Ko, Dohng, Wat

So the title means "Island, Jungle, Temple" which pretty much sums up my past two weeks.  Two weekends ago we went to Ko Samet as a group for our first non-Father Kelly excursion; during the week Christina, Maria and I adventured downtown to Wat Saket and the Golden Mount; and this past weekend we went as a group (with Father Kelly this time) to Kanchanaburi.  The space in between was relatively average - Bangkok has become my temporary home, and the novelty has worn off a bit.  Certain things have become routine - and while it may seem less exciting on a day to day basis, I think it indicates that I have adjusted to my environment.  Which is definitely a good thing.

(I just like this picture.  It's not really related to anything.)

Ko Samet is an island off the coast of Thailand about 3 hours away from Bangkok.  It's a rather touristy spot, since a lot of Bangkokians and visitors go there to escape the city, but it was a lot of fun to spend a few nights on an island with 14 beaches and parties galore.  Alejandro, Jeff, Kristin and I shared a sweet bungalow for about 12 dollars each - not too shabby! Check out the view from our porch to the left.  Food was pricey but pretty good, and I officially fell in love with papaya salad (which has carried over to Bangkok - I cannot go more than a few days without a beautiful, citrusy, peanuty heaping of it).  And there was one restaurant that served up a mean mango smoothie.

Some shenanigans definitely went down:

• Partying at a beach bar called NaGa, where you flip a coin to determine if you pay for your drink.  Very dangerous, especially because they sometimes let you flip again (I paid 0 baht for alcohol that weekend).
• The bar tender's pet praying mantises, crawling on your face.
• Skinny-dipping at 3am.
• Walking down the beach at 10pm, stumbling upon a congregation of people and flame throwers, spotting an ongoing limbo competition in the middle of this craziness, realizing that you got what it takes!, limboing under a flaming pole in a bikini, and being rewarded with cheers from the crowd and two shots.  (mark my words - it was the craziest 2 minutes of my life.  Did it actually happen?  IT DID).
• The guys rented motorcycles and rode around the island, skinning their knees a few times but definitely having a blast.
• While walking around, we found a half empty reservoir, a helipad, and ripped electrical lines in the middle of the island.  We were expecting to see Jack Shephard emerge from the wilderness but alas, did not.
• Most docile but still fantastic: fried crepes on the beach with bananas and chocolate.  Yum yum.

It was a great weekend that really brought the group together, regardless of how "non-authentic" and touristy it was.  I suppose we kind of are tourists, as much as I want to deny it.  I've been thinking about that a lot recently - what is "authentic" Thailand?  The culture of a country includes so much - even the Westernized, touristy aspects.  I think that sometimes, we go looking for original authenticity and miss the true, modern culture.  And while hearing Justin Bieber playing as you're traipsing through a night market is frustrating, it would be unfair to ignore the reality of Western influence.  It's not all about monks and rice paddies, right?

Later that week, Garvey, Maria and I wanted to do something interesting and historical (now I can't call it 'cultural' anymore) and took the khlong taxi downtown.  We visited Wat Saket and the Golden Mount, which is perched atop a manmade hill in the center of Bangkok.  We went around 5pm and it was beautiful, especially with the recording of the chanting monks, the breeze, and the sound of little prayer bells chiming in the wind.  It's a very prominent place in Bangkok, originally as a cremation sight, later as the highest point in the city, today as the location of the Loy Kratong temple festival.  

The funny thing is, though, that I had to do this research after our visit - since almost all of the signs were in Thai.  And I realized something as we were standing up there - this is not my country, my heritage, or my religion.  I really am an outsider, and have no context to fit Wat Saket, or many of the sights I see, into.  I don't have a body of knowledge about temple architecture or Buddhist ceremonies like I would about United States history or Christianity.  This really seems to apply to everything here, from knowing the rules of the road to how to chose ripe rambutan.  It's been a wonderful experience that feels a bit dreamlike - but by being in a completely different culture, I've really come to reflect on my own.

Third big event: an overnight group trip to Kanchanburi with Father Kelly.  It's a province about 3.5 hours away, home to national parks, waterfalls, treks and monkeys.  We stayed at a resort (hard to accommodate 35 people otherwise) with good food.  Swimming pool was nice.  Bus was average.  Rooms were cute.  Et cetera, et cetera.  Nothing too thrilling, really.  Mostly, though, we went to see the historic Death Railway, which was incredibly fascinating.  We visited Hellfire Pass and took a walk through the woods along torn up sections of the rail bed, and later visited the war cemetery in the town of Kanchanaburi.  We also walked across the bridge over the river Kwai (from the book and movie of the same name).

A bit more about the Death Railway -

During WWII, the Japanese wanted to strengthen their campaign in Burma and eventually penetrate further West, and started planning a railroad to connect Bangkok, Thailand and Rangoon, Burma.  Instead of complying with the estimated 5 year time span, they wanted it done in 16 months.  Thousands of prisoners of war and conscripted Asian laborers where forced to build the railway by hand, through mountains and over rivers.  Over 100,000 workers died (about 10,000 POWs and 90,000 Asian workers) from starvation, dysentery, abuse or infection.  By the time it was completed, the Japanese were realizing their defeat - and used the line to pull troops out of the region.  Soon after, major sections of the line were bombed by the British to prevent Burmese radicals from seizing control.  Some parts were brought under control of the Thai government, and some were neglected due to rushed and shoddy construction.  

It's crazy to think that I have never heard about this incredible travesty in all my years of education.  What a morbid story - between the loss of life, the uselessness of the railroad, and the terrible conditions that these people were forced to work under.  It makes you realize how many events throughout history are untold, concealed or forgotten - and it was really shocking to learn about something as grave as this.  

On the reverse, it was stunningly beautiful.  We had headsets during the walk through the woods, and as a survivor is telling you about the use of bamboo for both beds and whipping, and how shoes were precious because you would get less maggots in your open foot wounds, you look out through the trees at the gorgeous mountains that divide Burma and Thailand.  One survivor described the confusing play between horror and beauty, and how the stunning landscape was a source of inspiration for him every morning.  What a place of extremes.

On a completely different note, this week is midterms.  Which means that Saturday marks the end of midterms (for me at least), and we have a huge chunk of time to travel.  I'll be going to Laos for two weeks with my friend Maria, and although we won't have cell phones or computers, I hope to touch base in internet cafes along the way.  Stops include Vientiane, Van Vieng, Luang Prabang, Si Phan Don, Champusak and maybe Phonsavan.  Should be a grand adventure!

Love from the BKK~ 

"I feel like Anthony Bourdain"

Hello!  I've been a bit behind in my blogging, but since the hectic first weeks are now behind us, I think (hope?) that it will be a bit easier now.  This past week was rather average, except for 2 wonderful eating experiences.

Friday we went to Chinatown - a crowded, bustling neighborhood that was more gritty than downtown Bangkok.  Ashley, Maria and I explored for a few hours, roaming the crowded streets and tight alleyways. The neighborhood was really neat, but the highlight was definitely the lunch.  This is where the blog title comes in: because we seriously felt like Anthony Bourdain.
It was the most "authentic" place I've ever seen in my life, and pictures don't quite do it justice (mostly because we were touristy enough, and after a few quick photos elicited gaping stares, I figured I should probably stop).  We wandered down this tiny alley, where a few different women had set up individual restaurants with a couple tables each.  Restaurant isn't quite the correct adjective, though - food was cooked on an open, homemade fire pit, girls were chopping veggies at the table next to us, and we were sharing this small patch of pavement with dogs, lizards and cats.  Our table was tucked beneath corrugated metal roofing, next to people's ramshackle houses, with occasional drips of water from the balconies above us.
There was a three-way language barrier, from Chinese to Thai to English.  Furthermore, we were a rather motley crew: Maria looks Thai but doesn't speak Thai, Ashley is Chinese but doesn't speak Chinese, and I was the token unidentifiable white friend.  After a game of charades, we got out seafood medley over rice.  It was delicious, and probably tasted even better since we saw it being cooked right in front of us.  When Ash wanted some more fish, a woman thrust a steak of it in her face, and threw it on the wok after a nervous nod from Ashley.  It was definitely a great choice for lunch, and it was so unlike anything I've ever experienced, that it barely felt real.  Craziest meal I've ever had.
After lunch we roamed the food market, where we sampled and shared chestnuts, whipped chocolate-ice, lotus seed bun, cassava roll, dates, raisins, egg tart, mango...and all in small, cheap portions.  It's so nice to be able to buy a handful of something, or single items - I feel like this is entirely absent in the states.

Two nights ago we went with Ajan (professor) Alex to one of his favorite restaurants.  He has been giving us free, optional language classes twice a week, and we decided to grab some food after one of the lessons.  The restaurant was a fairly standard Thai place, but was still packed at 10pm - definitely a popular dig.  Alex ordered an assortment of dishes that he has grown to love.
Alright, so here's the deal: I had 10 types of animal that night, for about 2 dollars.  And we're not talking huge, binge-like portions - we all shared the dishes, which were fairly light and healthy.  1st: catfish, served fried with papaya salad.  Then shrimp, squid and clam in the tom yam soup, which is a traditional dish with lemongrass and coconut milk.  After, fried duck and pork strips with a spicy dipping sauce.  Next, frog legs, roasted and fried, with garlic and bay leaves.
And then!?!?! Alex goes out to a food cart passing by on the street, and orders a few bags of unidentifiable objects. As he approaches, we catch sight of the snacks: alas, they were bugs.  And creepy crawlies.  And so, I ate lizard (photo), cricket and bamboo worm for dessert - definitely didn't see that coming! They seemed to be roasted and salted, and didn't really taste much like anything.  Crunchy I guess? We went outside to explore the rest of the vendor's wares, which included coconut jellies and warm milk cake.  This guy was selling bugs and desserts!  What king of business model is that?!  Only in Thailand...

And in the spirit of good food, the rest of the photos are from the night market by campus.  It's open a few days a week and sells food, clothes, shoes and goldfish.  Great place to explore when you're feeling bored or wanting to spend some baht.

On another note, here are some some cultural differences that I've been noticing:

• no one uses knives: fork and spoon only.  I couldn't begin to tell you why...knives were invented for a reason!  
• short skirts are more acceptable than spaghetti straps - I was recently "cockadoodle-dooed" at, which was a bit uncomfortable.
• bathrooms usually don't have toilet paper or paper towels, which is sometimes inconvenient, but must surely save a lot of trees.
• people don't really talk on the bus, metro, or transportation in general - so we're usually the obnoxious white kids who are REALLY LOUD.
• the king is tremendously honored, and insulting him could land you a spot in jail.
• pale skin is considered beautiful, and stores sell "whitening cream" instead of self-tanner.
• most stairs are at completely random intervals!  You really need to watch where you're going, because that baby step always gets ya.  Sidewalks are very irregular too.
• many Thais don't have kitchens, and eat all their meals at small, quick restaurants or street vendors.  Therefore, there are hundreds of cheap, delicious, exciting food options everywhere you go.
• shout-out to the Anderson twins: sometimes people serve drinks in plastic bags with a straw, to save on all the individual packing.  Genius, I suppose, but a bit precarious!

It's off to bed for me.  Tomorrow morning we're all going to Ko Samet, and island about three hours away, for a long weekend.  It's our first non-Kelly trip - and is sure to be absolutely insane.  More to come on that!

Good night, good morning, peace and love from Thailand~