At a Glance

Sawatdikhrap! Hello! Greetings! Thanks for following my adventures.

I won't be blogging until I get back to the USA.

Please excuse any spelling or grammatical errors.

If my blog offends you--travel more!

The next few blog entries will cover the following in this order:
1. My Thoughts about the Experience
2. Overall Observations
3. Would have/Should Have/Could Have
4 Meeting People from Home!
5. Ayutthaya
6. Martin Garrix
7. Finals

Singha: the only Thai beer that doesn't leave you contemplating life the next morning.

Total Entertainment

Netflix:

West Wing, Seasons 5-7

Orange is the New Black, Seasons 1-2

Cheers, Season 1

The Interview

Seven Years in Tibet

Rum Diary

Snatch

Dock Ellis (documentary)

Jack Beers (documentary)

Steve Nash (documentary)

Class of '92 Manchester United (documentary)

Wild

Books:

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

American Sniper by Chris Kyle

1984 by George Orwell

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Calico Joe by John Grisham

The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom

The Hit by David Baldaci 

Jack Reacher Series by Lee Child

-Enemy

-Killing Floor

-Die Trying

-Tripwire

-Running Blind

-Personal

The Five People you Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

Outliers by Malcom Gladwell

Movie Theater:

Into the Woods

Taken 3

American Sniper

Tracers

Jupiter Ascending

Unbroken

Cinderella

Insurgent

Fast 7

Big Game

Avengers 2

Age of Adeline

Mad Max

Total Travel

Islands:

Koh Samet (4 days)

Koh Phangan (6 days)

Koh Samui (2 days)

Koh Tao (3 days)

Koh Chang (5 days)

Bangkok:

Sukhumvit

Khaosan

Siam Paragon Mall

Danish Embassy

Grand Palace

Wat Pho

Gold Mountain

China Town

Parliament

Asiatique

Mainland:

Kanchanaburi (5 days)
Ayutthaya (1 day)

Hua Hin (2 days)

Pai (3 days)

Concerts:

Afrojack

Martin Garrix

*saw One Direction at a club in Bangkok*

My Last Entry in Country

This will be my last blog entry while in Thailand. My experience here has been really indescribable. I have loved every minute, at least in retrospect. Sure there were some days filled with frustration, but on the whole I can't think of any days which were terrible.

Studying
I only took 12 credits this semester. I will admit, the classes were a lot less challenging that my courses at CC, but the learning experience was invaluable. In most of my classes I was the only native English speaker. Moreover, I was often one of the few students (sometimes the only student) from an actual democracy. Learning about government and policy made me realize how much we take for granted at home. Not all people in the world enjoy the same rights and freedoms we do. Many people can't gather in protest or criticize the government. Some people don't even get to elect their leaders. Meanwhile, at home all we do is point fingers and complain about what is wrong with our leaders and legislation but then we don't vote?

Abroad
Being abroad was the biggest part of my learning experience. It allowed me to interact with students from Thailand, Myanmar, Nepal,  Philippines, Germany, Netherlands, Finland, Australia, Zambia, South Africa, Brazil, China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Bhutan, Maldives, and South Korea. Interacting with people from all over the world has made me realize that we are all the same. We are all excited and curious citizens of the world. For many, including myself, it just took leaving to realize we aren't so different.


Before I left the US and once I got to Thailand the recurring question was always, "Why Thailand?" Well, I never really had a motive for coming here. But, after coming here I have worldly advice for those less traveled: Don't ask yourself why. Ask yourself, why not?

After deciding I was going to study in Thailand, I began telling me friends. Most of them, in disbelief, asked me why. But a comment by one of my best friends, Al Ford, really stuck with me. After explaining to Alec that I was moving to Thailand for a semester he said, "Chase, Thailand will change a man." Al was right. Thailand will change a man.

Thailand has made me more tolerant. I have interacted with so many people from many countries and backgrounds. I have learned that yes, people are very different. People have different customs and opinions. People like different things But being different is good. Once you learn to accept that everyone is different, then you can grow personally and better find your place in the world. The phrase here is, "Same-same, but different."

Thailand has made me more patient. Not speaking the language made every day tasks challenging. Rather than get upset when there was a communication breakdown, it's easier to laugh it off. Acknowledge that there was a communication failure and work to fix it. Unless something is life or death, there is no point in getting worked up. The phrase here is, "Sabai sabai," which means easy, easy.

Thailand has made me happier. Thailand is known as the land of smiles. Everyone really does smile here. Even if it is a subtle purse of the lips, it always seems genuine. There were countless occassions where I felt uncomfortable or frustrated, but then I would make eye contact with someone and they would smile and nod and I would immediately feel better. I would become more comfortable, despite having no idea what was going on. I would feel less frustrated. Smiling is contagious. It spreads good vibes. I have spent 6 months in a mild euphoria from having a good day every day. I feel extremely relaxed.

Thailand has made me respectful. I like to think that I was successfully raised to be a respectful young man. Since coming here, I have learned different kinds of respect. I nod at everyone. I bow when I pass monks. I take my shoes off before I go inside place, especially temples. I stand at the theater to respect the King while the royal anthem is played. And I have realized the importance of learning how to say hello and thank you in the native language. Those two phrases can mean so much.

Thailand has made me independent. From loneliness to frustration, I have had to find solutions to my own problems. I am completely by myself here. I am the first student from Columbia College to come to Thailand. I am my own support system. Sure I have exchange friends, but in the end you have to make sure you have your own back.

Thailand has made me responsible. While I have always been responsible, the whole study abroad process made me more responsible. I had to do the application and get all of the necessary documents sent to RSU. I had to get immunizations by my own means. I had to coordinate my own accommodation through RSU. I had to pack. I had to make my travel arrangements. I have had to pay rent each month. But most importantly in my time here, I have had to say no to things. I have had to say no to partying on the two school nights a week. I had to say no to skipping class in order to travel. I had to say no to going on trips because it was out of my budget. Although it isn't as "grown up" as getting a decent paying job or paying bills and taxes, it has been important to my personal growth.

Overall, I love Thailand. It is hard to think about leaving. I love my new friends. I love the culture. I love the food. I love the excitement. I love the surprises. I love the islands. I love the mountains. I love the cheap prices. I love the ease of travel. Coming here was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

This has been the best semester of my life. This is probably the best 6 months that has ever happened to me.

I do look forward to my upcoming summer and getting back to Missouri for school, but in the meantime I will enjoy my last month here. Especially when my best friend Andi Blackwell arrives in June!!!

Here is to home:

General Observations about Thailand

I have lived in Thailand for 5 months and I absolutely love it here. I have had only great experiences. These observations are based on my personal experiences, but I think they are representative.

Weather/Climate
Thailand has 3 seasons, hot, hotter, and really hot. There is a rainy season, but that just means it rains once a day really hard for 15 minutes and then it's hot and humid again. Being near the equator means there is about 12 hours of daylight every day (6:45-6:45). The moon is different here. Sometimes it seems really large. When it is waining and waxing it looks like a crescent turned on its side.

I think the best description of the weather here each day is to consider the weather in a Missouri summer: hot and humid in the day, but when the sun goes down it isn't as bad.

There are mosquitos. They used to bother my legs when I first got here. Now, they don't even bite me. Or at least I don't have reactions to the bites. Who knows, I could be a walking case of Malaria. That is why I am getting blood tests when I return home!

Food
Thai food is awesome. I think my early blog entries are evidence of this. Not to mention a good meal costs $1-$2. Thai food at home doesn't even come close. After 5 months, I have gotten a little tired of it but I still have it at least once or twice a day.

People
Thai people are some the nicest, most friendly, polite, and respectful people I have ever encountered in the world. I get frustrated sometimes when people stare. Or when I am completely ignored. (Yes, I know both statements make me sound like a prima donna). I also dislike being called a farang or being treated like a tourist. I consider myself different than many travelers because I have lived here for a long time. There is definitely a lack of English, but that is my problem, not theirs. This is their country, I should learn their language. At the least, I should never expect them to speak my language. Thai people are very kind and want nothing more than to be helpful. They are also very funny. They love to joke and play with one another.

Thai people save face. They try to avoid the negative. They want to maintain social order and avoid conflict. They put others before themselves.

Ladyboys
Yes, there are many ladyboys. No, they aren't all sex workers. Yes, many of them are beautiful. No, they aren't sex hungry deviants that prey on drunken foreigners. Before coming to Thailand a persons gender or sexuality did not bother me and coming here has just reenforced these feelings. Ladyboys are respected in society as their own gender. They aren't treated differently. In my opinion, and for all intensive purposes, they are girls. Some ladyboys are even more gorgeous than girls. I have met quite a few now and they are just normal people. On a whole, Thai culture is less masculine than American culture.

Transportation
Thailand is ridiculously easy to travel in. From taxis and tuk tuks to busses, trains, boats, and airplanes, the entire country is accessible and for a very affordable cost. A  really long taxi ride is about $10-15. Public busses in the city never cost more than $2. The mass-transit train systems never cost more than $2. There are long distance trains to the North and South that are very affordable. The night busses are around $15-20 depending on what type you choose. A flight in country costs $40-50 and cuts down travel costs by 8-10 hours.

Scenery
Thailand is such a beautiful country. There are mountains and valleys in the north. One of the most exciting cities in the world is right in the the middle. Then there are beaches to the south. The coastal waters in the Gulf of Thailand and the Indian Ocean are sprinkled with amazing islands. It can get cold in the North, but comparatively the weather is always warmer than home.

Safety
While any place in the world is dangerous, I think Thailand is safer than most countries. Most of the people don't have malicious intent. Don't be fooled though. I am certain there are thieves and other criminals here, but if you are a smart traveler, I think being in Bangkok is safer than London, Paris, Madrid, LA, or NYC. One thing that supports this is the number of solo women travelers I have met here. As far as solo travelers go, I think I have met more single women than single men. Women are obviously more than capable of traveling alone. What I am saying is that I think women are often perceived as more vulnerable than solo male travelers. With that said, I haven't met any solo travelers who have shared any bad stories.

If I could start over

After being here for 5 months, I would have done some things differently, especially in the beginning.

Things I should have bought from the start:

1. Coffee maker
Instant is the most common form of coffee here and real coffee from a coffee shop can cost as much as $2 (which is a hell of a lot of money here for food or drink). Ice coffees from 7-Eleven are filled with sugar and cream and just don't taste good. I bought my coffee-maker in March and it rejuvenated my days and gave me a reason to get out of bed on the mornings when I didn't have school.

2. Fan
I bought fan in week 5 and it was a great investment. It was a nice alternative to the air-con on the nights that weren't extremely hot. It also decreased my electricity bill because I had to use the air-con less.

3. Deck of Cards
Leo and I bought a deck of cards a few weeks ago and have played so many hands of rummy. Playing cards is a great way to kill time. But it is illegal to play cards in public here, so that is a bit of a drag.

4. Bicycle 
I have walked AT LEAST 300 kilometers just going to 7-Eleven. Buying a bike for $40 would have made transportation near the university much easier.

All of these investments would have added to less than $75 and would have probably actually earned their worth by cutting down on coffee and transport costs.

Things I should have done:

1. Intensive Thai Language Course
I took introduction to Thai in school, but once a week for two hours just is not enough to learn a language. I should have taken an intensive Thai language course for the 6 weeks here. I'm talking 3 or 4 days a week for a few hours each day. This would have made living here 10x easier. And I would have gained a valuable language skill.

2. I should have spent more time in the North

3. I should have worked out more
I was under the impression that there was a state of the art gym and fitness center at the university. Technically there is, but it is still under construction so it isn't open yet. I should have gone to the pool but I wasn't down with speedos and swim caps. I did play basketball for a while, but eventually i was excluded because I don't speak Thai and I am not on any of the school sanctioned teams. I should have run more, but it is so hot and humid that it's impossible to slowly 800 meters to school without sweating through every item of clothing, including your leather watch band. I didn't gain wait, but I didn't lose weight either. I attribute this to heavy beer drinking.

Things I wish had happened:

1. I wish that my friends from home had come. While I did meet lots of people here, I would have loved to have experienced this 6 months with some friends from home.

2. (Because none of my friends came with me) I wish that I could have gotten a house closer to Bangkok with some other exchange students. Having a house with bedrooms and living room and a kitchen would have been amazing. We would have had so much fun...maybe too much fun.

In the next 5 years, Rangsit (where I live outside of Bangkok) will be the place to do an exchange. It is a suburb of Bangkok so the city is accessible but, it's still possible to escape the urban jungle. I am a small town boy, too much time in any city gives me anxiety and claustrophobia. In the next 5 years, Rangsit will have a BTS sky train that will make transit to the city much easier and much cheaper. Rangsit University will also have a state of the art gym and fitness center as well as a mall on campus.

Paradise Pai

After my last final, I packed to go to Pai to meet my friend Leo. I flew from Don Muang Air Port at 6:40 am Tuesday May 19 and arrived in Chiangmai at 8:00 am. I then took a taxi to the bus station where I got the last spot in the 8:30 van to Pai.

The van ride traversed the mountains of Northern Thailand. The road between Chiangmai and Pai takes 760 switchback curves. Whenever I was awake, I was terrified. The highway reminded me of a badly maintained PA-287 (the highway I crashed my car on in 2012). Luckily, I am blessed with the ability to sleep in moving vehicles. I got to Pai around 11:30.

We rented a bungalow near a river for 200 baht ($6) each. Mostly, we drank beer and played cards, chess, and Yahtzee. One day we rented a motor-scooter and drove around. We looked at the mountains and canyons. We visited a waterfall and a landsplit. I never wanted to leave Pai. I regret not spending more time there. But, had I spent more time there I might not have ever left.

We came back Thursday on the night bus. It took 15 hours door to door. The bus was owned and operated by the Thai government. It was clean and included a bottle of water, juice, and a blanket. The bus wasn't even close to full and every passenger had two seats that reclined really far without disturbing others. It only cost 540 baht, which is cheap for a 10 hour bus ride.

There were two drawbacks: first, the driver never exceeded 87 kilometers per hour. So it was painfully slow. Imagine driving on a straight highway in the middle of night with no other cars on the road and driving the exact speed limit the whole time. We could have made such good time. The second drawback was having to pass through 6 military checkpoints. We were boarded once for ID checks. Leo and I were excluded from the checks because we don't look like illegals from Burma. I guess its Farang privilege.

This country is full of surprises, many of them unexplained. For example, we stopped at a bus-stop for a 30 minute break. I bought a glass bottle of coke (I think coke tastes best this way). As soon as I paid, the old lady sales-clerks started yelling at me. All I understood was that I had to return the glass bottle. So I said "Khrap" which is the polite way to say yes and that you understand. But they kept yelling at me! They were demanding my bus ticket. Leo had the tickets so I was yelling for him to come so they would get off my back. After Leo provided the tickets, the ladies gave us free cokes. I have no idea why. I also wish they had told me that before I bought one. This ordeal still remains a mystery.

View from our bungalow

Land split

Land Split

Land Split

Mountains and farms remind me of PA...

It's raining to the right

Standard $3 bungalows

Waterfall

This lady took selfies for 30 minutes...we photo-bombed A LOT

Massaman Curry is my favorite curry of all time

Finals

For anyone that has kept up with the blog or has been in touch with me, you probably know that my time here has been very little studying and a lot of abroad. But, don't be fooled! I still did have to learn some things and take tests.

I had four final grades that I needed to earn before finishing the semester.

Introduction to Thai
This was my first final. It was the week before written final exams took place. I was most worried about it because my Thai skills are not that great. The first part was to give a speech in Thai which I did at the beginning of May. I gave my speech with the worst hangover of my life (a testament to the challenges of studying abroad!). The next week we had a listening comprehension test. Our teacher would say phrases and sentences in Thai and we had to translate them to English. I think I got about 80%, which is much better than I had expected. The third part was a group conversation with the profressor, Ajarn Areerat. My partners were my two best friends here, Leo and Marvin.

An aside about our Thai names...My Thai name is Chetah (brother). Leo is Leowood (wise, all knowing man). Marvin is Manop (young man). Chetah and Manop are taxi driver names and Leowood is the name of an old man.

I know we did fine on the group conversation. Ajarn Areerat loves us. Every day in class she would always yell "Chetah, isn't that how it's said in English?" because I was obviously the in-house expert as the only native English speaker in the class. Ajarn Areerat went to Temple in Philadelphia, so coming from Pennsylvania we had that in common.

I know I passed the class.

Comparative Politics
My first written final was Comparative Politics. We did not cover much from the midterm. The test was over Political Culture and Ideology. I was well prepared for the exam and I smashed it out of the park.

I think I will get an A in the course.

Public Policy Analysis
My second written final was Public Policy Analysis. This class was more challenging, but not in the academic sense. It was challenging because the professor often cancelled class or would end class early. The way he lectured wasn't easy to process. I basically had to reteach myself all of the lessons in the days leading to the exam. We had to answer 3 of 5 questions. When I sat down for the exam, 2 of the 5 questions were about things we definitely did NOT cover in the course. Luckily I knew the other 3 and knocked them out in well written essays.

Originally I had a B going into the exam because I got an 86 on my paper. I got a low grade because my works cited was no where to be found. I know for certain I turned it in with the paper, but it probably got lost in the 2.5 months we waited for the graded paper to come back. Luckily I got some points back after printing another copy of the works cited, bumping me up to a 90.

I think I will get an A in the course.

Theories of Democracy
"Don't Worry" was the class motto. Our professor for the class this class was an adjunct. He taught at one of the more prestigious public universities and is also the editor of a liberal newspaper known for being critical of the government and supportive of the people. Dr. C was my favorite professor. Although we only had 6 classes in 12 school weeks, it was a good experience.

I was the only person in the class from a real, healthy, functioning democracy so I was well versed in things like citizen rights. I finished the exam in 20 minutes.

I will get an A in this class.

Some kid named Martin Garrix

On May 15 I saw an EDM DJ named Martin Garrix. It was the day after his birthday. He had just turned 19. I went with some Thai friends and had a blast. We went to an Italian restaurant for dinner before the concert. I had a pizza with olives and pepperoni and it was awesome. I ordered a beer before my pizza came. When the pizza came I ordered a second beer. Then a couple more waiters came by and ask me if I wanted another beer. To the first I said, "It's already being taken care of." To the second I said, "No thank you. I am ok." The next thing I know I have three beers in front of me. After five months, I am not surprised at this. Luckily I love beer, so it was no problem. 

We left the Italian place and bought some beers from a vendor. I bought two more and my friends got a few. They couldn't drink all of their beers so they gave them to me. Naturally, I accepted. Then we went into the concert. I don't remember the first few DJ's. The music all sounds about the same to me anyway, but it's all nice to dance to (I guess that is the point of Electric Dance Music). Personally, I didn't think Martin Garrix was that great. The Bassnectar concert I went to a few years back was way better (although I think that is a different genre). Afrojack in April was also better. 

All I know is that after we took tequila shots and had a few more beers I was pretty lit and just wanted to dance. As a white person, I tend to stick out. Often when I go to the club or to a concert, people want to say hello and ask me where I am from and take pictures. We took a lot of group pictures with random people. Someone even licked my face. 

I woke up the next day, safe, alone, in my own bed, and covered in paint.

Asiatique 

My friend Tipnaree

Tipnaree's friend Eve

Just a warrior taking tequila shots

Ayutthaya: The Old City

Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand (Siam) from 1351-1767 when it was destroyed by the Burmese during the second Siamese-Burmese conflict. Today it is a quiet, rural, city of ruins.

It is only about 45 minutes by car. I went with my friend Tipnaree and we spent a few hours there. The temple ruins were still awing despite having been burned 300 years before. It was easy to tell how impressive the structures must have been in the cities prime. The Siamese empire was very impressive and at one time Ayutthaya was considered one of the grandest cities in Asia in the 1400 and 1500's.

We went in the morning before it was busy and hot. We found some shade and sat down and enjoyed the sound of birds and fresh air.

We visited a Buddhist temple. At the temple there were cups filled with sticks that each had a different number. You shake the cup until one single stick comes out. Then you read what that number represents.

I got number 8: "Travel will bring you success and opportunity. Love will not go as expected. Luck seems to be avoiding you. Be careful about losing things." How do I feel about this? I think it is spot on. 1.) I am traveling and I know it will pay dividends in my future. 2.) Although vague and universally applicable, love never does go as expected. 3.) Luck has been avoiding me! My pool game has been off and I have been losing at rummy like nobody's business. 4.) I did lose my phone and I am constantly misplacing things.


On our way out of the city, we stopped and fed some elephants. I can't say the elephants were living the most enjoyable elephant life, but they were well fed and seemed to be treated well by their keepers.

I was pretty nervous the whole time

Some of the main pagodas 

It was empty in the morning

I was number 8

Missourians: Strength in Numbers

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting Jessica and Julia Montgomery's sister, Anna, while she was on business in Bangkok. First, a shout-out to the Montgomery clan. They are good people. And quite fun. We had dinner with some of my Finnish friends in the Sukhumvit area and then headed to Khaosan Road. A few days later we had an adventure in Bangkok, looking at accommodations for my last days in the city and some shopping at the enormous malls of Bangkok. Then we hit up the sky bar at her hotel for a little Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Although I didn't know Anna before meeting her in Thailand, it was nice to visit with someone that seemed familiar. Hanging out with another American, especially someone from Missouri, really gave me a little motivation to get through the last weeks of school. I am really glad that we were able to meet up.

Cinco de Mayo Sky Bar with Bangkok in the far background