Home Sweet Home: Little Changes
I’ve been back in the states for almost three weeks now. It feels like far longer. It feels like I just got back. Reverse culture shock, despite the large differences in Thai and American culture hasn’t been as bad as I was expecting. I’m often disappointed when I see there are no hoses/bidets in the bathroom anymore (America needs to hurry up and get with it). I definitely miss the cheap food stalls, fresh fruit & meals...
Where are all the Thai people?: Why Interning Abroad was A++
Interacting with locals, both in language learning and in getting a feel for the culture of your host country, is rather important. It’s also often a challenge. This is also where there’s a huge difference in your immediate chances of success based on program-type and courses offered. The first rule of study abroad is not to expect one experience to be like your next, but moving from an exchange to a more structured program left me...
![[Pre-Departure] Why I wanted to go to Japan and Ritsumeikan University](http://bamabloggersabroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/ritsumeikan-university-240x240.jpg)
[Pre-Departure] Why I wanted to go to Japan and Ritsumeikan University
Traveling to other countries has always been a dream of mine. As a child and teenager, I did not have the fortunate opportunity to travel the world like some people I know; however, I did not let that deter me away from challenges. When I entered the university, I immediately knew I wanted to study abroad. During my first semester at The University of Alabama, I visited the study abroad office. The main question, where do you want to...
Thailand: Pre-departure Thoughts
For me, trips don’t feel 100% real until my plane hits the tarmac on the other side. Despite this, my anxiety around packing likes to spike about two weeks before Departure Day. The beginning of that usually looks like wide-eyed, slightly panicked shuffling of all those packing lists your program/the study abroad office/my mother shoved in my general direction. I take all of them, cross off items I don’t think I’ll need and then...
The First Few Days
As I write this post, I’m sitting in one of our two living rooms (Hello, awesome apartment), feeling the cool night breeze coming in through the window, looking out over the picturesque city landscape, and listening to boys playing soccer in the street below (saying about one “yallah” per 30 seconds). Amman is such an incredible city. It’s busy, with cars honking and music playing day and night, but it’s...
‘Kha’ and The 3rd Step
The 3rd step to the eightfold path is right speech. One integral part of this is to avoid ‘idle chatter,’ something I’ve come to realize The States seems to specialize in. The other day, I asked my Thai professor, how do I say “I agree” or “You’re right” and she didn’t have an answer for me, she said we don’t really use that expression, its not necessary. I’ve found the...