Hitch'n a Ride

I have seen some unusual forms of transpotation in Asian countries, but nothing can compare to Thailand.  Wanna ride in a tut tut?  How about a song taew?  They make my scooter seem...  so mundane!


Tuk tuk



Two-rows

A tuk tuk is a bicycle taxi - normally carries one person.  It doesn't go very fast, but it's better than walking. However, there is a motorcycle version that can hold 3-4 people. It's faster and more dangerous. The song taew is a covered pick-up truck with two opposing bench seats in the back.  That's why it's called a "two-row" and will carry as many people as possible. Kind of makes you feel like livestock in a trailer. Some people are hanging off the back (I'm serious). You just jump on and pay after the ride - the ultimate honor system. It's about .65, one-way into town. Both forms of transportation are cheap thrills and neither would pass code in the U.S.

Field Trip

Last Saturday I took a field trip to Pha Hin Ngam National Park with over 50 students and two faculty sponsors from KKU.  We took a coach bus, left at 7:00 am and did not return to campus until after 8:00 pm.  Long day, but is was fun.  Also, it provided me with a good opportunity to interact with the students on an informal basis.  It was a Plant Taxononomy class, something I had not studied in more than 30 years. Glad they didn't ask me to give a lecture. If so, it would have been really short!

There are two primary features at the park: the strange rock formations and the Kra Jeaw or Curcuma (beautiful flower). Both were interesting.

 

On the bus ride home, the students sang some songs, in Thai, of course. It was completely opposite than western culture. U.S. students would have been sleeping or playing with their cell phone. Don't blame it on technology because many students in Thailand own cell phones too. If such camaderie was prevalent in American society long ago, then we have lost something very special - the ability to get along with others.









How Clean?

After traveling in Asian countries, I worried about getting sick. Hey, after seeing what I have seen, you would be worried too. There's no such thing as a "clean" fly. Nothing looked sanitary. And I'm talking about "old" not "young" dirt. There's a big difference. Now, I have accepted the fact that clean is relative.

Americans are obsessed with cleanliness. We even have sanitary landfills (haha). Seriously, we purchase anti-bacterial soap, as if "regular" soap is not quite good enough to get the job done. Some people even use a paper towel to open the bathroom door after washing their hands. Many restrooms in Thailand don't even have soap OR paper towels, yet, people are still alive. Simply amazing.

Don't get me wrong, I still respect bacteria, but if I only ate food that "looked" okay then I might starve to death.  Actually, I'm more scared of water than food - at least the food has been cooked. Never drink from the tap.  I even use bottled water to brush my teeth.  I feel like I'm playing with a gun every time I order some food. Blank or bullet? Always carry some immodium and antibiotics just in case it goes off.

Night Market

Food 'n Stuff

Ever been to a flea market? At night? That's what I thought. Night markets are common throughout Asia. The concept is simple and universal - to sell a bunch of stuff cheaply. And, you can haggle with the owners to try and lower the price, assuming that both of you can speak the same language!

The main difference between Eastern and Western versions is this...  Used junk is often sold in the West and new junk is often sold in the East. Oh yeah, one other thing.  Most of the Eastern junk is counterfeit. Some of it is so good that you can't tell the copycat from the original.

Forget the shopping, night markets are good locations to watch people and enjoy some delicious food. It's my favorite place to eat because of the selection (enormous) and price (super cheap).

Left is Right and Right is Wrong



See anything... different?

One of the hardest transitions for me to overcome is seeing people drive on the lefthand side of the road. It's just wrong, but not in Thailand. It makes me feel that some car is going to hit us head-on!  What's worse, I have to think really hard BEFORE crossing the road.  Which way is the traffic coming?  Oh yeah, it's just opposite than what I'm used to! Now I know how the chicken must have felt when crossing the road.

To make matters worse, the steering wheel is on the "passenger" side of the car.  So, when I get in the front seat, I find myself trying to brake or step on the gas - as if the driver may need some help. It reminds me of Drivers Ed. in High School, except there were two sets of pedals and two steering wheels. After returning to the U.S., I think I am going to be really confused. But I'm not sure the police will buy my explanation.



"Drivers" side




"Passenger" side



Money & Banking

Finding an ATM that works (actually dispenses cash) is critical. After all, you can only live so long without money.  Some machines are for domestic customers while others handle global transactions. ATM's give a good rate and provide local currency, plus you don't have to open a local bank account. 

Everything here is Thai Baht. Approximately 30 THB equal 1 USD, so if you want to know the equivalency, then divide every price by 30. Most transactions are fairly easy.  For example, yesterday's lunch (big soup bowl) cost me 26 THB (slightly less than 1 USD). I prefer using bills, instead of coins. The bills are color-coded and the denominations are easy to read. So, using 100 THB (red) is like shopping with a $3 bill.  But I hate the coins, mainly because I cannot tell by sight alone which ones are which.  It makes me feel really stupid when I am at the cash register and have to make a quick decision.  Today, I just showed all my coins to the vendor and she just took the right amount - or at least I think so. :)  It's only a few cents, no big deal.

Here's another problem I face when conducting business with the local merchants. They just say the amount, in Thai of course, but I have no idea what they are telling me.  In places like convenience stores, the items are scanned and a price is displayed on the register - similar to the U.S. At least I know the price and cannot get ripped off.  But I prefer to shop with the locals because its fun and I like to see the expression on their face when they have to interact with a ting tong (stupid) American.

Cloudy with a Chance of Rain

The first few days have been hot and muggy with lot's of clouds. Upper 80's, low to mid 90's. High humidity. I don't expect the weather to change much while I'm here. I was told that the temperatures are cooler than what it was in April, often exceeding 100 F. Thai people complain about it, just like we do in the U.S. Reminds me what Mark Twain once said, "Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody ever does anything about it."  After growing up in the South, I know all about high heat and humidity. It's one thing that I don't miss. However, my office has AC as does the hotel, so it's bearable. I never have to iron my clothes - that's pretty cool!

http://www.weatherforecastmap.com/thailand/khon_kaen/