Tyler Jones
Thammasat University, Thailand
Hello from halfway around the world....
I can't remember if I discussed it or not in my last blog, but the food here is incomprehensibly good.
I mean THOROUGHLY good.
What is so amazing about Bangkok, is that I can at any point in my day, no matter where I'm at in the city, I can find incredible, cheap food on any street corner. The vendors are everywhere and they are GOOD at what they do.
Watching them toss the noodles with their giant metal spoons or chop up fruits and vegetables in quick, dangerous strikes is an art form! It's absolutely moving.
And the street vendors are so friendly. It feels like they really love what they do, and that's reflected in how they treat everyone that comes up to them for a bite to eat.
And that friendliness is evident in the majority of Thai people.
When you look up anything about Thailand on the inter-web, you find that the land of the Thais has been dubbed "The Land of Smiles."
I don't think, however, it means what you think it means.
At least it didn't to me until I came here and experienced the raw humility abound among the people.
Before I left, I thought "Land of the Smiles" meant that all these people had super cheesy grins because they thought they saw a white person coming and wanted to keep up appearances (an incredibly simple-minded and offensive thought that I know feel very ashamed for thinking).
But I learned very quickly that this is not the case at all.
A few nights ago, a few of my friends and I had the honor of going out to eat with a group of Thai kids that go to school with us. We were all talking and get to know each other and Thai culture got brought up. They were just explaining things like relationships and the current political situation, etc. I mentioned to one of the guys [(Pete) apparently, Pete's name in Thai is a curse word in English, so he goes by Pete instead] (He declined to tell us what it was...)
But anyways, he told me something that I think sort of describes Thai people accurately.
They're shy.
No one yells at you when you're walking down the street, no one bothers you, no one is overtly against you in any sort of sense.
You usually have to initiate the conversation with a Thai person.
And smile at them.
As soon as you smile 9 times out of 10 they will light right up.
As soon as you smile, they are on your side.
The other day, I asked a lady at the school for directions to where I could get my picture taken for my student ID. She took time out of her day and walked me all the way to the place.
That's just one out of HUNDREDS of encounters I've had so far.
But I've got to get going. Gotta go to class. Hope all is well with whoever reads this.
Until next time,
Goodbye and Godspeed
Thammasat University, Thailand
Hello from halfway around the world....
I can't remember if I discussed it or not in my last blog, but the food here is incomprehensibly good.
I mean THOROUGHLY good.
What is so amazing about Bangkok, is that I can at any point in my day, no matter where I'm at in the city, I can find incredible, cheap food on any street corner. The vendors are everywhere and they are GOOD at what they do.
Watching them toss the noodles with their giant metal spoons or chop up fruits and vegetables in quick, dangerous strikes is an art form! It's absolutely moving.
And the street vendors are so friendly. It feels like they really love what they do, and that's reflected in how they treat everyone that comes up to them for a bite to eat.
And that friendliness is evident in the majority of Thai people.
When you look up anything about Thailand on the inter-web, you find that the land of the Thais has been dubbed "The Land of Smiles."
I don't think, however, it means what you think it means.
At least it didn't to me until I came here and experienced the raw humility abound among the people.
Before I left, I thought "Land of the Smiles" meant that all these people had super cheesy grins because they thought they saw a white person coming and wanted to keep up appearances (an incredibly simple-minded and offensive thought that I know feel very ashamed for thinking).
But I learned very quickly that this is not the case at all.
A few nights ago, a few of my friends and I had the honor of going out to eat with a group of Thai kids that go to school with us. We were all talking and get to know each other and Thai culture got brought up. They were just explaining things like relationships and the current political situation, etc. I mentioned to one of the guys [(Pete) apparently, Pete's name in Thai is a curse word in English, so he goes by Pete instead] (He declined to tell us what it was...)
But anyways, he told me something that I think sort of describes Thai people accurately.
They're shy.
No one yells at you when you're walking down the street, no one bothers you, no one is overtly against you in any sort of sense.
You usually have to initiate the conversation with a Thai person.
And smile at them.
As soon as you smile 9 times out of 10 they will light right up.
As soon as you smile, they are on your side.
The other day, I asked a lady at the school for directions to where I could get my picture taken for my student ID. She took time out of her day and walked me all the way to the place.
That's just one out of HUNDREDS of encounters I've had so far.
But I've got to get going. Gotta go to class. Hope all is well with whoever reads this.
Until next time,
Goodbye and Godspeed