Pork... and More Pork

A major cultural difference between Thailand and home is food. I've tried many foods since first arriving, and I have a lot of thoughts. I'm not sure what I was expecting the food here to be like. If you look on social media accounts of people who have been to Thailand, you'll see pictures of coconuts, colorful fruits, and ice cream. Ha! There's more to it than that. I was told by many people that I was going to love the food here. There are some foods here that I have really enjoyed, but I would be lying if I said I love, or even like, all the food I eat on a daily basis.

Pork
Perhaps the biggest food shock I've experienced here is the amount of pork they eat. There are pork meatballs, pork and rice, pork and noodles, pork on a stick, pork rinds, fried pork, roasted pork, pork threads. I've got pork coming out of my ears! I have a good mind to forgo all meats for a month straight when I return home. I'm about two meals away from turning into a pig.


Breakfast
The food served at breakfast is something I "struggle" with every now and then. I used quotation marks because it isn't so much a struggle as it is just not preferable. I'm used to eating a light meal for breakfast like a fruit smoothie or maybe eggs and toast. Breakfast here may as well be dinner; they eat the same foods. They don't seem to have designated breakfast foods like we do. For example, breakfast today was rice, bean sprouts with broccoli, bamboo shoots, soup, friend corn cakes, and let's not forget PORK (on a stick). Sounds like dinner, doesn't it? My host mom informed me that the Thais have always eaten big, heavy meals for breakfast as people worked in the fields or on farms. They needed sustenance to get through the day, and the tradition has continued on today. I can't complain too much, because food is food. However, my stomach is not accustomed to eating such a heavy meal first thing in the morning, especially as I have a weak stomach, but I manage by eating small portions.


Plaa= Fish

This fishy entree was first placed before me when I was staying with a family in Lampang. Looks delicious, doesn't it? Below is the conversation that took place at the dinner table between me and PP, a 12-year-old boy who spoke the most English in the family.
PP: It is fish!
Me: Yes, I can see that.
*silence*
Me: How do I eat it?
PP: You put in mouth, and chew chew chew!
PP: *laughs hysterically*

There you have it! It doesn't matter where in the world you go; all 12-year-old kids are smart alecks.

P.S. The fish was actually pretty good!


Street Food
Thailand is a foodie's fantasy. There is food EVERYWHERE. The streets are littered with food carts selling everything from coconut water, to omelettes, to fruit, to sweets, to pork. There are a lot of mixed reviews about eating food from a street cart here, so I was more than paranoid in the beginning. I quickly got over it though, when on my first day here, someone handed me a drink and snack they purchased from a food cart. All I can advise is that you practice common sense when eating. If it doesn't look or smell very good, you should probably pass. If there are no locals in line, run for the hills.


Kaomark
I'm giving this "tasty" little treat a heading of it's own. It is the only food I have tried so far that I had to spit right back out. It was that horrible. I came downstairs for breakfast with my host family like any other day, and there before my seating place, was a perfectly wrapped leaf concoction. I was informed that it was bought especially for me to try. Everyone was staring at me with wide, goofy grins. I took one little bite and immediately spit it back out. My host family was quite amused, by which I mean they were rolling on the floor laughing. I'm glad some positivity came out of my unpleasant experience.



Kaomark, or Khao Mak, literally translates to the word 'yeast.' It's aptly named as the dish only consists of rice that is made with yeast and sugar. If it's left to ferment, it becomes alcohol. I was told that it's supposed to be a sweet, comfort food for adults that is served cold. I, however, will be sticking to cookies or ice cream should I want some comfort food in the future.




My Favorites
By far, my two favorite foods* have been noodles and mango with sticky rice. Both of these dishes are pretty simple, but that's what I like about them. They normally give you coconut milk to drizzle over the mango and sticky rice, which tastes heavenly. I'd eat it every day if I could.

 

Fun fact: That bowl of noodles was the first meal I successfully ate with chopsticks. For those of you wondering, the giant blob on the left is a pork meatball. I could honestly have done without it. I just want all the noodles!

*I have not yet tried fresh coconut ice cream, but I'm willing to bet I'll add it to my list of favorites when I do. 

Bangkok Bewilderment

The following is a comprehensive list of things I don't understand about Bangkok.

1. Bangkok

That's it. I promise I'm not trying to be a smart aleck;that's just the easiest way to put it. Everything is so drastically different from what I know that I experience a rainbow of emotions every time I walk out the door of my host family's home. If you aren't satisfied with my comprehensive list, then continue reading for specific examples. I haven't included every single thing, as that would take forever, but I picked a few that I find to be humorous or just worth mentioning. However, before you do, please note that these are merely my own observations. I am in no way judging or criticizing the Thai people. My intention is only to share my reactions to what are all new experiences for me. If anything comes across as negative, it's only because I am a little bit sarcastic*, so I'm apologizing in advance.
* Those of you who know me well, know I'm lying through my teeth. I'm HORRIBLY sarcastic. :) 


Driving

How can I describe being a passenger in a car while driving in Bangkok? Oh yes, it feels as if every time you get into a car, it could be your last. Maybe I'm being a little dramatic, but really, it's a crazy experience being on the roads here, or the sidewalks for that matter. Drivers weave in and out of traffic by driving on the shoulders or into oncoming traffic. Sometimes the driver might just straddle two lanes while texting and speeding down the road at an alarming speed. Motorcycles are not only allowed to lane split, but they also shoot out of alleys with no warning to jump into the traffic. At stop lights, motorcyclists are allowed to zip ahead to the front of everyone, which may result in 20-30 motorcycles crowded and lined up in between cars.

That's another thing. Many people here have motorcycles or scooters, and I've seen as many as 3 people squeeze onto a single scooter, including young children. I thought I was going to have a heart attack the first time I saw a woman zooming between cars on her scooter with a baby strapped to her chest. Can you imagine? A person might have a toddler stand between their legs on the scooter while a third person sits behind the driver. It's quite a scene to watch. Your first reaction might be to shake your head at the lack of safety, but that's because we live in a place where ten year old children still use booster seats. This is just how things are done here. Maybe it will change one day; maybe it won't.


Parking Lots

This is a typical parking lot in Bangkok.

Picture 1

Picture 2

I know it's difficult to see, so I'll explain. In the back is a row of cars parked vertically against the fence. Just a few feet in front of those cars, are two rows of horizontally parked cars. I bet you're wondering how the cars in the back are supposed to get out.



                                                                       
                                                               

There ya go! They just lean up against the cars and push them until there's enough space to squeeze their own vehicle out, which may lead to the cars being literally bumper to bumper (see picture 2). I told my host family that would not be okay in America. They looked at me like I was crazy. "But then how do you get your car out?!?!"





Bathrooms

Before I write this section, I want to point out that I did do my research, but some things were still... surprising.

Every bathroom I have been in has a little water hose next to it. It's for cleaning, and I don't mean the toilet. This wouldn't seem so odd (I've heard of a bidet) if not for the lack of one item: toilet paper. I've noticed that some public places, as well as private homes don't have toilet paper. How does one dry off after spraying himself/herself with that little hose? I sprayed one into the toilet once, and it doesn't just trickle water; it gushes out. I imagine that water gets everywhere when you use it, which is why you can also find a little drain on the floor next to the toilet. Do people just drip dry for half an hour or what? I don't want to ask, as it would make for an awkward conversation. I have heard rumors about hand wiping, but let's not go there. Ignorance is bliss. Should you decide to visit Thailand, I recommend that you carry mini tissue packs* in your purse at all times (unless you prefer to go the hand wiping route), and each time you come across tissues, grab a handful and stuff them into your pockets! Better safe than sorry.
*I actually recommend that you buy a few packs of the mini tissue packs any time you plan to travel abroad. Many tourist locations like landmarks, museums, etc run out of toilet paper fast. I ran into this problem in Spain as well, but I was prepared. 


I've also come across these... squatters.

Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like. You can see in the picture that there's a section with water and a bucket next to the "toilet." Using my excellent deduction skills, I've determined that the water is to clean yourself with as there isn't a little hose. You also can't find toilet paper in a squatter stall a lot of the time. I can only assume you're supposed to splash yourself with water from the bucket, and then use your hand to wipe. No, thanks! I've only run into these twice so far. The first location was at a rest stop; I decided to just hold it (after snapping a picture like a weird tourist). The second place had squatters AND toilets. Why anyone would pick a squatter over a toilet is beyond me.





Lastly, I've seen this foot rinse in one public bathroom. I don't know why a bathroom would have a foot rinse. My first thought upon entering the bathroom was this: "Okay. Maybe that's to rinse your feet after you've peed all over them from failing to squat properly in the stall." That bathroom had normal toilets though, no squatters. I'm not sure if this is typical or not, as I haven't seen another one. The foot rinse remains a mystery.


Okay, that's it on this section. Who ever knew that so many things could be written on the subject of bathrooms?

Toilet Paper

When you think of toilet paper, what do you typically associate it with? Most people would say the bathroom, but that is not the case here in Thailand. For those of you that don't know, toilet paper has many uses! You can find a roll on kitchen counters, on someone's desk, or on a dining table. I hope we can all see the irony of not being able to find toilet paper in a bathroom, but you can in the kitchen. They don't really use paper towels here. When I asked about this, I was told that us silly Americans waste money on paper towels when we could be using toilet paper for all our needs. There's just one problem: I've seen a Bounty commercial where a single paper towel sheet (supposedly) can wipe up a cup of spilled milk, but do you know what happens when you grab a wad of toilet paper to dry your hands? It disintegrates in your hands, and then you have teeny tiny pieces of paper stuck in between your fingers. I think I'll continue to shell out a few bucks for paper towels like the rest of the silly Americans when I return home.

Food

This section will actually be a separate post eventually. However, I felt that I needed to actually list it as an example for 'Bangkok Bewilderment.' For now, let's just say that the food here is quite a different experience.


Alrighty. That is all I have for now. I've only been here two weeks, and I have three to go, so I'm sure I will end up making another post about confusing experiences eventually. Stay tuned!

The Grand Palace

The first sight I toured in Bangkok, which is the city I'll be living in by the way, was the Grand Palace. I only had my iPhone to take pictures, but not even a top of the line camera can capture all the beauty. The intricate attention to detail is amazing, and the pictures just don't do any of the architecture justice. Nevertheless, I hope y'all can still enjoy the pictures I took.

          

 

           

Temple of the Emerald Buddha

You are not allowed to take pictures of the Emerald Buddha inside, so feel free to Google it!

   

P.S. This was my first time ever using a selfie stick. Nailed it! :P

A New Adventure

Hello again! This will be my second attempt at creating a blog. I have forgotten the basics, so I will be re-teaching myself with each post I make. I also want to warn y'all that I find writing in this context to be weird as it seems like I'm writing in a diary, except anyone can read it. It's quite possible my writing will come across as awkward. However, it is the easiest way to share pictures and experiences while traveling abroad, so here goes!

Last summer I was very fortunate to spend two months in Spain. (Can I just take a minute to say how much I love Spain? I can't wait to go back someday!) I didn't think I would get a repeat of traveling for such a long period of time again, but it turns out, I was wrong. This summer I am spending one month in Thailand!

Don't ask why I chose Thailand out of all my possible options. It's hard to explain my thought process, but I had a gut feeling that this was a country I needed to see and experience in person. That's the only reason I need.

Thailand is unlike anything I expected, and I really don't have one word to describe it. I can, however, describe the people with one word: generous. It is a very humbling experience to be surrounded by such hospitable and kind people. They go out of their way to make you feel welcome here. One of my main objectives here is to help my host family learn more English, but it would seem their objective is to be the hostess with the mostest. My host family tries to take me to all the sights, shower me with souvenirs/gifts, and make me feel like I'm a part of their family. They are eager to take me around and show me off to all their friends and family members. It's actually a little embarrassing and awkward, as I don't normally like attention. However, it's in their nature to be hospitable and friendly, so I'm learning to not just observe from the sidelines.

When I first arrived, my host mom asked if I had any plans while I was here. I told her that I only wanted to learn about Thai culture and, if possible and time permitting, maybe travel to the north. A few days later, she and her husband called and texted friends to arrange for me to travel north. I tried explaining numerous times that is wasn't necessary, but next thing I knew, I had a bus ticket to Lampang to stay with a friend. I couldn't believe how willing and excited they were to make my wish come true or how open their friend was to letting me, a complete stranger, stay with her family. I was taken aback at their generosity, and the list doesn't stop there. In just a week, I have witnessed one kind act after another, all towards me, to ensure I am having a great time in their country.

In case I'm not getting my point across, here are a few examples of things that have been done for me or given to me since my arrival:

1. A day at Chatuchak Market where my host mom tried to buy everything I admired (She even tried to pick out and buy gifts for my whole family!)
2. A bus ride and accommodations in Lampang
3. A trip to see elephants, which I may or may not write more about later
4. A private tour with the PR director of the museum in Mae Moh while everything was closed to the public, including lunch and a souvenir
5. Food... so much food

And the list goes on! This is definitely turning out to be a trip worth remembering.

Pictures of sights to come soon. :)