Strangness

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So I have tried to write this blog post for the last two weeks, but I have really been unable to explain what this experience has been like thus far. I think I can some what explain it now, but bear with me as I am trying to sort through cultural, cuisinal (word?), and language changes that make assimilating in a new place confusing and exciting.

My first couple days here were spent with my GlobaLinks (the program I came here with) crew. I call us the seven strangers...a play on the Real World. We went to a city called Kanchanaburi about two and a half hours outside of Bangkok. This city is full of culture and history. It is the location of Bridge over River Kwai (a famous WWII location), Elephant Rides, cheap Thai massages, the death railway (another famous WWII location), Erawan Falls, and it is located very close to the Myanmar border. This was a great introduction to Thailand as we were with a fluent Thai speaker, our resident director Aaron, and it was outside of the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. The history was rich, the food was fantastic, and the sun hot.

On New Years Day we made our way to our dorms located about twenty minutes outside of Bangkok in a suburb known as Salaya. Our dorms are clean and nice, nothing fancy but it is nice to be around students from all over the world, including Thailand. Since then we have made many trips into Bangkok's center which is where I find myself having trouble explaining. Bangkok is a rich mix of the modernization and a complicated history that transends its name change in the 1930's. The best way to explain Bangkok right now is it has everything you can imagine. This being said, most things in Bangkok are done on a much greater scale than in the United States and really any where else I've experienced before. They have a Democratic political system, but they also maintain a very strong Monarchy which holds a firm influence over the Thai public. In Thailand there are very strict rules over saying negative things about the Monarchy, and if you do, you can serve jail sentences up to 45 years. People in Thailand tend to avoid the topic of the Monarchy, but when they do speak of it, it is always in a positive light. Another interesting thing about Thailand is that every day at 8am and 6pm over loud speakers the Thai national anthem is played around the country. During these two minutes everyone stops and pays allegiance to the anthem as it blares over head. It is quite shocking the first time you experience it.

This last weekend a group of us went to the beach at Ko Sichang. This beach is right off the mainland of Sirracha about 2 hours outside of Bangkok. The beach was just what we all needed to relax from a hectic city center life. Some of us Kayaked, rented scooters, ate sea food, slept, read....a dream come true for a Minnesota girl in early January. One night we were swimming and suddenly about 25 Thai students came running into the water near us. For the next hour we stumbled through broken English and Thai conversations, held sea stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, and learned a little bit more about what it means to be a Thai youth. It is one of my favorite memories of Thailand so far. It was quite magical actually.

I am now in my second week of school. School here is an interesting mix of high school and college. My classes average out to be about 10 students in each class (maybe). I have already learned a lot here...mostly about the way the U.S. is percieved by Thai and by other international students (this is something that is done more by observation than in formal classroom setting). It is quite eye opening, and I am enjoying the consistent challenge to my U.S.A propagated views. Well I'm off to my last class of the day (I know dad, you didn't think I actually went to class...but I do). I'll post pictures next time I post!!

Hope you are all well! Much love and happiness to all.

Best,

Taylor Ann

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Photos

A picture of the current Thai King
This is a larger than life image of the King outside of the Police head quarters in Bangkok

Siam Center
One of Thailand's many malls found in Siam Center. This is a HUGE 7 story building. (also rumor has it that is the largest christmas tree)

JJ Market
These little birds are being sold at JJ Market, the largest market in the world.

School Uniforms
My friend Beka and I on my first day of school!

Ko Sichang
A group of us at the in front of a beautiful Thai sunset.