Today I rode the bus alone for the first time. I have ridden the bus a couple of times before with Gap or my host family, but never by myself.
I don't have a problem with sky trains or subways but buses concern me. Sky trains and subways run on the same route each day and are predictable. Buses are the opposite.
You don't know what time they will come, you don't know if they will stop at your stop and there is always a 50% chance you are on the wrong bus. For instance, I ride bus 64 home from the nonthaburi market. Bus 64 with no air conditioning. Bus 64 with air conditioning will take me into some obscure corner of Bangkok. So i have to be pretty careful.
So, as one can imagine, I was really nervous to take the bus into Bangkok today.
But, as predicted, it went just fine.
Once I'm on the bus, I'm really comfortable. I like taking public transportation. Not for the odd looks from strangers or from the smell of the old seat cushions. But because taking the bus makes me feel like a city person. And I like to feel like a city person.
Now that I have taken the bus in Thailand, I will most definitely be using public transportation in Washington.
Compared to Thailand, everything in America seems so safe!
Books: I HAVE BOOKS NOW! Finished listening to chpt 6 of sherlock holmes, started listening to the tragedy of hamlet, reading Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. It's really good, I started reading it yesterday and I'm already on page 62!
Thai: a-roy..............delicious
Friday, September 7, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Help
The foreign teachers at my school have told me that Thailand is completely opposite. At first I didn't totally believe them, thinking 'there has to be some similarities'. Boy was I wrong.
Everything in Thailand is different.
Everything.
There is another teacher at my school from America. Today he told me a story, a story about "cultural differences".
One day my teacher, Chris, was riding the bus. He noticed that a person was laying in the middle of the road, as he had fallen off his bike and had a scraped knee and leg. He also noticed that no one was helping the man. All the cars were serving around him and the pedestrians just walked past him. So, Chris got off the bus and helped the man move to the side off the road, helped him out a little. Then he got back on the bus. All the people on the bus were looking at him like he was crazy.
They asked him why he helped the man.
Chris thought two things. One having gone to law school, thought about the good Samaritan law. And two, he thought that it was just a nice and considerate thing to do.
They said, "Why are you helping him? If he dies the man's blood is on your hands."
That is the Thai culture.
They believe if you fail at helping a man, even if you try as hard as you can, the man's misfortune or in a most case scenario, death, is your fault.
So they don't even try to help people at all.
I don't think so.
I believe that if you don't try to help a person who is in trouble when you can, you have the bloody hands.
I don't believe that this has anything to do with cultural aspects or opinions. Because the facts are that there will always be a slight chance that you will fail at helping someone but there is also the chance of prevailing.
There is a very fine line between beliefs of a "culture" and "human rights" or "universal ethics". I am not one to judge on what crosses that line. But I know that I will try my hardest to help whoever is in need whenever I can.
Everything in Thailand is different.
Everything.
There is another teacher at my school from America. Today he told me a story, a story about "cultural differences".
One day my teacher, Chris, was riding the bus. He noticed that a person was laying in the middle of the road, as he had fallen off his bike and had a scraped knee and leg. He also noticed that no one was helping the man. All the cars were serving around him and the pedestrians just walked past him. So, Chris got off the bus and helped the man move to the side off the road, helped him out a little. Then he got back on the bus. All the people on the bus were looking at him like he was crazy.
They asked him why he helped the man.
Chris thought two things. One having gone to law school, thought about the good Samaritan law. And two, he thought that it was just a nice and considerate thing to do.
They said, "Why are you helping him? If he dies the man's blood is on your hands."
That is the Thai culture.
They believe if you fail at helping a man, even if you try as hard as you can, the man's misfortune or in a most case scenario, death, is your fault.
So they don't even try to help people at all.
I don't think so.
I believe that if you don't try to help a person who is in trouble when you can, you have the bloody hands.
I don't believe that this has anything to do with cultural aspects or opinions. Because the facts are that there will always be a slight chance that you will fail at helping someone but there is also the chance of prevailing.
There is a very fine line between beliefs of a "culture" and "human rights" or "universal ethics". I am not one to judge on what crosses that line. But I know that I will try my hardest to help whoever is in need whenever I can.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Oblivion
This morning, I had Thai lessons.
I was so happy that I am finally learning some Thai! Life will be so much easier! Although, today was tough.
Yesterday and the day before yesterday were the best days I've had in Thailand. It was so much fun to hang out with all my exchange friends and to talk in full English sentences! It was a high point point of my life in Thailand. But, what goes up, must come down.
Today, I woke up, and didn't want to get up. I didn't want to eat or move. I didn't even want to open my eyes, even to check the time.
I have been home sick here before. But not like this. Before it was a longing feeling.
Now it feels like I am not present. I am a hollow shell. A drone. A ghost. It feels like there are holes in my gut and chest. Empty holes. Black holes. Holes filled with oblivion.
Despite my despair, I got up, I showered and went to school. I listened to music on my ipod and said hello to my classmates.
Next, I went to Thai tutoring. I began to learn some new words and phrases when out of the blue my teacher asked me if I called my host mom 'Mom'.
I said no.
"What about your host daddy?"
I call him Chanan.
She then started speaking in Thai to all the other teachers in the room about me not calling my host parents mom and dad.
I just couldn't handle it.
It's hard enough to sit through people talking in Thai without understanding, but it feels really bad when you know what they're talking about but don't know what they're saying about it.
Tears filled my eyes.
I want to talk to my exchange friends. I want to be with my real Mom and Dad. My real parents understand how I function. They notice how I feel and know what I like and don't like. I want to talk in English and understand what people are saying.
The teacher noticed my watering eyes and said I didn't have to learn any more Thai today. I am thankful that she let me stop for today.
My next class was Sword Fighting, although the teacher had a meeting, so I didn't have that class today.
My next two classes were art. The teacher decided to go to the mall for the day.
So I sat at my Thai teachers' desk for three hours. She was teaching another class and said I could use her computer until lunch.
So I sat. I sat and watched Youtube videos. Video after mindless video.
I sat and tried to fill my holes of oblivion with the oblivion of the internet.
Book: The legend of sleepy hollows, half way done
Thai:chai...............................................................yes
I was so happy that I am finally learning some Thai! Life will be so much easier! Although, today was tough.
Yesterday and the day before yesterday were the best days I've had in Thailand. It was so much fun to hang out with all my exchange friends and to talk in full English sentences! It was a high point point of my life in Thailand. But, what goes up, must come down.
Today, I woke up, and didn't want to get up. I didn't want to eat or move. I didn't even want to open my eyes, even to check the time.
I have been home sick here before. But not like this. Before it was a longing feeling.
Now it feels like I am not present. I am a hollow shell. A drone. A ghost. It feels like there are holes in my gut and chest. Empty holes. Black holes. Holes filled with oblivion.
Despite my despair, I got up, I showered and went to school. I listened to music on my ipod and said hello to my classmates.
Next, I went to Thai tutoring. I began to learn some new words and phrases when out of the blue my teacher asked me if I called my host mom 'Mom'.
I said no.
"What about your host daddy?"
I call him Chanan.
She then started speaking in Thai to all the other teachers in the room about me not calling my host parents mom and dad.
I just couldn't handle it.
It's hard enough to sit through people talking in Thai without understanding, but it feels really bad when you know what they're talking about but don't know what they're saying about it.
Tears filled my eyes.
I want to talk to my exchange friends. I want to be with my real Mom and Dad. My real parents understand how I function. They notice how I feel and know what I like and don't like. I want to talk in English and understand what people are saying.
The teacher noticed my watering eyes and said I didn't have to learn any more Thai today. I am thankful that she let me stop for today.
My next class was Sword Fighting, although the teacher had a meeting, so I didn't have that class today.
My next two classes were art. The teacher decided to go to the mall for the day.
So I sat at my Thai teachers' desk for three hours. She was teaching another class and said I could use her computer until lunch.
So I sat. I sat and watched Youtube videos. Video after mindless video.
I sat and tried to fill my holes of oblivion with the oblivion of the internet.
Book: The legend of sleepy hollows, half way done
Thai:chai...............................................................yes
Orientation
I am one of just 28 exchange students in my district. I met all 28 of them today. And they are my new family. Friends are the family you make for yourself. I have my family of friends in Gig Harbor, but it is so nice to talk to people who know what you're going through. I am so happy I have friends now. I love all of them! Everyone is so friendly and funny! I just can't wait until our bus trips together!!
Book: Sherlock Holmes Chpt 5
Thai: best.................................dee
Book: Sherlock Holmes Chpt 5
Thai: best.................................dee
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Pelican
Today I was going to go to the book store with one of my friends. That didn't happen. Instead, I spent the day with Sophie(from Germany) and Gap. A number of things happened. We saw many animals at the zoo, rode in 2 tuk-tuks, went on the bus, went on the sky train, ate duck and some sort of duck organ (not sure what I ate, not sure I want to know), met cute snakes, almost got eaten by a pelican, fed an elephant, fed a camel, drank Starbucks, discussed the difference in how Germans and Americans pronounce words( like Ikea and haagen-das), got mistaken for being from the Czech Republic, bought postcards from a store that makes nice shirts, went into my first Thai 7 Eleven, went to the museum of Jim Thompson, found like the most expensive blanket in Bangkok, found out where you can get that blanket for very cheap, was told not to take pictures (both Sophie and I), took lots of pictures, found out it's good luck to have long ears if you are Thai, crossed two streets in Bangkok(that's saying something), solved the mysterious disappearance of Jim Thompson( he got eaten by a Foreigner eating Pelican) and best of all, received and gave a hug.
I love being an Exchange Student.
Book: still on Sherlock Holmes....
Thai Three.................................Sam
I love being an Exchange Student.
Book: still on Sherlock Holmes....
Thai Three.................................Sam
Stamp
When I'm not in a "Thai Culture Class", I sit in on Class M5. They are one of the classes in the English Program at my school, which means the teachers teach in English.
Ekie, the teacher from New York, was teaching English at the time I sat in on M5. They were learning about cycles. There were 11 pictures of "The Life of a Letter Cycle" drawn on a worksheet, the students had to label each picture or step of the cycle with a sentence in the passive voice.
For example, they would write, the letter is written, the letter is put in an envelope, etc,.
The third picture was of the envelope with a stamp and address written on it.
In my head I thought, The stamp is placed on the envelope.
Then Ekie wrote on the board, "THE STAMP IS STUCKED ON THE ENVELOPE."
What the heck?
This teacher is from America, where he grew up speaking English, that is not English!
So I said, "I don't think that's right".
He responded, "I know it's wrong but they have to learn the rule. Because otherwise they won't understand."
Oh boy.
Book: Still on Sherlock Holmes.
Thai:Two................................Song
Ekie, the teacher from New York, was teaching English at the time I sat in on M5. They were learning about cycles. There were 11 pictures of "The Life of a Letter Cycle" drawn on a worksheet, the students had to label each picture or step of the cycle with a sentence in the passive voice.
For example, they would write, the letter is written, the letter is put in an envelope, etc,.
The third picture was of the envelope with a stamp and address written on it.
In my head I thought, The stamp is placed on the envelope.
Then Ekie wrote on the board, "THE STAMP IS STUCKED ON THE ENVELOPE."
What the heck?
This teacher is from America, where he grew up speaking English, that is not English!
So I said, "I don't think that's right".
He responded, "I know it's wrong but they have to learn the rule. Because otherwise they won't understand."
Oh boy.
Book: Still on Sherlock Holmes.
Thai:Two................................Song
Outside
This week at school, I actually went to class. The school gave me a schedule with specail classes to help me learn Thai culture. This includes everything from Thai Sword Fighting to Vegetable Carving. I also am taking a Thai culture class.
The thing I find interesting about my Thai Culture Class(well it's just me and the teacher, so not really a class) is that it is taught by a Thai teacher.
Let me explain, I didn't really know the American culture until I looked at it from the outside. I find myself comparing things about the Thai culture to the American culture all the time. I am not judging whether either culture is better but I most definitely think of America differently.
I am learning about America through British news, Russian news, Thai people and other exchange students. I am learning more about my home country everyday.
I guess I shall wait and see about how much my Thai teacher can teach me about Thai Culture and how much of her Thai I can understand.
That's right, she doesn't speak English.
Book: Listening to the adventures of Sherlock Holmes- Chpt. 2
Thai: One...............................................................................Nung
The thing I find interesting about my Thai Culture Class(well it's just me and the teacher, so not really a class) is that it is taught by a Thai teacher.
Let me explain, I didn't really know the American culture until I looked at it from the outside. I find myself comparing things about the Thai culture to the American culture all the time. I am not judging whether either culture is better but I most definitely think of America differently.
I am learning about America through British news, Russian news, Thai people and other exchange students. I am learning more about my home country everyday.
I guess I shall wait and see about how much my Thai teacher can teach me about Thai Culture and how much of her Thai I can understand.
That's right, she doesn't speak English.
Book: Listening to the adventures of Sherlock Holmes- Chpt. 2
Thai: One...............................................................................Nung
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