Yesterday was fairly interesting. I got woken up by a phone call at 9:30 by a friend of mine who was attending the same wedding I was. Its a good thing she called as the wedding started at 10am. I ran and got my clothes from the laundry shop, showered super fast and finished dressing in the elevator.
A Korean guy I don't know terribly well married his Thai girlfriend of two years. My Chinese teacher and Korean teacher were both at the wedding, as well as a couple friends from Payap and from my Chinese school. Aside from that there weren't many people I knew, but I met a few interesting folks. The wording of the ceremony was rather odd. The sermon spoke rather specifically about sex, which I had never heard in a wedding before. They played some awfully tacky games where people would answer questions about the couple to win a prize. Then lunch, which I couldn't eat. I had salad over rice. No jehlicious (vegan) treats for me. Bummer.
Saturday I went and played badminton for a while with this one girl Sayu whom I've been hanging out with a bit lately. She seems cool enough, but I've made it clear I have no interest in a girlfriend at the moment. She doesn't seem to mind. Not yet anyways.
I went to Warm Up later to meet up with the crew, but I was surprised to find that nobody was there at around 11ish. They are always there on Sat night. I called Jeff and said "Where you at?". Somehow, he thought I said "Whad jyu got!?" and that has since become the funniest thing anyones ever heard. So basically, I have this new tag line which I didn't even say. Ah well. It will be funny for a while.
Later in the evening, I hadn't found any girls to invade, so I went to the bathtub table with the team. At the table next to us were 5 girls. Rather than stress over what I was going to say to approach them, I just asked Jeff. "Go ask them for ice." It worked rather nicely. I went and got a glass then went over and asked for ice. Then I sat down and asked if they could give me something to drink with the ice. Somehow we ended up playing jenga, at which I am a master, but I haven't a clue where that came from. Crazy times. I went out with them after for more debauchery. Got home late. Fun stuff.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Saturday, January 21, 2006
The Return
I finally managed to register today. It was quite late, but I don't really attribute this to myself as my advisor is nowhere to be found most of the time and when she shows up she is mobbed by all the others that were looking for her all day. I often feel that if we traded her in for a puppy, things would go smoother and I could actually start to get things done.
Anyways, I decided to go with the three writing classes. As much as this worries me and will surely cause me many hours of stress during the semester, it might be good for me. It also might be especially dangerous due to my inability to initiate the writing process without some outside assistance, but we shall see.
As such, the course load is as follows:
M - W - F
9am - 10am - Short Story and Novel - Basically, we read stuff, discuss it and critique it. The teacher is a hardcore feminist and published author. I always feel I must beware what I write with her. I think she means well, but she is too defensive. Also, she occasionally reads to us her own published works and then asks us to discuss them. Asking for feedback is one thing, but this is the person who will be choosing my grade later. I don't trust anyones ability to be objective.
11 - 12 - Speech Writing - I'm not really sure about the purpose behind this class as obvious as it may seem, however the teacher seems really cool and so far it has been fun. I don't expect this to be an obscene amount of work. I am fine with assignments which require us to think about - then present some sort of discertation to the class, but weekly papers are a bit tougher for me.
1pm - 2pm - Mass Media - This class seems to be about the purpose behind the various forms of media and what their purposes are and how they differ. I suspect this will be the least stressful class for me. Much writing, but the assignments are to be more specific than the previous two. The less choices I must make, the less alcohol I must consume to make them. The instructor is the same as Speech Writing.
Anyways, I decided to go with the three writing classes. As much as this worries me and will surely cause me many hours of stress during the semester, it might be good for me. It also might be especially dangerous due to my inability to initiate the writing process without some outside assistance, but we shall see.
As such, the course load is as follows:
M - W - F
9am - 10am - Short Story and Novel - Basically, we read stuff, discuss it and critique it. The teacher is a hardcore feminist and published author. I always feel I must beware what I write with her. I think she means well, but she is too defensive. Also, she occasionally reads to us her own published works and then asks us to discuss them. Asking for feedback is one thing, but this is the person who will be choosing my grade later. I don't trust anyones ability to be objective.
11 - 12 - Speech Writing - I'm not really sure about the purpose behind this class as obvious as it may seem, however the teacher seems really cool and so far it has been fun. I don't expect this to be an obscene amount of work. I am fine with assignments which require us to think about - then present some sort of discertation to the class, but weekly papers are a bit tougher for me.
1pm - 2pm - Mass Media - This class seems to be about the purpose behind the various forms of media and what their purposes are and how they differ. I suspect this will be the least stressful class for me. Much writing, but the assignments are to be more specific than the previous two. The less choices I must make, the less alcohol I must consume to make them. The instructor is the same as Speech Writing.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Sorry So Long - What Can I Say?
I haven't slept in two days.
I'm not sure where to begin. I haven't written in a while for a number of reasons. Certainly, the first trigger was my trip to Korea. I'm not sure how much I can speak about, but it is safe to say that I am single again and enjoying it very much. Korea was an awful trip for many reasons. There was a few good nights and I didn't spend so much money there, but overall, it was pretty awful. I felt very uncomfortable there. Not the country, but the situation. It was an interesting place and I would probably enjoy living there somewhere outside of Seoul. I visited one other city that seemed more my speed, called Daegu. Anyways, I just don't see any need to go into details about that trip, but I feel comfortable saying that my night there (in Daegu) was the only night I truly enjoyed myself in Korea without any worries.
I hate Payap. Payap is my university. While, I don't necessarily hate the school as a whole, I hate it as an institution. And perhaps more specifically, I am referring to the international college. I honestly feel that all my attempts at a real education are thwarted by an administration full of corruption, cronyism and mounds of bullshit of which pains me to mention. Often, I feel that it is just the best scam ever. The standard of education in Thailand is lacking to begin with, but then again, there are very high levels of education to be found in certain departments of certain institutions as is the case anywhere. However, one of the major differences is how financial status has an effect on the level/standard of education. In the US, money alone or extremely good grades and high standardized testing scores (along with money and/or scholarships) can secure one a place in a decent institution. In Thailand however, admission to private uni/colleges is entirely dependant on tuition. Government funded schools have testing standards (which of course aren't necessarily fair for people who have handicaps or disadvantages related to testing, but at least they provide some level to work with) which are based on quotas which are based on majors and birthplace (similar to many Asian countries).
Let me try to spell things out in basic English. I live in Thailand. I want to learn things. Languages in particular. However, I have many interests. At my university, I am an English major. Most of the classes are far to easy for me. This doesn't bother me as I think the concept of a degree is rather ridiculous in the first place. But, as it stands, I must have this silly piece of toilet paper to secure a working visa in most of the countries of which I wish to live. I think I have slipped away from basic English. Let us move on to another angle of my worries in the following paragraph.
I have no clue as to what I should study this term, if anything. Originally, I had thought I would study 3 or 4 classes on M/W/F, however, I was rather horrified to discover that each of these classes involved much writing. For me, my ability to write comes and goes based on a number of factors. Unfortunately for my health, writing papers almost always involves drinking. Moreover, having three classes that all involve papers would, without a doubt, severely impair my progression with languages. I can study for classes that require me to memorize/learn theories or terms while waiting for the elevator, in between sets at the gym, or sitting in taxis, but to sit and write involves many hours for me. Classes such as this don't interfere with the other three schools at which I study. Nor do they truly impair my ability to cope with studying at four schools and working part-time simultaneously.
My schedule tends to get very full for most of the year. I have found that the less time one has, the more productive one can truly be.
There is much else I want to say sometimes, but I just haven't felt comfortable writing about them lately. I have so many stories that I want to write, but I just don't feel that I can. I feel my Japanese level has deteriorated, while my ability to communicate in Chinese has increased signifigantly. My Thai, while already quite fluent, is in a state of transformation. My Korean ability, I feel, is just a few months away from being able to truly converse (albeit at a basic level).
As for women, not unlike last January, where I broke up with my previous girlfriend of one year before going to Australia ( perhaps so I could have one month of guilt-free debauchery?) I came back single and so far I've had a similar amount of action. While, there is one potential serious relationship, I have about six others which I would like to play out first. In a culture where the expectations of monogamy are all a farce to begin with, it is difficult to weed through the underbrush of ladies to find something of quality. Then again, the adventures that come of these missions of 'gardening' can be pretty sweet.
I fell asleep this afternoon for 4 or 5 hours and I know I won't sleep again this eve. Question me before you misunderstand. I'm a bitter guy, but I care about some things. And, I never allow those around me that are naive or defenseless to be tread on.
This doesn't even remotely begin to cover the things in my life in the past couple of weeks, but I hope it offers an accurate glimse.
I'm not sure where to begin. I haven't written in a while for a number of reasons. Certainly, the first trigger was my trip to Korea. I'm not sure how much I can speak about, but it is safe to say that I am single again and enjoying it very much. Korea was an awful trip for many reasons. There was a few good nights and I didn't spend so much money there, but overall, it was pretty awful. I felt very uncomfortable there. Not the country, but the situation. It was an interesting place and I would probably enjoy living there somewhere outside of Seoul. I visited one other city that seemed more my speed, called Daegu. Anyways, I just don't see any need to go into details about that trip, but I feel comfortable saying that my night there (in Daegu) was the only night I truly enjoyed myself in Korea without any worries.
I hate Payap. Payap is my university. While, I don't necessarily hate the school as a whole, I hate it as an institution. And perhaps more specifically, I am referring to the international college. I honestly feel that all my attempts at a real education are thwarted by an administration full of corruption, cronyism and mounds of bullshit of which pains me to mention. Often, I feel that it is just the best scam ever. The standard of education in Thailand is lacking to begin with, but then again, there are very high levels of education to be found in certain departments of certain institutions as is the case anywhere. However, one of the major differences is how financial status has an effect on the level/standard of education. In the US, money alone or extremely good grades and high standardized testing scores (along with money and/or scholarships) can secure one a place in a decent institution. In Thailand however, admission to private uni/colleges is entirely dependant on tuition. Government funded schools have testing standards (which of course aren't necessarily fair for people who have handicaps or disadvantages related to testing, but at least they provide some level to work with) which are based on quotas which are based on majors and birthplace (similar to many Asian countries).
Let me try to spell things out in basic English. I live in Thailand. I want to learn things. Languages in particular. However, I have many interests. At my university, I am an English major. Most of the classes are far to easy for me. This doesn't bother me as I think the concept of a degree is rather ridiculous in the first place. But, as it stands, I must have this silly piece of toilet paper to secure a working visa in most of the countries of which I wish to live. I think I have slipped away from basic English. Let us move on to another angle of my worries in the following paragraph.
I have no clue as to what I should study this term, if anything. Originally, I had thought I would study 3 or 4 classes on M/W/F, however, I was rather horrified to discover that each of these classes involved much writing. For me, my ability to write comes and goes based on a number of factors. Unfortunately for my health, writing papers almost always involves drinking. Moreover, having three classes that all involve papers would, without a doubt, severely impair my progression with languages. I can study for classes that require me to memorize/learn theories or terms while waiting for the elevator, in between sets at the gym, or sitting in taxis, but to sit and write involves many hours for me. Classes such as this don't interfere with the other three schools at which I study. Nor do they truly impair my ability to cope with studying at four schools and working part-time simultaneously.
My schedule tends to get very full for most of the year. I have found that the less time one has, the more productive one can truly be.
There is much else I want to say sometimes, but I just haven't felt comfortable writing about them lately. I have so many stories that I want to write, but I just don't feel that I can. I feel my Japanese level has deteriorated, while my ability to communicate in Chinese has increased signifigantly. My Thai, while already quite fluent, is in a state of transformation. My Korean ability, I feel, is just a few months away from being able to truly converse (albeit at a basic level).
As for women, not unlike last January, where I broke up with my previous girlfriend of one year before going to Australia ( perhaps so I could have one month of guilt-free debauchery?) I came back single and so far I've had a similar amount of action. While, there is one potential serious relationship, I have about six others which I would like to play out first. In a culture where the expectations of monogamy are all a farce to begin with, it is difficult to weed through the underbrush of ladies to find something of quality. Then again, the adventures that come of these missions of 'gardening' can be pretty sweet.
I fell asleep this afternoon for 4 or 5 hours and I know I won't sleep again this eve. Question me before you misunderstand. I'm a bitter guy, but I care about some things. And, I never allow those around me that are naive or defenseless to be tread on.
This doesn't even remotely begin to cover the things in my life in the past couple of weeks, but I hope it offers an accurate glimse.
Monday, January 02, 2006
New Years and Stuff
I've been in Bangkok since the 27th. Most of the plans I had were cancelled and my money seems to be evaporating here so I'm going back to Chiang Mai tomorrow. I watched Narnia and March of the Emperor, both of which were very good. I also so a Japanese movie called Nana which was a great film.
I originally had planned to go to Kanchanaburi with a girl I met the night before I went to Korea, but things got kind of awkward with her somehow and it made me very hesitant to go travel with her for 2 or 3 nights. So I went to Pattaya instead with 2 of the girls that I met on Koh (island of) Samet a couple months ago. It took a bit less than 2 hours to get there and then we spent another 2 hours driving around trying to find a room. They would have gone on longer if I hadn't been able to convince them that we really didn't need a room. So we went out and it wasn't that exciting. Too hot, too many people, too much smoke, etc. The only nice part of the night was when they took me to a Russian strip club. I wasn't even aware that they had a Russian community in Pattaya, let alone Russian strippers. Good stuff. Most of them weren't terribly interesting, but they certainly put on a better show than their Thai counterparts in the other room.
I spent the day with the Koh Samet girl and then we met up with 2 of the other girls that I met on the island and we went out for a bit. It was ok.
Overall, I think December was a miserable month. I've lost about 5 kilos somehow and I've been sick almost the entire month. On top of that Chiang Mai is oddly a little cold. Well, maybe like mid-50s at night, but when you are on a motorcycle with a t-shirt it feels super cold. Physically, I feel very strange lately.
Next round of Chinese classes starts tomorrow. I need to fill up my schedule as quickly as possible.
I originally had planned to go to Kanchanaburi with a girl I met the night before I went to Korea, but things got kind of awkward with her somehow and it made me very hesitant to go travel with her for 2 or 3 nights. So I went to Pattaya instead with 2 of the girls that I met on Koh (island of) Samet a couple months ago. It took a bit less than 2 hours to get there and then we spent another 2 hours driving around trying to find a room. They would have gone on longer if I hadn't been able to convince them that we really didn't need a room. So we went out and it wasn't that exciting. Too hot, too many people, too much smoke, etc. The only nice part of the night was when they took me to a Russian strip club. I wasn't even aware that they had a Russian community in Pattaya, let alone Russian strippers. Good stuff. Most of them weren't terribly interesting, but they certainly put on a better show than their Thai counterparts in the other room.
I spent the day with the Koh Samet girl and then we met up with 2 of the other girls that I met on the island and we went out for a bit. It was ok.
Overall, I think December was a miserable month. I've lost about 5 kilos somehow and I've been sick almost the entire month. On top of that Chiang Mai is oddly a little cold. Well, maybe like mid-50s at night, but when you are on a motorcycle with a t-shirt it feels super cold. Physically, I feel very strange lately.
Next round of Chinese classes starts tomorrow. I need to fill up my schedule as quickly as possible.
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