Blogs from Nong Khai, North-East Thailand, Thailand, Asia - page 8

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Asia » Thailand » North-East Thailand » Nong Khai October 24th 2006

"Culture Shock". Before today, I never really understood what the term meant. I've spent my entire life trying to experience and learn about new cultures, and I've tried to go into everything with an open mind. Consequently, I've always had open eyes. At the start of my trip, I was on familiar territory. However--as early San Francisco--I quickly found myself thrust into many strange places and situations. I wouldn't have said that any of these were "shocking". Although they they were often unusual and crazy and confusing and frustrating and--in a few cases--bizzarely beautiful, I was always able to clearly see what was happening and the weirdness never hit me too hard. But I got the shock today. I've been doing a pretty poor job as a reporter, but any regular reader of this blog must ... read more
Vang Vieng, Laos
Vang Vieng, Laos
Bangkok, Thailand

Asia » Thailand » North-East Thailand » Nong Khai October 11th 2006

I continued my time in Bangkok quietly really getting a bit fed up of the place, you just get so much hassle off the taxi/tuk tuk drivers and the worst of all, the slimy men who stand outside suit shops trying to get you to come in and purchase some substandard suit. They alway ask you where you are from so they hit back with some witty reply, ie 'Scotland' they say 'Whiskey' or England 'Lubbly Jubbly' They seem to think I'm Australian (must be the tan) so I get 'G'day Mate' rather a lot. Still the other night I got my visas through for Laos and Vietnam which was good, and yesterday managed not to get ripped off in my taxi to Huamphalong Railway station, the big terminal out of Bangkok. Good journey up on ... read more
The Train Bunks
Budda on the Roof
Guest House in Nong Khai

Asia » Thailand » North-East Thailand » Nong Khai September 26th 2006

September 12th, 2006 So three of us head up to the mountains on the Loas border after a fantastic western breakfast. After a treck in the back of a truck through fantastic scenery and sudden sharp swerves past trees growing out of the middle of the road! We arrived at our Luxury, shiny Alpine Lodge and think we are in heaven! With quite an appetite we went out to the local restaurant about 9 pm only to discover everything is closed! We asked the Thai receptionist to open the shop and after he tried to wake some people up to do so we realised this was going to far!! They’re really so hospitibal here. So we spent a rather ravenous evening in, chewing on paper and playing paper, scissors, stone after a Valium to numb the ... read more
Phu Hin Rong Kla 2

Asia » Thailand » North-East Thailand » Nong Khai August 13th 2006

Still out of it from jet lag and constipated from the new food, I started my Laos trip incoherent and unstable. On my third or fourth day (I'm not sure); I found the USAC students from the summer program on the fourth floor and went to lunch with them. Afterwards, on the walk back to our apartment they were asking about my plans and I started to tell them that I was meeting up with my buddy Austin in Vientiane on Monday afternoon and that I was probably taking the Sunday evening train. Then they asked me if I was leaving that night. This in my mind made no sense until they told me that it was Sunday! The whole time I was thinking it was Saturday. So I quickly had to go back to my ... read more
Lao Visa stub

Asia » Thailand » North-East Thailand » Nong Khai July 22nd 2006

Three weeks have amazingly flown by since my last entry. I moved from Nong Khai to Ho Kham village on the first of July and have been here since. Ho Kham village is about 110 kilometers from Nong Khai and is a medium size village. I have been Staying with the Pee family at their home only 5 minutes walk from the school. LIVING in Ho Kham for three weeks I feel like I understand Thai culture and life style more than Korea’s, despite the fact I spent 5 months living there. Village life was simple to me at first. I met the smiling faces of the children at class and joined them in games of volleyball when we finished. I tutored children and toured the countryside with my host family. I met kind hearted families ... read more
 Meokung Rever and Laos
Film and I
Assembly

Asia » Thailand » North-East Thailand » Nong Khai July 22nd 2006

A refund? Never... As I was walking around the streets of Vientienne I happened to pass the travel agent who had sold me a VIP priced ticket for a local bus. I couldnt resist going in to say something, even though I knew it could do no good. No-one believes in service in this corner of the globe, so whos going to care about a few dollars for a random tourist. Well how wrong could I have been! I got a sincere apology and a refund of the difference. This must be a 1 in a Million! The last supper For my last meal in Laos I decided to have Laap one last time, so went to a suitably lao looking restaurant. How wrong could I be? This place didnt serve sticky rice. Now those who ... read more

Asia » Thailand » North-East Thailand » Nong Khai July 21st 2006

I was surprised to find out the first Friday that we had a four day weekend. It was Buddhist lent and the school was in Chaos getting ready for the ceremony that would take place after school. We walked around the entire village with several huge candles in the back of pickup trucks. We then all went to the temple for chanting and prayer. Here the monks splashed water on the kids as they went by after the ceremony. The next day I stayed in Nong Khai. There were a few things I needed, including a break. I came to find that they also had a large candle festival. I went with Nic (Thai) and Juan (Columbian. It is more a festival of Thai women and Lady Boys (men who dress as women is openly accepted ... read more
Thai Women Dancing
Women Dancing By the Judge Stand
Woman From the Back

Asia » Thailand » North-East Thailand » Nong Khai June 30th 2006

Well I had 9 truly amazing hours of sleep last night after being up for more than 50 hours straight. There is now no doubt that I cannot sleep on planes (or trains). Strangely, I already feel adjusted to the massive time change. I landed in Bangkok at about 1 am early Thursday morning. After clearing immigration, you must walk through this area that is almost like a red carpet at a movie premier. There is a path leading out of the airport between two hand rails, and it is packed with people calling out to you offering taxi rides. I just told myself they all wanted my autograph, and that unfortunately I had no time. I crossed over the highway on a footpath only to discover that the train station was closed until 6 am, ... read more
Sunrise near Bangkok

Asia » Thailand » North-East Thailand » Nong Khai June 27th 2006

Driving into Non Khai was an exotic experience. The bus driver sent me on a Tok-tok (The taxi/carriage/go cart) with a man who couldn’t speak a word of English. He had no idea where he was suppose to drop me off. The Thai women who was helping told me he was just going to drop me off in the middle of town where I could find someone who spoke English and could ask them. I was oddly not too uncomfortable knowing the driver would be abandoning me with only an address on a piece of paper written in English. As he drove me down the dusty, worn road, I felt like Anna from the King and I. There I was: the new English teacher in the back of a carriage being toured into the town and ... read more
Temple School
Temple at the School
Volunteers

Asia » Thailand » North-East Thailand » Nong Khai January 29th 2000

Geo: 17.8841, 102.747We have been travelling since 25 January. We justspent the last three days in Chiang Mai, NorthernThailand. The pace there was quite hectic but weenjoyed the experience. We overdosed on consumerism ie shopping, eating anddrinking. Chiang Mai is at the base of the Himalayasbut the hills were shrouded in smog. We took a hairraising trip up the hill in a Salom (taxi/ute type... read more




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