Falling in Love with Bangkok

January 5, 2012

After a 6 hour flight to London, and then an 11 hour flight to Bangkok, I have finally arrived in Thailand!!

What did I first notice after arriving here? Despite the fact that this is very much a city, there is greenery everywhere!! Lining the highways are palm trees, plants, and every tropical flower imaginable.  It is truly paradise.  Today I had my first adventure in Bangkok, alone, and after only two days here I have completely fallen in love with the city.

One of my main missions of the day was to get my uniform for Thammasat University where I will be studying for the next semester.  There are many signs around the university that state that any student without a uniform will not be served; so they take the uniform thing very seriously. I went to the bookstore at Thammasat and after many hand motions and pointing to a picture of the uniform, I was able to communicate that I needed to buy a uniform– only to be told uniforms are no longer sold at the bookstore.  Great. My Thammasat orientation packet said it would be at the bookstore, and the email I received yesterday about orientation reiterated this fact.  But nonetheless, no uniform.  The gentleman at the bookstore who was helping me kept repeating “tuktuk” and “market” meaning I could take a tuktuk to get the uniform at a local market.  I had him write down the name of the market in Thai because I have learned this is the best way to accomplish anything around here: with actual words, in Thai, written on a piece of paper.  I walked outside and ending up hailing a cab.  After much more confusion my taxi driver motioned down a street saying “here, here.”  The only problem was that the street was completely packed with millions of identical looking clothing stands, none of which seemed to be selling official Thammasat uniforms.

I went up to one of the stall owners to ask where I could find a Thammasat uniform, and he was wonderful.   He took it upon himself to guide me through the market, bringing me to each stall that I needed to go to to get the essentials for my uniform.  Every stall owner was so incredibly sweet.  I was overwhelmed with how generous and kind everyone was to me.  I never felt taken advantage of, and felt such genuine warmth from everyone.  After my shopping was complete I grabbed a taxi to go back to the house.  Instead of taking a taxi to the doorstep, however, I decided to walk the last bit of the way to completely soak up my surroundings.   Here are a couple of pictures of the street I am staying on until I move into my apartment:

I am in love the freedom of being able to walk alone and explore the city all by myself, on only my second day in Thailand.  It is the most liberating and wonderful feeling, a feeling that I never had studying abroad in Kenya last semester.  I am so excited for the next five months here!!

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Posted by samanthainthailand

The Start of an Incredible Adventure

January 4, 2012

I can’t believe that I am beginning another blog, and with that, another adventure abroad.  My name is Samantha and I have been back at home in Concord, Massachusetts, for about two weeks since returning from a semester abroad in Kenya.  I am a junior international business major, and could not help but take full advantage of the opportunity to go abroad, by choosing to go abroad for two semesters in two different locations.  My semester in Kenya actually had nothing to do with my business major; rather it was an SIT (School of International Training) program focused on community health and development, which are both passions of mine.  It was an incredible four months, involving living in two different homestays, experiencing life with no running water and no electricity, navigating daily life in a dangerous city, and learning an incredible amount by living as much a typical Kenyan life as possible.  I have a feeling Bangkok won’t be quite the same experience….

In Bangkok I will be studying at Thammasat University, through the university’s international business exchange program.   As part of the exchange program I will be there with students from all around the world, which I am incredibly excited about.  I will also be there with one of my best friends from Richmond, Addie.  We are planning to live in an apartment together, and from what I have  heard these apartments are are a far cry from the village living I experienced in Kenya: most that I have come across resemble apartments in the US, fully equipped with a gym and a pool.  In addition to school, I am planning to do an internship with the non-profit organization called Step Ahead, which is a fantastic NGO that was founded by two Richmond alumni.  To be honest I don’t know exactly why I chose Thailand; I went back and forth for months about whether to study abroad for two semesters or not, and then it just all fell in to place.  I have always heard so many incredible things about Thailand, and hoped to one day travel there.  When an internship in Bangkok as well as the opportunity to study business fell into my lap, I couldn’t say no, especially because I know that this is truly the opportunity of a lifetime.

I don’t think it has quite hit me that I am leaving to live on the other side of the world for the next five months.  But then again it didn’t really sink in that I had been in Kenya until a few days after I got back to the US.  I am incredibly excited though– I can’t wait to live a completely different lifestyle than I did in Kenya.  I am so excited to meet a dynamic group of people, to explore a completely new culture, and to see a new part of the world.  I am also intrigued to be involved in the development world in Bangkok through my internship; it will be fascinating to not only compare the different issues that exist in Bangkok versus Nairobi, but also to get a feel of how those issues are addressed differently in each city.  I am eager to start my life in Bangkok, but I also have a lot to do in the week that I have left at home.  As I learned from my trip to Kenya, it is best not to worry, not to consume myself with “what-ifs” and to just go with it.  That is the best and only way to travel!

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The Story With a Moral

December 7, 2011

My first in-class exam was in Intermediate Macroeconomics, and I was slightly terrified.

After my three days of non-stop studying (minus the bathroom breaks and nap breaks and food breaks… and Facebook breaks and TV breaks including, but not limited to, Dexter, Community and How I Met Your Mother), I was as ready as I would ever be to take this exam.  I decided I would get there relatively early, and this meant that I would get 15 minutes of reading time before the exam began, almost like a bonus for being early. I was ready to go. I had my pre-exam cup of coffee. I had pencils, pens and a calculator. I was wearing pants, unlike most typical pre-exam nightmares.  The only thing I hadn’t done was the pre-exam workout my housemate had suggested, but I figured I could do without the morning jog.

I went to the general exam hall 15 minutes early, and I learned three very important lessons. Lesson number one: not all exams are held on campus, apparently. Lesson number two: my exam that day was not held on campus. Lesson number three: I would get that pre-exam workout my housemate suggested. After asking around and discovering that my exam was a solid five blocks away from campus, I ran for my life.

When I finally got there, not only did I fail to arrive 15 minutes early, I was 15 minutes late. I jumped into my chair as the gears in my brain jumped into double overtime. I was wide awake at that point, and scribbling answers as fast as I could. I glared at test proctors as they distracted me from my exam by reminding me to fill out insignificant information like my name and student ID number. Sweat was racing down my face as if my eyes were the finish line, forcing me to waste time to clear my vision.

However, at last, I finished without a second to spare and not a second to double-check. I walked out of that exam hall to a shining sun and warm happy smiles all around. The moral of the story is…well… I don’t think it has anything to do with morning jogging, really. Maybe the moral is… “directions a day keep the lost and tardy away!” Okay, you know what? We’ll just go with the moral: “In life, the unexpected occurs.” So, in preparation, be prepared to be unprepared, because preparing can only help you to prepare for that which can be prepared for.

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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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Plans, plans, plans.

September 14, 2011

I am about a week and a half away from the big day now. Everything is starting to be squared away. All the loose ends are being tied up. I could probably muster up a couple more cliches about preparedness, but I think those will do. In short, we are almost there, people.

This trip has been basically my sole topic of conversation over the last 4 or 5 months and in that time, I have made a number of plans… in my head. Knowing me, by writing them down, I will greatly increase the probability of me actually following through with them. There are so many wonderful things to do in Europe; I just want to make sure I don’t miss out on anything. On my iPod, I have created a list entitled “Places to Visit in Europe”. The list includes Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh, London, and Paris. Paris may be a long shot for me, but hey, I can dream. Mostly, I plan to stay within the UK and Ireland (Northern Ireland is part of the UK). I want to avoid overextending myself by trying to see too much. I also really would like to get to know the city I will be living in – Londonderry. It is the oldest city in N. Ireland, so it is obviously highly concentrated with history.

While exploring this country, I want to visit a castle. Yes, a castle — authentic stone edifices that are paramount to so many fairy-tales. These great pieces of architecture just don’t exist in America. Which is probably part of the reason they are so appealing to me. Our whole country is significantly younger than these buildings. I will be living every little girl’s dream. And, from what I’ve read, there is no shortage of castles in Northern Ireland. Going along with this magical theme… one of the reasons I would like to visit Scotland, is to see Lake Loch Ness.  Spotting ol’ Nessy would make that trip worthwhile.

I hope that part of my adventures includes understanding the people of Northern Ireland. I know that many times, when students study overseas, they tend to be drawn to other international students (because they are living in similar circumstances). Sure, I would love to meet other people who are attempting to operate in a foreign environment, but I don’t want to spend time with them exclusively. I need to make it a goal of mine to have Irish friends as well. There is no better way to learn about a culture than to than to be educated by a friend who lives it. Which is essentially what I am doing with this blog — educating you about what studying abroad is like. Which is why I have decided to add a “fun fact” to the end of each blog, because, to my knowledge, American college kids don’t know much about Northern Ireland (no offense). So, here goes…

Fun Fact #1: The singer-songwriter/musician Van Morrison (wrote the song Brown Eyed Girl), actor Liam Neeson (of Schindler’s List and Taken), as well as this summer’s winner of The Glee Project Damian McGinty were all born and raised in Northern Ireland.

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Milan or Milano

August 29, 2011

For those of you reading this before lunch or after dinner, no, I do not mean Milano cookies. I mean Milan, the fashion capital of the world (sorry Paris) located in Northern Italy and home to Universita Comerciale da Luigi Bocconi, the soon to be home of me.

Now, believe it or not, I did not just name my post so I could drop in a little comedic line about Milano cookies. (I thought about saying something about actress Alyssa Milano, but we can’t use up all of the good stuff on the first post.) Instead, it is supposed to be symbolic of the polarization between my life in America and the life I’m about to embark on in Italia. (Who says Richmond kids aren’t smart?) While the climates may be the same, the culture is not. The people, the language, the food (oh baby, the food!), activities, fashion… there will be a lot of adjusting for someone who steps outside of his comfort zone one foot at a time, with his finger on speed dial to call home to mommy. Okay, no, I’m not really that bad, but it’s going to take some getting used to, and my nervous excitement continues to grow into a ball of… we’ll call it uncertainty, best characterized by the word “duh.”

However, as my plans come together and the days get closer, everything is becoming real for me. Yes, I’m really going to Italy, yes, I’m going to be out of the country for 4 months, yes, I really need to pack. (Thanks Mom). However, I view the challenges with strength to overcome them, like the Marco Polo of my day, and I view the opportunities with something best described as jumping-off-the-walls excitement.

My head is spinning with questions like, when can I move into my dorm? Should I get an Italian phone? Do they deport Americans who forget important paperwork? But overall, I’m letting my excitement and optimism get the best of me. My friend who is somewhat of a study abroad guru, having spent a semester in both New Zealand and China and currently petitioning his University for a third semester in Spain, gave me some advice that I hold in high regard. It’s like getting home decorating advice from Martha Stewart (or maybe stock trading tips), golf lessons from Tiger Woods (well, I mean old Tiger… New Tiger is a different story), or hair care lessons from Mr. Clean (whether you like the clean shaven look or not, you have to admit the guy cleans up good… cheesy pun intended). Anyway, I digress. He said to be like Jim Carrey in Yes Man and embrace every opportunity, meet new people, explore as much as possible, and make sure to expand your horizons and blend into the culture and society where you are living. Finally, he said, take every action or opportunity like a new adventure to embark on, make a memory, good or bad, and learn about life and about yourself through new experiences. So consider me Dora the freaking Explorer. I plan on enjoying this once in a lifetime experience by being true to myself and accepting the changes and opportunities around me. So for those of you reading out there, I feel like this blog should be quite entertaining, and I can’t wait to share the next 4 months exploring the land of my ancestors with y’all. So goodbye for now, family, see ya later best friend & girlfriend, peace out friends from Richmond and New Jersey, ciao Uncle Sam, arrivederci hurricane Irene, and hasta luego Statue of Liberty (Ut oh… that last one was in Spanish… I’m in trouble.)

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Posted by johninitaly

Anticipation.

August 24, 2011

Summer 2011 has been the longest summer of my life. Not just because an amazing experience is waiting at the end, but quite literally. My break started in the middle of May and will last until the middle of September – a full 4 month summer. As all my friends begin returning to school and starting the new semester, I still have almost a month of summer… to endure. The pure anticipation is excruciating. I want to be there. I want the experience to start.

Having lived in Richmond for half my life, I only have a simple 10 minute drive to visit friends on campus. Some of which are returning from Europe themselves (from summer abroad programs). Hearing stories from my friend Marielle who studied German in Austria only intensified my excitement. She made great friends and traveled to amazing places. She wished her trip would not end.

When September 18th rolls around, I will FINALLY board a plane heading to Derry, Northern Ireland – which is what this blog is all about. Hi, I’m Julia, by the way. I am a junior at UR studying Business Administration (with a concentration in Marketing) and Studio Art. This is a strange combination, I know, but it has a purpose. My dream job (for now) is something in the advertising/graphic design industry. So, at the University of Ulster, I will be taking graphic design classes… hopefully. At the University of Ulster (and many other European universities) registration begins upon arrival. Having been pampered by the luxuries of BannerWeb, I am terrified to attempt registering on paper. I have a list of classes that I want to take, but we’ll see how that goes.

As for other preparations for the trip, I’m still working on that. I have made travel arrangements (including 3 connecting flights, 2 layovers, and and a 2 hour bus ride) plus I have a place to live. I will stay in an apartment in Duncreggan Student Village. I know I am living with some roommates, but I guess I will meet them when I get there. My passport and other important documents are stapled and neatly sitting in a folder ready to go. It is almost impossible to walk across my room due to the numerous piles of stuff I plan to take. I definitely need to start weeding some items out. More important, however, is my mental preparation. Right now I am fine – calmly excited. I assume the freak-out will begin when I cross the threshold of the airplane and take my seat. But for now, the wait continues…

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Lack of Communication

August 9, 2011

So finally, I was in Australia. After making it through customs and only almost losing my passport once, I was ready to hitch a ride and go to the house I would be staying at. I was even planning on staying with my friend from Richmond who was also studying abroad in Melbourne. Now I just had to meet him, his flight from Japan would be landing within the half hour and he had already made free airport pickup reservations…for himself and I was going to try to mooch off of him. I looked up at the digitized schedule board which, fun fact, are apparently known as Solari boards (named after the display manufacturer) for an incoming flight from Japan. And of course, with my luck, out of over 20 options I couldn’t see one flight from Japan. I sat down and waited for the options to roll over, it was still early. That lasted about five minutes. I then made a much better decision to go ask where I could find an incoming flight from Japan. I walked up to the information booth patting myself on the back for my sure stroke of…rationality.

Me: “Hello? Hey, I was just wondering when the next flight from Japan was”
Information Assistant: “Oh of course, one second please”
Computer: “Beep-beep. Beep”
Information Assistant: “there aren’t any”

What was I going to do? We hadn’t exchanged flight information, nor did we have phones to call one another on. I couldn’t live in the airport! The food is overpriced and any purchase would just be economically unsound. I immediately ceased my back-patting, feeling my back no longer deserved the reward of a job well done. I was doomed.

Information Assistant: “Is it possible that it’s a domestic flight?”
Polite-Me: “No, I don’t think so. He’s flying from Japan.
Information Assistant: “To Melbourne?”
Just-Had-An-Epiphany Me: “No I’m pretty sure he’s flying to Sydney first and then to… oh…wow”
Smiling Information Assistant: “Domestic is just that way.”
Determined Me: “Thank you!”
Information Assistant: “No-”

I was already gone. It was at this point that I finally understood what people did before technology. Panicked and Ran. I quickly made my way to domestic arrivals and looked at the arrivals screen for flights from Sydney. There were about five. I decided to casually pace back and forth between the luggage conveyor belts and just smile at people, all while waiting for the next flight to arrive 20 minutes later. In hindsight, if there was ever a man who looked as if he was going to be reported for suspicious activity in an airport, this would definitely be that guy. Time was passing with no signs of my friend. Then I saw her, the woman with the highlighter yellow and lime green sign around her neck that said overseas students. I ran to her…and stood awkwardly next to her until she said something.

Driver: “Hello! Are you an international student?
Me: “YES!”
Driver: “are you attending the University of Melbourne?”
Me: “YES!”
Driver: “Ok great! What’s your name?”
Me: “…”

Ok so I hadn’t really thought this completely through. I looked at her checklist out of the side of my eye and knew I wasn’t on there. On the other hand, I knew someone who was. Still, I couldn’t just take his reservation and strand him. Plus, there was no way she’d believe that both my passport and driver’s license conveniently had typos and they just got my name wrong.

Driver: “…”
Me: “…Uh…Shohsei…Oda?”
Driver: “…Ok great! Grab your things and come with me”

Or maybe she’d just take my word for it. But I couldn’t, with good conscience, leave my friend (and housemate) without a ride. Especially since he booked it himself and I was taking it.

Me: “Wait, he’s my friend. I’m just meeting him here. We’re going to the same place so I was hoping I could just get a ride as well?”

Long story short, honesty is the best policy. We found Shohsei who had missed his Sydney to Melbourne flight because of customs and I was able to get a ride with the shuttle service. Unfortunately, the shuttle service was only free around the city, which our home was 30 minutes away from, and we both had to end up paying. Still, it wasn’t as much as a taxi and we were finally at this place that we would soon learn to call home…and people we would soon call by their first names because calling them mom and dad would just be awkward. Oh right, did I mention we were doing a home stay?

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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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There’s a first for everything

July 28, 2011

If you’ve made it this far, I’d like to personally congratulate you for finding a very positive, educational and constructive way to spend your time and/or for being a good friend who I’ve asked to come read my blogging while away. With that said, in the wise words of Jay-Z, allow me to re-introduce myself. My name is Mike (MI to the K-E of course) and I am a rising junior at the University of Richmond. I’m majoring in international studies and am spending this next semester in Australia. Because this is technically the spring semester for students, I am already here. If you can believe it, I’ve actually left summer to come to an Australian winter.  But as you’ll hopefully come to understand by getting small insights into my life while in Australia, I’m banking on the hope that it will be completely worth it. Now, I’d like to take you to day one of my trip to Australia and am confident that you will stay for, and enjoy, the whole journey.

Day 1:

The entire way to the airport I’ve been secretly doing the three-part check: Wallet, keys and phone. I don’t like to panic publicly, especially in front of my family; they freak out three times more than I do and it’s always been a faux pas of mine. But this time I came up short on keys, only to remember that I won’t need house or car keys… And then I realize that I must have come up short every other time I’ve done the three part check. I soon realize that it’s not keys I should be checking for, but my passport. Finally, I come to the consensus that a mental checklist is just way too inefficient for these types of situations. I needed something visual, something concrete. Why hadn’t I thought of this before? And as I thrust my hand in my pockets in a silent fit of panic, stress and newly acquired worry-hunger, I could feel the edged corner of a folded piece of paper that was, of course, a concrete, visual checklist I had written earlier. I opened it to find housing details, contact information and even a student visa number. Responsible mike had taken care of everything for panicked, stressed and hungry mike. I liked responsible mike. I made a mental note to invite him to all of my big events in the future like finals week and job interviews. With a sigh of relief, I had avoided a recipe for a heart attack. The only problem was I consistently chose the optional “repeat if necessary” option, just to be safe and all, and went all the way back to “step 1: three-part check your pockets” every hour afterwards. Yet, after a last minute rush of panic and drawn out heart-felt see-you-laters (I like see-you-laters over goodbyes) on the security checkpoint line at the airport, I was finally on the plane, ready to relax and fall asleep to in-flight episodes of Modern Family. Australia, here I come.

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