Long time no blog!

Hello again,

Life in Bangkok has been very hectic during the past month or so. There's lots to tell and all of that I can't mention here ;)

Studying at KU has been a breeze, for the first four weeks or so it was slow as some of our courses didn't start until the local students finished their Midterms. But now that they did, studying has been more challenging, but not too much. I'm also very, very pleased to be able to study in the same class as Thai students. It's a great way to make friends and see what student life here actually is.

It's chaotic, I can't deny that. Especially with the 3rd year Thai students, lack of school discipline as we know it seems to be rampant. If you want to learn, don't go the back of the classroom with all the bad boys and girls, just bravely take up a front seat and actually pay attention. (I know, that blueberry pie a group of Thai girls offer you for a mid-class snack might be very inviting, but just stay strong and keep writing notes!)

Then again, when studying with freshmen, aka. 1st year students, it's all very different. The discipline is strict and in some classes you aren't even allowed to use your iPhone! How dramatic. But overall, if you can pay attention and ignore the people who are more interested in chatting than studying, you can learn here very well. In most classes the level of education is very professional and the classes are actually fun. Of course, interaction with local students makes it even more fun, Thai people are very friendly and even if the students are at first shy, once they get to know you a little bit you can find lifelong friends here.

Also, if you skateboard, the campus are during nighttime is very good. Mostly it's quality tarmac with all kinds of stuff and little park/bench areas, and since it's a campus, there's very little traffic after like 6pm.

But enough of the University!

Since the last time I wrote I've been very busy, there's so much to do in Bangkok. I've met lots of local friends, been clubbing and partying, seen all kinds of sights and places, eaten everything from thai style pizza to very traditional rice porridge with a nearly raw egg and some pieces of pork liver, heart, kidney and so on (PS. This is offered pretty much everywhere on sundays and it will -not- cure a hangover) . Especially with local friends, everything is completely different. Even if Bangkok will still be the melting pot of so many personalities, cultures, a little bit of everything, with people who have lived here all their lives you can see so much more. During the first month, everything you see will be more than you can comprehend but after the initial shock, you can really get into the lifestyle here. Fast paced and hectic but still easy going and liberal.

As for the other exchange students, we are a really fun bunch! Everyone gets a long and we see each other all the time, be it dinner or hanging out at someone's apartment. We also do weekend trips together. So far we've been to Pattaya, Koh Samed, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, etc. There's so many places to visit near Bangkok. You can get to Cambodia in just one day by land, in a few hours if you want to fly. And more than that, all of them are worth visiting. There's something for everyone. Even if Bangkok will offer you something to do every day and night of the week (Shopping, movies, parties, chilling, picnics in the beautiful parks, waterparks..) it's fun to get out once in a while.


But overall, everything is dandy and life here is amazing.  There was a bomb threat last week, but it's passed and the police did very good work on it, no one felt threatened at all.

PS. More pictures being uploaded at http://rainbowsandsh.tumblr.com !