The Periscope in Thailand
December 3, 2008
I am trying to write something for The Periscope, the study-abroad section of my school’s newspaper … suggestions?
RANDOM UNNAMED ARTICLE THUS FAR THING
Yesterday, toward the end of my lunch, I looked down and noticed a strange looking black lump in my food. I looked closer. It was a large black ant. Gingerly, I picked it out with my fork and placed it to the side of my plate. As I was arranging my food for the next bite, I noticed a similar looking lump near one of the prongs of my fork. Another ant. And another. And another. A thorough sifting rewarded me with a handful of well-cooked ants. I had already finished two-thirds of my meal.
Four months ago, if this had happened in America, I would have had my meal taken back without a doubt, utterly repulsed. After a semester in Chiang Mai, Thailand, ants are only one of the many unique things I have eaten during my study aboard experience. Nowadays, it seems ridiculous for me to imagine rejecting edible food when just a few kilometers to the west there are millions of displaced people starving in the jungles of Burma. But that’s just the day-to-day reality of living Thailand. Well, that and rice.
Before leaving, a number of people asked me: “Do you speak Taiwanese?” Um no, I do not, and neither do most people in Thailand.
At times, it can be incredibly confusing to be caught up in such a myriad of different cultures and attitudes. Rice is served with every meal. Traffic drives on the other side of the road. To unilingual American ears, the language is completely foreign and complicated (in Thai, the words “near” and “far” are exactly the same except for the tone). Since my arrival, our dorm has adopted four stray dogs. Toilet paper is virtually non-existent. There are no knives, couches, or trashcans. No matter where you go, there will be at least one wat and one 7-11. As an America, I get to field questions like: “Do people in America only eat hamburgers?” and “What’s the difference between a stove and an oven?”
Commonly, I’ll ask an English speaking Thai person something like, “Should I bring that to you today or tomorrow?” and they will reply, “Yes.”
.. And then clearly something conclusive should go here but I haven’t decided on what.
December 3, 2008 at 10:56 pm
You could go K.Jo style and not be conclusive at all.
Did you hear about a cockroach being found in the lettuce at the Nest earlier this semester? Students inevitably found out and were absolutely repulsed. PB&J sandwiches were 99 cents the next day, naturally.
December 4, 2008 at 4:04 pm
I say go Greek: monolingual.
December 7, 2008 at 3:18 am
I like it… but your transition: “Before leaving, a number of people asked me: “Do you speak Taiwanese?” Um no, I do not, and neither do most people in Thailand.” does not make sense at all in the place that you put it. And yes, a conclusion is needed.
btw there is an opening for a sports editor position for our school paper i was thinking about taking it and fixing up the whole paper because it drives me crazy how bad it is!