A Rough Start.

September 26, 2011

Traveling to Derry was quite an adventure, to say the least. Physically getting myself from within the United States past the borders of the UK and finally to my flat in Derry took much longer than was originally expected. The trip from my driveway to the doorway of my apartment took a “wee bit” under 24 hours. I won’t bore you with the extraneous details, but here’s a short recap of my trip:

I arrived at Richmond International Airport with plenty of time to make my first flight out to Newark. See my photo below of New York from the air!  There, it took about 45 minutes to find an open gate before we were allowed to exit the plane. So, once I was finally able to get off the plane, I basically sprinted to my next gate, only to find that the flight had been delayed and passengers were not yet boarding.

And then I arrived in London. Here is where all the fun begins. See, Heathrow Airport is separated into different “terminals” which are essentially mini-airports connected only by a 10 minute bus ride. I had 2 hours to get from one terminal to another to catch my final flight to Belfast. Little did I know, transferring terminals requires you to go through customs and security. I made it through and to the ticket counter (to receive my last boarding “card”) with 30 minutes to get to the gate. However, according the the airline rep, my bags hadn’t made it to the airplane yet. I was on time, but my bags were not. Apparently, if your luggage hasn’t made it to the plane, you can’t be checked in. So, I needed to catch the next flight out. Which, conveniently, happened to be 4 hours later.  Here’s a picture of London from the air – also pretty impressive!

I finally made it to Belfast (the capital city of Northern Ireland). But, guess what… my 2 bags weren’t with me. How, I must ask, was I checked into the next flight if my bags weren’t on it? This whole story is very contradictory. The baggage claim lady at the Belfast Airport finally told me that because I switched airlines at London (from Continental to Aer Lingus), I should have grabbed my bags at Continental’s luggage carousel and then transport them to the next airline. Who knew?!

Finally, I met a University of Ulster representative at the airport who arranged for some other international students and myself to catch the 2 hour bus ride to Derry. Although exhausted, slightly homesick, and minus 2 bags, I was definitely excited to step into my new room.

Okay, that explanation of my travels was not very brief, but such a lengthy journey deserves a full paragraph or two. I arrived on Monday night. It is now Wednesday afternoon and my bags have been delivered. Other than my baggage debacle, transitioning into this new culture has been quite smooth. I haven’t been to the center of town yet, but I’ve gone to some shops and have taken a few taxis. So far, the Irish people have been extremely nice and helpful. My first week here is all about orientation and getting prepared to register for classes (which will not be as difficult as I originally thought!). Next week all of the Irish students will return to campus, and classes start. There are definitely more adventures to come and I am ready.

Fun Fact #2: Irish people refer to ATM machines as “cash points” or “holes in the wall”. They also call plastic page protectors “poly pockets”.

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Laying The Bricks for Photography

September 19, 2011

Nic Dunlop, a photographer, came and taught a photography workshop—so I thought it only fitting that I show what I came up with.  Our instructions were to take an establishment shot, a profile shot, a detail shot, an action shot, and then a fifth of any of those.  We had to tell a story, and no children and no monks were allowed.

So I headed off through the streets and decided, despite the heat and blaring sun, to venture down a street I had not been down yet.  I first found myself in a neighborhood, then at a resort, and finally I came upon a bustling street with lots of excitement and potential subjects.  All the pictures were to be of the same subject, so I wanted something new (and boy, did I find it).

I came upon this brick building in construction and thought, “why not?”  There was a young guy working the brick pulley, and seeing as I had never seen this orange contraption before, it fit.  He spoke a little English, and I speak a little (very little) Thai, so we were kind of able to communicate.  He had decided I was going to come back later when he got off  and hang out with him and his friend…I knew I had to come back to get more pictures in the afternoon, so I did as the Thais do, and smiled.

I took a few good shots, and got my establishing shot, but needed more for sure. Only problem was, I wandered to get there—needless to say I got lost coming back.  I was uncertain if I could find it again.  I did though, and it was worth the walk.

My friend from earlier in the day was gone, so I wandered around the construction site.  I then saw this woman on the stairs, asked if I could take her picture, and afterward, she directed me upstairs.  I scaled the edge of the building (for like 2 feet) and spoke with three women, in broken Thai and English.  One may have told me she wants an American boyfriend…but I am pretty sure she had kids… I don’t know.  Language barriers.

It was an amazing experience, and although conversation may not have been perfect, I think I was able to capture my experience through the photos.

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Navigli, discos, and the lovely Como

September 19, 2011

Now for the amazing stuff that I referenced in my last post… the fun stuff, haha. My first few nights brought me down to an area of Milan known as the Navigli. To give you a setting to imagine, the Navigli lies along 2 long canals that are perpendicular to one another, forming an L of water in the middle of the very busy city. So this nice canal and the surrounding areas have a diversity like no other, as they create a street fair with things for sale during the day, but then transform into a local hangout and boardwalk-esque area at night for people of all ages to come and enjoy. The bars set out tents with tables and chairs next to the canal, so on a nice early autumn night, the Navigli are filled with Italians and foreigners alike all coming for the atmosphere, beautiful views, and most of all, for appertivo.

All Americans, listen up… we need appertivo back in the states right away. For around 6 or 7 euros (roughly 10 dollars) you receive a free drink of any kind from the bar, plus access to an all-you-can-eat buffet (and since I’m in Italy, clearly the food is awesome). So at any bar in all of Milan from the hours of 6pm to 10pm, you can sit, relax, and have a drink, eating as much or as little as you desire, for as long as you wish. Then afterwards, especially in the Navigli, you can get a gelato (I like Nociiola or Baccio, but they are all insanely good, even the fruit ones like Pina Colada or Wild Cherry) and walk around enjoying a nice night.

After getting more acquainted with the school and my fellow peers, I went to a couple of get-togethers for exchange students hosted by the University at various night clubs known here as discos (but no Saturday Night Fever). The parties were a great way to meet people in a less formal atmosphere and let me get to know some of my new friends on a more personal level. This is where I had my conversation with my friend from Barcelona that I mentioned in my previous post. The parties regularly go from 11pm til almost 4am, but I was home in bed or on a Skype date by 2am on most of those nights.

Finally, to cap off my week of stress and transition, came my journey to one of the most peaceful and relaxing places in all of Italy and probably the entire world: Lake Como. It is no wonder international celebrities like George Clooney and Richard Branson gladly drop 40 million for villas near the amazing lake. Just stepping off the train, you are greeted with views of a lifetime, surrounded by mountains all covered with houses extending as far as the eye can see. After a nice walk through a quaint and– dare I say without sounding too girly– cute city, you reach the crème de la crème, a lake that extends throughout these mountains, touching the Alps and covering the area with beauty. Just walking around the lake is a full and relaxing day for almost anyone, with the stunning views that, believe me, pictures cannot do justice.

But in order to truly make our trip momentous, my friends and I decided to be a little more adventurous. After climbing a hidden path we found halfway up the mountain, we noticed a small recreational beach for locals down by the lake. Very curious, as well as hot and sweaty, we decided it was most definitely worth exploring. So after speaking Italian to get our way in, we changed into bathing suits and made a dash for the lake. Our thirst for adventure and our heat exhaustion persuaded us to overlook the signs warning against swimming in the beautiful but polluted lake, with my friend justifying our decision by saying:

“I see fish in there. If they can survive it, so can we.”

In retrospect, that was not the wisest advice to take, but was advice that proved to be valuable nonetheless. After jumping into the perfectly refreshing water, we swam out to a nearby dock, climbed onto it, and saw Como from a view that normally only fish can see. In awe of my surroundings and this perfectly serene moment, I succumbed to the beauty of the world and became content with simply being a spectator of the world around me.

With open eyes and an open mind, this adventure, while only the first of many, will certainly be hard to top.

I can’t wait to go back there with my loving family and amazing girlfriend on November 12th… I’m counting the days.

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A Week That Felt Like Class, Including Saturday and Sunday

September 14, 2011
Our week of background lectures comes to a close today, and in our “alternative education model,” it won’t be returning. To talk about all of them would both bore you and possibly imprison me in Thailand, seeing as each of them were four hours long. I will draw attention to some of the highlights, though.  The “Thai History and Politics” lecture was so intriguing.  This country has such an interesting past and present—it is truly captivating.  The first lecture we had, on Human Rights, was given by the most amazing woman I have met here.  I should set the scene…
When we have exchanges or lectures, we are told to dress in “polite” attire.  This means skirts past the knees and covered shoulders for girls, or our nifty– yes, nifty— school uniforms.  Our lecturer, the Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Commission on Human Rights, walked in wearing jeans and a jean jacket that faded into lace at the bottom.  And let me tell you, not one of us doubted her for a second. She spoke with such confidence and passion for the subject, and to put it bluntly — she was a total boss.  I learned after the lecture that she was once at a big party with Henry Kissinger and happened to be next to him on the buffet line.  So naturally, she took that as her opportunity to tell him everything she thought he had done wrong.  I could not stop writing as she spoke to us, and her wisdom on Human Rights was profound, to say the least.
The second half of the week was spent on our “mock-unit”, which was on HIV/AIDS.  We had an exchange (a question & answer forum) with TNP+, which is a network for people in Thailand living with HIV/AIDS.  After the question & answer period and an activity that demonstrated the spread of the virus using water cups and food dye, we got to visit a home of a person living with HIV/AIDS.  What an experience.  I must say that in a country where the culture seems to avoid the topic of sex, it is amazing how open both the organization heads and the individuals were with us.  In small groups at the home visits, we were free to ask any questions, and I was overwhelmed with knowledge.  The juxtaposition between Montclair, New Jersey (my hometown) and the community I visited were so drastically different. Here, the “norm” is to be ostracized, whereas at home, neighbors seem to do anything they can to help.  The man I spoke with knows that the disease cannot be transmitted through objects, but still insists on having separate soap, and cups, and plates from his family to ensure his two daughters’ and wife’s protection.  The struggle to fight the silence surrounding sex is obviously a struggle for education in Thailand, and it makes the Condom Caravan at school in Richmond seem like a godsend of information.
In other news, there is a family of geckos living in my room.  I’m not too concerned, because as a friend put it when I was initially freaked out, “They are more afraid of me than I am of eating shellfish.”
And how do you turn a mango yellow? …more on that to come.
Thai village

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Initial International Interpretations…. Italy

September 14, 2011

So, the past week and a half has been very… interesting, exciting, scary, overwhelming, mind-blowing, awing, amazing, and overwhelming… did I already say that? Ha, which is part of why I am a little behind on my posting. Sorry, people. As transitions go, this is certainly no walk in the park. New country, new language, new people, on top of missing home country, home language, and home people has not been easy. I won’t lie to you, loyal readers — I have had some tough days. But I must say that as far as first weeks go in a new country, especially while fighting through my homesickness and broken heart, in retrospect, it has been pretty amazing.

I figured I would talk mostly about cultural things and differences in this post and save some more of the fun stuff for later (but don’t worry, there is still plenty of fun to go around). So, my biggest window into sharing cultures and gaining a more worldly perspective so far has been through my Italian Intensive Language Course offered here by Bocconi, 5 hours a day Monday through Friday until academic classes start, then night and weekend classes for another week after that. Now, as you can imagine, 5 hour classes starting at 9:30 in the morning that are spoken in a language few members of the class can speak at higher than an elementary level can be a little boring…. to put it nicely. But as people have been known to bond together through agonizing experiences, my class has become somewhat close-knit over our past 10 days together. This melting pot of world travelers studying at the University includes an equal mix of Brazilian, Spanish, French, Dutch, German, Canadian, and American students, all being taught by an Italian teacher. While we all come from different places and walks of life, we have found things in common that have created the beginning of some beautiful friendships. I have been pleasantly surprised (especially given all of the American stereotypes I am trying to kill off) that our different cultures don’t separate us, but instead bring us together with an attitude of curiosity and open mindedness. Spending time in and out of class, going during our break time to get lunch together, and hanging out in the park on a nice weekday night has really been meaningful to me. Sharing customs, jokes, games (I played my first game of European soccer on Tuesday and it was sick; 1 goal and 1 assist)… We have been able to learn a lot about each other and where we come from.

Besides learning about everyone else and where they are from, I have also learned a lot about myself and where I am from. The first week I was here, I was having a conversation with a friend of mine from Barcelona about Milan and studying abroad, and in the course of the conversation, I asked:

“What do you hope to get out of being here? What are your goals?”

Needless to say, his answer shocked and made an impression on me, or I wouldn’t be writing about it now. He said: “That is a very American question, John,” in a cool Spanish accent that I’m slightly jealous of.  “Americans are so goal oriented, always looking for the outcome… I don’t necessarily mean that as a bad thing, ” he continued. “Americans are very driven and motivated, so they accomplish a lot, but sometimes they forget to stop and look around.”

So I thought about my response… and I thought, and then when I thought I knew what to say, I thought a little bit more… and I finally said, “You’re right.”

I was impressed by his insight in evaluating my culture, and I was taken aback by the true realization that Americans frequently miss what is most important in life. Europeans value things much differently than Americans in terms of success. In terms of time and efficiency, they are polar opposites;  just being in Italy for a week has driven a control freak like me to insanity because of the inefficiency, constant strikes, and seemingly pointless bureaucracy. But I must say, in many ways, they are happier people. They are more welcoming, less competitive and cutthroat, and often very relaxed. Whereas Americans get annoyed by foreigners who don’t know English, Italians welcome foreigners and are always eager to explain and help them learn. I hope while I am here, I can continue to develop myself in a way that allows me to hold both my goals for success and my values of a happy and enjoyable life on an even plane. I will not be disloyal to my beloved America, but I will also not be naïve enough to believe we always know best. Everything about this is a learning experience, and the first thing I am learning about is my own perspective on life.

Words of wisdom: like flavors of gelato, we are all made from different things, but we are all very good in our own way.

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I Want to Hold Your Hand, and Get Back on the Bus

September 7, 2011

The Beatles had people in complete awe of them, wanting nothing more than to be near them. Now, I would not say I have John Lennon status here in Thailand, but at school in the village, the children certainly wanted to hold my hand.  In fact, all of us had 3-4 Thai kids ranging in age from 6 to 13 hanging off of us at any moment in time.  For our third day in the community, instead of Thai class, we had a “Thai Fun Activity”, consisting of us playing games with kids at school, and then us teaching them an activity.  Thank you, summer camps, because we all quickly agreed to teach them “Baby Shark”, and out second was “The Banana Song”.  If you are unfamiliar with these, I highly recommend learning them, because just as I thought they would never come in handy again—I was mistaken.  The joy that came from these kids was indescribable.  Later, at our homestays, we had kids doing the hand motions, asking us to sing it again.

My homestay could probably be best described by the final night.  Until the last night, it was a lot of observing and eating.  I didn’t really feel a strong connection to my family, and it was not the easiest three days of my life. It did, however, have a very happy ending when the entire village gathered at my neighbor’s house and we had what I would call a block party.  There was music, all the students ate a meal together prepared by many families, and we danced into the night (meaning like 8:00pm, because that is a normal bed time in villages.)

These past few days in Khon Kaen have given us a time to actually explore the city and get a hold of public transportation. Saung Taos, which are “buses” where you sit on benches on the flat of a pick-up truck with a roof, have been an exciting way of exploring.  For instance, last night as we tried to get to this Italian place for dinner, we were supposed to switch buses.  This, of course, we did not know, and ended up past the slums and far from the city.  As the Saung Tao slowed to a stop, the nine of us looked at each other, and got off hesitantly as we were kicked off by the driver.  The fear started to set in for sure, but luckily, there was one store with its light on, and the two women in the pharmacy spoke a little English.  We had them call a cab for us, because we had no clue where we were.  Seeing as cab drivers have numbers, but do not answer their phones, we were stuck.  At that moment, another Saung Tao drove up, and we had the women ask them to drive us to the hotel down the street from the restaurant.  At the price of 200 bhat, it was totally worth it.  So our personal taxi Saung Tao drove us back down the shady roads, and the night concluded with a delicious pizza.  (I absolutely love Thai food, but as a true American, I really missed pizza).  Another adventure, another night in Thailand.

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Lean on Me, Leech on Me

August 29, 2011

My departure from Bangkok was timely, as I was ready to experience something outside of the backpacking district of the capital. The drive to the “resort” where we stayed this past week was about 7 hours from Bangkok in Khon Kaen, Provence. We left our computers to be brought to Khon Kaen University, so the week was entirely wireless and open for bonding.  Through many group meetings and activities, we really started to work together as a group, finding our way each moment.  Whether we were transferring people through a web of string or discussing oppression, we leaned on each other through rougher moments and celebrated the positives together.  It seems like we are really forming a strong community, which is a main focus of the program both internally and within the villages we stay in.

On our way to the resort, we stopped about halfway through for a nature walk. By nature walk, of course I mean sludging through mud in gaters (which are cloth coverings for your legs and feet, because apparently there are leeches in the national park).  The scenery was absolutely gorgeous and followed by a delicious plate of kauw pad (fried rice).  As we went to get in the van, though, I noticed I was bleeding on my foot, so the med kit was grabbed so that I could bandage my apparent leech wound. It wasn’t until we were ten minutes on the road that I noticed I was bleeding on my thigh as well, and friends in the back of the van simultaneously found a huge leech on the ground. I suppose I, too, am delicious. All is fine, the leech was killed and cleaned up, and I was bandaged. Needless to say, mai pen rai (it’s all good / no problem—and a popular Thai phrase at that).

We started Thai class this week, and wow, is it a difficult language. Sure, they don’t have verb conjugations, but they have tones for each word. Use the wrong tone, and it’s a different word. So, although I will throw in some random Thai in these posts, it is not really helpful without audible dictation.

rice paddies in Thailand

The final stop before coming to Khon Kaen University, and our apartments, was a homestay in a weaving village. I was with one other girl, and together, we maybe understood 10%. Communication was not easy, and all our Meh (mom) wanted to do was feed us and have us take an abb naam (shower). However, in the course of 24 hours, we had a fresh coconut and grapefruit picked off a tree for us, ate fresh peanuts, and helped farm rice, pulling up the plants in the paddy. I also was attacked by my host mom with baby powder (which has the affect of Icy-Hot here). Before we left, some of us spent a few hours playing with the kids at school. My favorite game was their version of Duck Duck Goose, which involves a shirt instead of patting heads and a very catchy song. We were running around, slipping on the dirt, and finally “communicating” with Thais.

playing duck duck goose

It has been a long week, filled with surprises and adventure. I finally have met my roommate and moved in, and she is so cool. She is an English major, so communication is fairly simple. We were welcomed last night through a traditional Thai welcoming ceremony and we have a short weekend break before heading off to the Railroad community on Sunday.

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Take Your Shoes Off and Wai 3 Times

August 22, 2011

So after 28 hours of travel (40 if you include time change) I arrived in Bangkok! The van ride to the hotel was filled with zoning out, but the street where the Red Shirts rioted last summer was pointed out, and it is covered in twinkle lights at night! So pretty!!! Needless to say, I went right to sleep (hopefully I’ll start sleeping through the night soon) and woke up the next morning to start the adventure.

We had a general orientation meeting, which was a nice introduction to the other students and the course. And then we were set free for lunch. Oh my goodness are the streets crazy. We are staying in the backpacking district, so there are food carts EVERYWHERE- just a matter of finding things I can eat. Luckily, there is a girl who was with us who is ethnically Thai, so she served as out translator. Veggie dumplings-YUM!

Later we walked to the Royal Palace and got a tour. I have never seen so many jeweled buildings in my life. Insane architecture mixed with a soft-spoken tour guide led to a disparity of the information I picked up. However, there are elephant gods that bring good luck, lots of respect to Buddha, and snakes with 5 heads that are protecting some of the temples. When we went into the temple to see Buddha, we had to take our shoes off outside and then enter the temple. There was holy water that you apply through a flower on your forehead and when you go in, you don’t point your feet towards Buddha. Wai is when you bring your hands to your heart and bow, and for Buddah you Wai three times all the way down till your forehead almost touches the ground. You do this again before you leave as well.

Instead of taking a cab back, we walked around Bangkok and got lost for the first time! We had the business card of our hotel so it wasn’t bad that we were wandering but there was one moment where we were in a shady fish market and next thing we knew we were behind shops in a scary alley. It all turned out fine though, got back to our block had dinner and then I crashed (to wake up 2 hours later and toss and turn). This morning we have a political lecture so needless to say I am excited. We leave Bangkok tomorrow for a week of orientation and homestay, but I’ll let you know how it goes as soon as I have access.

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How do you say hakuna matata in Thai?

August 1, 2011

Well, I’ve never blogged before but what better time to start than two weeks before I leave for my semester abroad. My name is Julie and I am a junior at the University of Richmond studying Leadership and Political Science.  I am from New Jersey so the adjustment from suburbia to rice paddies will surely be interesting.

As I gear up to go to Thailand, “no worries” is the most prevalent thought in my mind.  As far as my language capabilities, they are limited to a restaurant take-out menu and I am pretty sure that English is not as prevalent there.  The dress code is very different from what I am used to (no gym shorts!) And did I mention it’s near the equator? Hello eight month summer. I have a feeling I will be returning with many mosquito bites. What is an adventure without a challenge though right? (and yes, I am freaking out—but just a little..)

The country itself has been politically unstable for the last six years.  It is amazing that I will be there just after an election (they just elected their first female prime minister!), especially as a political science major-as long as more riots don’t break out.  The local communities and rural areas have become more politically active over these past years and technology is finding its way out onto the rice paddies.  As a student of political science, this is truly awesome.  I am about to embark on an adventure where I get to witness grassroots government and its founding.  The program is focused on development and globalization, so I am given the opportunity to participate in NGO workings and grassroots community development.  Having worked in my Congressman’s office this past summer, I have seen government and democracy first hand, in fact I have contributed to it.  I am both excited and a little scared to see the juxtaposition Thailand is sure to pose.

So, how does one prepare to go to such a place?  Well I am meditating more—both to calm the nerves and to experience a taste of Thai culture before I leave (or maybe its just cause my mother keeps telling me to).  I am also attempting to eliminate all expectations that I have.  I recently learned that Denmark is the happiest country in the world, and it is because they do not have expectations.  I know I am a control freak, so this is not the easiest task I have taken on, but I am going to live abroad with a no expectation and YES attitude.  A good friend who just got back from abroad told me to accept every invitation, and I fully intend to take her up on that challenge.

So for now, I am packing, finishing out my internship, and learning as much about my future home as possible.  So hakuna matata in Thai—still no worries.  I plan to live every day, study hard, but explore more.   This is my greatest adventure so far, and I invite you to follow along on my journey as I truly live and let Thailand happen to me.  So all aboard, next stop Thailand.

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