The Thais are all smiles, especially if you (as a foreigner) give them one first to ease the possible tension of "idk how this farang is going to act, so I'm kind if intimidated by her" and make them feel safe enough to open up and return the smile. I'm talking about MOST of them. There are always exceptions and sometimes I give a smile and get a solid face that just stares, which I don't know how to take yet, but until I do, I just laugh to myself at the possible thoughts racing through their heads. Thailand is "the land of smiles" though. I don't know what all this garb is I hear about foreigners not being able to smile/look at anyone here because its so unsafe. How are you supposed to make fun of this one life you're given if smiling is a dangerous act? Ridiculous. Like how Europeans are scared to come to the U.S. because they hear how many people are shot and murdered every 30 seconds or whatever and I haven't ever witnessed anything of the sort in my 24 years of living there. It happens everywhere, but it doesn't mean you have to stop living because it's too unsafe to do anything but fear.
The sun's raining down on my skin as I write this atop my balcony overlooking the mountains, river, and the lovely town of Kanchanaburi (the second night in the town, as the River Kwai Mansion). Such a wonderful escape from the lack of exposure to the sun during the week that I have to deal with, trapped under the covering of the school. Watched some 14-year-old boys swimming around in the river with little black inner tubes. The River Kwai flows down into the Chao Phraya river that runs through Bangkok. It's much cleaner in Kanchanaburi. There's no way I'd swim in the Chao Phraya in the city, but I did get in a lil ways in the Kwai.
Another thing on Phil's list of things to do in Kanchanaburi that I wouldn't have done on my own was to visit the Death Rail Museum that talks about the Japanese' malicious ways in WWII. Kinda cool to learn about. Met 2 girls from the Netherlands, Flor and Hannakah (sp?)...yeh like the Jewish holiday who were touring around the country for a bit. My tie-dye V-neck shirt got all stretched out on the drive back home to Pakkret. Boo. Back to trafficland and pollution city.
It's interesting how poor a majority of this country is, yet I haven't seen one homeless person yet. They're all so close to having nothing (everything), yet they can make do with what they DO have and they are happy. It's all about mindset. Westerners are too needy. They aren't resourceful. They don't understand and can't fathom life without things.
I love how colorful Thais make everything. Their vehicles are all pimped out in vibrant colors, or are pimped out in some way. Even the garbage trucks are adorned with colorful shapes and designs on the backs and sides. The air con buses are out of control! Double-decker charter-bus-like things with air brushed images from top to bottom and front to back, with chrome exhaust pipes, loud, fancy sound systems blasting dance music, and covered with dozens of lights on the front. Some have these Michelin man-like things on the front, too...3-D. So intense, you can't help but laugh when one comes plowing down the street. The sawng-thaews have bright lime green roofs in the back, purple, yellow and green lights, some have disco balls and huge speakers and sub woofers like a party bus to take you to and from work. haha So hysterical.
The toilet paper, if you can find it...which is usually a travel package of tissue that some girls and foreigners carry around, is about the size of one square of American toilet paper. there are no paper towels, and there DEFINITELY aren't paper towels 16 inches x 12 inches like in the States. "Tissue" of any sort is not only hard to find, but also comes in environmentally-conscious sizes. Why do we think bigger is always better? Grr.
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