Culture Shock

I had some amazing food today, thanks to my host family, my school here, and the grocery store in the mall :) (shhh I'm eating Nutella at the computer!!)
So today was a good day. Though I would love to talk for hours about the food here....now is the time where I will sit down and be realistic about all the things that surprised me --some to a larger degree than others-- about the differences in culture between the USA and Thailand.


First, I will announce the "elephant in the room!" Toilets. There are two kinds of toilet here; one is like a standard American....and one is a squat toilet....kind of self explanatory, but Thais usually don't use toilet paper....I panic if I forget tissues at school *nervous laugh* but instead of flushing, you take the water bowl and sprayer and dump water down into it to clean the toilet. Also, know that public restrooms in Thailand don't usually come with soap...thankfully, I have my trusty Lemon Cake scented hand sanitizer. :)


There is little refrigeration in some more countryside Thai famlies--like mine. The meat sits out, the veggies sit out, the crackers sit out, the same with fruit. Thankfully they will refrigerate uncooked things and milk products, but sometimes I don't eat something on their table since it may be going bad...


Thai people, warm as their country is, don't necesarilly have AC! Unless they are a rich family, they have AC in their bedrooms, but fans and mosquito screens everywhere else within their house. Unless you are my host family, in which case you live on a farm and have a house with no screens, fans, or AC (except in the bedroom). No wonder I have enough bug bites to look like I have chicken pox when they also leave all the doors and windows open! :/


The youth (i'm talking teens and kids here) are so innocent compared to American youth! This is a good thing, and also humorous at times. Though sadly it does make them prone to fall into certain traps introduced by "Western" media.


Knives and guns are found easily and bought easily here! Among the regular market items like seafood, t-shirts, and watches, you can see guns for sale. Also, pocket knives, small kitchen knives, and "letter openers" are abundant around the house, with the schoolchildren, and even just laying around on my staircase o.o Don't get into a fight here!!!


Only adults drink coffee.....I'm only 16 and a slight coffee drinker, so my classmates find that unusual. They shrug it off, but no other exchange student in my town likes coffee either :P *side note* One of my kind teachers buys me Thai hot chocolate or coffee a few times a week in the morning! Teachers try their best to be kind and understand the students ^^


The buildings around Chanthaburi are almost all in a low upkeep, which I think is fascinating, but not the cleanest (I don't mind since I'm a bit of a slob and they don't seem to mind either).


In Thailand, you EAT with A SPOON! And a fork secondly, but not a KNIFE! This I think is soo fun, and I have already forgotten how to use a knife 555. You use the spoon in your right hand and the fork in your left; the fork is for gathering food and picking up larger pieces and the food goes into your mouth via the spoon only.


Wild dogs (and some cats, too) are literally in EVERY place here!! They will even wander through motorcycles, markets, and school cafeterias. Thai people act like they aren't even there, they're such a common occurence. It does make me a little sad, and when a small one approaches me, it reminds me of dear ol' Spangy (my doggy in Oregon).


When you turn on a light in Oregon, it comes on right away. When you turn on the cranky lights in my host family, expect to wait 30 seconds....sometimes up to 5 minutes before your desired space is illuminated.


There is a washing machine in every house except a rare few, but undergarments are washed seperately by hand and according to the individual which they belong to.


Only rich famlies have a washing machine (mine doesn't); washing dishes by hand is done here a lot because you always wash the dishes that you use right after you use them. :)


Here in Thailand, it is hard for them to accept that someone is feeling sad and can't feel happy again for awhile. This morning the students left me out because they were umcomfortable that I was having a rough day.


Thai people generally smile in a wide variety of situations, even when they are talking behind somone's back, about to fall asleep, or telling you about something tragic that has just happened to them.


Thais have no real concept of cold weather....so it would be very difficult for them to acclimatize to a place like my home in Oregon, haha! Even the rain here is a pleasant lukewarm feeling.


Mom and Dad, maybe if I do get an emergency here, it will be from the last and biggest culture shock here: Thai transportation. *nervous smile* There are no crosswalks. People pass whenever and wherever and however they feel like. Also, there is an ocean of motorcycles. Everywhere. I am SO thankful that Rotary tells us not to "operate a motorized vehicle" during our exchange. Here, much more so than in Oregon, I would be at a high risk of having an accident! "Haha", laughs my foot, "you have gotten in an accident already!" (It's only from God's help that my foot is only swollen a bit, but last Thursday a taxi driver in car we rented ran over my left foot with his car).


All you that have been promised monthly postcards!! Guess what my host mom Pimjai and me are going out to buy tomorrow?? :) :)


Enjoy this next week!