Consider me orientated

I don't know if it was orientation or just life here in general, but time has been going pretty slowly so far. I've been here just over a week, but it feels like at least double that time. I spent a lot of that time in "class"; teacher training, basic Thai language lessons (I'm pretty much fluent already), and learning tips for how not to die in Thailand. So far everyone is still alive, so I'd say the lessons were a success.

During the nights we tried to figure out the Skytrain and the subway, which were shockingly clean. We very clearly weren't sure where we were going, so a couple people volunteered directions. We were pretty sure the directions were wrong, but who wants to be the foreigner who tells the local they don't know what they're talking about? No one wants to be that person. Although, I kind of wish I were, because it turns out they were absolutely wrong and it added almost an hour to our travel time. But no use getting angry or frustrated. That gets you nowhere fast in Thailand. Mai pen rai.

It's pretty hard to miss the start of the rainy season here. Especially when it wakes up in the middle of the night with the loudest thunder I have ever heard in my life. I was so disoriented, for a second I thought it was an explosion and I thought "great, after telling everyone over and over that the violence in Thailand isn't that bad and it's safer than home, I'm going to die in my hotel". I don't know how people deal with the rain here. After twenty minutes, all the streets were flooded. Also, the hotel lobby. I'm going to need some rain boots.

Sunday, we left for Kanchanaburi, which is the province west of Bangkok that borders Burma/Myanmar. K-buri (I have a feeling I'll be abbreviating a lot these next few months) was beyond excellent. It's basically jungle everywhere and then some towns here and there. Monday was the best day of orientation. In one day we went rode elephants (our elephant trainer found out we were American and started singing Jingle Bells), went bamboo rafting down the River Kwae (although it was hot so we jumped off and swam next to the raft for most if it), visited an orphanage in the jungle that's set up as a village with teachers and staff workers acting as parents, and walked over the Death Bridge over the River Kwae. Dinner was on a barge, which was relaxing until they started blasting the extremely random music: Thai karaoke versions of Hotel California and Lady in Red; Dido, the original version. This is pretty representative of "American" music in Thailand.

Now I'm in Suphanburi (Soo-PAHN bur-ee), listening the construction work going on outside of my apartment building. It's loud and shakes the room, but if Dickinson did nothing else, it prepared me for this situation. I have plenty of experience living with construction. Noise aside, my place is nice. It' s more dorm style than an apartment, but it's not like I would use a kitchen if I had it. I also am the only one on the floor with hot water because the girl last semester splurged to have it installed. My I should let people use my shower and charge for it.

Now that I'm settled, I'll start posting pictures. But first, unpacking.

mai pen rai: No problem - Thais use a lot. You don't let anyone know if you're bothered or burdened
mahout: elephant trainer - The ones where we went lived together in a village. The children gave us flowers and held our hands

Sawatdee ka!

So, I've arrived in Bangkok and - except for having to flat out run from my first flight to the second when I heard them call my name for final boarding - everything went suspiciously smoothly. The whole trip went by faster than I thought it would, I met up with someone else in the program so I had a cab buddy, and we made it the hotel without any problems. I was waiting for something to go wrong.

We found another program member at the hotel and we only managed a couple hours of sleep before we got up for the free breakfast at the hotel (because, really, sleep or free food?). And then it was time to look around the neighborhood. Bangkok is a little overwhelming, smell-wise. There's a lot smog and pollution, but underneath that are a lot of yummy food smells from the many (many) vendors along the sidewalks. And still things went smoothly. The heat wasn't too bad, I successfully said hello and thank you in Thai (the woman at the register was probably humoring me but I like to pretend), and although I almost got run over by an old woman an a motorbike, I didn't.

And then it happened. The plan was to not sleep and tough it out until the night. But since we were tired, we decided to relax for a bit - read, watch T.V. Nine hours later, we realized there's no beating jet lag. Now it's around midnight, we're wide awake and about to try out vendor food for the first time. And then after, hopefully trying catch some sleep.

Thai phrases:
Sawatdee ka (khrap, for male speakers)/ Hello
Khawp khun ka/khrap / Thank you

Price of a 1.5 liter bottle of water: 12 baht/33 cents