by Kelsey Stauffenberg
Thammasat University, Thailand
I have lost track of numbering the days I have been here so I guess I will let that one go. I love the lack of importance that is put on time. I have no carried a watch or a phone or anything that could tell me the time for the last week now and I have not been late for anything... you just know innately and it is an amazing feeling to just be free from time. You do not realize how often you look at your watch or your phone just to know the time, just see that it has been 3 minutes since you last looked, what is the point? So, Thai movies are cool. I went to one in a movie theater and saw one in class. I went to see The Last Summer in theaters and it was very good. It is a horror movie and I love being scared but American scary movies just do not cut it for me any more but this one had me jumping the whole time. I think it is because I do not know the body language of Thai people and the movie was in Thai with english subtitles so I never expected the scary moments. I really enjoyed it. Not only was it enjoyable but the cinematography was amazing, very artsy and the movie had a good message to take away from it. The second movie we saw for our society and culture of Thailand class and it was also very very artsy and beautifully put together. It was called Siam Renaissance. On the subject of class. Buddhism in Thailand is my second class of the day and it is so amazing. I love learning about religion. It almost makes me wish my major was religion and my minor was psychology instead of the other way around. The temples in Bangkok are amazing.. we saw two today: the legendary Temple of Dawn and the temple with the bid Buddha. The Temple of Dawn was so amazingly beautiful. It was the first Temple of the Old Bangkok Kingdom, across the river from the new kingdom. You can climb to the top and look out over Bangkok and let me tell you, it is a climb. I am afraid of hights so it was very scary but of course I had to go to the top! It was so worth it, to look over the first city I have ever lived in was so awesome. I am not sure if the city life is for me, I miss trees and grass and nature too much to live in a city for an extended period of time. But, this experience has really taught me about where I would like to end up when I go to grad school and when I finally settle down. On a totally different note and what my title is alluding.. we went to the beach this past weekend when we had 4 days off from school. Sounds super fun right? Right... if you can find the silver lining in things. It started off perfect. We got there after 6 hours of buses, taxis, and boats and all without out getting lost or turned around, a pretty large feet in a new country I would say. The boat ride out to the Island of Ko Samet was amazingly beautiful. The water was the clearest and bluest I have ever seen. We were dropped off right on the beach and just walked to find a hotel type place. We found a great little hotel and got a room and then ate dinner sitting on the beach. Day one was a complete success. Day 2 we rent kayaks and paddle into the ocean and here is where the trouble starts. It starts to rain, alright still fun. Then 3 of us cut ourselves on one thing or another while climbing over rocks and jumping off of docks. We all laugh and take pictures of our bleeding wounds, alright still having fun. When we get back it pours down rain, do we stay inside? No! We go beach clubbing in the rain, so fun! Have you ever danced in the rain with no inhibitions? It is so freeing and highly suggest it. I also made a Thai friend and that was pretty cool. The language barrier was not too bad. His name was Paul (from what I understand, I think he was just being nice and settled with Paul after I tried to say his name several times). He spoke a little english and I spoke a very tiny bit of Thai and we were able to converse and he told me he lived in Bangkok and he this was his first time visiting Ko Samet. We decide to swim in the ocean with our new Thai friends.... I forget my wallet is attached to my clothes and I take it into the ocean. But, crazily nothing is ruined just very very wet. We go back home, successful night. Day 3 at the beach we get up for breakfast and I am feeling rough. This combination of being soaking wet all night and staying up late along with the bad food I ate for breakfast made me very very sick. I think I had food poisoning at least maybe other things as well. But any how all day I am throwing up but it is my last day at the beach so I still try to get out and do things. I have never been so sick and so happy. I gave myself some me time and went off by myself and hung my hammock and laid down and looked out over the ocean and island. I thought about what I would like to do after I finish school in December. This trip has made me want to travel, go see places and experience new people and places and things. I might, maybe join something like the peace corp. I have to go to grad school, I want to, I need to but I do not know if I am ready, this trip has definitely made my decision on when to go harder. Anyways so I go to dinner then I am feeling real bad so I go get medicine and lay down. It was still a good day, you just have to be positive. So day 4 at the beach is the day we go home. The day before the girls went out on motor bikes and two girls went down on the bike they were riding on together. My roommate Dani jumped off just in time and was not hurt but my other friend Haley went down with the bike and she hurt her knee really bad. So we are leaving and Haley has a bang up knee and food poisoning. I am still sick from the day before and another girl is sea sick and we have to get on a speed boat to get to the bus station. Oh yeah and it is a monsoon outside. Haha, what a crazy start to our day! So half of us our wounded and sick and we have all our backpacks and things with us to leave the island and we are getting poured on. We get into the speed boat and it is raining sideways into the boat so our bags are soaked, our things are soaked, we are soaked and we are all just laughing! I have never had so much fun while having the worst time ever. It was amazing that all of us could look past our misfortune and just have fun and love our life. I love the people I have met here, they are all so heart warming and fun loving people. Our day continued with a bus ride that dropped us off in the middle of Bangkok and just drove off without a word. We were all soaking wet, had all our stuff, and had no idea where we were. We again could only laugh. After a walk then a train ride then a taxi we were finally home! I had never been so happy to see our little ally that leads to our little apartments. Oh my, what a beach trip that was. The lesson is you can alway have fun, it is all about your mentality. I love my little family here, with them... this is the best trip ever, no matter what happens.
Thammasat University, Thailand
I have lost track of numbering the days I have been here so I guess I will let that one go. I love the lack of importance that is put on time. I have no carried a watch or a phone or anything that could tell me the time for the last week now and I have not been late for anything... you just know innately and it is an amazing feeling to just be free from time. You do not realize how often you look at your watch or your phone just to know the time, just see that it has been 3 minutes since you last looked, what is the point? So, Thai movies are cool. I went to one in a movie theater and saw one in class. I went to see The Last Summer in theaters and it was very good. It is a horror movie and I love being scared but American scary movies just do not cut it for me any more but this one had me jumping the whole time. I think it is because I do not know the body language of Thai people and the movie was in Thai with english subtitles so I never expected the scary moments. I really enjoyed it. Not only was it enjoyable but the cinematography was amazing, very artsy and the movie had a good message to take away from it. The second movie we saw for our society and culture of Thailand class and it was also very very artsy and beautifully put together. It was called Siam Renaissance. On the subject of class. Buddhism in Thailand is my second class of the day and it is so amazing. I love learning about religion. It almost makes me wish my major was religion and my minor was psychology instead of the other way around. The temples in Bangkok are amazing.. we saw two today: the legendary Temple of Dawn and the temple with the bid Buddha. The Temple of Dawn was so amazingly beautiful. It was the first Temple of the Old Bangkok Kingdom, across the river from the new kingdom. You can climb to the top and look out over Bangkok and let me tell you, it is a climb. I am afraid of hights so it was very scary but of course I had to go to the top! It was so worth it, to look over the first city I have ever lived in was so awesome. I am not sure if the city life is for me, I miss trees and grass and nature too much to live in a city for an extended period of time. But, this experience has really taught me about where I would like to end up when I go to grad school and when I finally settle down. On a totally different note and what my title is alluding.. we went to the beach this past weekend when we had 4 days off from school. Sounds super fun right? Right... if you can find the silver lining in things. It started off perfect. We got there after 6 hours of buses, taxis, and boats and all without out getting lost or turned around, a pretty large feet in a new country I would say. The boat ride out to the Island of Ko Samet was amazingly beautiful. The water was the clearest and bluest I have ever seen. We were dropped off right on the beach and just walked to find a hotel type place. We found a great little hotel and got a room and then ate dinner sitting on the beach. Day one was a complete success. Day 2 we rent kayaks and paddle into the ocean and here is where the trouble starts. It starts to rain, alright still fun. Then 3 of us cut ourselves on one thing or another while climbing over rocks and jumping off of docks. We all laugh and take pictures of our bleeding wounds, alright still having fun. When we get back it pours down rain, do we stay inside? No! We go beach clubbing in the rain, so fun! Have you ever danced in the rain with no inhibitions? It is so freeing and highly suggest it. I also made a Thai friend and that was pretty cool. The language barrier was not too bad. His name was Paul (from what I understand, I think he was just being nice and settled with Paul after I tried to say his name several times). He spoke a little english and I spoke a very tiny bit of Thai and we were able to converse and he told me he lived in Bangkok and he this was his first time visiting Ko Samet. We decide to swim in the ocean with our new Thai friends.... I forget my wallet is attached to my clothes and I take it into the ocean. But, crazily nothing is ruined just very very wet. We go back home, successful night. Day 3 at the beach we get up for breakfast and I am feeling rough. This combination of being soaking wet all night and staying up late along with the bad food I ate for breakfast made me very very sick. I think I had food poisoning at least maybe other things as well. But any how all day I am throwing up but it is my last day at the beach so I still try to get out and do things. I have never been so sick and so happy. I gave myself some me time and went off by myself and hung my hammock and laid down and looked out over the ocean and island. I thought about what I would like to do after I finish school in December. This trip has made me want to travel, go see places and experience new people and places and things. I might, maybe join something like the peace corp. I have to go to grad school, I want to, I need to but I do not know if I am ready, this trip has definitely made my decision on when to go harder. Anyways so I go to dinner then I am feeling real bad so I go get medicine and lay down. It was still a good day, you just have to be positive. So day 4 at the beach is the day we go home. The day before the girls went out on motor bikes and two girls went down on the bike they were riding on together. My roommate Dani jumped off just in time and was not hurt but my other friend Haley went down with the bike and she hurt her knee really bad. So we are leaving and Haley has a bang up knee and food poisoning. I am still sick from the day before and another girl is sea sick and we have to get on a speed boat to get to the bus station. Oh yeah and it is a monsoon outside. Haha, what a crazy start to our day! So half of us our wounded and sick and we have all our backpacks and things with us to leave the island and we are getting poured on. We get into the speed boat and it is raining sideways into the boat so our bags are soaked, our things are soaked, we are soaked and we are all just laughing! I have never had so much fun while having the worst time ever. It was amazing that all of us could look past our misfortune and just have fun and love our life. I love the people I have met here, they are all so heart warming and fun loving people. Our day continued with a bus ride that dropped us off in the middle of Bangkok and just drove off without a word. We were all soaking wet, had all our stuff, and had no idea where we were. We again could only laugh. After a walk then a train ride then a taxi we were finally home! I had never been so happy to see our little ally that leads to our little apartments. Oh my, what a beach trip that was. The lesson is you can alway have fun, it is all about your mentality. I love my little family here, with them... this is the best trip ever, no matter what happens.