This weekend Anne, Kelsey, and I went to Chiang Mai. Jamie and Tristen went also, but we met them there. They left a day earlier than we did. We were gone for 48 hours and 31 of those hours were spent on a van, bus, or train.

Van to Bangkok, 2 ways – 6 hours total
Bus to Chiang Mai – 10 hours total
Train back to Bangkok – 15 hours total

For the 17 hours we were not traveling, we were going to wats, going to the flower festival, and walking walking walking. The 10 hour bus ride was fine. No problem. The train back was awful. Terrible. If it weren’t for the crazy party happening on the train among some friendly, drunk thai athletes, it would have been 100 times worse.

Chiang Mai is in northern Thailand. Very northern. Right by the border. It is beautiful there. The Webster campus should be located there instead of Hua Hin. The air is cleaner, cooler. There’s more to do and see. More culture. Better temples. More monks.

We called the boys when we were about to arrive in Chiang Mai. They said they took a day trip to Burma. Jamie was making elephant noises in the background. For some reason, that pissed me off, because I think for a second I actually believed they had crossed the border and gone there, even though we were arriving that day. I am too gullible sometimes. When we arrived in Chiang Mai around 9am, we met up with Tristen and Jamie at the Panda Guesthouse, the place they stayed that night. They said it wasn’t a good place and they were awakened at 6am by a man and a prostitute having sex. The walls were made out of bamboo and you could hear everything. But for 150 baht a night, it was pretty nice. Anne, Kelsey, and I decided to tough it out and stay at Panda even though Jamie and Tristen suggested a better guesthouse right down the street that was a little more expensive. The room we got had a huge bed and a bathroom with hot water. That’s really all we needed. Our room was right next to Tristen and Jamie’s and when we needed to tell them something, we would just yell out and they could hear us. We got breakfast at a noodle stand, where I spilt broth all over my pants. Then we walked around the town, going in temple after temple. They were all beautiful, some of my favorite so far. I don’t remember the names of any. Then we decided to go to Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, a temple on the top of a mountain 16km outside of Chiang Mai. It is a very famous one and there are various songthaews around town to take people up the hill to the base of the mountain, and then you have to walk up 306 steps to the top, where all the action is. I fell asleep in the songthaew on the way over and it was a wonder that I was able to make it up the steps. It was grueling. But once up there, we got a wonderful view of Chiang Mai and got to see some beautiful temples. After Doi Suthep, we rode back down on the songthaew along with a family from Singapore. Two young children told us jokes the whole way down. I don’t like kids, but I laughed anyway. They were kind of cute. So we get back to town and we decide to eat at this Indian restaurant. We waited about 45 minutes for our food because there was only one guy cooking. He also took our orders. He was in charge of everything. The wait was worth it though because the food was really good. After a failed search for an ice cream vendor, we went back to Panda and took short naps. I was woken up around 7pm. I felt much better. The sleep deprivation had been getting to me. Took a shower, put on some makeup, headed off to the Night Bazaar – a very popular tourist destination in Chiang Mai. The name – Night Bazaar – makes it sound very exciting, but it really wasn’t. It was an extended Hua Hin Night Market, with a much narrower path. And more Europeans. But they did have some cool stuff. I bought souvenirs for people back home. The vendors in Chiang Mai are really good about bargaining. They ask, “What do you want to pay? What do you want to offer me?” They make pretty good deals with you but you really have to bargain with them if you want the lowest deal. You can’t give up. We saw something really unusual for Thailand – a gathering of Amish teenagers. The girls were dressed in amish attire. The boys were not. I think they were going through that period in Amish culture where the young people can decide whether or not they want to be a part of the church, so they are able to dress how they want and do what they want without repercussion. I didn’t see them with any bags in their hands, so I don’t think they purchased anything. Just sight seeing. One of them had a huge camera hanging around their neck. They ate at Subway and were very polite to the girl working there. Kelsey got one of those rice patty things from McDonalds. It is 2 rice patties in replace of the bun with pork, chicken, or beef.

We walked back to Panda after the Night Bazaar. Made jokes through the bamboo walls of our room and went to sleep.
Woke up a little late the next morning. Ate breakfast and went on an unnecessary ½ hour long walk in search of a broke down prison. We didn’t find it. We got a songthaew to Royal Flora Ratchpruchek – the whole reason I wanted to come to Chiang Mai. It’s a huge horticulture display at the Agricultural Center, sponsored by the Queen. We got to the place and found out that the Agricultural Center is about the size of a small city. We realized right then and there that we weren’t going to be able to see everything, so we should just make the most of our time there and see as much as we can.

So we braved the sun and walked around for hours, anne and I got split up from the other three. They wandered off somewhere, which made Anne very nervous. I took as many pictures as I could in the time allotted to me, for my online photojournalism class. It was very pretty, but too crowded. And too hot. We should have brought umbrellas. Or bought some. I bought a cute stuffed animal before we left. Actually, it’s a stuffed lotus flower character. Royal Flora had a whole gang of carton characters that they created just for the exhibit. I bought some souvenirs for people. And then we got a van and left. We were exhausted. I enjoyed the exhibition but it made me upset that the others did not want to stay longer. And they didn’t enjoy it as much. I wanted to explore more. See the international exhibit. But no. it put me in a really bad mood. Oh well. so, we went back to the guesthouse, got our things, and departed for the train station. That was something that also upset me. Jamie and tristen took the train to chiang mai, and they said it was freezing. That is the word they used. Freezing. Because all the windows were open and no blankets and they didn’t bring jackets. I get cold easily to begin with, so I didn’t understand the reason for taking a train when we could just as easily take a bus, and arrive in Bangkok a few hours sooner. Apparently, the view from the train makes it worth it. Since the others wanted the train, that’s what we did. We got the cheapest seats possible. The train ride was a grueling 15 hours long. I had a headache at the start. But the first 5 hours of the ride weren’t so bad. There happened to be a party happening in the car next to us. Several thai teenage guys with case after case of Chang beer and bongo drums were being wild and crazy. They were on sports teams and I think they were touring to different competitions so they partied during every trip. They were very drunk by the time we arrived on the train and offered all of us beer. Tristen was the first to partake in the siesta. He took pictures and drank and had a great time. Jamie spent his time sleeping and reading. Anne and Kelsey eventually joined the party. I took a short nap, curled up in the fetal position on the rock-hard train seat. And then I joined the party as well. The floor was wet and sticky with beer and there was hardly any room to move, but it was a blast. We met some cool people who spoke pretty good English. I don’t remember any of their names, and they probably don’t even remember that night on the train because they were so far gone. But for a few hours, we had a great time. And then around 5 or 6 in the morning, everyone passed out on their train seats. I dozed in and out of sleep several times. Each time I woke up, I felt 10 times more disgusting than the last.




15 hours later, we finally made it to Bangkok. By that time, I was in a horrible mood. I was hungry. We went to a noodle stand because that is Tristen’s favorite. I couldn’t eat my noodles because there were pieces of beef in the broth. I think everyone thought I was just being a baby, and there wasn’t really any beef in it. But there was. I saw it. So I went to 711 and got a coffee and some watermelon seeds. We got a van to hua hin. I took the best shower of my life. and that was chiang mai. Wish I could have spent more time there.

22 Novembre 2006
Thanksgiving is Thursday, but that holiday is not celebrated in Thailand. Last night Tristen, Jamie, Anne, Kelsey, Aaron, and I celebrated it though. Tristen cooked dinner for us – a really good pasta/vegetable/artichoke dish – and we ate it in his and jamie’s room. Some thai friends of tristen joined us and anne and I tried to pick up some thai from them. We would find phrases in this thai-english translation book and try to pronounce them. The two guys would laugh at us because we usually mis-pronounced. One of the guys is in love with anne. They asked me if I was a lesbian, because apparently I look like one. They think Kelsey does too. What does a lesbian look like? I guess it’s because I have short hair. Speaking of lesbians, I borrowed The L Word from Kelsey and I really really like it. Kelsey and I went to the night market before eating dinner. I had to talk to Crab because a few of us are going to the floating market in Ratchaburi with him. We had to figure out when we would go. Turns out it’s going to happen next Wednesday at around 8am. It should be fun.

Me, tristen, Kelsey, anne and I are going to chiang mai this weekend. It’s a 10 hour bus ride. Tristen leaves today, the rest of us leave tomorrow after class. Class is over around 5. Bus from school to VIP at 5:10. Get to VIP at 5:30. Get a van to Bangkok. Bangkok to bus terminal. Bus to Chiang Mai. Whether or not we will arrive in Chiang Mai at the expected time is based on luck. I have no idea if everything will work out, if there will still be a van available, if there will still be seats on a bus, but we’ll try. Before I leave, I have to email another photojournalism assignment to my teacher, figure out my new york ticket, charge my camera batteries, maybe get more film, call brian, and a million other things. I called suzy a little bit ago. She’s doing fine which makes me feel a lot better.

today has been awful and it's only 2:30pm. i booked a flight to new york yesterday from jan 12 to 16 because, STUPID ME, i thought school started on the 22nd. but no, it starts on the 15th. which doesn't make sense anyway b/c it's MLK day and we usually have off. anyway, so im an idiot and didn't check first and booked the flight because i just want to see beth so bad and i just wanted to get it done and now i had to cancel it and i have to book another flight and pay some fees. and i'm just really mad. i woke up today feeling mad and then i get a nasty text message from brian regarding my new york plans and i just want to call my mom. but she's asleep. this whole flight thing is going to get fixed, i'm going to new york one way or another, i just wish i wasn't so absent minded sometimes. oh and i have a midterm in a half hour. it's going to be rough. floating market tomorrow (hopefully). chiang mai this weekend.

night - novembre 18

after resting a bit after going to Pran Buri, we all went to Spanky's birthday party. me, anne, kelsey, jamie, tristen. the pre-party was at nino's. and then we were scheduled to go "clubbing". nino was being a huge jerk so i stopped being nice to him. he gets in these moods sometimes and it's really annoying. we listened to music, sang happy birthday, socialized. pretty normal party. a guy i go to school with confessed his love for me. he was really drunk and thought it would be a good time to do that. i always knew he liked me, because i can just tell, but he has a really great girlfriend that i just always tried to ignore it. but not tonight, because he was letting it all out. he told me that i am amazing, beautiful creature that is beyond human. and if he didn't have a girlfriend, he would pursue me. it was all a little too much, and i didn't know what to do. tristen, anne, kelsey, and i left the party for awhile so tristen could teach anne how to ride a motorbike. she did a really good job. then i decided that i should try, and it didn't work out too well. i am too absent minded like my mom to immediately be able to operate a motorbike. heck, it took me long enough to decently drive a car. but yeah, i tried riding the motorbike. couldn't do it. tristen got on the motorbike behind me and guided me around, showing me how to switch gears and put on the breaks and such. it was a rush. after nino's, an "army of tuk tuks" came to pick everyone up and take us to town. i didn't take a tuk tuk. i rode on a motorbike with Jamie and Kelsey. we were so squished together. it was really fun. it was too late to go to Hilton, so we went to SamSam. a 60 year old european "man" purposely grabbed my butt, so i cursed him out. at the karaoke bar later in the night, i got on the microphone and had a few things to say to the european men in hua hin. how they are disgusting and have no respect for women. i'd had enough, i was so mad. i am so mad seeing these men sexually harass these women. they think just cause they're on vacation in a foreign country, that makes them all high and mighty and gives them permission to act like apes. i really wanted to hurt one of them, and i was waiting for my next chance, but it didn't come. i left the karaoke bar with Kelsey at around 5am. my man Crab (as detailed in a previous post) gave us a ride home in his really nice truck. i had been avoiding him for some time now, but decided to stop doing that. because he really is a nice guy and there's no reason for me to ignore him. he made fun of me because i live here, but cannot speak thai. so i said funny phrases in english that i knew he wouldn't understand. two can play at this game.

18 novembre 2006

today anne, tristen, Jamie and I woke up early and caught a bus to Pranburi. It’s about 30 minutes south of Hua Hin. We wanted to go to the National Park that was there – Sam Rot something – but it turned out it was 400 baht to get in, and that was way way too much. Our songthaew driver was hitting on Tristen big-time. I may have misread the situation, but as Tristen (who can now speak fluent Thai) and the driver were reading the map together, the driver put his hand on Tristen’s thigh. He did this twice. And then later he patted Tristen’s butt and rubbed his arm. It was hilarious. Apparently, a lot of thai people do that. Touch people. So instead of going to the park, we went to a beach with mountains and caves. Inside the caves there were gorgeous Buddha statues and incense and offerings. Also, bat poop. It smelled like urine. The air was kind of sickly. We took lots of pictures. We went to the beach, where some women tried to sell us places to sit for 20 baht. A man tried to sell us a ride on a horse for 200 baht/half hour. Thai people must thing farang are stupid. Some are, I’m sure, but we were not about to pay for such ridiculous things. We ate at a restaurant on the beach. Jamie and I were worried that the sauce our fried vegetables were in was chicken blood. It wasn’t. I hope. The whole trip was really nice, non-stressful, probably cause Tristen could speak Thai. We kind of climbed a mountain, got some great pictures, and just goofed around. One the bus back to VIP we made friends with a plump monk with a bag of Thai iced tea who made his own medicine to cure people of paralysis. Jamie said the medicine was probably made from fermented cow urine. Yep. Today is Spanky’s 23rd birthday so we are going out. Probably to a club. Probably to Style. I didn’t get him a present, but I figured I’d just buy him a hooker or something.

17 novembre 2006

I’ve reached my comfort zone with this city, and that’s a problem. I won’t want to leave. I’m even thinking about how cool it would be to live here. Definitely come back. I’m not going to have time to go out of the country. The rest of these 35 days or so are going to be spent with my Buddhist Arts and PhotoJ classes, going to Chiang Mai and Phuket, and traveling around Bangkok a bit more. I still haven’t gone to Khao San Road and I haven’t seen the Floating Market. I would love to go to Vietnam and Malaysia. And maybe China, except their treatment of animals doesn’t fly with me. I’ve been feeling very idle lately. A couple weekends ago I went to Sukhothai by myself, and that was awesome. Since then Cory, Anne’s friend, came to visit and we showed him around Hua Hin. We went to Monkey Mountain, which never fails to impress. Today I woke up late and caught a public bus to town. I was supposed to wake up early and go to Phetchaburi to see the caves and temples, but starting a day trip at noon doesn’t really make sense. I’m going tomorrow instead. It’s an hour and a half trip and I hope Anne goes with me. But she’s been really sick these past couple days. There are these two stray puppies that appeared on campus. I think someone just dumped them there. A nice girl took one of them home yesterday. She doesn’t live in VIP, so she’s allowed to have pets. But I can’t. I wanted so badly to take the other one home. He’s pudgy and has a little squished face. I would have even taken him to the vet and bought him food and toys. But he yelps a lot, and isn’t potty trained, and we would have been found out for sure. But the puppy situation made me really sad. Sometimes when I’m here I go to Starbucks or other coffee shops that have been Americanized. It makes me feel comfortable. And then you walk out and get hounded by taxi drivers and stared at by men on the back of trucks and you remember you’re in Thailand. And you think, would I rather be in Starbucks in the states or in Thailand? The latter is more interesting.

until last night, i never truly realized how revolting some men are. it was halloween. anne, spanky, and i went to the hilton (the hotel has a bar/dance club) because they were having a "halloween party" of sorts and a live band. the band dressed up in costumes and some europeans and thai ladyboys wore costumes as well. the hilton is the place where all the sleazebags stay, the european sleazebags, and they were alllll out last night. these "men" danced like fools, felt thai girls up (girls that may/may not have been their escort for the night), gave suggestive looks to other girls in the area, and just basically presented themselves as some of the most digusting human beings on the face of the earth. their behavior was terrible, awful. one european man in his late 30s, who was drunk and possibly on cocaine, was dancing crazily with a thai girl. suddenly, he starts grinding against anne. i turned to him and yelled "No! no!" and he obediently backed away. But then he got the thai girl to start dancing with anne so that i wouldn't yell at him. it was incredibly ignorant. there were 2 european men - one guy was mid 50s, the other mid 20s - at the front of the stage, staring at the girls in the band who were dancing in short skirts and singing. these men were taking videos from their phones, of the womens' legs and other areas. they made sexual gestures to the women. the 50 year old guy had a hairy back and wore a mesh muscle tee. that was halloween in thailand.