A Mile in My Shoes…or A Hundred

104.7 miles. 13 days in Thailand. Again, 104.7 miles walking+running in 13 days. That’s averaging just over 8 a day, which is up from the rest of 2017 where I was averaging just over 1.5 a day. My feet hurt. A lot. In fact, I feel like I pulled something in my left foot and it’s making me limp a bit. But, I intend to get off my feet as much and possible and let it heal.

2017 Walking + Running via iPhone Health App

Ps: don’t walk a mile in my shoes because most of them are flat, which probably contributed to this problem.

Bang Saen Beach

Chonburi or Bang Saen?!

Anyways, I’m finally settled in. And I need to admit something. I’ve told many people I’m living in Chonburi, which is both right and wrong. You see, Thailand is divided up into 76 provinces (and Bangkok, which is a municipality) with each having a capital of the same name. So, while I’m actually only about 7 miles from the city of Chonburi, I technically live in the town of Bang Saen, which is in the province of Chonburi. So sorry for the previous misinformation.

My apartment building

Finding an Apartment

As with most things, it’s easier to find an apartment once you’re on the ground in whatever city you’re looking in. Luckily, however, I was able to speak to the other foreign teacher (Steven) at my school while I was still in Koh Samet and he convinced me that the apartment our hiring firm had recommended was the best option he had found through days of research. Thus, I called and reserved my spot in the complex, which just so happened to be right next door to Steven.

Friends in Chonburi Province

Navigating Public Transit

Yes, we already know I wasn’t so successful with this aspect based on the extreme number of miles I walked during my first few days. However, I’ve now figured out that commute via songthaew–the extended pickup truck with benches in the bed that I previously discussed–is the best combination of price, efficiency, and safety to navigate my area. There’s also the option of motorbike taxi, where a guy on a motorbike will take a person or two to a destination. But given my uneasiness with motorcycles, I’ve decided to forgo that option for now.

Fried noodles with pork and kale

Finding Food

Hangry. The combination of being hungry and angry–for those unfamiliar with the term.  My first couple of days in Bang Saen I found myself quite hangry and unable to find foods I liked or places open when I felt hungry. It was stressing me out to be quite honest. However, I’ve since learned how to ask for some of the things I enjoy like omelettes in the morning or grilled chicken in the afternoon. In addition, I’ve caught on to what time markets open and where to best find them.

Pseudo Apartment Kitchen

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My First Few Purchases

While I intend to do a lengthier post on this later, there are some fairly valuable purchases I made during my first few days. As I briefly mentioned in the last section, I enjoy eggs for breakfast. In fact, it’s about the only thing I eat for breakfast each day. However, my apartment is a studio with no kitchen area. So naturally, I bought a small electric pot and located an egg vendor near my apartment so I can cook my own breakfasts. I also bought other common apartment items like toiletries, hangers, and linens. However, it was a huge struggle to find contact solution. I searched every personal hygiene and beauty product in a department store for over 30 minutes and it wasn’t until a couple days later that I finally found it in the back of a pharmacy. It was a relief because I was cutting it close and I dislike wearing my glasses.

Strange Obama mall food court sign

Malls

Never in my life have I been so appreciative of a mall. While they are not where you’re typically going to find me during my free time, the malls here are useful in several regards: 1) They have small grocery stores, which is useful for basic products and produce items I like to have. 2) They have the comfort of Western chains such as Starbucks and Dairy Queen, among others, just in case I ever might need that taste of home. 3) They have markets set up outside during the evenings and weekends where you can find cheap, delicious food. & 4) If all else fails and you can’t find food you want elsewhere, they typically have a food court area where you can get a full Thai meal for just over a US dollar.

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Laundry

Reading a book, I sweat. Taking a nap, I sweat. Writing this post, I sweat. There’s no secret about it, my metabolism has me in a constant state of sweat. Laundry 1+ times a week is fundamental. And here in Thailand it’s quite easy and cheap to wash. However, I forgot about a very important lesson I learned living in The Netherlands: many countries hang clothes instead of using dryers. So as I retrieved my clothes from the wash, I came to the realization that they had nowhere to dry. And thus, everything in my apartment became a drying rack. Clothes on cabinets, open drawers, hangers, a piece of string I tied outside, the sink, the bed, everywhere. Still haven’t bought a more functional solution but it’s in the works.

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Markets

Pure magic. I’m enchanted by the markets here. They are cool during the week but on the weekend they are just on another level. Thousands of people crammed between hundreds and hundreds of booths that sell everything from your favorite Thai snack to shirts with vulgar expressions on them and every knickknack in between. Of those 104.7 miles I would venture to say that 5-10 of them have been strolling through markets in complete fascination.

Teaching Time

Now that my free time is ending, it’s time to actually start working. I’m fairly confident that I will be a successful ESL teacher but even if it turns out to be more stressful than I anticipate, I’m fortunate that I’ll start on a shortened week. I’ve made a Quizlet (that you can find here) to help me start memorizing some popular words and phrases I expect to use over the next few months. Hopefully, that will help me integrate better both as a teacher and as a traveler. As for actual class lesson plans and preparations, that will happen right after I finish this post. Wish me luck!

The Wrap Up

Thanks for reading this post and as always, I encourage you to comment below and/or share this with anyone you think might enjoy it! I’ll end by asking you: If you were to move, what would be that go-to meal/ritual you’d struggle to live without?