Thailand: The Land of Smiles, Sun, Motorcycles, Delicious Food, & Death-Eating Mosquitoes

The blessing of the lotus flower
which signifies the rebirth
of the human spirit
and a purifying of the soul.

     I have been in "the land of smiles" for about a month now. And let me tell you, I'm still not quite 100% adjusted to my new home here in Thailand. I do not think I will ever be 100% adjusted, and that's perfectly okay. I've since learned that life itself is a continuous adjustment. You will be constantly thrown into the unknown and you just have to find the best ways to maneuver through it all. Throughout this year, I will try so many new things, observe and learn about my surroundings, teach others what I can about my language, culture, and where I come from. This past month has been so incredible. From meeting and getting to know my host family, starting school, and exploring Suratthani, I have been quite busy. It's been the best "busy" I've ever been. Throughout this post, I'm going to throw in a few random pictures from my experiences here!

     I have a wonderful host family which consists of my mother (mae), father (paw), older host sister (Fang), younger host brother (Fong), and younger host sister (Meen). We even have a pet dog named Gib-Ngun (Get Money)! I have a bedroom and bathroom to myself, which is very generous of my host family. In Thai culture, parents often give all of the available rooms to the children and will sleep in the family gathering room instead. Although Thai families are hierarchical and authoritative, parents view their children as the future success of the family, so they highly praise their children and care deeply about them. My host mother already calls me her son. I am no longer an exchange student to her, and that truly warms my heart. It took some getting used to my home here for sure. All modern conveniences I have been so privileged to have grown up with and have taken for granted have been striped away. My bed is rock-hard, my daily bathing consists of several cold water bucket scoops (ice bucket challenge every morning), there is no air-conditioning, microwave, oven, or pantry for food. Also, the toilet situation is "undesirable" for usage. But, in a matter of a week or so, none of those things really mattered (although, I could really use a hot shower and a chocolate chip cookie). I live a simple life here in the land of smiles, and dare I say I kind of like it that way.

My first week of school I went to a college fair
with many of my classmates at
Prince of Songkla University in Suratthani!

     Did I mention it's incredibly hot here? It's 90-95 degrees Fahrenheit every day with 100% humidity. Rainy season has just begun, but that only helps a little. It may rain for an hour or two each day and then the sun will pop back out. The rain also increases the amount of already-abundant mosquitoes floating around. They seem to love me. I think they may sense that I'm different. They also like to breed in any standing water they can find. You can't keep water out for very long before a mosquito will find it and lay eggs. It's been a problem in my bathroom, but the spiders and tarantulas take care of many of them for me!

     One big difference between Thailand and the United States is that everyone here owns a motorcycle (More of a moped style). It's not for fun, but for transportation. They're cheaper, and easy to take care of. Thailand is still developing, and as more people enter the middle-class, more people can afford cars. Just like 16-year-olds in America can start driving cars and driving to school, 16-year-olds here can start driving motorcycles and drive them to school. I'm unfortunately not allowed to drive a motorcycle here, but riding on the back of one is one of the liberating experiences I've ever had. With the wind blowing in your face and the bustling city surrounding you, it's incredibly fun! I also love the stares I get when Thai people see the "farang" (foreigner) riding with a Thai person!

Deep-fried bird eggs! 

     Now what you've all been waiting for... the food... yes, it's just as delicious as people exclaim back home. Some of my favorites have been "Som Tam" (Papaya Salad), "Khao Neeyow Moo" (Sticky Rice with Sweet Shredded Pork), "Khao Mok Kai Tod" (Yellow Turmeric Rice with Fried Chicken), and "Gang Mahssamahn Kai" (Sweet Chicken Curry with Potatoes or Taro). On my way to Suratthani, I tried Deep fried BIRD eggs. They tasted just like chicken eggs, it's just the conditioned thought of eating bird eggs that grossed me out, but it was really delicious. Imagine a hard-boiled egg wrapped inside a  wonton and dunked into sweet chili sauce then deep fried... AROI (Delicious)! I've tried some "interesting" things as well... seahorse soup, squid, fried tarantulas, chicken feet, pigs ears... I could go on but I'm starting to feel sick. I didn't like any of those things, and some of them I tried unwillingly... but at least I tried them, and that's all that matters. You wouldn't have ever realistically seen me trying any of those a few months ago.

     Until the next blog post, I'll be sure to look out for more interesting foods to try and more effective techniques for combating the mosquitoes.. We'll see how that goes.

     -Brandon