It’s now been three weeks since I left snowy Montreal for the warm tropical Thailand. I can’t believe how quickly my trip has passed. I have been very busy and am still learning new things about Thailand and its beauty.
The school lunch system here is completely different from LCC’s. At Regents, students have to pay for their lunch. They all have cards that they top up every once in awhile. In addition, the menu itself is very different. There are six food options every day: pasta, fried rice (it’s so common to eat rice in Thailand that the verb “to eat” in Thai is translated as “to eat rice” in English), noodle bowls, a western meal, an Asian option and a sandwich bar.
Usually, I opt for the pasta, the western meal or the noodle bowls, fearing Thailand’s tendency to serve extremely spicy food. However, last Friday I thought it would be a good idea to be exposed to the local culture by trying some of Thailand’s world-famous cuisine. I saw my friend in line for the Asian option. I asked him what they were serving and he said with excitement, “I don’t know what it’s called, but it’s my favourite meal here.” I was sold. I waited in line and got my food. I sat down with my friends and took a bite. It was delicious, at first, but after a few seconds my tongue was burning! I was panting, seeking cool air to try and cool down my mouth. My eyes were tearing and I turned red. I brought six glasses of water to my table, bought an ice cream, and some of the sweet fruit that the cafeteria serves. Even after all that, my mouth was still burning. It took about another two hours until the full effects of the spiciness went away.
The following Saturday, we went to the tropical island of Ko Si Chang. We left at 9:30 am, drove for about 40 minutes to the port of Sri Racha, the city where the sauce is made, and took the 30-minute ferry ride to the island. From there, we started our tour.
We drove to the foot of the Chao Por Khao Yai Shrine. Once we arrived, we hiked up what seemed to be a never-ending staircase to the top of the temple. When we got there, we took off our shoes in respect of the temple, and were greeted with spectacular views of the island. We enjoyed the traditional Chinese architecture of the temple and breathed in the smell of burning incense. After we had taken our photos and enjoyed the view, we took a steep rolling car down the side of the temple. It was a lot of fun!
Our next stop on the trip was just a short 30-minute hike on the edge of the island. The scenery was beautiful. Turquoise blue water crashed on the sides of the limestone sea caves that had formed. We walked over the rocky beaches of the island to a final lookout point and saw how far we had come.
Our final stop on the island, and my personal favourite, was the beach. When we arrived, I immediately applied sunscreen (my mom can be assured I did not burn!) Then, my friends and I rented kayaks and set sail. On our trip, we went diving in search of fish and actually found a few. They were yellow with brown stripes and certainly different from the ones you would find in the St. Lawrence. We also found a deserted beach where we skipped stones and enjoyed each other’s company. After kayaking, I went to a local smoothie shack and got a watermelon slushie. It was very good!
Once we were done, we got changed and started driving back to the port. On our way, we watched a herd of wild boar cross the road. We all gasped and laughed as we looked back at the pigs. It was certainly a moment I will remember for the rest of my life.
Back at school, I have been getting into new routines. First, I have been learning how to play ping-pong in the boarding house. Other kids, who are far better than I am, have been going out of their way to teach me the rules and the technique. I am very appreciative of that. Also, students at the boarding house often will play basketball games and I sometimes take a break from my homework and join in on the fun. Finally, the school actually has a swimming pool. Some of my friends and I went swimming last Wednesday night and played tag and raced. Although I came out exhausted, I was very happy.
There is a possibility I could be going to a floating market and a temple next week and I am very excited! – Andrew Vandenbussche ’19, Exchange Student at Regents International School Pattaya
