government and politics in thailand

This is one of the modules that I am taking this semester at Chula. Classes were supposed to start 2 weeks ago but the lecturer canceled both of the classes. Well, I highly suspect he has something to do with the very coincidental protest by the People's Alliance for Democracy to overthrow the government...

Witnessing the demonstrations yesterday made me realise how big a scale the 'event' was and how the planning for it was also rather detailed. There were truck loads of huge huge speakers playing loud music and broadcasting the rallies, there were security personnel, even wearing tags that state 'security', to protect the demonstrators, some on motorcycles to help interrupt and stop the traffic. haha. And at the government house, people were giving out food packages and drinks to those who camped there. Jian Wei and i wanted to buy the yellow scarf that many of them were wearing only to find out that these people bought theirs a long time ago in preparation for their big day.



Here are some pictures i took as i walked from the victory monument (at about 6pm) towards the government house. We stayed till about 9+ and then decided to head home.

At the victory monument

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Outside the government housestudents from chula uni

EBA(:

EBA is the name for the faculty of economics (international prog).

We had a welcoming party today for the exchange students. And I got to know more thai students(: and even more European ones. haha. Then we headed to a pub after the party. What surprised me was that we were allowed to drink and go to pubs in our school uniform.

Anyways, school has been great so far. Really really slack. Today is my 5th day in school and already 3 classes were canceled. We dont even have to print our own notes. The profs also photocopy the whole text book and all reading materials for us.. Breaks during the lesson are around 10mins but most students only go back to class after 30mins.. (:

The only bad thing about class being canceled is that I will spend more $$. Class was canceled this morning so I went with Jianwei to have buffet at sabushi. My 3rd time there.

At sabushi buffet:

mad about naraya

3things i bought from naraya. Google 'naraya' online and checkout their products if you want me to get anything from you(:

shoebag(: 160baht pencil case, 40baht
pouch?, 70baht(:

lunch

I am so happy I finally had a decent lunch today. Food that is more similar to what I can find back home(:
I wanted a fitnesse body too. So I finished the whole box of cereal..I wonder if I can get a fitnesse body tmr :(

At The Trimurti Shrine <3

HAHA(: check out the link to find out more about it. I'm to shy to write about it.

http://www.tour-bangkok-legacies.com/trimurti-shrine.html

Hopeful us at the shrine

2 red candles, 9red roses and 9 red joss sticks

Roses offered by the worshippers

gor si chang

A sunday with Top and Payon at Gor Si Chang.

Simple steps in getting there: Take a bus or rot thuai (99baht and tkaes abt 1.5hrs) from ekkamai bus terminal which is beside ekkamai bts to Chonburi Province. At Chonburi, take a tuktuk (50baht,10mins) to the ferry terminal. Then take a boat (45baht, 30mins) to the island(:

At the island, you can rent a motorbike or a song taew for 250baht for the whole day!

Besides hanging out at the beach, I visited Chinese and Thai temples up on the hills which have very nice view of the island. We had no time to watch the sun set though. Then they brought me to visit the statue (รูปปั้น) of King Rama IV. Many Thais also go to the island to worship him too.

I look so sleepy because i had to wake up at 6am:(

Lunch by the beach; That's me and payon and the float in the last pic

Everyday, I learn so many new words, I have to record them down so that I will not forget.

หอย= seashell

ห่วงยาง= big rubber float you see in the above pic. (Although I can't find this word in the online dict...)

จม= drown

i have to complain!

mummmmy.. the taxi driver tried to cheap my $$$ today. Just because i took the taxi outside ibis hotel. So, here it goess....

me: suan lump
drive: ok

-drivers turns left instead of going straight- but i thought i wasnt too familiar with the way there so i kept quiet. then we went into small alleys.. and the driver finally reached the main road after 5mins?
-turns on turn right signal-

me: i thought we have to turn left?
driver: cannot turn left here

-goes back to where we came from and then into small alley again- and it was already 40+baht on the meter
driver: you are not going to suan lump night bazaar?
me: yes i am!
me:usually i only pay 60baht for the journey to suan lump

-driver finally decided to drive me to suan lump-
driver: ok.60baht
me: no 50 baht!
-driver nods his head-

YAYS!

It wasn't that i didnt want to pay 60baht..but i only had 50baht or a 1000 baht note.

my uniform (:

They sell this everywhereeeeeee in THailand.... They use this to hold the belt and the skirt together because there isnt any belt slot on the skirt... :) tada! I like my new skirt((:


Michaela and I at the 10th floor of the econs building.. she's so skinny and I am so fat.

Dreamworld, Thailand

12 August: Happy Mother's Day

Was walking along Khao San when a song started playing. The Thais then lighted up candles, stopped all activities and stood in respect to the song. After that, fireworks lighted the sky to commemerate the Queen's birthday and mother's day in Thailand. So sweet. I was so happy!

Later in the night, Top called to ask if I called to wish my Mum yet.. I told him that it isn't mother's day in Singapore. But he said that I should wish my mother since I am in Thailand. And so I did. ((:

กาญจนบุรี Kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi is a province west of Bangkok. A bus ride takes about 2hours while a train from Thonburi station (100baht) takes us about more than 3.5hours to get there.


Things i did at kanchanaburi: visited the Erawan waterfall, bridge over river khwaai, Death Museum, Night Market, we went for 150baht massage and cycling

Things i didn't do: Many. But i think the visit to the waterfall and the food at Sugar Cane is enough to make me like Kancahanburi..
Accommodation: Sugar Cane 2, a river raft house.

Sun set at the outside our room

view of river from our room

restaurant at the river raft house that has very very nice thai and western food

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Day1,1030am-4pm:Erawan Waterfall.

We rented a songthaew, paying 300baht each, traveled for an hour before reaching. Entrance fee was 200baht. The Erawan waterfall consist for 7 tiers of waterfalls which we had to trek through quite a tough (crazy) terrain to get to each waterfalls. We swam and then we had fish therapy. Even though we spent 6 hours there, I felt that it was still too short. I think I need to go back there again..

The different tiers (not all 7 though):

And of course.. there was a night market for shopping and lots of food. You can even have a steamboat buffet for 90baht.

Pubs, internet cafe, massage parlors, bike rental shops, guesthouses fill most of streets where we stayed..

Please be inspired to go there.. andbring me along too! <3

Chiangmai เชียงใหม่

Headed to ChiangMai on 29july to meet Monk Chinnaworn Jarin at the mysterious ''Pang term" village that no one knows...

waiting for "yellow mini bus" at wararot market

..so in the end we decided to travel around ChiangMai(:


Day1: Around Chiangmai in a Songthew, 700baht

In our songthew which brought us places..

Mesa Elephant Camp.(L-R) With our tour gudies, feeding the greedy ele, ele wears hat for me!, ber is scared of animals

Elephant show + Painting that elephant drew

Temple at Doi Suthep ดอยสุเทพ, wat prathat

Songtaew then brought us to look for a hotel at Chiangmai . Went for dinner then to the night bazaar before going back to the hotel to sleep at 9pm. hahahahaha.

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Day2: Cycling around Chiangmai

We rented at bike at 50baht each.

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Cycled to temples, cycled for lunch, cycled to chaingmai international airport with our trusty map

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At Wat Suan Dork:

I didnt know how to pose for pictures alone.. so bernice had to show me how it's done..

So natural at posing. Talented model.

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<3