Study Abroad Goals

My study abroad advisor e-mailed me the other day with my study abroad goals that I had set forth for myself during orientation.  When I was reading over them I was almost floored and how easily these goals have been accomplished within my first month of being here.  Then again, some of them I am still trying to fulfill.  It makes me so proud to know that I have achieved so much since I have been here.  I am constantly changing, growing, maturing at every moment - according to plan.  Our lives are a series of unfoldings.  For me, this is just the beginning.


1. Gain a valued understanding of Asian culture
2. Build my portfolio
3. Travel throughout Thailand, surroundings
4. Speak Thai with the people
5. Learn customs, traditions
6. Swim in the ocean
7. Drink from a coconut
8. Excel in my Thai Studies
9. Acquire a tolerance for spicy food
10. Make a Thai friend or two
11. Keep a journal of both text and photographs to later put together my book
12. Step foot in a temple, meet a monk!

"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it.

If you can dream it, you can become it."

-William Arthur Ward

Vang Vieng, Laos

I would like to start off this entry by saying that Vang Vieng is one of the happiest places on earth.  And when I say happy, I mean...HAPPY.  Catch my drift?  Let me elaborate.  For the record, I am currently living in Thailand where the drinking age is legal so I can partake in alcohol consumption.  In Vang Vieng, consumption of psychadelics also known as happy mushrooms are legal, therefor everyone is allowed to partake in this wonderful experience.  Catch my drift?  Groovy.
I would be lying to you if I said my friends and I weren't eager to get started on what was known as the crazy adventure we had all heard about through our friends back in Bangkok.  We all showered, ate delicious baguettes, and headed out to the river where we were greeted with open arms and full bottles of Tiger whiskey.  The bar at the mouth of the river had a deal offering; buy two buckets, get one free bucket for the rest of the day.  Well, seeing as we were going to be spending our entire day there, my friend Nina and I decided it would be a rather good investment.  One mojito bucket and a Laosian vodka blend, whatever that may be.  What a way to get the morning started.







The day continued with tubing down the river, ziplines, high rope swings, and a lot more alcohol. Once the sun went down we found our way out of the river, into a tuk-tuk and back to the main road where we could get into our cozy beds and sleep. Call us crazy but we were in no mood to party much more, our tanks were on empty. That's me speaking on behalf of me and my girlfriends by the way. I believe the guys went and devoured bottles of whiskey without hesitation. When we woke up the next morning it was the same routine but with the a touch of HAPPY to it. We showered, ate, and approached the river yet again. And what do you know, right there waiting for us were free shots. Mmmm.




Once we headed down the river again, we stopped at a few different places to drink, meet some people and enjoy our wondering minds. Needless to say, it didn't take much. We started at the zipline, where we spent most of our day sipping away at free drinks and bananas :] Then we floated down the river to the mudpit, which let's just say gave me a reason to finally move on from last seasons swimwear.








Knowing me, I started to get a bit hungry and noticed some locals eating and drinking so I made my way over to their table and start chatting up a bit with them. Laosians are so friendly. They welcomed all of us over, feeding us their spicy dishes of noodles and offering us beer with ice. My friends and I ended up staying with them until it turned dark, not realizing how fast time flew by. They tried teaching me Lao which I picked up quite quickly to my suprise but tried explaining to them, I would forget by tonight because of how intoxicated I was at the moment. I guess it's the thought that counts.





To see more from Vang Vieng, visit my Flickr.

Songkran 2010 - Chiangmai, Thailand

There was no doubt about where I was going to spend the Thai new year this year. I booked my ticket to Chiang Mai back in February. Don't laugh at me.
For all of you who are not enlightened of this glorious holiday, let me fill you in.
Songkran Festival,
also known as the water festival, is Thailands most celebrated festival. It starts April 13 and lasts between 3 and 10 days, depending on where you are in Thailand. The word Songkran is from the Sanskrit meaning the beginning of a new Solar Year. Everyone gets soaking wet and since it is the hottest season of the year, the custom is quite refreshing. It is also supported by the religious belief that anything old and useless must be thrown away or it will bring bad luck to the owner.
During the afternoon of the 13th, Buddha images are bathed as part of the ceremony. Young people pour scented water into the hands of elders and parents as a mark of respect while seeking the blessing of the older people.
...That answers a lot of questions to those of you who were confused about your clothes being bathed in weird colors and scents haha.
Most importantly, Thai people celebrate this holiday to have a good time which I certainly noticed curing my time in Chiangmai while taking part in Songkran festivites. Needless to say, I had to spend quite a bit of money doing laundry throughout the week, it was totally worth it :]
I am always opening my arms to the cultural aspects of this country and with that being said, Sonkgran Festival takes the cake. My favorite holiday hands down
Introducing Songkran Festival, Thai New Year 2554:














To see more of my photographs from Chiangmai and Songkran Festival visit my album on Flickr.

Chiangmai and Pai Trek

The first day I arrived in Chiang Mai I was taken straight from the drop off to a place called Nice Place Travel and Tour.  They raved about their pool (oh the simplicity in Thailand) and how cheap their rooms were, but also the opportunities to trek up north to a place called Pai.  A few friends of mine from school had mentioned they were making a stop in Pai before reaching Chiang Mai to trek their as well, so I figure it would be a great opportunity to get lost in the jungle and waste away for a few days before getting lost in the insanity that awaited me when I got back.  That's right, the Thai new year known as Sonkgran Festival.  I booked my trip for two days on the following Monday so I could spend the weekend attending the first up and coming Chiang Mai Beach Festival.  I actually ended up getting to the music festival pretty early so I didn't have to pay for my ticket, which was very lucky seeing as my tuk-tuk ride to lake Huey Tung Tao where it was held cost me 200 baht from Chiangmai.  I ended up meeting MC Trix, the host of the festival and a few of the other staff members who I then helped with the set up so I ended up getting the Deluxe Pass into the festival allowing me free drinks all night.  That was a bonus. 



I'm really happy a lot of my friends from Thammasat showed up to the festival, I didn't think they would.  It really made it more enjoyable.  The music and the atmosphere was really mellow and a lot of them ended up camping around the lake so it made for a very relaxing night.  I ended up going home around 3 am since I had to wake up to go trekking at 8 am that morning.  Oops.



It was about a a two and half hour drive up north a bit where I accompanied a few other travel companions, two German girls around my age and two English boys a bit older.  When we arrived in Pai, we stopped to eat some lunch and drink a few beers before hitting the trek.  A young Thai boy came for the ride and ended up traveling the entire first day with us.  We became pretty close, I ended up giving my water gun in preperation for Songkran, I just couldn't resist seeing him have so much fun with the damn thing.  From there we started day one of our trek through Pai.  It was hot as hell but oh my Buddah, was it fun.













After day one, we finally settled at a small home to an old man who cooked us all one of the best dinners I have eaten since I have been in Thailand.  Chicken, potatoes, vegetables and rice.  Delicious.  Afterwards, the sun went down and all we had was candle light and whiskey.  Luckily our tourguide brought his guitar and a songbook so the night seemed to never end.  Then morning came, and day two started early at 8 am with hot tea and fresh eggs. 

















To view more from my adventures through Pai, visit my Flickr.

Sea Of Red

THE RED SHIRTS.
More formally known as United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship aka UDD. It all started around February 26th with the Supreme Court ruling on the case of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's financial assets. Over the next few weeks, events on the streets of Bangkok grew from peaceful demonstrations to large-scale political violence.


UDD Merchandise for sale at Sanam Luang.



An active UDD opens a magazine to read of the latest news of Taksin during one of the many political demonstrations held at Sanam Luang staging grounds.




Guards of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship prepare themselves for the protest march from Silom Road back to Phan Fa Lilas bridge en route to the Sanam Luang staging grounds.




To follow events here in Bangkok involving the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, visit The Bangkok Post

Koh Lipe

After a week midterms, my body was ready, yet again, to take a vacation. This time I wanted to travel somewhere special, not just hop on a bus to a various location some backpacker recommended to me over a plate of pad thai. Then I remembered my time in Koh Phi Phi and how breathtaking it was. As I jogged my memory a bit further, there was a voice in the back of my head that said, "You think this is beautiful? You go to Koh Lipe, it is like this but 20 years ago."


I was impressed. Not only was this man correct but the island was unbelievable, it was paradise. In about two hours my friend Dii and I had walked around the entire island with our bags at hand before settling on a place to crash. The food was offered in all different cuisines, cheap too. And once the sun went to bed, it was completely silent. All you could focus on was the moon and the stars. It gave you the urge to sleep right there on the beach with the moon and stars as your night light.
The most intoxicating thing for me had to have been the crystal clear water combined with white sand beaches creating the most relaxing atmosphere for both body and mind. I think I spent almost three hours a day just floating on the surface of the sea meditating. It's always a good feeling to know you are experiencing new things, living life, seizing opportunity. For me, this good feeling never seems to end.




Dii and I spent our days exploring the island, eating at all the resturants Koh Lipe had to offer, and of course, participating in the snorkeling! This gave us the opportunity to not only see the exotic ocean life but to also see the surrounding cluster of Andaman Islands.



The crystal clear waters of the Andaman Sea during the snorkeling day tour around surrounding islands down south in Koh Lipe, Thailand.



The rock sculptures are a sign of success once completed by those who built them and are present all throughout Koh Hignam Island. Above I am building my success one rock at a time on Koh Hignam Island during the snorkeling day tour :]



Two young Thai boys run out onto Sunrise Beach into the water for a swim to avoid the direct sunlight shining down on Koh Lipe Island.



Once we departed from this island paradise known as Koh Lipe, we headed back to the mainland between the border of Southern Thailand and Malaysia. Unfortunately, we were not having the best of luck finding a bus ticket home. Seeing as we are 'farang' meaning foreigner in Thai, we were getting charged astronomically high fees and we not allowed to approach the bus ticket counter because the man handeling our tickets I guess was the only one we were allowed to consult about the matter. The lowest he could get us was 950 baht, direct. I told the man we got here for 650 baht and we were not pay one satang more. Me and Dii hopped on a minibus to Satun where we had orginially arrived on our way to Koh Kipe where we knew the bus station would allow us to purchase our own tickets. Although, by the time we arrived all the busses to Bangkok for the day were full so we ended up staying two days, one night in Satun. It wasn't as bad as most would have imagined.
But then again, we like to make the most with what we've got :]



Udomsuk Hotel where we stayed for the night at 100 baht a piece in Satun, Thailand.



To-kroa with the nearby local mens league before the festival in Satun, Thailand.




A selection of doughnuts only five baht a piece at the festival in Satun, Thailand.


To view more from this trip, visit my album on Flickr!

Makha Bucha Day

Makha Bucha Day, the Buddhist holiday also known as Sangha Day in Thailand. It is observed on the full moon on the third lunar month (the end of February or early March) commemorating a day when 1,250 monks, all from different places and on their initiative, spontaneously came to pay homage to their historical Buddha.
Wat Laung-Phor-Boat-Noi, right near my apartment aside Pao bridge, was having a carnival in celebration of the Buddhist holiday. Me, some friends of mine and others from the exchange program decided to attend the carnival to see what this day had in store for us.




A monk stands in the doorway of Wat Laung-Phor-Boat-Noi during a carnival in celebration of Makha Bucha Day, the Buddhist holiday also known as Sangha Day in Thailand, March 1, 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand.



Diego Fanelli, 21, of Florence, Italy takes a bite of a deep fried bamboo worm purchased from a street vendor during the carnival taking place at Wat Laung-Phor-Boat-Noi in celebration of Makha Bucha Day, March 1, 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand.









Khanom Buang, a famous Thai crepe, is a Thai street dessert made from several ingredients available to both locals and those visiting at a variety of street vendors during the Makha Bucha carnival, March 1, 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand. The ingredients include rice flour, pigeon pea flour, eggs yolk, palm sugar and a pinch of salt for the crust. Then, a thick coconut milk cream is plastered on it. Lastly, it is followed by various topping usually consists of grated coconut alone or candy toppings.


View more of the carnival and other photos from around Bangkok on my Flickr.

Wat Bang Phra - The Magic Tattoo Festival

Thais from all over the country come to pay respect to their "teacher", Luang Poh Pern, and also to have their magical tattoos recharged. Many of you might have seen footage of this event on the Discovery Channel, it is quite moving. I decided to go when my friend Jordan from Los Angeles mentioned his mutual love for tattoos. We both decided to meet each other there that Saturday morning at the end of the 124 bus station line. Well, little did I know that we were idiots for planning a strategic meeting point through transportation in a country like Thailand. I never found Jordan but I did end up meeting a friendly young Thai man named Is who took me under his wing during the festival and practically showed me every nook and cranny this joyous festival had to offer its devotees. He didn't speak English too well but I spoke every bit of Thai I had learned up until that point, which had only been about two months, but we seemed to understand each other pretty well.
The ceremony started around 9 am with over a thousand Thai people present. Many of them were sitting on the ground facing the shrine for Luang Poh Pern. Others were making offerings. As I waited around not knowing what to expect next, I heard the first howl of rage, echoeing in the distance. Some of the devotees, in a deep trance had been taken over by the animals tattooed onto their bodies. Sometimes a monkey. Sometimes a tiger. If they were a tiger they would roar and clench their fingers like claws. If they were a snake they would crawl on the ground. Some were calmed by their friends rubbed their ears. Others gave a loud growl, startling everyone sitting quietly around them, and then go charging towards the shrine at the front of the parade ground. At the shrine there was a line of soldiers and volunteers waiting to catch hold of them.

All I could do was gawk at the sight of something so foreign to me. I remember reaching for my camera trying to capture this intense spiritual passage taking place before me without getting caught in the claws of these animals.
...But it was impossible.



Devotees to the Thai Buddhist temple Wat Bang Phra work themselfs into a trancelike state during a religious festival Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010, in Nakhon Chaisi, Thailand. Thais come from all over Thailand to be tattooed by the temple's monks on their bodies being inked by hand using a long metal stylus. The religious tattoos are believed to be protection from ghost and bad spirits.



Holy water is sprayed among the crowd of devotees during the religious festival taking place at Wat Bang Phra on February 27, 2010 in Nakhon Chaisi, Thailand. As a sense of cleansing the soul, people stand in line to take bottles of the sacred water home with them.



Pid-Thong, a gold leaf, is placed on the Buddha statue after prayer and offerings are given. The pid-thong is placed on the statue to receive luck and wealth in return.



A temple monk tattoos the body of devotee to Thai temple Wat Bang Phra using a long metal stylus during the religious festival Saturday, February 27, 2010 in Nakhon Chaisi, Thailand. The religious tattoos are believed to be protection from ghost and bad spirits.


To view more photographs from The Magic Tattoo Festival at Wat Bangphra, visit the album!

Koh Phi Phi Island

Koh Phi Phi island had my spirit running wild.
The exotic blend of white sandy beaches by day and 2-for-1 buckets by night created many unforgettable memories, and not to mention the greatest opportunity for this snap happy girl. It was a last minute decision to hop on a bus to this exotic island with a few of my friends from Europe. We left on a Thursday and arrived Friday afternoon where we settled into our bungalows and hit the beach with a bottle of Hawaiian Tropic. It's not everyday you find the time and decide, "Today, I think I'll hit the beach." And it's certainly not everyday you arrive at the beach completely blown away at its stunning beauty. Being able to swim in the ocean gives me this unbelievable sense of strength. I believe it is because water is one of the strongest elements on earth; it cannot be broken, it can assume many shapes; it joins easily with itself. I like to associate myself with this irresistible force. To lose yourself in time, in concert with others, and then to reclaim our identities. I got to experience sensations I didn't know existed in my being, the one's that escape when you have found yourself to be completely free when embracing the happiness which we all deserve.
Freedom.
At last, nothing stood still.



Peikko Solla, 23, of Florence, Italy, closes his eyes for a moment to take in a deep breath of the sea salty air aboard the island ferry, February 12, 2010 to Koh Phi Phi Island, Thailand.




A view of the Andaman Sea and rocky shore amongst many far away islands from one of the beach’s on the island, February, 13, 2010 on Koh Phi Phi, Thailand.

Song’s Pad Thai, a Pad Thai stand on Koh Phi Phi Island, has a daily special which features “The Best Pad Thai.” I tasted this recipe almost every other day while I was on the island and I can garuntee this to be one of the best indeed!



"Freedom is like taking a bath - you have to keep doing it everyday!" - Flo Kennedy



To view more pictures from my trip to Koh Phi Phi Island, visit my Flickr.

Thammasat Rice Harvest

An event that takes place every year at Thammasat University is the Thammasat Rice Harvest. In the Fall, farmers plant the rice in the field which is located just a few short blocks away from the Rangsit campus. Once it has sprouted and is ready to be harvested in the Spring, around February, students come and do just that. About twelve of us from the Tha Prachan campus came to volunteer and help out with the harvest and ended up establishing our own team, known as Team Farang, go figure. We were told that once all the rice is harvested, it is then kept and prepared for the new incoming students to eat in the Fall as sense of welcoming. A very unique tradition indeed.



A local farmer shows university students how to harvest the crops properly by hand before heading out to the rice field during the Thammasat Rice Harvest Febuary 24, 2010 on Rangsit Campus, Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand.



Fredrik Rendel, 24, of Stockholm, Sweden, takes a break from harvesting while in the lead during the Thammasat Rice Harvest, Febuary 24, 2010 on Rangsit Campus, Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand.



My glory moment after my first cut of the evening.  Had a blast at this event, if you can't already tell.



Butchered crops from various rice plants appear quickly about the field as the day draws to an end while teams hurry to the finish to see who will be declared the winner during the Thammasat Rice Harvest, Febuary 24, 2010 on Rangsit Campus, Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand.





'Team Farang' a group of international students from the Tha Prachan campus finish in first place during the Thammasat Rice Harvest, Febuary 24, 2010 on Rangsit Campus, Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand.

To see more from the Thammasat Rice Harvest, visit my Flickr!