A Day In the Life Of...

The thought of weeding through/uploading photos from the past week sounds a bit taxing (LIFE IS SO HARD) , so I thought it would be fun to switch it up and do a post about the everyday things in Thailand that I have (somewhat) become accustomed to.

Here we go, in no particular order!

...Interesting Bathrooms
I have had pretty standard bathrooms where I've stayed so far, though it still took me some time to get used to the layout. This is especially because there is no bathtub/barrier between the shower/toilet/sink.

My super fancy bathroom in Chiang Mai

This means that everything (like the toilet) end up soaked after a shower. I at least have what is called a "western toilet," which is what we are all used to back in the good old US. The only difference here is that you have to throw your toilet paper away as garbage due to septic issues.

There's also another hose (not in this picture, it's to the left of the toilet), lovingly labeled the "bum gun" by an Australian blog I found when I googled "What is that hose for next to my Thai toilet?"...

It's pretty much a more portable bidet, but you have to be careful about the varied water pressure between bathrooms. Eek!

Then you have your standard Thai toilet, i.e. a "squat toilet," which is pretty much a hole in the ground. Apparently these are very good for your body physically speaking, and there is no flushing mechanism, so you have to shovel water into it for a manual flush.

These toilets are very common in less touristy places. If you luck out and find a western toilet, it's probably going to be covered in water (well, it just seems like all surfaces in bathrooms end up covered in water). This means that I have learned to not sit down on toilets when I'm away from home!



Crazy Roads and Drivers
Driving on the left side of the road was easy enough to get used to, but I'm still adjusting to how recklessly people drive. Part of the problem is inexperienced tourists on a rental bike. Scooters are also the primary form of transportation for Thais, who zip in and out of mass traffic, rarely wearing a helmet. Sometimes you'll see an entire family crowded onto a scooter. Once I saw one packed with 6, including 2 children and one baby.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to snap any of these ridiculous events, so this photo will have to do.

Think you've got the green light at the crosswalk? Think again. Always look five times before you cross, as it seems like at least one lane of traffic isn't paying attention, or just doesn't care. I am still working on being as brazen as some Thais I've seen crossing highways with no crosswalks.

There are also some very windy mountain roads. I took a minibus to and from a city called Pai for Thanksgiving, and there are 762 (many sharp) curves along the way, almost causing quite a few army boys to barf.

The road statistics speak for themselves, but I wont spit them out here because I don't want it to scare anyone away from choosing their own mode of transportation. Just educate yourself and remember you have to focus about 1000x as much as you do in the states. It's a stunningly beautiful country to explore, and there is no freer way to do it than on your own terms.

Cost of Living
One of the top reasons I came to SE Asia was because I knew I could get much more bang for my buck than most places on the planet. Prices listed here are from Chiang Mai, which is a bit less expensive than Phuket was.

My concept of money has been completely warped, where sometimes I'll fight with a tuk tuk driver over 20 cents, then later that day spend $5 on an entree. Generally speaking, when away from the more touristy restaurants, I can leave spending less than $2-3 for a meal plus a non-alcoholic drink. For example, this bowl of delicious soup I had tonight cost $1. (PS I'm pretty sure I just found my new favorite noodle soup spot).

I followed it up with a GIGANTIC smoothie, made out of the water/meat of an entire fresh coconut, a whole mango and a quarter of a pineapple for $2.

What isn't (relatively) cheap is alcohol. In a restaurant you'll spend around $4 on a cocktail or large Thai beer, which is a lot when it's 2-3x as much as your food. You can find it for a little cheaper at a store, but in relation to the cost of other things, it's not very affordable.

The government also has imposed restrictions on when alcohol can't be sold at a store, which is between 2-5pm and midnight-11am, though this is only really enforced at major chains.

I paid about $300 for a month at my guesthouse - I have a queen sized bed, private bathroom, fan, TV, fridge, wardrobe, desk and a deck. I could even find cheaper accommodation, or pay a couple extra dollars a night for air conditioning.

I used to feel weird using a laundry service, but at about $1.30/kg for someone to wash/dry/iron your clothes, I have given in. This translates to about $2-3 a week.

Want a full body Thai massage? $6/hour. Seriously.

Beauty Standards and Sex Tourism

When I first got here, I was shocked at how many beauty products contain whitening agents. Sunscreen? Check. Deodorant? You bet. Shaving Cream? Of course. Having white, milky skin is an aspiration for women, which is quite the opposite of the tan obsessed American culture. I fear what would happen if I started using these products as I am very pale already. As my friend Kim said, "Girl, you'll turn see through."

The reality of the societal construct makes me sad. Thai women and their natural skin color are so beautiful to me. I understand proactive measures for protection, but dislike the thought of changing what is natural, which is also an issue in communities of color in the US.

Then there's Thailand's very public sex tourism problem. There are bars that line the streets of Chiang Mai full of young Thai women flocked around (usually much older) male tourists, either there to find a wife or a prostitute. I try to not judge when I see this "type" of pair walking down the street because I know that a) some of them are completely normal and/or b) there are people who come to Thailand (or any country) and fall in love without planning or fetishizing it. But there is a harsh reality to why some people visit, which is especially hard to ignore when you see great grandpa walking down the street hand in hand with an 18 year old.

There's also the fascinating arena of ladyboys (in Thai they call it "kathoey")... some of who are so convincing I can't even tell that they aren't "real" women, whatever that means. I've always been fascinated by human sexuality and kathoey doesn't fall into the "standard" definitions of trans, so I can't wait to get more exposure as I travel. Outside of the realm of sex tourism of course.

And then finally there are two subjects I wont even broach - ping pong (and other various object) shows and pedophilia. Yikes. I haven't witnessed either (unless the women noted above are below the age of consent) so I don't want to comment.

Political Activism
Though America has a considerably larger population spread over a MUCH larger area, I think we could learn a bit from the power of Thai protest. I'm not talking about overthrowing the current government, but more being able to band together and not back down to pressure in order to make change.

In 2006 it was top news worldwide when there was a coup in Thailand as they ousted the government and former Prime Minster, Thaskin Shinawatra. The country is divided into two, with large protests in 2010 and oh yay, right now. I only have a slight grasp on the current conflict, but the current Prime Minister (Yingluck Shinawatra) is Thaskin's sister, therefore it is thought that she is her brother's puppetmaster and the same people are still in power. Her party recently tried to introduce an amnesty bill to bring Thaskin back into the country (he's currently out of the country to avoid a jail term) and this re-sparked tensions.

I hear that tourists haven't been impacted by the main protests in Bangkok, and recently polled Thai's noted that their largest complaint/concern right now is the traffic it is causing. 23 countries have issued travel warnings about travel to Thailand, but I'm really not sweating it. I will keep a close eye on it when I go to Bangkok next month - just always be vigilant and educated, and I think you will stay a safe traveler. Just don't wear any red or yellow shirts right now in Bangkok or you could be viewed as a supporter of either side.

----

There's of course a lot more that's unique about being here and so many other facets of the culture and language I haven't touched on or experienced. I sadly haven't picked up much Thai yet (sorry dad), but it's beyond complex.

What hasn't changed is that I can pretty much get anything here that I can get in the states - I am still amazed at the variety of cultures restaurants cater to. Like, oh crap, I can still find amazing CAKE on the side of the ROAD.

And I even found Tree Top apple juice (where my mom works) in a tiny mini market in Phuket.

With all of this at my fingertips, do I want to come home? Hell yes! This makes me appreciate and miss home more than anything, but I can't wait to keep on exploring, learning and growing while I have the opportunity.

-Erin

Munich, Germany and Oktoberfest - 09/23/13 - 09/29/13

On a lovely Monday 2 weeks ago, Darryl and I made our way over to the country of my "people," as my father is German. I'm not sure if you've noticed before, but my last name sounds pretty commanding/German and translates to "Count". I used to think this meant something like Count Dracula or The Count from Sesame Street, but it still impressively is a title of nobility.

Our first night in Munich was fairly low key as we were the first to arrive, and it was nice to have some alone time before the festivities began. Knowing our diets would consist of meat, bread and beer over the next 2 weeks, we found a Pakistani restaurant around the corner. The menu was in German only, though, and as my one year of German in college was subpar at most, we helplessly asked them to choose their favorite dishes. We are so glad we did - it was one of the best meals I have ever had!

Once most of the group of friends from around the world (shout out to Mikki for organizing this!) arrived the next day, we headed to the Hofbräuhaus brewery in central Munich. The hall boomed with chatter and a live band, interrupted multiple times for traditional song and dance, including 2 American songs which we would hear on repeat the entire trip: "Hey Baby" and "Country Roads". It was a little surreal seeing Germans in full on lederhosen/dirndl jumping up on tables, chugging large beers and singing in English on and off.

By the way, if you ever go to Oktoberfest and are wondering if you will be an outcast dressing up - don't worry about it! Almost everyone, especially the locals, is dressed up.

The next morning we went on a unique walking tour of Munich where the birthday boys (Brian and Dustin's 30th birthdays were both approaching) pulled a wagon with 2 kegs of beer. Our guide provided us with a historical perspective of the city while enforcing drinking games. There aren't laws against drinking in the streets and the other folks on 'normal' tours were extremely envious. Our tour guide, Lenny, drank as well - I think he may have come up with the most genius income generator of all time, if he doesn't die of a heart attack or liver failure before making his first million. 

After the street tour, we had a beer tent reservation at the actual Oktoberfest grounds. On our way, it almost started monsooning and we were all soaking wet by the time we made it into our (tiny for Oktoberfest) tent. I think my shoes are still drying out. Each tent ticket came with 2 liters of beer and a half a chicken - the most delicious chicken of my life! 

The fairgrounds are huge and have multiple beer tents, food and souvenir vendors and carnival rides. I ended up on an awesome roller coaster and swing ride with Darryl, which both provided a spectacular view of the lit up grounds at night.

Kenny and Kristin on the swings before take off

We went to bed pretty early after a day of fatty meats (seriously, so much meat...) and beer as we had another tent rented the next day. We wandered onto the grounds that morning and I was finally able to get a picture of the main entry because we were not trapped in a torrential downpour.

It was time for one of the BIG tents (Schottenhamel Spatenbrau) that holds around 10,000 people, and we spent the next 3.5 hours there eating another half chicken each (not as good this time) and drinking more beer. We had 2 tables upstairs with a view and it was the one of the most intense events I have ever experienced - about 10 times as large and loud as Hofbräuhaus: drunken Germans singing, roaring and dancing with a HUGE band in the middle playing all of the German (and again American) classics. 

View of the tent from our table

Brian and Ryan getting the party started

The first of many of Brian's amazing dance moves

After our time in the tent was up, we headed to another outdoor tent and split up into a few tables as our group was too large to accommodate. This is where one of the the true beauties of Oktoberfest lies - meeting people from all over the country and world, and I made a few friends from New Zealand/Australia/England, which made me even more excited about who I will run into in Thailand.

The next day, Saturday, was our last full day as a group so we decided to try to take another waking tour through Munich (self guided), since we didn't make it very far with Lenny's beer 'cruise'.  We ate some delicious bratwurst in the park and perused the local outdoor market, which was full of fresh produce, cheese, meat and various knickknacks.

One of my favorite spots after this was the Englischer Garten, which is a park larger than Central Park in NYC!

Not sure what is going on here, but it was fantastic

It was (compared to previous days) a fairly lazy one in anticipation of the main event of the evening, which was a medieval meat feast in a basement cellar of Feldherrnhalle. The street level of Ferdenhalle is where a confrontation between Hitler's followers (in an attempt to take over Bavaria) and the Bavarian Police escalated and resulted in the arrest of Hitler, which made for a peculiar location.

The cellar was filled with large tables and designed for big groups, and was catered to German tourists (always a good sign!). Most of the information was given in German first, then relayed specifically in English to our subset. You were only given a knife, cutting board and large napkin wrapped around your neck for eating and the intent was to use your hands for eating as much as possible. 

As it was Brian's official birthday, they took him in the back and dressed him up as a friar (fake beer gut and all) and he came out and threw water at the crowd, much to the displeasure of some of the other tourists. The food was ridiculously good and filling... if you ever go to Munich, it was highly entertaining!

We had a lot of hardcore Husky fans in our group, so the trip to Munich closed with a 1am viewing of the Husky vs. Arizona football game. I passed out pretty quickly in and we said most of our goodbyes then.

In closing, here are some fun facts about Oktoberfest in 2011 - seriously, how does someone lose an electric wheelchair?!?!:

• 6.9 million people drank 7.5 million litres of beer
• 48 children were lost
• 226,000 steins were recovered by security as people attempted to steal them from the tents
• Police attended 2175 incidents and made 487 arrests
• Lost property items included: live 8cm grasshopper, viking helmet, crutches, an electric wheelchair, 1300 items of clothing, 520 wallets, over 1000 ID cards, almost 500 mobile phones, 370 pairs of glasses, 90 cameras and 425 sets of keys - not forgetting a set of dentures (every year there is at least one set of dentures!).

Full set of photos can be found here.

-Erin