Culture shock Thailand

[Captain Sensible]

I am so glad that I play on these forums coz I get to meet so many great folks. One person I got a lot of time for is nabs who I came across when were arguing about Islam on the old site. Nabs is great. She is full of life and attitude. Se has a great approach and is brimming with confidence. I like folks like that.
Nabs emailed me that she had lined up a job and would be flying in on the 13th. The world is her stage and she has dibs on telling the rest of the cast how to dance.
I thought to myself that she may have made a mistake in lining up the job while still in Blighty but waited to see how it would pan out.
Now I wont post a paste of her email to me today but I will relate the guts of it coz I laughed out loud when I read it.
hehehe. It went sumfing like this..........

The Cap to Nabs

Here is my phone number and call me when you get youself sorted. I am in Jomtien which is a really easy going seaside resort type town. Bangers is a bit difficult to the newcomer coz of the confusion etc.

That was on the 12th and Nabs flew in on the 13th.

hehehe. I wish it was ok to post her email to me but it aint so I will just relate an overview.



Nabs to The Cap today.

I hate it. I fokkin hate it. They are fokkin cnuts and I fokkin hate it. The other teachers are cnuts and I fokkin hate them(except for one who is quite nice) Nonthaburi is fokked and I fokkin hate it. I am going home. I fokkin hate it. This is one fokkin fokked up place. I fokkin hate it.

Now while those wernt her exact words I think you will get the jist.

I have now emailed her and told her in no uncertain terms to come down here to me in Jom while I learn her up on the cultural difference that has her so obviously uncomfortable here in Thailand.

I wouldnt offer her unless I thought she was worthwhile.

I am still chuckling at her email. hehehe.

So how long did it take you to adjust to Thailand and the myriad of difference from home? I remember it was a bit alien to me when I first turned up but I just ran with it.

This time around I feel like I have come home and I absolutely love it.
The smells, the language difference and the absolute difference is something that I am embracing.

How long did it take you until it made sense?

[danbo]

Pretty much made 'sense' straight away, in that was a new exciting culture to experience. I suppose it depends what you expect to find. If you're going to be comparing the comparative qualities of Starbucks outlets then I suspect that you may be disappointed (not saying your friend was - don't know her). Maybe it was because she started work - surely best to have few months to find your way around - new job, new country at the same time is bound to be overwhelming. I went to Jomtiem once - very gay - and I got sick on those white oyster type thingies.

This time around I feel like I have come home and I absolutely love it. The smells, the language difference and the absolute difference is something that I am embracing.

This doesn't read right. Have you been eating Vicks Vapour rub again?

[Captain Sensible]

This time around I feel like I have come home and I absolutely love it. The smells, the language difference and the absolute difference is something that I am embracing.

This doesn't read right. Have you been eating Vicks Vapour rub again?

Well it makes sense to me danbo and I think you only said that because of those halter neck tops that shrank when you washed them in hot water. Will you never let me forget about that?

btw, your shoes are scuffed. Ner.

[poolcleaner]

I have to agree, through experience supporting danbo's claim.
I landed and had to wait a week or two before my 4 day TEFL course began (it felt like six weeks but dd assures me it only takes 4 days!).
After hat it took a couple of weeks to get a job sorted so I had the best part of three months to drink and shag myself silly!!
After that I was ready for 9-5 (or whatever it is we do here!)

I work in Nonthaburi. Quite like it meself.

[klongmaster]

my 4 day TEFL course began (it felt like six weeks but dd assures me it only takes 4 days!)

the master of gentle sarcasm poolie
i love it

Nonthaburi is fokked and I fokkin hate it. I am going home.

i take it her job was with the 'Nonthaburi Project'?
it's certainly copped some flack on the other channel

[barbaro]

it takes a while for folks to get used to the many different things.

If someone is thinking of bailing, they should give it at least 3 months before making a decision.

[ChiangMai noon]

I came to thailand after bailing from 3 months of absolute misery in frankfurt, now that was a foreign country. Farking orrible place.

Thailand was the easiest of transitions, felt instantly at home both at work and in thailand. I wish I'd come to Chiang mai about a year earlier than I did but it's all part of the Lord's plan.

[hillbilly]

I had culture shock when I recently visited the US. While walking around I would cross the street anywhere like in BKK instead of using the pedestrian crosswalks. I got scolded once!

[Snaff]

^ Going back to the U.S. could be difficult for me, for a while. Perhaps....

[colourful-era]

So, why does she hate it so much here Cap.?

[kenkannif]

I did warn her and ask for the name of the school!

[Captain Sensible]

So, why does she hate it so much here Cap.?

No idea mate. Other than the fact that the way I read her breif email was that she had had a different idea of how things would be. I just gathered that she had culture shock after one day. She is yet to call me but when she does I reckon that I can calm her down a bit.
It was funny as fok reading her email though. She writes like she talks I think.

[kenkannif]

It's a long way from Reading mate, pretty fucking different

[Snaff]

So, why does she hate it so much here Cap.?

This is thee all-important, question.

We also need to realize that most of us (not all) bring our own extra baggage with us, when we go overseas.

A lot of times, some folks will be having a very rough time and be going through difficulties, here.

And this often (not always) will be the case wherever go in this world.

[colourful-era]

well I went to Chile last year and hated it there - nothing to do with Culture shock though - just didn't like the place.

EVERY fucker stares at you there and doesn't smile either , that grates after a while.

[Snaff]

well I went to Chile last year and hated it there - nothing to do with Culture shock though - just didn't like the place.

I hear you, CE. I understand that.

EVERY fucker stares at you there and doesn't smile either, that grates after a while.

How did you find the woman? I mean attractive?

Do you speak Spanish?

Were you TEFLing, there?

(Sorry to get off-topic.)

[colourful-era]

Snaff:
Women were on the whole hobbit-like and un-attractive (thus the occasional decent ones were not too friendly) - I'm talking about the south of Chile here - on heading up the north the women were a bit better looking but nothing like the Argentinian beauties.

Yes , I do speak Spanish - that helped and I did make one Chilean girlfriend for a few weeks but was bored rigid still.

And yes I was TEfling - did 6 months in South America in total working and travelling.

My main experience was in Buenos Aires, Argentina -

[Torbek]

I wonder if she had spent much time in Bangkok before moving here?

Let's face facts. Bangkok can be an overpowering shithole.

Although I had been to Thailand 4 or 5 times over the previous decade, I still chose to start upcountry just because I thought Bangkok would shit me to tears pretty quickly.

Now after more than two years upcountry I think I am almost ready to face living in Bangkok!

But it ain't no "picture postcard" city....

[Snaff]

^ on a downer note, Thai c*ck is small and she might not be getting satisfied.

Hence the email to the captian.

If the ship is sinking, then ya call the Captain.

[poolcleaner]

I wonder if she had spent much time in Bangkok before moving here?

Let's face facts. Bangkok can be an overpowering shithole.

Although I had been to Thailand 4 or 5 times over the previous decade, I still chose to start upcountry just because I thought Bangkok would shit me to tears pretty quickly.

Now after more than two years upcountry I think I am almost ready to face living in Bangkok!

But it ain't no "picture postcard" city....

I remember when you got this postcard torbek!!

[danbo]

After hat it took a couple of weeks to get a job sorted......

Got to agree with poolie that a nice new hat is a prerequisite to settling down in any new country....nb: nice comment on the 4 day TEFL - I fell for it first read.

Following on from CNM's post lot must depend on the situation you are coming to LOS from. I was desperately unhappy in the UK before I came out, and I expect that I would have welcomed any change - maybe not Belgium, but pretty much anywhere. That said, I did and do find LOS wonderful. To repeat myself, my initial settlement may have been due to the 'luxury' of having an extended holiday before I got down to some serious thinking about what I was to do. Tell your friend to give it more time Capt - a country/lifestyle can not be understood/evaluated in a couple of weeks.

[colourful-era]

I reckon Bangkok's ok if you're working and not expecting a 24 hr holiday - if I didn't have a job here I wouldn't stick around.

For me , to be totally honest, I like it in Thailand 'cos I wasn't gettting much back home - I wouldn't stay here if there weren't cheap whores as the rest of the stuff you can do here is very same same after a short while.
I'm no real fan of the beach nor am I a culture vulture (though I do find learning Thai interesting)

basically I miss my gambling on the nags too much to live here without another vice - not sure that BKk would appeal to a female tefler unless she just 'fell in love with the place' (is that reality anyway? )

[aging one]

I for one thing it is damn funny. It you really think about it is damn funny.

[Torbek]

^ on a downer note, Thai c*ck is small and she might not be getting satisfied.

Hence the email to the captian.

If the ship is sinking, then ya call the Captain.

By the way Captain...

How old is this one?

[Torbek]

basically I miss my gambling on the nags too much to live here without another vice - not sure that BKk would appeal to a female tefler unless she just 'fell in love with the place' (is that reality anyway? )

I too miss the gee gees. RBSC and the other track are just NOT the same thing as a day at races back home...or even an afternoon in a bar with TAB and Sky racing...