Category Archives: 2014 Thailand Learning Abroad Blog

2014 Thailand Learning Abroad Blog

Post by Sheng Thao

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Before coming to Thailand, packing was a hard task with the Holidays in mind. Although my room mate and I planned the things that we need, it was all so difficult to be limited with things to live off of. Being a newbie traveler, I had thought of all the possible occasions that I may need something, and might not have it. For example, what if on the plane ride I got very hungry, what if my luggage got lost, I must pack enough stuff on my carry on, and the list goes on. My check in luggage I was nervous might be too heavy that I might have to pay extra, but luckily it was 49.5 pounds!! YAY!! “Yay!” was no more the first couple of day since there were a lot of moving around. With a backpack, small carry on and a big old luggage, it was a workout every time we moved some where. (The uneven ground doesn’t help much either). This is a good thing, if you like to work out, but I don’t. Boo hoo! 

Anyhow now that we are settled in Chaingmai for a good week and a half, I am trying to use up things that I can. Reflecting upon it, I do admit, I over packed a little. But I am going to shake it off and smile because I am learning to be a traveler, I did get a workout (which is rare these days), and Thailand is amazing. This aligns with one of the philosophies that the monk talked about. Avoid suffering, so I should try to see what came out of it. But at the same time the American way, is to see how I can improve the situation, or what can I learn from the experience. The clash of two worlds.. I can not wait for more of Thailand!! 
2014 Thailand Learning Abroad Blog

second post

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Second Post:

The above picture is when we were releasing the lanterns and the fish at the river.  As a group this was one of my favorite moments, I felt like we really all had known each other for a long time. 

Early this morning I woke up thinking about how tired I was from my day of fun activities.  We were going to offer the food to the monks today.  The bus ride was short as Kim explained the whole process and my heart was beating furiously because I had never done this.  What if I did it wrong?  Kim was so kind to give us bags, flowers, and alms that her staff prepared to give to the monks so they could eat.  I thought that after a couple of days of being here in Chang Mai I had really started to feel the relaxed culture.  This was for sure my moment of “wow” that people talk about.  The way that the monks didn’t treat us differently or shy away because we weren’t Thai people was so welcoming.  It also was just a grounding experience for myself, my thoughts and worries just seemed to be wiped away and I just thought about the experience that I was in at the moment.  Thinking about how the monks were blessing me and about how blessed I was.  Looking back on this, it was my moment.  
2014 Thailand Learning Abroad Blog

Thai Cooking Class

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On Monday December 30 we went to a Thai cooking school. We learned how to cook four traditional Thai dishes, including green curry and Pad Thai. This was a great experience! The class was both helpful and eye opening. It was helpful by showing us what ingredients went into some of the popular dishes here in Thailand. This is also helpful for us so we can know what we’re eating and not be afraid of the foods we will be eating for the next few weeks. Our teacher was hilarious and made the experience all the more enjoyable. The class opened my eyes and showed me just how simple cooking Thai food can be. I feel like I can be a master Thai chef now and can’t wait to try making some of the dishes when I return home! (:

Holly demonstrating how cooking Thai food is not a strength of hers. She dropped an egg.                                      

2014 Thailand Learning Abroad Blog

Post #1- First Impressions

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After leaving the airport and getting on the bus to the first hotel in Bangkok, I was in awe, I couldn’t believe we were finally in Thailand. Getting off the bus at the hotel, the first thing that I noticed was the smell. It was not a pleasant smell at all. I’ve been to New York City before and that’s all I could think about. Just the smell of a dirty city. I was exhausted, so it felt nice to actually sleep in a bed finally. In the morning I couldn’t believe breakfast was outside. It was so nice to be able to eat breakfast outside in the beginning of winter. 

Becca and I went out and explored around our hotel until we had our meeting. For being a big city it was so quite compared to big cities in America. We were stopped by a Thai man on the corner of the street, and he spoke with us and asked where we were going. We told him we were from America and had an hour to walk around. He gave us directions to the river and a park, even though we didn’t have time to walk there. When we departed he wished us luck and hoped we’d love Thailand. A few minutes later a man in a  Tuk Tuk stoppd us and told us, “20 Baht and I will take you around the whole city!” It was so cute, but we had to decline. I was surprised how the taxi and tuk tuk drivers openly ask if you need a ride. In America I feel like it’s such a struggle trying to get a taxi, and it’s so expensive! 
After being in Chiang Mai the past few days, I’ve noticed how nice and helpful the people are here too. It’s nothing like in big cities in the States. I was very surprised by some Thai’s english. It really makes me feel ignorant that I can’t speak another language. 
So, far my overall first impression is how nice the Thai people are. It’s only been about a week now, and I’m already in love with Thailand. Chiang Mai and it’s people are beautiful. I can’t wait to explore more.

2014 Thailand Learning Abroad Blog

First Impressions

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America is loud! Bangkok a city of about 6.3 million people has every ability to be loud, and as weird as it sounds, the traffic even seemed quiet.  I began to notice that when our group was on the sky train, or even walking down the street we were twice as loud as any sound nearby.  
When on the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai I woke up early in the morning around 5am.  As I opened my window shade we were just puling up to a station.  I saw stray dogs fighting, people sleeping on benches, small fires lit to keep warm in houses made from wood and tin, and piles and piles of trash.  I believe the most shocking feeling observed in Thailand so far is that such great poverty can exist only steps away from the fanciest store on the street, or in the alley next to the highest class hotel.  My mind has not even begun to wrap around this new and beautiful culture I am experiencing.  While I see so much need here, my heart breaks as I think about how blessed I am, how much I have been given, and how many opportunities have been offered to me. 
As part of the assignments for class we are encouraged to read Travels Tales Thailand.  One quote that really struck me was,”…it is my firm belief that travel involves experiences not sights.  Real travel is coming across people whose viewpoints are completely different from your own, finding out that you still have much in common, that you can communicate regardless–and that you can learn a lot.  Travel is transformation–if the trip shook your ideas up, if the experience changed you, then the journey was a success.”–Michael Buckley
This simple statement really changed the way I hope to experience this trip, it is not just about the amazing sights, it is so much about the people and the culture and beginning to understand not only the Thai culture but to better understand my own as well.  I hope very much that by the end of this trip my ideas are shook up, and that I am a changed person.

2014 Thailand Learning Abroad Blog

Awakening

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My second day in Thailand was filled with excitement. To my surprise, Bangkok is quite large in size. Although I was not able to find any Hmong Thai, I was able to see how many Thai people conduct themselves in public. Unlike the Americans, I noticed that Thai people had a much slower pace when it came to walking in public. As I head to Chiang Mai, I know that I am one step closer to my goal of meeting some Hmong Thai people and one step closer to my people, the Hmong.
In the beautiful city of Chiang Mai (New City), there is much to see and much to do and on my second day I was able to get one step closer to answering my question on the similarities and differences of  the Hmong Thai and Hmong Americans. Before I begin, I would like to share something about myself and why I am haunted by this question……  
Growing up in the small town of Syracuse, New York, I wondered about who I was and where I belong in the world a question my parents often asked themselves. We were not Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, or many of the other common Asian groups but for some reason we were clumped together. With no land, no country, and no way to define who the Hmong were, we considered ourselves the “lost people”. To this day, identity is a huge concern for the Hmong as many of them struggle to redefine themselves in regards to their new country. 
……… In the Sunday market of Chiang Mai, I found my a Hmong Thai lady selling hand-crafted goods with traditional Hmong patterns on her goods. I was hesitant to talk to her in Hmong but my desire to find the answers I seek took over. Before I knew it, we were talking in our native tongue. We smiled during our conversation as we talked about our similarities and differences often noting the differences in our accents. Meeting this lady reminded me of home and the struggles and challenges my parents faced in America trying to start over and conforming to the dominant culture in order to survive. With one step closer to answering my personal question, I slowly piece the puzzle pieces together…
   
2014 Thailand Learning Abroad Blog

Thailand’s Surprise

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When we first landed in Bangkok, the feeling of being 8,000 plus miles away from home did not hit me. To my surprise, I felt very much at home aside from the occasional swifts of sewer smells. It wasn’t until we arrived to Chiang Mai that I felt disconnected and detached from home. This is because unlike Bangkok’s city atmosphere, Chiang Mai is filled with a traditional and natural atmosphere with coconut trees around every corner…well, almost every corner.

Bangkok
Chiang Mai
Although both cities brought different feelings within me, my impression of the people of Thailand remains the same. One thing that particularly captured my attention about the Thai people is their knowledge of the English language. Before coming to Thailand, I truly believed language would be my biggest barrier to indulging its culture. However, I was proven wrong. Many Thailand natives not only understood English, but spoke it as well. And although their English was not perfect, it motivated me to communicate with them in English.

It would be premature of me to say that surprises of the Thai people are of the past!

Chue 
2014 Thailand Learning Abroad Blog

Post by Katelyn S.

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Sawatdee Ka!

This has been an amazing experience so far. Traveling so far from home really allows me to reflect on my own lifestyle and appreciate  things that I so often take for granted such as fresh running water or the cleanliness of the streets and community. Everyday so far has been full of experience that force you to think of your own life. One thing that I have noticed about the Thai people we have had the opportunity to connect with is the genuine generosity that they show. Everyone always greets you with a warm smile and are every open and welcoming. For example when walking through Bangkok, a sweet local women came up to us and asked about us and took the time to help us find what we were looking for she also suggest other places for us to go. This generosity and warm heartedness is something that I have noticed with all the people I have met so far. 
On our second day in Chaing Mai we had the opportunity to go to a Buddhist Temple for a monk chat. I was able to learn more about the philosophies of Buddhism from the monk we met, Kaka. One thing that he said that stuck out to me was that as humans suffering is an inevitable part of life, but showing our suffering to others is not always helpful. I like how he said “always smile to others as a way to spread love and kindness to others.” This part of Buddhism I have noticed all through out the community with the local people. When I think about home, this is something that I would say that I don’t see as much. It seems to me that in the U.S. suffering is more visible, it may affect a persons behavior and attitude towards others.
I am excited to continue this learning experience! 
(Oh and by the way I can officially say that I have gone to the bathroom through a hole in the floor on the moving train! When in Thailand 🙂
2014 Thailand Learning Abroad Blog

Post #2 by Tom Lonergan

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After a few days getting settled in Chiang Mai, I’m finally starting to get the feel of Thailand. Multiple trips to the night markets have shown me hundreds of booths but not a lot of variety in the products they sell. Riding to the market hanging off the back of a truck full of people made me feel like a little kid again. The experience of both the market and the ride to the market makes me wish laws back in the U.S. were more lax, it makes things more fun. Cooking class brought me back to my very first job cooking at a Mongolian grill, and the food was very good. The monk chat was very interesting to me as someone who is not religious at all. The Buddhist philosophy is something I can see myself looking into a lot more and meditation is a practice that has interested me for a long time. I cannot wait to experience the new year here in Chiang Mai and am beyond excited for all the activities that lie ahead in 2014 here in Thailand.