Ponderings of My First Week

December 16, 2011

Schedule Changes. Within one week, my schedule has changed five separate times. It is discouraging coming into work and getting handed a new schedule after planning all throughout the night. Sometimes we would be given the new schedule after we already started or finished teaching a class. For example, I planned this elaborate and comprehensive lesson for my 12^th graders. After I taught the class, the homeroom teacher approached me and handed me a new schedule. She said, “We made a new schedule this morning. You weren’t supposed to teach this class.” I responded, “What do I do now? Why didn’t I get this schedule before? ” With just a shrug back, she said, “Just teach the same lesson again. They don’t care if it’s the same.” 

T-I-T. For those dirty minds out there, it’s not what you think. T-I-T stands for the phrase, ‘This is Thailand’. Everything and everyone in Thailand is extremely laid back. Because of this lax mentality, common considerations can become absent such as due dates and communicating important messages. Actions are taken based more on convenience. If it is convenient enough, it may or may not get done. And you’ll never know since people here are very unpredictable. Our trainers did warn us of this type of mindset. They gave us an example: You are supposed to meet your Thai friend at a restaurant at 7 pm but she doesn’t show up until 8. Even though she didn’t inform you of her delay beforehand, you are to smile and move on without a word. This situation can easily happen and you cannot be confrontational to Thai's even in the most approachable way.

Though this relaxed living may have a rather alluring appeal, it tends to be very intrusive in some important daily routines and time constraints. Things do not happen the way one would think they would. Common sense (to an extent) and consideration of others' schedules or concerns is not really existent. You won’t find out what to do until right before its due or when it’s already supposed to be done. I have already experienced several situations like this.

• If there is news about a special event, you won’t know about it until it is happening or after it happens—“We are supposed to interview student applicants right now?” 

• If you were supposed to have a class that you meticulously planned for (with lesson materials, blood, sweat, and tears of course), you won’t find out that no one’s going to show up for class until you arrive at an empty classroom—“The Thai teachers wanted to let them practice for the school play? Really?”

Too many times have I walked into a classroom and the students are confused by my presence. “Teacher, we don’t have social studies. We have homeroom.” Turns out, they changed my schedule again…without telling me, again. I don’t think anyone was planning on telling me or showing me a new schedule. If they do end up informing us of any changes or events, it is usually a quick announcement in the teacher’s lounge—even if only a couple teachers are there. Most of the time, I’m teaching during these announcements and the message isn’t forwarded.

If there is a message to be relayed, many of the Thai teachers won’t tell you until you approach them. If there is something that they don’t want to tell you, they will tell you what you want to hear. They will nod their head and say yes to your questions even if they actually mean no. Many times, they just don’t want to anger you so they will feed you a lie. But it’s a bit counterproductive, since once finding out the truth it can be more upsetting. I swear, I’m going to show up to school one of these days and find out that it’s a holiday. And I will be the only one who didn’t know. But really, all you can respond with is 'This is Thailand'. This is just how things happen here.

Names. One of the most eventful aspects of the week was the students’ names. The student’s names are very long and difficult to pronounce for an English speaker. Hathaichanok Tangtisanont and Pisinee Veerathummnoon are examples of Thai names. Remembering these elaborate names are challenging, let alone pronouncing them. 

So the kids come up with nicknames that their teachers and friends can use. A few names are basic like Ann and Vicky. However, many are hilarious, fun, or just offensive. Names include Proud, Boss, Nut, Ham, Cartoon, Great, Wine, Piano, Best, Babe, Film, Earn, and Pee. I heard that there was a Beer somewhere around too. Best of all, one of my teacher friends has a student named Fuk. I know. Crazy, huh? You would think that maybe he was just picking an English word that was funny and cool. But no, this boy is only four years old. I’m pretty sure that he or his parents picked it by chance. It’s kind of fun and strange to call on some of them. For example, saying, ‘You did a wonderful job, Babe!’ sounds a bit inappropriate and intimate. Sounds like the beginnings of pedophilia or statutory rape.

Students. The students are a rumbustious bunch. My M1 or 7^th graders are very seemingly compliant and eager to learn. Though some other teachers seem to despise that class in particular, I am actually enjoying them the most. It seems that they find my stories and teachings rather interesting as they look as if they hang on to every word I say. My M2 or 8^th graders are irritating, loud, obnoxious, but rather intelligent as a whole. In M3 or 9^th grade, their grade was divided into two classes, M3A (higher leveled group) and M3B (lower leveled group). M3A girls are very quiet and studious but the boys are clowns and tend to disrupt the class. In M3B, all the students are quiet and easy going. M4 or 10^th grade students are meek and attentive. But then again, there are only two students in this class and one of the students stopped showing up for class after the first day. I hope that doesn’t say anything about my teaching. 

The M5 class or 11^th grade consists of two students. But only one of those students I teach social studies. So I have a class with just one student. I don’t know if this is a good or bad thing. I can direct all my attention to her but my class activities will be limited without another student to interact with. And lastly, my M6 is a flamboyant and arrogant group that is absolutely fun to teach. I never thought I would be able to smoothly interact with 12^th graders. Maybe it’s because they are more relatable due our smaller age difference. They are an interesting group to talk. I heard as the semester progresses the amount of 12^th graders that show up for class will lessen. They will be graduating and moving on to college in April so this is the end of the road for them. Senioritis, remember that? 

English Only. Since this is an English program, students are only allowed to speak English in class. During their Thai classes, they can speak Thai. But speaking English all the time is the only way to ensure that students are becoming fluid with the language. This is a nice goal but it doesn’t apply very well. Thai teachers are supposed to speak to students in English only. But they don’t. Students are only supposed to speak only English to each other. But they don’t. Even trying to implement those rules in the classroom is a trying task. First, they never stop talking. It is so difficult to keep them from chatting away, especially in Thai. And many times, the Thai teachers will promote this type of behavior by gossiping and laughing with students as the teacher is lecturing. 

All Kids Pass. There is one aspect of the Thai school system that I am progressively becoming bothered by. In Thailand, all students pass. If a student fails a test, you re-test them. If the student fails again, you re-test them again. You continue to do this until the student passes or you make the test easier. If a student doesn’t turn in any of their homework or complete their projects, you are passively requested to give them extra credit to make up for it. So even if they aren’t ready to move on to the next subject, grade, or academic level, you pretend that they are and they continue to progress without having a strong foundation and without being prepared for what’s to come.

One reason this type of skewed approach has developed is because of Thailand’s ‘saving face’ culture. Thai people do not like being embarrassed, especially when in front of others. Though this may apply to the general population, it is more extreme in Thailand. If a Thai person makes a mistake, you either tell them in private or don’t tell them at all. If you embarrass a Thai person, you will feel the wrath by that person and all the people she or he talked to (since Thai people are also big gossipers). Because Thailand has such a ‘saving face’ culture, the prospect of failing can never be brought up. Essentially, students can’t fail. Administrators and Thai teachers will prompt other teachers to help the students out in some way—even if it means to turn a blind eye.

All the students know this; they all pass. So students aren’t motivated at all. You can tell them that they have to complete their assignments but they won’t. They won’t because they know that it won’t affect them in any way. You can tell them that they need to study in order to get a good grade on the test. But they won’t study because they know that their grade will be passing at some point. They might stress out about a bad grade at first but it doesn’t motivate them to study. I heard some Thai teachers will complete students’ homework or give students the answers on the test. Not only does this action simulate them passing, it also provides a show for the parents. Parents continue to believe that their students are doing well and that the program is responsible for their high achievements—helping to maintain tuition funds. So far, this has not happened in my classes or program. So far…

This has been the most challenging aspect of teaching so far. I can tell that the students don’t care that much. There isn’t enough motivation or incentive for the students to improve. There are only a couple students that actually study and complete their work. Finding ways to motivate them is difficult. Planning lessons and getting through lesson material is difficult when students aren’t completing their work or showing up to class. Being a teacher I believe in the importance of education. Consequently, I’m starting to take anything related to this misguided educational standard rather personally. I mean, the U.S. education system isn’t perfect but there doesn’t seem to be a sufficient enough standard set for the kids in Thailand. I keep thinking how this severely broken system is progressively affecting the students’ education and future. I mean, they have universities that you can get into without a grade requirement or exam. Just apply and you are in! 

Work Permit. In order to be an official employee of the school, I need to attain a work permit. Without the work permit, I am a paid volunteer without any record of my existence and my labor. This becomes serious because they can let me go without any formal reasoning or I can get underpaid without being able to protest. So I need my work permit to ensure a proper stay and pay at the school and to solidify my rights as an employee. After asking my head of department for a work permit, I was disgruntled upon hearing that she wasn’t going to give me one. On top of the permit costing money, it is inconvenient for them to file for a work permit. Mainly because they usually prefer filing permits for all the teachers at the same time of the year, in April. So they don’t want to issue me a work permit. I find this strange and devious. I don’t feel comfortable not existing according to the Ministry of Education in Thailand.

After all these issues I’m going to have to figure out, now I have to find out how I’m going to teach Thai history…

Life Lesson: Just Go With It!

I’m not really a spontaneous person. I like planning and I plan very well. Before doing anything, I usually think things through rather meticulously. I think about consequences, benefits, and if this is really what I want. And I think my plans through well in advance. So it is very difficult for me to adjust to a sudden schedule change especially after planning a full lesson.

During my teaching experience in the States, I was always terrible of thinking on the spot or improvising. Some teachers are planners and some do better by improvisation. But a good teacher is one that is able to do both with ease. I am definitely more of a planner though. I’m always afraid of situations that will call for improvisation. So usually, I plan for several scenarios.  But I’m still trying to improve my ‘winging it’ skills. 

Some of my teacher friends have told me I am very good at ‘bullsh*ting’. I guess they were always surprised to hear me participate in class discussion when I wasn’t paying attention (or so they thought) or when I forgot to do class reading. Hmm, a good bullsh*ter. I never really thought of myself as that type. But I guess they all saw it. I hope I’m not always bullsh*ting when teaching my students. 

I still don’t believe I’m good at improvising and I know I don’t do well with spontaneity. But it is something that I think this job will beat into my brain. One week and already so many changes. I will be a changed woman after this...or a severely defeated one.

First Day of School

December 13, 2011

I arrived at school early Tuesday morning. I was excited. I already planned some fun ice breakers for my classes. But I don’t know the kids at all. I don’t know who they are, how they learn, or what they’ve learned. So I figured the first day of each class, I would have the students participate in a ‘get to know you’ activity. Afterwards, I would give them a pre-test to see what they already know about the subject. This will give me a better idea of how to create my overall curriculum and the day to day lesson plans. Of course, I did meticulous planning on each of the classes I was teaching. With a lot of online research and home-made props, I made sure to cater to each student’s grade level despite my limited information about the students themselves. 

I was given a schedule a couple days ago. I teach about 4-6 classes each day. The rest of the hours are planning periods. I liked my schedule. It gives me a lot of late mornings. On most days, my first period was a planning one, allowing me to have more time to set up or just mentally prepare. After settling into my new desk in the teacher’s office, I was ready to put good use into my planning period. 

Then I was given a new schedule. Not only were my classes in a different order but new classes were added to my schedule. For example, I found out I’m teaching an English class in 20 minutes. I didn’t have this English class before. I wasn’t supposed to teach the 12^th graders English. I didn’t prepare for this yet. What was that other schedule they gave me then? I asked the school administration about this new class and if there were any books in the class’ curriculum. They told me they didn’t know and that I should just have conversations with them in English. Bewildered by the lack of communication and knowledge, I quickly put together an English skills activity. This chaotic and unorganized system ended up being the theme of the day (and later the semester). 

The Teachers. Each grade is set up with a classroom and a Thai homeroom teacher. The Thai homeroom teacher is supposed to deal with all the secretarial work and manage the students’ behavior. They all know some English, enough to have a basic conversation. These teachers are only supposed to speak English to the students since they are in an English Program. This rarely happens though. There are six other foreign teachers, including Sarah. They teach the subjects of science, physics, math, and English. I teach social studies. I heard that Sarah and I are actually the first female teachers the school has had in a while. Most of the teachers are veterans at this school, some employed for over six years.

Each classroom is reserved for one grade, M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, and M6. It a bit different but Thai schools combine middle school and high school (M1: 7^th grade to M6: 12^th grade). Luckily, there aren’t too many students in this program. Most Thai schools have 50 students in just one classroom. We are lucky to have the vast range of 2-16 in each class. It’s unbelievable but M5 (11^th grade) only has two students. The subject teachers rotate to each room every 50 minutes. The Thai teachers are supposed to stay in the room, monitor, and assist the foreign teacher. This never happens though.

Just like the States, teachers don’t get paid too well. However, native English speaking teachers are high in demand, especially in private schools and parent funded English Programs like this one. An average Thai teacher gets paid around 10,000-20,000 ฿ a month. Foreign teachers usually get a start pay of 30,000 to possibly 50,000 ฿. It can then progress after some time and experience. They say that the Thai teachers are very sensitive about their low salary so they become covertly hostile towards foreign teachers. Some will avoid you or speak badly about you behind your back. But they will smile to your face. It is the land of smiles nonetheless.

 
Exhausted. This as a tiring first day. Schedule changes, quick adjusting, name learning, subject learning. I wasn’t formally or informally introduced to the school, administration, or teachers. No one showed us our rooms or the teacher’s lounge. It was all a matter of trial and error. You walk into one classroom and ask the student how old they are. Realize your mistake, move on to the next couple classrooms until you find the right one. Process of elimination. The Thai history classes were the most difficult to get through. Trying to pronounce some of those names and asking the students to help me was demoralizing to an extent. I just gave out a bunch of pre-tests. This not only helped me figure out their level and knowledge but it gave me some time to organize my thoughts and plans for the rest of the semester. Or so I thought.

The English Program building

A New Life in Thailand

December 11, 2011

Remember when I said I teaching Thai history. I wasn’t kidding. That’s why I need to study before I start teaching in a couple of days. I have been meeting with my advisor for the last couple of days. She has been pumping as much Thai history into my head. But I needed more. I decided to go visit the Museum of Siam on my day off, hoping to absorb more valuable and crucial information of my class subject. And Bobby, who is a history and anthropological enthusiast, joined along with me.

To get anywhere in Bangkok it takes several modes of transportation. In order to get to Central Bangkok of the Ratthanakosin District, we usually take a bus, tuk-tuk, the subway, and two different trains. Then we walk the rest of the way. This time, we noticed that traffic was a lot worse than normal. We could not seem to catch a bus. But it didn’t look worth it taking one since traffic was completely stopped. Instead, we decided to walk to the train station.

Soi Ramkhamhaeng traffic at all times of the day.

Paper Explosion. We have never seen traffic this terrible on Soi Ramkhamhaeng before. We were easily passing up dozens and dozens of cars. It wasn’t until we got to a main intersection until we realized why traffic was so bad. There a large pile of recycled paper in the intersection. There were probably hundreds of pounds of paper dumped randomly in the middle of the road. This will give you a better idea of the size of the pile. After street workers and random passersby cleaned up the pile for a good while, a crushed and dismantled taxi finally was exposed. The taxi was completely covered by the paper! I actually didn’t even know that there was a taxi underneath the debris until I reexamined my pictures from the scene. It was such a heavy hit that the taxi’s window was shattered and side mirrors amputated.

We still didn’t know how this all happened but we were amazed by the amount of strangers helping to clean up the mess. These people were taking a significant amount of time and effort from their day off to pick up the dirty loads of paper scraps. It was nice to see this kind gesture. Bobby and I wanted to help. So we helped shovel paper into potato bags and dumped them onto a nearby sidewalk. We continued doing this until almost every scrap was off the streets and cars were able to finally pass through smoothly (or at least more smoothly despite Bangkok’s endless and dreadful traffic).

We didn’t realize the extent of the accident until after the mess was cleaned. While observing the area, a young woman came up to me and thanked me for helping. I noticed that she just got out of a severely damaged car, each window was shattered or cracked and dents were consistent throughout the sides and the tops of the car. An electrical pole landed on their car, almost killing them. She explained that there was a paper truck that was driving on the overpass above when it lost control and hit the side barrier. When hitting the side barrier, it first knocked the electric pole off its support. But before the pole fell to the bottom street, it latched on to the side of the truck, ripping the truck’s exterior apart and causing an immense amount of paper to fall below. I looked around and there were almost a dozen other cars that were damaged from this accident. This woman’s car seemed to be in the worst shape. By the look of her car, it looked like her family should’ve been badly injured, if not killed. I’m glad they are okay. We started to head on our way. It was kind of nice having Thai people give Bobby and I thumbs up as we passed by. What an experience!

Apartment Shopping. After visiting the Museum of Siam, it was time to buy things for my new apartment. 

Big C. Thailand’s most accessible and widespread department store is Big C. You can find Big C’s on almost every block. It is similar to how available and convenient Target is in our community. Big C’s usually are several stories high, selling an assortment of cellphones, home goods, grocery food, clothes, electronics, and vendor type products (cheap clothes and downloaded movies). This is the main place to go if you need anything. And most of its products aren’t badly priced.

I didn’t need too much though. Though I brought a lot in my hefty luggage, I actually did not bring a lot of clothes.  I brought a lot of things with me as if I were going to be living in the wilderness for the next year: a year’s supply of medicine, contacts, batteries, bug repellent, books, and more. 

My Shopping List of Household Essentials—

Electric Kettle. I absolutely adore tea. Since I don’t have a stove top, I needed an electric kettle in order to brew my own fresh pot. Now, all I need a tea pot, tea, and the ‘pee pee boy’ I left in Taiwan.

Bedding. Finding bedding was the most frustrating of the entire shopping experience. I have a queen five by five sized bed. I thought it would be easy to find bedding for this size at Big C. But it wasn’t. I guess kings and twins are more common as the queens section was one fourth as big as the other two. I was hoping to find a set of pillow cases, sheets, and a light comfortable for under 1,000 ฿. But because of the lack of demand for queen sized bedding, there weren’t any. I had to buy each and every bedding piece separately, which becomes extremely expensive since bedding is particular costly. Sheets alone were 600 or 700 ฿. Comforters were 800-1000 ฿. Pillows were 200-400 ฿. Pillow cases were pretty inexpensive at around 100 ฿. Buying the bedding separately was going take out more than one fifteenth of a paycheck I haven’t yet even received. Oddly enough, solid colored bedding cost more than patterned. I think Bobby and I were in this section for over an hour. After finding out queen sizes weren’t popular, I gave up and just picked the cheapest of each item. It will have to do.

Others. A small table (to eat or work on), a plastic chair, a towel, cleaning supplies, bathing necessities, basic dinning ware (one set of utensils and cups), and hangers were really all I needed. I know that sounds like a lot but I’m furnishing an entire apartment—a tiny, already furnished apartment! Eh, maybe I am going too far.

After bringing all my bags of goodies home, I thoroughly cleaned and scrubbed my house until it was shiny and new. I unpacked my belongings, did my laundry, and organized my new home to a most comfortable feel. Finally, it's over. I'm settled.

Me, roughing it in Thailand. I swear, it's a lot smaller than it appears.

The itsy bitsy bathroom

View from my balcony

Day Trip to Central Bangkok

December 9, 2011

I’m wearing a lot of clothing. Long black skirt and a shirt with long-ish sleeves. What was I thinking? Though, I haven’t really been outside during the day. Long nine hour days training in a small twelve by twelve foot windowless room can make you forget that you are in Thailand. I forgot how hot it gets here during the day. 

We wanted to explore Bangkok a little bit before we were all shipped off to our new job and new destination. We took a nearby river boat for 17 ฿ (50 cents) and traveled for 30 minutes until we reached Ratthanakosin District, Central Bangkok. 

Ratthanakosin. The kingdom of Ratthanakosin is a kingdom that started in 1782. After deposition of the first ruler of Ratthanakosin, a Thai general named Chakri took the throne of this kingdom and became the first king of the Chakri Dynasty (A dynasty that is still present today). Chakri or King Rama I loved the kingdom of Ayutthaya so after moving the kingdom to a more prime spot across the river, he made sure to reproduce some of the same city design as Ayutthaya (even using some of the same bricks and stone from the ruins of the temples). By the way, this type of history is basically what I’m teaching the kids!

Wat Pho. The word ‘wat’ means temple in Thai. And in Thailand, there are wats everywhere. Wat Pho, or its real Thai name Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklaram Rajwaramahaviham, is a large temple surrounded by a variety of golden Buddha figures, monks, and large pinnacle-like structures with ornamented spires. It is Bangkok’s largest wat and contains 1,000 Buddha images, the most in Thailand. Many of these images were taken from the fallen kingdoms of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai. Thailand recycles! Right next to the wat is Bangkok’s prestigious and popular massage school. It’s supposed to be expensive but well worth it. Many famous people have made their way around to this massage school. It’s kind of neat since you can actually get trained in Thai massage for about 200 USD. Christy, a masseuse in Thailand, what??

 











 

The Reclining Buddha. One important feature of Wat Pho is its large Reclining Buddha, also the largest in Thailand. This image of Buddha is one that displays him in a relaxed state, passing into nirvana. The Buddha is extremely large and is said to be 46 meters long, completely covered in gold leaves. Buddha’s feet are also important traits of his image. They display 108 characteristics of the true Buddha. Along the backside of the Buddha, there are 108 bronze buckets that also symbolize the characteristics of Buddha. Visitors are usually supposed to take 108 coins and distribute them into the buckets. This is a type of worship as well as a fund for the monks and their maintenance of the wat.


















The Buddha didn’t seem too supervised as there weren’t any security or rope to field off the backside of the Buddha. So I took the opportunity and snuck in. I touched Buddha! Actually, after getting evidence of this naughty act turns out it looks even more naughty than I presumed. My hand was basically cupping an area where Buddha’s bottom would be if his backside was more defined. I didn’t mean to be that bad! Man! Me and statues. We’ve got a thing going I guess.

Coke in a Bag. On a hot humid day, it not strange to see a person walking around, sipping a coke in a bag. Many vendors sell their drinks this way. Vendors can actually save money and even earn money if they save the glass bottles. So out of convenience, they pour the coke or other refreshments into a plastic bag and top it off with a straw. Now it’s almost a novelty concept, at least for tourists and some of members of our group. Not me though. I’ve been off coke for a while now. I’ve been clean for eight months now.

Do You Want To, Fanta? All over Thailand, there seems to be a lot of elaborately decorated birdhouses placed in front of homes, building porches, and even out along the street. They would be placed on the ground or on a small table showered with white and orange flowers and overwhelmed with untouched but opened red Fanta bottles (with a straw in it and everything). I thought it was strange.











Later, I found out these beautiful birdhouses were actually spirit houses or san phra phum. They are small shrines that serve as homes for spirits. Thai people believe that when a part of the land is used, say by a house, a spirit is displaced. In order to compensate the spirit, a small model of the house is made to make the spirit comfortable. The spirit houses are also supposed to replicate the look of the actual house it represents. I haven’t really seen many of the houses match too well. Most of the spirit houses are coated with gold coloring and the roofs are mountainous and pointed. What I still didn’t get was the Fanta. Why would people put these red Fanta on such a spiritual structure? Supposedly, the Thai people take care of the spirits by giving it offerings to feed on. Since red represents blood and the source of life to the Thai people, in essence, it helps provide life to the spirits. I guess red Fanta does the trick!

Weather. Bangkok is actually classified as the hottest city in the world. Right now, Thailand’s cool season or winter is during the months of November to March. But it’s not that cool. The temperature usually ranges from about 24°-35° Celsius (75°-95° Fahrenheit) each day. That is rather hot for wintertime. Even at night time it can get pretty hot. One time, it was over 90° Fahrenheit as I was sitting and sweating in my room at night. I actually don’t sweat too often too. Even while playing volleyball I usually keep pretty dry even during the most rigorous of plays. But here, I don’t get off that easy. I sweat…everywhere. I’m experiencing new smells I’ve never encountered before. My clothes aren’t doing too well either. I’m constantly doing the laundry at least once a week. And for those who know me well, this is definitely not something I like to do. I never wash my clothes. I usually do the guy test—pick up my clothes from the floor, take a deep whiff, and put on. Can’t do that here. And my face—definitely not transitioning too well with the weather. After being sucked dry from cold weather for a month, the heat has caused my skin dampen with sweat and oil. Now my face looks hormonal and pubescent again. Acne doesn’t stop after college I guess. And I’m a picker so those suckers are coming off!

Life Lesson: I Don’t Have to Always Be the Center of Attention

I’m a very talkative person and I like entertaining groups of friends with bizarre sexual innuendos and self-deprecating humor. So I am used to being the loudest in a group setting. But over here I’m not. It’s strange to be the quiet one in the group. It’s a bit uncomfortable. There are more dominant characters in my new group of friends, outshining my presence. Here, I am shy and reserved person; these characteristics I believe most of my friends are unaccustomed to. It is nice to have attention. It reassuring to know that people that see you as a good or fun person to interact with or listen to.

Maybe some may think I like hearing myself talk; I know past boyfriends have believed this same fact. But really, I enjoy telling stories. Whenever I tell an experience, it will usually be long and overly detailed. It’s so drawn out sometimes I tend to lose my own focus and forget the reason I was telling my story in the first place. Sound familiar? Similar to my posts and posts of writing, right? I’ve been called out about this before. I also over communicate every thought and feeling inside my overcomplicated and analytical mind. This has also annoyed former boyfriends as if I felt the slightest bit of anything, I assure you—it will be voiced. So though I talk a lot about a lot, I haven’t been speaking too much with this new group. I’m not the center of attention, I guess. This is good. I need to get used to this type of feeling because everything won’t always go my way. I’m doing everyone a favor as well; giving all their ears a break. But for all you readers, your eyes won’t be getting a break. If I’m not talking, it is all going in my writing. Good luck! 

…please don’t stop reading.

Apartment Shopping in Bangkok

December 7, 2011

Apartment shopping in another country is definitely an interesting process. The apartments in Thailand are very different than the typical ones you would rent from the States. 

Difference #1: Many city apartments don’t have kitchens. Especially in Bangkok, there is street food everywhere, sometimes even right outside your building. It almost becomes more accessible than buying groceries. It is also cheaper. A meal would cost about $1 but buying a week’s amount of groceries would be $30. I bought groceries once. I ended up spending $15 on some fruit, mango juice, crackers, bread, and Nutella. Though similar to the States’ prices, this considered very expensive in Thailand. If apartments do have kitchens, they are very basic with a refrigerator, sink, and stove top.

Vendors hanging outside of the apartments

Difference #2: Most apartments come furnished. Apartments are mainly single studio style rooms with basic amenities such as a bed, fan, small dress and bathroom. This makes it easier and cheaper to rent an apartment for a short term.

Difference #3: Apartments are small. Most apartments are about 300-500 square feet. It’s big enough to just fit a bed and maybe one other piece of furniture. The bathrooms are even small. They are so small that you can take a shower and use the toilet at the same time. Seriously, it’s been done. The shower head is almost hovers over the toilet, which is squished up right up against your tiny sink. You can barely turn around fully with your arms anywhere beyond your sides. 

Difference #4: Best of all, apartments are cheap. Most apartments in this region of Bangkok prices ranged from 3,000 to 5,500 ฿ ($90 to $180) per month. Though it doesn’t have a kitchen, paying in the hundreds is a very good deal especially compared to the States. You also save a lot of money not having a kitchen. Littlies will usually cost you around 150-200 ฿ ($5-6) a month. So an estimated grand value of 4,000 ฿ or $ 120 a month (of course depending on your apartment and utility choices). Though the apartment might not be as flashy as the ones some might be used to but for that low of a price, it is really not that bad. Especially in a city like Bangkok, you shouldn’t even be spending that much time in your apartment anyways. 

This one was fancy but too pricey. But it did had A/C and a hot shower...did I make a mistake?

 

There are things you need to consider:

Laundry Machines. Most apartment complexes should have a laundry area at the bottom floor. Laundry is pretty inexpensive (30 ฿ or $1 per load). Consider all the energy you are saving, helping the environment and your withered wallet. These laundry rooms won’t have dryers though. Like most other Asian countries, dryers are difficult to find. But it is not needed anyways. If you look at the patio of most apartments, you will see numerous amounts of clothes hanging from a designated pole or wire placed in their patio. It is hot enough to dry within just a couple hours. Rule of thumb: If you wash your clothes in the morning time, it will be dried and ready to wear by midday. Yes, that hot.

Water Machine. Because of poor maintenance and old rusty pipes, Thailand’s water is not considered potable. It is recommend to buy bottled water whenever going out to eat or walking along the streets. Bottled water is very cheap in Thailand. In comparison to the free clean tap water we get in the States, it might seem like a disadvantage. But drinking clean bottled water in Thailand will definitely be cheaper than getting a nasty bug and a hefty hospital bill. Bottled water can range from 6 ฿-30 ฿ (15 cents to $1). However, if you have an empty bottle, you can fill up your water at an even cheaper price. Almost every street seems to have these water machines that dispense clean water for 1 ฿ or 2 cents. Many apartment complexes have these water machines within their building or just outside, making it easy for its residents to be constantly hydrated without having to make a run to the store.

The Landlord. For an English speaking Westerner, it is best to find a landlord who speaks enough English to be able to tell you how much rent is per month or why your bathroom pipe burst and flooded your entire apartment. English is particularly important when signing a contract. You definitely want to know what you are signing over. Having a compatible and accommodating semi-English speaking landlord will be helpful when you need to pick up mail, have black mold in your bathroom, or need certain amenities that aren’t usually included like curtains.

The Location. Your apartment location is important in relation to where you work. Bangkok is known for having some of the worst car traffic. It can take hours to get just a couple dozen kilometers during rush hour and the result is the most unpredictable. Being able to walk to work would be a luxury almost. It most likely gets you to your destination and will cost you nothing at all (except some weight maybe). Also observe the surroundings of the complex. Look for some bonuses like a convenience store, food or coffee vendors, or miscellaneous stores such as copy or printer shops and internet cafes (you never know when you’ll be in desperate need).  Look out for the negative aspects of the surrounding areas. Watch out for rapid dogs, Thai gangbangers, or a sickening and pungent garbage dump right outside your window. I actually haven’t seen to many gangsters over here yet but making sure that your apartment is away from the rowdy party regions would be. Even if you do like to join in on that type of scene, those places aren’t too far away usually.

Oh the smell of feces and rotten food in the morning. These poor residents...

Air Conditioning. Not all apartments come with A/C and many times you have to seek those types of housing. Apartments that don’t have A/C will provide you with a fan (usually). It costs a significant amount less to use a fan instead. A fan this is somewhat manageable during the cool season, it might be a deep regret by the time April comes around and you are profusely sweating all the time. The difference between an apartment with A/C and one without can be about 1,000 ฿ sometimes ($30) and the additional cost of electricity to keep it running.

Cable. Many places will provide cable with your rent. But if you choose not to purchase or rent a TV, you may still pay for the monthly cable bill (100 ฿ or $3). You can rent a TV for an estimated 500 ฿ per month.

Warm Shower. Oh, the things that we take for granted. Warm showers. Something I know that I need to get used to fast since I like my water to be scalding hot. Some apartments will provide a hot shower and some will just have a standard showerhead dispensing cold water. This also makes a large price difference in the monthly rent and can make the difference of almost 1000 ฿ sometimes. The good thing is if it is hot enough outside, it sometimes warms up the water a bit. But usually when it is that warm outside, you probably don’t want to be bathing in warm water. We’ll see how well I adjust to this difference.

Hmm...How about this one?

 

Found One! My criterion for an apartment was very basic—or so I thought. I only wanted to have a warm shower and A/C. But after seeing how much I can save by eliminating both these amenities, Sarah and I decided on an apartment without either. We chose apartments in the same building since we were working in the same school probably needed moral or friend support during the trying semester ahead.

Full House. After visiting several apartment complexes and setting up my criterion, Sarah and I both decided on an apartment complex called Full House. Yes, Full House.  I am living in Full House, just like the old TV show. The room was 3,500 ฿ a month with a bed, dresser, fan, and cold shower. The landlord, Bae, speaks some English but enough to relay basic messages. We both picked rooms nearby each other on the fourth floor. It’s a long steep walk up but that’s how it is done here. There seems to be a lot of walking and a lot of hiking everywhere in Thailand.

My new home

Around my apartment, I have noisy scruffy dogs but a wonderful assortment of fruit and papaya salad vendors, a large 7-eleven, and a couple small bars. There are also many hair salons along my street so if I ever need a haircut I can easily get it and just for $3. As a plus, I am a 15 minute walking distance from my school. The area around the complex is also not one that has too much English or Western influence. There are only two restaurants that have English written menus and most vendors and shop owners don’t understand English well. But it’s an interesting and lively area. It is next to a university so has a bit of a night life and hipster bars, restaurants, and entertainment.

Contract. In order to secure the room, I needed to sign a contract. The contract required me a minimum stay of three month and a deposit of three months’ rent. Signing a contract in Thai was very strange. Though Bae was translating as much as he could, it still was very discouraging since I couldn’t understand most of what he was saying. Exhausted and mentally strained, I signed anyways assuming that he wasn’t the malicious type of person to screw me over. I paid my deposit and first month’s rent, signed the contract, and paid for my internet (500 ฿ or $15 month). Then I lugged my bags up the steep four flights of stairs to my new place of residence in Bangkok. I’m an official resident of Thailand.

The Banana Vendor

An assortment of fruit for 10 baht (30 cents)

My street's version of Target

My tiny, surprisingly vacant street

The main street: Soi Ramkhamhaeng

If you want to say hello from across the world, please send me love at:

Christy Gillick

Full House Residence (411)

78/1 Soi Ramkhamhaeng 24 Yaek 14 Rd.

Huamark Bangkapi

Bangkok 10240 Thailand

It would be appreciated!

Happy Birthday King Bhumibol Adulyadej!

 December 5, 2011

 

The King. King Bhumibol Adulyadej (known as Rama IV or his full Thai name, Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Bhumibol Adulyadej Mahitalathibet Ramathibodi Chakkrinaruebodin Sayamminthrathirat Borommanatbophit) is longest reigning monarch in Thai history, ruling for almost 65 years. He was actually born in Cambridge, Massachusetts and is an American citizen (a feature unique to a typical Thai monarch). He was studying in Switzerland until he was summoned to take the throne in 1946. More recently, he has encountered some severe health issues and has been in the hospital for the last couple years. I heard he was still able to make an appearance from the hospital for this day.

Zip Your Lips. In America, we are used to freedom of speech. Talking blatantly and negatively about the government, economy, and the mishaps of celebrities gone awry is normal and sometimes second-nature. But this liberty doesn’t go across all borders.  Lese-majesty is a law that prevents the royalty from being criticized and humiliated by the public by jailing citizens who give the royal family (past or present) a bad image. Thailand is known for having some of the harshest and strictest lese-majesty laws. Because of the severe punishments and long prison sentences that are bestowed on these rule breakers, I can’t really talk anymore about the king. But I’ll talk about the events that surrounded his birthday.

The king seems to be dearly loved by his people. There were people everywhere, celebrating the day of his birth –his 85^th birthday. There were so many people trying to get to Central Bangkok that it took almost three hours to get there by bus. And this district is only 15 kilometers away! Despite the intensely crowded and energy draining bus ride, it was exciting to see the amount of loyalty and rejoice Thai citizens have for their king. All of Bangkok was lit up with festive lights, fireworks, and sky lanterns for his day.

The Giant Swing. We visited the Bangkok’s Giant Swing (or Sao Ching Cha), a Brahmin structure used for early ceremonies like the Swinging Festival. Though not a dominant religion, Brahmanism used to have a strong presence in Thai culture. After getting approval to spread the religion from a Thai king, a Brahmin man created several Brahmin temples and structures like the Giant Swing. Soon after, people would annually celebrate the season’s rice harvest with the Swinging Festival. Some of the festivals activities included men using their teeth to grab the hanging bag of silver coins as they swing and a balance test in which a high official stands on one foot during the entire event in order to avoid being stripped and chased down the street. When visiting, we did not attempt any of these strange and hazardous games. Actually, these annual ceremonies were stopped in the early 1900s due to the great amount of deaths that continued to occur. So we couldn’t do it anyways. The swing is very large though. I took a picture for perspective and I look tiny in comparison. It stands 30 meters tall. That’s a far drop. No wonder people died.

Light Up The Sky. Colorful paper lanterns are let out into the night sky as a celebratory exhibition during festivals and celebrations in Asian countries. Just like hot air balloons, when these sky lanterns are lit from the inside, it gracefully flies into the sky—lighting up the night just like millions of illuminating fireflies. While walking around, we kept on seeing all these little dots of light in the sky. After realizing that they were Thailand’s distinguished sky lanterns, we followed the path of lanterns to its origin. There were hundreds of people on the street and on the grass, lighting lanterns in celebration of the King. The lanterns were pink and white colored and had the Thai inscription ‘Long Live the King’. I tried my hand at lighting and lifting a sky lantern. It was pretty exciting especially when some lanterns would perilously get stuck in trees or would go haywire and start spewing hot wax while floating above the crowd. Nevertheless, it was an experience.

 The Grand Palace. The Grand Palace is an assortment of meticulously designed buildings with pinnacle shaped gilded roofs, diamond-like mirror encrusted temple walls, and weathered but colorful murals. The palace was constructed in the beginning of the Chakri Dynasty by King Rama I after he moved the kingdom across the river. King Rama I adored the former Ayutthaya Kingdom. Thus, he attempted to replicate many of its buildings and temples when developing his new kingdom of Ratthanakosin (now known as Bangkok). The Grand Palace is one of these replications. Many Thai kings have resided in this complex. The current royal family actually doesn’t live here though. They live in another palace.

While walking around and sipping on fresh coconut juice, we noticed that the Grand Palace seemed to be open. This is not usual since it is actually very expensive to visit the Grand Palace. A twelve dollar admission price is very pricey in Thailand. Maybe it’s not too much for Americans or other Westerners, which is why they hike up the price. Locals usually get in for free on many days throughout the year. Monks visit for free of course. However, since it was the king’s birthday, the palace was open to all visitors for free. Lucky, lucky.

Warning: Shady characters always try to deter you from going into the palace. They will tell you that the palace is closed that day or that the palace is only open for locals. You usually have to ignore what they say since they are trying to scare you, confuse you, or try to get you to go somewhere else. Many of these people are working for a company or someone else that pays them commission if they are able to get you to go to another store or tourist attraction.

I saw the palace at night so with the lights spotlighting the complex, each building gleamed at every angle as if it were covered in diamonds. It was epic. Just, epic. Additionally, being inside a structure that several royal families have been in is really unbelievable if you think about it.  

The Emerald Buddha. This Buddha figurine has been stolen or taken back several times by several Southeast Asian countries. King Rama I took it back from a kingdom in Laos before creating a home for it in Bangkok. Despite its name, the Emerald Buddha is actually not made out of emerald. The body of the figurine is made out of green jade and its imperial wear made out of gold. It is actually rather tiny. Or at least it looks very small since we were only allowed to look at the Buddha from afar.

Foot Fetish Anyone? Never point your feet towards a Thai person or a religious entity. It is one of the most disrespectful acts you can bestow on a Thai person. Feet are considered the lowest part of your body, both physically and symbolically. So to move something, point to something, or touch anyone with your feet is an inconsiderate and rude deed and should be avoided at all costs. I’m guessing that Thai people might not have kinky foot fetishes then. As a rule of thumb, your feet should just stay on the ground. I knew this cultural rule before coming to Thailand. But since it’s not a taboo in American culture, it’s easy to lose conscious control of your limbs and where you place them sometimes. When attempting to take a picture of the Emerald Buddha, I tried to adjust my location by sitting up on a ledge. When doing so, I accidentally pointed my feet towards the temple and was immediately condemned and punished. Actually, that’s a lie. I just felt bad for being unaware of my surroundings. My friend Bobby quickly reminded me and I moved my feet right away before anyone became offended.

The Royal Park. Sanam Luang is a large park in the middle of Bangkok. The area used to be used for royal cremations until this ceremonial act was displaced outside city walls. Many festivals take place in this park, including the King’s birthday celebration. When walking through the park, thousands of people were gathered all over the park region. Some sitting and enjoying a picnic like setting and many tossing up colorful lighted toys in the air. Others gathered around the stage, watching the musical entertainment for the night. Some were walking around with friends and some were playing games and festivities in some of the game booths surrounding the park. 

The King's Anthem. At one point, Bobby and I noticed that no one was moving. We looked all around us and everyone was facing all in one direction, towards the stage. Then, we noticed the music. It was the King’s anthem. We were the only people walking around out of the crowd. Whenever the king’s song is played in public places, you are required to stop in your tracks and acknowledge the song’s presence. Even foreigners are required to do this. Some people have even gotten in trouble with the law when not standing still and quiet during the song. The song is even played before the start of every movie in the theaters. You also stand up from your seats and wait for the song to end before sitting back down. We didn’t recognize the song in the park though. And of course, it’s the two foreigners who ended up disobeying the anthem code. Although little embarrassed, we stood still for the song’s duration.

Non-English speaking English Song Singer? It’s funny how some people can’t speak a lick of English but when it comes to singing Western type songs, they know the language fluently. It makes you wonder if they even know what they are singing about. I feel like I’ve met a lot of these types of people out here. Western music is a global phenomenon. Many people, at least more than you would think, know certain Western singers and their songs word for word. After a long day roaming town, we found a somewhat relaxing restaurant to eat. As entertainment, this phenomenal Thai man was fluently singing some fluent Bob Marley and Jason Mraz songs, without a hint of an accent. So strange.  It was a nice end to the night.

My future co-worker, Sarah!