First Impressions: "Same Same, But Different"

This is my blog for the Phillps Ambassadors on "First Impressions." Thought ya'll would enjoy!

First impressions are supposed to be lasting impressions…or so I’ve heard. Good thing this hasn’t been the case for me! I arrived in Bangkok after a few great days with some of our own in Dubai (as Elliott wrote about). I must say, it was tough leaving the other four in the Dubai airport and venturing out on my own. After flying over rice fields, picking up my baggage, and walking through customs without scanning a thing, I anticipated the cliché sign with “Christine Ezzell-Chulalongkorn University” to be awaiting me. I scanned the signs and saw nothing. Uh oh…I had sent a few emails detailing my flight information so I didn’t expect this problem. I took a few distressed walks around the arrival area and still saw nothing to ease my mind. LUCKILY, I have a friend from UNC living on the outskirts of Bangkok, and we had planned to meet later that afternoon. My day got even luckier when Roy was already in Bangkok and could save me 30 minutes later. What a relief to see a familiar face! Yes, Thailand is the “Land of Smiles,” but sometimes nothing can be as wonderful as a friendly reminder of home. As nobody from my university picked me up, I was actually a little worried I wouldn’t have a place to stay, but I had no problems checking into my service apartment. I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the comfort of Evergreen Apartments as it has become my home over the past three weeks.

We trekked down the street to MBK—a huge shopping complex with everything you’ll ever need in it. If you’ve been to NYC, this is Chinatown in a mall (no joke when I say millions of cell phones, DVDs, purses, make-up products, etc.), plus an awesome food court, hair salons, three McDonald’s on one floor, a grocery store, a cinema, a department store and so much more. I didn’t appreciate until later the convenience of where we’re staying and the location of my campus in relation to Bangkok and transportation means. Anyways, I picked up my cell phone and my AWESOME uniform (black skirt with a slit up the front so the Thai girls can show a little leg, a white button down shirt, buttons, a pin, and a belt all with Chula’s emblem) in this ridiculous mall. Afterwards, we took a river boat down a few stops and my friend showed me an excellent view of Bangkok from a temple called the Golden Mount. I must say, at this point I was more than a little overwhelmed. I had gotten a cold while in Dubai and was running on no sleep whatsoever. Here I was…looking out over Bangkok with over 10 million people and I’m from the middle of nowhere. The city is actually pretty filthy compared to say Dubai but it gets so hot and then wet so it’s hard to keep buildings clean. Yea, so a little overwhelmed! I said, “Roy, what am I doing?” and he said, “Yea, I’m actually surprised you came.” Me: “Roy, one of my friends thinks I came to Thailand just to prove I’m a badass…are you aware that we’re two badass Americans living in Bangkok?”

But no worries! All my doubts have now disappeared. Kenan-Flalger’s email addresses have to be capitalized (ex: Chrissie_Ezzell@...) in order to work. Therefore, I was never on the listserv for the semester. So I never got class selections, exchange students’ information, directions in THAI (that would’ve been helpful) to my apartment, etc. Hence, all my problems were soon resolved.

So past the first day, here are my initial thoughts on Thailand…

I love the pace of this country. It’s constantly moving, but there’s always an appreciation for the present. I love that the venders overcharge foreigners, but as our group has become local now (or so we love to think) we can bargain with the best of them. Being here, some of my friends say they sometimes forget they’re white. They’ll see foreigners walking around and think, “Oh, fresh meat!” Funny thing is, we’ve just been here three weeks! I love the pad thai man down the street where I can get dinner for 30 baht (less than $1) even if there was once a rolley polley buried in my noodles. I love the markets (except for the animals for sale), especially the Suan Lum Night Bazaar. I love the fresh fruit on the streets, the pineapple in particular. I love the respect for their religion. One of the most moving experiences I’ve had so far was yesterday. We were on a trip with the university to Amphawa and offered food to the monks who met us at the river in their miniature boats and afterwards chanted a blessing for us. It was just so serene and peaceful…the chanting, the river, the breeze. I know next to nothing about Buddhism, but if any of you know of an interesting introductory book, I’d love to have recommendations. I love the adventures I’ve had so far. I’ve gone to Koh Samet for a short weekend trip to the beach, to Kanchanaburi to climb through cave temples and take pictures with tigers (drugged I believe and extremely touristy), to Erawan Falls on the back of a motorcycle to hike up a waterfall, to floating markets, and so much more! School? What’s school? I’m on vacation! OK…just kidding, slightly.

I’m not saying that I’m ready to move here. I think Bangkok (and Thailand) would be hard for me to venture on my own (especially without speaking the language). I cringe to think there’s so much poverty here. I hate seeing dogs suffering because they won’t put them down. I hate to see children begging on the streets. I hate to be asked over and over again if I want to go to a ping-pong show. I hate seeing women fall over white men in the clubs. I hate to see whitening solutions in the drug stores and know that my skin is considered ideal. I’m shocked to hear from Roy that the average Thai college graduate makes 5000 baht a month (approximately $145). Yet, the people for the most part are relatively happy.

“Same same, but different” is a common saying about Bangkok and it holds true. I can find whatever I want from back home here. I see Fords and Chevys. I eat Corn Flakes for breakfast. There’s even a Forever 21 coming to one of the malls. Some are agitated by the westernization of the city. But, walk down any side street and you’ll easily be engulfed by the anticipated Asian culture. The king is also everywhere, and coming from the US, it’s impressive to hold such respect for a ruler even if it’s in different terms of leadership. It’s strange to see his picture everywhere, and I mean everywhere. The Thai flag also flies proudly atop many buildings and along all highways. Such pride is quite impressive.

I’m constantly having new first impressions of Thailand. Some are wonderful and some I’d rather dismiss to the back of my mind. Yet, add all these together and you get such an awesome mix of people, culture, and history, it’s hard not to love this place.