Back in the BKK

The rest of my trip in Hong Kong was predictable: lots of food and lots of drink.  We went to the infamous Mr. Wong's where exchange students can eat and drink as much as they want for about 7 USD.  Needless to say the night was fun.  We went to a place called Charbell's later on, which had the best lamb kebab I've ever had and will ever have.  I know most of my posts deal with food, but my weekend in Hong Kong was all about places to eat so I find it totally excusable this time.

I went to this sightseeing place on Kowloon where you get a great view of Hong Kong Island.  I made JP go with me, but he had to head home early because he was feeling sick and had been the whole weekend.  Poor guy.

I came back to Bangkok Sunday morning and had my work cut out for me.  I actually had to be a student the past two weeks: editing reports and preparing for presentations.  Monday, my Seminar in Marketing midterm project report was due.  Forty pages long.  I edited half of it and wrote my part.  I forget sometimes that I'm here to actually take classes.

It was a bit of a hard couple days adjusting back to life in Bangkok.  Hong Kong is a very western city without a lot of westerners.  It's comfortable: there are trash cans all over the place and the sidewalks don't have a zillion cracks.  Plus, there is a serious lack of mosquitos.  Though Bangkok has a lot of Westerners, it's not a very Western city and I definitely missed the comforts of home this week.

Hong Kong Island

JP and I with the Batman Begins building in the background.

Olympic Torch commemorative thing.

Oh yeah, I'm totally a legit student.

More gifts from the French.

The view from JP's school.

The Oscars happened on Monday and I was stuck in class.  I am very displeased with a few of the winners, but agree with most of them.  I really don't usually push my beliefs or opinions on other people but Annette Benning should have won Best Actress and The Kids Are All Right should have won for Best Original.  Just saying, Focus got robbed.  And this is not a biased view.

This week has been very mellow.  Midterms start up next week so everyone's mostly been studying.  Since I only have one and it's not until the 13th of March, I've been watching TV.  I got Netflix/Hulu/Pandora/all America only websites to work by installing a USC VPN.  Greatest invention ever.  I love the Internet and all its capabilities.

Tomorrow I head out for Lopburi which apparently has a lot of monkeys.  I think we're only staying for a night so it'll just be a short trip to get out of Bangkok for a little while since we have about two straight weeks here.  The traveling is all really starting to happen and I'm loving it.  On the 17th I leave for Vietnam and am there for a week, hitting up Cambodia on my way home.  In April I'm going to Laos and then Chiang Mai for Songkran (the nation wide water fight).  I'm also going to try to go to Ko Samui/Ko Phi Phi/Phucket towards the end of the month.  And after finals I'm ending my time in Bali.

I can't believe two months has passed already and I only have three left.  I'm almost halfway done!  It's been flying by and as things get more active the time is only going to pass by faster.

Pitchaasss

For $33 USD...I'll take it.

THE CLAP!

Ro McD and the Thammasat Kids throwin' up the WAI

This was outside the arena.  I don't know why.

Koh Phangnan greeted us wonderfully.

This pig had free reign on our resort.

Our "hostel."

The sun goes away and the rocks come out to play.

The view from our bungalow.

Train from the airport to the MTR in HK.  I miss high tech things.

One of the many presents "the French" brought JP.

The cheapest Michelin Star restaurant in the world.

Only English signage...name of the place: Tim Ho Wan.

Inside Tim Ho Wan.

Ladies market again!

THE CLAP

No, it's not herpes, it's Eric Clapton!  Last Wednesday a group of us Amarin kids went to go see Eric Clapton at the Impact Arena.  I paid 1000 THB (~$33) for seats that would have cost two hundred dollars easy in the US.  It was a blast to see one of the greatest guitar players of all time, not to mention the guitarist on one of the greatest Beatles songs of all time (While My Guitar Gently Weeps) live in a country so far from home.

As ashamed to admit this as I am, I missed Layla.  I know it's unforgivable.  I was screaming the back story to everyone after the concert was over.  For those of you unaware of the twisted tale this song weaves, let me spill it out for you.

Patty Boyd was George Harrison's wife.  According to Patty Boyd, she inspired Something.  Who wants to be her already?  Well, this is where things get twisted.  George Harrison and Eric Clapton were besties.  Eric Clapton was also in love with Patty Boyd, so much so that he dated her sister because he couldn't date her.  Well, by the time Layla was written, Patty and George had split (so sad!) and THE CLAP and Patty Boyd's sister were still together.  For some reason the Clap just couldn't snag Patty and he wrote Layla out of frustration/as a call to her/whatever.  Patty Boyd's sister heard this and dumped him because she knew who The Clap really loved.  Then Patty and The Clap got together and all's well that end's well.  Well, not really but we'll leave the story at the happy part.

Anyway, the next day we traveled down to my first island Koh Phangnan.  Oh. My. Goodness.  This place made me feel like I was on LOST.  Palm trees everywhere.  Winding, hilly roads.  It was great.  We stayed on the Northern part of the island and beached it for the weekend.

Here I was also reunited with JP and Mario!  USC connections in southeast asia are the coolest.  It was great seeing them and having someone to talk to that had known me for years.  I love the people in my program but familiar is always comforting.

Anyway, on Sunday we traveled back to Bangkok where I actually had to be a student for the first time. Presentation on Monday and Wednesday caused me to stay up late a few nights.

Then, on Wednesday I flew back to my favorite city in the WHOLE world, Hong Kong.  I'm staying with JP.  He crafted this genius student ID for me to get into his dorm.  Pictures soon to come.

We've been eating like kings since we got here and I am in heaven.  We went to the cheapest Michelin Star restaurant in the world and enjoyed the BEST dim sum.  Oh my goodness if I could communicate the deliciousness of this place I would.  I don't think words do it justice.

Then yesterday night I got Mexican food!  Like actual Mexican food!  I miss it so much!  The boys today had trouble keeping up with my ridiculous eating abilities and even had to buy anti-acid pills after dinner.  I am officially the master of food.

I'm sorry this post is so long, but now you're all caught up.  Pictures will follow soon, and from now on I promise to put them all in the same post.

Now, let the eating adventures continue.

Pictures for the Previous Entry

So sorry the internet hated me and didn't want to work.  Here are some pictures you can enjoy.

Wat Arun

The Temple of the Dawn

Above a window in Buddha's penthouse.

Beside the window.

Wat Pho.  The Reclining Buddha.

Buddha's rocking some sweet soles.

I don't know their significance, but they're everywhere and they look awesome.

The best banana milkshake I've in Thailand.

Buddha Buddha Buddha Buddha Rockin' Everywhere

Note: This post should have been posted last week, but due to technical difficulties and travel that didn't happen.  The Wednesday I start off with is February 9.  And unfortunately the upload speed is KILLING me right now, so pictures will follow soon.

Wednesday night has officially become ladies night.  There's a club here, Narcissus aka Narz, that gives 5 free drinks to girls every Wednesday and it's sort of becoming a weekly tradition.  One of the girls from Escade had friends visiting so they joined too and it seemed like everyone came out for ladies night, which always makes it more fun.  Problem is, Thursday rolls around and everyone's too exhausted to do anything, so the traditional party night has become a bit of a rest night for the Thammasat kids.

Friday, I went to visit the Reclining Buddha (temple: Wat Pho).  For those of you that weren't aware, Thailand is intensely Buddhist.  For those of you that did, nice job!  What this means is there are A TON of temples all around Bangkok.  I walk through one to get to school.  Anyway, Wat Pho is pretty sweet, and the pictures are below.  I was a little bummed when the guy at the gate wouldn't accept my student ID for an entry discount.  Usually Thammasat students get discounts everywhere but for some reason he just wouldn't accept my ID.  Oh well.

Let me distract you for a moment by attempting to draw a rough map of my path to get to Wat Pho.

Amarin Mansion (where I live)


                                  Ferry to get to school             River                Thammasat
            
                                                                                                          Amulet Market
                                                                                                                          Grand Palace

                                                                                                                           Wat Pho

To get there, you have to walk through the Amulet Market, which is right by my school.  It's pretty cool seeing all of these amulets laid out in front of you, even though I have no clue what any of their significances are.  You also have to walk past the Grand Palace to get to Wat Pho.  I have yet to go there but it looks awesome from the outside.  The King used to live there but moved to a different palace that he liked better.  Oh the life.

I also bought some postcards for you folks back home, but lost them, obviously.  So all of you will just have to wait a little longer.

On Saturday, I went back to JJ Market again (the weekend market that is 35 acres large) and exhausted myself by walking around all day.  "Why alone?" you ask.  Well, a bunch of people went to Ko Samet this weekend. It's an island halfway to Ko Chang, and I opted out of going because I didn't want to experience the same thing twice.  So I was a lone warrior this weekend walking in circles in JJ Market.  It really needs to be an all day adventure.  I was able to pick up some gifts for people back home, so at least I was a little productive.

Productivity is so hard here.  Thai time means everyone's a minimum of ten minutes late--always.  And everyone here is so patient, it can sometimes turn into laziness.  I didn't get it done today?  Okay.  I'll do it tomorrow; which turns into the next day, and the next.  I absolutely love it because I feel America is just too insane about being on time and being productive.  It's okay if you relax every once in a while.  And honestly, it's okay if you don't want to go into the work force at the ripe age of 21.  Why waste your youth slaving away in Corporate America?  The Eagles say Take It Easy and they so have it right.  Don't worry Mom and Dad, I'm still going to get a job after college.  But the whole America guilt trip that if you don't work had your whole life you're an awful person totally doesn't work on me.

And if you were concerned about me immersing myself in Thai culture, don't be.  I'm totally embracing the Thai lifestyle.  Sunday I slept all day and watched Disney movies.  It is amazing how similar the first couple are.  Cinderella, Aurora, and Snow White all have this weird thing with animals and are fair and make great maidens.  The movie starts out with the story being read from a fairy tale book and there are only a few songs in the whole film.  Then you get into the 80s and 90s and they get more sassy and more musical.  I love seeing the feminist movement manifested in Disney princess movies.

This weekend I'm embarking for Koh Phangnan, my first southern island.  Two people from USC that are studying in Hong Kong will be there too and I am SO EXCITED!  Beaches, here I come.

Things I've Learned

I've been here for a little over a month and wanted to share a few things I've learned during that time period. I'll keep it bulleted to simplify things.

Also I would like to forewarn and apologize for the lack of pictures.  I'm being much more cautious with my camera, which means less things get documented.  I really don't want to have to buy ANOTHER so I don't feel too badly about it.

• Thai years work differently than the ones we're used to in America.  Here they use BE and AD, which means before and after Buddha, and to calculate what year it is you add 543.  So here it's the year 2554.
• Sawat-dee-kaaaaaa means hello and is used as a general greeting.  Cup-poon-kaaaaa means thank you.  Sai means left and Kwah means right.
• Tom Yum soup is the best soup ever invented.  It's even better than the minestrone soup served at Domenico's.  It's got lemon grass, some mint, onions, scallions, mushrooms, and shrimp all in a broth made from a curry paste.  Dip that in rice and enjoy.
• Colors are associated with political positions here so it's VERY hard to dress neutral.  Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue have all had previous associations.  Funny that my school's two colors are Red and Yellow, the most popularly worn during protests.  Told you it was the Berkeley of the east.
• Waiting for people once you get your food IS in fact dumb and it should obviously be eaten right away.  
• Mexican food is still the greatest food in the world

If I think of more I'll be sure to share to, you know, spice things up a little bit.  Because things aren't spicy enough here already.

I'm not sure whether or not I'm going anywhere for the weekend, but next weekend is the Full Moon Party and the weekend after that I'm going to Hong Kong to visit JP and Mario!  The traveling is soon to become very intense so I'll keep you all updated as often as I can.

Thammasaaaaaaaaat

For those of you who are unaware (which is, honestly, probably most of you) there's a rivalry in Bangkok similar to one I've experienced back home.  Two schools set on opposite sides of town battle to be the best.  On Sukhumvit we have Chulalongkorn.  Near the Grand palace, we have Thammasat.

This past Saturday I went to the soccer game between Chula and Thammasat.  It was definitely an all day affair.  No one knew what time the game actually started, so we made it down to the National Stadium (I'd put it at the size of the Honda Center) around noon.  We got food and beer (obviously....it's a sporting event) and enjoyed one of the most interesting soccer matches I've ever seen.  The game itself, was actually pretty boring, and we lost, which was a bummer.  But the show the two schools put on was spectacular.

First off, we were greeted near the stadium by a swarm of Thammasat people all wearing the same red shirt with yellow designs (the schools colors).  All of them cheer for Thammasat the same way, "Thamma-saaaaaaaaaahhhhhht," thus the name of this blog post.

Inside the stadium, the Chula and Thammasat student sections were on opposing sides and they held up postcards to make these huge signs.  It got nasty at one point when the two schools started name calling, but it also got really pretty when they made these huge landscapes with the king's image always present.

Thammasaaaaaaat!

Chula.  Gross.

The cheerleaders were by far the most interesting part.  They had their own fashion catalogue with pictures of all of them modeling handed out to students.  At the actual game they had these elaborate costumes and hair pieces.  And let me just say, the girls were wearing high heels.  What?!  I get that you know things are different and you need to be respectful, but they SERIOUSLY need to see Bring It On.

Cheerleaders with their own personal attendant.  Dream life.

Their cheering, however, proved to be the most entertaining.  I can't describe the motions I could only ever possibly show them to you; but trust me, it was amazing.  The best description I can come up with is their spirit fingers were their hands shaped like crab claws and they shook their wrists quickly.  I'm sorry I have no video of this totally special experience. 

Friday night we went to Chinatown to experience the Chinese New Year and it was not what I was expecting.  The streets were packed with merch and food vendors and people just wandered slowly.  We left as soon as the dragon came out because it got so packed that you absolutely could not move.  I did get some dim sum though, so obviously the night was saved.

Now for the food updates, because that's what I love most and I'm sure you all care so much.  I've slowly but surely begun to fall in love with Thai food.  I love wide rice noodles, tom yum soup, and they put seafood in everything here so I'm happy.  I also tried Israeli food on Thursday.  We had baba ganoush (eggplant salad dip) and humus and shwarma.  It was pretty tasty.

Next weekend we're all going on a trip.  I don't know where but we definitely are.  I love Bangkok, but I feel like I waste a four day weekend staying in the city too frequently.  I'll keep you all updated, but for now, just imagine me on a tropical beach soaking in the sun.