Welcome Day 1 at Bangkok University International College involved getting into our oh so sexy University Uniform, walking there and registering. The usual. The introduction was held in an icecube, I meant a chilly auditorium and we were cheered on by Jet, one of the coordinators whose fantastic mood in the early morning hours can only make you jealous. The information was the usual bla bla, nicely and slowly presented nothing of which you wouldn’t already know from the previously received handbook. All Freshman, exchange, visiting and transferring students were put together and invited for a lovely lunch. Where I already got to meet plenty of people from everywhere. US, UK, China, Taiwan, Sweden, Finnish, German, Austrian, Norwegian, Thai, Nigerian, Venezuelan, Slovakian, Croatian to just mention a few. There’s quite a good mix here. Most of the European exchange students are staying at the same residence so far, no one is really enthusiastic but its practical and there’s talks about Penthouse parties. In the afternoon there’s registration for our courses. Since I am soooo perfectly preorganized ;-) I picked out all my classes for a perfectly timed schedule weeks ago. All my classes are in order so I am done in like 3 minutes. Get my picture taken for the BU student ID and then just wait around for a few other people to finish and chat with the newfound friends.
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| Fun taxi ride |
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| Green Curry |
Udo and I schedule to meet with 3 Finnish girls (after some pool time) for an evening trip to the infamous Khao San Road. Since we are greeted with torrential rainfall on our arrival there we head straight into a restaurant for dinner and cocktails. Since my dear friend asked me to eat some Green Curry for her, this was my pick for the night. S. this one was for you and it was really, really delicious, albeit a tad spicy. I bet with Udo to eat a spicy looking chili for a cocktail. The joke was on me though since the chili wasn’t really spicy, but hey, a bet is a bet. Our new Finnish friends are exceptionally nice and I think we could have sat there and chatted for days. Curiosity drives us out in the end to Khao San. And it is pretty much as imagined. Road stalls, streetfood, travel & tours and people that want to sell you everything there is, legal and illegal. I snap a pic of a huge sign showing which fake ID’s they can make for you in a short amount of time. The shopkeeper forces me to delete the pic, since it’s illegal to fake ID’s. The irony…. I’d like to get some information on nice tours just to get an idea of what can, should be done and the like. Most places are closed now, and there’s surprisingly few brochures lying around. Since none of us 5 is really in the mood for shopping we look around a bit and head back. Khao San is definitely THE place for backpackers. Within the first seconds I already saw more than ten. There’s everything right here that you could need. Tours all over South East Asia, information, shopping, clothes, massage, tattoos, bars, markets and the sights are also fairly close by. So although it has a bad reputation I think for a short stay in Bangkok, it’s convenient and cheap too.
Wednesday morning we meet again at the Campus for a tour of the second Bangkok University Campus which is about an hour bus ride away. Smartly they split all people arriving together up in different buses so you get the chance to meet plenty more people. There’s 6 brightly colored double-decker buses going through Bangkok with 300 or so students all wearing white ‘I am BU International’ T-Shirts. Quite a good sight actually. Fantastic branding by the university. It’s a long drive to Rangsit Campus. There’s a few icebreaker games, activities and short tour around the library and the Museum housed on the Campus and a delicious lunch buffet. They really spoil us here. Over lunch I meet another bunch of Austrians. I would have never imagined that there’s so many here, I am sure sooner or later I can deliver an exact count. 
Next up a hop on the bus to Ayotthaya, the former capital of Thailand. We visit a temple site which was destroyed by the Burmese in war times. I would tell you more but the guide’s English was so terrible I didn’t have the strength and patience to listen to his explanations. Few nice pictures there and further on to the Ayotthaya Floating Market. It’s not really floating, it’s just built on stilts, but they still have some vendors, mostly food, going around in their boats selling sweets and pad thais.
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| Floating Market Ayothaya |
On the way back to Bangkok I ask around about recommendations on weekend getaways. After all due to my impeccable scheduling I do not have to be back on campus until Wednesday. Six blissful days off. I get some insights into how to travel to the islands located southeast of Bangkok. Koh Samet, Koh Chang are supposed to be the closest and nicest ones. The decision is made, the next few days will be spent at some beach somewhere down south. Aaaaaaaaaaah! I should have decided earlier then I would have had that glowing feeling of anticipation of a beach getaway much longer. First off there’s still some more pooling and a ‘Swedish Party’ in the residence. Woop Woop! Comfy getting to know everyone better and also meet more new faces. The scare of the night was being locked in in the fireescape staircase. Apparently it is impossible to get out of the staircase once you entered it, since they only open from the outside. So much to trying to be fit and take the stairs instead of the elevator. Never again.
Welcome Day 1 at Bangkok University International College involved getting into our oh so sexy University Uniform, walking there and registering. The usual. The introduction was held in an icecube, I meant a chilly auditorium and we were cheered on by Jet, one of the coordinators whose fantastic mood in the early morning hours can only make you jealous. The information was the usual bla bla, nicely and slowly presented nothing of which you wouldn’t already know from the previously received handbook. All Freshman, exchange, visiting and transferring students were put together and invited for a lovely lunch. Where I already got to meet plenty of people from everywhere. US, UK, China, Taiwan, Sweden, Finnish, German, Austrian, Norwegian, Thai, Nigerian, Venezuelan, Slovakian, Croatian to just mention a few. There’s quite a good mix here. Most of the European exchange students are staying at the same residence so far, no one is really enthusiastic but its practical and there’s talks about Penthouse parties. In the afternoon there’s registration for our courses. Since I am soooo perfectly preorganized ;-) I picked out all my classes for a perfectly timed schedule weeks ago. All my classes are in order so I am done in like 3 minutes. Get my picture taken for the BU student ID and then just wait around for a few other people to finish and chat with the newfound friends.
Udo and I schedule to meet with 3 Finnish girls (after some pool time) for an evening trip to the infamous Khao San Road. Since we are greeted with torrential rainfall on our arrival there we head straight into a restaurant for dinner and cocktails. Since my dear friend asked me to eat some Green Curry for her, this was my pick for the night. S. this one was for you and it was really, really delicious, albeit a tad spicy. I bet with Udo to eat a spicy looking chili for a cocktail. The joke was on me though since the chili wasn’t really spicy, but hey, a bet is a bet. Our new Finnish friends are exceptionally nice and I think we could have sat there and chatted for days. Curiosity drives us out in the end to Khao San. And it is pretty much as imagined. Road stalls, streetfood, travel & tours and people that want to sell you everything there is, legal and illegal. I snap a pic of a huge sign showing which fake ID’s they can make for you in a short amount of time. The shopkeeper forces me to delete the pic, since it’s illegal to fake ID’s. The irony…. I’d like to get some information on nice tours just to get an idea of what can, should be done and the like. Most places are closed now, and there’s surprisingly few brochures lying around. Since none of us 5 is really in the mood for shopping we look around a bit and head back. 
Wednesday morning we meet again at the Campus for a tour of the second Bangkok University Campus which is about an hour bus ride away. Smartly they split all people arriving together up in different buses so you get the chance to meet plenty more people. There’s 6 brightly colored double-decker buses going through Bangkok with 300 or so students all wearing white ‘I am BU International’ T-Shirts. Quite a good sight actually. Fantastic branding by the university. It’s a long drive to Rangsit Campus. There’s a few icebreaker games, activities and short tour around the library and the Museum housed on the Campus and a delicious lunch buffet. They really spoil us here. Over lunch I meet another bunch of Austrians. I would have never imagined that there’s so many here, I am sure sooner or later I can deliver an exact count. 
Next up a hop on the bus to Ayotthaya, the former capital of Thailand. We visit a temple site which was destroyed by the Burmese in war times. I would tell you more but the guide’s English was so terrible I didn’t have the strength and patience to listen to his explanations. Few nice pictures there and further on to the Ayotthaya Floating Market. It’s not really floating, it’s just built on stilts, but they still have some vendors, mostly food, going around in their boats selling sweets and pad thais. 
On the way back to Bangkok I ask around about recommendations on weekend getaways. After all due to my impeccable scheduling I do not have to be back on campus until Wednesday. Six blissful days off. I get some insights into how to travel to the islands located southeast of Bangkok. Koh Samet, Koh Chang are supposed to be the closest and nicest ones. The decision is made, the next few days will be spent at some beach somewhere down south. Aaaaaaaaaaah! I should have decided earlier then I would have had that glowing feeling of anticipation of a beach getaway much longer. 
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