Getting by in Chiang Mai

Sah-wat-dee-kha!!!  Greetings from the Land of Smiles! I've been in Chiang Mai, Thailand for two weeks now and am happy (and relieved) to report that this strange and humid parallel universe I’m living in right now is an exceptional place to call home these next 9 months.  I am very lucky to be here!

view of chiang mai from plane

food carts on Suthep Road

Suthep Road

Adjusting to life in Thailand has been surprisingly easy, a consequence of the fortunate circumstances I have found myself in: I live in a comfortable, modern apartment complex among other American college students (who are also my classmates), it is relatively easy to get by with a small Thai vocabulary, the majority of people in Chiang Mai are incredibly friendly, and the culture here is so laid back and fun to participate in that I really can’t imagine being anywhere else right now.  Still, I know that I am only just skimming the surface of all that Chiang Mai has to offer.  I look forward to spending more time here, immersing more in the language and culture of Thailand, and feeling less like a clueless “farang”.

we slid off this rock into the pool below!

These last couple of weeks when I wasn’t in class, I was able to explore intricately detailed and beautiful temples, shop around local markets that sold handcrafted goods, jump into water off of a waterfall rock slide, stumble upon a gorgeous wat after a hike through the forest, play pick up games of soccer with Thai students, help teach young monks English, indulge in a Thai massage or two, and of course, chow down some incredible Thai food.  In future posts I will offer more detailed synopses of my adventures, but for now I will just let my pictures do the story telling.

stairs to Doi Suthep

Doi Suthep

view of Chiang Mai from Doi Suthep

monks swimming at Huay Kaew waterfall

police station in old town Chiang Mai

lil monks walking down the street... note the red truck,
or Songthaew- our main means of transportation here

As for the city itself, Chiang Mai is amazing – and immensely populated compared to what I’ve become used to.  The streets and sidewalks are flooded with food and drink stands, restaurants, shops, stray dogs, an insane amount of mopeds, and smiles.  I think of this city as a visual feast; there are a million different things to look at and I notice something new on my street every time I walk through it.  Other students at Chiang Mai University, locals, and tourists scurry up and down the streets on foot, in cars, in the back of a songthaew (a red pick up truck with two benches and a roof built onto it) or on aforementioned mopeds.  Traffic is typically quite dense and there aren’t really any enforced traffic laws so crossing the street is a daily struggle and source of adrenaline.

One of my first impressions of Chiang Mai was on my way to my apartment from the airport, when I was absolutely shocked by how close everyone drove next to each other and how often people seemed to cut each other off.  What was more shocking still, though, was how cool and relaxed the driver remained while other drivers committed traffic atrocities that would surely go un-forgiven in America.  And so my first day here I was introduced to one of the many paradoxes that Chiang Mai offers.  In a city bustling with life and apparent chaos, there is a slow, relaxedness to the people that is so refreshing. “Sabai sabai,” the Thais will tell you, which basically means that everything is fine, everything is happening as it should. 

This attitude stems from the prominence of Buddhism in Thai culture.  85% of the people in Chiang Mai are Buddhists and monks are highly revered.  In fact, the highest level of a “wai” is reserved for them.  A wai is a Thai greeting where you bow slightly with your palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion to whomever it is you are acknowledging.  You bring your hands higher and your bow deeper when greeting someone with higher status than you, like a monk.  Being a foreigner, people don’t really expect me to wai but I want to practice wai-ing to my teachers before class.

beautiful reservoir on campus

one meal we made in Thai Cuisine
(some of the best food I've had here!)

one of the streets on campus,
everyone rides scooters here!

I suppose I should mention a little bit about my classes since that is what has brought me to this magical city!  Chiang Mai University, host to about 40,000 students, has a huge, green and gorgeous campus complete with a breathtaking reservoir.  The campus has shuttles that take you around for free, but I typically prefer to walk to class and take in the beautiful scenery.  Everyone wears a uniform to school, which is a white button up shirt with a knee-length skirt for women and a purple tie with black slacks for men.  We all have a neat belt with the CMU logo on it and a couple elephant pins that go on our uniforms as well! I actually don’t mind wearing a uniform.  The skirt allows for a nice breeze and I feel like a polite and studious schoolgirl when I wear it, which I quite like.  My classes are taught in English by Thai professors and all of my classmates are other fellow USACers.  My classes this semester are about Buddhist Philosophy, Thai Society and Culture, Thai Language, ASEAN Tourism and Management, and my favorite, Thai Cousine.  I really love learning about Thailand in and out of the classroom and so far all of my professors seem fantastic. 

A few last things worth mentioning unique to Thai culture:

• Thais use a fork and spoon when eating.  Your fork is in your left hand and is used to grab food that is being shared with others and to help nudge your next bite onto your spoon, which is in your right hand.  You only put your spoon into your mouth!  Eating this way is so nice and makes so much more sense and I will continue to spoon feed myself long after I leave Thailand.
•  Another thing about food… Thais don’t really seem to distinguish breakfast from other meals.  You have basically the same choices for each meal!  You can get omelets here, but you can just as easily order them for dinner as for breakfast.  I am a huge breakfast fan so this was strange for me at first, but I gotta admit I don’t mind starting the day with some Pad Thai or curry.
• Whenever you hear the Thai national anthem, you stop what you are doing and stand still in respect.  I was confused during one of the pick up soccer games why everyone suddenly stopped playing!
•  Many of the toilets in Thailand are squat toilets and you actually step onto the toilet bowl, which has grooves so that you don’t slip.  Toilets all either have a handheld bidet or a bucket of water with a bowl that you use to pour over yourself.  Still haven’t had to use the bowl sort!!
• “Mai pen rai” means nevermind, or no worries.  Thai people don’t sweat the small stuff.  If something unlucky or annoying happens to them, they say mai pen rai and let it go.

It is difficult to summarize two weeks of exploration in this foreign new land and even more difficult to try and put Chiang Mai and the university into words.  I have so much more to learn and see and try but I would already strongly recommend anyone with an open mind and empty stomach to travel here!  The cheap food, massages and shopping are great but it is the people that make this place so remarkable.  I am determined to keep improving my Thai and connect more with the Thai students and locals around Chiang Mai. I have lots to look forward to!  Until next time… sah-wat-dee-kha!