I realized that I never really talk about our day-to-day life in Thailand, and some people might be interested in that stuff. So here goes all the little details so I don't have to do it again. :P
Weather: When we got to Thailand it was the rainy season, which meant highs in the 90s, lows in the 80s, high humidity, and spectacular thunderstorms nearly every day. Now we're transitioning into the cold season, which means highs in the 80s, lows in the 70s, and seeing people wear beanies, scarves, and putting shirts on their dogs.
Food: I bought oatmeal from the local Carrefour and that's what I have for breatfast every day, either with some Thai yogurt or soy milk that I buy from street vendors (with beans and tofu chunks added). I also eat fruit - street vendors sell fresh bananas, pineapples, mangos, pomelos, oranges, apples, grapes, longans, papayas, watermelons, pomegranates, durians, guavas, jackfruits, mangosteens, rambutans, and starfruits. (edit: And dragonfruit! And custard apples! And cherries!)
For lunch we eat street food, usually pad thai, pad see ew, fried rice, noodles, basil chicken, or some thai veggie dish. For dinner we cook and eat as a community. I cook 1-2 times a week, usually making pesto chicken, indian lentils, hummus, or chicken stir fry. When other people cook it might be Nepalese, Thai, or American food.
Transportation: We walk a ton, and most of the time we aren't walking we take the bus. But from time to time we also ride motorcycles, tuk-tuks (similar to Indian autorickshaws), songthaews (Thai version of Filipino jeepneys), cabs, or even boats. On rare occasions we've taken the subway or the "air train".
People: Thai people are extremely gracious and are famous for smiling. You have to be used at getting laughed at if you're a foreigner, but it's all a means of relieving embarrassment and laughing along is best. Everyone in Thailand is shorter than me (I hit my head on stuff a lot) and almost everyone is very slender. Most people are really helpful too - I've been approached by security guards while catching frogs on business/park property at night, and the typical response is to help me out!
Money: Thai currency is the baht, which exchanges at about 30 baht/1 dollar. Some stuff is relatively cheap - lunches are 25-30 baht, bus fare is 7-8 baht, and my good-quality sandals were 99 baht. Other stuff is expensive - anything electronic and anything remotely foreign (like American food) will usually cost even higher than typical American prices.
Clothing: I wear shorts, sandals, and a t-shirt everywhere, every day, as does nearly everyone (except for the Thais that are bundling up now that it's the cold season).
Animals: All sorts of interesting reptiles and amphibians are everywhere. We also see 10" long centipedes, lots of spiders, land crabs, fish that walk on land, and all sorts of weird insects. On our trips outside of the city we see water buffalo, monkeys, and giant fruit bats.
Other differences from life at home: Well, everyone speaking Thai is the obvious one. Showers are cold but that usually doesn't matter with the heat. I wash my own laundry by hand. Every trip crossing the street is a Frogger-style adventure, since crosswalks are rarely at places where traffic actually stops. Buddhist temples and animist spirit houses are absolutely everywhere. You get used to the nearly constant presence of geckos, cockroaches, and rats around the house. Unfortunately, being in the city also means that you constantly see older White men with young Thai girls.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Any questions at all about life here?
Weather: When we got to Thailand it was the rainy season, which meant highs in the 90s, lows in the 80s, high humidity, and spectacular thunderstorms nearly every day. Now we're transitioning into the cold season, which means highs in the 80s, lows in the 70s, and seeing people wear beanies, scarves, and putting shirts on their dogs.
Food: I bought oatmeal from the local Carrefour and that's what I have for breatfast every day, either with some Thai yogurt or soy milk that I buy from street vendors (with beans and tofu chunks added). I also eat fruit - street vendors sell fresh bananas, pineapples, mangos, pomelos, oranges, apples, grapes, longans, papayas, watermelons, pomegranates, durians, guavas, jackfruits, mangosteens, rambutans, and starfruits. (edit: And dragonfruit! And custard apples! And cherries!)
For lunch we eat street food, usually pad thai, pad see ew, fried rice, noodles, basil chicken, or some thai veggie dish. For dinner we cook and eat as a community. I cook 1-2 times a week, usually making pesto chicken, indian lentils, hummus, or chicken stir fry. When other people cook it might be Nepalese, Thai, or American food.
Transportation: We walk a ton, and most of the time we aren't walking we take the bus. But from time to time we also ride motorcycles, tuk-tuks (similar to Indian autorickshaws), songthaews (Thai version of Filipino jeepneys), cabs, or even boats. On rare occasions we've taken the subway or the "air train".
People: Thai people are extremely gracious and are famous for smiling. You have to be used at getting laughed at if you're a foreigner, but it's all a means of relieving embarrassment and laughing along is best. Everyone in Thailand is shorter than me (I hit my head on stuff a lot) and almost everyone is very slender. Most people are really helpful too - I've been approached by security guards while catching frogs on business/park property at night, and the typical response is to help me out!
Money: Thai currency is the baht, which exchanges at about 30 baht/1 dollar. Some stuff is relatively cheap - lunches are 25-30 baht, bus fare is 7-8 baht, and my good-quality sandals were 99 baht. Other stuff is expensive - anything electronic and anything remotely foreign (like American food) will usually cost even higher than typical American prices.
Clothing: I wear shorts, sandals, and a t-shirt everywhere, every day, as does nearly everyone (except for the Thais that are bundling up now that it's the cold season).
Animals: All sorts of interesting reptiles and amphibians are everywhere. We also see 10" long centipedes, lots of spiders, land crabs, fish that walk on land, and all sorts of weird insects. On our trips outside of the city we see water buffalo, monkeys, and giant fruit bats.
Other differences from life at home: Well, everyone speaking Thai is the obvious one. Showers are cold but that usually doesn't matter with the heat. I wash my own laundry by hand. Every trip crossing the street is a Frogger-style adventure, since crosswalks are rarely at places where traffic actually stops. Buddhist temples and animist spirit houses are absolutely everywhere. You get used to the nearly constant presence of geckos, cockroaches, and rats around the house. Unfortunately, being in the city also means that you constantly see older White men with young Thai girls.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Any questions at all about life here?
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