Trekking Day 3

We woke up early for breakfast at the park at 8:00 today. Some weird porridge was for breakfast, but it tasted pretty good. Then we left for trekking at 9:00! First we walked through the forest to see some waterfalls. On the way there I saw 2 dead scorpions on the road! The forest was beautiful, and the trails were nice. We ended up seeing the same waterfalls we had seen yesterday, but from the other side! The tour guides took us to another waterfall level that was beautiful! The water was clear and there were so many fish! The fish were pretty big and the guides told us we could stick our feet in the water and let the fish eat off the dead skin!

Afterwards we headed to a different park where some ancient caves existed deep in the forest. We went from park to park while sitting in the back of pick up trucks. That was one of my favorite parts of the trip so far! The views were phenomenal! We could see mountains covered in trees, a huge dam, and a variety of Thai houses. We arrived at the park and had a great lunch of fried rice, eggs, chicken, and vegetables. The tour guide told us the hike from the base area to the cave was 600 meter, but he failed to mention that it was 600 meters of steep stairs. My legs were DYING! It may have been one of the most physically taxing things I have ever done. The outside of the cave at the top was beautiful! There was gorgeous flora and fauna and the cave itself sported stalagmites and stalactites galore! Unfortunately, I did not go into the cave. Although I have been in caves before, this cave really scared me because the entrance was itsy bitsy! It was the sixe of a small doorway and only one person at a time could fit through. I decided to pass because situations like that freak me out, and I know I wouldn’t be able to enjoy what was inside if I was freaking out about getting back out safely. Apparently the inside was very spacious; a big room with 30 meter tall ceilings! 

After hiking, a bunch of us went to get some ice cream and get changed for swimming in the river. I had the most delicious strawberry ice cream that I have ever had! Unfortunately, I hadn’t brought a swimsuit because I didn’t realize swimming would be an option. Most of us just swam in our clothes. The water was so pretty and there were fish everywhere! I let the fish bite off the dead skin cells on the bottom of my feet. Most people didn’t like it, but I didn’t mind. It just felt a little tickly. On our way to the river we got an unexpected surprise, Monkeys! There were monkeys just hanging out in the trees surrounding the river. It was absolutely unreal to be swimming in a gorgeous natural river, with waterfalls on either side, and monkeys jumping through the trees above me. I also swam back and stood behind the waterfall! On my way back into the swimming hole I hit my leg on a rock and got scratched up pretty well, so that was the end of swimming for me.

Trekking Day 2

For our second day at the floating markets, a bunch of other SEAS students and I got up early to watch the monks receive alms. I was really glad I got a chance to do this because it is a bug part of buddhist culture, but we could never get to the city quick enough to see it in Bangkok. I went to the riverside around 6:20 in the morning. The monks paddled their boats up to the lobby of our hotel (which was open to the river) and people went down to give alms in exchange for prayer. Once a monk was done receiving alms at a certain location, he would speak a prayer for those people. The prayer was spoken in Thai and was absolutely beautiful to hear! I went back to sleep for a couple of hours after that, and then woke up to see the market alive in the day. We ordered some food for breakfast off of a boat! The boat complete with all the ingredients necessary for cook Thai food and rowed right up to the hotel. I’m not quite sure what I ordered, but it was so spicy I couldn’t even finish it! After relaxing by the river for a couple more minutes, I went to get packed up for our next adventure! We took a bus to a different floating market, that was much more touristy. The first one wasn’t really touristy at all! After looking around at all the landed vendors, we hoped on a boat to see the floating vendors. There were entire stores on little canoes! I was feeling sick from the motion of the boat, so I hoped off early, but not before buying some bananas from a women on her own boat who rowed up next to us. After getting off the boat I decided I needed to relax for a little while and got a massage while sipping water in hopes of feeling better. The massage wasn’t as great as the professional ones I’ve gotten here in Thailand, but it was still nice. I did a little more shopping and bought a Carolina Blue bracelet before we embarked on the long drive to Kanchanaburi.

We got settled into our bungalows at Erawan National Park around 4:30, and then went to do a little bit of exploring! We found some beautiful waterfalls and some of the boys went swimming in the clear blue water. I eventually gave in and jumped into the water with my clothes on. After getting cleaned up we went to have a delicious feast prepared by a restaurant at the national park; we finished the night with a group game of fishbowl!

Trekking Day 1

Today we left Salaya and headed off to our side trip for the Thailand portion of the trip. I wasn’t too excited for this one, because we have had a lot of work to do and I have been very stressed out. Plus after the disaster that was Brunei, I wasn’t expecting much.

I started off the day on the wrong foot. My roommate Helena and I slept through our alarms and woke up five minutes after the group was supposed to leave to the sound of Dr. Tsin pounding on our door. Luckily I had already packed and the group was on our way 20 minutes after I got out of bed!

Our first stop was an elementary school in a more rural area outside of Bangkok. It was the most incredible experience of this trip so far! Most of the children had never seen foreigners before. They were adorable, so excited to see us, and so energetic. I was sad I couldn’t speak more Thai; it would have been nice to communicate with the children more! Many of the older ones had been taught to shake our hands and say “hello, nice to meet you” or “what is your name?”. I learned how to say “Pi Chu Kristin”, or “My name is Kristin”. Playing with the children was so rewarding and fun. The school gave us a delicious lunch of traditional Thai fruits, veggies, rice, and more! Then we went into the school so that the 9th graders could show us what they were up to during the school day. Once a student reaches 9th grade, they learn vocational training. There were workshops for sewing, cooking, making fermented eggs, carpentry, and electrical work. It was interesting to see that the students were learning so many vocational skills in school, but it was sad to hear that many students don’t continue their education past 9th grade, and that is why the vocational training is so important. Pi Da, the lady who is in charge of coordinating our program through Mahidol University, had attended that school as a child and gave the students a speech in Thai urging them to continue their education. She used us as examples and I really hope the children took it to heart!

Next we went to a high school nearby! After nomming on some delicious traditional Thai desserts and watching Thai dancing, Pi Da asked us to pair up with a Thai student and help them practice English! I ended up talking with three Thai girls who were 16 and 17 years old. One was significantly better at English than the other two. There seemed to be an apathy for learning english among the other ones, and they had trouble understanding a lot of what I was saying. However, I understand their pain because I hated learning Spanish! It was fun to learn about the everyday lived of the Thai girls and what their school is like. They are ver similar to American girls, actually!

Next we headed to our final destination for the day, the floating markets! We checked into our hotel, which is a really neat little ned and breakfast right on the water. And when I say on the water, I mean literally, on the water! We ordered our dinner off of a boat and ended up with some delicious noodles and prawns. After walking around the shops for a little bit we headed back to the hotel to catch a firefly tour boat. The tour was amazing! we were taken down the Mekong river, where the riverflies gather on trees and look like christmas lights in the dark! After relaxing for a little bit in the lobby of the hotel (which is actually outside) I headed off to bed! Good night:)

Thai Massage

After our group trip to UNESCO, Sara Bush, Brenna, Leeann and I went to try out some traditional Thai massage. We took the Skytrain to Asoke and spent a couple minutes trying to follow the confusing Thai version of Google Maps before we found Healthland Spa. My first impression was “There is no way these massages can be only $15 USD, this place looks so nice!”. It was a gorgeous multi-story white colonial looking building with its own parking area (a luxury in the city). Upon entering, I was even more impressed; it reminded me of the nice spa I had been to in Southlake. We were informed that there was a one hour wait, and decided to stick it out on the comfy couches on the lobby. I got some rose water and tried to ignore my extreme hunger. Luckily, we got called in for my massage in no time! A massage therapist had us sit and take off our shoes; she provided us with little slippers to wear. Then she took us up to our massage room on the 6th floor (yes, that means 6 floors of massages). We got funny little silk outfits to change into and then laid down on our comfy mattresses on the floor before the massage therapists came in. 

I can safely say it was nothing like any massage I have gotten in the states. She started off with my legs and feet while I was lying on my stomach. Then she moved to my arms and my back. After a short break, I flipped over and laid in her lap, while she worked on my face neck and shoulders. Last but not least she did all these weird stretches with me. Some people equated the whole process to having someone do yoga for you. It took two hours total. I felt like she was using a foam roller on my muscles for much of the session, but it still felt amazing. Also, Thai masseuses don’t use any oil, just their bar hands. She massaged every part of my body that could possibly be massaged using really weird techniques! I felt so relaxed during the massage despite the intense pain and tickling at points. Leeann, on the other hand, was yelping of pain throughout the first 20 minutes.

I enjoyed the massage so much that I went to go get another one the next day with Paul, Madeline, and Anne. When a two-hour massage costs 450 Baht, or 15 USD, it is hard to resist getting them again and again! We went to the Pinklao location of Healthland this time, because it is much closer to Mahidol (but still not really close). I had a slightly different experience. The masseuse used different techniques, but the basic structure of the massage was the same.

The next Friday, Leeann and I wanted to go shopping, but found out that they place we were headed was close while we were in the taxi on the way there. We decided to hit up Healthland Pinklao again. This time, we got foot reflexology treatments. It was a little over $8 USD for one hour! The foot reflexology was amazing, I was so relaxed and felt refreshed after that. I also got a massage that weekend at one of the floating markets, but it was not nearly as nice.

I have officially decided after so much massage and relaxation, that what I am going to miss most about Thailand is the affordable massages.

Cocktails and Cabaret

On Wednesday night, Pooja, Leeann, Mariah, Olivia and I went out for a night on the town. We started out with some delicious pizza at a little Italian place in Bangkok. It actually tasted like real, western pizza and was for sure the best pizza I have had so far in Asia. 

Then, we headed up to the Skybar, where The Hangover 2 was filmed. I have never seen The Hangover 2, but hopefully I will recognize the bar if I do see it! The bar is on the 63rd floor of the Lebua Hotel. I don’t think the whole building is a hotel, because that would be a a lot of rooms. The bar is completely open air and situated on the edge of the roof of the hotel. The view was amazing; I could see all of Bangkok so clearly! I think it was definitely better (and scarier) than Marina Bay sands in Singapore. I ordered a ‘Pink on the Roof’ and sipped it while enjoying views of the Chao Praya River and all of Bangkok.

Next we grabbed a cab and headed over to the Calypso Cabaret at the Asia Hotel to see a show. Cabarets here in Thailand are a little different than those in america. In Thailand, all the dancers are boys; some are boys dressed up like girls, some are boys dressed like boys, and some are ‘ladyboys’, or transvestides. We ended up getting front row seats; they were some of the only ones left in the theatre, so we were really lucky. The show was very entertaining and funny. Some of the ladyboys were so convincing looking, I couldn’t believe they were every boys!

Exploring the Chao Phraya River

Monday I went with Brenna, Calvary, and Emily for some exploring of the Chao Phraya river! The Chao Phraya river runs down the heart of Bangkok, and then upwards towards Ayutthaya. We started by taking a taxi to the Madarin Oriental Hotel. The hotel was beautiful! Exotic flowers and oriental hardwood furniture adorned the lobby. We went outside and saw palms and orchids shielding the private pool. Unfortunately, I think it was pretty obvious that we didn’t belong there, and we were shooed away by the people working in the lobby. It was actually the most unwelcome I have ever felt at any hotel!

After scurrying from the hotel, we found the oriental pier next door, where we caught an express water taxi down river. The water taxis are medium sized ferry boats that Thai people use to travel down river. Our first stop was at Memorial Bridge, where we went looking for Wat Rajaburana and Red Chinese Temple. They were part of the same complex, and we found them, but for some reason the temple had been converted into a parking lot? We were so confused! The temple was one of the prettiest temples I have seen in Southeast Asia so far! We tried to take pictures, but some guys in the parking lot started walking towards us, so we ran away quickly!

We hoped back on the river taxi and headed to Tha Tien. It turned out that we were at the same port we had been to on the day we went to the Grand Palace and Wat Po. Our group was really excited about that because there had been some great shopping. We took a quick shopping break and I got some beautiful ceramic wear and a teak wood carving. Next we took a cross river taxi to Wat Arun, or the temple of dawn. We didn’t go inside the temple because we were trying to conserve our baht, but it was amazing to see it from the outside! The temple is so intricate and beautifully designed it is unreal!

We took another cross-river taxi back to Tha Tien and hopped on a tuk-tuk to visit the Golden Mount. The golden mount is a large shrine built on an artificial hill. It is the only place to get a birds-eye view of the old city because high rise buildings are prohibited in the area. As we ascended the 300 steps to the top, there were gorgeous flowers and various small shrines. Additionally, we could here the prayers projected from the surrounding monastery as we climbed. The view from the top was spectacular. We could see the Bangkok skyline in the background, so many wats, people playing soccer on a rooftop, and more!

Unfortunately, we got caught in Bangkok 5 o’clock traffic for the first time, and it took almost and hour to get back to Mahidol. I was glad to have checked so many great sites of off my list though!

Ayutthaya

For our second weekend in Thailand we headed to Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Thailand. First we stopped off at a museum to learn about the history and culture of ancient Ayutthaya. Then we went to the Elephant Palace and Royal Kraal to ride some elephants! We got to go on the ‘elephant taxis’, which were quick elephant rides around a big lake and some of Ayutthaya’s ruins. Leeann and I sat on a little seat on the elephants back while a man sat on the back of his head and controlled the elephant with his feet. It felt like riding on a boat, because with every step the elephant took I would rock back and forth. Afterwards some people became upset because they thought that riding the elephants and making them do tricks was inhumane. Although it was a little weird to see elephants living in a city and sitting on concrete slabs, I had to think about the circumstances at the elephant kraal in terms of the current elephant situation in Thailand. It is really sad to think that the elephant’s natural habitat is being destroyed, and elephants are being hunted in the wild. However, I am glad that the elephants can live through the conservation efforts of the Thai people. Elephant conservation efforts will be a good cause to look into in the future, when I actually have internet access!

Next we went to look at the ruins of Ayutthaya. It was absolutely amazing! There were wats upon temples upon palaces of decayed brick structures and concrete Buddhas without heads or limbs. It was crazy to see such a place and imagine what it had been like at its prime. Unfortunately, many of the sites had been damaged by the great floods that swept through Thailand last year. However, they were being repaired. Seeing Ayutthaya and learning about all of the history and culture that was involved with this great city was incredible!

Thai Boxing

On Friday we had Thai boxing class hosted by a professional boxer and a younger man who did Thai boxing at MUIC. I didn’t really know what made Thai boxing so different from other types of boxing that I have seen before, and I am still not sure I know exactly what makes it different. 

We started out with some stretches and basic techniques. I was really excited to try my moves out on a partner once he started teaching us the combat techniques. Maili was my partner for most of the time, but I floated around so that I could attack other people as well. The techniques are hard to describe in writing, but there was definitely a focus on self-defense and keeping the body’s center of gravity close to the ground. I thought it was tons of fun to use my boxing moves on the others and combine the different techniques in combat, I tried not to hurt anyone too much though!

Here is a fun video entitled Thai Boxing v. Taekwando, so that you can see what the sport is all about!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8VnFb5KFj0

Chinatown/Bonding with a Monk

Blair, Brenna, Calvary, Pooja, Maili, Emily, and I headed to Chinatown on Monday. Our original plan got a bit derailed because we missed the bus stop we were supposed to get off on. We were only on stop too late, so we decided to take cabs to Yarowat Road in Chinatown. We split up to get into the cabs and I ended up with Emily and Maili on a cab taking us through an unexpected tour of the city. We thought we were very close to Chinatown, because we were only one stop too late, but I guess either both our taxi drivers decided to rip us off, or we were farther away than we thought. Even if he was trying to rip us off, I was glad that he did. We saw amazing, majestic looking buildings and huge pictures of diplomats and royals that seem to grace every street corner here in Bangkok. We finally made it to Chinatown, but the other cab wasn’t there yet, so we decided to do some exploring on our own.

Yarowat road was exactly what you would imagine in a Chinatown. Street vendors telling Chinese and Thai food, pomegranates, durians, and coconuts. Huge red signs in Chinese characters popping out from the buildings. After taking in the sights, we decided to turn down a little side street that honestly didn’t look too interesting. I wanted to stay on the main road, but I decided to follow Maili down the little road. That road revealed a system of little back roads, where cars couldn’t fit but motorcycles and tuk-tuks could and did. There were streets lined with people selling fruits, veggies, tea, herbs, seafood, and everything else that is edible. We walked down a street where every tiny little shop was selling shoes! Unfortunately, most of the vendors selling jewelry and clothes were closing up by the time we got there around 6:00 pm. 

We stumbled upon some really amazing Chinese temples hidden within the streets. One of my favorites featured a gorgeous Chinese temple as a background to a volleyball court in the middle of the backroads of Chinatown. It seemed as if it must have been some sort of community center because their were kids and adults all over the small concrete area playing sports and riding scooters.

We then went to meet the rest of our group at Wat Chakrawat. On the way there I experienced my first Tuk Tuk ride! For those of you who don’t know, a Tuk Tuk is a colorful golfcart type thing, but it is much less safe than a golfcart. However, it is so much fun! Feeling the wind in my hair as we wizzed through the streets of Chinatown and Little India.

When we arrived at Wat Chakrawat, I received a text from the rest of the group saying they were going to do there own thing. We were a little frustrated at first, because we had gone out of our way to meet them at the temple, and it seemed to be in an area with not a lot going on. We decided to make the most of the situation and visit the wat, then head back to where we originally were.

Walking through the road of the wat we, saw a few monks in their saffron robes. I always love seeing monks; it is neat to see them buying things in markets and taking water taxis with their bare feet (sometimes they wear flip flops), shaved heads, and unmistakeable orange robes. Maili decided to ask one of the monks if we could take a picture with him! Maili is always doing crazy things like that, and I am always becoming embarrassed of the things she says. However, in this case, the monk nodded his head in agreement. We all posed with the monk. Women are not allowed to touch monks; I am not really sure why, but he monks believe that they will be polluted if a women touches them. It is very serious for the monks. So we posed next to him, without touching him. Afterwards he started speaking to us in English! He asked us a few questions about where we were from in very slow english. He also told us that he was studying english and held up a Thai to English work book that he had in his hands.

We thanked him for the picture and went on our way, but then Maili asked if we could go inside the courtyard that was next to the monastery. “Oh no” I thought, Maili is being Maili again. I followed her inside, and the monk sat us down at a table. We started talking more and ended up having an hour long conversation with him! His name is Santirat Phaangmali, or ‘One’ for short. Almost all Thai people have nicknames because their first names are extremely long and difficult to pronounce. His nickname was “One” because he is an only child. We talked to him about life in the monastery and Thai culture. He has been in the monastery since he was 10 years old and he is now 20. He teaches younger monks during the day and is studying linguistics. He really wanted to be fluent in English, and he was well on his way. He had only been studying English for one month and already knew a considerable amount! I was very impressed! He could communicate to us relatively effectively, however he had trouble understanding us. At one point he went inside to get a pad of paper and pen so that we could write down what we wanted to say and he could read it.

It was so interesting talking to One. First of all, because he was a monk, and second of all because he was learning English and he had such a desire to learn. The only city he knew in America was Chicago, which we thought was interesting because we would think most people only know New York or Los Angeles. He gave us his email and we gave him ours, and he also friended us on Facebook! Yes, apparently monks have Facebook. I put a picture of One talking to Emily and Maili on Facebook and a bunch of other monks commented on it in Thai!

After talking to One for an hour we headed back to Yaorowat Road for some yummy street food! It was a great night, and talking to the monk was an unforgettable experience! 

Weekend Market

On my first Sunday in Bangkok I headed to the Chatachuk weekend market with Leeann, Brenna, and Mariah. The market is in a way just what it sounds like, a market that is only open on the weekends. But it is so much more than that. First of all, it is enormous! You could probably be there from 6 am to 6 pm all weekend and still not see it all. We hoped off the Skytrain and headed right into the market to shop! 

The market is essentially a large collection of long stalls with vendors squeezed inside. You can buy anything at the market, absolutely anything! From fine Thai handicraft to pirated movies, jewelry, animals, you name it! Luckily, in the first set of stalls we entered, the vendors were selling scarfs, wooden carvings, and other Thai items that a tourist would find entertaining (or at least we did). I bought scarfs (my count is up to about 9 now), and some gifts for my family and friends. 

The next sets of stalls we went into were not so great. Most vendors were selling mens clothing. We decided to head back after only exploring a tiny fraction of the market because we weren’t having great luck with picking stalls. It was still amazing and overwhelming in a good way though. Later I learned that the market has a map that accompanies it, to show which stalls sell which items. I guess I should have done my research beforehand!

Historical Bangkok

Our first Saturday in Thailand we went as a group to the Grand Palace, Wat Po, and the Siam Museum. It was really my first experience in Bangkok, because prior to that I had only been to a huge mall called MBK. The Skytrain lets out right into MBK, so I hadn’t been outside in Bangkok before! On the way there we saw vendors and shops lining the streets selling amulets, elephants and buddha sculptures, and more! I also had my first monk sighting, when I saw a monk buying something from a street vendor!

Outside and inside the Grand Palace were so crowded and crazy! Tourists and tour buses lined the roads outside of the palace. People selling everything from umbrellas to hats and postcards kept coming up to me asking me to buy their goods. Once inside the palace grounds, things got only slightly better crowd-wise, but there were much better things to look at. The Palace is huge, and absolutely beautiful! There are buildings upon buildings decorated with ceramics and glass of all colors. Shrines and statues were everywhere; there was even a model of Angkor Wat! 

Next stop was Wat Po. In Thai, Wat means temple. When we got off the bus at Wat Po, I was very confused; it looked exactly like the Palace! I thought we had just driven around in circles. The Wat was beautiful, decorated very similarly to the Grand Palace, but filled with endless Buddhas! The Wat features an enormous reclining Buddha, along with other shrines of Buddhas is various stances.

After viewing Buddhas and Shrines built by various kings, we went to a nearby market to eat lunch. I ate at a restaurant overlooking the Chao Praya river with a great view of the Temple of Dawn. There was also some great shopping, but I wasn’t feeling too well so I mostly just looked.

Next it was time for the Siam Museum. The Siam Museum explores the history of Thailand and its people. The museum was very well put together and interesting, but at that point in the day, I was so exhausted, I couldn’t enjoy the museum as much as I would have liked too.

Friday Market

Every friday at Mahidol there is a big street food/clothes/accessories/everything else you need market, known as the Friday Market! We spent about 15 minutes just walking through the long rows of stalls selling everything from durian and lychee to pad thai, meat, doughnuts (which are a big thing here?), cakes, and more! After taking it all in, I decided to go back and get some noodle dish, a pork sausage on a stick, doughnuts for later, and some sort of vegetable patty. The pork sausage was not my favorite, but the noodles and vegetable patty were delicious! and everything was about 30 baht, which is the equivalent of 1 US dollar! The doughnuts were 8 for 20 baht, which means they were less than 7 cents a piece! After enjoying our food we noticed that there was another section with clothes, jewelry, and accessories galore for very low prices! Unfortunately, I was all out of baht and did have a chance to get to an ATM, so I was stuck just looking. However, I vowed to come back the next week with some spending money, and I did. The next week we were all so excited to go back to the Friday Market, but when we got to the place it had been located the week before, it was no where to be found. Upset, we went looking for a new place to have lunch, and luckily stumbled across the market set up in a new location! I had Satay, which is seasoned meat on a stick and then was ready to go shopping! It is hard to shop there because you can’t really try things on, but I managed to find things that I thought/hoped would work. I came back to my room with a dress, 3 shirts, and a belt; I got all of it for less than 30 US dollars! Lucky for me, everything fit really well, except for one shirt. The shirt doesn’t fit perfectly, but I could still wear it, or give it too my sister. So I feel very satisfied with my purchases from the Friday Market! I am sad that we will be on a trip next friday, and won’t get to go back.

Sawatdee Ka Thailand!

Sawatdee Ka! That means hello in Thai. I don’t think I have ever received a warmer welcome than what my peers and I got here at Mahidol University on the outskirts on Bangkok, Thailand. After putting our suitcases in the rooms of our accommodations for the next three weeks, the Salaya Pavilion Hotel. The hotel serves as a training center for students majoring in tourism and hospitality, so it is on the top floor of the Mahidol University International College, or MUIC. It also happens to be a 4 star hotel, so that’s awesome.

We made our way downstairs for dinner and were greeted by a host of Mahidol students  smearing some sort of white liquidy substance onto our faces and handing us fresh flowers that were fashioned into necklaces and bracelets. We sat down to listen to a short speech by Plai Kunjara, one of our hosts here in Thailand. He is absolutely precious and so friendly! He arranged for us see performances by traditional Thai dancers while we ate our traditional Thai meal. The food was great, but very, very spicy! We also got some impromptu performances from the martial arts club, American dance club, and cheerleaders. All of the groups were practicing in the big common space below MUIC and gladly shared their talents with us. The American dance club was what we would call a hip-hop dance team; they were really good! The cheerleaders were very different than American cheerleaders. They did very slow, movements and mostly used their arms. The lower body was hardly ever used, except to turn.

After our meal we went for a quick tour mini tour of campus on our way to an on-campus drugstore. I could not believe how lively everything was! Students were everywhere, in their matching uniforms, sitting and chatting, studying, singing, you name it! It was so refreshing to find that the store had cheap toiletries! After the $10 Pantene shampoo in Singapore, I was ready for some lower prices, and that’s exactly what I got. However, I also got a lot of bottles with Thai instructions. Food and water was inexpensive also; we got a huge jug of water for our room for the equivalent of 1 US dollar!

Apparently some Korean pop-star was performing, or hanging out, or doing something in the forum area outside the store, known as the Learning Center. Students were gathered around, and suddenly took off running after him! I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on at the time, but it was crazy!

The next day we had introductory info sessions about the campus, Thai culture, and the Thai language. Then we went on a campus tour, led by Pin and Plai (our leaders here in Thailand) and some of their friends. Campus is beautiful! There is a lot of greenery (plus giant monitor lizards walking around - scary!) and it almost has a ‘zen’ feeling to it in my opinion. It was awesome to some Buddhists shrines too!

Final Thoughts on Singapore

I actually never thought I would say this, but I didn’t want to leave Singapore. I was expecting a big city that was clean and where I would get caned for chewing gum. What I got was a wonderfully unique city unlike anything in the United States where I could actually chew gum (just not buy it or stick it places) and do a million other fun and enlightening activities and have experiences that I will never forget.

The city was clean, amazingly clean for such a large city. It reminded me of Town Square in Southlake, TX on a much, much larger scale. The MRT (subway) can take you just about anywhere you want to go for less than two dollars. I always felt safe. I never felt nervous walking around by myself. I never felt a need to clutch my purse to my body more than usual (Of course I wasn’t doing anything stupid, liking walking by myself very late, or going to places I shouldn’t). It’s almost like living in a fantasy land. I still don’t know how such an enormous place is so clean and safe all the time.

The cultural spots were all new and interesting experiences. Temples, mosques, and cathedrals were everywhere. Chinatown, Arab Street, Holland Village, and Little Indian were ironically all exactly what I would have expected. The museums were interesting, informative, and well put together. Anything put together by the government was just ridiculous, in a good way.

On the non-academic side, Singapore is such a fun place to be. Clarke Quay is just inexplicably incredible. The giant lighted umbrellas protecting club-goers from rain, the colorful lights reflecting against the river, the seemingly unlimited possibilities to make the night memorable. The beach party at Sentosa felt like someone picked me up and put me in a movie. It was something I didn’t realize could actually exist in real life. Singaporeans, expats, and tourists celebrating on a beach with DJ, pool, girls spinning fire, and much more. Strolling downtown, at night, when the hot sticky air turned into a cool breeze by the river. Zouk, the Butter Factory, Timbre, all provide unforgettable memories and experiences that I am not sure can be toped in America.

Singapore is a city of surprises around every corner. I am still not sure if I could live there, because of the housing situation, but it is close to my definition of a perfect city. I will, without a doubt, hop on the first chance I get to come back.

Back on U.S Soil!

Hey everyone,
Sorry for taking such a long break! I had terrible internet reception while in Thailand and it was very difficult for me to put up posts. However, I wrote everything I wanted to say on word documents and am putting it all up now for y'all to catch up! Enjoy:)