student so far. The rest will arrive tomorrow.

Welcome to Thailand.

Doha, Qatar

Well, I have been traveling for about 28 hours now. I feel gross, sore, and tired. I got to Doha, Qatar after an 11-hour flight from Philadelphia. Travelers with layovers exceeding 8 hours are supposed to receive a complimentary hotel room for a few hours. However, Qatar Airlines decided to not give any complimentary rooms for flights to Bangkok today. So, in my exhaustion-induced hysteria, I decided to explore the enormous airport.

Hamad International Airport is large, modern, and very clean. The first thing I did upon arrival was buy a few beers. Budweiser made the disappointment of no hotel room a little easier to handle. I then wondered until I found a little modernly furnished quiet area. I slept in a strangely shaped chair for about 5 hours. After I woke up I bought myself lunch--chicken, eggs, coke, water, and coffee. I was the only person in the restaurant so I had five beautiful waitresses constantly coming and talking to me. In the end, I spent $36 USD in Doha for 3 beers and a meal.

As I am writing this, I have about 3 more hours to wait until my plane boards. Then, I will have an 8-hour flight to Bangkok. 

It is 8:50 am at home (EST), it is 4:50 pm here in Doha, and it is 8:50 pm in Bangkok. I feel as though I am in some sort of time limbo. I cannot wait to get to my apartment, take a shower, and get into bed to fix this jet lag. 

Early Starts

I woke up at 3:30 am on January 5, hopped in the shower, ate a bagel and had my last cup of coffee with my family. Then, we loaded up the car with my three bags and headed to Elmira, New York. A cold front had begun to blow in the night before and the wind was unreal. I got to Elmira, said goodbye to my family and made it through security in about 8 minutes. We had to walk on the tarmac to get to the small propellor powered airplane. The wind was still very strong. I have flown many times and traveled to many places, but never have I been that scared. The turbulence was so violent that even the flight attendant looked nervous. Somehow we made it to Philadelphia in one piece and I headed to my gate to wait for 3 hours.

On the flight to Doha I had an aisle seat which was nice. Our flight attendant was named Raluca, she had a tight blonde bun of hair and maroon lipstick to match her jacket. She was very nice to me. Drinks were brought around more frequently than other flights I have been on. I ordered Johnny Walker Red Label with 2 ice-cubes and Raluca was sweet enough to give me a little extra each time. I must have had 5 or 6 shots of Johnny Walker before dinner, which was served with wine. 

The first meal I had was a vegetarian Thai dish, but the vegetables were not appetizing so I just had the rice and ate the roll. For breakfast, I had chicken marsala which was quite delicious. 

The in flight entertainment selection was not bad. I watched Maze Runner, X-Men: Times of Future Past, November Man, What If, and listened to a few music playlists. After each movie or playlist, I would stand up to stretch and move my legs so I could get blood flow. 

I could not sleep much. I think I was too excited for the adventures that are ahead of me. Nevertheless, 11 hour flights are too long to be in economy seating. 

My Bags are Packed

(All the items I am packing for Thailand)

I am bringing one 78 liter backpack, one 28 liter backpack, and a small backpack.

I will check the two larger bags.

The most important items are underwear and shoes (because they won't have my waist/shoe size), the knife, and sunglasses.