Greetings from Bangkok~

Sawat-de ka!  Hello!  We've been in Bangkok for less than a week, and I already feel like so much has happened.  Every hour holds something new to explore, or a silly mistake to make, or something exciting to learn, and I think that the next 5 months are going to make for an incredibly enriching experience.

I'm living on the older Assumption University campus, Hua Mak, with all my fellow Loyola peeps, and attending classes at the newer campus, Bang Na, about 45 minutes away.  Classes are so wonderfully relaxed compared to the states - and apparently the professors love us because we actually pay attention and are fluent in English.  I'm taking Thai Politics and Government, Ethics, Thai Language and Culture, Buddhism (if a section opens up), Social Dance (thai dance, apparently?) and Scuba Diving (so. PUMPED).  Everyone is already 3 weeks into the semester, so we have a bit of catching up to do - and have been thrown into the fray rather quickly.  But I guess it's an experience, right?

Before we arrived in Bangkok, we had quite the travel experience.  I flew from Boston to New York, where I met up with the rest of the group, then a 15 hour flight over the North Pole to Hong Kong.  We spent the night there, then flew to Bangkok the next morning - later that night, we started class.  And my bag got lost which was a bummer! But it's safe and sound now.  The first few days felt a bit frazzled with a totally new environment to get used to, from the language down barrier, the food, the classes, and the transportation.

But even everyday experiences can be such a thrill, such as:

• Riding a motorcycle taxi to the Big C convenience store.
• Getting fresh pineapple from a street vendor for about 30 cents.
• Having "Auntie Sam" buy you and your friends yogurt-apple smoothies at 10pm.
• Taking a river boat the Klong to get downtown.
• Triumphantly finding your class, after asking 3 separate Thai students where it is and being redirected twice.
• Going to fantastic, cheap, fun bars without being carded.
• Befriending international students from all over Asia.
• Stumbling upon (and I'm not talking about the internet toolbar) a fantastic market while exploring the neighborhood.

For the first few weekends, we have pre-planned excursions that get us acquainted with the city and the rest of our group.  And since we only have classes Monday through Friday, there's plenty of time for extracurricular trips.  This past Friday, we took the Klong river boat to Wat Pho, which is one of the more famous temples in Bangkok.  The boat was fantastic, except for the fact that the canal water is so toxic that you should try not to get splashed at all costs.  Apparently if you fall in, you need to be seriously scrubbed down....but it was a handy (and cheap!) means of transportation.  The architecture and statues at Wat Pho were stunning, especially the ridiculously gigantic reclining Buddha statue.  Buddhism seems to be such a wonderfully peaceful and introspective way of life that I really want to explore during my time here.  Later that afternoon, we went to Khao San road, the backpacker's mecca.  It's one of the most traveled areas in Thailand, known for it's hippie-esque feel.  Although it was neat to check out, there are much better markets for locals that we are sure to explore later, with less tourist traps and westernized goods.

On Saturday, we took a rather random trip to Siam amusement park.  From buddhas to roller coasters within less than 24 hours!  It was pretty similar to a park in the states, although there were a lot less people and they styling was a bit different.  When a storm blew in and the sky opened up, we relaxed on the lazy river in the rain.  It was so wonderful to finally cool off from the 95 degree, humid weather - and I love swimming in the rain regardless.  They also have the world's largest wave pool, which was fine until a lady started taking pictures of us.  I know we stand out, but seriously?!

Today was a chill day, and we took a walk around the neighborhood to explore what is in our own backyard.  We found an amazing market, with everything from squid on a stick, to curtains, to bear-shaped pancakes (sooo good), to faux Prada wallets, to street sushi (sketch?), to perfume balls.  We'll definitely be back again, when we're hungrier and have more money in our wallets.  It was such a great atmosphere, and was populated almost exclusively by Thais- very different from Khao Sun road the day before.

I also got to meet up with Bethel, a friend from Loyola, who is spending the week in Bangkok with her mother.  I took a cab downtown which turned out to be wonderfully affordable (about $8 for an hour ride) and not sketchy at all.  So far, I have felt much safer here than in many places back home, and everyone has been very friendly and professional.  I also saw the area where the riots happened a few weeks ago - amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, the burned mall stood in the background.  It's crazy to think that something so publicized and hyped-up seems to be almost an afterthought.  I got to go shopping with Bethel and out to an Ethiopian restaurant - very strange to be eating Ethiopian cuisine in already-foreign Bangkok, but it was delicious.

That's all for now - good morning from tonight.  11 hour time difference!  :)