8/23/2013-8/24/2013 Days 3&4

Good day, all! So I had a post written for the 23rd, but apparently it only saved as a draft and then got trashed, but here's the breakdown. My uncle took my mother and me to my six year old cousin's school and to Pattaya (เมืองพัทยา); there, we went to Central, which seems to be a chain of malls.

8/23/2013
In Thailand, education is very important, but also is private. Each school has a tuition; the one we went to is per semester. Even with the tuition, the cost is relatively inexpensive compared to the cost of those in the United States, and the quality of education is excellent. Kevin, my cousin, is currently in kindergarten, and his school teaches kindergarten up to the twelfth grade. After that, they have a university in Bangkok. His school has about five thousand students, but when you think about it, it isn't that many students per grade unit since the ages range from about five years to eighteen years of age. Here's a picture of his school!

Our trip to Pattaya was specifically for the purpose of purchasing some spices we were unable to find in Rayong, specifically chili flakes and sage. Luckily, at Central, you have everything you could possibly want. Besides clothing stores and food hubs, there were electronics, departments stores, grocery marts, spas, banks, pharmacies, and other things you didn't realize you needed until you saw them. One funny observation I made was that there were many "Farangs" (pronunciation by Thai people: fuh- long). Farangs are identified as foreigners, typically with European ancestry. Many of the Farangs in Central, and Pattaya were from Russia, as we had noticed. Apparently Pattaya has turned into a haven for Russians, where the influx of the Russian immigrant population has risen to the point that there may quite possibly be a 'Russian Mafia' about there. Many of the public access locations are owned, or have been built by Russians, which I find intriguing. What I mean is that Thailand is turning into a melting pot of foreigners. There are also a lot of Australians, and Swedish Farangs.

Back to Central, here, if you are a Farang, you won't feel too far off from home because there are many popular name brands in clothing, like Fox, Body Glove, and French Connection. I will have to warn you though, if you are expecting low prices, you may be disappointed, because they about the same across countries for these name brand stores, if not more expensive due to these being imports.

Other familiar icons: Carl's Jr. (also known as "Hardee's" in the United States)

Lunch! (peking duck, and crispy pork, my Dim Sum comfort food)

8/24/2013
Today, we all took a trip to Chanthaburi (จันทบุรี), to purchase Thai jewelry. Chanthaburi is considered the 'jewel capital' of Thailand, known for the excellent quality of jewels that are sold there. Also, the quality of gold is exceptional. 22 karat gold is considered the norm here, versus the 18 karat gold standard in the United States. Also, the designs of the jewelry is superb. One of the most familiar is the Thai princess design, due to it's elegance and that it looks like the crown of Thai Royalty. Here is the building we went into that had a plethora of jewelry to select from.

Before we left, we had the hearty breakfast of Joke!

On our way to Chanthaburi, we passed through Khlong (คลอง) which is a suburb. It was actually very pleasant and quiet, in the opinion of my aunt and uncle, residents of Thailand who have witnessed the population growth and urbanization of Pattaya and Rayong in the last few years. We traveled around, finding the "private" beaches, aka the beaches that the tourists haven't found yet. Let me say, these were beautiful and uncrowded. 
Later, we went to lunch at a restaurant that had the interior design that was inspired by American design, because it was very modern. The food was good, but we had the problem of it coming out slow. The reason for this was that, after we had ordered, a "rally" of people associated with Nissan all came in at once, about 40+ cars. I didn't really understand what was going on, so I will have to ask someone who is more familiar with these groups and what their purposes are. 
The infamous Thai soup cooker! 

Well, that is all for now! Tomorrow is a trip to Bangkok. The trip takes about two hours, but we will see considering how busy the traffic becomes heading into the city. 

-K

8-22-2013- Day 2

Alright guys, this is my second full day in Thailand, and so far, we are still adjusting. In fact, today consisted of my going to the local mall and purchasing some much needed products that weren't necessary for the plane ride to Thailand. I.e.- Face wash, toothpaste, floss,writing materials, a hairbrush, deodorant, the list goes on.
In reference to any skincare products, I noticed that there is a fascination with skin-whitening products. I'm sure many of you have heard of lotions, body washes, make-up products, and so on, but to think that about eighty percent of anything related to skin care advertised whitening products was definitely a surprise. The question I have about it, of course, is why there is this...let's say it, obsession. As in, what is the actual benefit of skin whitening? Are there health benefits? If so, what are they? Or are they just for the aesthetic purpose? And why is it considered aesthetically pleasing to have lighter skin? Not that I'm complaining, though there are negative aspects that come with having lighter skin. For one: higher risk of skin cancer. Due to the lower amount of melanocytes, which, if you did not know, are the reason for the coloring of one's skin, and why we tan, fairer skinned people are more prone to skin cancer. Should I also mention melanocytes perform a protective function against the sun's rays? Yep! (Of course, there can also be a negative effect for those who live further from the equator with dark skin, and depression [Vitamin D production]). But anyways, is there a difference between skin whitening, and skin bleaching? Obviously, I have way too many questions, and I will probably post some longer, better-researched piece that focuses on skin whitening and the positive/negative effects it may have, and all that fun stuff. Let's move forward!
This was probably the major highlight of my day, besides my adorable cousin pretending to cry until we ate dinner because he couldn't find me, although I was napping in his room. That was a hoot! We (The 'we' being my mother, uncle, aunt, and myself) found it humorous, but after about thirty minutes, we were a little tired of it; then we ate dinner and all was forgiven because Kevin decided he wanted to play hide-and-seek in the grocery store with me while we shopped for ingredients to make breakfast sausage. Oh! That reminds me: I will be assisting my uncle in making breakfast sausage tomorrow, it'll be a first for both of us! Get ready for a recipe, even if it's not quite Thai cuisine.
Speaking of Thai cuisine, for dinner, we ate at a restaurant, where we were served two different curries, one red, one green, an omelette with onion, mushroom, and pork, raw veggies, and chicken that reminded me a lot of Panda Express Orange Chicken, without the spice. Let me tell you, the Red curry, though delicious, was SPICY! I'm a weenie when it applies to spicy foods, and my spicy-veteran uncle and mother both informed me, as I was putting the first spoonful in my mouth that it was so. I could handle a few bites, mostly because there were such interesting ingredients, such as the green pea eggplant (which looked, well, like green peas!), pineapple, chiles, curry, lemongrass among the key ingredients. The green one had a lovely coconut taste and, I was told, it was milder than the red curry. I couldn't really tell, though, because I was still recovering from the Vengeance of the Red Curry. Let's just say, I was recovering for the next hour from the burrrrrrrrn (it burned so good!). Tears were streaming down my thoroughly ruddy face, and I was just sniffling and chuckling as I soldiered on eating.
That's about it for now, as I'm sure my ironing of all the clothing I unpacked is probably not part of your interest to read. Tomorrow will consist of a trip to Pattaya for some minor shopping (we are on the hunt for sage!)  for the sausage. Perhaps we will find yet another tasty restaurant, maybe some shopping, but I will also be working on my TESOL certification, because I have been lazing around way too much on that, and I need to get that completed so that I can work with my aunt who has been so helpful. I also came in contact with a friend who is in the business of exporting merchandise, and he told me he wanted to help, so who knows? It looks like I have already a couple paths to choose for my future and, well, it is somewhat nerve-racking, yet exciting. Time to go to bed, now, and look forward to a productive day!
-K

8-21-2012: Landed!

Ah! It is my first official day in Thailand! Time: 8:47PM (EST- 9:37AM). With the time zone difference, I am conflicted: my body is lively and awake, yet mentally, I'm EXHAUSTED. The time spent dedicated to flying, and the short hiatuses in the airports sums up to 26 hours, with about four and half to six hours of sleep out of those.
That being said, somehow I have managed to maintain energy for the past five hours, playing with my six year old cousin. I think it is due to the fact the he is one of the most adorable six year olds I have ever encountered. Even as I have been attempting to type this enry, he has been grabbing my face to direct my attention to a game involving a Tremors-like worm game he was playing. Plus, he introduced me to Fruit Ninja, (new game obsession found?) I've also been informed that he's a favorite of the girls in his class.
My lodgings are more than enough for me; this is an ideal house set up. (Pictures will be posted soon!) Two story house with beautiful bathrooms, gorgeous kitchen, four bedrooms, one office, living room, and a dining room. My current bedroom even includes a balcony that is perfect for morning/evening yoga.
As for the food, we (my mother snd I) alreaďy have feasted...twice! Breakfast was (I will have to check the spelling) Jok (sounds like "joke"), also referred to as Congee. Congee, if you're not familiar with Chinese food, is a porridge. Also, there were pieces of fried dough, much like beignets but tubular, and with sesame seeds. Lunch consisted of a fried snapper, papaya salad, Tom Yum Kung, grilled squid, and fried rice. Dinner consisted of sushi, yum!
In addition to our food trip for the day, we also ran some errands, like pharmacy shopping for my aunt. In running this errand, we went to a place called the Big C, which looks like it would be something similar to a Walmart, and it kind of is. Minus all the kiosks, coffee shop, clothing marts,  and should I mention ramp-like escalators? I made a (somewhat crude) joke, mentioning that those would not be the best for people who needed assistance of wheelchairs, since there didn't appear to be anything to lock them down. Apparently, as I was explained to by my uncle, they are for the shopping carts; magnets in the escalators are activated, locking the carts on the slanted escalator so that they don't run loose. Obviously, my explanation isn't the best, but as I mentioned, I will work on taking pictures so that any readers can see some of these wonders. We also visted a plant flea mart (not really a nursery,) and saw some beautiful plans. The funny thing is that it looked like one of the shops was attempting to sell dollarweed as a desirable plant. Whoever is familiar with dollarweed may agree with me that it, most certainly, is not a desirable item. Haha!
Tomorrow, I hear that the beach is in the agenda, as well as attending the hospital my (Thai) aunt works at, and where I will hopefully be working at soon!
As for now, my body is beginning to catch up to my mind, shifting from gear four to gear one. Tomorrow will be another adventure!
-K

8-7-2013: Packing and Traveling

August 7, 2013
I can see that I'm terrible with keeping up with writing a regular blog but, to be honest, I'm okay with that. It has been a busy few weeks since my last post; regularly working 35 hours a week, trying to get on with my TESOL [which, might I add, is much more difficult to complete when it is on your own time, and online], packing to move out of my local house, and then packing up for my overseas traveling. Maybe you, as a person, have been told by your elders that you never realize how much stuff you have, or, stuff really accumulates over time. Well, it definitely is true; over the year that I lived at my most recent living space, I had gathered a lot of... stuff. Even with me organizing all of this....(let's just say it...junk) I still had more. On a positive note, I have it very cathartic, this ridding of items, whether it be for donation, or just throwing out for good. Thankfully, my donation pile was bigger...MUCH bigger.

A quick list of my donations:
Queen-sized mattress and box spring
Clothes I no longer wear or, at least, haven't worn in the year I had them
An antique-looking small mirror with a drawer
Printer
Air mattresses
Bicycle (Wal-mart brand)
Canned goods

My mother once said, "Three moves equals one good house fire," and I can see what she means... in both the getting rid of the accumulation, and...well, some relational stuff with people.  Moving, while it doesn't necessarily bring out the bad side in people, it doesn't show them at their best, where it just reveals their worst characteristics. It can also bring out the best characteristics in some people. Some would say these characteristics are for that of survival. The fast survive, and the slow, and unprepared, starve or are killed by the predator. I think that best sums it up of my exprience, and what I realize are some of my better, and detrimental characteristics. Good: Prepared and quick-thinking, therefore ready to move fast. Weak: Easy to make feel guilty of my work in order to help those lacking.

Even after my move to my "liason" location before my big move, I am still making piles for donation, while also packing up for storage. Some of it can be fun, such as the excitement I receive when using a Space Saver vacuum bag (...ooooOOOOOOooooooooh!), while other aspects, such as organizing closets and garage stuff, wrapping shoes for storage, deciding which shoes I can bring, and which I must leave behind for at least a year, arranging for a financial appointment, and learning how to cut off ties with people who have no real positive influence in your life. Bummer, but you have to survive somehow.

As for updates: I have officially gotten into the "techie" era, with the new Samsung Tab 3, look it up, it's pretty nifty. I am still pretty new to it, but so far, I have Netflix, and some Google music application where you use your google account to upload music from your personal collection on your computer, then you connect to your account via your tablet, and you can stream your music library on your tablet. Seriously, that's nifty...it's like Spotify, but without the cost! In addition to that, I have also recently purchased a new computer, for business; it has lots of memory, a faster processor, made of aluminum, and is touchscreen. Of course, I will have to try to figure it out, seeing as I have had a Mac for the past 4 years. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Mac (and it's GREAT!!), but I need a PC for business, as I mentioned before. Now I'll have a PC and a Mac, and if anybody knows a good way to reformat the Mac, PLEASE let me know! I would love to clean it up, saving some stuff, like pictures and some music, but otherwise, CLEAN IT UP, so it can run faster again. It will serve as my "for fun" computer. Also I have been working on mending clothes, like altering some pants to fit me better (Their version of a size 6 is a size 3... no thank you), as well as finishing up clothing projects!

Now, on to traveling.... In less than two weeks, I will be on a plane to Thailand, for what may be one of the biggest adventures of my lifetime, and thank goodness I have most of my packing done, because now I need some time to get excited! I still have a few more errands and tasks to complete, but good progress has been made. We will land in Bangkok after about 26 hours of flying, get picked up by my uncle, and then make our way to Rayong. There, I will get to see my cousin, who is now six, and my aunt. On the slightly down-side, we recently found out that my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she will be undergoing her second round of chemotherapy a week before we fly in. Although it is not under the best conditions, the timing is oddly fortunate since my side has been planning this trip for over a year. So, for at least the first two weeks, I will be assisting my aunt and uncle, and from there, we will start getting a move on with the Teaching medical English. My aspirations with this program is that it turns out successfully, and I will be given more opportunities for travel, not only in Thailand, but in Asia, maybe Europe.

In other preparations, I have set up my Skype account so that I can keep in touch with friends in the United States, as well as wherever some of my friends may be , but one thing I know for sure is that I can't wait to be back in Thailand and eat the food! (That means that I will try to post recipes on here, as well as any music I find, you know the deal)
For now, I must return to my somewhat duller activities that will further my skills, and assist me in my uncertain future.
K.