From the country of the big fan to my new hometown
Door: Stephanie
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Stéphanie
17 April 2009 | Thailand, Bangkok
During bus trips through Laos, female passengers hope that the bus driver takes care of them. If he does, he will make a bus stop in front of the forest so they can look all together for a hidden place. If he does not, he makes a bus stop alongside a field and the only thing women can do, is looking at the back of all male passengers....
After a few of these bus stops, I decided to take the train from the Lao-Thai border to Bangkok (and later also from BKK to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand). When the train left the station, all Thai people started to go to sleep by asking the compartment steward to prepare their bed. The foreigners however, started having dinner and while chilling after dinner, the Thai people realized they were hungry as well and ordered a dish to eat in bed wearing their pajamas :)
For the first time in my life preparing to go to bed was a little scary. In the bathroom (French toilet) it was possible to take a shower, what I really liked to do, but it looked impossible because at that moment we were waiting at a platform in a suburb city for a long long time and the window was open....After trying and trying I finally managed to close the heavy window and took a shower, realizing all the time the window could fall down again :)
Each compartment has its own steward to arrange your bed for you or to wake you up when you arrive at your destination early in the morning (for me 6.30pm in BKK)
In BKK I followed the Thai- and aroma oil massage course (each 5 days, 9am - 4pm) at 'Wat Po', the first and official school to learn massage techniques in Thailand. Before having lessons, I went to the yoga waking up lessons given by the teachers of the wat po massage school in the shadow of one of the big temples of Wat Po.
After lessons with my schoolmates, I went to discover a new not touristic part of BKK where I met the hard working- or not working at all - people. My schoolmates: a nice chap from Germany, a funny one from Israel who told me a lot about the rules for living as a real Jew, although he did not practice them himself. Also one from France, Chili and Japan. I also met a Japanese guy, not a big or bigger but biggest judo man I ever saw who asked me if he could have a practice on me after school time for aroma oil massage. (sorry ladies, I said no :))
And the last one a sweet Thai friend who was able to answer all my questions about the Thai way of living/life and who helped me to survive the coriander attacks (eating coriander, which they use a lot here in the kitchen, makes me feel like I want to throw up right away).
Living in BKK during these days didn’t feel like being a traveler at all. I went to school with all the other Thai people (in the morning traffic jam) by boat (thunderstorm or not) or bus number 53 or by taxi when I was late (only the pink ones because they won’t play a game with you that often (about setting the taximeter or not) as the 99 other taxi companies in BKK do).
Most taxi drivers started telling me about the famous Dutch football players or trainers, after asking where I came from, like people do in almost any country far away from Holland. But one of the taxi drivers explained to me that I was living in the country famous for the BIG FAN :)
One day I even catched the same taxi as the day before (which was close to a miracle keeping in mind that every 10 meters you will find a taxi in BKK )
To the end of my stay in BKK I also started having a network; for each 'problem' or question I knew a (nice) person to go to.
Well I think Thai people are one of the best to let you feel at home in a new country and made Bangkok for me almost like my new hometown.
After finishing my massage courses, I went to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand to celebrate the biggest and wettest (new year) party of the year. (Songkran) and where I also met my former travel mate (Fleur) for a couple of hours before she left by bus for BKK, to return to Holland.
- Songkran -
New year in Thailand means starting a war of water: making the other wet, before you are soaked yourself. The game is also to surprise someone even if he or she is already soaked for example by splashing someone from an unexpected direction. Not necessarily a big splash; it can be a little splash into your face when you have a conversation or in your ear when you walk away or while having my breakfast the waiter splashed some water in my neck! Also a thai came to me to give me a big hug and splashed me afterwards...:(
Water is everywhere, each bar has its own store, but even then there are some wet blankets who also use dirty water from the street or river although it is not conform the rules: use only clean water.
Splashing water to everyone who passed your way or crossed the street in front of your bar (walking , on a motorcycle, tuk-tuk or car) by watergun or the old fashioned bucket. But be aware! Also the cars could have / contained a lot of water to splash you! and maybe with more icy water than yours ! ;)
and of course people started this game a couple of days before its official start, like we do with firework in the Netherlands, and that’s why you have to pack everything in plastic or yourself in a raincoat during these sunny days if you don’t want to get wet....which is sometimes very tiring....
From Chiangmai in Nothern Thailand, I wish my parents, family and friends a 'SAWADEE PEE MAI' :) in year 2552
Stephanie
P.S.
News is sometimes hard to believe, but it’s almost impossible to believe when you read all that happened when at the same time you are enjoying your life in Bangkok without being disturbed by anything. So you know now, I am still alive and have not been bothered by the scary events of the stories.
P.P.S
- Foto-reportage bij dit bericht is nog niet compleet, maar i.v.m. problemen met www.waarblijvenze.nou nog even niet mogelijk om ze te plaatsen :)
- More pictures later
After a few of these bus stops, I decided to take the train from the Lao-Thai border to Bangkok (and later also from BKK to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand). When the train left the station, all Thai people started to go to sleep by asking the compartment steward to prepare their bed. The foreigners however, started having dinner and while chilling after dinner, the Thai people realized they were hungry as well and ordered a dish to eat in bed wearing their pajamas :)
For the first time in my life preparing to go to bed was a little scary. In the bathroom (French toilet) it was possible to take a shower, what I really liked to do, but it looked impossible because at that moment we were waiting at a platform in a suburb city for a long long time and the window was open....After trying and trying I finally managed to close the heavy window and took a shower, realizing all the time the window could fall down again :)
Each compartment has its own steward to arrange your bed for you or to wake you up when you arrive at your destination early in the morning (for me 6.30pm in BKK)
In BKK I followed the Thai- and aroma oil massage course (each 5 days, 9am - 4pm) at 'Wat Po', the first and official school to learn massage techniques in Thailand. Before having lessons, I went to the yoga waking up lessons given by the teachers of the wat po massage school in the shadow of one of the big temples of Wat Po.
After lessons with my schoolmates, I went to discover a new not touristic part of BKK where I met the hard working- or not working at all - people. My schoolmates: a nice chap from Germany, a funny one from Israel who told me a lot about the rules for living as a real Jew, although he did not practice them himself. Also one from France, Chili and Japan. I also met a Japanese guy, not a big or bigger but biggest judo man I ever saw who asked me if he could have a practice on me after school time for aroma oil massage. (sorry ladies, I said no :))
And the last one a sweet Thai friend who was able to answer all my questions about the Thai way of living/life and who helped me to survive the coriander attacks (eating coriander, which they use a lot here in the kitchen, makes me feel like I want to throw up right away).
Living in BKK during these days didn’t feel like being a traveler at all. I went to school with all the other Thai people (in the morning traffic jam) by boat (thunderstorm or not) or bus number 53 or by taxi when I was late (only the pink ones because they won’t play a game with you that often (about setting the taximeter or not) as the 99 other taxi companies in BKK do).
Most taxi drivers started telling me about the famous Dutch football players or trainers, after asking where I came from, like people do in almost any country far away from Holland. But one of the taxi drivers explained to me that I was living in the country famous for the BIG FAN :)
One day I even catched the same taxi as the day before (which was close to a miracle keeping in mind that every 10 meters you will find a taxi in BKK )
To the end of my stay in BKK I also started having a network; for each 'problem' or question I knew a (nice) person to go to.
Well I think Thai people are one of the best to let you feel at home in a new country and made Bangkok for me almost like my new hometown.
After finishing my massage courses, I went to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand to celebrate the biggest and wettest (new year) party of the year. (Songkran) and where I also met my former travel mate (Fleur) for a couple of hours before she left by bus for BKK, to return to Holland.
- Songkran -
New year in Thailand means starting a war of water: making the other wet, before you are soaked yourself. The game is also to surprise someone even if he or she is already soaked for example by splashing someone from an unexpected direction. Not necessarily a big splash; it can be a little splash into your face when you have a conversation or in your ear when you walk away or while having my breakfast the waiter splashed some water in my neck! Also a thai came to me to give me a big hug and splashed me afterwards...:(
Water is everywhere, each bar has its own store, but even then there are some wet blankets who also use dirty water from the street or river although it is not conform the rules: use only clean water.
Splashing water to everyone who passed your way or crossed the street in front of your bar (walking , on a motorcycle, tuk-tuk or car) by watergun or the old fashioned bucket. But be aware! Also the cars could have / contained a lot of water to splash you! and maybe with more icy water than yours ! ;)
and of course people started this game a couple of days before its official start, like we do with firework in the Netherlands, and that’s why you have to pack everything in plastic or yourself in a raincoat during these sunny days if you don’t want to get wet....which is sometimes very tiring....
From Chiangmai in Nothern Thailand, I wish my parents, family and friends a 'SAWADEE PEE MAI' :) in year 2552
Stephanie
P.S.
News is sometimes hard to believe, but it’s almost impossible to believe when you read all that happened when at the same time you are enjoying your life in Bangkok without being disturbed by anything. So you know now, I am still alive and have not been bothered by the scary events of the stories.
P.P.S
- Foto-reportage bij dit bericht is nog niet compleet, maar i.v.m. problemen met www.waarblijvenze.nou nog even niet mogelijk om ze te plaatsen :)
- More pictures later
-
17 April 2009 - 06:57
Vanja:
blue lips, like the name and the photo as well;-)
girl, you are experiencing so many new things that you make it hard to follow.Songkran sounds so great I would like to try it definetelly.
I must admit I didn't expect so much humour from you while writing about the events cause I can't stop laughing while reading cause of your style of describing a story.Like the one from the bus, I could actually imagine it in my head.;-)
Keep going and have fun and avoid coriander;-) -
17 April 2009 - 07:53
Fleur:
Hihihi...t was geweldig om met jou in de bus te zitten...en om de vijf minuten op te moeten staan....omdat....;) -
17 April 2009 - 11:28
Michel:
On arrose le nouvel an comme on peut...
Il est bien loin le temps de tes premiers ébats en piscine!!!!!
Bisous -
17 April 2009 - 14:35
Cecile:
Incredible the things you see, do and experience. Looking forward to your next episode. It even feels a bit like I'm on holiday myself.
xx -
17 April 2009 - 15:20
Yvette:
klinkt super allemaal, heb spontaan zin in vakantie :D
Veel plezier daar!!
x -
17 April 2009 - 20:08
Ina:
wat een hilarische beelden! toch wel een bijzonder volk hoor die Thai, om zó het nieuwe jaar in te leiden, maar ja, met de temperaturen daar misschien ook wel de beste manier.
dikke kus,
Ina -
21 April 2009 - 05:07
Chris:
Hey nichtje zom te horen heb jij het ook flink naar je zin groetjes uit japan !
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