Welcome to the Solon Springs/Thailand Blog. Mr. Nelson and Mr. Schlichting and Mrs. Judy Peterson of Superior Senior High School will be touring schools in Thailand and delivering presentations about American culture to Thai students. This excursion will open the doors to a cultural exchange between the Solon Springs School and Schools in Thailand.
Mr. Schlichting will be leaving on Monday to get things set-up and Mr. Nelson and Mrs. Peterson will fly out on Friday morning.
We will update this blog frequently during our trip to share our experiences in Thailand with the staff, students, and community.
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Bon Voyage, fair travelers! Take sunscreen and eat Gai pad med mamoung himaphan. Here's "hong nam yoo tee nai?" (where is the rest room) and nee arai? (what is this?) Those are the phrases I need the most in a foreign country. We are all excited for you and send our fondest greetings to you and everyone you meet. Have the time of your life, but please come back:)
ReplyDeleteLove, Lydia
I can't wait to hear about all the tasty creatures that you taste test. Be kind to the school house pets, remember to take off your shoes before entering the classrooms, no playing games on the hallway computers,take a lot of pictures, write often and have fun.
ReplyDeleteTake Care
Love,
The Garays
fred
ReplyDeleteWell I am going to try this again....I had trouble posting to this and it took me a while to get it so here goes.....
ReplyDeleteArrived safely in bangkok (Gureng Tep in Thai). Flights are long!!!! from leaving hotel in Minneapolis to arrival at hotel in bangkok was over 30 hours.
Been spending the past few days making arrangements for arrival of Kuhn Russ and Kuhn Judy (kuhn is a term meaning like Mr. or Ms.)
Thailand is a very different place from USA...it is a third world country and that is evident with the very wealthy and the very poor all in close proximity. It is a fascinating place and we will share some of our unique experiences with you. I will share a few tidbits in this post.
This morning I was having breakfast at the hotel (fried rice with chicken and a fried egg on top) and I was watching people walking the streets. There were several Buddhist monks in their saffron robes out with their pots stopping at all the businesses and homes seeking food...Buddhist monks must beg for their food from people living in their area. I had forgotten this until seeing this morning ritual again today, a ritual that happens all over Thailand every morning. Over 90 percent of Thais are Buddhists. Did you know there are different sects of buddhism? (Just like Christians have Catholics, Baptists, Lutherans) Most Thais are Therevada Buddhists. I will not get great reward in my next life as I did not share my food this morning....I guess I will probably be a snail in my next life.
This evening I am meeting a friend I met the last time I was here. He had been a Peace Corp worker before and now works for a US agency placing teachers and college professors in countries around the world. We are having dinner and a few Chang beers (my favorite). I am looking forward to seeing how 3 years in Thailand has changed his outlook on life.
Enough for this first post. Please add your comments or questions and I hope I can get back on to keep posting regularly.
Your friend (peuan) in Bangkok
Kuhn Fred
Greetings again,
ReplyDeleteToday, Russ and Judy will arrive at 11:30 pm. They will be greeted by warm temperatures. Days average over 90 and nights do cool down to about 73.
what they will see os a city of 10,000,00 people growing very rapidly with much high rise construction, unbelievable traffic, and yet a city that is very different from the USA with street vendors selling everything imaginable from fruits you never heard of like Mangosteins and Rambutten (I bought some today and Russ and Judy will get to sample them tomorrow), to vendors sewing clothes being made right in front of you on old Singer sewing machines--not electric but with the foot pedal to power the machine.
more again soon.
Kuhn Fred
Sunday morning in Bangkok---
ReplyDeleteKuhn Russ and Kuhn Judy were to have arrived last night in Bangkok....however....the plane leaving Tokyo had engine problems and they stayed overnight in Tokyo and will arrive this afternoon in Bangkok...Russ called me last night with the news. They are fine, and United Airlines is putting them up in Tokyo....another neat experience.
When they arrive today I hope we can visit a few places this afternoon and evening.
Kuhn Fred
Sawasdee, kuhn peuan (friends),
ReplyDeleteI've kept Kuhn Russ and Kuhn Judy moving ever since they arrived. After arriving Sunday afternoon I let them rest for 15 minutes and then we took off exploring.....went to Jim Thompson's Home....he was an American who lived here in the 1940s-50s and helped revive the ancient silk trade....he died mysteriously in Malaysia, but his beautiful Thai home and gardens can be toured and is very near our hotel.
We then took a klong ride (these long boats holding about 100 people) that operate like a bus service on the inner canals/waterways here in Bangkok. These canals are very polluted and to get there you walk through what first appears to be a very shall we say "rustic" area. We took the klongs a few stops to visit two Buddhist Shrines one built on a small man made hill overlooking the city...We got to witness the customs of Buddhists visiting a shrine by ringing these large bells, lighting candles and incense, and rubbing gold foil onto the buddha image.
Later in the evening we traveled by skytrain (an above the roadway type of subway system) that connected to the underground subway and finally to the Suan Lom Night Market...a market with everything imaginable that opens about 6 pm and closes after 1 am everyday. We had a dinner sitting in the courtyard listing to Thai music and eating Thai food.
But their day wasnt over because I made them walk through Lumpini Park a large city park at about 9:30 pm....safe as can be.....I did let them go to bed after we got back,BUT we were up at 6 am for another day of adventure....
more later.
Kuhn Fred