(Dis)Orientation

HAI. So I'm alive...somehow. I've been in Thailand for about 3 days and the whole thing has been one big blur so far. From severe (slight exaggeration) jetlag to a constant stream of new faces and names I had no chance of remembering if it weren't for Facebook to Khao San Road (more on that later), I've hardly had a moment to myself to try and make sense of this whole situation. 

Until now. From here on out I'm going to be having a LOT of time to myself, as I sit here in my bedroom at school (you read that correctly, I live at school). I am the only foreign person on site and no one really speaks English aside from my mentor and the 3 other English teachers. Even then, the thick Thai accent makes trying to decipher meaning quite a challenge, but I'm not complaining. I'm actually finding the whole "back to basics" lifestyle refreshing so far, but it's only been a few hours since I moved in, so check back in a few days to see if I still think this.

But anyway, let's rewind back to Saturday 13th July 6:30pm-ish. Having just bid adieu to my wonderful Mumma and the one and only Becky Smith (who travelled the entire length of the Picadilly line just to see me for half an hour, YOU EARNED THIS MENTION GURL), I walked through Heathrow Terminal 4 Security Check, and from then on, I was alone. Lol so dramatic.

I actually have grown really accustomed to travelling alone after my year abroad, so I wasn't really fazed by this prospect. Big props to Etihad Airways, they are really great and made the two LONG ASS flights more bearable (for all you film buffs out there Stoker = weird, The Place Beyond the Pines = FANTASTIC, my eyes even leaked a little but shh). After a brief 3 hour layover in Abu Dhabi, I boarded the second flight and a mere 7 hours later arrived in Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit (a.k.a. Bangkok) copy and paste job don't currr.

On exiting the plane all the other ETA's (English Teaching Assistants) who were on the same flight went through immigration together, which was quick and painless, retrieved our luggage and boarded a much needed air-conditioned coach to take us to our final destination, the Ambassador Hotel. Quick note on the weather (can't shake off that quintissential British-ness), it HUMID. HUGH - MID. Anywho, we arrived at the hotel at about 11.30pm and had to buddy up with another ETA to share a hotel room with for the 2 nights. Luckily I saw a guy I'd met when I went to pick up my visa in Birmingham, so we shared da room. As it was pretty late and I was shattered, I only went out to explore for an hour or so, but that's all I needed to get a big impression of Bangkok.

I saw 3 of the biggest cockroaches life has ever punished me with seeing (anyone who knows me knows i H8 roaches) and a rat just casually hopping across the pavement within 20 minutes after leaving the hotel. Lush. On the other hand, there's literally bar-vans (dunno how else to describe them) just set up on the side of the street pumping out shitty music on shitty speakers, which I l.o.v.e.d. Anyway, after a couple of Changs we decided to call it a night as we had an "early" start the next day (9.30am start...after a year going from Madrid to effin Alcalá a 9.30 sounds like the most luxurious lie-in/coming home from da club oh Madrid I love and miss you).

Orientation Day 1 consisted of being given a lot of freebies, meeting our mentors (big shout out to all the Thai people affiliated with me and ma school and Chonburi, they are SO friendly and lovely), and getting to know the other ETAs. There was also the small task of trying to teach us how to be teachers in just over 24 hours (imagine how many times I smugly mentioned "I've actually been doing the exact same thing for 9 months in Madrid, Spain. Have I mentioned I just got back literally a week ago from Madrid M A D R I D Madrizzzzz" (I'm being slightly ironic I'm not a dickhead but I did mention Madrid loads love u long tym xoxo).

After training finished at about 5 I went back to the hotel room and did what I do best: S L E E P. I seriously love napping. I also love planning to nap for half an hour then waking up covered in my own dribble 3 hours later; NO REGRETS NEVER CHANGE. Anywho about 10pm we went up to somebody's room where there were quite a few ETAs drinking, before heading out to the famous Khao San Road. Now, I like to pride myself on not always going for the obvious tourist trail destinations (Mondo, La Riviera and Fabrik count as legit "Spanish" experiences, nothing like partying with the Choniiiis), so I wasn't filled with crazy excitement at going here, but I'd heard big things about it so of course had to give it a go.

Holy lol. Khoa San so cwazy. Lits dunno who I thought I was for the night but I ended up chilling with the locals and helping them sell stuff for the night. I even ended up having a little dance-off with this adorable lil girl selling roses. A quick note to FILET'O'FISH lovers out there, McDonalds Thailand do this amazing burger called DOUBLE FILET BURGER. It does double filets (Read it in "She's a life ruiner; She ruins people's lives" voice). It was so good and there's nothing like inhaling your drunk food and burning your tongue cuz you just can't get enough. Anyway I ended up helping this guy sell balloons till 5am when everything was shut and everyone else had gone...after which all the Thai people who've been selling roses/lewd bracelets/whatever get food and sit down and eat together. And there I was, chomping away, laughing at jokes (I had no idea what they meant and more importantly who they were about, most likely me). I kept thinking to myself, this is a proper legit Thai cultural experience, I'm living like a LOCAL lol who do I think I am but seriously. But I'm glad I had that experience as I got to experience first hand how lovely the Thai people are, they genuinely were so nice to me as I was scoffing my face with the food they paid for. I even got to see the interior of typical Bangkok-ian's house...lol.

ANYWAY I was going to carry on and talk about moving to my school etc but it probably deserves another blog entry as dis is so long and I'm tired now and ceebs etc but ciao keep reading back4more x