-Toilet Paper: The
sewage system in Thailand isn’t the best so toilet paper is to be thrown out in
garbage cans rather than flushed. There are plenty of signs reminding you of
this. Also, most places don’t provide toilet paper, so you learn to carry it
with you.
-Mango: Mango and
sticky rice is by far my favorite Thai dish. It’s simply made of sticky rice (a
more dense form of white rice), sliced mango, and warm sweetened coconut milk.
-Thai Time: The
Thais live their lives on what they call “Thai time.” The clocks here are
usually off by a few minutes so you can arrive early and still be late, or vice
versa. You never expect public transportation to leave or arrive on time, and
don’t expect anything to occur when it’s supposed to.
-Kah/Krab: Spoken
Thai language uses the particle “kah” which is said at the end of a
sentence and reflects the gender of the speaker. Females use “kah” and males
say “krab.” It is used to be polite but is used in most situations. My roommate
says “goodnight kah” every night when I go to sleep and it’s adorable that
she’s combining languages.
-Ants: They are
everywhere. They are very tiny, about the size of the red fire ants back in the
states, but don’t bite. In addition to being attracted to food, the ants also
enjoy crawling into the keyboard of my laptop and causing my mouse to have a
mind of its own. Or I guess it more the mind of an ant since I’m convinced they
want control over my computer.
-Lizards: These can
be found on the walls and ceilings of every building. From one spot I might see
5-10 small lizards, less than 3 inches long. They aren’t bothersome and help
with the bugs. I’m convinced that one fell on me while I was sleeping the other
night.
-Spoons and forks:
In Thai, when asking for utensils, one would ask for a “spoon and fork,” rather
than speaking it in reverse as we would in English. Also, knives aren’t
commonly used. You eat with a fork and spoon, one in each hand and use the fork
to push your food onto the spoon.
-Rice: Thailand
is the number one exporter of rice and that is reflected in every meal. Rice is
served in some form for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I do love rice but it gets
a little repetitive and rice is not my ideal breakfast.
-AirCon: Air
conditioners can be found in most rooms and are used often. They are referred
to as the “aircon” or just “air.” You’d think that Thais would become used to
the hot weather, but they really don’t like it, and try to spend a majority of
time indoors with the aircon at full blast during the hot season.
-Damn hot:
Thailand is said to have three seasons: Hot, Hotter, and Damn Hot. We are in
the middle of the Damn Hot season and I often find myself daydreaming about
jumping into the cool water of Lake George.
-Cartoon characters: These are also popular in Thailand…but their
popularity can be found in an entirely different age group. College age Thai
girls can often be seen carrying a purse with Pooh bear on it, or a Hello Kitty
phone case.
-Songthaew: Transportation
in Thailand is quite different than in the states. My main method of
transportation is in a red truck with a cover over the back called a
“songthaew” meaning “two benches.” Our school set us up with a driver when we
first got here named P. Jew, who is a short and charismatic English-speaking
Thai guy in his early 40s. He’s always just a phone call away and can always
make you laugh.
-Crocs: Apparently
the Crocs epidemic has either hit Thailand a few years late, or just never was
cured. Everyone wears Crocs: men, women, kids, everyone. They come in all
styles and colors, and can be purchased on almost every street. Mostly you see
knockoffs, but they are still the classic Croc material.
-Photos: It seems
like an event doesn’t actually happen in Thailand unless it is documented by at
least one photo…or 10.
-Motorbikes: The
motorbikes here are much more multipurpose than anything you’d pass on the road
back home. Motorbikes can carry any thing from entire families to trees. I’ve
seen 4 people as well as a good-sized tree being carried.
-Feet: The feet are regarded as the least desirable part of the body, with the head being the most sacred. It is rude to point to anything with you feet or to have the bottoms of your feet facing anyone.
-Sweet Things: It seems that the sweet tooth on Thai people is much larger. Most beverages, for instance, have so much sugar in them. If you order a simple coffee, you might be surprised to taste it and have a lot of sugar and condensed milk in it.
-Smiles: Thai people love to smile. It's definitely contagious. They call Thailand the "Land of Smiles," and I can attest to the truth of that name. Thais are very generous and willing to help, and they'll never say no.
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