soi dogs

While walking back to the apartment after seeing Jimmy off, I saw the saddest soi dog. He had a really saggy ball sac. Like seriously. It was like wagging while he was walking ahead of me. It was like a second tail. I wonder how that happened.

However, in general, Thailand has really interesting dogs.

I’ve seen many dogs who are incredibly metropolitan. They’ve adapted to city life in Bangkok. One time, I saw a dog open a zip lock bag of food with his food and muzzle. Another time, I saw a dog successfully take a ferry across the river from Phra Pinklao to Tha Prachan.

Maybe the doggy needed to go to class too.

I wonder if he had to pay 3 baht to cross the river or if he had a coupon book of tickets like me.

king naresuan, part II.

Last night we went to Major Cineplex Pinklao and watched the second of the King Naresuan trilogy. I was actually kind of excited because I’m a geek that likes history and political upheavals.

So as usual, after 30 minutes of previews, the king’s song came on and we had to stand up and watch the ultra patriotic video of all the good things the king has done. As corny as it sounds, I guess it makes me feel kinda happy and proud that I’m in Thailand. Which is really strange I guess because Thailand wasn’t exactly a wonderful place my parents lived in.

Anyway, I enjoyed the movie and was happy that Jimmy did too. Something I found really interesting was how Bunthing’s love interest was portrayed. Bunthing was the beggar boy that Prince Naresuna saved when he was kid and ended up growing up with him. Anyway. Apparently, Bunthing fell in love with the Princess of the Khang Kingdom. A kingdom from the north where women like the princess wore outfits that looked like a “hill tribe”… from the head wraps down to the leggings. There were pros and cons with how the princess was portrayed.

Pro: she was a kick ass fighter that killed a shit ton of people with her bow and arrow.
Con: she was sometimes in more revealing clothing AND she kept making out with Bunthing…

AKA: portraying people from the northern hill tribes as more promiscuous than the women from central thai… because OF COURSE central Thai people are more “proper” or “civilized” and ethnic minorities aren’t as good. BLAH BLAH.

Or maybe I’m just looking too into it. It reminds me of how every time Kevin and I go watch some musical, we’ll walk out and bitch about how the Asian person was portrayed. Like when we saw the Nut Cracker, it was interesting to see the “Siamese” dressed in Chinese clothing and have the actor be white. Eh.

care package from sister

i was having a really shitty day on friday.

my buddy is getting a little too clingly. i agreed to help her with her research in the morning and all of a sudden, she came with a bunch of bags and said we were spending the whole day together. also, she convinced me to go to nakhon pathom with her for the weekend. i thought i decided to not go to chiang rai to study but all of a sudden, i was swept away from bangkok once again. i should have been thrilled to travel, but i wasn't. i dont know.

but then i received the care package my sister sent me and it made me super super happy. it's funny how when she asked me what i needed, i didn't think i missed much. however, she cleverly hid away a bunch of good pills for me so i could deal with all my crap-o stuff. also, i had some hot cheetos which were oh so good. OH and i finally shaved my legs. it's been ages. HA.

living abroad has made me forget some little luxuries of the states and it was nice of sister to send some. YAY for:

• deordorant: the real kind . . not the fake stuff made for thai people who don't really sweat
• gillette divine razors: since i'm poor and can't afford to go waxing all the time, this is a better alternative than being hairy.
• hot cheetos: they have corn flavored cheetos here but no hot cheetos
• sour patch kids: i thought they were american but apparently, they're canadian
• welbutrin: happy happy happy pills.
• ambien: sleepy sleepy pills
• emergen - C: will be useful for myanmar!
• toothbrushes: i dont really understand why she sends them to me because we have toothbrushes here . . but the ones she sends me are a helluva better than the cheap ones i buy for myself.
• persi - gel: cause they know how disgusting my face is these days.
• luna bars: AHHHH the ultimate emergency food for backpacking. now i don't have to carry around a jar of peanut butter hoping i'll find bread when i'm in the middle of nowhere.
  

thailand v. hong kong

jimmy says that blogging is like having your own magazine. i really need to start blogging. i'm not very creative though.

anyway. mattea came for the weekend. sunday consisted of: fuji, babel, weza.

we walked for thirty minutes sipping our whiskey and coke in 7/11 cups trying to find this club. once our drinks ran out, we hopped into a cab instead.

i love love love it.

questions in thai

today i was walking to class and this thai girl came up to me and asked me for directions to the english learning building. in thai. AND i answered in THAI!

whoo hoo.

i guess uniform makes all the difference here.

i might be coming home.

Dear Antonette Escarsega,

Hi, my name is Monica and I am a undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley who is currently studying at Thammasat University here in Thailand.

I was originally staying only for the fall semester but decided to extend for an additional semester. At the time that I extended, I was unaware that my financial aid package for the second semester would be drastically lower than my first semester’s financial aid package (almost half).

I was confused about this and have contacted the EAP financial aid advisor at the Berkeley campus, Michael Mathews, and he explained to me what had happened. To my understanding, since I was planning to study in Thailand for just the fall semester, I received more than half of my funds available funds in the fall semester. Then when it came time for the spring, I did not have the same funds left in my year budget in Thailand and was only award what was left (which was much less than what I received the first semester).

Mr. Mathews said that he did not have the ability to increase my budget and he was bound to only grant as much as the budget is outline online. However, he did say that you might be able to help me if I contacted you.

I understand that it is my fault for assuming that I would be receiving the same amount of funds in the spring as I had received in the fall but was wondering if anything can be done to increase my spring budget. I was offered only $4,601.50 (not including my unsubsidized loans) and after the Tuition fees and medical fees, I will only be left with $957.50 for living expenses for the entire semester. Although Thailand is relatively cheaper than the United States (and many places in the world), it will be nearly impossible for me to survive on that amount of money. If I do not receive the needed amount of funds to get me through the semester here in Thailand, I will be forced to fly back to the United States and take the semester off completely.

Any kind of help and advice would be greatly appreciated and I’m hoping to hear from you soon.

- Monica

12 / Jan - 15 / Jan: Singapore

If any city could have characterized me pre-Bangkok or maybe even pre-college, it would probably be Singapore.

From it’s no curfews, expensive booze, gross photos on all the cigarette cases, cleanliness, hundreds of signs everywhere, Singapore (not considering the ending) was great.

It was wonderful change to Bangkok. Actually I guess it was kind of like being in the states but better.

I like how Lonely Planet put it. Anyone from the west will come to Singapore, look at the wonderful-ness of it all and think, “wow, maybe political freedom is just a small price for all of this.