Happy New Year everyone. Thailand's new year is much like that of everywhere else. A lot of people gather in the center of town, fireworks are set off, people cheer, etc. It was an interesting place to be, although for a period of time, we were each one element of the heaving crowd, unable to control our movements ourselves, much like being caught in the undertow. We started the night with mulled wine and dinner at the house we've been house-sitting at, then went to the Tha Pae gate area. We got separated from most of the people we were with, but ended up staying with Danny, a friend from Texas who had never let off a Chiang Mai lantern (from the last festival). We did that with him, had some food from a vendor, and went home for 2 am.
Sadly, in Bangkok, a fire broke out in a nightclub killing 59 people. It appears as if fireworks set it off. Thais have really bad habits with fireworks, namely complete carelessness and lack of foresight. People must be in the hospital all the time with missing fingers, eyes, and other parts. The sad thing is, it probably wouldn't be the person who set it off.
So- we are safe and sound up here in Chiang Mai and had a good New Year's celebration. I hope everyone has a safe holiday.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
bad day
I had a bad day. A really bad day.
It all started out like a normal day, nothing too exciting. Katie and I have been staying with a friend who is housesitting, so we've been enjoying the comforts of more than one room. That friend, Lucy, needed to work on the same side of town as I did, so I drove her to work. We were running a bit late, and I was rushing, so I screwed up my routine getting of my motorbike and forgot the key in the ignition. Now, I've done this before- not cool. This time, however, it was different. I walked out to my bike when I was ready to leave, and it was gone. My helmet was sitting on the ground, alone. FREAK OUT Called work, whose bike it is, they called the police and did all of that stuff and didn't sound too freaked. So after the shock of getting a motorcycle stolen, I had class in the afternoon. Naturally, I had to ride my bike back "home" because I didn't have a motorbike. On the way home, of course, upon accelerating from a traffic light, the crank on my bike broke, and I could not pedal. I got off and walked it the rest of the way. Of course.
So, something bad was supposed to happen to me on either a motorbike or a bicycle, and this was just karma's or whatever's confusing way of keeping me safe. Right?
It all started out like a normal day, nothing too exciting. Katie and I have been staying with a friend who is housesitting, so we've been enjoying the comforts of more than one room. That friend, Lucy, needed to work on the same side of town as I did, so I drove her to work. We were running a bit late, and I was rushing, so I screwed up my routine getting of my motorbike and forgot the key in the ignition. Now, I've done this before- not cool. This time, however, it was different. I walked out to my bike when I was ready to leave, and it was gone. My helmet was sitting on the ground, alone. FREAK OUT Called work, whose bike it is, they called the police and did all of that stuff and didn't sound too freaked. So after the shock of getting a motorcycle stolen, I had class in the afternoon. Naturally, I had to ride my bike back "home" because I didn't have a motorbike. On the way home, of course, upon accelerating from a traffic light, the crank on my bike broke, and I could not pedal. I got off and walked it the rest of the way. Of course.
So, something bad was supposed to happen to me on either a motorbike or a bicycle, and this was just karma's or whatever's confusing way of keeping me safe. Right?
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Finished Thai level one
Katie and I both finished our Thai course today. The course ended with a grueling, for some, test. We preempted the test by completely forgetting about class on Friday, not even realizing we had missed it until well into the afternoon. With fear in our soles (our feet were shaking) we set off for the monster exam. Of a two-hour class period, it took us each about 35 minutes to finish the test. It was immediately corrected and we both walked away with nothing less than A pluses. I guess it wasn't so hard after all.
We are now eligible to take level 2, however I don't think we will. The class is too slow and we think we could get more out of alternative means.
But we do speak some Thai now. Phurkraw phuut paasa Thai daai khrap!
We are now eligible to take level 2, however I don't think we will. The class is too slow and we think we could get more out of alternative means.
But we do speak some Thai now. Phurkraw phuut paasa Thai daai khrap!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
firs commercial success
Today I decided to make a few cold calls. I brought our business cards and our "business handout" with me, dressed like I was trying to sell something and walked into the tourist area. My plan of attack was to talk to tour guide companies, because there is so much competition, and because they have so much direct contact with English speaking people. I walked to the first, handed them my stuff, and said a few words. After an awkward moment, the man told me he needed to show it to his boss, and that was the end of it. The second place I went to, I was told by a couple of teenagers, one who was incessantly dabbing her face with a napkin, that they weren't interested, after they had a private (read: in Thai) laugh at me. I know this because they were speaking Thai and laughing at me. The third place was a minor success. I was able to convince a woman that when she created her website in the near future, it would need to be fluent English, which she agreed to. The last place, however, was the best. A young man just happened to be designing a brochure, upon which he had placed several pictures, but no text. He happened to need to paraphrase a couple of paragraphs he found on the internet and needed to find good English wording for it. I told him I could help him on the spot, for 100B ($3). I figured it was a safe number, and anything is positive at this point. When we were finished, I had typed the stuff up, worked on his wording and design, and of course, paraphrased the paragraphs. When I left, he paid me double.
If things keep going this way, this might actually work. We have officially opened for business.
If things keep going this way, this might actually work. We have officially opened for business.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Christmas and business
So, we decided it was time to decorate our room for Christmas. Because Thailand is Buddhist, there isn't exactly a plethora of various decorations, and since we also do not have a plethora of funding, we decided to take matters into our own hands. This is some of what we came up with.
I know, its not Martha Stewart, but at least we're not in jail, right?
We also have started a little proofreading business, aimed at trying to fix every single sign or brochure written in English in Thailand. Obviously, they are using a Thai 4th grader to do their proofreading, so we saw a gap in the market. Whether they care or not is yet to be seen, but we did get some professional looking business cards printed up so we'd be taken seriously. We also hired a model to pose with them. Oh wait, that's just Katie :)
I know, its not Martha Stewart, but at least we're not in jail, right?
We also have started a little proofreading business, aimed at trying to fix every single sign or brochure written in English in Thailand. Obviously, they are using a Thai 4th grader to do their proofreading, so we saw a gap in the market. Whether they care or not is yet to be seen, but we did get some professional looking business cards printed up so we'd be taken seriously. We also hired a model to pose with them. Oh wait, that's just Katie :)
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
bangkok and chris
So: news
Chris took off last night ending a two and a half month trip. At the moment I think he is roughly in Japan and will be home in the cold within a day. Happy travels and say hi to everyone at home for us, Chris.
Thailand-
The occupation of the airport has ended. The 'supreme court' of Thailand ruled the last election a fraud, thereby nullifying the current political parties. Thy hen set a temporary prime minister until new elections can be held, wherein (this is my opinion) the same people will be voted in again, because they do, in fact, have a majority. After that, who knows. Maybe the yellow shirts will take over the buildings again as it seems to have worked this time.
Overall, only a handful of people were injured or killed in an entire takeover of the government, which only included people directly involved. Not so bad in my book.
The airport should be opened by Friday, they say.
Chris took off last night ending a two and a half month trip. At the moment I think he is roughly in Japan and will be home in the cold within a day. Happy travels and say hi to everyone at home for us, Chris.
Thailand-
The occupation of the airport has ended. The 'supreme court' of Thailand ruled the last election a fraud, thereby nullifying the current political parties. Thy hen set a temporary prime minister until new elections can be held, wherein (this is my opinion) the same people will be voted in again, because they do, in fact, have a majority. After that, who knows. Maybe the yellow shirts will take over the buildings again as it seems to have worked this time.
Overall, only a handful of people were injured or killed in an entire takeover of the government, which only included people directly involved. Not so bad in my book.
The airport should be opened by Friday, they say.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
daily life: transportation, Thai style
There are many differences between the way we get around and the way Thais do. We've adapted to some of that, since we have a motorbike, of course. Other things we have yet to try. Here are some of the possibilities.
a water truck- nothing too special or different here
A turbocharged pugeot 205
taxis - 3 lazy tuk tuks who stay near out house and yell at passers-by a lot, but never seem to drive anywhere.
this is a toyota Mrs. - I wonder where Mr. Toyota is? I also see a lot of Toyoto Coronas- I thought drinking and driving was illegal!
This is the back of another kind of taxi. These things come color coded, depending on where you're going. The red ones are local taxis that fit about 8 people inside and however many want to hang off the back. These guys like to beep at you, too.
80's six series. Need I say more?
In Thailand, it's always safety first. Jake would appreciate this on the jobsite. On the streets, there are of course, an abundance of helmets, as shown by this gentleman.
occasionally there is the real bike.
this is a typical parking lot. Obviously people are into their SUV's here.
this is a limousine. As you can see, this is really the lap of luxury when it comes to motorbikes- only for those big spenders.
a Thai family sedan- again exercising their strict safety rules
an evo III. This place is crawling with evos. If only my check bag could be bigger.
might get pulled over at home for this one. trash? delivery? who knows.
look carefully and you'll see the small child wearing a hat, sitting on the front of that bike. Remember, hat, not helmet. Safety safety safety
and speaking of safety. Don't be near this guy when he decides to crash, because he's got more or less a bomb strapped to the back of his bike.
alfa giulietta that lives close to my house. mmmmmmm alfa
this is another sedan for 3 adults.
As you can see, Thais are really into safety, and really into various types of cars. These cars just happen to have 2 wheels and carry everything.
a water truck- nothing too special or different here
A turbocharged pugeot 205
taxis - 3 lazy tuk tuks who stay near out house and yell at passers-by a lot, but never seem to drive anywhere.
this is a toyota Mrs. - I wonder where Mr. Toyota is? I also see a lot of Toyoto Coronas- I thought drinking and driving was illegal!
This is the back of another kind of taxi. These things come color coded, depending on where you're going. The red ones are local taxis that fit about 8 people inside and however many want to hang off the back. These guys like to beep at you, too.
80's six series. Need I say more?
In Thailand, it's always safety first. Jake would appreciate this on the jobsite. On the streets, there are of course, an abundance of helmets, as shown by this gentleman.
occasionally there is the real bike.
this is a typical parking lot. Obviously people are into their SUV's here.
this is a limousine. As you can see, this is really the lap of luxury when it comes to motorbikes- only for those big spenders.
a Thai family sedan- again exercising their strict safety rules
an evo III. This place is crawling with evos. If only my check bag could be bigger.
might get pulled over at home for this one. trash? delivery? who knows.
look carefully and you'll see the small child wearing a hat, sitting on the front of that bike. Remember, hat, not helmet. Safety safety safety
and speaking of safety. Don't be near this guy when he decides to crash, because he's got more or less a bomb strapped to the back of his bike.
alfa giulietta that lives close to my house. mmmmmmm alfa
this is another sedan for 3 adults.
As you can see, Thais are really into safety, and really into various types of cars. These cars just happen to have 2 wheels and carry everything.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thailand's current events
This is an update to all of you at home who are unsure of the political situation in Thailand, but have heard mixed rumors about what is happening.
A brief history-
Thailands Prime Minister used to be a man named Thaksin (say- Toxin) Chinawatra (say - Shin-a-wot). In2006 in a military coup, he was ousted from the government. He was charged with corruption as he lived in exile in the UK. He has now been sentenced to 2 years in prison when he comes home. He has a lot of supporters, mostly low-income villagers, to whom he has given a lot of money. In turn for this money, he has created loyalty amongst his supporters (red shirts) and unrest amongst those who oppose him because of his corruption and dictatorial tendencies.
Recently, a group of anti-government protesters (yellow shirts) has gathered in Bangkok and staged various rallies, protests and most importantly, an occupation of the government buildings because Thaksin's brother-in-law was chosen as PM. They say this new man, Somchai Wongsawat, is simply a puppet for Thaksin while he is away.
These protests have escalated to a new level as of this last weekend, where they have taken the Bangkok international airport, stopping functions at Thailand's only major airport. People who were somewhat supportive of the anti-government movement are starting to get annoyed. The military has refused, so far, to step in and unseat the government, and the police are trying their best not to use violent means to subdue the protesters. The protesters themselves, however, have become somewhat violent, although on the violence scale, these are all relatively low-key. A few people have been killed in the incidents, but only amongst red/yellow clashes (anti vs pro government).
This is where we come in. We are in the far north of Thailand, whereas Bangkok is in the South. These protests are all happening in Bangkok, including disruptions and any violence that might happen excepting one isolated incident here in Chiang Mai. People here tend to support the government, as we have seen on one particular corner with lots of people wearing red shirts. Beyond that, it is hard to find strong opinions here. Seeing as how the people who are strongly in support of one side or the other only have problems with the other side, a foreigner, with a little common sense, can easily avoid any trouble and never be considered a target.
Just be aware of what color you are wearing.
A brief history-
Thailands Prime Minister used to be a man named Thaksin (say- Toxin) Chinawatra (say - Shin-a-wot). In2006 in a military coup, he was ousted from the government. He was charged with corruption as he lived in exile in the UK. He has now been sentenced to 2 years in prison when he comes home. He has a lot of supporters, mostly low-income villagers, to whom he has given a lot of money. In turn for this money, he has created loyalty amongst his supporters (red shirts) and unrest amongst those who oppose him because of his corruption and dictatorial tendencies.
Recently, a group of anti-government protesters (yellow shirts) has gathered in Bangkok and staged various rallies, protests and most importantly, an occupation of the government buildings because Thaksin's brother-in-law was chosen as PM. They say this new man, Somchai Wongsawat, is simply a puppet for Thaksin while he is away.
These protests have escalated to a new level as of this last weekend, where they have taken the Bangkok international airport, stopping functions at Thailand's only major airport. People who were somewhat supportive of the anti-government movement are starting to get annoyed. The military has refused, so far, to step in and unseat the government, and the police are trying their best not to use violent means to subdue the protesters. The protesters themselves, however, have become somewhat violent, although on the violence scale, these are all relatively low-key. A few people have been killed in the incidents, but only amongst red/yellow clashes (anti vs pro government).
This is where we come in. We are in the far north of Thailand, whereas Bangkok is in the South. These protests are all happening in Bangkok, including disruptions and any violence that might happen excepting one isolated incident here in Chiang Mai. People here tend to support the government, as we have seen on one particular corner with lots of people wearing red shirts. Beyond that, it is hard to find strong opinions here. Seeing as how the people who are strongly in support of one side or the other only have problems with the other side, a foreigner, with a little common sense, can easily avoid any trouble and never be considered a target.
Just be aware of what color you are wearing.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Engrish and daily life v1.0
To give everyone an idea of what regular, daily stuff is here in Thailand, I am going to start taking pictures of normal, everyday stuff, which might be a little different than at home. I'm going to try to do some themes, for example transportation, shopping, eating, etc.
Today will be my first installment. This has to do with the daily assault on the English language. One of the more ubiquitous offenders would be the clothing industry. Anything with English on it seems to sell, so they don't spend a lot of time editing for grammar, spelling, syntax, or meaning...
I wonder how many bits her heart is in?
www......what???
I scream for I-cream.
Cheeze walking closet street fashion: I don't know what any of those are. really. any of them.
Self-evident by definition. Trust me, we know!
Hey, wanna go MAKE OUT....in my ........umm, well, my chevrolet camaro???? I think the porsche would work better ;)
Today will be my first installment. This has to do with the daily assault on the English language. One of the more ubiquitous offenders would be the clothing industry. Anything with English on it seems to sell, so they don't spend a lot of time editing for grammar, spelling, syntax, or meaning...
I wonder how many bits her heart is in?
www......what???
I scream for I-cream.
Cheeze walking closet street fashion: I don't know what any of those are. really. any of them.
Self-evident by definition. Trust me, we know!
Hey, wanna go MAKE OUT....in my ........umm, well, my chevrolet camaro???? I think the porsche would work better ;)
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
winter
To all of you who think this is a tropical paradise, warm all year round, where nobody every gets cold or dies of hypothermia, this is for you. If you think you are special because you think Vermont is getting cold...think again.
It gets cold here. Really cold. I know this because the people here all dress in winter jackets and hats. Children are bundled up in face masks to get the frigid air from infiltrating their precious little faces.
I even have proof.... This is the weather for today, tonight and tomorrow.
As you can see, this is no tropical paradise where everybody runs around with short sleeves soaking up the sun. It gets down to 60 degrees at night! We almost have to close the window. Scarves abound in the streets. It may have been a mirage, but I thought I almost saw someone's breath.
It gets cold here. Really cold. I know this because the people here all dress in winter jackets and hats. Children are bundled up in face masks to get the frigid air from infiltrating their precious little faces.
I even have proof.... This is the weather for today, tonight and tomorrow.
As you can see, this is no tropical paradise where everybody runs around with short sleeves soaking up the sun. It gets down to 60 degrees at night! We almost have to close the window. Scarves abound in the streets. It may have been a mirage, but I thought I almost saw someone's breath.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Chiang Rai and Laos
Careful, this is going to be a long one!
We began our journey with a brief trip to Chiang Rai. My business there was to be a part of a 2 day information campaign, where we informed and answered questions about the EducationUSA program. The first day included an afternoon "open house" where we gave away a lot of info and talked to 20 of so people about the program and various aspects. For the majority of the afternoon we were accompanied by the American Foreign Service officer, who I had happened to have lunch with a few days earlier regarding his job, and the Consular General for Chiang Mai. We were invited to the official opening of a very swanky hotel in Chiang Rai, where the American Consulate hosted all the American citizens in the area for consular services and free wine and food. Needless to say, we enjoyed ourselves on the massive campus of the hotel, which included a monster fire-pit right next to the river. The next day I joined my colleagues at a middle/high school where we gave a lecture/informational workshop to about 60 kids. My part was to give a 1 hour presentation on the TOEFL test they will have to take. Although it was a little uncomfortable, all in all it went fine.
clock tower in Chiang Rai at night.
bus to Chiang Khong
After eating a quick lunch at a pro Thaksin (ask me some other time) noodle joint, Katie, Chris and I headed off to the bus station. Our destination would be Chiang Khong, a border town next to Laos on the Mekong river. We found a rudimentary hostel for under $10 for three of us. The process to cross the border and get a boat to Luang Prabang, our destination, is a three step one. First, you have to go through Thai customs, which is infinitely easier if you grease the border agent's palm a little. Once you've done that and have crossed the river on a small ferry (read: tiny narrow boat) and you have met your respective British friend Gareth, and have lost your umbrella, you need to go through customs and immigration in Laos, where you get oodles of stamps in your passport. You then get a ride (read: walk with your new British friend) to the boat dock (see picture) where you pay the man, show your passport 38 more times, spend too much money on basic necessities, like food and water for the 7 hour boat ride, get on the boat, fight for a good seat (which nobody did much to their chagrin) and wait. You wait more. Then some more. The boat, aptly named a slow-boat, then shoves off with cargo, foreigners, domestic-ers, etc.
slow boats
For seven hours, you float down the Mekong surrounded by vast jungles stretching unimaginable distances, occasionally drifting past a village of 6 buildings, locals doing various life-activities, whatever they may be at the moment.
Eventually, after making Canadian friends, you finally reach a midpoint town in your journey: Pak Beng. Pak Beng is a one-night town. Upon stretching your cramped knees on the shore, you are barraged by a million people trying to get you to stay at this or that guesthouse. It is all rather random, and the only way I have successfully staved off these people is by speaking to them in exclusively German. When they cannot communicate, it is easier for them to find a new target. I knew that degree would come in handy!
Once you have successfully found a place to stay with your British and Canadian friends, you look for dinner, but not after first grabbing a few Finnish friends to come along with-- hey, the more the merrier, right?
The next morning you wake up at 7 so as to get a good seat on the boat, again (behind the driver on the flat section--more room to stretch the legs) and brace yourself for another 8 hours. This time you play cards, and do pretty much nothing. Your day is briefly paused by a surprising spectacle, namely the driver of the boat pulling over to a sandbar, jumping out, running down the beach and taking his clothes off. On first impressions, you may think he had an "emergency", and needed to clean himself, however you are wrong. You realize this when he dives under the boat headfirst with a meat cleaver. Most of the boat is watching this crazed lunatic in his underpants attacking the bottom of the boat from the sandbar. He emerges from the water victorious, his prize in hand, his enemy defeated: a piece of bamboo that had wrapped itself around the propeller.
rest stop for naked boat attack
At another brief stop on the river you pick up more domestic-ers and their cargo: baskets full of chickens, ducks, and turkeys. These are haphazardly tossed on the roof of the boat (see picture) to be haphazardly tossed back to land later.
chickens in baskets
You then arrive in Luang Prabang.
Luang Prabang is a tourist town, so there are a myriad of guesthouses of varying quality and price, not always commiserate to each other. You walk down the street, a veritable possy of 2 Fins, 1 Brit, 3 Americans, and 2 Canadians all in search of different types of rooms, yet looking in the same places. After a general realization that this wont work, you tell everyone where you'll be tomorrow at noon, and you go along your way. Eventually, after walking through most of the city, you find a friendly couple from Mississippi, who give you a tip on where to stay. You find the place, shower, then head out for the best dinner in South East Asia.
The idea is rather simple: give the customer food, let him/her cook it his/herself. The way this happens, is-- now stay with me here-- a table with 9 tiles on the top (3x3) has the middle tile removed, revealing a hole in the middle. In that hole is placed a clay bucket filled with coals. Upon this bucket is placed a metal grill of sorts. The middle area is domed with small holes cut into it, the outside area turns back upwards, like the brim of an old fashioned hat, creating a trough at the bottom of the dome. In this trough is placed broth, noodles and vegetables, while the top is adorned with various meats including water buffalo. You are now in charge of refilling the broth when it gets low, cooking more vegetables, eggs, and the meat. Do-it-yourself Hibachi!
The next day, after you get slightly lost due to incomprehensible maps and a change of venue, as the last guesthouse you stayed in couldn't do 3 nights, you meet your aforementioned motley crew and find a place for lunch. You spend the day slowly losing various bits of the group to other activities, find yourself on the top of a mountain (hill) in the center of town with a temple at the top offering magnificent views and crazy rocks and caves.
mountain (hill)
You meander through the quaint streets until you run out of streets, which happens quite quickly. The next day you wait all morning in the rain before choosing not to go on a boat tour of the caves north of the town. Instead you walk to a distant part of town to a local weaving center, which does everything from growing the plants, to making the dyes, to growing the silk worms, to spinning the silk, to dying the silk, to weaving the silk. This place is also the home of the best coffee is Laos, and quite possibly SE Asia. You decide to buy something substantially more expensive than usual due to the unique and self-sustainable nature of the business, which is, consequently, extremely well run. You then spend the rest of the day in cafes and restaurants, generally being lazy and enjoying the fact that you are supporting locals.
After you leave town you realize that this is a communist country, and the attitude of the people, at least in comparison to Thailand, is quite different. People do not have the drive or the push about them to really haggle with you, to really ask for your business--although it can be a nice break from the more intense Thailand-- it is somewhat sad. It seems people have conceded.
A short flight will bring you back to a country you are now calling home, which a month ago seemed as foreign as chicken foot soup.
Airline magazine quote (no, seriously- quote) "Whatever, Vientiane was burnt down and abandoned for more than 100 years. Old saying; Vientiane was abandoned and remained as a small hill of the wild dog's excrements. It is said the present of Vientiane is only the half of its former time."
What that means I have no idea, but I'm curious about this dog's excrement thing ????
We began our journey with a brief trip to Chiang Rai. My business there was to be a part of a 2 day information campaign, where we informed and answered questions about the EducationUSA program. The first day included an afternoon "open house" where we gave away a lot of info and talked to 20 of so people about the program and various aspects. For the majority of the afternoon we were accompanied by the American Foreign Service officer, who I had happened to have lunch with a few days earlier regarding his job, and the Consular General for Chiang Mai. We were invited to the official opening of a very swanky hotel in Chiang Rai, where the American Consulate hosted all the American citizens in the area for consular services and free wine and food. Needless to say, we enjoyed ourselves on the massive campus of the hotel, which included a monster fire-pit right next to the river. The next day I joined my colleagues at a middle/high school where we gave a lecture/informational workshop to about 60 kids. My part was to give a 1 hour presentation on the TOEFL test they will have to take. Although it was a little uncomfortable, all in all it went fine.
clock tower in Chiang Rai at night.
bus to Chiang KhongAfter eating a quick lunch at a pro Thaksin (ask me some other time) noodle joint, Katie, Chris and I headed off to the bus station. Our destination would be Chiang Khong, a border town next to Laos on the Mekong river. We found a rudimentary hostel for under $10 for three of us. The process to cross the border and get a boat to Luang Prabang, our destination, is a three step one. First, you have to go through Thai customs, which is infinitely easier if you grease the border agent's palm a little. Once you've done that and have crossed the river on a small ferry (read: tiny narrow boat) and you have met your respective British friend Gareth, and have lost your umbrella, you need to go through customs and immigration in Laos, where you get oodles of stamps in your passport. You then get a ride (read: walk with your new British friend) to the boat dock (see picture) where you pay the man, show your passport 38 more times, spend too much money on basic necessities, like food and water for the 7 hour boat ride, get on the boat, fight for a good seat (which nobody did much to their chagrin) and wait. You wait more. Then some more. The boat, aptly named a slow-boat, then shoves off with cargo, foreigners, domestic-ers, etc.
slow boats
For seven hours, you float down the Mekong surrounded by vast jungles stretching unimaginable distances, occasionally drifting past a village of 6 buildings, locals doing various life-activities, whatever they may be at the moment.
Eventually, after making Canadian friends, you finally reach a midpoint town in your journey: Pak Beng. Pak Beng is a one-night town. Upon stretching your cramped knees on the shore, you are barraged by a million people trying to get you to stay at this or that guesthouse. It is all rather random, and the only way I have successfully staved off these people is by speaking to them in exclusively German. When they cannot communicate, it is easier for them to find a new target. I knew that degree would come in handy!
Once you have successfully found a place to stay with your British and Canadian friends, you look for dinner, but not after first grabbing a few Finnish friends to come along with-- hey, the more the merrier, right?
The next morning you wake up at 7 so as to get a good seat on the boat, again (behind the driver on the flat section--more room to stretch the legs) and brace yourself for another 8 hours. This time you play cards, and do pretty much nothing. Your day is briefly paused by a surprising spectacle, namely the driver of the boat pulling over to a sandbar, jumping out, running down the beach and taking his clothes off. On first impressions, you may think he had an "emergency", and needed to clean himself, however you are wrong. You realize this when he dives under the boat headfirst with a meat cleaver. Most of the boat is watching this crazed lunatic in his underpants attacking the bottom of the boat from the sandbar. He emerges from the water victorious, his prize in hand, his enemy defeated: a piece of bamboo that had wrapped itself around the propeller.
rest stop for naked boat attackAt another brief stop on the river you pick up more domestic-ers and their cargo: baskets full of chickens, ducks, and turkeys. These are haphazardly tossed on the roof of the boat (see picture) to be haphazardly tossed back to land later.
chickens in basketsYou then arrive in Luang Prabang.
Luang Prabang is a tourist town, so there are a myriad of guesthouses of varying quality and price, not always commiserate to each other. You walk down the street, a veritable possy of 2 Fins, 1 Brit, 3 Americans, and 2 Canadians all in search of different types of rooms, yet looking in the same places. After a general realization that this wont work, you tell everyone where you'll be tomorrow at noon, and you go along your way. Eventually, after walking through most of the city, you find a friendly couple from Mississippi, who give you a tip on where to stay. You find the place, shower, then head out for the best dinner in South East Asia.
The idea is rather simple: give the customer food, let him/her cook it his/herself. The way this happens, is-- now stay with me here-- a table with 9 tiles on the top (3x3) has the middle tile removed, revealing a hole in the middle. In that hole is placed a clay bucket filled with coals. Upon this bucket is placed a metal grill of sorts. The middle area is domed with small holes cut into it, the outside area turns back upwards, like the brim of an old fashioned hat, creating a trough at the bottom of the dome. In this trough is placed broth, noodles and vegetables, while the top is adorned with various meats including water buffalo. You are now in charge of refilling the broth when it gets low, cooking more vegetables, eggs, and the meat. Do-it-yourself Hibachi!
The next day, after you get slightly lost due to incomprehensible maps and a change of venue, as the last guesthouse you stayed in couldn't do 3 nights, you meet your aforementioned motley crew and find a place for lunch. You spend the day slowly losing various bits of the group to other activities, find yourself on the top of a mountain (hill) in the center of town with a temple at the top offering magnificent views and crazy rocks and caves.
mountain (hill)You meander through the quaint streets until you run out of streets, which happens quite quickly. The next day you wait all morning in the rain before choosing not to go on a boat tour of the caves north of the town. Instead you walk to a distant part of town to a local weaving center, which does everything from growing the plants, to making the dyes, to growing the silk worms, to spinning the silk, to dying the silk, to weaving the silk. This place is also the home of the best coffee is Laos, and quite possibly SE Asia. You decide to buy something substantially more expensive than usual due to the unique and self-sustainable nature of the business, which is, consequently, extremely well run. You then spend the rest of the day in cafes and restaurants, generally being lazy and enjoying the fact that you are supporting locals.
After you leave town you realize that this is a communist country, and the attitude of the people, at least in comparison to Thailand, is quite different. People do not have the drive or the push about them to really haggle with you, to really ask for your business--although it can be a nice break from the more intense Thailand-- it is somewhat sad. It seems people have conceded.
A short flight will bring you back to a country you are now calling home, which a month ago seemed as foreign as chicken foot soup.
Airline magazine quote (no, seriously- quote) "Whatever, Vientiane was burnt down and abandoned for more than 100 years. Old saying; Vientiane was abandoned and remained as a small hill of the wild dog's excrements. It is said the present of Vientiane is only the half of its former time."
What that means I have no idea, but I'm curious about this dog's excrement thing ????
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
this week's itinerary
Today (Wed) - head to Chiang Rai, set up booth downtown to talk to students
Thurs - give presentation to entire school regarding TOEFL test. Then head by bus to Chiang Khong
Fri - Take Boat from Chiang Khong partly down the Mekong river
Sat - Take boat rest of the way to Luang Prabang in Laos
Sun/Mon - tour the city
Tues - Fly back to Chiang Mai
Wed - Election party
Updates when we return.
:)
Today (Wed) - head to Chiang Rai, set up booth downtown to talk to students
Thurs - give presentation to entire school regarding TOEFL test. Then head by bus to Chiang Khong
Fri - Take Boat from Chiang Khong partly down the Mekong river
Sat - Take boat rest of the way to Luang Prabang in Laos
Sun/Mon - tour the city
Tues - Fly back to Chiang Mai
Wed - Election party
Updates when we return.
:)
Saturday, October 25, 2008
fantastic saturday
Today we decided to get out of bed early and head up north of town on our pair of motorbikes. At 7:00 sharp, my obnoxious alarm rattled me out of bed. Much like a snow day, I looked out the window in hopes of rain. What I saw pleased me: drizzles. I texted (yes, I know, but its cheaper) Chris and told him I was going back to sleep. At 8:00 I woke up again to a beautiful day; thus began our adventure.
We jumped on our peds (moped) and headed up north with vague directions on getting to one of several objectives: waterfall, snake farm, orchid farm, butterfly farm. All of these things appeared to be in more or less the same location.
We managed to get off track due to ambiguities in our map, but, as often tangents do, we found something better than what we were looking for. We discovered the biggest waterfall we've seen in Thailand. The coolest part, I thought, was some sort of hidden rock shelf in the middle of the waterfall that was shooting water straight up in the air like a fountain. Now, most waterfalls have something like this, but rarely do you see a 6 foot plume of water going upwards out of the middle of a waterfall.
(this is a picture of me pointing that out to Katie, although you can't see it well in the picture)
We drove the scenic, twisty route back to the main road with Katie on the back, white knuckled, and me on the front, grinning like an idiot :)
The next stop in our journey lead us to the orchid farm. This is a showcase for, and nursery of-- you guessed it-- orchids. There were many different types all displaying different colors, patterns, shapes, and sizes. Some of the flowers were quite incredible, some were nothing to write home (on a blog) about. We did eat lunch there and I ninja'd a mosquito out of the sky and threw it into a death spider's web, which made me a temporary hero and offered a few minutes of amusement. I hate those little *&%$#s.
Our next venture took us for a hike in through the jungle and to 5 of 10 waterfalls in a row. Some waterfalls, although they name them such, are not really waterfalls, rather cascades. This was the case with the first 3 waterfalls. Numbers 4 and 5 (yes, they were labeled) were more impressive, although not impressive as our earlier waterfall. The walk through the jungle on a boardwalk was fantastic, and we did run into the largest death spider I have ever seen. This thing was as big as my hand, and it was mere inches from the path. Chris got some good pictures, so you should check those out (email me if you want t0 be added to the picture email list).
The drive home was uneventful, which, when riding a motorbike in a fatalistic country, is a good thing.
Tomorrow its back to work.
We jumped on our peds (moped) and headed up north with vague directions on getting to one of several objectives: waterfall, snake farm, orchid farm, butterfly farm. All of these things appeared to be in more or less the same location.
We managed to get off track due to ambiguities in our map, but, as often tangents do, we found something better than what we were looking for. We discovered the biggest waterfall we've seen in Thailand. The coolest part, I thought, was some sort of hidden rock shelf in the middle of the waterfall that was shooting water straight up in the air like a fountain. Now, most waterfalls have something like this, but rarely do you see a 6 foot plume of water going upwards out of the middle of a waterfall.
(this is a picture of me pointing that out to Katie, although you can't see it well in the picture)
We drove the scenic, twisty route back to the main road with Katie on the back, white knuckled, and me on the front, grinning like an idiot :)
The next stop in our journey lead us to the orchid farm. This is a showcase for, and nursery of-- you guessed it-- orchids. There were many different types all displaying different colors, patterns, shapes, and sizes. Some of the flowers were quite incredible, some were nothing to write home (on a blog) about. We did eat lunch there and I ninja'd a mosquito out of the sky and threw it into a death spider's web, which made me a temporary hero and offered a few minutes of amusement. I hate those little *&%$#s.
Our next venture took us for a hike in through the jungle and to 5 of 10 waterfalls in a row. Some waterfalls, although they name them such, are not really waterfalls, rather cascades. This was the case with the first 3 waterfalls. Numbers 4 and 5 (yes, they were labeled) were more impressive, although not impressive as our earlier waterfall. The walk through the jungle on a boardwalk was fantastic, and we did run into the largest death spider I have ever seen. This thing was as big as my hand, and it was mere inches from the path. Chris got some good pictures, so you should check those out (email me if you want t0 be added to the picture email list).
The drive home was uneventful, which, when riding a motorbike in a fatalistic country, is a good thing.
Tomorrow its back to work.
Friday, October 17, 2008
the riverside and how we got there
Tonight Katie and I had dinner a the Riverside Restaurant, which was named because.....wait for it.....it's on the riverside. It was a very nice place, albeit full of foreigners, but who am I to talk, I'm one of them too!
Anyway, we decided to venture off on our new means of transportation. Since it was going to be dark, and traffic was going to be a little more heavy, we chose to take the moped (scooter/small motorcycle where your knees can touch together) which was loaned to us by our internship. I had driven it around a few times, but nothing much. Katie had ridden on the back of the thing only once. With that in mind, we took off across town to get to the other side of the river.
Things went quite well. Although steering with extra weight is sometimes difficult, if you keep your eyes open and stay on the side of the road, its more or less like being on a faster bicycle.
We got temporarily lost and almost ended up on the interstate, but reversed course and set sails for the bridge.
All in all, we didn't crash, Katie survived on the back, and ended with a smile on her face, which means it was a win.
This is the bike.. The laughing can start any time now.
.
Anyway, we decided to venture off on our new means of transportation. Since it was going to be dark, and traffic was going to be a little more heavy, we chose to take the moped (scooter/small motorcycle where your knees can touch together) which was loaned to us by our internship. I had driven it around a few times, but nothing much. Katie had ridden on the back of the thing only once. With that in mind, we took off across town to get to the other side of the river.
Things went quite well. Although steering with extra weight is sometimes difficult, if you keep your eyes open and stay on the side of the road, its more or less like being on a faster bicycle.
We got temporarily lost and almost ended up on the interstate, but reversed course and set sails for the bridge.
All in all, we didn't crash, Katie survived on the back, and ended with a smile on her face, which means it was a win.
This is the bike.. The laughing can start any time now.
.
Monday, October 13, 2008
untitled
I advise everyone to write. I personally prefer an old fashioned journal with a fountain pen, but whatever suits you should do. When you look back on those details you've long since forgotten, it is truly remarkable. Letters are another way to record the same information and I think are fantastic (thanks mom- arrived 10/13, exactly one week).
Daily schedule, version 1.0:
wake up at a normal hour, between 7 and 9:00 am.
have coffee, check the news, write in journal
begin active part of day 9-11:00 am
spend the afternoon out and about, visiting, exploring, photographing, etc.
eat dinner at 5-6:00 pm because of hunger (why else, right?)
go back to home, spend the evening putzing around the flat, etc.
In this plan there are some problems. Things aren't always open in the day time since its so hot. Instead they open later on in the late afternoon and stay open until 8 or 9. When you have been busy all day, you want to eat early and come home tired afterwards. This leaves the prime time of day, the dusk and evening, done. You effectively just spent all the worst hours out and about.
Daily schedule version 2.0, to be implemented as of tomorrow:
wake up 7-8
go do what is interesting or on the plan BEFORE 12:00
get home, have lunch, and be inside internetting, learning thai, etc 12-4
go back out for more exploring, have dinner, and feel generally more rested for the evening, when you can enjoy it.
We're planning our border crossing trip to Laos. It will be a neat adventure including a 2 day river raft down the Mekong river to an ancient city in Laos, Luang Pabang. This will also function as our visa update we must do every 3 months.
Katie and I are apparently going to be teaching a group of Nissan car salesmen "English Sales". We have been informed of this today and will be starting next week with a class. I don't exactly know where its going to go, but hey, I've done my share of selling, and speak English, and teach, so what's the trouble, right?
more later.
Daily schedule, version 1.0:
wake up at a normal hour, between 7 and 9:00 am.
have coffee, check the news, write in journal
begin active part of day 9-11:00 am
spend the afternoon out and about, visiting, exploring, photographing, etc.
eat dinner at 5-6:00 pm because of hunger (why else, right?)
go back to home, spend the evening putzing around the flat, etc.
In this plan there are some problems. Things aren't always open in the day time since its so hot. Instead they open later on in the late afternoon and stay open until 8 or 9. When you have been busy all day, you want to eat early and come home tired afterwards. This leaves the prime time of day, the dusk and evening, done. You effectively just spent all the worst hours out and about.
Daily schedule version 2.0, to be implemented as of tomorrow:
wake up 7-8
go do what is interesting or on the plan BEFORE 12:00
get home, have lunch, and be inside internetting, learning thai, etc 12-4
go back out for more exploring, have dinner, and feel generally more rested for the evening, when you can enjoy it.
We're planning our border crossing trip to Laos. It will be a neat adventure including a 2 day river raft down the Mekong river to an ancient city in Laos, Luang Pabang. This will also function as our visa update we must do every 3 months.
Katie and I are apparently going to be teaching a group of Nissan car salesmen "English Sales". We have been informed of this today and will be starting next week with a class. I don't exactly know where its going to go, but hey, I've done my share of selling, and speak English, and teach, so what's the trouble, right?
more later.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
turbo disjointed observations
1- We bought a package of rice cake cookies, 2 large coffee mugs, and a floor mat for less than 3$ today.
2- Riding a bike in Thai traffic, although it seems life-threatening, isn't really that bad. The first trick is to avoid crossing directly through traffic, ie perpendiculating it, at all costs. This is virtually impossible without forcing the cars in one lane to completely stop for you, or the contrary, bolting in front of someone in hopes they will stop in time. A better alternative is to be riding in traffic as a car or motorcycle would, and change lanes one at a time until you get where you want to go. The other trick is to plan your trip in such a way that you make as many left turns as possible, as the traffic flows like England or Japan: on the other side. A big difference between Thai traffic and American traffic is that people expect to be cut off. They cut off, so why shouldn't they be cut off. This is the only way they would get anywhere, as the traffic somewhat resembles a bee colony. When in the mindset of "be cutoff, so be prepared," all the traffic expects you to move around. This provides a certain level of safety for us cyclists. In traffic at home, rules are more generally followed, therefore making sudden movements on a bicycle are unexpected and therefore much more dangerous.
3- Tuesday and Wednesday I taught 1 student, 1 subject for 7.5 hours straight. For those of you at the Stern Center: Holy Cow, right!? I've been teaching the TOEFL test to an 11th grade student. Believe it or not, for the entire 7.5 hours he was attentive and motivated, never once complaining. And in a foreign language! 40 hrs with the kid over 2 weeks. One Stern Center school year stuffed into 2 weeks.
4- While in Germany, I often said that there must be a really good bicycle parts salesman out there, who managed to convince an entire country that everybody needed a completely frivolous set of hydraulic brakes. I saw these bikes all over with aftermarket brakes and was appalled that someone was able to sell all these expensive brakes.
I have found Thailand's version of that product. TURBO. Everything is turbo: everything. I have a bicycle that is a "turbo extreme". I have seen mopeds that are "turbo", I have seen cars that have giant"intercooled" stickers, implying a turbo. Amongst these cars/mopeds/bikes none of them actually have a turbo. Some cars, on the other hand, many of which don't deserve them, do indeed have turbos. I have seen the equivalent of plymouth horizons with an obvious turbocharger, I saw a 1995 bmw with an interccooler bursting out of the front bumper. Toyota camrys, honda civics, daihatsus. You name it, someone took the time to stuff a snail and an intercooler in the car. How the 1.6l engines built to handle 45-95 hp don't explode the first time the thing spools up is beyond me.
Those of you who are jealous of those Japanese cars that we never got, ie Evo 3, skyline GT-R r32; they are all here. I've seen the fakes, and I've seen the real ones. There are also 1.7 billion E30's.
The roads here are very twisty in the country. I miss my car.
2- Riding a bike in Thai traffic, although it seems life-threatening, isn't really that bad. The first trick is to avoid crossing directly through traffic, ie perpendiculating it, at all costs. This is virtually impossible without forcing the cars in one lane to completely stop for you, or the contrary, bolting in front of someone in hopes they will stop in time. A better alternative is to be riding in traffic as a car or motorcycle would, and change lanes one at a time until you get where you want to go. The other trick is to plan your trip in such a way that you make as many left turns as possible, as the traffic flows like England or Japan: on the other side. A big difference between Thai traffic and American traffic is that people expect to be cut off. They cut off, so why shouldn't they be cut off. This is the only way they would get anywhere, as the traffic somewhat resembles a bee colony. When in the mindset of "be cutoff, so be prepared," all the traffic expects you to move around. This provides a certain level of safety for us cyclists. In traffic at home, rules are more generally followed, therefore making sudden movements on a bicycle are unexpected and therefore much more dangerous.
3- Tuesday and Wednesday I taught 1 student, 1 subject for 7.5 hours straight. For those of you at the Stern Center: Holy Cow, right!? I've been teaching the TOEFL test to an 11th grade student. Believe it or not, for the entire 7.5 hours he was attentive and motivated, never once complaining. And in a foreign language! 40 hrs with the kid over 2 weeks. One Stern Center school year stuffed into 2 weeks.
4- While in Germany, I often said that there must be a really good bicycle parts salesman out there, who managed to convince an entire country that everybody needed a completely frivolous set of hydraulic brakes. I saw these bikes all over with aftermarket brakes and was appalled that someone was able to sell all these expensive brakes.
I have found Thailand's version of that product. TURBO. Everything is turbo: everything. I have a bicycle that is a "turbo extreme". I have seen mopeds that are "turbo", I have seen cars that have giant"intercooled" stickers, implying a turbo. Amongst these cars/mopeds/bikes none of them actually have a turbo. Some cars, on the other hand, many of which don't deserve them, do indeed have turbos. I have seen the equivalent of plymouth horizons with an obvious turbocharger, I saw a 1995 bmw with an interccooler bursting out of the front bumper. Toyota camrys, honda civics, daihatsus. You name it, someone took the time to stuff a snail and an intercooler in the car. How the 1.6l engines built to handle 45-95 hp don't explode the first time the thing spools up is beyond me.
Those of you who are jealous of those Japanese cars that we never got, ie Evo 3, skyline GT-R r32; they are all here. I've seen the fakes, and I've seen the real ones. There are also 1.7 billion E30's.
The roads here are very twisty in the country. I miss my car.
Monday, October 6, 2008
first class
So today I had my first student. The 9th grader is in his three week break between semesters and is taking a 40 hour TOEFL course with me, as well as a Chemistry course. He is enrolled in, or applying for, (I didnt get the exact information) the most competitive prep school in Thailand. His English is much better than the majority of people I have spoken with here, and he is very motivated to do well. He is so motivated, in fact, that I told him there was nothing specific I wanted him to do outside of class, but he insisted he had something for homework.
I feel very comfortable doing this, as this is almost exactly what I was doing the previous 2.5 years. At first I was slightly nervous, as this is my first work experience in Thailand, but as soon as I was engaged in teaching, everything went fine.
I am glad to be working again. I feel like we've been spending money without making any, which is certainly hard to sustain. Katie is in the process of looking for side work, as her position that will be coming up doesn't start until the end of October, once again because of the semester break. She applied at the YMCA today, and will do a practice lesson on Wednesday. We also hung fliers all over campus for private English language help. We are hoping to get people with theses, tests, and reading/homework problems to call us and pay us by the hour. If we could do that, we could get some side work that would be pretty easy. Katie has gotten one call back, but nothing solid yet. We are keeping our fingers crossed.
PS- Please read Katie's elephant riding post. Her link is on the right. The elephant riding was quite amazing. :)
I feel very comfortable doing this, as this is almost exactly what I was doing the previous 2.5 years. At first I was slightly nervous, as this is my first work experience in Thailand, but as soon as I was engaged in teaching, everything went fine.
I am glad to be working again. I feel like we've been spending money without making any, which is certainly hard to sustain. Katie is in the process of looking for side work, as her position that will be coming up doesn't start until the end of October, once again because of the semester break. She applied at the YMCA today, and will do a practice lesson on Wednesday. We also hung fliers all over campus for private English language help. We are hoping to get people with theses, tests, and reading/homework problems to call us and pay us by the hour. If we could do that, we could get some side work that would be pretty easy. Katie has gotten one call back, but nothing solid yet. We are keeping our fingers crossed.
PS- Please read Katie's elephant riding post. Her link is on the right. The elephant riding was quite amazing. :)
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
bikes
Today we got bicycles. The feeling of freedom, like when you are 16 and you finally get your drivers license and the entire world opens up to you, washed over us today. We purchased them at "Tesco Lotus"department store for less than $100 a piece. Chris and I used the tools the poor salesman brought over to adjust our brakes to make our bikes a little more of....our own. We adjusted derailleurs, brakes, headsets, seats etc. When all was said and done, we walked out with three bikes, all the same excepting the color. Our bikes were aptly named "Turbo extreme".
Our first mission with our bikes was to go to the zoo on the other side of town. Quite abruptly I noticed a slight malfunction with my bike. My seat, as it appeared, seemed to prefer slouching like a teenager at school. The back side of my saddle sunk as low as possible. This, needless to say, is not the most comfortable way to ride a bike. Since I had thought ahead and gotten an adjustable wrench, I decided I would tighten the clamp: end of problem. WRONG. As soon as i got back on, the seat dove again. This was going to be a problem.
One thing we have noticed about the Thais, and I'm certain this is out of necessity, is their resourcefulness. When walking by an appliance store, you see some new items, but mostly used items, accompanied by some Thai person rebuilding seven or eight of the same item. They will rebuild scrap items, put a few together to make a good one, rewire, refuse, re-curcuitboard, re-everything until they have something that works. Unlike our society, which seems to be a a throw-away culture: kia's, radar detectors, radios, dvd players, tv's, matresses, sofas, hyundai. We buy all these items from here, and when they die, we buy new ones. Here, maybe since they built most of them, they simply fix them and sell them again.
In this spirit, I decided maybe I could fix the metal (I use this word loosely because it was more of a plastic-metal, or so it seemed) of the seatpost and make the thing work again. I took out my trusty leatherman tool I have with me all the time, and filed each individual stripped tooth of the seatpost clamp, which, if you've ever toyed with one of the old style clamps, is plenty. After that, I attempted to tighten the seat back on with the adjustable wrench I had gotten for $3.
This was a failed mission. Despite my best intentions, the seat failed miserably. 2 minutes after I got back on, I was again, 6 inches closer to my wheel than I wanted to be, and, if you've ever ridden a saddle in that position, is hardly comfortable in that general area :(
After a siesta at our air-conditioned dorm/apt we jumped back on the bikes and headed for a bike shop (thank you Nancy Chandler). There, seeing as how not only my seat, but all three seats felt like you were sitting on, well... let me put it this way. Everyone is equipped with what we call "sit bones". When a seat is too thin, or simply poorly shaped, it can place un-needed pressure on your sit bones. In my case, it felt like it was pushing my ass apart. The time had come, for a new seat, as well as a new clamp for my particular case.
Some four hours after we got the bikes brand new, we were in a bike shop getting new seats. For about $11 a piece, we got seats on our bikes. These seats, unlike the others, were designed for human beings. They were appropriately shaped, and stayed in the place they were assigned. Our biking days have begun!
Thursday morning at 8:30 we get picked up for a day of exploring....Elephant rides, river rafting, waterfalls, and hiking. Long neck people should also make an appearance. A sneak peak...
Our first mission with our bikes was to go to the zoo on the other side of town. Quite abruptly I noticed a slight malfunction with my bike. My seat, as it appeared, seemed to prefer slouching like a teenager at school. The back side of my saddle sunk as low as possible. This, needless to say, is not the most comfortable way to ride a bike. Since I had thought ahead and gotten an adjustable wrench, I decided I would tighten the clamp: end of problem. WRONG. As soon as i got back on, the seat dove again. This was going to be a problem.
One thing we have noticed about the Thais, and I'm certain this is out of necessity, is their resourcefulness. When walking by an appliance store, you see some new items, but mostly used items, accompanied by some Thai person rebuilding seven or eight of the same item. They will rebuild scrap items, put a few together to make a good one, rewire, refuse, re-curcuitboard, re-everything until they have something that works. Unlike our society, which seems to be a a throw-away culture: kia's, radar detectors, radios, dvd players, tv's, matresses, sofas, hyundai. We buy all these items from here, and when they die, we buy new ones. Here, maybe since they built most of them, they simply fix them and sell them again.
In this spirit, I decided maybe I could fix the metal (I use this word loosely because it was more of a plastic-metal, or so it seemed) of the seatpost and make the thing work again. I took out my trusty leatherman tool I have with me all the time, and filed each individual stripped tooth of the seatpost clamp, which, if you've ever toyed with one of the old style clamps, is plenty. After that, I attempted to tighten the seat back on with the adjustable wrench I had gotten for $3.
This was a failed mission. Despite my best intentions, the seat failed miserably. 2 minutes after I got back on, I was again, 6 inches closer to my wheel than I wanted to be, and, if you've ever ridden a saddle in that position, is hardly comfortable in that general area :(
After a siesta at our air-conditioned dorm/apt we jumped back on the bikes and headed for a bike shop (thank you Nancy Chandler). There, seeing as how not only my seat, but all three seats felt like you were sitting on, well... let me put it this way. Everyone is equipped with what we call "sit bones". When a seat is too thin, or simply poorly shaped, it can place un-needed pressure on your sit bones. In my case, it felt like it was pushing my ass apart. The time had come, for a new seat, as well as a new clamp for my particular case.
Some four hours after we got the bikes brand new, we were in a bike shop getting new seats. For about $11 a piece, we got seats on our bikes. These seats, unlike the others, were designed for human beings. They were appropriately shaped, and stayed in the place they were assigned. Our biking days have begun!
Thursday morning at 8:30 we get picked up for a day of exploring....Elephant rides, river rafting, waterfalls, and hiking. Long neck people should also make an appearance. A sneak peak...
Monday, September 29, 2008
monk and scorpion boat
Our day began today with a truck-truck ride (ask me later) to a scorpion boat on the Ping River. The guy who owns the company took us down the river and gave us a short history lesson on the river. We then went up the river to his fruit/flower farm. There he grows many different kinds of fruits, trees, flowers, etc as well as running a small restaurant and a few huts for people to stay in. The man had a good sense of humor and was very informative about local customs, why things are the way they are, and the history of the place. He showed us some Chinese finger cuff-looking bamboo things. Rather than being a novelty item, they were, in fact, snake and eel traps. All in all, we paid a few extra dollars for the trip, but I think it was worth it. (the picture is not of the one we were on, but a similar one)
After that, we walked through town to get a few odds and ends for the apartment. We've been dying to have some speakers for our music, so we found some of those today ($3.50). After that, we went in search of a large ruin in the center of town we had seen from a few locations, but had yet to locate in real life. After a bit of searching, we stumbled upon the right "wat" (temple) where it was. We walked around this huge ruin of the temple as well as the new temples surrounding it. In our map, we had read that at some of the temples offer "monk chat". This is a service the monks provide, where anyone can come and chat with monks about anything. Often times this revolves around questions of Buddhism and other like questions, but nothing is off limits. The monks get to practice their English as well as spread their knowledge, and us foreigners get to learn about Buddhism from the source. We decided this was a good time to sit down and chat, which turned out to be a really good idea. We came into the conversation in a philosophy discussion. Because monks are the most respected members of society, we were sure to be very careful and respectful in entering into the conversation. We soon became more comfortable and began asking questions and being more involved in the discussion.
As I learn more about Buddhist ideas and teachings, I will probably expand more, but suffice to say right now, that they have a very understanding, inclusive philosophy.
It was really nice to be able to sit and chat with someone who, until now, had been a distant orange-clad man, who seemed unapproachable. It made him/them much more real and tangible to the outsiders: us.
(once again, this image is not ours, but quite similar to what we did.)
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
apartment and a new city
Today started with-- well never really ended from yesterday-- getting off a bus on the outskirts of town at 5:15 at a bus stop we presumed to be the correct one. We arrived at our hotel at 6am, checked in, took showers, and tried to relax after an all night bus ride. Our orienter, Yim, came at 10:00am to pick us up to look at some various apartments we may be interested in. We climbed into his beat up nissan sunny, which sounded like it was going to die every time he let it idle naturally (I surmised dirty idle control valve). He took us to the ACE office, where we will be working from, and gave us an idea of where he was going to take us.
As we progressed through the 5 apartments we ended up looking at, each seemed to get better as they went. They all had their various strengths and weaknesses, and after some confusion, much help from Yim, we arrived at a deal at a very nice place with a view of the mountains. Each room (we got two) is about the size of a hotel room, with about the same amenities as a hotel room, excepting a mini fridge. Although this is quite small for our standards, to be economically feasible, this was the only real option. I lived in a similar sized room in Germany and it didn't kill me. There I had a kitchen in my hall, however I didn't have the availability of $1-2 food outside my door. I feel very comfortable with the situation and I think we made the best of it. Our rent, including electricity and internet is going to be about $200/month. Chris has a very similar room a few floors down, which he will be renting to December.
Thus concludes our whirlwind apartment/dorm search of Chiang Mai. Without the prep and the help of the internship I can only imagine how long it would have taken. My guess is, once we had found a reasonable place, we would have jumped at it, not wanting to take the effort to seek out an unknown residence. This worked out as perfectly as could be. We are within walking distance of our office, grocery stores, and pretty much everything we could want. There is even a bakery in the downstairs section of our building, as well as an art store across the street (katie).
Now we are charged with the task of navigating this city, learning its idiosyncrasies, and making it home. It doesn't seem like its going to be a very hard task, as this is much more of a "charming" city than Bangkok and has a much more local feel. The traffic, noise, congestion, pressures, and danger are all substantially less than that of Bangkok. As Vermonters the surrounding mountains don't hurt to make us feel at home.
More to come, but things are looking very promising.
Oh- I also ate a REALLY hot pepper at lunch today that made my head numb.
As we progressed through the 5 apartments we ended up looking at, each seemed to get better as they went. They all had their various strengths and weaknesses, and after some confusion, much help from Yim, we arrived at a deal at a very nice place with a view of the mountains. Each room (we got two) is about the size of a hotel room, with about the same amenities as a hotel room, excepting a mini fridge. Although this is quite small for our standards, to be economically feasible, this was the only real option. I lived in a similar sized room in Germany and it didn't kill me. There I had a kitchen in my hall, however I didn't have the availability of $1-2 food outside my door. I feel very comfortable with the situation and I think we made the best of it. Our rent, including electricity and internet is going to be about $200/month. Chris has a very similar room a few floors down, which he will be renting to December.
Thus concludes our whirlwind apartment/dorm search of Chiang Mai. Without the prep and the help of the internship I can only imagine how long it would have taken. My guess is, once we had found a reasonable place, we would have jumped at it, not wanting to take the effort to seek out an unknown residence. This worked out as perfectly as could be. We are within walking distance of our office, grocery stores, and pretty much everything we could want. There is even a bakery in the downstairs section of our building, as well as an art store across the street (katie).
Now we are charged with the task of navigating this city, learning its idiosyncrasies, and making it home. It doesn't seem like its going to be a very hard task, as this is much more of a "charming" city than Bangkok and has a much more local feel. The traffic, noise, congestion, pressures, and danger are all substantially less than that of Bangkok. As Vermonters the surrounding mountains don't hurt to make us feel at home.
More to come, but things are looking very promising.
Oh- I also ate a REALLY hot pepper at lunch today that made my head numb.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
apt searching in Chiang Mai
We are a few minutes away from being picked up to go apartment hunting today. Our people from the internship have made a list of 6 places, three of which we will look at today, 3 tomorrow.
Chiang Mai, though we have only been here for a few hours, seems to be much more relaxed and Vermont-like. I'll give more details when I see more of the town, but it seems really nice. There are actually hills around the city and you can hear yourself think.
We'll get some pictures of the town up soon. We will be riding elephants next week, which is swell, as far as I'm concerned.
-luke
Chiang Mai, though we have only been here for a few hours, seems to be much more relaxed and Vermont-like. I'll give more details when I see more of the town, but it seems really nice. There are actually hills around the city and you can hear yourself think.
We'll get some pictures of the town up soon. We will be riding elephants next week, which is swell, as far as I'm concerned.
-luke
Sunday, September 21, 2008
monday
These are the places we are going today. We've driven by them on a river taxi, but haven't been into either. The top picture is of the temple of the dawn, which, if you catch at dawn or dusk shimmers from all the pieces of glass built into the structure. We hope to get some good pictures tonight. The second picture is of the Royal Palace, where the King and family live. These are the most popular tourist destinations in Bangkok, but what the heck. It's something that has to be done.
**note**
I hope people didn't get too worried about my blog about being sick- It may have been a little melodramatic because I was writing when my stomach hurt. In hindsight, it was just an upset stomach. I suppose when you hear of food related illnesses a lot, you become somewhat of a hypochondriac.
better again
the bug turned out to be a temporary struggle: mano e bacterium of some sort. My immune system prevailed after a few hours of fighting rather than walking. I woke up this morning with a solid gut, and we proceeded as usual.
I'd like to think I'm stronger because of it.
I'd like to think I'm stronger because of it.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
first Thai food crisis
I am now sitting on my bed because I don't have any other options. My stomach seems to have tied itself in a knot, which is rendering me somewhat immobile. I know this, because I was just mobile. . .
We spent the morning checking out a few new hostels, none of which we were as good as the one we are in. At lunch we met a man from Vermont whose brother in law works with my mother. We found a reasonable looking restaurant to eat, then went to visit the Jim Thompson house, a house built by an American man who embraced the Thai culture in the early 20th century. In the house there were many artifacts, paintings, silk, pottery, gardens, and buildings.
After visiting there, we went towards Nick's apartment because there is a large park, one of the few in Bangkok. We, being Vermonters, were in need of some green grass, trees and water. We visited the park, took some pictures, and relaxed. As we were leaving, my stomach started to feel like it wasn't interested in cooperating with me.
After eating dinner at a bad, faux-french restaurant, we decided it was a good idea to high-tail it home. At this point, both Chris and Katie got the same stomach problem I had. The look of the three of us on the train must have been amusing- these crazy farang (foreigners) pale-faced and doubled over, swaying gently back and forth with the train, clinging to a handle hanging from the ceiling and hoping our weight wouldn't slip off the pole sending us tumbling to the ground, leaving our poor arms behind, still attached the the handle. Ok, so maybe that's overkill, but we still didn't look great.
This brings me back to the beginning, where I was mobile. We walked all the way back from the train (10-12 mins), considerably uncomfortable the whole way. Now, I find myself relatively stable, yet immobile.
more to come tomorrow.
We spent the morning checking out a few new hostels, none of which we were as good as the one we are in. At lunch we met a man from Vermont whose brother in law works with my mother. We found a reasonable looking restaurant to eat, then went to visit the Jim Thompson house, a house built by an American man who embraced the Thai culture in the early 20th century. In the house there were many artifacts, paintings, silk, pottery, gardens, and buildings.
After visiting there, we went towards Nick's apartment because there is a large park, one of the few in Bangkok. We, being Vermonters, were in need of some green grass, trees and water. We visited the park, took some pictures, and relaxed. As we were leaving, my stomach started to feel like it wasn't interested in cooperating with me.
After eating dinner at a bad, faux-french restaurant, we decided it was a good idea to high-tail it home. At this point, both Chris and Katie got the same stomach problem I had. The look of the three of us on the train must have been amusing- these crazy farang (foreigners) pale-faced and doubled over, swaying gently back and forth with the train, clinging to a handle hanging from the ceiling and hoping our weight wouldn't slip off the pole sending us tumbling to the ground, leaving our poor arms behind, still attached the the handle. Ok, so maybe that's overkill, but we still didn't look great.
This brings me back to the beginning, where I was mobile. We walked all the way back from the train (10-12 mins), considerably uncomfortable the whole way. Now, I find myself relatively stable, yet immobile.
more to come tomorrow.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
made it alive
We have arrived. Our hostel exists. katie saw an elephant in the street.
more later. we have the internets and towels.
-26 hrs of flying- bed time is now.
more later. we have the internets and towels.
-26 hrs of flying- bed time is now.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The reality of today's adventure began to become real last night with the sun setting over the peninsula on lake Erie. Like the sunset, it is hard to see change and movement in a direction at a glance. Not until there is a frame of reference, a horizon against which the sun can move, is it truly possible to appreciate exactly how quickly time passes. As of today, we are no longer glancing at an ambiguous moment during a day; night has come, and a new day has arisen.
This I am keenly aware of.
This I am keenly aware of.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
The final days
In one fell swoop, all of the acquaintances, relatives, friends, et. al., excepting only a few, have been visited, called, emailed, checked up on before the land and water separating us grows immensely. Katie and I have been in Erie, PA for these last few days, before we leave early Wednesday morning to get on a plane in Cleveland.
Although our lives are about to change drastically, the reality and gravity have yet to set in. Since life has set a blistering pace this summer, there has been little time to comprehend exactly what is happening. (Please do not read: I have ignored the fact that I'm leaving the country) Rather, it has been a surreal experience that cannot, will not, hit home until the plane lands and I am trying to decipher the sanskrit that is the Thai alphabet. There is no way to prepare yourself mentally for such a journey; only physically. So, with bags packed and plans for moving a lot on the 25 hr plane ride, we set off westward into the sunset. The irony, however, is that we will be missing an entire night because of the 12 hr time difference, thus: no sunset.
My next post will be a delerious, jet lagged, rambling of the many things we are encountering.
Although our lives are about to change drastically, the reality and gravity have yet to set in. Since life has set a blistering pace this summer, there has been little time to comprehend exactly what is happening. (Please do not read: I have ignored the fact that I'm leaving the country) Rather, it has been a surreal experience that cannot, will not, hit home until the plane lands and I am trying to decipher the sanskrit that is the Thai alphabet. There is no way to prepare yourself mentally for such a journey; only physically. So, with bags packed and plans for moving a lot on the 25 hr plane ride, we set off westward into the sunset. The irony, however, is that we will be missing an entire night because of the 12 hr time difference, thus: no sunset.
My next post will be a delerious, jet lagged, rambling of the many things we are encountering.
Monday, August 18, 2008
VISA
So, its finally official. We are legal to live and work in Thailand for up to one year. The visas we got are multiple entry visa, so we can leave and come back whenever we want.
Here it is...
The embassy in Boston is a woman who owns a restaurant. She gets the visa apps, processes them in the same day, then mails them back - all in less than a week. Washington, NY and Los Angeles, on the other hand, take 3-5 weeks to process, when they don't lose your stuff, and when they actually accept you. I highly advise Boston.
That was it. The last timing, preparation, getting ready to go "thing" we had to get done. One month and counting.
Here it is...
The embassy in Boston is a woman who owns a restaurant. She gets the visa apps, processes them in the same day, then mails them back - all in less than a week. Washington, NY and Los Angeles, on the other hand, take 3-5 weeks to process, when they don't lose your stuff, and when they actually accept you. I highly advise Boston.
That was it. The last timing, preparation, getting ready to go "thing" we had to get done. One month and counting.
Monday, July 21, 2008
immunizated
Innoculated, immunized, protected, geschutzt, stabbed, pricked, temporarily given a disease.
Today we got our shots for travel so we don't get sick over there. Katie isn't a big fan of shots, but she took them like a trooper. We were pleased to find out we did not need a few we weren't sure about. This saved us a fair amount of money, as these things are expensive when you lack health insurance.
Of course, any amount is worth it if it means sitting in a hospital for weeks in a foreign country.
This is what Hepatitis A looks like, which we wont be gettingnow ----->
So, the plane is ready, the jobs are ready, the packing stuff (extras) are ready, the communication is ready, and the bodies are now ready. We just need to get the visas ready, which is mainly being done for us, and we will be ready to roll.
These are good things.
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