Hello again,
I haven't been writing here for a while now, but nothing special has been going on anyway. Last week's friday I met up with a few other students, Antti and Sampsa and we had a great night out around Sukhumvit. It's funny, especially in the mentioned area, how the completely depraved faces off with glam on the other side of the street and in turn around the corner you can sit around with a few easy-going aussie expats and have a burger.
It's all so confusing, weird and still at the same time very amazing. Someone said Bangkok, the city of angels as the Thai people say it, is a mix of Bladerunner, Emmanuelle and something else in a very unique mix. It's very much true. At first, it might be scary and very unsettling but you just have to jump into the beat and you will enjoy your time. I don't mean you should lose all sense of your surroundings, but have fun with a level headed perspective and this place offers you anything.
Other than Friday our weekend went in a very easy going manner, on Saturday we met up some more students and just hung out around Phahon Yothin. Movies, eating, sitting around, it's all good around here. On Saturday evening I even saw a german guy at my apartment building, who said he works at the University, pretty cool.
Today I plan on taking it slow as classes indeed start tomorrow. I went to the university today and chatted up the information center and the international coordinator, Mae, who was very nice and helpful. Apparently this week will still be pretty slow and centered around orientation and getting to know the campus area. Real classes, starting with everyday Thai conversation, begin on next Monday.
Over and out!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Fun Stuff
Hello anyone!
I'm pretty sure I can say with good conscience that the last two days have been very exhausting. Although things are starting to clear up here in Bangkok, everything is still so overwhelming. The culture, the people, the controlled chaos that seems to envelop this city and the diversity in everything this city has to offer.
Here's a few things from the past days.
Once I left the hotel I took a taxi to a place that rents apartments called 'Littlesky 71' that's pretty nearby to the university. When I arrived, some guy who spoke no english told me that I can't come here, it's a place for students. Then I said I wanted a room, he said it's a place for Thai students. Well it was a misunderstanding, not racism. After waiting around for a good 30 minutes someone who spoke english came by. He was a really nice dude and we checked out the rooms, then the contract and the rooms again. I was almost like 'cool this can't be too bad' when the realization that the rooms were really spartan and the building had no facilities at all. Even the neighborhood was pretty empty.
Then I pulled out said sorry and left. Don't get me wrong, it would be a nice place if you're really hardcore and actually want to experience the authentic Thai student life. They even rent scooters for 15 baht. But I wanted a bit more.
So next up, I called Pattra, the landlady at Mainam Villa and she was adorable. She told me they have rooms and that I could come right up to see them. Mainam Villa has a nice 10% discount for KU students too. I didn't have my KU papers with me since I left them at home, but Pattra said it would be fine if I produce them later when my school starts. Mainam Villa is located in a Thai residence area too, but it has good stuff nearby and they have a pool and a little communal kitchen, where you can buy instant noodels and snacks if you don't wanna go out. There's a buzzling outdoor market nearby selling foodstuffs, clothes, random things.. There's also two 7/11's within a very short walking distance and the area is buzzling with either outdoor street kitchens or let's say mid-level places. I've seen some nicer looking places here too, which probably cater to the people living in this walled city-mansions, there's a few of those nearby.
Well, after settling down here and deciding this'll be the place, at least for some months, I slept a good night's sleep and went out to see some of Bangkok all freshened up. From Mainam Villa you really have to take a taxi to the nearest BTS or Metro station, it's around 60-70 baht and that's not too bad. There's also buses but I haven't really looked into that yet, Google Maps actually does have the bangkok buslines and timetables mapped out and it's really simple to just use their route generator and then going for an adventure.
My adventure was the BTS for today. I bought a SmartPass which is basically a prepaid ticket, so you don't always have to fiddle with coins and tickets. It took me to National Stadium stop, from where I went to have a glance at the Jim Thompson gallery/garden/museum. I'm not big on that stuff though, even though I'm sure it's very fruitful for anyone who's interested, so I walked down to the riverside and hiked it up a klick or two. Just out of interest, I took the boat bus back and found myself lost again.
Bangkok is an amazing place all in all and getting lost is by no means negative, it gives you a wider perspective and that feel of adventure, especially when you're flying solo like myself. Not to mention all those little hidden places you will never find with a map or a guidebook. That random kitchen in the middle of nowhere with just granny and grandpa around might just be the best, tastiest chicken you ever had the pleasure of putting in your mouth.
PS. put up some photos at My Gallery
I'm pretty sure I can say with good conscience that the last two days have been very exhausting. Although things are starting to clear up here in Bangkok, everything is still so overwhelming. The culture, the people, the controlled chaos that seems to envelop this city and the diversity in everything this city has to offer.
Here's a few things from the past days.
Once I left the hotel I took a taxi to a place that rents apartments called 'Littlesky 71' that's pretty nearby to the university. When I arrived, some guy who spoke no english told me that I can't come here, it's a place for students. Then I said I wanted a room, he said it's a place for Thai students. Well it was a misunderstanding, not racism. After waiting around for a good 30 minutes someone who spoke english came by. He was a really nice dude and we checked out the rooms, then the contract and the rooms again. I was almost like 'cool this can't be too bad' when the realization that the rooms were really spartan and the building had no facilities at all. Even the neighborhood was pretty empty.
Then I pulled out said sorry and left. Don't get me wrong, it would be a nice place if you're really hardcore and actually want to experience the authentic Thai student life. They even rent scooters for 15 baht. But I wanted a bit more.
So next up, I called Pattra, the landlady at Mainam Villa and she was adorable. She told me they have rooms and that I could come right up to see them. Mainam Villa has a nice 10% discount for KU students too. I didn't have my KU papers with me since I left them at home, but Pattra said it would be fine if I produce them later when my school starts. Mainam Villa is located in a Thai residence area too, but it has good stuff nearby and they have a pool and a little communal kitchen, where you can buy instant noodels and snacks if you don't wanna go out. There's a buzzling outdoor market nearby selling foodstuffs, clothes, random things.. There's also two 7/11's within a very short walking distance and the area is buzzling with either outdoor street kitchens or let's say mid-level places. I've seen some nicer looking places here too, which probably cater to the people living in this walled city-mansions, there's a few of those nearby.
Well, after settling down here and deciding this'll be the place, at least for some months, I slept a good night's sleep and went out to see some of Bangkok all freshened up. From Mainam Villa you really have to take a taxi to the nearest BTS or Metro station, it's around 60-70 baht and that's not too bad. There's also buses but I haven't really looked into that yet, Google Maps actually does have the bangkok buslines and timetables mapped out and it's really simple to just use their route generator and then going for an adventure.
My adventure was the BTS for today. I bought a SmartPass which is basically a prepaid ticket, so you don't always have to fiddle with coins and tickets. It took me to National Stadium stop, from where I went to have a glance at the Jim Thompson gallery/garden/museum. I'm not big on that stuff though, even though I'm sure it's very fruitful for anyone who's interested, so I walked down to the riverside and hiked it up a klick or two. Just out of interest, I took the boat bus back and found myself lost again.
Bangkok is an amazing place all in all and getting lost is by no means negative, it gives you a wider perspective and that feel of adventure, especially when you're flying solo like myself. Not to mention all those little hidden places you will never find with a map or a guidebook. That random kitchen in the middle of nowhere with just granny and grandpa around might just be the best, tastiest chicken you ever had the pleasure of putting in your mouth.
PS. put up some photos at My Gallery
Monday, January 2, 2012
The First Day
2nd of January, 2012, Sasha House in Bangkok
So it's a new year and completely new stuff for me, thanks to the guys and girls at Asia Exchange and Kilroy Travels, who made this whole studying in Asia thing possible.Yesterday around noon I took off from Helsinki Airport towards Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines plane. In Istanbul I would have a connecting flight to Bangkok, my destination. And here I am, currently residing in the Sasha House boutique-hotel for a night to chill away the horrors of 18 hours on airports and planes.
My first flight from Helsinki to Istanbul was alright, the food was crappy as usually on planes and the old guy next to me trying desperate small talk was actually quite cool. The Istanbul airport was awful and confusing, that's saying something since I'm not a total newbie to traveling by air, having been pretty much on every continent. But enough of that, I got onto the plane quite fine after a bit of darting around. The ten hour flight to follow towards Bangkok was just as awful as one can expect. There is nothing fun sitting next to a smelly guy who speaks no english and seems to have no regard for other passengers.
Once I got to Bangkok I was as happy and excited as one can be, the climate is amazing and the people are cool. You can feel the pulse and life of your surroundings during that long drive from the airport to your destination in the city, not to mention once you get to take the streets. Personally I chose a taxi this time around and taxis are fine if you haven't slept in 24 hours and carry two backpacks. And phew, the drivers around here are quite mental, luckily though I wasn't in the deepest rush hour so things went relatively smoothly.
Sasha House is an amazing, tiny boutique hotel near the Kasetsart University. For around 30 euros I was able to score a nicely decorated and extremely comfy room, perfect for shaking off that jetlag. The hotel is in the middle of the part of town where middle- and working-class Bangkok-ians live. There's not a single tourist around and the food from the street kitchens is still cheap and genuinely tasty.
Now with a belly full of delicious noodle soup and a few cold ones I'll be fast asleep and hopefully wake up tomorrow all fresh. Even though it's still a week for orientation day at the Uni, tomorrow is a relatively big day. I'll be seeing some apartments and choosing one to live in, I figure that's a choice I don't want to regret.
So it's a new year and completely new stuff for me, thanks to the guys and girls at Asia Exchange and Kilroy Travels, who made this whole studying in Asia thing possible.Yesterday around noon I took off from Helsinki Airport towards Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines plane. In Istanbul I would have a connecting flight to Bangkok, my destination. And here I am, currently residing in the Sasha House boutique-hotel for a night to chill away the horrors of 18 hours on airports and planes.
My first flight from Helsinki to Istanbul was alright, the food was crappy as usually on planes and the old guy next to me trying desperate small talk was actually quite cool. The Istanbul airport was awful and confusing, that's saying something since I'm not a total newbie to traveling by air, having been pretty much on every continent. But enough of that, I got onto the plane quite fine after a bit of darting around. The ten hour flight to follow towards Bangkok was just as awful as one can expect. There is nothing fun sitting next to a smelly guy who speaks no english and seems to have no regard for other passengers.
Once I got to Bangkok I was as happy and excited as one can be, the climate is amazing and the people are cool. You can feel the pulse and life of your surroundings during that long drive from the airport to your destination in the city, not to mention once you get to take the streets. Personally I chose a taxi this time around and taxis are fine if you haven't slept in 24 hours and carry two backpacks. And phew, the drivers around here are quite mental, luckily though I wasn't in the deepest rush hour so things went relatively smoothly.
Sasha House is an amazing, tiny boutique hotel near the Kasetsart University. For around 30 euros I was able to score a nicely decorated and extremely comfy room, perfect for shaking off that jetlag. The hotel is in the middle of the part of town where middle- and working-class Bangkok-ians live. There's not a single tourist around and the food from the street kitchens is still cheap and genuinely tasty.
Now with a belly full of delicious noodle soup and a few cold ones I'll be fast asleep and hopefully wake up tomorrow all fresh. Even though it's still a week for orientation day at the Uni, tomorrow is a relatively big day. I'll be seeing some apartments and choosing one to live in, I figure that's a choice I don't want to regret.
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