Thailand Observations: 01/15/08—02/15/08

I have been in Thailand for one month now. The time has gone so fast, and initially I did not plan to stay here an entire month. However, due to extenuating circumstances (mostly the Chinese blizzard sweeping through China), I extended my stay by a week. In that extra week, I have been staying with a lady about my age who lives with four other like-minded Thailand women. This week, has been filled with observing their outreaches in the community and their day to day activities. In general, I have noticed some qualities about life in Thailand that are both endearing and at times confusing for this type A foreigner (or forang as they are called in the Thai language.)
1. Straws come with all drinks. When you buy any beverage here, they give you a straw when you check out. From a bottle of water to a slurpee drink, there’s a straw (free of charge) to serve you better.
2. Before entering a home, you must take off your shoes. People leave their shoes at the door and unlike China, they don’t put on slippers—they simply walk barefoot.
3. Tropical drinks are all the rage here. People love to buy different kinds of drinks (especially fruit smoothies) and a drink known as thai tea which is an orange-colored tea with sweetened-condensed milk.
4. Coffee is more popular here than in China. And people like their coffee sweet!!. Again, they add sweetened condensed milk to most of the coffee drinks here (substituting the sweetened condensed milk for creamer or milk). You can also buy Nestle, sweetened coffee at the 7 / 11 store in much the same way we buy cups of Cola in the states.
5. Seven Eleven convenience stores are HOT. They are perched on nearly every other corner. You can buy anything you need here including yogurt, shampoo, pens, magazines, bread, you name it—you can get it at your local Seven Eleven store.
6. Donuts, cake, and ice cream are popular here, and people seem to enjoy the sweetness. Stores specialize in selling these products and you can buy delicious treats (don’t forget the sweetened coffee to go with it.)
7. Fruit here is tropical, fresh, and cheap. Everyday, we buy half a fresh pineapple from across the street for about 35 cents. YUMMY!! I will miss the tropical deliciousness.
8. Food here is similar in some ways to Chinese food (rice and noodles) but also unique. Many of the foods have some combination of green curry and coconut milk. Also, the meat is more plentiful in the dishes and in bigger chunks here than in China.
9. It seems that no matter how rich or poor, the Thai people pay attention to their appearance. They wear clean clothes and press everything from T-shirts to jeans.
10. On Mondays, most people wear yellow-collared shirts with the King’s seal in honor of their King. The people here love their King and are happy to show their support in some small way (yellow shirts on Monday.) Recently, the King’s sister passed away. As a result, it is also appropriate for people to wear pink-collared shirts because pink was her favorite color.