Thoughts on Thailand after two months

Well on the 3rd of March it will be two months since arriving in Thailand. My first time in Asia. I wanted to relay some of my experiences here, both funny, annoying and gratifying.

 I guess the first thing I noticed was all the bowing and saluting that happens here. When you walk into the mall there is a guard at the door who opens it for you at the same time salutes you! When you say "hello" and "goodbye" which happens to be the same word, a bow follows usually with a smile. I am still figuring out many things, and as several of my readers have been here already I'd love your input at any time. Manners are found here and I will not go into all the various methods of bowing.

 Allan and I were together for the first 3 weeks, he has traveled Asia before so it was not new.
We spent 3 weeks running around to different apartments and houses to find a place to rent with a company called "Expat Homes." www.homeinchiangmai.com After we found Floral Condo, we had to get many goods like towels, dishes, cleaning supplies and the usual set up, so it would feel like home. Luckily it was furnished, but we still had some bulky items to get (clothes drying rack, trash cans and pots and pans) So off to the markets and malls we went. The local Warorot Market had some items that we could buy, but we had to check the malls for most of the wares. You should have seen us with our huge bags stuffed full. We grabbed a Songtauw and filled it for a ride home.At that point we were staying in a very sweet Guesthouse called Baan Ing Ping www.baan-ing-ping.com. Yupa is a wonderful woman and was very helpful, her staff included, always smiling and helping out. Baan ing ping is on the Ping river and has a wonderful garden to sit and contemplate life. I can't wait to go back to see them.

I believe I have now been to 4 of the great malls here in Chiang Mai ( Central Plaza, Kad Suan Kaew, Airport Plaza Mall and Maya) They all feel like any mall USA but actually a bit nicer! The airport mall had a huge aquarium in it with new cars for sale surrounding it. A woman dressed for a fancy dinner spoke into a microphone announcing the cars (I think anyhow). In these malls there are cinema's (a regular one and a first class one),

First Class Cinema, look at the lounge recliners ! Not cheap.

Some kind of meeting center, it was packed!

big public meeting rooms, and even a skating rink! There is food everywhere you turn in Thailand, from fast food to homemade waffles made to order on the street outside the malls. The Thais seem to snack all day long, yet stay so thin.

One of the first items we got were our telephone numbers. We got were allowed to choose the number out of many and then they proceeded to put the chip in for us. It was very easy until the messages came through in Thai language! I just figured out how to cut and paste the messages and go to itranslate to read them!( still can't really figure them out though) It's all coming back to me again, traveling in a country where you can't speak or even try to read the language. Lots of sign language going on, and even then it is not always easy. It seems the first thing people learn here are the numbers. Bargaining is expected and they know their numbers. I of course hate this, always have. I have found myself laughing a bit over bargaining for less than a dollar, I say to myself "really Annie?" I stick out here, it's called "Falang" otherwise known as foreigner. They will try to get the best price, do you blame them? But it's known that you bargain. It can be fun if you make it,other times annoying.Sometimes I choose to just walk, which is something Thai's do not like. I don't really blame them as the sidewalks are terrible and crossing the road is the most dangerous thing one can do next to riding a scooter.

Baan Ing Ping

Water, that resource we can't do without.

They have dispensers around the neighborhoods where you fill your bottles up for cheap. I can get a liter and a half for 1 Bhat, remember 32 Bhats = 1$. The ice cube trays in my freezer are brilliant. you turn a knob and they spill out into the bin. The water pressure and  heater are fine, but most Thai kitchens and bathroom sinks do not have hat water. We are lucky and have hot water in our bathroom but not in the kitchen! There is a spigot like the one you find in a sink, next to the toilet. This is very European, and well, not in my upbringing, but I am getting to like it actually! Most toilets in the malls and hotels are regular porcelain toilets, others are squat, meaning a hole with two foot pads. One toilet I found in a fancy mall had so many buttons on it I wasn't sure what to push (Japanese no doubt). Afraid of some water fountain spay down, I opted not to push any. All the public toilets here, you take your shoes off and put on a pair of slippers to go in, they also cost a few Bhat to use and toilet paper is optional.

While we are on the water topic, the river here has brown water flowing( definitely not the caribbean color), yet the mountain rivers seem to flow clear during this time of year.

So Allan hooked up my iPad to the T.V so I can watch movies from iTunes as Pandora doesn't work and Netflicks doesn't exist either. I get subtitles and I can't figure out how to stop them. I can get movies and music which is great, as long as I keep my iPad charged. We have basic service, so 4 stations of Thai. The internet here is bad, Monday I need to up the service. There are times that it's faster, when everyone is asleep or out dancing! I have battled with electronic failures and challenges with Thai language coming up on my screen a fair bit. I have figured all this out now and have upped the service, internet works nice now.

Speaking of sleep, I am adjusting to the city here. Did you know that Thai's like to party? Not only on the weekends either. The music starts around 10-11 and goes until 1-2am… Monday thru Sunday! There is a Mosque that plays its prayers, a Church that rings is bells, a few dogs and the loudest birds I have ever heard. Chiang Mai has the most scooters I have ever seen.

The Tuk Tuks and the Songtauws are plentiful, and the cars mostly modern ( I think they have a proper inspection here).

Surrounding the condo are these giant rain trees with a majestic canopy that spreads over a massive well groomed lawn with green grass. There is a pair of small owls int he tree outside our window that I love to watch. One of the reason we chose this condo is for the landscape, each window in the condo has a view of trees and a few rooftops as well as the mountain. The light is plenty, breeze flows thru, and there is a large pool, tennis court and a gym. It is the tallest building in Chiang Mai yet none of the taxi drivers knows it! Serious. Lucky for me It is my beacon for getting home. I just tell them Wat Kate (the temple near here) then I walk. It is one of the nicest temples in Chiang Mai I believe and right next door.It is the year of the Dog temple,so many dogs and statues of dogs are around. I will post my temple pictures in another blog, I have been to several.

Floral Condo

 I am alone now and having a different experience. I feel safe walking around day or night. There are so many single women here, I think because of the safe feeling, and the spiritual feel too. I also notice the Farang population seems to be 20-30 year olds and then 60+, just my observation. I think the over 60 population seems to be retired, the 20's are exploring or teaching English. I'm finding interesting things every time I do venture out onto the streets and am enjoying the experience of being alone in a foreign country, though I do miss my friends. I get to see Allan in Phuket mid March! I have just finished my month long TEFL Teaching English as a Second Language. Thanks for reading! Annie