Songkhla, Thailand: Hit or Miss

In a few days, I will be leaving Thailand for the third, and most likely, last time. At the moment, I have one eye pointed toward my future adventures in India as well as marriage and one eye looking back at this country where I cut my ESL teeth, where I endured heartbreak, and where I discovered what amazing really can be. The following is what I will miss and not miss about this beautifully baffling country.

What I Will Miss: The Sea, The Forests, The Lake, The Hills

Lately my main focus has been reaching my goal of running 10k without stopping, which I'm happy to say, I've accomplished. My morning run along the sea and through the forest is my sanity.

What I Won't Miss: Rubbish

Some just throw their Styrofoam lunch containers and the plastic bags they came in on the ground when finished. Beach picnickers will leave the remnants of their feast in a neat little heap in the sand for some city worker to pick up the next morning. It is difficult to find bins, but not impossible.

What I Will MIss: Sunshine

It's always sunny in Songkhla. Even on rainy days during rainy season, the sun feels obligated to make an appearance at least for part of the day. I hope I have enough sunshine stored up for when I move to Dublin.

What I Won't Miss: The Heat from Sunshine

I'm sweating any moment I am not in an air-conditioned environment.  No amount of prickly heat powder and deodorant can stop the trickling of sweat. That is a lot of the day. Even at 7:00 when I do my run, it's about 80-85 degrees and the temperatures climb to near 100 in the afternoon. Sometimes the air is so hot, it hurts to breathe it. Again, I hope I can survive in a country that regards 70 degrees a "scorcher".

What I Will Miss: Food.

Thai food is the  most complex, varied, and exciting food I've ever had. Ever. Sweet, sour, spicy, salty. Everything natural: palm sugar, coconut milk, ginger, lime juice, garlic, shallots, chilies, fish sauce, cilantro, and of course, the amazing lemongrass. Red, yellow, green curries. Incredible soups. Grilled meats. Steamed fish. Sauces galore!! I could go on and on and on about my fascination with Thai food. And did I mention the price? I can find a feast at the nightly food market near my house for less than 5 euros.

What I Won't Miss: A Lack of Food Other than Thai Food

Sometimes, you need cheese. Or a French fry. Songkhla does have a pizza place, an Italian restaurant, a Japanese place, and a couple of pubs with overpriced strange cheeseburgers. But these get old and at times, I felt I would die if I didn't have a taco.

What I Will Miss: Relatively Stress-free Job

Rajamangala is a pretty laid back place and there seems to be a holiday every four days. It's also a lovely campus with lots of trees and birds and a good canteen.

What I Won't Miss: A Too Laid Back Attitude Towards English in the English Department

There are only about 10 visible words of English in the English office and two of these are "Angry Birds" which adorns some official document, possibly the curriculum book. I don't know because  it's not in English. I feel strongly that by not having signs, notices, and information in English and Thai, it sends the message that English is not important outside of the classroom. Which is the exact opposite of reality in an English program.

What I'll Miss: Big, Free Apartment

The apartment provided by the university is quite big and it's great to be across the street from the school. In one year, I only paid $50 total for electricity.

What I Won't Miss: The uncomfortable bed on the floor, no hot water, no stove. Ants. In all fairness, though, we could have bought stuff to make it more homey and comfy, but we were never quite certain how long we'd be staying.

 

What I'll  Miss: Friday and Sunday Markets

Imagine a garage sale, farmers' market, and a food fair in one setting. Every Friday and Sunday morning there is a market near my apartment that sells cheap second hand clothes, household wares, traditional Thai foods, fresh meat, veg, and fruit, and accessories. The smells, colors, and buzz make it an interesting jaunt. Except when you're hungover. Then it's a nightmare.

What I Won't Miss: No Big Size Clothes and Shoes

The average Thai woman is about  5' tall and a size 0. I'm 5'10" and a size 12. Need I say more? I've found a few skirts and shirts that I can squeeze into, but there have been many a time that I was close to tears because I couldn't find anything that fit. Oh, and shoes? Forget about it. I'm still wearing the Sketchers I bought in Iowa City in 2009 and the men's Li-Ning running shoes I found in China.

What I'll Miss: Cheap Transport

I don't have a family so I didn't feel a need to get a vehicle when public transport is so cheap and easy. Also, I've always had this strange feeling that I would have a bad accident if I had a motorbike. A tuk-tuk ride is about 50 cents and a motorbike taxi is about 75 cents. The market is oversaturated with them, so it's easy to get a ride during the day.  My morning run ends at the fresh food market and all the motorbike guys know me and where I live. I love my morning ride through town on the back of a bike, dripping sweat and clutching bags of fresh veggies and fruit.

What I Won't Miss: Honking of Transport             

The drivers honk at you even if it is painfully obvious you require no transport, for example, when you are running down the road.

What I Will Miss: Thai Smiles

Thai people are generally lovely and generous. Just this week, a random stranger pulled over and gave me a pamphlet for a marathon and another guy at the market said, "Hello Miss Running". I go to the same vegetable sisters, pork lady, and chicken lady and they always have a ready smile. Thais love fun and want to smile and laugh. Everything seems to make them feel "happy, funny, and relax".

What I Won't Miss: "You! You!!" and Aggressive "Hello"s

About once a day someone shouts at me, usually a young boy, and usually after I've passed. It makes them laugh hysterically. Usually it's no big deal, but if I'm having a bad day, it can send murderous shivers down my spine.

What I Will Miss: Cheap Beer

 A large 660ml of Leo beer costs about $2.

What I Won't Miss: Cheap Beer

Leo tastes like piss and some cheaper brands, like Chang, give you such bad headaches, you know you've been brain damaged.

 

What I'll Miss: The Table

The Table is an actual table at a Vietnamese restaurant run by the wife of Chris, a long term expat from England. Many teachers and some off-shore people hang out here for the cheap beer and camaraderie. A lot of laughter and tears have been shared at The Table. One of the gang, Rocky, started a side business of Indian food at the restaurant. Sadly, he died in a car accident April 2012. He was a large part of the heart and soul of The Table and is greatly missed.

What I Won't Miss: No Places to Enjoy English Outside of The Table

Sometimes my whole being craves English in the form of cinemas, libraries, theatres, museums, galleries, and live bands. Hat Yai has some, Bangkok a ton, but Songkhla, not so much.

What I Will Miss: This Girl
 

M is the only other female ex-pat that hangs out at The Table. We're the same age, and except for the fact that she's good at practically everything, we have a lot in common. I think I would be a smidge more insane if it weren't for her. I'll miss our til dawn sessions. Check out her incredible art at: http://www.gallerymg.com/index.html

What I Won't Miss: Girl Jealousy

Occasionally a Thai girl will get it in her head that M and I are after her man, which is a bit of an insult to the men we're happily attached to.

What I Will Miss: This Cat. Beyond Reason.

This little heap of white and gray fur has brought so much happiness to our lives. I'm incredibly sad that I won't see her again, but happy that she'll be cared for in a home with a big garden and other cats. And I'll try not to think about the cobras that also share this space.

What I Won't Miss: Meow O'Clock

Every morning at approximately 6:00 a.m. Friday Cat begins her relentless meowing until I get up and feed her. Once sated, she goes back to sleep. For me the day has begun whether I wanted it to or not.

What I Will Miss: Travelling to Islands

Thailand has some of the most stunning beaches in the world. My favorite are in Taratao National Park off the coast of Satun in the Andaman Sea.

What I Won't Miss: Rarely Travelling to Islands

Despite the fact that the university has nearly as many holidays and activity days as teaching days, we still had to sign our names every morning. I usually did this for us before my run.


I'm finding it's impossible to capture everything about this experience in one blog. I'm driving myself insane trolling through all of my poorly organized photos looking for the "one". I've realized that I didn't even talk about my main reason for being here which is to impart my expertise of the English language to students! That blog entry will have to wait til another day. Until then, this badly formatted--I just cannot seem to master it---entry will have to suffice as my virtual time capsule.