After 20 hours of stiff seating and boxed airplane food, daylight was much needed. Sadly, it was around 2am and pitch black, so we couldn't see much.
I woke up at 6:30 am that first morning abroad. I looked outside the window and it finally hit me. I was in Thailand.
I woke up at 6:30 am that first morning abroad. I looked outside the window and it finally hit me. I was in Thailand.
We stayed in Hotel Ibis Bangkok Sathorn for four nights. It was a cute hotel close to the river that runs through Bangkok. Every morning, complimentary breakfast was provided, serving everything from steamed red pork buns to fluffy scrambled eggs.
Across from the hotel was a 7-Eleven, as every Bangkok street corner seemed to have one. But as we came to find out, our hotel was on a very busy street on weekday mornings, so walking to 7-Eleven became a near-death experience every time. It was actually kind of thrilling.
Across from the hotel was a 7-Eleven, as every Bangkok street corner seemed to have one. But as we came to find out, our hotel was on a very busy street on weekday mornings, so walking to 7-Eleven became a near-death experience every time. It was actually kind of thrilling.
On the first day, we met up with our program leaders David and Mana, who were quite the duo. They gave us a rundown on Thai culture, which in a way is the complete opposite of American culture.
Some tips:
1. Thai plans are spontaneous and very flexible, so time is not of the essence.
2. The harmony of the environment and those around you take precedence over individual desires.
3. It's the "Land of A Thousand Smiles", so smile and go with the flow.
Some tips:
1. Thai plans are spontaneous and very flexible, so time is not of the essence.
2. The harmony of the environment and those around you take precedence over individual desires.
3. It's the "Land of A Thousand Smiles", so smile and go with the flow.
Our first touristy trek of the trip was visiting temples. As we walked around Bangkok, though, I couldn't get enough of all of the color and liveliness in the streets.
First temple: Grand Palace. A palace literally built for a king (the king of Thailand), is a complex of multiple buildings dressed in gold, white and other pops of color. The architecture itself was breathtaking, but what held more weigh in my awe of this palace was the intense feeling of gratitude by the hundreds of visitors. Palaces and temples are beautiful, but there was an intangible feeling beyond the brick and mortar.
A trip to a famous tourist destination wouldn't be complete without a photo shoot. Here's my cute friend Isadora, whose smile blends in well with the care-free environment.
A water bottle. A pair of shoes.
Pretty ordinary items to us Americans, but in Thailand they're much more significant. One of the first tips (warnings) was to not drink any water, especially iced water, that wasn't served from a water bottle. Even in an advanced city like Bangkok, you couldn't trust tap water, so the daily morning routine included a stop at 7-Eleven to pick up a couple of water bottles.
Shoes---feet in general---have quite the negative connotation in Thailand. Shoes are dirty and feet are rude, so removing shoes in homes and temples while also not pointing your feet towards those you respect are some of the cultural norms we adapted to.
Pretty ordinary items to us Americans, but in Thailand they're much more significant. One of the first tips (warnings) was to not drink any water, especially iced water, that wasn't served from a water bottle. Even in an advanced city like Bangkok, you couldn't trust tap water, so the daily morning routine included a stop at 7-Eleven to pick up a couple of water bottles.
Shoes---feet in general---have quite the negative connotation in Thailand. Shoes are dirty and feet are rude, so removing shoes in homes and temples while also not pointing your feet towards those you respect are some of the cultural norms we adapted to.
Second stop: Wat Pho Temple
After being surrounded by hundreds of people at the Grand Palace, it was refreshing to see a change of pace at this second temple. It was quiet and calm, allowing us to fully take in the experience peacefully.
After being surrounded by hundreds of people at the Grand Palace, it was refreshing to see a change of pace at this second temple. It was quiet and calm, allowing us to fully take in the experience peacefully.
On the second day, we met with Internews, a company that funds local independent journalists in countries with strong censorship. For the rest of the day, we explored Bangkok. The city reminded me a lot of LA, as one sidewalk featured 60-story glass skyscrapers while the other side of the street was filled with run-down pastel-colored buildings tangled in telephone wires.
Something surprising I learned about Thailand was its coffee shop culture. With help from Yelp, we found this adorably aesthetic floral cafe, literally covered in all types of dangling plants. We sipped on delicious lattes and just enjoyed the gorgeous space.
Something surprising I learned about Thailand was its coffee shop culture. With help from Yelp, we found this adorably aesthetic floral cafe, literally covered in all types of dangling plants. We sipped on delicious lattes and just enjoyed the gorgeous space.
Our hunt for flowers continued, so we made our way to the Yodpiman Flower Market.
I first saw these yellow garlands as items for sale at temples. Phuang malai is a Thai floral garland used as an offering or kept for good luck. This flower market seemed to be filled with thousands of them.
(Not photographed) On the way to this flower market, Isadora, Robert and I hopped into an Uber to get here and met the most interesting driver. He told us to call him Star and broke down his life as: full time Uber driver, part time actor, full time dad. Star told us the full official name of Bangkok, its history as the "Venice of Asia" and then proceeded to belt out Hakuna Matata.
The Chao Phraya river flows south through Bangkok, providing a great alternative of transportation to the busy streets. Our group took a hop on hop off boat tour down the river back to our hotel and saw more amazing waterfront architecture.
On Tuesday, we visited Gulf Group's facilities two hours outside of the city. They introduced us to the company with a presentation, freshly pressed juice and delicious spring rolls. We learned all about Gulf Group's initiatives to develop a strong relationship with local communities. To see their work firsthand, we visited rice fields and mango groves. I was in complete awe of how lush and green the fields were.
Annenberg left its mark on Thailand through trees we planted that would be grown if we went back and visited in three years.
To be honest, mangoes have never really been my thing. But they definitely grew on me with fresh mango sticky rice. People caught mangoes straight from the tree and cut them right in front of us.
On the last day in Bangkok, we walked to Lumphini Park from our hotel. The park was massive, with lots of people running or peddle-boating in the lake.
People found peace in napping on the grass and feeding the pigeons. Parks are very therapeutic, no matter where you are in the world.