Expat Teaching & Living: First week in Bangkok

Arriving to Bangkok and getting set up was very interesting. A lot of things were different than anywhere else I have ever been before. My first couple of days included visiting the school, which is pretty neat. It has a nice open air design with a lot of funky little statues of animals and other things as well as a pool. On the walk over to the school on my first day I saw a woman bathing a monkey on the sidewalk! Very strange! I also spent a night on Khaosan Road which is a huge backpackers road with heaps of bars, massage places, restaurants, market shops and other things which I will leave up to your imagination. Taking a cab home that night was quite the struggle given my limited grasp of the Thai language, and the cab drivers limited grasp of English. A few of the Thai staff at the school gave us their contact information so we called them and they explained to the cab driver where I was going.

Crossing the street here is comparable to playing a high stakes game of Frogger. There are not specific cross walks but there are areas that allow you to cross the road while frantically waving your hand and trying not to get ran over by cars going as fast as 80 km/h. I have discovered that there is no need for my morning coffee anymore, since I have to cross the street every morning on my way to school. There are often walkovers which are about 25 feet high constructed to help you avoid traffic. On my fourth day in Bangkok I managed to find one that was not completed. So if you don't mind four foot gaps from the top of the stairs to the walkover this is perfect.

I am not sure what is trending in other countries, but Selfie-Sticks are currently all the rage here in Bangkok. A Selfie-Stick has nothing to do with your alone time, but more to do with taking selfies by putting your camera on a stick and using a blue-tooth remote control to signal your phone to take the picture. At first I thought this was a hilarious item, but a couple of days later I decided I had to have one. So keep an eye out for some Selfie-Stick-tastic photos on the blog.

I have two more things to point out about adjusting to life in Bangkok.

Don't resist the bum gun.
You're going to smell a lotta smells.

The bum gun is a hose beside the toilet which you can use like a bidet in weapon form. It is a great tool once you get over any reservations about spraying water in around your bum hole after dropping a steaming hot turd. I looked into it and the full name for this tool is: Asian Thai Bidet Toilet Spray Sprayer Shower Rinse Hygiene Bum Gun. The word hygiene is very fitting because hygienic is just what it is. I don't know how I will get on without the bum gun in my life. Toilet paper and baby wipes just won't cut it anymore!

And the smells are unavoidable. In a city this densely populated be prepared for your nasal passages to be assaulted by a barrage of interesting smells. Crossing a bridge without gagging during your first week in Bangkok is truly an accomplishment.

Despite the smells and new experiences the Thai people I have met have been so welcoming, helpful and lovely that it has not been such a difficult adjustment. My next post will be about my first day at work and my first weekend away. Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it!