November Adventures... (I)

Mostly re-adjusting to my surroundings. For a week or so, i had my clothes literally all across the floor - then all my notes from last semester and papers (and yes, i got my grades, and passed everything)... managed to throw out a bagful - always nice when you whittle down the Load...hoping i didn't pitch anything that indispensible...I've got less classes, though i imagine the work will pile up - but at least there's a bit more flexibility...

i've promised myself that this semester, i WILL get more exercise. I played badminton yesterday with a few classmates at a school gym. It was so hot, didn't take much to work up a sweat! but i actually like the game very much, and it's nice to find something to do communally...

A "Larb" Lesson

Followed by food and  beer, of course. Lots of "larb" (pronounced "Lahp") dishes - one of my absolute favorite thai dishes - i could live off the stuff. usually made with ground or sliced chicken, pork, or beef - contains roasted rice powder along with fresh lime, shallots, basil, mint, and chili - served with sticky rice.

(Recipe, for those interested, this one seems about right: http://www.recipezaar.com/Larb-Gai-Spicy-Thai-Chicken-Salad-88611 )

Incidentally, though - i tried a new version of the dish - apparently, in the Issan province, it's actually made with raw beef and blood. If you're cringing about now, you're right. it's absolutely horrid! it's one thing to have thin, clean slices of raw beef (Japanese style) - but in chunks, soaked in a deep red "sauc"e - uh-uh,  not even the larb spices could make that work for me...

 A Sidenote on Sticky Rice

In thailand, sticky rice is generally served  in a dense little clump about the size of a fist, from which you pull off bits as you eat the other dishes. This more glutenous rice is actually very functional in that not only can you eat it with your hands, but generally keeps very well - for up to 2 days - without extra heat or refrigeration, whereas regular rice would start to spoil after a day. Plain (fluffy) rice only became more common with increasing rice trade (from the West, ie, to accompany Indian dishes). The sticky rice is a bit more caloric, so i try to stick to the plain one - although it's absolutely un-exchangeable when it comes to mangoes and sticky rice (where the rice is actually generously "drizzled" sweet coconut milk)...

Cool November

october was a whirlwind! i did pass my classes - even energy technology, painful as it was... and then whisked away to the States, with 2.5 weeks to see friends and find ways to streamline my life - like sell my car and pack up my stuff (for easier mobility). Then i came back and went to Singapore for the Carbon Forum Asia (http://www.carbonforumasia.com/) - which was quite inspiring - i've several new ideas - an urban wind energy tunnel (with a twist, of course) - and i've come across a plastics recycling project (using pyrolysis) that might serve as a precedent for a similar idea i'd had (but with different end-products)... still like the wave converters... that's going to hit the big time one of these days ;) Mostly, i've been gravitating to the totally clean energy lately, rather than the biofuels - though i believe there's a definite and necessary role for biofuels to replace existing fuel sources, particularly while other infrastructures are built. the problem is, biofuels needs it's own infrastructure too... it should still be developed as a source for electricity via waste-to-energy (ie, biogas) in a closed system, or back to a grid. In terms of vehicles/transport, it seems to me the most versatile solution would be an electric (fuel cell) car.

If that's the case though, scientists and engineers must find a way to replace rare earth metals with synthetic or polymeric alternatives - look at mining now - every country with gold or any other metal worth something is more likely to be experiencing significantly more violence and civil wars, often a territorial fight over mines, which are notoriously undocumented.

so, as you can see, i'm raring to go for semester two. It is nice to be in bangkok - not sure if it's "home" exactly, but it's something...

Hello, Yellow...

as i squeeze the last bit of white-&-milk-chocolate-frosting-in-a-tube - my latest 7-11 discovery! - into my mouth, i contemplate my last week of the semester. of course, it was all supposed to be wrapped up by the 18th, maybe the 25th, latest, but what's a few extra weeks amongst friends?

I rode on a new yellow bus yesterday. My beloved little green buses are currently being phased out in favor of natural gas powered buses. As a student of renewables, i feel it is my duty to support the new buses. but truly, they're not nearly as much . Despite the rather cramped seating, which often pinned my knees to the seat in front - or that seat in the back row, next to the door fom which you could go flying out of should one turn be too violent - if it were not for the low, arguably not so effective, metal bars... and the bus drivers, dashboard littered with m-150's and buddha amulets, weaving traffic like they're in formula 1 - there's no doubt, the green buses are purely FUN! The new ones are awfully pretty and clean, and quiet and nicely air conditioned - but you can't open the windows (no breeze, even if it is exhaust-heavy!), and if you're not sitting next to someone, you're sitting sideways. And it costs 12 baht, instead of 6.5. Much more boring. But the windows are nice and big, and they are actually slightly bigger, so they truly fit more people... i know it's the RIGHT thing, but i'll be sad when i can't get a little green bus ride anymore...

But, the change is good, so bye-bye, green (i'll miss ya)... and hello, yellow!

Cake

it's that time of year again. the one where you're s'posed to be wiser, or satisfied with yourself in some way - and i guess this year has brought some true change to my life, for which i am both grateful and proud - but it's hard not to wince over the scuffs and mistakes along the way.

it's okay, though - there's a bunch of golden moments - Plus, i got sunshine, a chocolate cake, and new shoes... what else could a girl want on her birthday?

my birthday always marks the last season of the year - the one you pull out all the stops, figure out what you're gonna do to really finish it off with a kick...

well, the season will start with a final exam. okay, a little rough, but we'll make it. then 4 more exams... okay, i can do that. see, progress: not nearly as stressed out as i was for midterms... like jumping into cold water... i'm good now ;)

A short trip home will be quite welcome - it actually feels like the first vacation i've truly earned since i quit my job 1.5 years ago. Then singapore on my way back. Carbon Forum Asia. very excited about that, and more about it when it comes around...

so there it is... Save the celebration 'til the weekend :)

Skip August...

sheesh, i feel like i just stepped out of the spin cycle. i can't believe a "little" paper on solar PV and a couple of exams tripped me up as much as they have... i stressed too much, too early in the game - which got me sick, twice - and had my mum in town - and i totally went about that paper wrong, so i think i did 6 times the work that was necessary, and of course the END became a Wonderland pursuit of meaningless proportions... until Today! Phew, just in time to get a hold of myself for finals, but i still feel ten times LIGHTER.

I've been in bangkok for over 4 months now - and i can't decide if i feel at home here or not. i like living on my own, except when i'm procrastinating, there's no one to step in and catch me in the act - and down the rabbit hole i go. and when i start having conversations with myself - path A or path B... or is there a C - oh, it's definitely not so sane when no one else is actually there! And once in a while, it's a bit spooky.

Watched Tarantino's "Inglorious Basterds" this weekend - loved it - i did leave with an odd sense of satisfaction - and loved the fact that this film openly ridiculed the Bully, questioned its sanity, and stood up to it. What kind of justice could even begin to level out the level of injustice carried out by the nazis?

More soon...

study music

aside from my new love for the Dead Weather, and indulgence in blues foundation's Eyes on Fire song (featured in Twilight - yeah, i know - i SAID it was an indulgence!)...

Currently listening to www.npr.org/music - new Cowboy Junkies, the Eels look for what must be one of Pete Seger's last performances at the Newport Jazz Festival, Aug. 3 - worried man blues ...

shhh, it's friday! plus, raging phoenix...

Double Take: Thai Movies...
they've been airing this moving trailer on the train - and it looks amazing... Raging Phoenix - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejM7ZCEzs5A&feature=related - apparently, it follows (but not related to) a 2008 film called Chocolate - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGjUyu9c8Ng&feature=related - this one was actually released in the US, criminally dubbed, i think... but seems quite worthwhile to hunt down... from what i can gather, stunning choreography and visual effects coupled with a pretty twisted storyline (autistic girl = genius fighter)... Fascinating!

routines + steam release

another week sped by, with me trying to keep up...i suppose it was better than last week - but i'm still trying to recover from an unbelievably terrible performance in my energy tech class. On top of everything else, it's going to take some serious extra effort to pull through... not impossible, but certainly not what i wanted. Ya, my days are long...so it's marked by little things...

Grinding Halt - RCA Relief
Last saturday, felt like i needed a little mood boost, so headed to RCA with a few friends. Royal City Avenue is a govt designated "entertainment zone" - lots of bars/clubs - i like Route 66 - good dj's (Ono is apparently worth an express visit) packed with people also having a good time...drinks aren't too expensive, either... the dance floor actually has carts lined up in the middle of it, so you can put your drinks down when you dance - so CLEVER!

Routine Stuff
transport still provides cheap thrills on a daily basis - i take motorbikes more often these days, in the morning - not just because it shaves off some time in my AM commute (can make it to school in 1 hour), but because i actually enjoy it... and the bus ride after dark is also always entertaining, though i've been prone to nod off (a result of routine sleep deprivation)... last week, i ended up 22 blocks past my stop... which i ended up walking - i swear, i was still half asleep!

most days, i have lunch at the girls dormitory - it's cheap (20-30 baht), and the noodle lady knows my name, knows how spicy i like it...My kiwi pal has turned me onto Walls' "Top Ten" chocolate ice cream bar - coated in chocolate with nut bits... not too sweet, not too rich, but still creamy - and must be eaten quickly before meltdown.

Pop quick-fix...
I've now downloaded bittorrent - it works well for music (dead weather and blue foundation are mine now!), but hard to get episodes.... i was itching to get a couple of episodes of True Blood...and not only is it taking forever, but it totally stops up the rest of my internet... so maybe i'll just keep an eye out for it from the dealers... i enjoyed the 4th season of Weeds, know there's a 5th out there for me... fluffy entertainment provided by youtube - my share of "So You Think You Can Dance" and "America's Got Talent" skits...

How much has being in Asia for 3 months changed me?
Well, i'm a soymilk addict (chocolate or plain, depending on the mood...like right now, it's chocolate. This is further compounded by my inability to tolerate milk here... so i drink my iced coffee black (with sugar) now...

i've also become a menthol huffer - hey, those little sniffers (and there are dozens of kinds) not only clear the sinuses (a little relief from the damage incurred by pollution), but they also wake you up a little, AND they're useful when passing by stinky places, like the fish market...

i've become a baby powder afficionada - preferably, the one with UV filters + "whitening" (i think because of the UV filters - i hope...smells . See, moisturizers work okay at night, indoors - but with the heat and humidity, you sweat out that moisturizer and it becomes a slicky mess. POWDER, keeps you matte, at least for longer... did i mention the softiness? Arguably, maybe it's not so good to soak up microparticles on a daily basis, but it contains titanium dioxide, which actually helps break down pollutants... actually, my friend dani, a virtual Miami native, taught me the trick of using a little powder to help balance out slightly greasy/sweaty hair... you get the point - i love the powder.

A few other staples... when i have the time, my fridge is stocked with "rocket salad" (arrugula variety) and tomatoes; local yoghurt (w/ mango at the bottom)... ooh, and i love those jalapeno-stuffed spanish olives... i also eat lots of watermelon out here, and pomelo, when available...

anyway, it's pretty much time for bed now... happy weekend!!!

Thanks for the visa, but i'll have to pass on the husband...

My 3 months here is ever-so-ceremoniously marked by a trip to Immigration, where i needed only to cough up 1900 baht to apply for an extension on what is already a one-year visa. The marriage proposal was free.

What, that doesn't happen to every girl at the Migra? And how come the proponent is always so convinced that You are The One?

Yeah, yeah, i know - he saw me in a staccato exchange with a stern bureaucratte, and - don't tell me - the glow of my halo always gets brighter with any show of faintly saintly restraint...

He asks what i do here - i answer with the least possible words. But not few enough - it seems the impenetrable box of emotional isolation, irritating self-discipline and righteous ambition has been cracked open. And just like that, apparently i'd make the perfect wife... and apparently he would be a most devoted husband. and he promises to cook african soup or fried rice until my little heart's content...he had it all figured out!

it took nearly 3 blocks to "convince" him that he was very much barking up the wrong tree - unbelievable! okay, i threw in a few jabs before the final punch (i'm a nice jewish girl, i eat gefilte...) okay, so i let him pay for the before i told him i was married, and suggested he get out more. 10 baht, he insisted. Seems more than a fair price for my advice - and it was crazy hot out... !

So now that i've paid my latest round of dues, all knowledge of the royal bureaucracy of thailand and its inner mechanisms have been sworn to secrecy - forever rendered useless for future inductees...actually, i could explain it, but not without either getting sassy about it or boring myself ;) Whether or not i should have had to extend an extended visa, at least i saved myself a visa run to cambodia (less fun when you're not actually travelling!)

ufa, last exam...

3 down, 2 to go...

these last two weeks have been...a little rough, with the paper draft and exams - i guess i'm kinda rusty at this studying . not that it was any better the first, or even the second, time around. failure sucks, and it was difficult to not get emotional - was not entirely successful, but i did my best to put on a positive face, as quickly as i could, despite my disappointment. Oddly enough, several classmates admitted to me that they're equally discouraged ... so i may have fussed a bit more out loud, but i'm not alone...

fact is, i just got my first real reality check on exactly what i need to do, individually, to make this program work for me - so i'm feeling a lot more focused than before...

anyway, i've had my head down for a few weeks, so tomorrow night, i'm taking a little break for RCA... nothing like a little music and dancing to get the spirits up

school, beach visit...

...been mired in schoolwork, trying to balance everything, so my blogging may be a little thin in the coming weeks. Midterms are the week after next - and there's a LOT of reading - plus, i'm still working on processing so much information for my article on Solar (switched from the algae, at least for this term, tho, note Exxon's re-newed interest in algae...)

Haven't time managed as well as i could have, so last week i was scrambling a bit, sacrificing sleep - which catches up faster than i remember it! so by friday, i was feeling a bit run-down - of course, i got a little paranoid - i mean, i don't get sick so often, and with all that H1N1 flu stuff - could i have been feeling fluey? it's hard not to get a little paranoid - enough people wear masks around here daily - and i think the last week more than most. I keep wondering if they're afraid of catching H1N1, or are they sick and don't want to spread the germs (or scare other people?) - anyway, i'm fine now, so run-down, it was...

A Break for the Beach...
on other notes, the week before last, i went to visit my dad and sister at the beach - and went horseback riding with my sister. she quite likes it, and is pretty good at it... the last time i went - i think it was on a class camping trip in high school (where we went to a ranch in a british enclave in Uruguay - they spoke with english accents - Mr. Bouvier, what a find...)

This time was considerably more challenging than i remember...and i tried not to read so much into that!

So as much as i wanted to go riding on a trail, it was excellent to get a little supervised refresher... i swear, that horse knew i was a crappy rider, and i swear it would vary its rhythm just enough so that i was out of sync at any given time! and trotting + holding the reins + staying on the horse - wufa! i had a good time tho, and look forward to the next time i go down, for a trail ride - and maybe the next time i'll wear jeans....

my sister...

me...trying to be graceful...

On a sidenote, this ranch is really cool... they have about 20 horses, which they keep up very well (fans in the stables, etc.) - they're near Asian University, a bit into the mountains, so there's dirt roads and pretty views...

okay, that's it for today!

Snack Attack, thai style!

Flavors only a thai could love?

prawn crackers, shaped like a french fry... who can resist?

Edible fishbone garnish/snacks...!

grilled squid flavor... undoubtedly inspired by local dried-squid carts...

spicy chicken flavored pea snacks...

Lay's - a prime example of multinationals aiming very well their target market! some great choices...

seaweed flavored potato chips...
spicy seafood or chili-basil chips (the only one of these i've tried so far, not too bad!)...

hot chili squid (or spicy seafood) chips...

and thai chili paste chips...

Tiny notes

There are so many little things that amuse me every day out here, that i am unable to catch on film.

This morning on the train, this high-school boy was standing in front of me so intently reading his graphic novel, that he was completely oblivious to the high-school girl gazing up at him adoringly from the other side, grinning like a cheshire cat... for two stations! hilarious...

If a movie is worth a hundred lessons...

So, hypothetically, say you're living in Asia somewhere, and someone tells you (in as many words) that they love all things western, and asks you what movies are most representative of current western culture...


Office Space came to mind... but so did Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy... Blazing Saddles... Grandma's Boy... Donnie Darko... Where the Buffalo Roam... The Three Amigos... Crossroads (the one with ralph macchio!) ...

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

Some more school photos...

finally, a shot that captures the scale of KMUTT's main canteen (thx carina!)...
bikes everywhere...

Sort of a center spot on campus... it's even got a little lake (w/ fish!)...students hold a recycling rally at the entrance of campus...

they were on both sides of the street, hollering slogans back and forth - to the beat of drums and everything! highly animated and entertaining!

Always smiling - they just crack me up!


Wai Kru: Teacher Appreciation Ceremony

A quite nice ceremony, really - thais take the time to emphasize their respect...

In preparation, these flower arrangements were made with a lot of patience and great moxy by classmates over two days (i helped on the one in the middle - painstakingly folding pink flower petals in four and fixing them with pins onto a foam base)...

These bunches are typically presented to teachers - the red and yellow ones have pointed petals, symbolizing "sharp minds" coming together; the grasses in the middle are virtually impossible to kill, even when trampled upon - they symbolize "longevity" and "discipline" required in study; and the little flower in the middle is an eggplant flower, and it flops a little on its stem, giving the impression of "bowing," a symbol of lasting and mutual respect amongst scholars...

below, students wait in line to present flowers and respect to their professors/advisors, thank them for taking the time to show you the ropes... (that's my kiwi pal, carina!)

and in turn, they thank you for being a student and wish you success in your future...then they tie lucky strings around your wrist! (that's me getting a bit o' luck myself!)

and finally, some of my classmates...

Local Candies...

A slight departure from the Pop Rocks phenomenon, it seems that if you chew sour menthos and drink pepsi at the same time, it'll explode in you mouth.
(Actually, i found that the menthos variation actually does have an origin in Brazil... go figure!)

While the Pop Rocks experiments might be a bit more dramatic, with all the noise, the extra CO2, etc., this experiment did prove a point:

The Difference between an Engineer & a Chemist
One of the engineers in the group stuffed three in his mouth, took a big gulp of pepsi, and grinned as he waited for an explosion. The chemist, however, took a pink menthos, put it in a cup, and poured the pepsi into the cup.

The engineer experienced no adverse effects from his experiment. The chemist, however, removed the menthos to find it completely stripped of its color. Not so harmless, now, is it...? ;)

The canteen in which our experiments were held:

This smaller canteen is located in the girls dormitory, closer than the big canteen...

one of my meals there:


fish is often salted here to preserve it longer - makes it a little more like fish jerky, depending on how long and how much salt they put on it... this one was on the less salted side, but still needed rice - accompanied by tofu and vegetables in a quite tasty light sauce (couldn't say ingredients!)... this plate cost 30 Baht - less than a dollar.

...Speaking of Candies:
A popular sugar fix in class - Jolly Bears! Though the package was carelessly ripped, (by me - what, i needed sugar!), the thai writing on the top is the phonetic of "jolly bears" - which conveniently accomodates bear prints...!



I was also introduced to a completely unfamiliar candy:

These little white tablets are actually made of condensed milk (powder)... so if you chew them up, it the consistency gets a little like caramel - or you can just suck on them slowly, and it tastes like sweet milk! not bad...

i even broke up a tablet and tested it out on the resident cat (cared for at school) and she absolutely loved it...

Weekend photos, some Jatujak mkt

On the way to Jatujak weekend market...


Vendors line the streets between Saphan Kwai BTS station and the market - selling amulets, statues, antiques - stamps (actually very cool - the philatelic museum is closeby - definitely on my list!)...

...sprinkled throughout are vendors with more practical things...shoes, movies, food...and fresh juice vendors like these!

They are fantastic "pick-me-ups" - ready to go...just add ice, blend, and veup! poured right back into the cup...!Another "alley" with antiques, etc (and a resident poodle, not pictured)...

I get the biggest kick out out of the shops selling car parts, like this exhaust pipe guy...

These fine cats sell all sorts of funky movie posters ... (one of my favorite pictures of this bunch)

Within Jatujak Market
It's not easy taking photos in this market - crowded, hundreds of alleys, thousands of little shops... and only open on weekends...it's going to be an ongoing project... but here's a few good one's i've got so far:

From the used books section - there are several isles like this - english, thai...there's all sorts of neat books in there, but if you're looking for something more specific, you'd better get friendly with the dealers...!

These old GE fans are so cool! They do run U$40-80, though - which is a bit tough to justify on my current student budget...but rest assured that this girl knows exactly where they are located...!

A bar in the antiques/textiles section...

Sweets being sold at Jatujak market - love the bright colored coconut jellies...

My lunch in one of a hundred places to eat at JJ market - Yum woon sen with seafood - glass noodles (made from mung bean) + vegetables (including raw carrots, cabbage, cilantro, and onions) + squid/shrimp, all marinated in lime/chili/garlic... a favorite dish of mine!

...That's all, folks! Thanks for checking in... miss my pals!

Vee Chooses a Direction, Gets an Advisor

Alright, this isn't the most exciting post, so i'll keep it short - but i've chosen the research group i'll be linked to - Strategic Environmental Assessment - specializing in life cycle assessments for energy projects. My advisor is a very nice Indian professor who did not give me strange looks or seem confused when i explained what i wanted to do. YEAH!!! I believe my first run will be on the feasibility of algae as a source of biofuel (i'm actually told it's not efficient enough, but it will be good to know why!)

You're not in Kansas anymore...

Being a student again is a bit surreal in its own right, but doing it at a Thai university is like being Dorothy in Oz.

My classmates have been nothing short of unbelievably sweet and welcoming (my very own lollipop gang!). They have such a range of personalities, I keep wishing i could speak the language better, but that is still such a process - and in the meantime, they go out of their way to fill in the gaps of communication - explaining things, translating between myself and others who speak even less English, teaching me new words and phrases (a definite source of amusement!), asking questions...

And there are many - where am i from, why am i here, what do i plan to do, what do certain expressions mean... sheesh, some of those i'm still working out about myself! But the experience i already have with Thais, along with being older than most of my classmates (all grad students, avg. 21-24) both add another dimension of "authoritativeness"... The attention is generally fun - but definitely challenging ... my thai falls so far short!

In general, all of the undergraduates on campus wear uniforms: black (pleated) skirts/pants with white shirts. Most of the girls sport a brown leather belt at hip level that, upon closer inspection, actually has the KMUTT logo on the buckle - so even the belt is standard university issue...

The freshy's, as they are called, are as amusing to watch here as in the States. Large groups participate in coordinated routines - they have senior "drill sargeants" and the activities are clearly viewed as a (bonding) experience/rite of passage...initiation lite. This week, the freshy's all had to wear name tags hanging from their necks - written on large, yellow cardboard cutouts in the shape of gears! It is, after all, an engineering school...

Not all their rites are done en masse. Today, in the large lunch hall, a freshy approached one of my classmates and professed his love for her (the look on her face - a mixture of amused, flippant, and unfazed, like it happened to her on a daily basis - so funny!); another kid (wearing a preppy sweater!) got up and belted out this song with lots of funny hand gestures, backed by 7 or 8 girls cheering him on; still others got up on tables to announce their love of whatever engineering field they were in...

Truthfully, it's been highly entertaining to watch them, even when i have no idea what they're saying. They're always teasing and laughing over things - nothing seems to rattle them!

Thais are notoriously confused by the slightest of "strong reactions" from westerners (like the pasta incident at home a few months back). It actually upset my classmates to see me express frustration over some problems we had for homework (k, haven't had to solve for heat capacities or use differentials in, oh, a decade --and i wasn't much good at them back then either.) I had to explain that i was not angry (and certainly not with them, but rather with my own thick skull!) - but that venting a little was my flawed way of diffusing the pressure, and if they might kindly disregard my sassafrassing, i would be grateful.

I could have apologized, but i think admitting my weakness was perhaps more unexpected - and ultimately shows (i hope!) that i'm a real person, not just an American Doll...

V goes to school!

After a short jaunt to Saphan Taksin station, this is where i wait for the 75 bus that gets me to school...

...The 75 usually comes in a small green bus - and the drivers often weave traffic like they're in the indy 500......it also comes in a larger red bus, often with a blue banner across the front windshield, which means it's Free (normally 6.5 baht)... both are open-air, though - which can be pretty lethal at some of the intersections...!

(inside the red bus)

Thais do some pretty funny (and cute) things, like mold median shrubs into bunnies...

After about 40 minutes on the bus (the further out of the city i get, the more looks i get!)... i know to get off the bus at graffiti across the street from the school...


...a little grooming at the school's entrance...

the road going in...

Signs/Posters on the way in (not sure what they mean,tho!) ...

More student photos forthcoming... :)