Exactly a week has passed since my feet touched down on a new and very different continent: Asia! The past seven days seem more like a month to me and I’ve come to compile a list of things I didn’t expect in Thailand when I first arrived. Take a moment to read this list so you’ll be sure to be prepared for this country when/if you are able to visit.
- It’s not that hot. Okay, so yes it certainly is hot but having lived in Georgia and South Carolina all my life, the weather in August is pretty similar to our own temperatures for that month. I don’t know if my body has already adjusted to the weather but having a fan on me constantly as I work makes me feel slightly chilled. Having the windows open to let in the breeze (a reminder of the South Carolinian breezes) keeps rooms cool enough during most days and making sure you’re wearing cool clothing helps on the very hot days.
- Being the minority isn’t as crazy as it is in other countries. Having traveled to Haiti and Egypt where having lighter skin makes you stand out and catch the eye of every native, being of non-Asian descent made me think that attention would always be drawn to me as it had been in those other countries but so far that doesn’t really seem to be the case. Chiang Mai, the city where I flew in to, has so many tourists and expats that nearly every race is pretty common to see. Now that I’m in Chiang Rai, going to the market does create many more glances but children don’t stare and traffic doesn’t stop (of which I am ever so thankful!)
- American Thai food is pretty accurate. It goes without saying that the food here (Thai food, in case someone thought that Thai food they get in restaurants is just a specialty) is pretty yummy (I haven’t had a meal that I didn’t like although some things have been very different, such as mushroom and lemon grass soup.) What has surprised me is that the Thai food I ate or even cooked while still in America is close enough for me not to notice a huge difference. I’m sure it’s possible that once I’ve lived here for eight months and head back home, I may hold up my nose at stateside Thai food but we’ll just have to see!
- The Thai language is hard…really hard. Maybe this wasn’t a surprise but just a confirmation. Because Thai is a tonal language, one word can literally mean 5 things based on where you place the word. Add to it that I’m not really good at memorizing random sounds that have no meaning attached yet for me and you have one very lost farang (person of European decent.) The whole “you’ll start understanding another language in 6 weeks” seems pretty impossible at the moment but I guess stranger things have happened.
- I’m emotionally scarred for life by witnessing fresh, live fish chopped up at the market. Okay, so I kid but it truly made my stomach feel strange witnessing this normal, everyday event. Actually to be honest, I didn’t watch exactly (averted my eyes, you know) but the sound was enough. The fish were spread out on a table, gasping for air, while others swam in a large bowl, enjoying what would be their final minutes if not seconds of life. A customer would walk by, select his fish, the butcher would set the fish ever so nicely on a round board, and then WHAM…bye bye little fishy…
- Thailand is wonderful but it’s not home. Somewhere in some SM class I heard it said for the first few weeks of being at your new location, you’ll be in a sort of honeymoon phase and you’re feeling great. Yeah, that’s not true in the slightest (at least for me.) I haven’t gone a single day without waking up feeling anxious and missing my family and friends terribly…and to be more specific, my boyfriend. The days seem to drag on and I feel as though the next eight months will be a never ending journey that will lead me farther and farther away from the life I know. I’m not going to lie, distance is hard, especially on a relationship and knowing you’re the “cause” of the heartache doesn’t help much either. But praise God for the girls. They truly are the brightest spot in my day. When they come home at 5:30pm and I get to work on English with them as they help me with my Thai, sing and play songs in the little music room besides the kitchen, and just watch them interact with each other, it gives me the ounce of courage I need to keep getting up every morning.
There are still so many things to tell you, so many things I wish each of you could see and lessons I’ve learned that I wish to share with you but I’ll end it for now. Hopefully this whets your appetite for the Land of Smiles and you’ll continue to join me on this adventure.
Until next time, Sa-wai-dee, ka!
