My Oswegonian Column

To keep my writing sharp, I'm writing a column for The Oswegonian, the campus paper at SUNY Oswego. Here's my first piece, which was published last Friday. Some of the themes are stuff I already touched on, but hopefully you'll find some new things interesting.
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If Johnson Hall can be considered a hotel, then my home in Thailand this semester can be considered a resort. Chaiyapruk Village, a gated community outside of Bangkok, has a swimming pool, a restaurant, and lavish houses that obviously belong to some of Thailand’s most prosperous. Security guards watch the entrances nonstop, and the international house also has its own security guard. I already feel myself getting spoiled by the lush greenery throughout the neighborhood and the free satellite television. Of course, things aren’t so glamorous outside the golden gates of Chaiyapruk Village.

Just a few hundred meters up the bumpy road is a line of shacks next to a polluted canal. With rusty roofs and floors of rotted wood, these aren’t exactly deluxe waterfront properties. Children swim in the stinking canal without a care in the world in order to beat the ridiculous heat. Across the road, a small development of shacks was built almost overnight in a field. A dozen laborers work here. One sorry sight is all the stray cats and dogs wandering not only in this area, but all over Thailand.

The division throughout the world between rich and poor isn’t breaking news, but the division in Bangkok is even clearer. Downtown Bangkok rivals New York City and Berlin in modernity. The towering shopping centers and pristine fountains almost made me forget about the horrific smog. In other parts of capital, small villages of hastily constructed slums can be seen from the powerfully air-conditioned elevated metro system.

With such conditions, the tourists’ money is necessary for many Thais. Visitors to the kingdom are always harassed to varying degrees to buy suits and random trinkets, in addition to some seedier things. Still, these hawkers aren’t the norm, and the average Thai is helpful and friendly despite the language barrier. Thailand is nicknamed the “Land of Smiles,” and although those smiles might be out of awkwardness and confusion of most foreigners, it’s still a great gesture that helps make things easier.

Getting around is quite possible, but there are some difficulties. First, the Thai script is incomprehensible to many foreigners, so even recognizing a location on a train timetable takes lots of work. The same problem arises on many menus, although it’s always a safe bet just to ask for Phad Thai. The national dish consists of noodles, fried eggs, chopped nuts and meat. The squid on a stick, cow intestines, and live snakes sold at the markets are much more intimidating than the noodle dishes. Another thing that takes getting used to are the seemingly out of control mopeds and the equally aggressive taxi cabs. Even though the traffic is awful, I still hear less angry horns than I do in New York City.

Despite the culture shock, it’s impossible not to appreciate the beauty of Thailand. Just ten minutes from Chaiyapruk Village is a 1200 acre Buddhist park with an enormous statute, thousands of fish and the occasional four foot lizard. The ancient ruins in the former capital city of Ayutthaya are also a sight to behold. The weather is sometimes unbearable, but there’s nowhere else I’d rather be this semester.