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... :)

Finally, Vanessa Gets a Thai Nickname!

A Good Nickname is Hard to Find...

Most Thais have short nicknames...Noi, Na, Ben, Tom, Tok, Kiet... not only are they meant to be endearing, but also to replace their unbelievably long and phonetically puzzling names.

Now, for thais, my own name happens to be an equal challenge, both in strangeness as well as starting with the "v" sound... so "Vee" won't work... and "Fi" is tough because my sister's name is Sophia, and she often goes by 'Fia...

"Faa sai" was kindly suggested - means "blue skies" - flattering, but perhaps a bit too sunny and cheery for me... and "blue" alone is "sii" - which appears commonly in other words, so it just doesn't sound like a nickname...

And then, do-on mai (Bam!) - the perfect one: Watsanaa - the "t" is actually quite silent - so it sounds more like "wah-sanaa"...

so this scrambled version of "vanessa" also means "Luck" or "karma" - so you can have 'good watsanaa' or 'bad watsanaa' ... Watsanaa, indeed!

My Cheapest Meal Yet...!

The challenge: living under 500 baht/day (~$12) for transportation and food...and i'm getting better at it every day!


* Minor cheat: i bought a Monthly Pass on the BTS (skytrain) which gives me 40 trips at 20 baht each, no matter where i go... prices can run 30-60 baht if you go 3 stations out or more - so in the end, the 800-baht Pass will save me at least that much...

The Record
The cheapest meal i got was by On Nut (at the east end of the train line) - a whopping 15 baht for a bowl of beef noodle soup. I ordered without really knowing what i would get - it was quite tasty (though perhaps a tad salty)... and i certainly did not experience any side effects later...

Safe vs. Cheap
Many people ask me if i trust eating on the street. And i've developed a bit of a theoretical hierarchy.

With regard to street vendors, I will buy cut fruit from carts on the street, but i'm still weary of meat on a stick (due to an unpleasant incident several years ago). Roti's are also fair game - folded crepes drizzled with condensed milk - YUM!

Fruit vendors are cheaper than a supermarket. Notably, mangosteen are in season - 40-50 baht will get you a 2-kilo bag... and they are totally addicting!

I believe the "mobile kitchens" on the sidewalks and food stalls can be cleaned quite thoroughly, and have sat down to have a bite at little tables set up, either on the sidewalk or in a open-air/shared (often tented) space, provided they look clean.

In general, i've noticed that when it comes to food stalls, the food is generally served piping hot here - logically because they hand it to you straight out of the pan/soup tureen (ie, it's not left sitting in a window...) While it's rendered almost inedible for several minutes (at least by my tender standards) - i truly believe the heat would kill anything "unclean" that lingers...

Markets that let you take away are good (particularly if you want to get grilled fish fresh and cheap). Also, the sell great snacks, sweet treats (coconut yummies), little noshes (chinese "bun", or these banana-leaf wrapped things that are the thai version of a tamale)...

The next step up is food courts: a group of stalls that have tables set up in the middle. Least formally, stalls may be under a tent; increasingly permantent structures: bare warehouses, little malls, or in the big malls (the Platinum has anything you can think of, from bites to meals). Clean, plentiful, and you can still eat a meal for 30-60 baht...most of these have a staff to clean up all the messes... clean!

I have found it a little difficult to control what i get exactly - ie, getting a heavily sauced dish rather than a soup...dishes too sweet, too salty, etc. it's been kind of hit or miss! but this may improve greatly, thanks to a crash course in Thai that i'm taking through school...i'll be able to be more specific now :)

Cheap finds: "Noodle Bar" on Silom Rd, right off Saladaeng station (ranging 50-80 baht for a bowl of noodle soup, pretty much any way you want it); and a Vietnamese restaurant in Siam square (Pho came in 2 sizes - 85 baht for the small, yet quite satisfying portion - nice quiet place, pretty colors + jazz!).

okay, more pictures on the next post...! will save culinary faves for another post too...

...and i've got some coconut gummy treat waiting to be polished off before bed...

Thai Biogas Plant Visit, a First...

As part of the WREC (11th world renewable energy congress) conference i've been fortunate enough to attend over the last few days, today i got to visit my first real biogas plant...

One of 4 sites belonging to the Thai Biogas Energy Company, this plant in Saraburi produces 900 kW a day from industrial waste stream piped in from a cassava processing plant (which produces starch).

The biogas plant processes about 3,000 cubic meters of sludgy waste stream per day. The mixed sludge (so that it's more uniform) is basically treated and put into a big "lagoon" (about 9 meters deep), and covered with a black, tarp-like plastic. As the sludge decomposes (ie, "anaerobically digested), the tarp bubbles up with the methane emitted. About 60% of these emissions are methane (which are 21 times the value of CO2 per tonne!). That's quite significant when you start talking CO2 credits...

The gas is sucked through another pipe, then filtered (i'm gonna skip that explanation for brevity's sake, pressurized, and then converted into electricity with an expensive General Electric gas turbine (another explanation i'll gloss over...!).

Of the 900 kW produced daily, the plant uses 100 of it, then supplies the cassava processing plant with 600 kW (100% of its power needs), and sells 200 kW back to the Grid.

For perspective: the average power usage in the american home is 1000kWh per month (= 1 megawatt-hour/mo). If you've got a couple of computers, TVs, etc - maybe you're looking at 1200-1500 kWh/month...

Rounded residential costs:
$.12/kWh in FL;
$.18/kWh in MA;
$.13/kWh in CA and DC.
(source: 1/2009 data release by US govt EIA in 4/2009).

If you've gotten this far without glazing over, thanks - the plant was about 2 hours out of bangkok, next to a lush river, and a little stinky, though not as stinky as municipal waste would ... and now i'll move on...

Feeling out public transport: two weeks

So i arrived in Bangkok just over 2 weeks ago... scrambling to adjust, and on my third weekend here, i think i've reached a more zen place :)

I had orientation the day after i arrive, and i've learned a few things about my new school: it is locally known as "Prajom Gao" - which a helluva lot easier to say than King Mongkut University of Technology - and now i have a near 50% chance of being understood! The school is located in a southern suburb of bangkok, across the river, and getting there from the city, is not so easy! i prefer to live in bangkok and commute to school, rather than the other way around.

I tried several buses and different routes (often recommended)... including the 140, which actually runs from the middle of bangkok (chit lom) straight south - but it's NON-STOP on the expressway...which is problematic if you get stuck in traffic...on a full bus...and i'd STILL have to take yet another bus...every which way, no alternative seemed much shorter than living near the skytrain, and taking the counter-intuitive route...

i ended up finding a studio just 4 stops (15 min) from Wong Wian Yai, the last station on the Silom Line (which opened last week). More on the apartment to come... :)

Riverside Bike Ride for Daily Life Snapshots

My father took me bike-riding from the house to get a better look at the neighborhood along the river...It was the best time, so i retraced our route the next day with my camera - and got a few good "daily life" photos.

Rural roads...when houses were close to the road, kids and adults were keen to smile and say hello as we rode by, particularly if we did...initially, they looked either confused or amused to see us just riding around...

Driveway w/ king's image...

In general, this area is fertile agricultural land...

Rice drying on the roadside...

Som tam (green papaya salad) peddler lives here...

The wheel man in town...

a home veggie garden...