Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

LINK TO CHIANG MAI PHOTOS: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.271851089495240.84554.100000110547271&l=805eb70d64&type=1


Time flies when you’re…traveling, sleep deprived, exploring Bangkok and a student. I had every intention of being a “blogger” but for all the bloggers out there: where do you find the time? I have much updating to do.

Rather than traverse my delirious memory for day-by-day accounts of my life, I offer a compendium of me – an account of the last two weeks in one entry without the luxury (or maybe burden for my readers) of dates and extensive detail.

Chiang Mai is where I left off. Four travel mates and I caught a 3^rd class train out of Bangkok and endured a 16-hour trek to the enchanted hills of the North. Although the train erupted in whiffs of urine and sweat (some of which I’ll own up to) for a $15 roundtrip my expectations were low and the ride far exceeded them. As some of you know…I don’t sleep lightly.

We arrived in Chiang Mai and with the help of a Lonely Planet guidebook stumbled into JJ’s guesthouse and managed lodging for $100baht/pp. Although the room offered just 3 bunk beds and a cold shower, the balcony terrace was littered with lounge pillows, benches, good company, and an assortment of plants. We ended up staying there all five nights for less than $20/pp. I’m pretty sure my bed didn’t even have bed bugs whereas a couple critters were spotted in another bunk. Wow – what a deal!

On the subject of bedbugs, curious - but not faint of heart readers can take a look at what we Chiang Mai travelers discovered upon our return to Bangkok.
     http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/05/09/national/Bed-bug-spray-blamed-for-tourists-death-in-Thailan-     30154910.html

This article actually highlights the death of a backpacker in Chiang Mai due to chemical toxins found in eradication sprays. Curiously, we didn’t even think to check our beds until we saw a maid tear a nearby room to pieces (scrubbed and mattress pulled off the frame) and were forced to plug our noses or choke on the smell of what we now assume to be bed bug treatment. Seeing the world comes with its perils.

Aside from sneaky crawlers, we had a great time. My first rendezvous with a Thai massage worked me into butter as a Thai woman tossed me around like tumbleweed. I’ve had this vision of a contraption that I could hook up to that would simply yank on my limbs for a while. I know that there are means by which stretching can occur, perhaps yoga, but my get-rich-quick scheme omitted the personal responsibility factor; it is like diet pills that attract users with slogans promising no lifestyle changes. I was certain this would work. Then shockingly and somewhat disappointingly I was thoroughly worked by a Thai woman for about $5/hr…not so sure my mechanical stretching machine – lacking breast, human touch, and banter capacity would be any match. What a day.

Irrefutably, the massage was vacation enough. Irrefutably, I could have spent all five days receiving massages. Irrefutably, Chiang Mai had too much to offer to let that fantasy manifest. Renting bikes and visiting temples, mountain air, a decrease in humidity, an abundance of vegetarian dining, and a day of Thai cooking class on a local organic farm had to be done. And they were. We rode, we awed, we ate, we read, we cooked, we drank, we napped, we laughed, we shopped, we danced (until my feet were black and my toes blistered) and we shared philosophies about the world amongst ourselves and with the many other traveling faces we encountered.  Surprisingly, the majority of backpackers we shared a laugh with were women traveling alone. This was not what I expected and I felt sheepish and fully inspired as I thought about my future travel itineraries and the travel inhibitions I’ve carried with me over the years as I’ve brainstormed vagabond stints.

More on the cooking class though…if you haven’t yet taken a look at my Chiang Mai photo album it offers the visual stimulation for drab reading. Margit, a fellow vegetarian/skillful kitcheneer, and I were picked up at out hostel and along with 5 others explored the local market prior to arriving at Sammy’s Organic Farm. The market paraded pig head, intestines, fly swarmed fungi, and an array of secret ingredients i.e. unrecognizable flora and fauna. I learned a thing or two about rice and eggs (some are aged and boiled, known as Century eggs) and confirmed a thing or two about why I am a vegetarian. And off we went. Sammy’s place was gorgeous and seeing your ingredients freshly picked, sharing knowledge about the plants, and supporting a local Thai family’s business was more than satisfying. I learned how to prepare red, green, and yellow curry pastes (with pestle and mortar), sticky rice, tom yum soup, pad thai, papaya salad, egg rolls, pumpkin custard, coconut sticky rice & mango, and friend bananas. Now if only I had a real kitchen here in Bangkok…

You might, however, be wondering how a massage and a cooking class devoured so much time…well, let me use this excerpt as a reading recommendation. While in Chiang Mai I read The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad and The Almond by Nedjma (a pseudo name used by this Muslim North African author). Both were incredible reads and both about the life of Muslims. Asne’s tale is of a Muslim family in Afganistan and Nedjma’s of a Muslim woman in Morocco – the Almond was a beautiful read about the sexual liberation and exploration of love.  I have included the prologue for interested readers and highly recommend this poetic portrayal of self-discovery – physically and mentally:

     This narrative is first of all a story of soul and of flesh. Of a love that states its name, often crudely, and is not burdened by any moral standards other than those of the heart.Through these lines, in which sperm and prayer are joined, I have attempted to break down the walls
that now separate the celestial from the terrestrial, body from soul, the mystical from the erotic.

      Literature alone has the efficacy of a "lethal weapon." So I used it. Free, crude, and in exultation. My ambition is to give back to the women of my blood the power of speech confiscated by their fathers, brothers, and husbands. In tribute to the ancient Arab civilization in which desire came in many forms, even in architecture, where love was liberated from being sinful, in which both having and giving pleasure was one of the duties of the believer.

      I raise these words as one raises a glass, to the health of Arab women, for whom recapturing the confiscated mention of the body is half the battle in the quest to healing their men. Praise be to God who created the penis straight as a lance so it may wage war inside the vagina....  Praise be to Him who bestowed upon us the gift of nibbling and sucking lips, of placing thigh against thigh, and of laying our scrotum down at the threshold of the door of Compassion.

I think that’s enough on Chiang Mai ;)

We arrived back in Bangkok late Monday night and I shaved for the first time since leaving California (this is a big deal) andddd I had my second day and first real week of classes (I guess also a big deal?). Tuesday is Thai medicine – chalked full of field trips, and Gender Studies – chalked full questions about identity; Wednesday is Thai – chalked full of tones and new consonant combinations; Thursday is Ethnic Groups of Thailand – chalked full of the abstractions of anthropology; Friday is Thai again and Modern Thai Society – chalked full of stellar professor humor and lax policies. I think I’ll like them all and hope that I don’t find myself too busy; I’ve got too much Asia on my hands to be cooped up in classrooms. Especially rooms that host THREE HOUR long classes, I’m already missing the quarter system.

***Note: There are 5 different ways to pronounce Khaa. Each tone is a melody and if it’s not pronounced correctly “to trade” can become “to kill” I’ll keep everyone informed on my progress =/ On a brighter note, I do have a Thai success story: I can now tell my taxis (IN THAI) where I live. This should prove fruitful, as I was caught in a gnarly rainstorm on Wednesday and couldn’t get a taxi to take my 7 jillion grocery bags and I home. It only took about 5 hours to go to the market and back – a market that is aprox. 2.5 miles away. Lesson learned: know how to explain where you live, learn how to bribe taxi drivers, and DO NOT go grocery shopping for too many items at once. First epic failure, many more to come.

And never, never, never leave the house without an umbrella.

The last notable experience that’s blog worthy…now that I have finished two rum & cokes trying to motivate to write this entry was Bangkok’s big night out. At least five dozen of us congregated on the roof of my complex for some pre-gaming prior to heading out to the biggest event I’ve ever attended. On the roof top of a 40fl hotel sits a helipad converted for the big night: 15 international djs, a few dance floors, and a crowd teaming with international sensation donated their time to drinks, dancing, mingling, and later – to hangovers. For the second time since I’ve arrived in Thailand I went home with black feet and blisters on my toes.

I look forward to seeing more of Thailand and continuing to learn my way around Bangkok – no longer can I manage with my meager map skills. Never before have I lived in such a bustling city and never before have I shared encounters with so few English speakers. Life is a journey and this experience has been nothing less.

Cheers to exploring the world in any way you can, and consequently yourself, in any way you can.

Jess

New classes and a new travel itinerary

August 8, 2011: Monday

Yesterday was yet another wonderful day in Bangkok. Although my coffee is instant, I’m perfecting, or rather – a continuing student of optimism, and have grown to appreciate the instant gratification of instant coffee. Rather than waking and grinding, boiling, and pressing my java in my (still) beloved French Press (fully deserving capitals, obviously), I wake, warm water, and stir. This new routine also tests my restraint: because I have no intention of keeping water warmed and because I lack a microwave, I’ve managed my mornings with a single cup. Pride fills my heart.

…and then comes the afternoon coffee purchase….

Yesterday I visited Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn with a fellow UCSC peer. I strolled over to her place (about 20 minutes by foot), observed a mother tending to her son’s head of lice in a grassy intersection, retrieved some proper Thammasat uniform attire as well as temple clothes, and off we went. The temples as well as the grand palace require that shoulders and thighs be completely covered. Wat Arun wasn’t terribly large, but was terribly gorgeous. The depth of the steps leading up the side of the temple confessed I was an amateur – the rails were put to good use as tourists of many languages became more aware of their own shoe size in relation to the Thais.

The temple boasted the acquisition of jade, stories of stratified societies, and spirituality for local visitors entranced before the feet of monks. The views from the temple made me small – and by no means do I feel large.

The evening climaxed as a number of us gathered around a table for Indian Food in Phahurat (Little India). Although the Thais are expertly trained in the craft of tasty nourishing, the daal, the naan, the raita, and the roti left my tongue dancing and my tummy comatose. Mission accomplished?

We finished the night with plans to visit Chiang Mai.

August 9, 2001: Tuesday

A late night and an early morning. We woke and rushed to the train station to buy THIRD class seats to Chiang Mai. Although a 14 hour train ride, we spent just $15 dollars for round trip tickets. I’m wondering if these bench seats are made of spikes – perhaps spiked warmed by coals and tainted with budget-travelers poison. Fifteen dollars for nearly 1,000 miles of travel – how is it possible?

The train station was a success, despite the Queens birthday inspiring daunting numbers of travelers to traverse the country, we walked out with tickets in hand. For tonight. We leave in four hours and will be gone for 6 days. Chaing Mai is located in Northern Thailand near Burma and hosts the largest mountain peak in Thailand. Cooking classes, elephant rides, tiger petting, yoga classes, and a break from Bangkok are on my list of Things to Do.

With travel plans looming just hours away, I almost forgot to mention the most significant task on my day’s agenda: start school. Today I sat through my first two classes at Thammasat. Dolled up appropriately so in my uniform, I was introduced to Thai Traditional Medicine and Buddhism in Thailand. And that was it. The first week of school and already I have more free time than I had while in Santa Cruz over the course of two years; Monday no classes, today classes, tomorrow is TU graduation and campus is closed, Thursday classes have been cancelled, and Friday is the Queen's birthday (known as Mother’s Day in Thailand) tough, eh?

I’m psyched on my classes, stoked to visit the North, and filled with gratitude for the hospitality of this country, the strength of my heart, the goodness of those that I have met over the last week, and the knowledge I have been granted over the last few days. I feel as though the world is mine – of course figuratively; I am most amazed by the soul searchers and knowledge seekers (even if not self-identified) and love that I share this world with many, but trust in myself enough to feel It is mine.

I’ll report back when I return from my travels and wish everyone a well week.

With Love,

Jessie

For those without Facebook

I am attempting a public link to my facebook album that features all of Bangkok - of course, all that I have seen so far, that is.

Hopefully it works,
cheers

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.266534393360243.83505.100000110547271&l=ce9f3dd79b&type=1

What a week...

I'm finally ready to write my first arrival entry. After a 24 hour flight, torturous jet lag, moving apartments upon arrival, meeting new face after new face, Bangkok excursions and difficulties getting the blog to appear in English, I'm ready.

Day1/preparations - Tuesday: Preparing to leave was insane, but the love and support I received during the process was unmatched. Because I was in Belize just prior to leaving for Thailand I was not able to mail my passport to the Thai embassy in LA - this meant a 3 day trip down south for a student Visa before Thailand and after Belize. I saw a couple of my best ladies, and enjoyed a much needed nap on the beach in Santa Monica...it had been awhile since I was in Southern Ca. Drove back to Fresno on Thursday, did errands on Friday, whitewater rafting with friends and family on Saturday and then off to SF for my flight on Sunday. Wow. What a week, eh? The flight was too long, the chairs too stiff, the food too bland but of course the excitement compensated for (as always, unavoidable) travel inadequacies. My flight arrived at 1pm in Bangkok and by 4pm I was moved into apartment #1. The night was short: checked in, unpacked, had my first Thai street food, a beer and a Nat Sherman on my balcony and then to bed I went.

Day 2/Wednesday: Woke up around 8am (or what I thought was 8am, more to come on this subject). I met with a few other exchange students I met on the flight from SFO and we ventured over to campus. The stroll from the apartment to the ferry station was less than 5 minutes and for about a dime we caught a boat over the largest river in Thailand to see Thammasat University. The campus was small, the Thais were gorgeous (especially in their Thammasat uniforms) and the coffee? Surprisingly delicious. From Thammasat we worked our way into an incredibly cheap taxi and ventured over to another apartment complex. Although a bit further from campus, I settled on the second apartment because of a kitchen. Can't blame me, right? Went back to complex #1 to pack what had been unpacked just 20 hours prior and made my way to my new home, again. At the complex I met a lot of other exchange students and experienced my first night out. The Thais know nightlife; I'm not expert, as I went out maybe once a month in Santa Cruz, but...when in Bangkok. 

Day 3/Thursday: Orientations begin. After a long night out, sleepy eyed and maybe still drunk, I woke at 7 for a 7:30 departure towards campus. A hunch set in, however, and moments later I was online checking the current time in Bangkok only to realize my phone and computer were still set to Taiwan time (where we had a lay over). This meant that day 2 was spent believing it was an hour later than it was -  feeling a mix of deceit and relief, I started a pot of hot water and enjoyed a leisurely cup of coffee on my balcony. Orientation was long and I began to learn some of the intricacies of Thai culture: how deep to bow when greeting others; when to initiate the bow based on one's own status in relation to another individual; how to properly cup your hands and where to place them during the bow, Thammasat's history as the "Berkeley of Thailand;" proper dress and the risks of drug use here in Thailand. Crucial information. The orientations wrapped up, I accepted another failed attempt at ordering vegetarian street food (which means you end up with a bowl of hot noodle soup on a scorching humid afternoon) and let the night trudge on rather uneventfully.

Day4/Friday: Orientation. Again. Rough night of sleep. Again. Excited. Still. I had my third Thammasat orientation, this time for students affiliated with UC's. The liaison was incredible, and the meal that followed orientation, a night to remember. This satisfaction could be explained perhaps because it was amazing, or perhaps because I didn't have to struggle to explain that I was a vegetarian. Thanet (pronounced Tin-et) took care of all the ordering and at no point during the meal were we left with fewer than a dozen bottles of beer and an abundance of food. While on the topic of beer, however, I'd like to warn my fellow ale drinkers that their travels in Thailand - which must occur, will lack beer. Lager, pilsner, lager, lager, pilsner. That's about it, guys.  Dinner brought not only a full belly, but my first rainstorm in SE Asia. The storm rolled in in a matter of minutes (just as Forest Gump had warned), and drenched the polluted roadways of the Bangkok metropolis. Our open-roof dinner was transformed in a matter of minutes - the restaurant staff rolled out a roof, pinned tarps to the open walls, and we all laughed, took pictures, let our bodies be cleansed, and watched boats full of travels huddle beneath umbrellas while the storm took vengeance. And then it was over. Just like that. If I believed in end times, I'd like to think the fiery of the almighty could compare...but I doubt it. The walk home was plagued by fullness and a thick hot air - dense and sticky like the best of Thai rices.

Day 5/Saturday: I slept for about 12 hours and woke finally feeling recovered from the longest week of my life. What a feeling. I even left the air conditioning on all night - waking up not drenched in sweat has quickly become foreign. I kind of like it.

We ventured to the mall, shopped for 15 dollar cell phones, and dollar lunches and gawked (mostly in fear) at the monstrosity of a mall dubbed BMK (Big Mother K____, not sure on the K yet). A twenty minute taxi ride home emptied our pockets of about 100 baht, or rather 3 bucks and after all that sleep and my new digits, I was ready to go out again. The exchange students and I met for street side slushies chalked full of liquor (5 shots in a slushie bucket for $4) and a night out - this time with Thai buddies. A couple destinations, a couple beers, a couple stops to quench the thirst stemming from wafts of street food, a couple laughs, a couple offers for sex shows, and a couple minutes in a Tuk-Tuk taxi landed me in bed.

Day 6/Sunday: I can finally write about today. What a great feeling. After writing this entry, noting its poor prose, balking at my lack of literary flow, forgetting words, and drawing on distant - or seemingly distant episodes of the past, I've decided I'll try and write more often. Recalling the longest week of your life is no easy feat. Today was a good day though. Another late morning was nothing to complain about, especially because we visited the largest market in Thailand. Chatuchak market has pets, plants, food, clothes, jewelry, kitchen ware, buddhas galore, and well, everything. It's a huge outdoor market that one can't help but get lost in. The prices are unbeatable - it is a wonderful place to test one's own ability to resist gluttony, and frivolity. And I think I succeeded. Just two lunches, a pair of $3 sandals, and a set of sheets - sheets I'm quite excited about sleeping in tonight; maybe tomorrow I'll write a blog about how they felt ;) After the market 7 of us walked over to a river front Thai buffet; however, not quite the buffet you'd get at home: row after row of raw meat (much of it unidentifiable and all signs in Thai) were arranged for the taking. Plates were piled high with raw meat, and individual burners were placed in the center of at least 100 outdoor tables. Families, couples, friends and one group of Westerners (ourselves, that is) gathered to eat and listen to music...only I could hardly eat. A lot of cabbage, a lot of fruit, and about 3 bowls of coconut ice-cream did me in. Although most of it appeared to be...well, vile in the eyes of a vegetarian, the ice-cream and the experience was well worth 109 baht (or about $3.25). At that price, the place is likely to be a celebratory destination for the Thais - street vendors will fill you up for 30 baht.

Other thoughts: Thanks for everyone's interest in my travels. I know this entry was dry, and they will get better, but I needed to just catch up. Thailand is a wholly new place. The streets in Bangkok are filthy, and for once, I think it's kind of gorgeous. The smells are like none other, the smiles go unmatched, and the taxi fare is criminal - averaging just about $2-3 to go across town. I can't believe I've been here just 5 days, it seems like home. I love my apartment and the view from the seventh floor is like none other. I've never lived in a city, and although I cannot imagine really calling one home forever, this is home right now. Sweat beads, streets filled with dogs, persistent traffic, minimal English, toilets without paper (all replaced with a small nozzle attached to a hose on the side of the toilet), and stores without tampons (at all, ladies) makes Bangkok just where I want to be.

I love and miss you all, but rest assured, I am acclimating; I am happy; I am excited; and I will continue to travel - physically, mentally & spiritually. Peace and love, patience and persistence, an open heart and and an open mind, Jessie.