It's amazing how the smallest things can make such a big difference. For example, in my life, not living out of a suitcase and finding the grocery store were huge accomplishments. For another fellow, it's moving from temporary housing to slightly-less-temporary housing. For another, it's making friends by singing karaoke of Celine Dion.
Anyway, here's a brief "day-in-the-life" post - not too interesting but several people have asked ;)
So traffic in Bangkok, as I've mentioned, is not great. (And, I've heard that it's going to get worse - right now is students' break and they start back up next week. I can hardly wait.) Luckily, getting to Nonthaburi is a reverse commute out of Bangkok. Once we get on the expressway, the traffic is mild and it can take less than 15 minutes to get to work. The tricky part is getting out of Bangkok. The shuttle, an embassy vehicle provided to CDC for TDYer's (oh another acronym), picks up the temporary CDC staff at their hotel. For the first week, it picked up me and two IEDA people from Centre Point, picked up some local staff from a central location, and headed off on the expressway. We were at work in 20 minutes. But, it becomes slightly more complicated when other TDYer's come and stay at other hotels. Anyhow, the shuttle picks up at the Caltex (a central gas station right near the BTS Skytrain and the expressway) any time between 7:35 and 8:15 (it was VERY late one day). Now that I have an apartment, I walk or take a bike to the BTS and take it to Caltex and hop on the shuttle. Commute time: Between 1/2 hour and 1-1/2 hours.
Usually I am the first one from my group to arrive at work. "My group" is the behavioral section of the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP). It is separate from the Global AIDS Program (GAP), mainly because of funding (a wonderful remnant of W's PEPFAR policy). So, I get to my office around 8am, open the curtains so I can watch the rain clouds coming, and turn my computer on. Thus far, work has not been entirely exciting. The first two weeks I spent reading about the projects going on (and writing down what all the acronyms stood for). Luckily, I also spent the first two weeks getting to know the rest of the team.
The team consists of Frits (my mentor), P'Aoy (the second in command), Took, and Oy. There are also several other people who work at the clinic (more on that later). P'Aoy is extremely nice, looks after me, makes sure I have weekend plans, helped me find housing, and is just motherly and guiding. Her office is right next to mine. Took, the only other male on the team besides Frits, is fun-loving and, I think, the fashionable one of the office. He is also very patient in answering my many questions, helping me order lunch (making sure it's "for a child," aka not spicy), and teaching me Thai words. Oy, the qualitative specialist of the group, is the traveler of the group, and she has already told me she'll help negotiate good prices for me when I travel and give me good recommendations. She's also extremely welcoming and makes sure I am up-to-date on conversations held mainly in Thai. They are a great group of people to work with and I look forward to learning a lot from them.
So then I leave work around 4:30pm - and hope it hasn't rained recently or is a Friday, because then traffic will be worse. Usually I get back any time between 5:30 and 6:30. I have to make dinner plans before I get home or else I tend to crash on my couch. Food is pretty easy to come by, so even if I am too lazy to go someplace, there are several places around the corner from my apartment that have food. By 10pm I'm ready for bed.
That's my typical day.
Next post, the work I'm doing.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
ASPH/CDC/TUC...
Often in the past week, I've felt like I did not understand what people around me were saying. Reasonable, right? I'm in Thailand - people speak Thai and I know only two Thai phrases thus far (hello and thank you).
Yet, most of the time, my confusion occurs around English speakers. There is, as I was repeatedly warned, another language of the CDC: acronyms. People throw them around like most people use articles (the, a, an). I've heard individuals speak entire sentences using acronyms. It's an impressive and daunting language that learning is almost as complicated as learning Thai.
In the interest of educating you (and saving my fingers from typing extra letters), here is a brief reference list of the acronyms I've come across so far.
CDC - US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (I know, this does not make sense - the acronym should be CDCP, but historically, the office was known as the "Communicable Disease Center.")
TUC - Thailand Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) - U.S. CDC Collaboration
ASPH - Association of Schools of Public Health (an American organization)
MSM - men who have sex with men (this removes the self-identifying terms such as homosexual that many people may not accept)
HIV - human immunodeficiency virus (the virus that causes AIDS)
AIDS - acquired immune deficiency syndrome
COGH - Center for Global Health (a part of CDC)
BKK - Bangkok
ARV - antiretroviral (drugs used to help people with HIV)
PrEP - pre-exposure prophylaxis (this abbreviation is used with HIV research - if you know about preventing mother to child transmission of HIV, it's the same idea except is now being studied in high-risk populations)
PEPFAR - President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (the first wave began under Bush, PEPFAR 2 has just been renewed under Obama - look it up on Wikipedia)
GAP - Global AIDS Program (funded mainly by PEPFAR)
DHAP - Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (PEPFAR did not allow the funding to go to HIV/AIDS research, leading to a division of program implementation and research. You can come to your own conclusions about the logic behind that.)
TDY - Temporary duty assignment (Yes, I know the letters don't match up. I still don't know why but if you know, please comment.)
These are the ones I have come across this week (that I remember). I'm sure there will be more to add soon.
Yet, most of the time, my confusion occurs around English speakers. There is, as I was repeatedly warned, another language of the CDC: acronyms. People throw them around like most people use articles (the, a, an). I've heard individuals speak entire sentences using acronyms. It's an impressive and daunting language that learning is almost as complicated as learning Thai.
In the interest of educating you (and saving my fingers from typing extra letters), here is a brief reference list of the acronyms I've come across so far.
CDC - US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (I know, this does not make sense - the acronym should be CDCP, but historically, the office was known as the "Communicable Disease Center.")
TUC - Thailand Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) - U.S. CDC Collaboration
ASPH - Association of Schools of Public Health (an American organization)
MSM - men who have sex with men (this removes the self-identifying terms such as homosexual that many people may not accept)
HIV - human immunodeficiency virus (the virus that causes AIDS)
AIDS - acquired immune deficiency syndrome
COGH - Center for Global Health (a part of CDC)
BKK - Bangkok
ARV - antiretroviral (drugs used to help people with HIV)
PrEP - pre-exposure prophylaxis (this abbreviation is used with HIV research - if you know about preventing mother to child transmission of HIV, it's the same idea except is now being studied in high-risk populations)
PEPFAR - President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (the first wave began under Bush, PEPFAR 2 has just been renewed under Obama - look it up on Wikipedia)
GAP - Global AIDS Program (funded mainly by PEPFAR)
DHAP - Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (PEPFAR did not allow the funding to go to HIV/AIDS research, leading to a division of program implementation and research. You can come to your own conclusions about the logic behind that.)
TDY - Temporary duty assignment (Yes, I know the letters don't match up. I still don't know why but if you know, please comment.)
These are the ones I have come across this week (that I remember). I'm sure there will be more to add soon.
Craving an orange Fanta...
My first week here was a blur of transportation, reading, and feeling extremely sleep deprived. But, I was lucky to make some friends early in the week who invited me on a day trip during the weekend.
The first challenge of the day trip was getting to the travel agent, located on Khao San Road. For those of you without some familiarity with Bangkok, Khao San Road is the "heart of the international backpacking scene" (Fodor's travel guide, my ever-present companion). It's a mix of Bourbon Street and the French Market, with a little bit of a sketchy road in Freetown. But, it was there we trooped to get tickets for our adventure the next day. After negotiating the price of the ticket, we headed to get some food, first to the Burger King to supplicate one of my friend's 3-year old (who was promised ice cream). Getting stuck in Burger King during a torrential downpour, as happens frequently, I relented to my grumbling stomach and ate Burger King for the first time in several years. It was quite delicious, although my standards might have been a bit low due to my hunger. After the downpour ceased, we tried to get a taxi to go back to the hotel. This proved more challenging then I imagined, but we succeeded after some time and made it back across the city in record time - it only took 90 minutes or so. (Remember what I said about traffic?)
The next day began bright and early - 6:30am when we were picked up by the van and shuttled back across the city to pick up other tour-goers. Our destination was southwest of the city, to see the floating market of Damnoen Saduak, Sampran Elephant Ground and Zoo, and the Rose Garden. The floating market is just that - a market of small boats that float along the many canals in Damnoen Saduak. There is food, tourist nick knacks, clothing, paintings, and more that line the edges (and middle) of the canals. This floating market is a bit of a tourist trap (there are apparently few places in Thailand that aren't), but it's a fun adventure. After several hours of wandering around the shops, we headed to the Sampran Elephant Ground. While I was a little apprehensive about how these elephants may be treated, they seemed pretty healthy and the show was entertaining, with a history of elephants in Thailand, a demonstration of battle using elephants, and, of course, feeding the elephants. At the same place, there was also a crocodile show. Now, I'm not one to run away from crocodiles (after all, I am my grandmother's grand-daughter), but the show made me nervous, despite others' assurances that the crocodiles were trained. The show consisted of sticking the "trainer's" head into a crocodile's open mouth, grabbing a crocodile by the tail and spinning him (or her) around, and picking a croc up. Like I said, I'm not one to shy away from a good crocodilian chasing, but always from the safety of a golf cart.
Our final stop of the day was at the Rose Garden. Known for its beautiful grounds, we were unfortunately stuck inside due to the torrential rain (common occurrence!). But, we did get to see a Thai cultural show of dancing, Thai boxing, sword fighting, and a wedding ceremony. Heading back to Bangkok, I promptly fell asleep. (Katie R, I think your car sleeping habit rubbed off on me.) We were dropped off at Khao San Road, ate some of the best chicken and cashews I've ever had at a restaurant (note: my mom's chicken and cashews is still the best), took another taxi back (I fell asleep) and returned to the hotel.
Oh, and the craving orange Fanta part... this is when I know I'm dehydrated. I had one almost every day in Sierra Leone and when I got back in the van after the floating market, I was craving an orange Fanta. Water, unfortunately, had to do the trick.
The first challenge of the day trip was getting to the travel agent, located on Khao San Road. For those of you without some familiarity with Bangkok, Khao San Road is the "heart of the international backpacking scene" (Fodor's travel guide, my ever-present companion). It's a mix of Bourbon Street and the French Market, with a little bit of a sketchy road in Freetown. But, it was there we trooped to get tickets for our adventure the next day. After negotiating the price of the ticket, we headed to get some food, first to the Burger King to supplicate one of my friend's 3-year old (who was promised ice cream). Getting stuck in Burger King during a torrential downpour, as happens frequently, I relented to my grumbling stomach and ate Burger King for the first time in several years. It was quite delicious, although my standards might have been a bit low due to my hunger. After the downpour ceased, we tried to get a taxi to go back to the hotel. This proved more challenging then I imagined, but we succeeded after some time and made it back across the city in record time - it only took 90 minutes or so. (Remember what I said about traffic?)
The next day began bright and early - 6:30am when we were picked up by the van and shuttled back across the city to pick up other tour-goers. Our destination was southwest of the city, to see the floating market of Damnoen Saduak, Sampran Elephant Ground and Zoo, and the Rose Garden. The floating market is just that - a market of small boats that float along the many canals in Damnoen Saduak. There is food, tourist nick knacks, clothing, paintings, and more that line the edges (and middle) of the canals. This floating market is a bit of a tourist trap (there are apparently few places in Thailand that aren't), but it's a fun adventure. After several hours of wandering around the shops, we headed to the Sampran Elephant Ground. While I was a little apprehensive about how these elephants may be treated, they seemed pretty healthy and the show was entertaining, with a history of elephants in Thailand, a demonstration of battle using elephants, and, of course, feeding the elephants. At the same place, there was also a crocodile show. Now, I'm not one to run away from crocodiles (after all, I am my grandmother's grand-daughter), but the show made me nervous, despite others' assurances that the crocodiles were trained. The show consisted of sticking the "trainer's" head into a crocodile's open mouth, grabbing a crocodile by the tail and spinning him (or her) around, and picking a croc up. Like I said, I'm not one to shy away from a good crocodilian chasing, but always from the safety of a golf cart.
Our final stop of the day was at the Rose Garden. Known for its beautiful grounds, we were unfortunately stuck inside due to the torrential rain (common occurrence!). But, we did get to see a Thai cultural show of dancing, Thai boxing, sword fighting, and a wedding ceremony. Heading back to Bangkok, I promptly fell asleep. (Katie R, I think your car sleeping habit rubbed off on me.) We were dropped off at Khao San Road, ate some of the best chicken and cashews I've ever had at a restaurant (note: my mom's chicken and cashews is still the best), took another taxi back (I fell asleep) and returned to the hotel.
Oh, and the craving orange Fanta part... this is when I know I'm dehydrated. I had one almost every day in Sierra Leone and when I got back in the van after the floating market, I was craving an orange Fanta. Water, unfortunately, had to do the trick.
(at the floating market)
(me and an elephant :-D)
(me, Prachi, Jaiden, Alpha and Ken - at the Rose Garden)
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Bangkok - Day 7
Oh my goodness! What a week! I cannot believe I have been in Bangkok for a full week now.
The week began slowly... that is, after two flights, totaling 29 hours travel time. My flights, first from JFK to Hong Kong then to Bangkok, were uneventful. My sojourn through the Bangkok airport was equally uneventful, despite a rather nerve-wracking wait while the Thai immigration officer examined my passport and visa before finally stamping it and allowing me through to Thailand. I found all of my bags, found the recommended taxi service, and arrived at my serviced apartment. (I think my travels to Sierra Leone have made me a little paranoid about international airports, as the simple act of getting all of my bags shocked and thrilled me.)
I arrived at my "serviced apartment," or long-stay hotel, and wondered if I was in the right place. The Centre Point is beautiful! It's pretty much a 5 star hotel with incredibly friendly staff. I will take pictures and post them. I have a gorgeous view from my 21st story balcony of downtown Bangkok, including Lumpini Park, which offers a rare patch of green among the skyscrapers and cement.
The first few days are an overwhelming blur. Walking around Bangkok, getting lost, trying to find my way back while deciphering Thai, eating unknown foods, dealing with crazy traffic jams, and avoiding getting run over by a (enter some form of vehicle here) are the highlights and lowlights.
First - walking around Bangkok. There is no standard way of translating Thai letters into the Latin alphabet. So, each translator tends to spell words differently. I have a map that spells the same street name three different ways. I've found the best way to figure out how to speak a Thai word is to look at all the different spellings. For example: Chatuchak is also spelled Jatujak. This, of course, means that it's a bit difficult to use a map to get around which leads to my second and third points - getting lost (pretty self-explanatory) and deciphering Thai.
Next, eating unknown foods - all I can say is yum. I could use fancier words to describe Thai food (enticing, delicious, ambrosial) but yum... well, encompasses it all. And, food is available everywhere: there are thousands of street vendors whose culinary expertise is enviable. Each vendor seems to find the right mix of tastes, textures and smells to create a memorable dining experience (even when you are eating "street food"). I have yet to find a dish I do not like, despite my dislike of seafood and chili peppers.
Finally, crazy traffic jams and trying not to get run over. Although I have heard there are worse cities for traffic, I have yet to see one. Bangkok is a mangled mess of streets that wind and wander through the city, changing names, directions and speeds. There are few major thoroughfares and when it rains (as it tends to in the rainy season), the smaller streets flood, causing insane jams. Even when it does not rain, jams occur without rhyme or reason at all hours of the day and night. The traffic system is exponentially intensified by the crushing congregation of cars, trucks, buses, vans, taxis, motorcycles, tuk-tuks, bicycles, other various wheeled objects, and, of course, pedestrians. Then, to top it all off in my jet-lagged, culture-shocked, sensory-deluged brain, they drive on the left side of the road. So, I look the wrong way when I cross.
And, that was my first week. Next up, the weekend!
The week began slowly... that is, after two flights, totaling 29 hours travel time. My flights, first from JFK to Hong Kong then to Bangkok, were uneventful. My sojourn through the Bangkok airport was equally uneventful, despite a rather nerve-wracking wait while the Thai immigration officer examined my passport and visa before finally stamping it and allowing me through to Thailand. I found all of my bags, found the recommended taxi service, and arrived at my serviced apartment. (I think my travels to Sierra Leone have made me a little paranoid about international airports, as the simple act of getting all of my bags shocked and thrilled me.)
I arrived at my "serviced apartment," or long-stay hotel, and wondered if I was in the right place. The Centre Point is beautiful! It's pretty much a 5 star hotel with incredibly friendly staff. I will take pictures and post them. I have a gorgeous view from my 21st story balcony of downtown Bangkok, including Lumpini Park, which offers a rare patch of green among the skyscrapers and cement.
The first few days are an overwhelming blur. Walking around Bangkok, getting lost, trying to find my way back while deciphering Thai, eating unknown foods, dealing with crazy traffic jams, and avoiding getting run over by a (enter some form of vehicle here) are the highlights and lowlights.
First - walking around Bangkok. There is no standard way of translating Thai letters into the Latin alphabet. So, each translator tends to spell words differently. I have a map that spells the same street name three different ways. I've found the best way to figure out how to speak a Thai word is to look at all the different spellings. For example: Chatuchak is also spelled Jatujak. This, of course, means that it's a bit difficult to use a map to get around which leads to my second and third points - getting lost (pretty self-explanatory) and deciphering Thai.
Next, eating unknown foods - all I can say is yum. I could use fancier words to describe Thai food (enticing, delicious, ambrosial) but yum... well, encompasses it all. And, food is available everywhere: there are thousands of street vendors whose culinary expertise is enviable. Each vendor seems to find the right mix of tastes, textures and smells to create a memorable dining experience (even when you are eating "street food"). I have yet to find a dish I do not like, despite my dislike of seafood and chili peppers.
Finally, crazy traffic jams and trying not to get run over. Although I have heard there are worse cities for traffic, I have yet to see one. Bangkok is a mangled mess of streets that wind and wander through the city, changing names, directions and speeds. There are few major thoroughfares and when it rains (as it tends to in the rainy season), the smaller streets flood, causing insane jams. Even when it does not rain, jams occur without rhyme or reason at all hours of the day and night. The traffic system is exponentially intensified by the crushing congregation of cars, trucks, buses, vans, taxis, motorcycles, tuk-tuks, bicycles, other various wheeled objects, and, of course, pedestrians. Then, to top it all off in my jet-lagged, culture-shocked, sensory-deluged brain, they drive on the left side of the road. So, I look the wrong way when I cross.
And, that was my first week. Next up, the weekend!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Bangkok - Day 1... Trying to Stay Awake
Hello All,
Happy October! I can not believe it's already fall (in the Northeast USA, at least). I hope everything is going well wherever you are.
As some of you might know, I will be working in Thailand for at least a year, as an ASPH/CDC global health fellow. I am working with the CDC (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP). I arrived safely in Bangkok, Thailand, late last night and now I'm incredibly jet-lagged. But, the process (and my first 16 hour flight) was not too bad. Aside from an immigration officer who made me wait nervously for what seemed like forever, the whole trip went very well. I'm looking forward to learning more about Thailand and working with the CDC.
I'll be sending out occasional emails (about Thailand, work, whatever) while here - if you want to receive them, just let me know.
That's all for now. I'm currently trying to do my best to stay awake.
Katie
Happy October! I can not believe it's already fall (in the Northeast USA, at least). I hope everything is going well wherever you are.
As some of you might know, I will be working in Thailand for at least a year, as an ASPH/CDC global health fellow. I am working with the CDC (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP). I arrived safely in Bangkok, Thailand, late last night and now I'm incredibly jet-lagged. But, the process (and my first 16 hour flight) was not too bad. Aside from an immigration officer who made me wait nervously for what seemed like forever, the whole trip went very well. I'm looking forward to learning more about Thailand and working with the CDC.
I'll be sending out occasional emails (about Thailand, work, whatever) while here - if you want to receive them, just let me know.
That's all for now. I'm currently trying to do my best to stay awake.
Katie
Other Blogs
This blog is brand new. But if you want to learn about my other adventures, try these blogs:
* katie-nola2007.blogspot.com
* olpckenema.wordpress.com
* katie-nola2007.blogspot.com
* olpckenema.wordpress.com
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