by Kelsey Stauffenberg
Thammasat University, Thailand
Ok so... let us see, I left off on day 2 in Thailand. I am now on day 5 so I am playing catch up. So I love love love the fact that we were not babied when we got here. We had to figure stuff out for our selves... we had to get lost and lost again and then lost again. That is how one should learn Thailand.... set out with a group and just figure it out. I feel like I would not have the friendships I do after just 5 days and the knowledge I do about Bangkok if Thammasat had just led us through everything. So, ok, one thing that bothers me the most in Thailand is how slow every one walks! I am always ready to just go and be where I am going and I have learn so much by walking these streets! The Thai people here, they take their time, there is no rush, there is no hurry and it is just amazing and I feel so blessed to receive and learn that lesson here, to be patient because if you are always hurrying you will miss the little things. Day 3 was one of my personal favorites. We went to the super market and got speakers to play music for like 12 dollars a piece between me and my new friend... they are nice too so now we enjoy music every day, good investment. We got a bottle of wine and my roommate Dani and our neighbor Ben drank a glass and went and got traditional Thai massages, also very cheap. But, the spa was extremely nice and the people were so nice and it was for two hours and it was amazing. After that we just laid around and talked about what we are going to do on the trip. Me and Ben and our friend Haley want to go rock climbing so we are thinking about staying two weeks longer to do that... I am already thinking about staying longer, it is crazy. I do not want to leave, not at all and I have not even been here for a week. All of us, 13 of us in the program, are going to the beach this weekend, Ko Samet. Any how day 3 ended with finding the roof top which is an awesome place and I hung my hammock and just laid roof top, in Thailand, it was so surreal. The next night me and Ben and his roommate Scott, who we are trying to get out of his shell went back up to the roof and watched an amazing sunset over the city of Bangkok and then saw a full rainbow... this place is too beautiful. Every day at least one of us says, I still can not believe we are in Thailand and we all laugh because we all feel that way, it is amazing how all of us came to be here and now we are all sharing in this awesome adventure and we all get along SO well, it is incredible. The psychology of the person who would up and go to study in a country across the world all by themselves is really interesting and it is funny that we all get along so well, we must be like minded. So, yesterday we had our first day of class and we were shocked to walk into a class room full of people... turns out there is another group here from California with like 15 people! I like my group better though, haha. Class was amazing, that we get to learn from the professors at the university makes our classes SO much better. I mean, they just know the culture and the people and it makes it so much more fruitful of a lesson. I would not have changed a thing about this trip and my host school and the people I have met and the things I have already gotten to do..... it has exceeded my expectations beyond all measure. Last night we went out with one of our orientation leaders and he was so cool. His name is Kevin and he is a middle aged man from the US who decided he wanted to live and teach in Thailand. He told us all about his cultural experiences and it was just so great that he felt like he could go out with us and just be honest. Everyone here is SO helpful. Speaking of helpful people, my favorite Thai person so far that I have met is Kit... he runs the cafe type place right next to our hotel. He has learned our names and attempts to speak english with us which is super nice because he has no obligation to do that. He teaches us Thai every morning at breakfast and then again at dinner.. we go there often. He is just so nice and I have learned some good Thai words and phrases to know. He was just a friendly face from the day we met him, when all of us were new to this country and he really helped us out, we are so appreciative! Anyways now that I am caught up.... on day 5 of Bangkok living. We had to wear school uniforms today. I thought I would not like it but I have never worn a uniform before and beside being extremely hot it was cool to feel a part of a prestigious group. A lot of people recognize the uniforms and talked to us about going to Thammasat and were super nice to us, we felt more respected when we looked a part of the culture instead of foreigners. It was a cool day, we went on a field trip to the Royal Palace. It was breath taking. And now, I am done for the day.
Thammasat University, Thailand
Ok so... let us see, I left off on day 2 in Thailand. I am now on day 5 so I am playing catch up. So I love love love the fact that we were not babied when we got here. We had to figure stuff out for our selves... we had to get lost and lost again and then lost again. That is how one should learn Thailand.... set out with a group and just figure it out. I feel like I would not have the friendships I do after just 5 days and the knowledge I do about Bangkok if Thammasat had just led us through everything. So, ok, one thing that bothers me the most in Thailand is how slow every one walks! I am always ready to just go and be where I am going and I have learn so much by walking these streets! The Thai people here, they take their time, there is no rush, there is no hurry and it is just amazing and I feel so blessed to receive and learn that lesson here, to be patient because if you are always hurrying you will miss the little things. Day 3 was one of my personal favorites. We went to the super market and got speakers to play music for like 12 dollars a piece between me and my new friend... they are nice too so now we enjoy music every day, good investment. We got a bottle of wine and my roommate Dani and our neighbor Ben drank a glass and went and got traditional Thai massages, also very cheap. But, the spa was extremely nice and the people were so nice and it was for two hours and it was amazing. After that we just laid around and talked about what we are going to do on the trip. Me and Ben and our friend Haley want to go rock climbing so we are thinking about staying two weeks longer to do that... I am already thinking about staying longer, it is crazy. I do not want to leave, not at all and I have not even been here for a week. All of us, 13 of us in the program, are going to the beach this weekend, Ko Samet. Any how day 3 ended with finding the roof top which is an awesome place and I hung my hammock and just laid roof top, in Thailand, it was so surreal. The next night me and Ben and his roommate Scott, who we are trying to get out of his shell went back up to the roof and watched an amazing sunset over the city of Bangkok and then saw a full rainbow... this place is too beautiful. Every day at least one of us says, I still can not believe we are in Thailand and we all laugh because we all feel that way, it is amazing how all of us came to be here and now we are all sharing in this awesome adventure and we all get along SO well, it is incredible. The psychology of the person who would up and go to study in a country across the world all by themselves is really interesting and it is funny that we all get along so well, we must be like minded. So, yesterday we had our first day of class and we were shocked to walk into a class room full of people... turns out there is another group here from California with like 15 people! I like my group better though, haha. Class was amazing, that we get to learn from the professors at the university makes our classes SO much better. I mean, they just know the culture and the people and it makes it so much more fruitful of a lesson. I would not have changed a thing about this trip and my host school and the people I have met and the things I have already gotten to do..... it has exceeded my expectations beyond all measure. Last night we went out with one of our orientation leaders and he was so cool. His name is Kevin and he is a middle aged man from the US who decided he wanted to live and teach in Thailand. He told us all about his cultural experiences and it was just so great that he felt like he could go out with us and just be honest. Everyone here is SO helpful. Speaking of helpful people, my favorite Thai person so far that I have met is Kit... he runs the cafe type place right next to our hotel. He has learned our names and attempts to speak english with us which is super nice because he has no obligation to do that. He teaches us Thai every morning at breakfast and then again at dinner.. we go there often. He is just so nice and I have learned some good Thai words and phrases to know. He was just a friendly face from the day we met him, when all of us were new to this country and he really helped us out, we are so appreciative! Anyways now that I am caught up.... on day 5 of Bangkok living. We had to wear school uniforms today. I thought I would not like it but I have never worn a uniform before and beside being extremely hot it was cool to feel a part of a prestigious group. A lot of people recognize the uniforms and talked to us about going to Thammasat and were super nice to us, we felt more respected when we looked a part of the culture instead of foreigners. It was a cool day, we went on a field trip to the Royal Palace. It was breath taking. And now, I am done for the day.