Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Bad News

Okay, slipped on a curb a couple days ago. I was on my way to get dinner at my favorite noodle place just two blocks away from the house when it happened. They have these curbs that are like a foot high and have sloped edges, so somehow I slipped and landed on my left ankle. It hurt, and was kind of scraped up, but I figured that it was nothing too serious since I could still limp back to the house. I washed it off and went to bed.

The next morning, however, I had shooting pains up my leg as soon as I tried standing. Told my roommate, who helped find someone to take me to the hospital. Waited at the hospital for a couple hours before I could even get x-rayed, then a couple more to see a doctor. The doctor said there is a "stable fracture" and the swelling and inflammation was likely from muscle tearing. And because the bone wasn't actually broken, there is not much they can do but wrap up the foot and prescribe painkillers.

Will be coming home about a week early because of this. I fly out tomorrow night. As sad as I am to be leaving Thailand, I am grateful that I still had plenty of amazing experiences during my time here. It could've happened the first day here, but luckily it didn't. I am staying positive, and looking forward to being back home with my kitties. They will be good company while I can't get around much in the next few weeks.


Took this picture right before we went to the hospital. The swelling has gone down some since then.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Tiger Kingdom

My roommate May and I ventured out to a place called Tiger Kingdom, about thirty minutes away in Mae Rim. You decide which tigers you want to get close to (smallest, small, medium, and large) and then buy tickets. May and I decided to go with everything but large. It was a better deal to do more than one or two, anyway. But we still weren't brave enough to go with large. So off we went. We started with the smallest, which were around three months of age.


They were so cute! They were all very playful, like kittens. It was actually a bit of a challenge to get one to stay in still for one second to take a photo. They made these little "rawr" noises, too, like they were trying to be big and scary tigers. It ended up sounding like a meow.

Next we went to the small tiger habitat. They were just a few months older than the first group, averaging about six months old. They were a little more mellow, so maybe a few months really does matter when it comes to maturity. Much easier to get pictures with.


Then finally, the medium tigers. We had to ask if we were at the right habitat, thinking the sign was wrong. These tigers were huge! Especially compared to the itty bitty things we had just left. But no, these were really the "medium" tigers. We were a tad nervous approaching these ones, but they ended up being the most snuggly things ever. They were just like house cats, sprawled around the ground. Some sitting composed under trees, others on their backs soaking up the sun.


It was a great experience. We spent about thirty minutes in each habitat. Then afterwards, we ate lunch at a restaurant which overlooked the large tiger habitat. And they were absolutely massive! It actually did make the medium tigers seem appropriately classified.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Hospital


Today we visited the world's first elephant hospital. It is run privately by a Thai woman we interviewed. She was really amazing to listen to. She has dedicated her life to saving elephants and stopping the ivory trade. It is a very long and expensive battle. The hospital currently has eight elephants staying there, including Pong. He is a 38-year old elephant who had his tusks harvested. He is also going blind, so we had to be very careful in approaching him. But by the end, he was really warmed up to us. He was wagging his tail and feeling the cameras with his trunk. His caretaker told us he hasn't been that excited in a long time.



The woman we interviewed told us she arranges new homes for the elephants once they are recovered enough to leave. Pong will be sent to a place like the one we visited last weekend to live in his natural environment safely with other rescued elephants. The woman we interviewed:


We also got to meet a 4-year-old baby who was rescued from an abusive owner. She came in with a broken leg, but was close to being transferred. Her name is Kai, and she was not shy at all...


Luckily this elephant hospital has been gaining a lot more recognition recently. The owner has an interview with a BBC crew next week and several magazine and newspaper stories being written about her efforts. She says any attention will help bring in donations and possibly allow her to expand the facilities. 

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Elephants!


We have had limited internet access the last couple days, but for a really exciting reason. We finally got to get up close with some elephants! We had already been to the elephant hospital, but couldn’t get close enough to touch them. A lot of them were recent rescues and were recovering from various ailments and conditions. We visited a camp this weekend, though, where the elephants were rehabilitated and able to socialize with people again. There were 27 elephants at this park, and only 3 were born there. The rest had been sent from elephant hospitals or rehabilitation centers for a good permanent home.

This particular park is about an hour drive from the city center, which makes it a popular getaway for a lot of tourists. The park survives on the money it brings in from tours and donations visitors make. Each elephant can eat a couple hundred pounds of food per day, so you can imagine how costly it is. We spent the first day at the park just learning how to interact with the elephants. One of the first things we learned how to do was feed them. They love bamboo, sugar cane, bananas (by the bunch), and anything they can strip off the trees. They were not shy about taking anything, either. Often I would be carrying an armload of bananas over to my elephant and another one would reach over and steal some. They had to chain up one leg of the elephants (only during feeding time) to prevent fights over food. Most of these elephants are no longer aggressive, but they will occasionally have flashbacks of needing to fight for food. (Think Wookie and Royal during treat time...)



My elephant for the weekend was Khan. I love his name, especially because of the recent Star Trek movie. But he was mostly called by his nickname, Smooch. I quickly found out what this meant…



He loves to give kisses! He will wrap his trunk around your neck and give you a very loud smooch. He was the only one at the park that did this. I can now say I’ve gotten a hicky from an elephant. Khan was one of the few elephants to be born at the park. He is still considered a baby, being only five years old. He was definitely one of the more playful ones, too. His mahout (caretaker) said this is because he is still in his naughty little boy phase. Kind of reminded me of Royal… Here he is taking a rest. He just flops over wherever he wants and wags his tail.



For example, on the second day we rode our elephants through the jungle for a couple hours to a river to bathe them. They were supposed to stop and let us off before going in the water. But Khan got so excited and started trumpeting when he saw that it was bath time that he ran into the water with me on top still. We spent about an hour in the water, playing and washing. All the elephants love to load up their trunks with water and spray huge fountains over everyone.

I did get to try sitting up on one of the big ones the second day. It was soo high up! A little bit scary at first, but actually felt more stable than little Khan. The big one I sat on is named Ohm. He was very polite, even handed me my shoes with his trunk. By the way, the unflattering outfits we are wearing are to protect our skin from rash from elephant's tough skin.


It has been a couple very tiring, but awesome, days.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Massage

Just got back from a massage. Roommate May and I decided to get one to relax us before bedtime. There is a nice little place like 50 feet from our front door, so we just walked there in pajamas. It was sooo relaxing! I got an hour long full body aromatherapy massage and a 30 minute foot and hand massage on top of it. You know what that cost? $8 all together. Absolutely amazing.
I tried giving the girl $12 with tip and she gave me back $2 saying the tip was too much. Tipping is weird here. You're not really expected to tip anyone, even at restaurants. But she did such an awesome job I felt I needed to. So at least she accepted some of it.

I have a feeling I will be getting one at least once a week. And I had the idea that I will get one the day I leave since my flight isn't until nighttime. Be all melty and relaxed for the long flights.

Goodnight, everyone!

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Night Market

A couple girls and I took a walk down to the night bazaar for dinner and possibly a little shopping last night. It was a beautiful, cool evening. The perfect temperature for strolling around. We took the route that lines the river.


We all got something different to eat. I was in the mood for noodles, and there is definitely no shortage of those.


It is really fun just to walk around and watch the venders make food. Got some gyoza a little later. I know Gabby would eat all they have, especially because you can get a dozen for about a dollar.



Did a little shopping, then it started to drizzle so we decided to head back to the house. About half way home, someone spotted a street cart selling something called rotee. She said, "Oh, you have to try it!" It is a Thai pancake with different fruits and things folded inside. We ordered a banana and nutella one. It took about two minutes to make, and I was eager to taste it. It was absolutely heavenly! The outside was crispy and light, and the inside was gooey with the fillings. My new favorite dessert... And only $0.50!


Will need to watch them make it more closely next time, then maybe I can recreate it at home. I have a feeling I'm going to crave these.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Hot Day

Another hot and humid day here in Chiang Mai. One of our Thai guides told us that Thailand has three seasons: hot, hotter, and hottest. And supposedly we are in the hot season. Can't imagine what the hottest is like. Last night, a group of five of us walked around downtown for dinner. Can't remember the name of the place, but the menu was pretty limited English. So I just took a risk and pointed to something on the list. This is what came out:


It was some sort of pork dish with lots of vegetables and in a sweet and spicy sauce. It was delicious! And what's more, little plates of what I guess were side dishes kept coming out. I thought surely they weren't all for me, but everyone got their own. By the end, I think something like 10 mini dishes were brought. My roommate May was checking them out:


And all together, including a large Thai beer, it cost around $4.00. Someone told me this is an expensive meal for Thailand. It never ceases to amaze me what things cost here.

Monday, June 3, 2013

First Day of Work

We were picked up from the house at 10am and brought to the conservation center of Chiang Mai. There we have some interviews to film with officials in the elephant preservation department. I think it is pretty cool that they have a whole department just dedicated to that. My job for the day was to set up lighting. I was able to do it pretty quickly, thanks to the lighting class I took with Chase last year. The interview we shot today took a few hours, but it was fascinating to listen to the man talk about all the efforts Thailand puts into saving these beautiful creatures. While many of the elephants are native to the area, quite a few have been rescued from neighboring countries that overlook the abuse circuses, zoos, logging camps, ivory hunters, etc inflict upon them. The process to save an elephant is quite expensive and time consuming, but many people here have dedicated their lives solely to that cause. And the Thai people support the cause because they believe the elephant is the most sacred animal of Buddha. The way the conservationist put it was, "Of all the footprints on this earth, that of the elephant is supreme."

After the first interview was done, Carl (the director) took everyone out to lunch. All we could talk about was the interview and some of the stories we had heard.


There are elephant statues everywhere, but I saw this unique one walking home from dinner tonight. Made me think of aunt Heidi : )


Sunday, June 2, 2013

Markets

This afternoon a group went to the largest market in Chiang Mai. There were so many vendors, and it seemed to go on forever. It was mostly for food, but there were a few clothing stalls.


I bought some spices to bring home for mom (so she can make real Thai curry!) and a huge bag of dried mangos for myself. I'm used to buying small bags at Sam's Club for around $8. The giant bag I bought here was $1. We sampled some prepared foods at the market, like mangosteens, Thai pancakes (tastes like tapioca), spring rolls, and coconut ice cream. Oh my god the coconut ice cream. Probably was twice as good since it was so hot. I got a cup full for 45 cents.


There were a few things people were unwilling to try. And some stalls with buckets full of snakes and eels. The bugs were probably the grossest thing we saw. One person did try a small cricket and said it just tasted salty because it was fried. Nobody was willing to eat a cockroach.


The best part about the market was probably the flower area, simply because of the smell. It was so fragrant and calming, compared to the busy food market. People mostly buy flowers as offerings to bring to temples. I bought a small necklace to wear while walking around so I could keep smelling it.


That was really all we did today. The markets are so huge it took all day just to wind our way through the maze. Going to bed early tonight to get ready for filming tomorrow. No elephants for a few more days, we have some interviews and general city footage to get. Goodnight, everyone!

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Temples

Today was another long, hot day. Since we have a couple days until the project starts, the group has been going out together. Today we visited several of the city's historic temples. The first one we visited is the oldest temple in the city, Wat Chiang Man. It was originally built in 1297. I couldn't even grasp that I was standing inside something so ancient. The temple is on the inside of the old city moat, which borders a square mile of the oldest part of the city.


You could go inside and walk around the statues and paintings, but you have to take off your shoes. Everywhere you go indoors here you have to take off your shoes. There are mats for people to kneel on and meditate or make offerings to Buddha. Very quiet and actually quite cool on the inside. It was a nice retreat from the scorching heat. This building with the elephants was in the garden. We were told it was still part of this temple, but only monks could enter it.


(I will upload more pictures on Facebook, just giving you a little taste here)

We noticed a lot of trees in the areas around the temples with colored bands of fabric tied around their trunks. Our Thai guide told us the monks do this in order to protect the trees from being cut down. It really gave them a pretty effect.


The second temple was my favorite. It was a lot smaller, but still had very intricate detail. The colors were different from all the others, too. More blacks, blues, and greens. The inside was beautiful, as well. But there was a man sitting in a box who scared us half to death when we spotted him, only to be told it was a wax statue. Below we are in front of this temple. Starting left, it is me, Sarah (from the UK), Kenzie (from Colorado), and Maria (from Amsterdam).


What I really liked learning was that the dragon statues in front of the temple are there to guard it from evil spirits and act as a barrier between heaven and hell. My favorite part of the temple was an offering area that had seven different Buddha statues with bowls beneath them. The bowls are labeled with the days of the week. Our guide told use you are supposed to put money in the bowl for the day of the week you were born. It is good luck. Luckily I actually knew mine, Saturday. After putting money in, the guide explained to me that my Buddha is the symbol of protection during tumultuous times. I'll take that.

More later. Going to bed now.

Friday, May 31, 2013

First Day in Chiang Mai

Something lucky, I was able to meet up with another girl with my group because we shared the flight from Seoul to Chiang Mai. Her name is Kristin and she flew in from Vancouver. We sat together on the plane and got to chat about the upcoming adventures.We arrived late last night and were picked up at the airport by our coordinators. It was really dark so we couldn't see much on the drive to the guesthouse. Plus we were exhausted and probably wouldn't have been able to comprehend much anyway. But after a full night of sleep, I awoke and looked out my window. There are three gorgeous temples within view that were hidden in the darkness.

After a much-needed shower, I met a couple more girls in the common area of the house. Since today is a free day for people to get over jet lag (I feel surprisingly well) and get settled in, we decided to explore the neighborhood. Last night it was warm, but stepping into the Thai sun for the first time was like stepping into an oven. It probably is the humidity more than anything. Nonetheless, we were hungry and braved it. (And yes, mom, I remembered to wear my sun screen.) After walking down a few streets, we found a little breakfast cafe with air conditioning.

Everyone ordered different things, and the menu was huge! We were remarking how it seemed like an encyclopedia of food. It probably took us half an hour just to get through all the pages. They had a page just dedicated to mango foods only, which drew me right in. Ended up ordering the mango crepe special, which is a traditional Thai crepe (a little fluffier than at home) with fresh diced mango, mango ice cream, and a sweet syrup drizzled over.


It was heavenly! I ordered a Thai iced coffee with it (which I'm now in love with thanks to Chim's in downtown Columbia) and the total for everything was the equivalent of about $3.25. I think I will be eating very well here in Thailand.

I also found the Starbucks! Heidi, this is for you. It's only a couple blocks from the house and is three stories high. The first floor is the coffee bar and the top two floors are seating areas.


Oh, and there was a little confusion about this.. You can click on the image to make it bigger. Mom and I figured that out.

Then walked back to the house to unpack. Saw some cool things along the way, but the city tour the group is taking tomorrow is sure to be full of so many beautiful places. This city is fairly large, so I'm looking forward to having a bit of help looking around.



Just a little preview of things to come. These were just on the walk home. Will be getting better access and pictures tomorrow. There are elephant statues everywhere, too. Saw a monkey on the power lines above the temple but it ran out of sight before I could snap a picture. Our outdoor eating patio at the house has signs warning people about monkeys coming in and stealing food. Is it weird if I plant food and just sit and wait until a monkey comes along?

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Seoul

Holy crap I'm in Asia! Landed in Seoul half an hour ago, now waiting for my third and final flight to Chiang Mai. At least the longest flight is over... I spent 14 hours on the last plane. This next one should only be about four hours. But still a very long time when you're tired. Only got about two hours of sleep the night before leaving Columbia, and about two hours total on the plane. Amazingly, there is a Caribou Coffee right by my current gate. And a Hello Kitty cafe, but I expect that one here.


So far, I am very impressed with Korean Air. I was sitting in the very back of the plane, the cheapest tickets I could find, and still the seats were nice and roomy. Plus when I got to my seat there was a pile of goodies on it. A super soft blanket, a pillow, a bottle of water, a sleep mask, slippers, a toothbrush, and Loreal lotion. I had a window seat, and there was no one next to me which meant extra elbow room. A lucky bonus. Each seat had a personal video screen, and the selection of movies was good. Ended up watching The Hobbit, Silver Linings Playbook, Django Unchained, Oz the Great and Powerful, and Skyfall. Obviously, it was a very long flight.

The food was surprisingly good for airplane food, too. We were served three meals. They went in reverse order because of the time differences, so dinner was first. They served Bibimbap, which is a make your own kind of meal. It comes with rice, veggies, spices, and sauce and you have to mix it together. I think the flight attendant could tell I'd never had it before because she gave me a brochure on how to mix it. I felt pretty slow, considering everyone around me was finished while I was still reading the instructions. The finished product:


It was lovely. And free drinks! I had a glass of white wine while eating dinner and watching The Hobbit. This was just relaxing enough to get me settled in for the long ride. The flight attendants kept filling up my glass. It would be halfway gone and then they'd fill it to the brim again. So maybe it was more than one glass...

Gotta go, Chiang Mai flight is boarding!

Monday, May 27, 2013

Packing

Well, in 36 hours I will be arriving at St. Louis airport. Been trying to be productive and pack the last few days, but someone keeps getting in the way...



Working around the cat's schedule, I have managed to (almost) get completely packed and watch the entire new season of Arrested Development. Some could say that is productive.

I have been staying up all night and sleeping during the day, getting ready for the time change so it won't be such a shock. But it is hard to sleep at all, I'm getting so excited! I never thought I'd be one of the lucky people to travel abroad during college, especially alone. But I am not really nervous, as I thought I'd be. Just really excited. And once I actually arrive, I won't be alone at all. I'm anxious to meet the people I will be spending the next four weeks with.

Well, that's all for now. Just waiting until Wednesday morning...

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Chiang Mai

So, a little more information on where I am going.  Most of you know (or should know) that I am going to Thailand. I mean, it's the title of this blog. Anyway, I've had quite a few people tell me to be careful of the ocean and tsunamis, so I thought I should clear that up.  I will be staying in Chiang Mai, a  landlocked city in the northern mountainous region of the country. They have about twice the population of Columbia, MO.


To get there, I will take a flight from St. Louis to Dallas, another from Dallas to Seoul, and finally from Seoul to Chiang Mai. Including all layover and flight time, it will clock in at about 28 hours of traveling. And I thought the 10-hour car rides to Minneapolis were long...

Chiang Mai is 12 hours ahead of Missouri, so my schedule will be completely switched. But my parents are happy because all they have to do is switch the AM and PM to figure out what time it is where I am. Once I arrive, I will have a couple days to get adjusted. There will be time to explore the neighborhood and meet the other interns as they arrive. Then to work! Filming begins the first week of June. I can't wait to see everything and share it all!   

Sunday, April 14, 2013

The Beginning

So, this is it.  I am on my way to Thailand in six weeks.  After spending my lovely Sunday afternoon writing lists of things to pack and making note of what to get done before leaving, I had a moment of pure joy (and a little disbelief).  How did I get to this point, again?

Looking back, I don't think I ever thought this would happen.  I applied to 36 different internships. Some local, some in different states, and a handful of international ones.  It seemed that everyone around me was having trouble finding an internship.  Sure, a few people got lucky and had positions secured way in advance.  It seemed I would need to cast a wide net and hope for a fish.  I found the Thailand opportunity online after a late night panic-driven search for places to apply.  I almost didn't apply.  It seemed too good to be true... a documentary crew looking for interns to assist in the production of a film about elephant sanctuaries?  After a short debate with myself over whether to just go for it or spend that time applying for a more "attainable" position, the more hopeful part of me won over.  I put together an application packet and sent it off.

Several weeks went by and I had yet to hear from any of the places I applied to.  Well, that's not true.  I did receive a couple letters with the standard "the position has been filled" explanation.  One night in late March, I had a conversation with my mom about how nervous I was becoming.  She did what all moms must do, which was to assure me that it would all work out some way or another. Little did I know, the next night I would receive an email requesting a Skype interview.

After an interview with a producer on the project, I was immediately offered one of the intern positions.  I was (and still am) in shock.  Four weeks in Thailand photographing elephants, visiting temples, and eating lots of yummy and exotic food?  I'm ready.